"Hey, take a picture," the old man who was looking at the PC didn't mind at first, but then his voice got a bit rough, "What do you mean, 'take a picture'?" He had brought back a lot of vegetables in a cardboard box. "I bought some vegetables... you can write about it, right?" he said, like you would on a food review site. He was asking for my help... he had bought a lot on his way back from Kitami. He got them from "Green Hill 905," a farmer's direct sales store. Even though I don't like potatoes, I do like Inca potatoes. I like to fry them with Farmer's bacon. We already have carrots at home, so why did you buy more carrots? But most importantly, did you buy some sweet potatoes? Is that what they call them these days? You sure bought a lot of nostalgic items. They've been sitting there for a while... ripening. Well, they used to be delicious back in the day, but now it's just for nostalgia."

It's a visit to the grave. It's close by so we stopped by. My husband said, "They don't have ice cream here often." I think they didn't have it last year either. (I once ate sesame ice cream with an ex-boyfriend from a long time ago lol) As expected, they don't have it. The roadside stand in front sells vegetables, konjac, etc. Since it's already past noon, there doesn't seem to be much left? "Oh, red beans! I wanted a small bag." They only have big bags. My husband said, "Cucumbers for pickling would be good, right?" so we bought them. (I planted 3 cucumber plants at home, but only got 3 cucumbers from one plant. The other 2 plants only grew leaves. The cherry tomatoes didn't grow at all either, even though my husband brought compost for them...) Roadside stands are nice, they're cheap. Next time, I'll check out the one in Shiomi too. It's a bit pitiful for the cashier to be working during Obon lol.

There are two main routes from Abashiri to Kitami. One is to take Route 39 via Bihoro, passing below Lake Abashiri on the map. The other is to take Route 238 from Abashiri to Tokoro, then turn left and take the Route 238 Abashiri Tanno Line, passing above Lake Abashiri. This route is shorter and faster, but often closed due to heavy snow in winter. There is a vegetable direct sales store along the Abashiri Tanno Line, offering a beautiful view of Lake Abashiri. The store was started by 23 local farmers who wanted to deliver delicious products to the community and now has around 16-17 participants. They sell vegetables, tofu, fried tofu, and ice cream. The asparagus and spinach are delicious, but the sashimi konjac was too firm for my liking. Overall, it's a nice place to stop by when passing through the area.

I have passed by here many times, but I have never been able to catch it open due to early mornings or late returns. By chance, I was able to visit at a good time. As autumn deepens, I was worried if there would be anything good, but there was! Onions, potatoes, leeks, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, pumpkin, etc. are all cheaper than at the supermarket! They also sell small daily necessities. Root vegetables don't spoil easily, so I tend to stock up on them. Next to the register, they also have Chie-san's baked goods from the lakeside cheesecake shop.