Page 34 of Property of Doc

“Yeah, I pulled the pops from the freezer so I can dip them then get them decorated. Doc and I are going horseback riding whenever he gets up for the day, but I think I’ll have enough time to get most, if not all, of them done.”

“Oh! Can I watch you?” Sissy, the teenager who came with the California group asks.

“Sure. It’s a fun activity and it might be something you’d wanna try when you get home,” I reply.

“That’s so cool,” Sissy whispers as I apply a dab of melted chocolate to the edible piece I’m adding to the pop.

“I wish I had a cake ready to show you the whole process,” I admit. “But, if you think it’d be something you want to try, there are a few people I follow on TikTok that I learned the technique from. There’s even someone who can make specialty edible pieces, like logos and that sort of thing. I just placed an order for a few things that I don’t have the molds for yet, since it’ll save me some time.”

She pulls out her phone and opens TikTok. “Okay, who do you follow?” she asks, her fingers poised on the tiny keyboard. I tell her the three creators I follow, then give her another one because the woman is someone we should all aspire to be. She spoils her mailmen, goes above and beyond at Christmas buying Angel Tree wishes, and seems to be a kind, generous soul.

“So, these are dry and ready to be wrapped,” I tell Sissy. “Some people hand wrap them and do the ties, but I found this little gadget and it’s another lifesaver.”

Before I know it, everything I’ve dipped and decorated is wrapped and sealed in plastic tubs. I place them in the industrial size refrigerator that Doc got for me to use then start cleaning everything up. I’m still amazed that he got the prospects to add a farm sink since most of the molds have to be hand-washed because they’re silicone based.

“I’m going to see if I can try to do this when we get home,” Sissy tells me as we return to the kitchen.

“I also do pretzel rods, Oreos, and strawberries,” I confess. “I just didn’t have time with everything going on to go buy some of those. But I’ll have them ready for next time.” Something else comes to mind and I add, “Rice Krispie treats too. I’ll either buy them pre-made, or if I have the time, I’ll make it from scratch then put it into molds. That’s a bit harder to do, to be completely truthful, but I wanted to try it at least once.”

Sissy nods like she understands and when we sit at the kitchen table where the rest of the women have congregated, she immediately launches into a description of what I was doing, pulling Gwynee into it. “She’s got a pop-up camper that she’s going to use, too!” Sissy exclaims.

“Where is it? Can we see it?” Gwynee asks.

I shrug. “I don’t see why not. Let’s go!”

“This looks phenomenal,” Gwynee says as we stare at the camper that is closer to being done than when Doc first showed it to me.

“He’s thought of everything,” I reply, looking at the cut out areas that’ll hold the coolers. Not only that, but it looks like there’s a small generator that will power a cooling fan for me!

“You’re going to have a hit on your hands when you bring this out to the farmer’s market,” Issy states. “Especially if you add the other items you make. Maybe not a lot of them, and definitely do it on a first-come, first-serve basis.”

I think about adding the pretzel rods, Rice Krispie treats, and covered strawberries and realize if I did them by the dozen, it would be feasible. “I’ll see if Herb has any good-looking strawberries that I can get later next week for that weekend since there’s not enough time for this week.”

“Like hell there’s not,” Issy retorts, pulling out her phone. “I’ll send a prospect over there now and get you a bushel of them. That should give you plenty to work with. Sissy, you’re good with a phone, look up and see what the going rate for chocolate covered strawberries is, then look for something that she can put them in. I’ve gotten them at the mall before, and they put them in a cardboard bowl with a plastic lid.”

My head is spinning right now as Issy issues orders. Being the queen is obviously a good thing, because nobody questions her at all. In fact, it’s Mongrel who walks into the barn. “I’ll go get them,” he tells Issy.

“You don’t have to do that any longer, Mongrel, you’re not a prospect,” Issy replies.

“Doesn’t matter, I know what to look for, Issy,” he says. “Plus, I have a vested interest in this seeing as I helped her move it from her place to the clubhouse.”

I giggle because he was so funny that day. He kept asking why I needed ten boxes of French vanilla cake mix, but when he saw thecasesof white almond bark, he nearly fell over. Toss in all the oil-based food colors I’ve accumulated, as well as the molds, and he was horrified yet impressed, especially when I told him that I was the one who built the shelves.

“Thank you, Mongrel, and congratulations on being patched in,” I tell him. “I do appreciate this help, especially since I guess I’m getting this done before this weekend’s farmer’s market.”

“You are,” Issy decrees. “Here’s my idea. We know Constance and Maria can handle washing the strawberries, right? So, you show them what you do afterward to get them ready to dip. Once you and Doc get back from riding, we’ll help you dip if you need us to.”

“Oh! I can help!” Sissy exclaims.

Throwing up my hands, I state, “I give up. We’ll do it, but if we’re doing it like this, I also need pretzel rods as well as Rice Krispie treats. At least, we’ll keep occupied while the men do whatever it is they’re going to do, right?”

“Yeah, today I think most of them are regretting their life choices last night,” Gwynee replies, snickering.

“I need to have the other two prospects put up the bounce house for Elodie,” Issy murmurs, her face in her phone again.

“Okay, we have a plan, I need to go back in to ask Constance and Maria if they’re willing to wash the fruit and dry it in preparationfor dipping it later. Then, I need to figure out if there’s anything else I need.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Issy exclaims.