Sweet mules and Buddha hand

Sunday was a bright gift after weeks of rain, wind and clouds. On California Avenue near the outdoor market in West Seattle, there were free wagon rides courtesy of these fine mules. Santa was visiting one of the stores, and there was a long line of dressed-up children and nervous looking babies. It was good to be out in the sunshine, after lazing around and eating roast beef on Saturday. We had lunch (Pho, again) and then stopped at QFC on the way home for a few groceries.
Grocery store aisles are cluttered up now with the food people want for the holidays, like cans of French fried onions and mushroom soup. But seeing a Buddha's hand in the produce section was a first. Pricey little thing, isn't it?

I learned on Wiki it's a citron that grows on a small, thorn-covered tree. The fruit has a thick peel, and in western cooking is used mostly for zest. The white pith isn't bitter, so the whole thing can be grated and sliced directly into salads and such. It grows in parts of California, but the origin of the plant goes back to India or China. The Japanese use it for perfuming rooms and clothing. The fruit is traditionally given in Buddhist temples as an offering, with the "fingers" of the fruit in a closed position resembling prayer.

The Citrus medica tree