You couldn’t helped to be lost in the offerings. There were strawberries over here and peaches over there.

There was fresh milk — and chocolate milk for that matter — in one booth and fresh honey at another.

For food enthusiasts, or simply those who enjoy fresh greens, tomatoes or homemade jams, the Vicksburg Farmers Market in downtown Vicksburg each Wednesday and Saturday is just too good to pass up.

This was a Saturday morning excursion Stephanie had insisted we put on our to-do list for a few weeks. We had missed the opening weekend, but we were not going to let too many Saturday’s go by without getting to the market.

But, in addition to the fruits and vegetables we picked up Saturday, there was a good ole’ butt kicking that I also happened to pick up.

That defeat came at the hands of one cordial, congenial and Southern darling, Mrs. Mary Louise Nosser.

Mrs. Nosser is no stranger to anyone. Her community involvement from her love of history to the promotion and involvement of the annual Lebanese Dinner is well known.

But, I was not aware of her checkers acumen and the brutality in which she goes about beating people — both young and old, and sometimes both at the same time.

At the main booth of the market, there is a very unassuming checkers board set up. It lures you in a way a sirens song would.

There is nothing special about it. There are red checkers and black and each have their starting position.

What is far different is the challenge Mrs. Nosser issues. “Want to play me in checkers?” she asks so politely. Sure thing.

Sarah Cameron and I had been in the midst of a game already, but we quickly reset the board and Mrs. Nosser sat down. I joined forces with Sarah Cameron and offered what I thought would be some “winning strategy.” I was really in for it.

In just a few moves, and a few stalls, Mrs. Nosser had already had one checker crowned and was well on her way to have two others crowned.

To our credit, Sarah Cameron had claimed one of Mrs. Nosser’s checkers. One.

Our checkers kept disappearing, as did our options for moves. One by one, we were being dismantled and Sarah Cameron was rightfully passing the blame on my strategy.

To be honest, my strategy was well gone and we were in survival mode.

There goes another checker. And another of Mrs. Nosser’s is crowned.

She now had an unimaginable amount of options with crowned checkers outnumbering the checkers we had remaining.

It was a warm morning and I passed off my beads of sweat as a result of the heat, but that wasn’t it. I was simply hoping that we could at least extend the game to a respectable length.

In mere moments, it was over. Mercifully, Mrs. Nosser called off the dogs and it was time for us to take our peaches, our strawberries, our tomatoes, our honey and whatever was left of my pride back to the car.

But as we were about to leave and were thanking Mrs. Norris for a spirited game, she topped it all off with some simple and very patriotic gifts for Sarah Cameron, and for both Clayton and Fin, who both watched the trouncing.

For me, I took with me something else, something far more valuable. It was respect and appreciation.

There are treasures Vicksburg can claim and does so brilliantly through the marketing efforts of the city, the chamber, Downtown Vicksburg and the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. But, there is another jewel — another treasure — that is just as beloved and it is embodied in Mrs. Nosser.

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Tim Reeves is publisher of The Vicksburg Post. You can contact him at tim.reeves@vicksburgpost.com.