Nyel and Sydney at the Olympic Club

Yesterday, we went to the poultry auction in Chehalis.  With us were neighbors Carol and Tucker and one very loud, very handsome, very mean banty rooster.  And did I say loud?  He was in a box just behind the back seat where Carol and I were sitting, and he protested pretty much constantly for the two-and-a-half-hour drive.

I don’t think any of us were too sympathetic.  We’ve all had issues with that bird from the get-go.  He had just ‘showed up’ at Tucker and Carol’s and proved to be a faithful and loud 5:30 a.m. crower.  Very loud.  And we all thought we were doing a good thing when Farmer Nyel and Tucker “rescued” him and introduced him to our flock.  I think we all thought (or at least hoped) that his owner would come looking for him.  No such luck.

Rescue Rooster at the Auction

So, when we heard about the poultry auction in Chehalis we decided to make a day of it.  None of us had ever been to a poultry auction which was eye-opening in itself.  Scores of hens and roosters, guinea fowl and turkeys, were in cages – individually and in family groups – waiting for the 11 a.m. starting time.  Farmer Nyel filled out the paperwork for Rescue Boy and we turned him over to one of the auction assistants.  We were assured that we’d receive a check in the mail within nine days.  Or we could stay and get paid on the spot.  As interesting as it all was, we left just as things began.

We headed for Centralia.  Nyel and I wanted to introduce Tucker and Carol to the historic (and still in use) 1912 train station and the old Olympic Club right across the street – now a McMenamin’s.  We had lunch there and then spent an hour or so exploring the street fair – an annual antiques and junk event – that we had just happened upon.  Another first and maybe the day’s highlight for the two men.

Tucker and Carol at the Olympic Club

Shortly after we got home, I looked out the east window and there was Ms. Russian Orloff right up on the porch, perhaps looking for Rescue Guy.  (It was the last place I’d seen them together – just a day or so ago.)  But before I could feel any fowl sympathy, here came our new black hen-turned-rooster running right for that lady hen.  Slam bam, he had his way with her was on his way without even a thank you, mam!  That was one event yesterday that probably wasn’t for the first time.