"You Must Be Here for the Livestock!"...a Thanksgiving Eve Story

 Chick Route On Monday

On Monday, of Thanksgiving week, 100 freshly hatched Rhode Island Red chicks were born in Mt. Healthy, Ohio, and shipped, to us, live.  That would be 2,069.99 miles away - according to Map Quest (click on link above). 

Question, you ask?  Why in the throws of winter would we want baby chicks? 
Answer: Because it takes 4-6 months to get to 'egg laying' production and we need more eggs for our markets that start in late March!   And, Rhode Island Red chickens are one of our favorites!!!  They make nice hens.  They are friendly.  They are fun to talk to and watch.  The roosters however, are mean nasty things (The  King Rooster that terrorized Jake shall live in infamy!). 

Back to the story:  The baby chicks were to arrive on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.  Our mail does not get delivered to our mailbox, at the end of our lane until sometime after 2:30 pm (we are the last on the route), so when 'live chicks' get delivered to our Post Office, on the 7am morning truck (the only delivery truck of the day) the Post Office calls us, and we get to go pick them up, in Haines, 7 miles away.

Quick!  Who remembers what happened the last time I went to pick up chicks?  Anyone?  Why, yes, I did lock them in my car, with my keys, and keyless entry code!  Oh yes.  That was a memorable event:).  

Again.. back to the story:  It usually takes 2 days for chicks to get to us if all things go 'smoothly' and as planned.

On Monday, however, the phone did not ring at 7:30 am. The roads were icy, and we were still recovering from 'the frigid temps' that braced our region earlier in the week.  I called the Post Office and the line was continuously busy.  So, I warmed up the car, put on my Eskimo gear, and went to 'pick up chicks'...as they say.

Result? No chicks in Haines.  Next step?  Tracking them down.

Dick called the hatchery in Ohio.

The hatchery said the first truck broke down, and they moved them to an 'Express Truck' and they were to arrive that afternoon.  Unfortunately, as I said earlier, we don't get shipments at our Post Office in the afternoon.  Instead, they wait in Pendleton (the nearest hub) and are held until the next morning's truck ships.  And, since the 'next day' was going to be Thanksgiving, the truck would not be coming until Friday.

Our 2day shipment was becoming 5 days.    .

Long story short?  The chicks were still en-route 'somewhere' in Oregon and would not arrive in Haines until Friday.  And, by that time, they would probably be itty bitty popsicles.

Chick Route on Wednesday

I have to say, our Haines Post Office lady stepped it into high gear.  She called Pendleton and they said 'nope, no chicks here'.  So, I got the Pendleton number from her to find out all the truck schedules to see if we could intercept the chicks.  My first call was not very successful.  I was informed by a grumpy person (it was about 8:30 am) that there would be three 'express' deliveries, one at 10:30 am, one at 8 pm and one at 10pm... She took my number and was to call me to let me know if our chicks made the 0:30 am delivery.

She never called.  At 11:00 am I called again, and a very nice helpful and concerned man said the chicks did not make the 10:30am delivery.  He was more sympathetic to my story that we live 90 miles away, and that the chicks had not arrived, and we were somewhat under a 'life and dealth' situation with 100 baby chicks.  HE took my number and called back within 10 minutes.  He tracked down the chicks!  He found them in Portland.. and found out they would be arriving that evening in Pendleton at 10:30 pm.  He said they were still alive!  Yeah!  So... this very nice USPS civil servant took it upon himself to alert the night crew that we would be driving, from 90 miles away, over two mountain passes, to come get our chicks (he might not have said all of that..but that is what it took!).

With this kind man's help, we arranged to meet the truck at the loading dock at 10:30 pm.   Dick and Sami were the rescue team.

At 9:15 pm, and after a short nap, the crew hit the road - with extreme weather gear just in case they got stuck, and with leftover Halloween Candy to keep them awake!

Rescue Team's Midnight Run Route

Now.. the rumor is the driving assistant ate a ton of candy, and 30 miles into the trip, she fell asleep - after asking her daddy if he could make the drive without her 'trying to keep him awake' - and he did.  (He also said he was surprised she could fall asleep after that much sugar!).  Sami did wake once they arrived in Pendleton.

And, they got to the back door, saw two trucks and got the loading crew's attention.. to which one said ...

"You must be here for the livestock!"

The drivers from Portland were dialed into the situation and kept the baby chicks up front with them to keep them warm (so sweet!!!! ). 

After thank yous and stories were exchanged, my crew called me at 11pm to let me know they were on their way home.  They arrived at 12:30 am.. Thanksgiving morning...

Sami went directly to bed and Dick got the chicks setup in their new cozy home - under a heat lamp, with a blanket blocking airflow, in the brown shed, and with Ernest, our 15 year old dog, as their official night sitter (Ernest had been sleeping outside, shivering on the front step area, during our 'below zero' temps, and he now has his own special bed 'inside' the brown shed as well)...

Note:  Our brown shed is actually a three car garage - converted to 'a shed'.  And it is brown.  Hence.  Brown Shed.
Update:  Every single one of the baby chicks are alive and well.  Sami takes care of them daily, with Ernest making sure no intruders enter the brown shed (because last year, one of our kitties developed an appetite for baby chicks and she slaughtered quite a few..that kitty was moved to the hay barn 2 miles down the road - where she now has a thriving career keeping the mouse population at bay).

And, so.. on our Thanksgiving Day we were thankful for safe roads with a waning moon to guide the way,  left over Halloween Candy, sweet and sympathetic Postal Employees who go the extra mile, and 100 new baby chicks!

And, naps.