Windy City Field Trips

Chicago delivery days are always a nice change from our farm work even though delivery days are anything but relaxed. We start by getting up even earlier and while Keith knocks out the livestock chores, I work on getting the wagon ready. While he is milking, I'm doing invoices, while he feeds hay, I clean out coolers and pack up the grocery store orders. While he feeds all the pigs, I clean out the wagon, and gather supplies we'll need for the delivery like meat hooks and bungee straps. The hooks make the back of our Ford Transit Wagon look a little suspicious thus the reason I always keep our meat brokers license handy.

While he feeds calves, I check maps and addresses of the restaurants we are delivering to and double check mapquest for directions to any new customers. We simple folk don't have a Garmin, or a Tom Tom or even a Peg Peg to help guide us, we do it the old fashioned way. We're a solid team in the big city, I was taught to drive by my father, the cop,  so traffic bothers me not and Keith learned to read in school AND has a great sense of direction so he does the map reading and direction giving.

Due to the fact that we deliver WHOLE and half hog carcasses  to the restaurants we don't usually go through the front door (but we do imagine how much fun it might be ) but rather we have the Chicago Alley system to deal with. One particular restaurant receives deliveries all day long which means we have to jockey for space in a narrow area.

Once the hogs are safely escorted into the restaurant (by a very strong , young chef  thank you very much ) I have to usually BACK out of the alley and into downtown Chicago traffic. Times like that have made us very grateful we found the Ford Transit when we did. All its storage room is up top instead of in width or length so its easy to park and maneuver in traffic. (Hey Ford Company, are you listening ? I'm not above being a paid spokesman. At 5ft 1in. I'm not above much at all.) So as long as the piggies don't mind being snuggled up close...

...we don't mind taking them to the chefs for a little R&R. (Roasting ? Rotisserie ? Raw-sages ?)