This is a picture of a farm in Dixie which is on Route 3 headed towards the Piankatank River. Please note this is distinct from The Dixie most people are familiar with. Dixie in Mathews has only a fraction of the people and way better places to buy eggs.
For anyone unfamiliar with our terrain, the brown stalks in the foreground are part of a recently harvested corn field. The corn is typically used for feed.
My grandmother used to buy her eggs from this place in Dixie. As kids we'd go with her to purchase them, and Have Mercy did that chicken place stink. That sort of smell should have nothing to do with something one is purchasing to eat and should have everything to do with something one is looking to bury.
It was fun for us, though, since they let us come right into the chicken coop (pen? yard? house? What is this thing called? Anyone?) to look at the chickens. They seemed to be loving life, although one time a few of the chickens pulled me aside and said they could really use some Febreeze and a few Glade Plug-Ins, vanilla scent, please.
The Dixie Chickens* did (and do) produce very nice, fresh eggs even if you must carry smelling salts on your person at all times in order to purchase them.
*Not to be confused with any singing group, the Mathews Dixie Chickens were popular and famous only for their eggs. And their smell.
11 comments:
When I come for my visit, I want to go there. Oh, and my CB handle was the Dixie Darlin'. Remember CB's?
Oh, the memories of going to purchase fresh eggs! We used to go with our grandparents to get eggs from Mr. Oliver in Mattaponi. That smell is something you never forget....no matter how hard you try.
My grandparents had a farm, and they raised chickens. I remember helping my grandmother sort the eggs on some scale to sell them. I also remember feeding those rascals...and the smell is something I;ll never forget.
The photo...another page for your calendar.
You brave brave soul! We used to live next to a huge chicken farm when I was growing up. The smell alone put me off ever going anywhere near it, despite numerous invitations from the kids I hung out with who were the children of the owners. No thanks!
I notice you didn't mention "Chicken Man"?? Perhaps you're saving him for another day as he is most definitely worthy of a post ALL to himself.
Much Love,
Baby Sis
MPM - I definitely remember the CB radio. We had several including one in the house (I think). I'm surprised we didn't have one on the tractor. Dixie Darlin'?....That one may come back to haunt you.
BHE - It was fun, wasn't it? (Minus the smell.)
BN - I'm sorry about your headache, but look at the bright side: your roof will be fixed, no? I find that liquid medicine in the form of red or white generally soothes the nerves.
GJ - Somehow or another I can't figure you as an egg sorter/seller, but that's just another reason why you're so interesting. One surprise after another.
Anonymous Native: THE PIG STINK IS THE WORST! We would ride the school bus through the dump road (Ridge Road now) and this was when dinosaurs romaed the Earth and there was no A/C on the bus. We'd ride by that pig farm (that is now defunct) on a hot, sweltering day and want to run screaming onto Route 198 for a breath of fresh air. WAY worse than chickens!
Auds - you made the right decision. If you think the smell was bad from the outside, imagine the inside...
Baby Sis: Chicken Man, Wahoo M., Burkie B., Buzzard Breath, xxxxxxBlock, yes, we had a number of nicknames for various teachers, didn't we? I never had the pleasure of Chicken Man in the classroom, but I thought he was pretty smart. He did look like Frank Purdue, who also looks like a chicken.
...Ahhh yes, the ever so pungent chicken poop. That's a poop you could pick out of a line-up it's so, how shall I say, distinctive? lol... What kills me is how a chicken can just poop then turn around and pick at it like "huh, where did this come from?"... ~:>
...Blessings CBFamily... :o)
I do believe that singing group most likely stole their names from those real life chickens.
Maybe I'll tag along with MPM...of course, she told me since I snore we cannot possibly share a hotel room. She's a delicate southern belle, you know.
BTW - there is nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, worse than sheep sh*t stink. Simply nothin'!
Sorry. Forgot to add that. I'm sure you're thrilled!
tj - I am so glad to hear from you. I get worried, ya know. I figured this just MIGHT draw a comment since you are not only the expert in "regler" chickens but the special ones. Please don't be a stranger, we miss you and your positive energy here and elsewhere.
TS Annie - Since we really don't have any hotels here in Mathews, just come along and don't use the room as an excuse. Please come along - we'll have so much fun.
What I'd worry about, however, is that someone around these parts would catch on to the fact that MPM was/ (is?) known as Dixie Darlin'. Then we'd have to hire a security contingent or else there'd be a line of males from here to Gloucester looking to get an autograph.
Pig stink still wins. I grew up with dairy cows, plus lots of chickens, dogs, goats, horses, birds, guinea pigs, hamsters, and fish, and pig stink wins.
Can't comment about sheep, however -- we had only two bummer lambs. Not a fair comparison.
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