There are many things that herald the coming of spring. Things like the return of the Canada Geese, the temperature warming up (well, maybe not this year) and the melting of the snow (again, this doesn’t seem to be happening). But nothing quite announces the arrival of spring like the auction sale catalogues showing up in the mailbox. Those of you not from a rural background may not realize this but April is prime auction sale time. It’s right before seeding and at the tail end of winter. This is a double bonus because it means there is time to pick up a “new” piece of equipment before the busy season and it is the optimal time to get out and visit the neighbours you haven’t seen since you put the combines away in October. In all honestly, the second reason is really why farmers go to auction sales (wink, wink). Winters here are long (this year’s is longer than most) and it’s nice to be able to get out-of-doors, have a visit with a coffee and, most importantly, eat an auction burger. That, in my opinion, is how you rate an auction. Not by the number of people who came out, not by the quality of the equipment for auction and definitely not how much money was made. It is rated on how good the food is. Not all auction food is created equal. It starts with the coffee, if its too weak or too strong already we’re losing points. Is there real cream or heifer dust (Coffee Mate)? Points for real cream! Then we move on to tasty snacks. Are they homemade? Points added! Or pre-packaged? Depends on the snack, I'm a sucker for anything chocolate. Then we move onto the main event. How are the burgers? Is it a pre-made patty that shares its consistency with dog food (I’ve had these at an auction. . . . worst auction EVER!)? Or is it hand pressed? Is there the option of cheese or bacon? A good burger will make or break my unofficial scoring of said auction. I went to an auction last year that had mini donuts!! Best auction ever! Well, not really, but the donuts made up for it. I can forgive a lot of things at an auction as long as the food is good. Especially since more often than not we wait around for hours and don’t actually buy anything. At least I know I will win my “bid” on a burger.
Comments