A mother of a County Line took him to the livestock auction in Greene County for lunch today. County Line often rolls his eyes at the prospect, as his mother is always sure to attract attention from the auction-goers with stylish knee-high boots and colorful silk scarves. But the food is homemade and the place smells noticeably of mud and dung, always a draw.

The auction, featuring both livestock and produce, occurs each Thursday. One may also find a meager bazaar in the parking lot. Later in the season, it will boast impressive squashes, crafts, and some agreeably whimsical junk. The best one can hope for currently would be some beaded cell phone covers fashioned after the confederate flag.

Noontime was unseasonably temperate and the sun was shining. After navigating the parking lot’s mud, our pair scraped their feet and ascended the steep stairway that leads first to the dining room, then through it to the auction hall. All tables were occupied, as the place teemed with farmers, purveyors, spectators, and their kin, from all about the county. The favorable weather surely helped to augment the turnout. Luckily, two spots soon opened at the counter.

After a bit of waiting and people watching, the order of the day was the hot pork sandwich with mashed potatoes and warm applesauce on the side. An over-sized slice of coconut cream pie may also have made an appearance.

Around the room many warm hellos were offered and chairs scooched to nearby tables for chatter. A steady line of traffic zipped between the two doorways on either side of the room, linking auction business, lunch, and the outside. One might have seen a county judge casually working the room, stopping at the counter to offer condolences to an older gentleman on his most recent loss. The older gentleman shrugged ambivalently, and went back to work on some soup.

Some minor commotion was aroused when a fit and snugly attired young lady strode through the room on separate occasions. Discussion emanating from the opposite counter informed that she was a bull rider. One rather garrulous participant in these proceedings did suggest, as if per requisite, an alternative type of bull she might ride. I’d wager that the young lady might have more handsome steeds in mind, some possibly penned in the adjoining barn.

Lunch was a plate-clearing success and yielded soon thereafter to a brief tour through the auction and holding area for livestock. Check out a few sights from the excursion above.

No photos were taken during lunch as County Line, even without gawking at locals through cell phone camera view finder, was still stared down for a decent while by a gentleman in the dining room, most likely on account of the flamboyant color of his own attire and the fact he may have been the only man present not wearing boots and jeans partially caked in mud. County Line then seriously questioned his own genteel line of work and reevaluated his place in the order of things.

Until next Thursday.