July 31

View of the day-One of several little deer that have been chased through the fields while combining.

Another productive day. We were able to get started shortly after 11am, and finished what was left of the field, about 65 acres. Al was concerned because one of the workers at the elevator said they would be closing at 6pm since not a lot of trucks were coming in. After talking to the boss, he found out they would be open until 7:30pm, so he was somewhat relieved.

Marilyn moved the combine to the next field and started in on the first round. The combine was sorely lacking power, even in the thinner swaths, so Al decided a change of fuel filters was in order. We had just changed them in Hamill, but we must have gotten some more contaminated fuel along the way and they were plugged up again.

Since the elevator was closed, Al took over combining and filled the grain truck up for the morning He claims the fuel filters did the trick and the power was back to normal. Marilyn got to go back to the camper and get the laundry stuff together again.

We went to the Firehouse for supper, and what a difference a week makes. Last week you couldn't get a parking place and this week there was one truck and one motorcycle parked out front. One other crew did come in just as we were leaving which must have made the cook happy. We raced down there after calling in and finding out they would be closing the kitchen in 15 minutes.

If it doesn't rain tonight, we could be done here tomorrow, and then the cleanup begins...

July 30

View of the day-Al dumping one of the last loads of winter wheat in the bins at the elevator.

Mission accomplished! We finished the winter wheat today. We actually got rolling around 10:30am, and went all day without any breakdowns.

Al was making it back to the field in good time so he would get to drive the combine for part of the load. His cell phone was keeping him pretty busy with calls from ND farmers looking for harvesters. We always send posters up to the elevators in the area's we will be passing through and have gotten good results.

Al also talked to the agriculture reporter for our local hometown radio station CJGX 940 in Yorkton. He has called in for the past few years to give a harvest update on the custom run. If you're in the area you can probably hear him sometime this week during the ag report, they also have a live feed on the internet and you can listen online at http://www.gx94radio.com/.

We got started in on the spring wheat and managed to get a couple of rounds done before the straw got too tough. The farmer had broken the hub on one of the wheels on his swather and he was trying to get parts in a hurry so Marilyn doesn't have the chance to catch up to him on the next field. We hope he does get it fixed tomorrow because we won't be able to cut it straight with our header 140 miles away. Two fields to go.

There is light at the end of the tunnel...

July 29

View of the day-Al finally gets into the wheat swaths.

Such a day. We went out for an early lunch to beat the church crowd and then went out to the field to get the combine and retrieve the pickup head. It had been dropped off in a pasture a mile away from the field, when we moved through in May.

First off one of the small gauge wheels had gone flat over the month or so that it had been sitting there. That wouldn't have been so bad if the valve hadn't dropped inside and the tube inside had twisted, making it almost impossible to pump back up. We just set that aside for the time being to get the rest of the header greased and the chains oiled.

Then we notice one of the eye bolts that tighten the belts had broken but was still lined up due to the pressure from the rollers. With nothing open in town for parts, we were able to add another nut which fit over the cracked bolt and stabilized the tightener.

Woo hoo we thought, now we can get rolling, we just had to test it. Well apparently it was tightened just a hair too much, and the outside belt started riding over one of the dividers and split at the lacing where it joined together. We decided to take the belt right off, after all there are seven of them, would we miss one on the end?

Marilyn managed to spin the tube in the gauge wheel until she found the valve stem and we were able to pump it up, although we could hear the air leaking, we decided to just "shut up and drive".

We finally got rolling around 3pm...so much for a productive day, at least the swather man was getting ahead of us. Al started out combining, and for a change, nothing got wrecked (not counting the first three hours of the afternoon). Combining worked without the belt, and because the swaths hadn't had time to settle too much and were big and fluffy, the gauge wheel didn't have to ride on the ground to pick everything up.

We still managed to get 50 acres done before the sun went down and Al was able to keep up with just one truck, making it back before Marilyn had to wait with a full hopper. At the end of the day, Al got to go in early with the full truck but couldn't dump it because the elevator closed early on Sunday. Marilyn combined a full hopper for the farmer to save for seed, although they decided not to bring out their truck until tomorrow. Not to often we leave wheat on the combine over night, but there is no forecast for rain, and the grain was testing 9% for moisture...boy, how quick things turn around.

Tomorrow we finish the winter wheat, or else...

July 28

View of the day-Wheat getting swathed so we can maybe combine tomorrow.

We started out getting ready to make part of a move to Sterling. While Al fueled the Freightliner, Marilyn went to the last rye field to get the straight header trailer and drop it off by the combine. Once back at the trailers, we got the tractor and grain cart loaded on the trailer and hooked up to the truck.

We went over to the combine to take off the straight head and load it on the trailer, since we wouldn't be needing it here anymore. Once everything was chained and strapped down, we headed off for point north.

There were a few crews moving north as we travelled along US 83 up to Sterling, ND. It was only 140 miles, which meant we could leave later and make it back home during daylight. It looked like there had been big winds hit some of the fields as the crop was leaning over at about 45 degrees. It seemed strange that it didn't break it over completely, just made it look like Mother Nature had used some gel to give it a funky hairdo. It actually looked dry in some places.

There was the odd field being combined closer to Sterling(which is 25 miles east of Bismarck on I94), but there were a lot more combines on trailers in the parking lot. We had to get harvesting permits for ND, so we got a trooper to meet us at the truck stop and got what we needed. After parking everything next to all the other crews lined up, we headed back to Gettysburg.

We made it back around 7:30pm and driving past the field where the combine was, we could see it was completely swathed.

Maybe tomorrow it will go...

July 27

View of the day-Marilyn praying to the God of electricity to get the truck and trailer lights operational.

Today was a fix it kind of day. Al took one of the tires off the tractor/grain cart trailer to get replaced, then we started in on trying to get all the lights working.

One of the trailer's lighting cable had four splices in it, so after redoing all the bad connections, we decided to just go and buy another 15 foot piece of 7 wire cord and rewire to the first splice. Talk about a "make work" project. The other trailer had no juice going to one of the signal lights, that problem came from the plug on the grain truck missing a couple of wires. By 6pm we had everything lit up like a Christmas tree, we just hope the rough roads don't jiggle something loose.

We drove past the field we had parked the combine in and the farmer had about 1/3 of it swathed. He had finished the first field and moved over around 3pm, so he was making good time. The weeds weren't as bad in the second field so hopefully we will be able to start in on Sunday.

We only have pickup work left to do, so we will be moving the tractor/grain cart and header up to Sterling, North Dakota tomorrow. With the truck and cart out of commission for the rest of the SD harvest, hopefully Al will be able to keep up with the hauling with only one truck. The field is only one mile from town, and in the past the elevator has even sent one of it's big trucks out for us to fill on a Sunday.

The cell phones are ringing with people looking for harvesters in ND and even in Saskatchewan. It seems too early in the season to be thinking about getting back into Canada.

After all, it's still only July...

July 26

View of the day-Sunflower season!

We woke up to the sound of rain, which continued off and on until after lunch. Not much accumulated, but it was enough to shut things down for the day. We sat around watching TV and messing around online, then decided to take a run into Pierre, about 50 miles SW.

There were a lot of spring wheat fields along the way that looked like they were getting ripe enough to cut. There were a few crews parked in the fields and some were loaded and ready to move north. We picked up some parts at Runnings, had supper then Al dropped Marilyn off at the door of WalMart, while he waited in the parking lot watching his portable mini TV.

Just as Marilyn grabbed her cart and breathed the first whiff of WalMart air, she ran into another harvester they had last seen in Oklahoma. He was combining about 90 miles west of Gettysburg, and they had gotten 4.8 inches of rain last night. They only had 190 acres left and would have finished it today, but that dang rain. He was on his way out with a cart full of goods, so he hunted Al down in the parking lot and had a good gab, catching up with all that had happened with his harvest season.

The front has passed and now we are in the clear for rain for the next while, that should dry things down. We will kill some more time fixing a few things and maybe move the tractor/grain cart and straight header up to North Dakota, since the rest of our work here only requires the pick-up head.

As long as the rest of the wheat gets swathed soon...

July 25

View of the day-Well hidden cactus and thongs, don't go together.

Al took the Dodge into the shop to get a new slave cylinder put on for the clutch. He got it out of hock at 11 and then we had to find out what to do with the 250 bushels of 15.8% moisture rye that was on the truck from the night before. The farmer decided to just dump it on the ground and use it for feed.

We moved the combine over to the winter wheat and took a test. Because of the weeds the moisture was 16.8%, but after they took the weeds out it was 13.8. Al heard a ticking noise from the engine compartment and after inspection found one of the small jacks holding up the engine cover had lost a bolt and was dangling into the engine fan. It managed to carve some notched into the fan blades, but that was the extent of the damage.

The farmer decided to swath the rest of his wheat so the weeds would dry down and not be so much of a problem. We helped him get his swather hooked up, which is where the cactus was hiding, and he started in on the winter wheat.

We went to get the grain cart from the other field and found the batteries were dead because Marilyn had left the flashers on when she moved from the rye field. We managed to get it boosted and moved over to the combine to empty out the sample. We moved it back to town by the trailers to put the battery charger on to get it back up to charge.

The temperature got up to 104 again and there was a chance of rain in the forecast for tonight. The clouds built up in the west, but cleared off after sunset, so we have our fingers crossed that it doesn't rain. We have to wait a couple of days for the wheat to cure so there might be some cleaning going on. The good news is the cold front is supposed to be coming through so there will be a "cool down".

It might not be too bad to work outside, for a change...

July 24

View of the day-One way to keep cool in 102 degree weather.

Will it ever end!? Another day of hot humid weather, but there was wind trying to dry things out. We did as much as we could without getting stuck although we did have to leave a couple of acres that were too wet.

We moved to the next field of rye and cut a hopper. This field was volunteer rye from last year when the farmer baled the rye for feed. It was thin and the bindweed had gotten a good hold so the moisture was quite high. It was only yielding around 20bu/ac so the farmer decided not to cut it, but he will bale it again.

With no more rye to do(woo-hoo), we brought the shop trailer out and cleaned off the combine, getting rid of any seeds and chaff that might carry over to the next field of winter wheat.

More combines are moving north and the campground is starting to empty out. We will need to be moving on before very long, but first we need to finish here.

Hopefully the wheat will be dry enough for the elevator...

July 23

View of the day-The old radar base north of Gettysburg, SD and next to our field of rye.

Another day of heat and humidity, 104 again. Al went out to the field, serviced and cut a sample. Too wet...what a surprise. We killed some time then went out to try it around 3pm and this time it was good to go.

It was slow going for a while and by the time it straightened out, the humidity was on the rise again. We managed to get 50 acres done before it got too tough.

We got back to town and headed over to The Firehouse for their Harvest Appreciation Supper. We had our steak, skipped the free beer, had a good gab with some of the other harvesters and went back to the camper to call it a night.

Tomorrow's goal is to get the rye done...

July 22

View of the day-CaseIH ProHarvest makes a visit.

The day started out cloudy and humid...again. Today was the Harvester's Appreciation Breakfast at the Legion building. It ran from 7:30am to 10:30am, we went down around 9:30 and had a breakfast of waffles, scrambled eggs and sausage rounds. They have a guest book that everyone signs as they come in and they said there was over 70 that had come for breakfast. They also said it was like the United Nations, with harvesters from Germany, South Africa, Netherlands, some others too hard to spell and of course, Canada. Tomorrow is the Harvest Appreciation Supper at the Firehouse(the old fire hall converted to bar/steakhouse), cheap steak and free beer.

Heading back to the camper, it started to rain, and it came down pretty good for about five minutes, then the sun struggled out an hour later. This didn't bode well for any chance of combining, especially since it had been so tough yesterday.

We decided to fix the lights on the combine trailer, but the test light was out at the field in the grain truck, so out we went. While we were there we thought...why not do a test just to see where we were at, moisture wise.

ProHarvest had gotten hold of us to let us know someone would be in the area, and would check on our yield and moisture monitor problem. While Al took the sample in to get tested at the elevator, Ray from ProHarvest did a bit of rewiring and then rode along for a while to see that everything was working. Amazing...for a change it wasn't two days and $3000 later...he said, "imagine getting that fixed and it didn't cost you a dime". Yeah...imagine.

We then pulled all the stops out and finally made some dust. The temperature hit 102 and the humidity climbed back up making the humidex 107, certainly not pleasant for the truck driver. We finished off the first 50 acres, then moved over to the adjacent field.

This field had just been broken out last year and was littered with all sizes of rocks and boulders. Fortunately, the rye was tall and the header was cutting 18-24 inches off the ground, missing them by inches, but it was quite a ride when one of the tires would roll over them.

The straw started to get tough and was wrapping on the auger so it was time to quit for the night. The humidity had gotten up to 65% and the temp was still 88 at 9:30pm, when Marilyn got out of the air conditioned cab to tarp the cart for the night the stifling heat took her breath away.

At least we cut a couple loads...

July 21

View of the day-Wind turbines near Highmore, SD.

According the the weather radio, we topped out at 105 today. Al serviced the combine in the morning, but the humidity was really high again, we knew we probably wouldn't start until after lunch.

We started in around 1pm, and it seemed to be going through all right, so we finished off the load from the night before and Al took it to town. A call on the radio from Al to find out what the combine had registered for moisture was cause for concern since the load was testing 14.8% moisture. The elevator wasn't going to dump the truck because it was too wet. Marilyn quit combining immediately and took a sample in to the elevator-it tested 12.7, so back out to the field to crank up again.

The yield and moisture monitor was acting up on the combine, it wouldn't stop recording, so the averages were out on both counts. The small grain tester was showing the same as the combine, and throughout the other stops in the harvest, had only been out by .5%. Al called in with the second load and it was also too wet, so Marilyn brought another sample in and this time it was 13.6%. Al said to shut it down for the day.

We did fill the farmers truck with rye for seed from the last load, and headed back to town. The humidity wasn't that high, maybe 40%, but it must have been enough to keep the grain from drying. We couldn't even go back out later in the day because the humidity started going up after 6pm.

We went back to the camper to get out of the heat where Al checked his eyelids for cracks, and Marilyn made sure the remote was working for the TV.

Once again we wait...

July 20

View of the day-Finishing up the winter wheat.

Things are starting to heat up. We had a strong SE wind and temps in the 90's, just can't wait for the 100+ days due to come in the next week.

We started the day with someone knocking at the camper door at 7:45am. Apparently not everyone knows the "don't knock before 8am" rule that Al has. A farmer was sent over to see us about combining some oats he had swathed. We seem to be one of the only ones here who brought a pickup head. We have 350 acres of rye to take care of first.

We had 50 acres of winter wheat left to do, and managed to get started before noon. After finishing up, we took the header off, since we had to move on the busy highway and through some small gates. Marilyn moved about eight miles NE and waited for Al to bring the header so we could start in on the rye.

We have combined this field at least 8 times over the years and although it is familiar, we never remember where all the rocks are hiding. We have been spoiled over the last month or so, not a lot of rocks in OK and KS, and if there are any, they aren't like some of the headstones in the ground here. So far so good though, nothing hit yet.

Marilyn opened up the field and Al brought the grain cart over. He jumped in the combine to make a round and see how things were working, and he managed to find some mud again. We sunk down about a foot, but he was able to back out, so we will be cutting around that spot for a while. A few of those 100+ days will dry things up. It was going to be the view of the day, but once he started backing, he said he wouldn't stop...how convenient.

Rye grows tall, a good 4-5 feet, unfortunately this rye has a lot of bindweed, which is a clinging kind of vine and once it gets so far up the stem, the rye just has to lay down. Not flat, mind you, just down enough that it doesn't feed in worth a darn.

We came home to find a poster taped to our door, for Gettysburg's annual "Harvester Appreciation Breakfast" to be held on Sunday. They have a free pancake and sausage breakfast sponsored by several businesses in town for all the harvesters.

Catch the review on Sunday...

July 19

View of the day-Al gets to combine for a while.

A very productive day for a change. In the morning we knocked a few things off the "must do" list from the DOT ticket Al had gotten. Got the tail light and head light that were out working again. It was a good thing because we needed to get the Freight out to the field so Al could keep up with the hauling.

Al finished hauling the last of the 10,000 bushels to town and started hauling out to the farmers bins, with the extra truck in the field there wasn't any waiting with the combine today.

There were a lot of harvesters moving through town and on further north today, but then there is a lot of wheat still out. With the temperatures for the next week forecast to be in the high 90's to low 100's, the spring wheat will be turning around in a hurry. We have 50 acres of winter wheat left for tomorrow.

And then we move to 300 acres of rye...oh joy...

July 18

View of the day-Wheat pile at Northern Plains Coop in Gettysburg, SD.

The day started with a few sprinkles early in the morning, which led to clouds and humidity and a late start combining. We killed some time for most of the day, chatting to other harvesters and trying without success to get the dish aimed for TV. There's something about the satellite signals here, every year it's the same problem, even the satellite radio is touchy. Oh, well, more time to get caught up on the book work...maybe.

We went out and did a test around 4pm as did a lot of other harvesters, and it was a go for a couple of hours, at least. Then, while Al was in town dumping a load, the sky turned dark and the rain started. The rule of thumb for cutting in the rain (at least for us) - you don't quit until the water is running off the header. Which is what happened, so Marilyn tarped the cart and headed into town.

Al went out to check with the other farmer to find out how his crop was coming along, and Marilyn cleaned up the camper (no maid service on this tour). After a visit from our present farmers and a little online surfing, we call it a night.

Check out this A Day on the Wheat Harvest! video...

July 17

View of the day-The next door neighbors making dust.

It was humid to start, and the moisture was too high to start before noon, so we got to do laundry again. What a nice change to have a laundromat with scads of magazines to occupy the time. After checking them out, we realized they were the same ones we had been reading there for the last 3 years.

We changed the fuel filter on the combine since it was losing power in the heavy grain, and once we got rolling again it seemed to fix the problem. We had to get the fuel filter from the John Deer dealer, but we have the logo turned to the back, just in case the combine should sense the alien presence. Al was kept busy with the grain hauling, between long lineups and the high yielding wheat...oh, yeah...and those pesky SDDOT officers. Once again Al got stopped while hauling a load into town, but of course he knew exactly how much he could haul and they let him go on his way.

There were a couple of test strips in the field that had been sprayed with a fungicide, and the local rep rode with Marilyn to see how it was yielding. The yield went up to 85 bu/ac and he said he had been at a field just north of where we were cutting and it went 112 bu/ac!

There weren't as many crews moving along the highway today, most of them were in the fields, and the grain trucks were a steady stream well into the night. We are camped two blocks from the elevator and that's all we hear for now. Maybe Al will get a picture of the grain that is being piled on the ground for tomorrow's "view".

Chance of rain tonight...

July 16

View of the day-Ripe winter wheat next to green spring wheat near Gettysburg, SD.

What a day! We started out from Hamill around 9:30am and there wasn't a breath of wind as we went north. Once we started heading west 30 miles from Gettysburg, the NW wind started up and it was a slower go as we got nearer to town. Just as we came over the hill to Lebanon, just 13 miles from "the Burg", there was the SD Department of Transportation check point.

Marilyn kept going to Gettysburg while Al pulled in at the check point. Marilyn had time to unhook the shop trailer from behind the camper and proceed to park in the same camp spot we had been in for the last 14 years. Now, there have been a few times where we arrived at the campground and someone was in our spot, and back in "the day" we had to make reservations and there was always a waiting list to get a spot. We learned our lesson and called ahead when we came through in May and again last week...to re-reconfirm that we would be here this week. When we drove past the campground last night, there was our spot, waiting to accept us with open branches (we have the best trees in the campground). What a surprise when Marilyn pulled up to the nearly empty campground to find our spot taken! A call to the office shifted the blame to various people, and they did say that everyone that called was told "take any spot but #14", apparently this harvester had just pulled in this morning. Marilyn parked in the next spot, plugged the camper in and left a lovely note asking them to move. Strike one.

Still no sign of Al, so it was over to the combine to wash the windows to kill some time. The occasional call on the radio to Al netted no replies for quite a while, then finally he answered back. "I'm on my way back to town...with an escort". Sure enough, along comes Al with a SD carrier enforcement van following him to the parking lot. No overweight fine (we learned our lesson several years back), but a couple lights weren't working, the four heavy chains, boomers and 5" straps weren't enough to hold the tractor and cart in place (they agreed it was more than secure, but "the law, is the law"), no warning flares and one dicey looking tire that needed replacing. This time it was only $158 fine, which Al paid on the spot, but they told him the Freight would be out of commission until the repairs were done. Strike two.

The field we had to do was five miles west of Gettysburg, right at the junction of US83 (which runs from Manitoba clear down to Mexico) and highway 212. We got everything moved out there(minus the Freight) and started cutting. WOW! This wheat is running 65 bushels/acre! The wheat in Hamill was around 35 bu/ac.

The highway is a very busy one, and it was unbelievable the number of harvest crews moving north. From the time we started around 4pm until we quit at 9:30pm, there was a steady stream of grain trucks coming and going, and at least 20 different crews, with anywhere from 2-5 combines either passing through, or moving into Gettysburg. This has always been one of the hubs for harvesters and this year, even though there are several that aren't coming, it doesn't seem to be slowing down. The campground still has empty spaces, but with the bumper crop, there will likely be new faces showing up.

We got a phone call from the note Marilyn had left, and the other harvester graciously moved their camper so we could settle in to our old spot. Where we are now, with phone service (DSL internet tomorrow!) so this can get posted.

No strike three thank God...

July 15

View of the day-Hamill, SD and it's "lake".

We got up early, had to load both rigs, but managed to get everything ready to roll by 9:30. Normally when we load in Hamill, it is in the 90's with no wind to cool you off...and the flies here are vicious. They must take a pound every time they bite, and they stick to you like...well...flies.

We left Hamill with the combine and header, had the wind pushing us most of the way, nice again. The trip was uneventful, saw a lot of fields of winter wheat looking almost ripe, and a lot of spring wheat looking very green.

We passed through a couple of rain showers north of the interstate, but by the time we made Gettysburg, the sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky. We unloaded the combine then went looking for our farmers and checked how the fields we would be combining were coming along. We couldn't find them so we just headed back to Hamill, stopping on the way at the Lode Star Casino for their $4.95 prime rib special. Wow, it was the best prime rib we have ever eaten. Marilyn donated $1(yes one) to the slot machine, then we forged on to our camper.

We got settled up in town and drove into Winner one last time to pay the fuel bill, what a crime. Trucks are still rolling into town, and we even saw a sign posted on the cash register at the Ampride, that someone was looking for a harvester. That is something that is rarely seen, it's usually the other way around...a bulletin board full of harvesters looking for work.

Tomorrow we move "home" to Gettysburg...

July 14

View of the day-Hamill Buttes watching over the wheat.

A busy day of hauling for Al, starting bright and early. While Al drove the grain truck to Winner, Marilyn followed with the Dodge to get fuel for the combine and meet Al to purchase two new batteries for the Freight. It had been very temperamental about starting, and when it wouldn't even go with a boost, we knew it was time for new ones. After picking them up, we headed back to Hamill to move the combine and tractor over to the new field.

Instead of taking the header off to move, Marilyn got to take the scenic route to avoid the bridge and traffic on the main highway. After getting everything moved, we cranked up, and it was so dry we could have started at 9am. Halfway into the first load, the farmer came across the field in his pickup and flagged Marilyn down to tell her the sample he had gotten from opening up the field was only testing 46 lbs and no one would buy it. This meant he wouldn't want to combine the field, but after taking a second sample from further into the field, it was 58 lbs and the dust was flying again.

We finished the field around 6 pm and moved the combine back to town. Once Al got back, we went out to the field to get the grain truck, tractor and pickup. Now, how to move three vehicles with only two people...? A while back Marilyn had purchased a tow bar for the truck for just such an occasion. We tried using it last year in this very field, and one of the brackets came loose and...well...let's just say the bush guard has a funky curve to it. Over the summer last year, we upgraded at a couple of different welders, beefing it up and changing it to fit the pickup. We finally got it done right in Esterhazy back in Saskatchewan; it weighs a lot more than the original, but it ain't gonna break. We have been hauling it around in the box all season and we figured this was the time to test it out. It worked like a dream.

Al has a policy that "if it doesn't get used during the summer, it doesn't get packed next year". Marilyn has made a point of always using everything packed in the camper, and now the hitch can be added to the list. Now, about the two sewing machines...warning flags, seat covers...there's still a couple of months left.

Tomorrow we load up again...

July 13

View of the day-Full hopper waiting for the truck to return, with the Hamill Buttes in the background.

Another great day, not the bad luck Friday the 13. Al got busy early, taking the grain truck to town to get a new tire. Marilyn serviced and was able to start combining at 10:30am, what a nice change.

With the long haul to Winner, there was some waiting for the combine, as the truck, cart and combine would be full. Marilyn had to leave the combine and drive the full truck to meet Al on the highway and switch out for the empty truck. We managed to finish the field by sunset, but couldn't get moved to the last field.

Wonder of wonders, there is no rain in the forecast for the next while, or at least until we are done. Today was over 90 and tomorrow there is a possibility of hitting the century mark, so everything is plenty dry.

There's nothing like loading up in the heat...

July 12

View of the day- "threading the needle", dumping into the farmers grain wagon...the opening is only two feet across. The lazik eye surgery pays off!

Perfect weather, actually pleasant for Hamill, no 100 degree days...yet. We drove into Winner, about 22 miles SW of town, to get our harvest permits, a new spare tire for the camper, and the "F" word...that's right - fuel. We got back to Hamill, got the combine freshened up and moved out to the first field, which was pretty much right in town, two blocks from the camper.

Once we got rolling, it didn't take very long to get the first load, it was running around 50 bushels/acre. Al was hauling to Winner so his round trip to the elevator, without factoring a line up was about 90 minutes. The field was only 35 acres, but was lying down real bad in places, which slowed everything down. That was a good thing for Al because he never fell behind with hauling.

Well that, and a broken bar on the feeder chain. Marilyn heard a noise coming from the feeder house, and upon investigation found the source. Now this took a bit of doing, since the feeder inspection door is below the cab, and short of hanging off the ladder and flipping the switch with your big toe, it really is a two person job. Trying to get the broken bar to the top meant a lot of up and down the ladder...but who doesn't need exercise? Once found, it was a matter of taking two bolts out and it was back to making dust.

Marilyn finished and moved the combine to the next field, about five miles NW of town and got a ride back from the farmer to bring the tractor and cart. Al moved the truck over and the farmer brought out his own grain buggy to fill with seed wheat from the field, giving us some extra room for the 40+ bushel wheat.

Al was able to make 5 trips before the elevator finally shut down for the night, and by the time he made it back, Marilyn had the truck, both carts and the combine full and was waiting. He found a fuel truck filling up a farmer's grain truck on the side of the highway, and got him to come into Hamill to fill our slip tank for the combine. This saved an extra trip into Winner for fuel, because Lord knows, we don't like to drive too much.

We are 1/3 of the way done here, and if all goes well, we could be done by Sunday.

But let's not jinx things by saying that...

July 11

View of the day-Crossing the Niobrara River in northern Nebraska.

We made it back to Great Bend and it was 2:30am before we managed to get to bed. We were planning on sleeping in a bit to make up for the long day, but around 7am we heard the pitter-patter of rain falling on the roof.

Al was concerned about getting the tractor and cart load out to the highway from the bins over the wet roads, so he couldn't sleep anymore thinking about how much rain had fallen out there. We got everything put away in the camper, pulled the slides in and headed west to the bins. It rained off and on all the way out and some of the showers were pretty heavy, but we managed to get out there with the camper and get the shop trailer hooked on behind it and then try to get around the two bad corners to the highway. Al got out of the yard all right and had to make a right turn onto the main road, but couldn't take it as wide as he would have liked. Marilyn watched as he came around the corner and the wheels of the trailer dipped out of sight into the ditch, but he anticipated that happening and had the momentum to pull right through without any damage. We made it to the highway and breathed a sigh of relief.

It pretty much poured all the way north of Hayes, but as we neared the Nebraska border it let up. Just into the state we had to pull in to a temporary weigh scale to get checked out. We pulled in just as another harvester was leaving and we ran into him at the service station in Alma where he was parked. He asked Al how he had managed to get through the checkpoint so fast, since they went through his unit with a fine tooth comb and he had to park it until he had gotten it repaired. Just lucky there.

The rest of the move was relatively uneventful. We did have to stop once for a wreck on the side of the road. They were loading the scrap and remains of a truck and camper onto a flat deck. It was a harvester that had rolled the rig, and the camper was in pieces, you couldn't really tell what it was until you were right up close to it. The rest of their convoy was parked up the road a way, waiting to get through the hold up. Al says "No matter how bad you have it, there's always someone who has it worse".

As we neared the SD border we had to go through a valley where the Niobrara River flows. The climb up the hill is fairly steep and winding, so you can't really get steam up to make it to the top without shifting gears.

Marilyn was down to third gear and just hoping not to have to shift any lower, when Al came on the radio and asked if the tire shrapnel on the side of the road was there when she went by. Who has time to look at the ditch when you are going 20mph? By the time she made it to the top of the hill, there was a blue haze in her rear view mirror, and it was official...it hadn't been there when she went by. She limped to a flat stretch at the top, thankfully with tandem tires, there was still one tire on that side holding the camper up. With the shop trailer behind the camper, we had the compressor and all the tools to get the tire changed quite quickly. We finally made it to Hamill around 7:30pm, and after getting the camper parked, and unloading the combine and tractor, it was time to call it a day.

It is a bit of a culture shock, normally we go from Great Bend (pop. around 15,000), to Phillipsburg (pop. around 2600) to Hamill, with a population of (according to the Mayor) 13 and that's including us! We do get phone service here (605-842-0710 if you want to call), but we're back to dial-up, so it takes longer for everything, internet-wise that is. Peace and quiet (except for the wild turkeys roaming the streets).

But, we're supposed to be combining anyway...

July 10

View of the day-Where post rocks come from. Along US183 north of Hayes, KS.

We got up early (by our standards) and headed out to the bins where the loads were waiting to roll. After hooking up the header to the Dodge, we started on our way north to Hamill, South Dakota at 8:30am. It was cool and cloudy to start, which always makes driving a pleasure, when you have no air conditioning, but the wind...ah, yes the wind. We were quite lucky when we left in May, singing the praises of the strong north wind pushing us to our destination in Oklahoma. It was supposed to turn around for the trip back but it fought us pretty much all the way, and with the hills in northern Kansas and the rolling sand hills in Nebraska...well, it wasn't pleasant.

The sun broke through in mid Nebraska, and although we thought we had made it through the weather front, the wind just seemed to get gustier the further we went, 25-35mph! We finally made Hamill around 5:30pm, after logging 385 miles. We got the load parked, confirmed our reservation for our usual camping spot, had a chat with one of our farmers and then turned around and headed back to Great Bend.

We have travelled the same stretch of road on our run for the past 13 years, and with having to do the back haul, you get pretty familiar with the sights along the road. Especially in Nebraska, where the sights are few and far between. It seems your mind has time to wander, as you think back through the years, and subconsciously notice the changes. Even though there are mile markers along the way, you mark your progress by a certain field or stretch of road or river or farmyard..."hmmm, they painted this year"..."wasn't that corn last year"..."the river is up more than normal"...and then, all of a sudden..."what? we're here already?!!"

We followed a harvest crew with three John Deere combines for a while in northern Nebraska, one of only two we encountered during the day. The second one came on our trip back as we stopped in Elm Creek, NE at the truck stop. As the sun was finally disappearing, a harvest crew from Saskatchewan pulled in, and as always, pushing the envelope to get just a few miles further before shutting down. Some things never change.

Most of the fields were cut out through KS and NE, although the latter has fewer wheat fields. The corn and soybeans looked fabulous, but almost all the fields we had seen were irrigated, so that is to be expected. In SD, the winter wheat was ripe from the border all the way to Hamill, the spring wheat was still looking pretty green, but that's also to be expected. Barring a rain storm, we will be ready to unload and commence to combining.

But first we must get back...

July 9

View of the day-Everything loaded after the shower.

Got the day started by doing laundry and getting the new tire for the shop trailer. We went out to the field, loaded the header on the trailer, which Al took up to the bins where the trailers were. While he took the grain truck to get fueled, Marilyn drove the combine up to the bins, then got all the chains and straps ready to tie the rigs down.

We got the tractor and cart loaded and hooked up to the Freight, then loaded the combine on the trailer and hooked it to the General. Just as we were hooking hoses up at the back of the truck, a bright flash of lighting hit the ground a quarter of a mile away. Now, we were situated at the top of a hill, looking like a couple of lighting rods (paranoia setting in), but we wanted to finish. We could see the dark clouds moving in with a lot of rain, or so it seemed as we watched as the trees and farm yards were disappearing as it moved closer. Right after the second clap of thunder, the huge drops started hitting and then the deluge hit...we decided to put the rest of the work on hold.

We drove about 6 miles south of the bins to the farmers yard to settle up and the dust was flying behind us for most of the way. Just as we got to the yard, the drops started falling, as the cloud moved south and it was on us again. Hmmm...maybe the rain does follow us.

The rain passed and we went back, finished the loading and headed back to Great Bend. We paid our camping bill, and...gulp...the fuel bill - that's just insane! Oh, well, it's part of the package...shut up and drive. Apparently, they had quite a bit more rain in town, when Al talked to the campground guy, he said they must have had over an inch in half a hour.

After cleaning up and going out for supper, Al came back to the camper to "rest up" for the drive tomorrow, and Marilyn did her farewell tour through Walmart, to get stocked up for the stay in Hamill. Why doesn't she just get groceries there?

You'll find out...

July 8

View of the day-Al cleaning off the combine to move north.

We got out to the field early, serviced the combine and started making dust...what a nice change. It was a perfect day for combining, it didn't hit 100, but made the high 90's and we had a strong wind, which made the last 90 acres almost a pleasure. The terraces on the last part of the field meant a lot of turning around and uneven pieces, so the productivity was down quite a bit. Still can't beat the view.

After the last load was on the truck, Al took it to the elevator while Marilyn started cleaning off the combine. With the wind blowing, it really helped get the dust and chaff off the combine and into the air, instead of into the eyes and other irritating places on one's person.

We were invited in for supper - pizza, Al's favorite - and then it was back to finish cleaning and then moving the tractor, cart and shop trailer up to the bins where the trailers were parked. After taking the tire off the shop trailer to swap it out for a new one, it was home to town and it doesn't seem to matter what time we finish, we never seem to get into town before 10:30pm. Makes for a short night.

Without our stop in northern Kansas, we have to make the trip to South Dakota, 416 miles one way, without a break. We then will drive back to Great Bend to get the other load and do it all again.

But first we finish cleaning and load everything up...

July 7

View of the day-Windmill in the last Kansas field.

Wow, we actually combined to day, even with the repairs! Al got the bearings pressed on first thing in the morning at Straub's and we headed out to the field thinking "now what". We got everything back together with not a lot of swearing and were rolling in the field by 11:15am...yes am.

There were combines rolling all around us, to the SW was the other crew working with us for the same farmer. They must have been glad to see us finally cutting because the gave us a fireworks show late in the evening. That was fireworks, not fire works. Perhaps they too can see the light at the end of the tunnel. To the west of us was a local farmer with his combines and trucks, although they quit early, before the sun was set as you can see.

Still, with the repair in the morning, we were still able to cut all day and...are you sitting down...did 130 acres! With the weather behaving more like Kansas weather should, in the 90's, low humidity and a good wind, it was almost perfect. Tomorrow is forecast to be 100 with 25% humidity and the south wind will be back.

Was it the 7-7-07 lucky day number? Whatever it was, it was about time, but we won't get too cocky...the bottom has fallen out before...of course, we will just have to fix it and move on.

One day at a time...

July 6

View of the day-Fireworks!

Woo hoo-we combined today!! They had our combine all reassembled and ready to go shortly after lunch. Marilyn got to drive it back out to the field, while Al unloaded the load of wheat left on the truck when the rain hit. We did a couple of patches on one of the big fields and then moved to a small field with seed wheat. The crop was down and really dusty so the air screen kept plugging up, causing some overheating, so we had to stop for things to cool down periodically. It seemed odd that the combine yield monitor showed 569 bushels combined, but the truck was heaped so full, Al was sure there was over 600 bushels in it. After unloading into the bin, they took a sample to town and discovered the reason for the discrepancy...the test weight was only 47 lbs. (60 is the normal weight).

We moved back to the first field of the day and started in, it didn't take long before the rotor speed started to drop, so Marilyn went out to check what the problem could be. No surprise here, a bearing had gone and was heated up pretty good. Out came the tools again, and with all the parts extremely hot, it was a tricky bit of business to get the pulley dismantled and removed.

We got back to town in time to fight the traffic heading out to the fireworks show at the expo park. Marilyn walked out to the parking lot at the campground and was able to see the fireworks from a few miles away. They were probably something to see from up close.

Not really a day for celebration...

July 5

View of the day-Waitning our turn at the hospital.

Cloudy and humid again, but it didn't matter since the combine was in the hospital. We went down in the morning to see what the prognosis was, and they had just taken the feederhouse off and were going to remove the rotor. They called us to come in later on in the afternoon with the final diagnosis, and it was indeed the shaft on the rotor gear box, which would require replacing. Of course, the only gear box in the area was in Salina, so they were going to get it delivered and put everything back together, but...it wouldn't be done until tomorrow afternoon.

A super do nothing day...not that we wouldn't rather have been making dust...

July 4-Happy Independence Day!

View of the day-The Canadian weather front moving in.

The day started out with such promise, the sun was shining, the wind blowing, and we actually got rolling shortly after noon. We got the field finished just as Marilyn noticed the combine was vibrating a bit too much. Al looked in the engine compartment and discovered a couple of bolts loose on the gear box, so we were almost back where we started.

The clouds started gathering and it looked like they were going to go west of us, when all of a sudden the heavens let loose. We were able to get everything tarped and into the yard before the roads got to sticky. As the rain came down, Al decided to road the combine into Great Bend, 22 miles, to get it fixed at the shop, but it would have to wait until tomorrow because of the July 4 holiday. Perhaps lightning will strike and put us out of our misery.

Speaking of Independence Day, we thought since it had rained, we would be able to go see the fireworks display the city puts on every year. The rain followed Al into town, and it poured for a while then cleared off enough to let the show go on. Well, we got the cameras charged, pop bought and headed out to find a good spot to view the action. About an hour prior to the show, they announced it was being move to Friday night...boo. This didn't stop the rest of the city from lighting up.

All day long the fireworks were being lit up, although we thought it was a waste of the display during daylight hours. We parked out of town along the highway and could see all around us the fireworks being lit up in all areas. This was no bottle rocket/firecracker show either...these folks spent the big bucks, there was some real great stuff. It was unreal the amount of smoke that hung in the air since the wind had all but disappeared the visibility was down to a couple blocks. The cut off time is midnight for setting off fireworks, and we are still hearing the loud booms. Maybe the cops will cut them some slack, since they didn't get the professional show.

It only rained 1/4 inch at the farm...

July 3

View of the day-Postcards from the edge-Al writes a couple of postcards while waiting for the grain to dry.

Once again it was humid, but the clouds burned off a bit earlier than usual. We headed out to the field after lunch and did a test, it was 15.6% so we had a bit of a wait, time to service and wash windows. We got to start around 2:30pm and finished the field we were on and moved 1/4 mile west to start another one. It was really dry and was being saved for seed, so Al had a change of scenery by hauling to the bins instead of the elevator.

Al only had two loads go to the elevator, and was looking forward to the "free gifts" the local radio station was giving out at their on location report from the elevator. His first load was too early and his second load had him pulling into the elevator as they were pulling out. No treats for Al this time.

We worked until 10:30, when the straw got too tough and started piling up against the standing grain. The straw would pile up at the end of the header making it hard to cut and leaving "normies", the few stalks of grain that are left standing after cutting 30.5 feet with at 30 foot header. Still we got in 60 acres today, a long way from the 100 acre days of Oklahoma, but at least we are rolling.

The fireworks are getting set off early, so we can't tell the celebrations from the gunshots.

The real show will be tomorrow...

July 2

View of the day-Al dumping in the Albert, KS elevator.

Are you sitting down? We actually combined today!

It started out as every other day, and it was just as well, since we had to get the water pump replaced on the pickup. Al went to several shops in town looking for someone with the right tools to fix the Dodge. He finally found one who told him, while he was busy and understaffed, he would try work on it between jobs. Al left it with him, and asked if they had a courtesy car, and they didn't, so he walked back to the camper...about two miles...quite a workout to say the least. We were surprised when, at 12:30, we got a call saying they had finished the job and we could pick it up.

Al refused to walk back, so we took a chance and looked in the phone book to see if there was any transit service in town. Great Bend is about the same size as Yorkton and quite spread out, but we have never seen a cab in all the years we have been here. We found a cab company with one van, which is all they have, and they picked us up at the farm supply store across the street from the campground. The trip cost us $4! Al couldn't believe the garage guys wouldn't have told him there was a cab in town...and cheap at that...he bought a $2 pop on his walk, and for another $2 he would have been home free (well not really free, but close).

Once we got home, we talked to the farmer and he told us it would be later on in the afternoon before anything would go, so while Al rejuvenated himself, horizontally, Marilyn did it her way by checking out the thrift shops in town. We headed out to the field around 5pm and did a test, it was 14.2%, so we cranked up and finally made some dust. We got about 45 acres done before it got too tough, and besides, it was getting dark.

Al talked to one of our farmers in South Dakota, and they started combining in the area on Saturday...it's insane this year! We still have lots to do here, so it would appear that we will be missing another stop up the road. When one door closes another opens, and we are sure we will be able to make up the acres, and maybe find some new customers along the way. This, of course, could just be a one shot thing, but at least we will be making dust, and helping someone else get their crops off.

What surprises will tomorrow hold...

July 1-Happy Canada Day!

View of the day-Occupants at the Brit Spaugh Zoo trying to hide.

Yet another day of cloudy humid weather. We are on the edge of the weather system that is dumping massive amounts of rain to SE Kansas and E Oklahoma. It seems we are just far enough from the rain, but still close enough to suffer from the fringe effects. The forecast has been saying we are going to be in the mid 90's, but they told us that was what we would get last week and look where we are, in the 70's and low 80's.

There was no rush to get out to the field, but we still had to haul the last bit of grain to the elevator and move the tractor and grain cart to the next field where the combine was waiting, Once we got moved, it was just another day of fixing little things on the combine and grain truck. We did try a sample at 5pm, but it was 17.3% so we knew it wouldn't be getting any better, even if the sun came out. We went back into Great Bend and decided to take a stroll through the zoo, but the hours were only til 4:30. The gate was open a bit, so we went in, but the "guards" were putting the inmates away, and chasing the rest of us out the gate.

While we were sitting at the park, Al noticed an antifreeze leak in the pickup truck, and discovered the water pump will probably need to be replaced tomorrow..what next?

Since there was no cutting, we headed back to the camper and got ready for the Sunday night TV "Ice Road Truckers" on the History Channel. We just got through the "Deadliest Catch" crab fishing marathon, and now they come up with this one.

Our job doesn't seem so bad...