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...