Happy New Year!!!

Season's Greetings from our table to yours!

And what a busy season it has been...for some of us, at any rate. In between 'decluttering' the house and getting organized for Christmas, there hasn't been a day to just relax and reload.

We finished off November with Marilyn helping out with the dinner theatre, just taking tickets and cleaning up after the performance. With just getting home two weeks before the big show, she knew she wouldn't be able to offer any support during the preparation. Al got back into the swing of all things hockey...and football...he started going to the Terrier games and was pleased they were starting to pick things up a little. He is no longer on the executive...reasons cited were missing too many meetings and...ahem...being to outspoken about the running of the team...and we will leave it at that. He is actually quite happy about that because now he can just go and enjoy watching the games...and he can speak as freely as he likes.

We had our Association of Canadian Custom Harvesters annual convention the first week of December in Saskatoon, SK...bitterly cold, but we didn't venture out of the hotel for the four days we were there. It's always a great time to see all our fellow harvesters in one place, listen to the latest and greatest from the dealers, drink a few beverages and just put the cap on another year of harvesting. Marilyn is back on as Sec. Treas. for another year...not a big job as most of the heavy lifting is done by Lynn, the Executive Assistant. We don't have a huge membership...contrary to what some of the US harvesters have been told...with 42 active members and only 16 working south of the border, we really are a small group.

We had some great entertainment both nights...Double Vision, twin magicians that strolled about and picked audience members at "random" to take part in their show. Marilyn doesn't believe it was very "random" since she was sitting at the very back of the conference room and was "picked" to participate...oh, little did they know what they were getting into...AND they were silly enough to give her a mic to make sure the audience heard her. It was entertaining to say the least. We also had a sound effect comedian the second night who had everyone howling in laughter...just the thing to cap off a great convention.

We left the convention Friday morning after saying our goodbyes until the spring and Marilyn took the scenic route back to Yorkton...after all, who loves driving more that we do? Al had a toy show to attend in Weyburn so we met up with Jeff, his brother, on the highway to Weyburn and after Al loaded his bags and various toys into the other truck, Marilyn headed back to Yorkton. The toy show went as well as they figured it would and after picking up Senior(the 'old' Dodge) at Jeff's farm where he had left it, Al got back to Yorkton in time to take part in the Staple's Christmas party that Marilyn was at.

This year they had projectors and big screen stations with Guitar Hero, Scene It and of course...the Wii Fit. There was quite a lot of action and some pretty wild stuff going on as everyone took turns boxing, hula hooping, ski jumping, among other sports...and no booze to use as an excuse for the craziness. The "old folks" outlasted all the school kids that work at the store and it was 2am before we finally got home.

After another work week Marilyn was off to Regina to help out with Theatre Saskatchewan's annual dinner theatre. She is a member at large on the executive committee for the provincial community theatre group who cook and serve the meal for their annual fundraiser. Once again it was -40°...Farenheit or Celcius, it's all the same...damn cold...and let's add a bit of wind to drop it even lower. You just can't beat winter in Saskatchewan...those 100+ degree days from the summer don't look too bad at this time of year.

More work for Marilyn with the crazy's out shopping at this time of year...no signs of recession here...maybe until the credit card statements arrive in January. The weather certainly doesn't keep people at home, they just bundle up more and leave the vehicles running in the parking lot, which is a lot less painful now that the fuel prices have dropped to .75/litre or about $2.40/USgal...a far cry from this summer.

Al got busy and actually put together the Christmas newsletter...well, he wrote it up and Marilyn added the pictures and had it printed up at Staples. We always do one up for anyone who doesn't have the chance to follow the blog for whatever reason and Al has had to look after that for the past few years. Once we had them all done, Al took a road trip to Kenmare, ND to mail the US ones so they would be delivered before Christmas...oh, and to pick up some toys that he had bought.

We hosted an early family Christmas for Al's family on Dec. 21. The three brothers and their step-dad take turns every year and it had finally rolled around to ours. Marilyn slaved all day over the hot stoves while Al made sure she kept updated with the scores from all the NFL games, but he did take over after the gifts were opened and the fireworks came out. It is interesting how different they sound when it is -35° and the snow is on the ground...lighting them was another challenge. The barbeque lighter wouldn't work in the cold and when Jeff tried to use a small propane torch it sprung a leak around the collar and made it's own fireworks. Still, a wonderful family get together for the holidays.

With "Junior" (the new Dodge) being Marilyn's main ride into work...at least when Al doesn't drive her in...being able to use command start is a must in this cold weather. Marilyn decided to find out about getting it installed and halfway through the phone call was told by Al that she had just ruined her Christmas present...he had booked the truck in to get it installed on Dec. 23...and Marilyn has not stopped hearing about how she just had to tear open the paper on the gift to see what she was getting. It works great, except it likes to randomly lock the doors when it is running...needs a bit of tweaking, or at the very least a hidden key for the door so Al doesn't have to drive into town to open the doors.

Christmas day was spent quietly at home until we went to our next door neighbors, Murray and Darlene's for turkey supper and a long visit. Darlene has been trying to talk Marilyn into joining the United Church choir...yes, you read right...and with their daughter Kristen playing the piano, she had Marilyn "audition" with an old fashioned sing-along....not bad enough apparently to sway Darlene from her mission. We'll see what January brings...

Marilyn worked on Boxing Day...Dec. 26, consider a shopping day in Canada...and a few other countries. People will line up outside stores waiting for the opening to take advantage of all the great bargains that are available only on this day. Marilyn had to go to work at 7am to help set up for the day and although she now works in the furniture department, she was drafted back into the computer department for the day. People started lining up at 7:30am for the 9am opening...the staff could hardly get through the waiting customers to get to the doors, fortunately it had warmed up to -20° so the wait was bearable...it was a crazy day and 3:30pm did not come soon enough.

Clutter's Last Stand took over again as Marilyn decided to do a major overhaul and chuck a ton of stuff and give another couple of tons to Salvation Army...they are really getting to know Al well what with all the stuff he has been taking in to them. Marilyn was a bit upset when she went to get some boxes to put the donations in and...Al had thrown them ALL away in his cleaning frenzy in the garage. Fortunately, Staples came through and after fishing a few good size boxes out of the cardboard baler, she was back in business.


And now, here we are about to ring in another new year, waiting for the ball to drop before calling it a year. The "weakly" update didn't happen as planned, but maybe next year...


Here's hoping that 2009 brings you all you wish for...

November 27, 2008

View of the day-Another beautiful sunset from our front yard...the days haven't started getting frigid yet...just wait, it's coming...

Another week of work, work, work...odd how we don't say that during the harvest season...or do we? Marilyn is living at Staples and that will continue with the Christmas rush coming up. Al has taken it upon himself to heed some of the advice from Clutter's Last Stand, that book that Marilyn has been reading.

Al got the General out of retirement to haul a load of garbage out to the dump...all of which came out of our garage. With the size of the new truck, we had to figure out a way to get it in the garage and still be able to get the doors open and get out of the driver's seat...Al had it all figured out...Marilyn hopes there will be no regrets.

When Marilyn got home from work that night and drove into the garage...WOW...it was empty...almost. It hadn't looked that good since we moved in five years ago and Marilyn is glad she didn't have to witness the carnage.

And speaking of carnage...Marilyn has been trying to get Al to move into the electronic age and use the PDA she bought him for Christmas last year for all his contacts, toy lists, serial numbers, etc. He refuses, saying he likes his little duct taped note book that has all the info he needs at a page turning...at least until laundry time. Yep, you guessed it, he ran it through the wash and dry cycle and it didn't fair so well. At least when Marilyn washed the last one, she got to it before it hit the dryer and was able to peel the pages apart and get some of the info off the soggy mess. Al's catastrophe ended up in the lint screen of the dryer.

If he doesn't call you, you'll know why...

November 22, 2008

View of the day-Al has been telling everyone he talks to, "I want to buy a new truck, but Marilyn won't let me"...so...Merry Christmas Al!

It seems strange not to blog it up daily, but there really isn't a lot going on now that we are back at home and back in the groove. At the very least we will try to get something up every week, or if it has been a particularly rotten day, a good rant might be in order...or perhaps just a skewed observation or two.

We were up early and eager to get on the road to Nipawin, 200 miles to the north of us, to take possession of our new Dodge pickup. We have had our present one for 10 years, bought it new and if you have been following the blog the last couple of seasons, you know it is getting kind of tired. We have been looking for quite a while and really did try to buy local, but there was no budging from the dealer here and we will leave it at that for now.

We were going to take "Frank", our 1986 Grand Marquis, for it's last trip before hitting the government salvage yard, but decided the pickup was a little more road worthy, even though it promised to be a nice day.

We got up to Nipawin, got the deed done, stopped for lunch, then headed back to Yorkton...Marilyn driving the old truck and Al the new one. Marilyn had her XM shows to listen to on the way back and the new truck only has Sirius, so she was more than happy to be "slumming it".

Al was able to check out a few of the options, but being "technologially challenged" and refusing to be taught any new tricks, didn't even attempt to try anything but the radio. Marilyn got her turn at driving the new truck when we switched off at the halfway mark and then...the floodgates of "all things tech" broke loose.

First thing was to get the hands free uConnect working with her bluetooth phone and call Al to see how it sounded...then listen to the tutorials for all the hands free options...oh, joy, oh joy! Program the presets on the radio and figure out the extra controls on the steering wheel...but most of all...for Al...set the time on the radio.

We got back to Yorkton and Al fueled up "Hips"...the old 98er...then came back out to the yard to see if the new truck would fit in the garage...yeah...about that...

Well it almost got in the door where Hips used to fit, but because the door is a one piece unit it wouldn't go up far enough. Backup plan...leave Frank out and try to get it in the other side of the garage. That door went up all the way once it was unlocked from the motor and we did have to fold the mirrors in to get through the door, but it did finally get a parking spot out of the cold...Frank won't be so lucky.

Marilyn decided to move one of the shelving units so Al could get the door open to get out of the cab...did you know cold plastic is brittle and breaks easy? The top two shelves came over with a big crash...no one hurt, not much broken and now there is more incentive to clean the garage. Marilyn has been reading "Clutter's Last Stand" by Don Aslett...an excellent book on decluttering your life and getting rid of unnecessary junk that has been collected over the years.

Looks like there is a good start if we use a shovel on the garage floor...

November 19, 2008

View of the day-Marilyn has to dig to find the window brush to clean off the truck after work...it's that time of year.

Another day at work for Marilyn and another day of driving around the countryside for Al.

Marilyn decided to pull out the pedometer for work to keep track of how far she walked during the day. Even though it didn't start working until an hour into the shift, she still logged 6 miles! That is why she calls it her "paid exercise program". Al went to the Terrier game...and they lost...but those weren't his exact words.

We like to keep the blog clean...ish...

November 18, 2008

View of the day-Here's one combine that won't get parked for the winter...a custom made wooden combine from Bob Lemieux. He's married to Marilyn's cousin and is a twice retired custom harvester from Alberta.

We were up early even though Marilyn didn't work until 10:30am. Al took the General in to the muffler shop to finally get the exhaust fixed...there wasn't much left holding it together at the elbow. Al is quite pleased because now the smoke comes out where it should...at the top instead of into the cab.

Marilyn started learning the ropes in the furniture department at Staples...a change from computers(sorry Ivan) and file folders...but not quite as good as the copy centre...all things come to those who wait. After work, Marilyn decided to shop for some new work pants...can anyone explain why, as the sizes get larger, the leg length is shorter? And who decided that a 32 inch inseam is universal...maybe she has to team up with a short person and add the length they have to cut off to her pants.

Al was disappointed when he stopped in at H&R Block where he worked in the spring...it wasn't a tax issue. He couldn't tell them any stories of the summer because they had been following this blog.

Mission accomplished...

November 17, 2008

View of the day-The combine all nestled in the holding pen at the CaseIH dealership.

Marilyn had to get up in the dark...not even the crack of dawn to get ready for her first day back at Staples. Although this was supposed to be a stock rearranging day and Marilyn was in her street clothes, the customers wouldn't let her get much work done. But she made a lot of miles...a good thing, after sitting in the combine for the last five months.

Al got up at the same time...claims he's getting old and can't sleep in anymore. He had to move some furniture around for his nephew who has just found an apartment in town. He also had to take the combine in for its inspection and got to park it inside the coverall building at the Case dealer. Once it was parked, he went in to talk toys with one of the partsmen while he waited for Marilyn to finish work and pick him up. While Al was gabbing, Marilyn went out to get the view of the day...rather bizarre that it would take some time to find the right combine out of the six that were jammed in there. The 8010s were no problem, but coming in from the back of the machines the other three all looked the same until she spotted what was left of the rain gauge. The combine had gotten really dirty after the trip down the gravel road so it didn't resemble the shiny new rig that she was used to...hopefully it comes out cleaner.

After supper, Al went to deliver the furniture and Marilyn went to give a presentation on Stage Management to the university drama class that is given through the distance learning at the local community college.

Al, of course, got home in time to watch the Monday night football game...

November 16, 2008

View of the day-Al is pushing bush...well, branches anyway. After trimming up all the trees to make room for vehicles, the remnants get pushed into a pile at the neighbors to get turned into a bonfire.

We got to sleep in and we needed the extra rest so we could get right at the tree manicuring again. The day was overcast and breezy from the north, but with all the trees we have, we never noticed at all, in fact, the jackets came off as we worked up a sweat getting the branches moved around.

Al decided that the dozer blade would make moving the pile a lot easier but it was too bad we hadn't thought ahead and started the pile further out in the yard. It took some doing but we finally got everything where it belonged...except for the combine, which goes into the CaseIH dealership for the Uptime inspection tomorrow. The shop trailer is in its winter parking spot, strategically placed so we can use it as a projector screen for our holiday signs. Another day of fresh air, not warm enough to do windows...that will have to wait.

Marilyn's first day back at Staples tomorrow...

November 15, 2008

View of the day-Al trying to chop the bus out with the chain saw...he was successful...with no injuries.

Today we decided to do a bit of rearranging in the yard, which isn't really big to begin with so there was some strategic planning to do. We had to plug the big trucks in so they would start...one at a time due to power cord length and then the job of getting the theatre group's school bus out from under the tree.

During one of the big wind storms that occurred while we were gone, a large branch...well actually a third of a tree, broke and fell across the bus. Since the group didn't need it over the course of the summer, it sat until today. The branch hadn't broken anything on the bus, probably because the branches on the hood kept the largest part from snapping off from the main trunk. Al had borrowed his brother's chain saw and before too long had most of the branches removed.*

Once the other grain trucks were started and moved out of the way, the bus was moved to it's new parking spot near the neighbors for a quick exit should it snow a lot. The grain trucks got nestled in beside the camper and after a bit more trimming, we called that part of the job done.

Al had a visit from a friend who wanted to look at some of his farm toys...and purchase a few, of course. His 14 year old son came out with him and discovered the Wii, so Marilyn got to watch an expert at guitar hero and baseball give her a few pointers...practice, practice, practice.

All the fresh air should make for a good nights sleep...

November 14, 2008

View of the day-Al watches his Terriers(in orange) with the lead...the game ended up going into overtime with a shoot out which the Terriers won.

We were up early to get ready to go to a funeral in Grayson, where we used to farm before moving to Yorkton. Al's step-grandfather had passed away at the ripe old age of 97...the changes he must have seen in his lifetime...

After the service we had to visit with all the friends and relatives from Grayson that we hadn't seen since...well, the wedding we were at last month. Boy, in church twice in 6 weeks...

We got back to Yorkton in time to take in the Terriers hockey game...the first one of the season for Marilyn...well actually two seasons. It was nice to see them win a game, even if it was only one point for the overtime shootout win. We got a fair bit of visiting done there, as well, including the neighbor lady trying to lure Marilyn into to church choir...could you just imagine that?

Another late night back at home...so much to do...

November 13, 2008

View of the day-A Google Earth shot of where we were in 2008.

It was a rainy, snowy day for us as we spent the better part of the day in Yorkton, paying bills, shopping and visiting. Al decided he missed the stress of the harvest and went in to try to deal on a new pickup...ours is ten years old and seemed to need a lot of fixing. Apparently the state of the economy hasn't affected the Dodge dealer in town so it looks like it will be a winter with the same old pickup...unless we go back to Aberdeen, SD...

Marilyn decided it was time to upgrade her cell phone rather that adding more 'pay-as-you-go' time to her old Canadian cell, which she couldn't use out of the country. Of course to make the blogging uploads a bit easier, a Blackeberry was the thing to get...she says you can never have too much technology.

We stopped in at the Case dealer to get the combine booked in for the winter uptime inspection and to fill the service manager in on all that had happened during the season...apparently there wasn't any blog reading done at that place. We put on 730 hours and covered 7010 acres over the course of almost 6 months...it hardly seems that long, for some of us anyway.

After a visit with several people we ran into in town during our shopping tour, we came back home where Al found a NFL football game to occupy his time and Marilyn got sucked into the CSI vortex on TV and couldn't turn it off until she had discovered "who done it".

It has been interesting to get emails from people who have been following the blog from all over the world and now that our harvest season is over, Al says it should be like the daily journal that he keeps with one last entry until next year. Marilyn has found it to be somewhat like a drug and can't go cold turkey...

So although it might not be harvest related, there will be more to come...

November 12, 2008

View of the day-The General pulling into the Skyline at Carlyle to wait out the fog before moving home.

We got up early to have coffee with our hosts before attempting to leave for home, but one look out the window had us drinking another cup of coffee hoping the sun would come out soon and burn off the thick fog that was hanging around. We decided to go to the Skyline for breakfast and wait it out there as everyone else had gone to work. The four mile trip into town was interesting as you can see by the traffic...with hardly 1/4 mile of visibility, it was a mad dash when it looked clear.

As the sun came up over the cloud banks the fog lifted and we figured we had it made, until we got into the Moose Mountain Park...the visibility was even worse but by the time we hit the north end the sun was shining and we were able to drop the hammer and get as far as Whitewood where we made a pit stop...Marilyn for the usual break and Al to drop in at the AGCO dealership. Marilyn waited for Al to get back to the truck, but finally gave up and forged on to Grayson where she picked up the mail and met Al back at the 22 highway junction.

We kept hearing the weather reports from Yorkton about heavy fog and by the time we got there it was sprinkling and foggy. We got out to the farm and Marilyn unloaded the pickup then went to help Al get the combine unloaded out on the road. After parking the combine on our lawn, we hooked the trailer back up to the General and Al took it out to it's winter spot out by the art and other trailer. First we had to unload the toys Al had purchased that were in the box of the grain truck.

We loaded everything into the pickup and parked it in the garage to keep everything dry...Marilyn was going to take the car into town to meet Al for coffee later on...unfortunately the battery was dead, so she had to unload everything off the pickup to take it into town. After changing back the forwarded mail, getting the local newspaper off vacation and stopping at Staples to get her work schedule for next week, Marilyn met Al for coffee then they cruised the Dodge lot to check out the new one tons...pretty nice...

Back at the farm it was unpacking time and while Marilyn took care of everything else, Al unpacked his toy collection. He purchased a case of 1/32, 9430 John Deere tractors...2500 green ones were made and 250 'gunmetal' colored ones were randomly placed in cases that were sold. Al came running into the house in a lather...he had found one of the gunmetal ones in his case of tractors...what a coupe! A check on ebay has them at $475...this one is going in the collection.

Darlene, our house sitter and next door neighbor, came over for a visit to talk all things hockey...it was a very informative visit...a lot of things have happened since we have been away. She did complain about the combine parked on the lawn that she had worked so hard to manicure...we assured her it wouldn't be there long.

Marilyn got to take her new Wii components for a test drive...a little guitar hero, some fishing, pool playing and of course the Wii Fit...a big thrill, her Wii Fit age is 39!

Not bad considering she is knocking on the door of the early seniors discount...

November 11, 2008

View of the day-Al giving the General a boost after it had been sitting for a week at
Kenmare.

We got up before the crack of dawn...a real shock to the system for us and after getting everything packed into the pickup, we squeezed ourselves in and hit the road.

The highways had cleared off quite a bit and the sun actually came out after a few miles of driving and the day looked like it was going to be a nice one. As we got closer to Minot, the snow drifts got deeper and the road had patches of packed ice making it rough and slippery at the same time. We were really happy that we had decided to take the combine up to Kenmare last week because there were places where we would have had a bit of trouble navigating...like getting out of the farm yard, for starters.

We made Kenmare and the snow was pretty much gone...if there had been any start with, but it was still cold enough to give us problems starting the General. We got the booster cables out and tried to coax the General to start, but it didn't seem to be working so we went into the Cenex to see if we could plug it in on the outside of the tire shop. They had a 100 ft cord and we had one of our own and hooking them together gave us enough length to plug in. We left the pickup boosting and the block heater to do it's job while we went into have some lunch and mentally prepare ourselves for the border crossing.

The truck started like a top when we got back out to it and once the pickup was fueled, we hit the road again. We got to the border and it was relatively painless...except for the PST and GST we had to pay on certain "toys" that came across. The US side checked our serial numbers and we turned in our work visas since we were done with harvesting for the rest of the year. On the Canadian side there were a lot of vehicles lined, so we handed in our receipts and took the tax hit on our purchases...a small price to pay, really.

While we were in line at the Canadian side, waiting in our trucks, one of the people in the lineup called over to Al like he knew him. Al walked over to find Danny Ismond, one of the DJ's from GX94 the local radio station in Yorkton. We had emailed into the request show several times during the summer when we would be sitting around surfing and listening to his show online. He always managed to get our requests played, even when we stumped him with Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band...but he found it and he always pumps this blog to everyone listening...make sure to give him a listen online on the request show from 2-4pm during the week...maybe email a request...

We got to Kim and Marg's place at Carlyle, unhooked the combine trailer and moved the General out into the yard so Kim could get the straw chopper that we had brought back for him, out of the box. Before we tackled that job, we did some rearranging in his barns so we could park our headers in for the winter...with the flex head in behind the equipment and the straight platform first out for next April or May.

Kim got his tractor out and we figured out a way to use the bucket and grapple to get the pallet out of the box without having anything tip over...it worked like a charm. After getting the combine hooked back up to the General, we called it a night and went in for supper and to get our a$$es kicked at Guitar Hero by Gordie.

But now that Marilyn has one for her Wii...we'll see who's going to do the kicking...

November 10, 2008

View of the day-Snow drifted into the corn...no combining today.

We were up early for coffee, thanks to the phone call Al got from Jeff in Minot. Apparently, the bill of sale didn't go with him when he left and it was something he needed to get the trailer across into Canada. With no fax machine on the farm, Marilyn called up to the dealer and had him fax a copy to the hotel where Jeff was staying, then he was on his way home. He only had a short delay as the customs officer...not the "bad" one...went through some of the toy boxes before letting him continue on.

Al went out to start the pickup to clean the ice and snow that had covered it while we were away. After it was warmed up enough to clear the windshield, we went into Jamestown to see about a change of size on Al's jacket and to pick up some last minute things at Walmart.

We stopped off at the bar to pay our food tab, then Al dropped Marilyn off at the farm to get started with the final packing and rearranging so everything would fit in the pickup for the trip home, while he stopped at Mikes to pick up his toys that had been shipped there. With both of us suffering from colds...sore throats, croaky voices, and head colds, a nap was in order...probably more for the fact that Marilyn didn't get to sleep until 3am. Anything to avoid packing.

And packing was all Marilyn did for the rest of the night while Al got his receipts in order and watched the Monday Night Football game. Jeff had reported that the road between Carrington and Minot was pretty bad with icy ruts, so it was slow going.

And we get to travel it tomorrow...

November 9, 2008

View of the day-Al and Jeff found a bench along the Mississippi but didn't get to see any water traffic.

Our last day at the toy show, we had breakfast...sort of...at the hotel. We had to work around several 10-12 yr olds that had the waffle iron doing overtime, so after a bagel and muffin we got our rooms packed up and checked out.We decided to check the river out in the daylight and because it was a lot colder than when we had first arrived, the stop was a quick one.

We hooked the trailer up back at the hotel then headed for Dyersville to pick up the last few "need-its" on the list, and to get some pictures of the miniature display of the winter scene, which is included as a slide show to do it some sort of justice. The detail is amazing.

We were on the move back to Pingree just after lunch. The trip back was uneventful, with Jeff and Al taking turns driving while Marilyn gave directions with the new mapping software on the laptop. We made it through Minneapolis without a problem this time...except for the fact that we were smack in the middle of the Vikings traffic that was exiting the city after the football game...what a joy that was. We stopped for supper at Fergus Falls and made pretty good time getting back to Pingree by around 10:30pm.

Jeff stopped at Mikes to get his load of toys that had been delivered there and once Al had what he needed removed from the trailer, Jeff forged on to Minot while we got caught up on the goings on while we were away. There was quite a lot of snow and ice on the ground and the temperature was mighty chilly.

Looks like the insulated jeans come out tomorrow...

November 9, 2008-Part 2

November 8, 2008

View of the day-The Plaza Antique Mall near the toy museum...not a place to go in for a "quick" look around...what a lot of stuff.

Al and Jeff wanted to make sure they made it back to Dyersville in time for the big auction...no time for breakfast today.

We got to the auditorium just as the first item had been auctioned off...a gold replica of the official farm show tractor and it went for $1300! The funds from the sale of that particular item are donated to the toy museum. While the guys watched for their "need-its" on the sale list, Marilyn drove back to Dubuque to get some shopping of her own in before going back to pick the guys up and checking out some of the private sales in "Toy Town".

We were disappointed that two of the places that we got to were just packing up for the weekend...we never got to see a thing from these displays...they were at the other end of town well away from the main buildings...an excuse to come back another time. We couldn't believe all the pedal tractors...or the price of them.

We were hoping to get back to Dubuque in time to see some of the sights along the Mississippi River, but the sun seems to go down so much earlier that we missed it again. We went out for supper then went back to the hotel to relax after walking quite a few miles today.

The cargo trailer still has some room in it...

November 7, 2008

View of the day-We're from Canada, eh...this snow and cold weather don't bother us. Al meets some bundled up people on the way to one of the display halls at the toy show.

We didn't get up early enough to get in on the free breakfast so we grabbed a quick snack at McDonalds before heading over to Dyersville to pick up our passes and tour the huge toy museum, then it was north to pick up the cargo trailer. The wet weather had finally caught up with us, starting with fog, then rain, then finally snow. It came and went all day but was just warm enough that it melted...or tried to...once it hit the ground.

Marilyn was reading the program from the show in between giving map directions and Al was totally confused as to which way we were going, so it wasn't surprising that we took the wrong turn and ended up 10 miles west of Dyersville instead of 35 miles north...it was a nice drive through the snow flurries to see the countryside. We got the trailer hooked up and went back to Dyersville...the quick way this time.

They had a lot of tents set up for the outside vendors, amazingly enough one lady told us there hadn't been snow at any of these shows in the 17 years that they had been attending...and of course, they blamed us Canadians for bringing it with us.

We went through four or five buildings of vendors, with Al and Jeff getting some of the "need-its" on their toy lists...some hard to find and others with great resale value. A lot of people stopped to talk to us after checking out the back of Marilyn's harvesting jacket...someone who had hired another Canadian harvester for several years, friends from Alberta and even a couple from the Netherlands. There was no end of visiting and browsing to be done...and it was only the short day of the show, starting at 4pm.

We finally headed back to the hotel at Dubuque around 7:30pm and after a great supper at the Ground Round and a soak in the hot tub, it was time to rest up for the big auction sale tomorrow.

If Al and Jeff have any money left...

November 6, 2008

View of the day-Al and Jeff checking out the Lock and Dam #10 on the Mississippi River on the way to Dubuque.

Since we only had 180 miles to cover today, we got to sleep in a bit before having the free breakfast at the hotel. It was raining when we left and we drove through it off and on for most of the morning before it finally broke up. We had a better day for driving and got to see a lot of different scenery along the way.

We stopped for lunch in Decorah...Pizza Hut of course...and then we stopped in at the CaseIH dealer to check out some toys. We picked up their sales catalogue and discovered they sold cargo trailers...hmmm...they had one just the right size for 'toy hauling'. It was about 45 miles away, a little off our planned route, but we had nothing but time so we detoured to check it out. After much discussion and haggling, Al & Jeff decided to go for it and are now proud owners of a 5X8 cargo trailer for their farm toy business...no more loading and unloading of toys in the rotten winter weather and best of all Marilyn will get all her closets and storage space back! The only hitch with the purchase was that the title was back in Decorah, so we will be making a road trip back up their tomorrow, via a different route.

It was such a great day for driving, it was in the mid 60's and the wind was behind us, but we heard...and saw...the nasty storms that were hitting the area we had left just yesterday...blizzards and heavy snowfall...thank goodness that the combine and header had gotten moved to Kenmare. The rolling hills and cornfields were really something to see...although no one was combining because of the rain. It was different to see all the farms so close together, not at all like a lot of the places we work where you can drive for miles between farmsteads before you see any signs of habitation.

We checked into the hotel when we reached Dubuque and took a short drive but it had gotten dark so we didn't see too much of the area. We found someplace for supper then stopped at Walmart...all three of us this time...then went back to the hotel to digest and hit the hot tub before calling it a day.

Hopefully tomorrow is as great a day...

November 5, 2008

View of the day-We're travelling through corn country and since Al left the camera in the lock box in the box of the pickup, when the heavy rain made us stop on the highway...well...no pictures, so...a borrowed photo.

We waited for Al's brother Jeff to make the scene as he drove down from his home in Gerald, SK. He made it by 2:30pm and once we had loaded up his pickup we headed east. We were 15 miles east of Jamestown on the I-94 when the rain started coming down and there was the occasional flash of lightning. The rain started getting worse and eventually the wipers wouldn't keep the deluge off the windshield and we had to do like the other travellers and pull over to wait it out...then the hail hit...small but hard for about a minute...then it was over.

We continued on and stopped for supper before tackling Minneapolis/St. Paul. Marilyn had her hand held GPS that had been doing a super job even though the US maps aren't all that detailed...going through the twin cities it had us well prepared for any exit we had to take and we were getting a bit complacent when it told us to stay right and when we did...the cursor was floating which meant the road we were on was to new for the three year old GPS. Guess where we ended up...right smack city center. We had to wing it for a mile or two before getting back on track and Al was pretty thrilled that we drove right by the Metrodome where the NFL Vikings play.

We continued on and had decided that driving all the way to Dubuque, IA was well within our schedule...we would be able to sleep in if we got in to late and we would be a day ahead. We kept hitting rain showers all the way and about 20 miles from Rochester, MN we ran into another one of those storms...heavy lightning, thunder and hard rain...and again we had to slow to a crawl to see the lines on the highway. After getting through that we decided that we would just get rooms in Rochester and go the rest of the way in the daylight...at least we would be able to see some country. And get this...Al & Jeff went to Walmart while Marilyn stayed at the hotel...

Even with the rain it is still 65° at midnight...nice...

November 4, 2008

View of the day-The rigs wait at the Kenmare Cenex for our return from Iowa.

We were up early and had breakfast at the cafe before Al took off to Jamestown with the General to fuel up and pick up some parts at the Case dealer. Marilyn went to get her hair cut then had to run into Jamestown as well to pick up some jackets and tshirts they had ordered...and that was the only stop.

Back at the farm, Al had moved the trailer out onto the hard surface in the yard so we could load the combine without the hydraulic lift sinking into the ground. It took no time at all to get the combine loaded, hooked up and strapped down before heading out for Kenmare. We left right at noon and with the wind behind us, made Kenmare just before 4pm and parked the header and combine in the parking lot at the Cenex before heading back to Pingree.

We stopped in Minot to pick up a few things and then forged on to Pingree, getting back by 9pm...a long day of driving. We stopped out at the field on the way home to pick Mike up from his ground work and give him a ride back to the farm. Back in the house we watched the final hours of the big election...interesting results, and it will be interesting to see how the country reacts to the new president...and that's as political as we want to get.

Al's brother Jeff is coming down tomorrow and the three of us are heading down to Dyersville, IA for the National Farm Toy Show...we're all looking forward to it...not the 650 mile drive though.

Let's hope we can get ahead of the winter storm that is coming...

November 3, 2008

View of the day-Al stands next to one, of only a handful of CaseIH STX tractors that was painted in the original Steiger colors. It was parked at a farm north of Aberdeen that belongs to L&O Acres who farm over 100,000 acres in five states...more or less.

We were up early to get ready for a road trip to South Dakota. We had settled up with the farmer over coffee and since we were going to Aberdeen anyway, we drove the extra 40 miles south to get to a branch of our bank to make sure the deposit would cover any potential shopping spree that Marilyn should decide to go on in the big city. Unfortunately for her, she had left her debit card on the counter back at the farm...there was some strong language when that mistake was discovered...and it did not come from Al.

We had to make a stop at Meyer's Salvage to pick up a tractor muffler for someone back in Canada. We found some replacement door handles for the General so hopefully they will work and we can finally get into the cab without going through the passenger door. We also made a toy stop at the CaseIH dealer and then Marilyn hit Target and Kmart...but not Walmart...amazing. After stopping at McDonalds for supper, we stopped at the Dodge dealership and left some drool on the long line of one ton trucks they had lined up...for under $35,000! This was the first place we saw diesel fuel for under $3...it was $2.93 a gallon...a good place to fill the slip tank.

We got back to the farm around 8pm...in time for Monday Night Football and an early night in. Tomorrow will be a big day with loading up and moving the rigs to Kenmare.

But more on that later...

November 2, 2008

View of the day-Gas wars in Jamestown, ND...and everything we drive is diesel...

We had the time change last night, very confusing for those of us from the land that never changes time...we guess we got to sleep in...or did we? Either way we enjoyed a fabulous day really warm and sunny with just a breath of wind...and this is November!

We went into Jamestown for brunch at the Gladstone Inn's cafe...what a waste...no service and when we did get service...well...let's just say they weren't "people persons" and leave it at that. After that debacle, we walked over to the Civic Center to check out the toys that were going to be on the auction that was starting at noon. Marilyn left Al at the auction with Mike, who had shown up on his own and she went to Kmart to take advantage of the blue light specials that were advertised in the weekend flyer.

Al came home with two new tractors and Marilyn found some deals on Halloween clearance stuff...but none of the stuff that was in the flyer...what gives? Well, it was the first day of the sale. She went back to get Al and they went back to the farm to get some cleaning done on the combine.

Al got the header all strapped up into the fixed position, while Marilyn got the dusty job of blowing off all the chaff of the combine. By the time they finished, it was already dark...dang time change...but because they have done it so many times this year, were able to load the header on the trailer in the dark.

There's still the washing to look forward to...

November 1, 2008

View of the day-Soybeans...what else?


The first part of the morning consisted of unloading the trucks that were in the yard from last night, then we both went out to the field in the pickup to service the combine. Marilyn brought the pickup back to the yard so there would be less vehicles at the field to move, then waited for the call to take the General out for a load.


Al got moved to the new field and all three machines combined the beans that had a lot of volunteer corn, which made for high moisture. By the time Marilyn got the call to go out to the field to get a load, the combines were just winding everything down and once the two trucks were loaded, the other Case went home, the green machine moved to the last field and we moved back to the yard.

Back at the yard Marilyn had a time getting all the corn infested beans out of the box of the truck...good thing Ben was there with his long reach to get the last of it out. Once Al got the combine to the yard, he gave Mike a ride back out for the loaded semi, before coming back to get cleaned up so they could go for supper with Ben's mom, Jeanne in Jamestown.

And...finally...

But not to worry...we're not home yet...there's more to come...

October 31, 2008 - Happy Halloween!

View of the day-Say it isn't so...it's not time for ice fishing yet. Marilyn spotted this at the Case dealer.

Marilyn got a break first thing since she had unloaded the truck last night. Al went out to the field and got the combine serviced, fueled and started combining even though it was a bit wet to start. Marilyn got out to the field in time to help move the cart and pickups to the next field with Mike.

After dumping a truckload back at the bins, it was decided the General wouldn't be needed at this field, so Mike led Marilyn over to the next field about 15 miles NW. She had to make a run into Jamestown for water and to check on some jackets that had been ordered...and of course, the water dispenser was at Walmart.

After finishing the last field of the day, Al brought the General home for Marilyn to dump in the morning. Good news that the other Case combine that had been having so much trouble last week was now on day four of trouble free cutting.

The acres get covered when all three machines are running...

October 30, 2008

View of the day-Unloading at the bin...one of few times Marilyn had to wait for a big 'ol semi to finish.

Yesterday Al covered 125 acres and he was at it early today to try and match that number again...however, several moves cut down on the productivity. Marilyn had to wait for a couple of semis to dump before she could get the General unloaded and go out to the field.

They finished the field they were on and moved over to another one...and another one...and yet, another one...the last one took us back across the refuge. Marilyn didn't get a lot of hauling in, but managed to get some electrical work done in the General, so the day went fairly quick...which really was a shame because it was 70° and another beautiful fall day...why does it ever have to end?

The corn is getting close to ready, although some of the stalks still look a little green...no one has started combining it yet. There were machines all around us still doing beans and the occasion field of sunflowers was combined. The weather is supposed to hold until next week, so hopefully there will be a lot of acres covered before then.

We broke with the usual and went out for supper at the bar then got back to the farm to have some fresh made Halloween cupcakes for dessert. Tomorrow is the last day of October already...

We'll be watching out for the goblins...

October 29, 2008

View of the day-A scarecrow does a good job of protecting his corn near where we were combining northeast of Pingree.

With the green one down for repairs, Al was on his own for the first part of the day. After he changed the fuel filters on the combine, getting it fueled and serviced, he started combining and was glad that the new filters solved his power problems. Marilyn didn't have to rush out to the field with the General since there was an empty semi that needed to get filled. It was another gorgeous day even though the wind did pick up a bit in the afternoon, it was pretty much a 'no jacket day'...hard to believe it's almost November.

Marilyn's first load went to the elevator in Courtnay so she could get fuel at the cardlock there. It made more sense to have a load to haul rather than just drive empty, so she got one more visit with the elevator guys. There was only room for one more load in the bins, so she was able to top it off with some help from Todd and then went back to the field to wait. She had a long wait as they worked on getting the semi loaded first so Mike could get his last load into the elevator at Rogers.

By the time the truck was full again, the auger had moved to the quonset on the farm which was only 2 miles away...a nice change from the 'long and winding road' through the refuge to the bins. After getting that load dumped, she was able to leave the General for Al to bring back to the farm when he had it filled and had quit for the night.

Back at the house, Donna had baked cookies all day and they were everywhere cooling off, so after making supper for Al and checking in with her sister in Carlyle, it was time to sample the fruits of the cooks labor.

Time to get the milk for dunking...

October 28, 2008

View of the day-Line up at the elevator. Two semis and the General wait for the auger to get set at the next bin, but with a 20 inch conveyor belt auger, it doesn't take long before we're all on our way.

We had an early breakfast at the cafe so Al could pick up the parts for the header that he had gotten welded. Back at the farm we put the parts back on the header, then blew out the air and cab filters out. Al was going to clean the radiators out and opened the door to swing out the oil cooler rads only to find out the weld had broke and they split apart at the top...the same thing that happened a few months ago. We were able to get them back into their compartment and continue on for the day.

Al went out to the field to start combining and Marilyn took the General out to the bin to dump. Marilyn got the second load to the bin and started dumping and was figuring out how much room there should be left in the bin. She was told they were 5000 bushel bins, so by her calculations there should be 4200 bushels after the General was dumped...unfortunately she was told the size in error...several times, actually...they were 4000 bushel bins and the shear pin went on the auger when the bin got full before the truck was empty...just great.

By the time she got back to the field, filled up the truck and went back to the bins again, the guys had the auger emptied and moved to the next bin and within 30 minutes she was heading back to the field. She was hopping all day and it was a beautiful day to be doing anything outside...tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer. Al just 'shut up and drove' covering his usual 85 acres, with no further breakdowns.

He was having issues with engine power, so he called around to get some new fuel filters for the combine. When he called the CaseIH dealer in Jamestown, he asked about getting warranty work on the rads, they told him he would have to pay to have them come out...WHAT?? He decided to get the filters from Carrington, so we drove up there after we shut down for the night.

There will be phone calls made tomorrow...

October 27, 2008

View of the day-A little change of color...our green cohort with his air reel.

Marilyn took Al out to the field and after he serviced and fueled, he started combining...all by himself...until around 2pm when the green machine hit the beans to help finish off the field.

Marilyn went into Jamestown to pick up a few things before going out to the next field to pick up Mike. He had moved the grain cart over from the field on the other side of the refuge where we had been working for the last week and a half. After taking him back to the other field for the semi, she went back to the farm to get the General running so she could take it back across the refuge to dump it in the bins.

Al and Todd moved the combines over to next field and started combining and with the semi still at the elevator, Marilyn got to take another load to the bins before getting the truck filled once more. It was too late to unload so she just parked the truck in the yard and quit for the day. Al made another couple of rounds before bringing the combine back to the yard so he could take of a couple of skid plates to get welded in the morning.

Sunny day, not much wind...but pretty cool...a two jacket day...

October 26, 2008

View of the day-Another ND sunset...red sky at night might be sailor's delight, but it sucks for harvesting.

What a wind! You know it has to be a strong one when Marilyn has to fight to stay standing. Throw in some cold temperatures and it was a nasty day all around.

Apparently there was snow blowing around in the early morning hours, but the wind must have been strong enough to push it straight through to the east because there wasn't a trace of it once we got out to the field around 10am. After Al did his daily "changing of the guard" on the header he started combining.

With the wind blowing like it was 35+mph, tarping the trucks was going to be a chore, luckily the General and one of the semis had been tarped the night before and were ready to go to the elevator, the other semi was a bit of a problem. There didn't seem to be a direction to park it that the wind wouldn't try to take it to Minnesota, the pipe was tethered at either end, but the wind picked up the middle and put a healthy bow in it, making any hope of getting it opened up in the field impossible. Ben had to take it to the yard where there was a barn to break the wind before finally getting it opened...and it stayed that way until the end of the day.

Marilyn had to wait for the elevator to open, so she drove the grain cart until she got the call. Once Ben got back with the semi, he took over the grain cart duties and Marilyn did most of the hauling for the day...well four loads anyway, the last load went back to the farm where they will be hauling next.

Fighting the wind on the way back to the field on the highway was something else, and at one spot a 4ft piece of trim off the hood of the General flew off against the windshield then took off into the wind. Marilyn turned the truck around and tried to find the trim, but the place it had blown off had a slough full of water in it...and now some chrome off the General. Maybe the wind took it over the water...maybe...

The John Deere had a couple of bearings go out and went back to the yard for repairs, so Al was on his own. While Marilyn went back to the farm with the General after being loaded for the last time, Al worked long enough to fill the semi then called it a night. The wind never died down at all and it is supposed to go down to 19°F tonight.

A good time to be curled up by the heater...

October 25, 2008

View of the day-Al is back at the soybeans.

We were able to get out to the field and get started by 11am which was a nice change after the last few days off. Marilyn was only able to get two loads to the elevator before they closed, so she got to take over the grain cart duties once the truck was filled for the last time.

The wind was blowing pretty hard all day and seemed to get even stronger as evening rolled around making filling the trucks with the grain cart somewhat of a challenge...rolling the tarp was even more of a task without the combine blocking the wind. Tomorrow is supposed to be colder and windy again.

Time to get the insulated jeans out...

October 24, 2008

View of the day-The way we were...and soon will be, if the weather cooperates.

A late morning and after an early lunch at the cafe, we went out to the field to do a bit of servicing. Once the tires were aired up and the windows clean, we went up and back the field to take a test.

We went into the elevator at Courtnay to get the sample tested...17.2...kinda moist for the elevator. We went into Jamestown on the way back so Marilyn could return some things to Radio Shack...it went a lot easier today than yesterday at Walmart. After some unbelievable blue light specials at Kmart...good cotton work shirts for 99 cents each...we are set for next year.

Marilyn met their landlady, Donna, in the mall and they arranged to meet for supper at the Pizza Ranch for a change of pace, then it was back to the farm. Al listened to the Terriers hockey game online, as he always does when he can't get to the games and Marilyn finished getting Donna's computer backed up.

Hopefully we will be rolling tomorrow...

October 23, 2008

View of the day-Corn at sunset...it's pretty tall, but soon they will be cutting it down to size.

Finally a day to sleep in. It was cloudy, cool so it really wasn't a drying day at all. After having coffee and getting the 'returns' organized, we left for Jamestown.

Since it was lunch and we had to return the computer power supply to a place that was right next door to a Chinese Buffet, we figured that was a pretty good place to have lunch. Returning the power supply took 3 minutes and was a very pleasant transaction...next stop was Walmart.

When Marilyn had purchased the video card, she asked no less than three times, if she would be able to return the card if it wasn't needed..."no problem, just do it within 15 days". Then she asked if it was going to be an issue that the card rang through as a flash drive..."no problem, as long as the bar code matches, it will come up at the same price". No problem, right?

First Ms. Return tells Marilyn it can't be returned because it is a memory card and they don't take back anything that can hold personal data...Marilyn explains it isn't a flash drive...just look at the huge box and what's in it...it's a graphics card and there is nothing wrong with it, it's the computer that's shot. Then the performance began...the manager was in a meeting, so Ms. Return called the electronics department...they had no idea what the return policy was for video cards...there was no way she was going to part with the $90 and get into trouble. Her cohort at the next till said she wasn't sure what the return was either but she knows you can return routers...she does it all the time.

Marilyn proceeds to explain that she knows exactly how Ms. Return feels because she works at Staples in the off season and sees a lot of the same thing and because of that Marilyn also explains that is the reason she asked three times and confirmed the till mistake before she left the store...just to make sure she had the return policy figured out. Ms. Return claims there should have been something on the receipt stating the return policy (there wasn't anything) and again, she wasn't going to get in trouble for refunding the money. Marilyn is getting a bit testy by now and tells her it is a bit ridiculous that this is such an issue because after she returns the card she is going to go purchase a new computer for Donna...the cash is staying in the store!

Finally the manager comes out...with an afro that hardly made it through the doorway...honest! That thing was at least two feet wide...talk about a tough time having a conversation...it was mesmerizing. Anyway, he confirmed everything and Marilyn got her refund while Ms. R. was still frantic about doing something wrong. Ahhh, the retail life...good times...

Al got to check out some of the machinery lots...he was worn out from yesterday's "hokey pokey"...no shopping for him, so he just took it easy in the pickup and waited. Once we got back to the farm, Marilyn started getting the computer up and running while Al went out to the field to see how the combine was doing...and to fuel and service. The rain gauge there showed only .7 inch, but the home crowd will be happy to know the Riders flag is officially off the combine and will be returned back to it's owner...the stars and stripes have made their return to the flagpole.

The rest of the day was baseball and computing...

October 22, 2008

View of the day-It's good to see the fire extinguisher comes through the fire okay. This machine was parked in the John Deere dealer in Jamestown, ND.

Al was up extra early...couldn't sleep, a combination of the three hour nap and something about snoring by someone in the room. We had about .8 inches of rain last night and there were puddles all around so combining was out...what else to do?

Al finally got to go into town to do his form of shopping...which now has a name. Marilyn noticed that he puts one foot in a store, then the other, then pretty much turns around and walks out, so now we will call Al's shopping style the "hokey pokey". So after picking up a toy from the Case store, he spent the rest of the day sitting in the pickup reading and listening to the radio...Marilyn picked up the slack, though.

While passing the electronics department in Walmart she saw one of the workers unloading a pallet with one Wii Fit left...what luck! She has been trying to get her hands on one since she had gotten her Wii, but they are as scarce as hen's teeth...you have to be lucky enough to be in the store when they get their stock of five or ten units. The bonus was that it was ten bucks cheaper than anywhere else...although the way the exchange rate has been going...

We finished getting the things we needed and went back out to the farm. Al checked his eyelids for cracks to make up for the early morning and Marilyn tried the last few things to get Donna's computer working, but it was as the folks on the emachine forum had predicted...fried motherboard, so a new computer seems to be on the horizon.

Al watched the baseball game while listening to his Terriers hockey team play by play on the radio...pretty depressing...they were up 4-0 and lost 5-4 in overtime.

But on the bright side, the weather looks good for the rest of the week...

October 21, 2008

View of the day-The full size apples in the yard made it through the hard frost...and are mighty tasty.

Al went out to the field with Mike and Marilyn went into Jamestown to pick up computer parts and lunch at Pizza Hut before returning to the field to feed everybody.

It was cloudy, cold and the rain was threatening but the guys got combining and were making pretty good time. By the time Marilyn got back out to the field it had started to sprinkle and she had to take the loaded truck into the elevator. It started raining even harder and by the time she got the truck dumped and stopped to fuel up the General, the guys back at the field had called it a day...yes, the water was running off the header....and that's the rule.

Back at the farm, it was a perfect dark and dreary day to sit by the heater, or take a nap and wait for the rain to pass...except it continued well into the night...quite a bit more that the tenth of an inch earlier predicted.

And tomorrow they are talking snow...

October 20, 2008

View of the day-The two semis and the General had to be lined up to keep the colors separated.

We both went to the cafe for breakfast for a change, then went back to the farm to get fuel and "lunch up".

Out at the field we serviced and waited for the rest of the crew to show up and get ready for another great day of harvesting. We had high hopes for the other Case combine...Marilyn was betting today was the day he was going to be trouble free and run straight through. She was out by 12 hours...he made it to one end of the field and back before the reel gave out again. He was so sick of the troubles that he just wanted to quit harvesting...period. Well...we know exactly how that feels...total frustration with something that the salesman told you was in "excellent shape, no problems at all"...riiiiight. Anyway, he took his combine home and we worked with two machines for the rest of the day.

We were parked right next to some bee hives, so it was impossible to keep the doors or windows open on the truck to enjoy the beautiful fall day. Even with the doors closed they were buzzing around looking for any way to get in to the vehicles. With a pretty good wait between loads, Marilyn hit upon a plan to keep the little "buggers" busy...she put out half a grape on the top of the open door and watched as the bees checked things out...very entertaining to watch when they weren't humming around your face.

After the first trip into the elevator, Marilyn decided to stop at the tarp shop in Courtnay to see about getting some replacement bungee cords for the tarp. This was the place that had installed the electric tarp roller about five years ago, so he knew the truck. After cutting three different lengths of cord...one too short...he installed them and when it came time to pay...Marilyn had no purse, check book or card with her. The guy had no problem waiting until the next load to get paid...what a nice guy...an it was the only other load of the day, for the General, anyway.

They finished the field just at sundown and Al headed over to the next field right across the road. As he was opening up the field he noticed a moose strolling across the field and into one of the tree strips. Marilyn had enough time to get a quick picture, but the resolution isn't great because she had to zoom in so much. The moose continued, in no particular hurry, on her way to the wildlife refuge that we were working close to. Quite a wildlife day.

Marilyn wasn't able to get another load in before the elevator closed, so after moving the General over to the new field and walking back for the pickup, she got to go back to the farm. Al got a ride home from Mike an hour later...in time for a blow out game on Monday Night Football.

They are predicting rain for tomorrow...

October 19, 2008

View of the day-Once the sun goes down, it's quitting time for some...the rocks can be dangerous in the dark.

We got to sleep in a bit...the elevators weren't going to open until noon so we had some extra time. Al cut another couple of guards to replace the ones that broke and after the lunch was made we rolled to the field.

The other Case combine was almost fixed and it looked like we might finally see a three combine day. After moving over to the new field the two Case combines got started and cut enough to fill the General so Marilyn could be on her way to the elevator. When she got back...the other Case combine had stopped again, this time one of the reel supports dropped down and the knife made short work of most of the fingers on one row.

With two semis plus the General hauling, Marilyn was able to fit in a quick trip into Jamestown to see if she could find some new guards for the header...just jobber ones of course, not the high priced ones with "CaseCorp" stamped in them. No luck on that front, but she did pick up a wireless router to get the internet closer to the TV so Al could watch the games and listen to his Terrier hockey games. She also needed a video card for our landlady, Donna's computer...she hasn't been able to go online for almost a month...don't know how she handles it!

Donna's sister and husband were visiting and brought a care package of 'pigs in a blanket'...which we at home call cabbage rolls. When Marilyn got back from Jamestown, they had packaged up lunch for everyone out at the field...working or not. After Marilyn delivered the grub to everyone, she was able to get in one more load before the elevator closed for the day. It was getting down to the wire when she finally got the truck filled...then the truck wouldn't start. After having Al explain all the techniques he uses when it won't start and trying them all...and a few more made up on the fly...Al told her to pick him up and he would see what he could do. She has been with him when he has tried to get it running before and she used all the "words" he usually does, but after driving to the far end of the field to pick him up and bring him back to the truck...it must have sat long enough...he turned the key and away it went. Good news for getting to the elevator, but bad news for the razzing she had to take...she did remind him that only two hours earlier he had called her on the radio wanting to know how to fix the thermostat in the combine...it was flashing an error message and he couldn't get it to quit...but, according to him, "that was different".

It was five minutes until closing time when she left the field and after a phone call to the elevator, they said they would stay until she got there...and they did. Once she got back to the field she was able to go home for the night and it was only an hour later that Al got a ride back to the farm...everyone had called it a day...

Even the other Case combine, who managed to get in a couple hours work...