August 31, 2010

View of the day-Canola fields across from the campground...wet and waiting.

Al was up early to take a load of flax into Whitewood with Kim's rig again. Marilyn passed on riding along, first, because of sleep and second, she had some graphic designing to do for the theatre group that had to be done yesterday...as usual.

Kim was cleaning out another bin of flax and used the grain cart to hold everything until Al made it back from Whitewood. What a different experience that was. No lights, no probe, no forms, all swept clean by some lovely young ladies...and they were happy to see him show up with Kim's flax...the agent, not the young ladies. He had twice the distance to go, one valley to slow down for and he still made it back in just over two hours.

When he got back to the farm, we had time for lunch, then they filled the semi again and Al was back on the road. We had to take a road trip to Storthoaks to get a new starter for the combine...it was supposed to have been shipped to Carlyle, but it ended up at Storthoaks anyway, so once Al got back from Whitewood, we were on the road again. We took the scenic route going through Oxbow to pick up Kim's farm truck that had been left there. After a stop at the ice cream joint for some sustenance, Marilyn took Kim's truck back to the farm and the guys carried on to Storthoaks.

We actually got to see the sun today for a couple of hours...after some freak showers that fired up, but they were short lived. There are clouds pushing in from the west again and we have a 30% chance of rain...again.

Back over to Kisbey tomorrow to put the starter on...

August 30, 2010

View of the day-Al mans the crank on the hopper of Kim's grain trailer full of flax at the Redvers elevator.

Rain...all day...

Al was up early to go on a road trip with Kim to Storthoaks for swather parts and when they got back, Kim went right to work getting the swather reassembled.

Kim had a load of flax in his semi that needed to be hauled to Redvers and since he wanted to try and finish swathing his canola, Al volunteered to take the load in to the elevator. Marilyn went along for the ride and while she was impressed with the truck, the attitude at the elevator wasn't that great.

Quite a difference from what we were used to. First thing they wanted Al to sign a bunch of papers before he was able to unload the flax...which he 'graciously' told them he would not do. Apparently they have a rule about the flax being clean of any GMO grain...how they could enforce something like that was a mystery. For starters they didn't even have anyone in the unloading bay and it looked like they never ran a broom across the floor after anyone dumped...there was canola all over the edge of the scale that could have easily been swept into the pit. If anyone knew how to use a broom.

After we got the trailer empty we went in to get the ticket...apparently a personal call took precedent over the customers waiting at the counter. The guy finally came out and finished off the ticket without saying a word...just plain rude.

We drove back to Carlyle, then Marilyn needed to take a trip into town to pick up a few things and when she went to start the pickup...the check engine light went on...again. WTF. Al came out and after checking under the hood, discovered that they hadn't tightened the positive cable on one of the batteries. Al got some wrenches out, tightened them up and restarted the truck and bingo, no warning lights.

After supper in house, Marilyn had a theatre meeting on Skype and Al browsed through several papers looking for a semi tractor unit and called up a few friend to commiserate over the state of the harvest...and the weather.

Oh dear...temperatures in the 40's tonight...

August 29, 2010

View of the day-Picking up wheat swaths in the sun...not today, that's for sure.

Rain during the night, cold all day which meant a super-do-nothing day. Kim was the only one doing any work and he had to quit when the bearing in the canvas roller, the tightener and the canvas gave out.

Al helped him find the parts he needed online and tomorrow there will be a road trip to Storthoaks to pick them up.

The rest of the day was spent...doing nothing, really...

August 28, 2010

View of the day-Al and Grant check out the wheat swaths to see if they would be dry enough to pick up.

We had a couple of little sprinkles during the night, but not enough to wet the bottom of the rain gauge. Al called over to Kisbey to see if there was a chance that the wheat might be ready to go and the farmer figured it would, so a road trip was on the agenda for the day.

Al drove the General over to the farm, about 20 miles, Marilyn followed in the Dodge...which was now working fine. Once we got to the field, Al and Dale looked things over and decided we should try it, so back to Carlyle we went to get the combine and header.

Al had cleaned the combine off when we finished the barley since we would be combining organic wheat at Kisbey. We put the straight header into transport and hooked it behind the Dodge, then put the pickup head on the combine and started back to Kisbey...a lot slower trip this time.

The farmer had started swathing the field until the knife broke on his swather, so he had us pick up the outside round first, then switch over to the straight header to finish off the standing wheat. It was testing around 14.5% moisture, but Al was dumping into an air bin and he was able to go to 15% moisture...fortunately the loads never got that high.

We finished the straight stuff just as the sun was going down, so the straw was getting pretty tough, but we chewed through it. Al unloaded the truck at the yard before we headed back to Carlyle.

The next few days have rain in the forecast...we can only hope it is the usual 'weekend' forecast and is totally wrong.

But the radar is not looking to promising...

August 27, 2010

View of the day-Al looking for the grain cart as the John Deere does the same, at Carlyle, SK.

Al was up getting trucks unloaded and finding out how the Dodge was coming along at Estevan. They had just started on it and were doing a recall update on the exhaust regeneration module...or some such thing...and would be getting back to him when they knew something more.

It was a strange day...cloudy with a threat of rain...or at least it looked like it could let go anytime. Kim had finished his swathing, so he was able to get his 2388 in the field and his nephew from Alberta had come down to run their tandem truck, which freed Al up to run the cart for a while to keep us going.

Al got the call from the Dodge dealer that the problem was merely a bad ground to the engine block and they were going to switch out the alternators and give us a refund...darn nice of them, we thought. Of course, an hour later we got another call that the old alternator was indeed shot and they would have to put the new one back on...but the good news was that it would be ready today.

Marilyn combined until 4pm then caught a ride in to Estevan with Marg and Gordie again. After paying the tab at the Dodge dealer, Marilyn went to pick up some groceries before heading back to Carlyle, where the guys were taking it easy and watching the CFL football game after getting the barley field finished.

We are not sure where we are going tomorrow...the 'r' word is in the forecast...

August 26, 2010

View of the day-Watching the Steelers practice on a beautiful evening in Estevan, SK.

Up early to see if we could get the Dodge out of hock...bad news...the alternator didn't cure what ailed it. Now they are not sure what the problem is because they don't have the right reader for the computer...now to plan 'B'. Al called down to the Dodge dealer in Estevan and they said they could check it out, so we made plans to get it down there.

Al had moved the straight header out to the field, but Marilyn had to bring the combine 4 miles into town to fuel it up while Al was waiting for the shop to put the pickup back together. By the time she got to the card lock pump, Al was waiting to help her back in to the narrow driveway by the pumps so she could fuel up. In Canada, the farmer supplies the fuel, so we start with a full tank and they send us home the same way.

Marilyn drove out to the field and got the header on and calibrated, then started in combining barley...Al's favorite. It was plenty dry and going over 50 bu/ac so the hopper wasn't taking long to fill up. We were combining with Kim's dad, Bob, in his JD 9600 and Al was doing the hauling with the cart and General...fortunately the bin was just across the fence, so he was able to get back quickly. He also had Kim's semi in the field for back up, since Kim was swathing canola.

Al took over combining from Marilyn so she could get ready for the road trip with the Dodge. Marilyn's nephew, Gordie, has daily football practice in Estevan this week, so it looked like things would work out if the Dodge could keep a charge long enough to drive the 70 miles...it did, and Marilyn even got there before they closed. How convenient that the Dodge dealership it right next door to the Walmart? After dropping the keys off, she gathered up her belongings and walked over to get some groceries until Marg came to pick her up.

Once we got through the checkout, we stopped at Tim Horton's for coffee and doughnuts to take home to the hard working guys, then went to the field to watch the practice. It had been a hot day, over 90ºF and the evening cooled off and had enough wind to keep the mosquitoes from being too much of a bother...until it died right down, but by then it was dark and the practice was over. We picked Gordie up, stopped for a drink for the road, then came back to Carlyle.

When we got back with the doughnuts, we discovered that the poor hard working guys hadn't gone hungry. Kim's mom showed up with fresh corn on the cob and raspberry cheesecake...and we missed it. After a gab in the house, Marilyn brought the few groceries out to the camper and quizzed Al on how he had made out with the combining. He said the knife had plugged right at the end of the night so he quit and Marilyn would have to clean it out before she started in the morning...nice guy...could be a joke, though.

We will have to see how bad it is in the morning...

August 25, 2010

View of the day-Step one in getting the sunflower pans taken off the 810 header at Gerald, SK.

An early morning as we needed to go on a road trip to Gerald to help take the sunflower pans off of the header that we had sold, since there was no way it was going to fit on the new combine.

Al took the Dodge in to see if we could get a new alternator put on...there wasn't one to be found in town, but the Dodge dealer in Estevan had one. Marg had to take Gordie in for football practice, so she was going to pick it up for us.

Kim let us use his pickup to go on our road trip since he was busy swathing canola and wouldn't need it for the day. We got a few tools together, then headed out, stopping in Whitewood for lunch and in Esterhazy so Al could get his driver's licence renewed.

Dale, the farmer was already at, Al's brother, Jeff's place with his 2188 Case combine ready to unload the header from the trailer...we hit the first obstacle...it wouldn't lift high enough to clear the brackets. We tried several different scenarios until we gave up and went old school and used a couple of long railroad ties as ramps for the combine to get it high enough. That did the job and we were ready to move on to phase two...getting the pans off.

We laid out four wood pallets to set the pans on and got lined up to them, then unhooked the chains holding them on...so far, so good. Unfortunately, the shaft from the drum was hindering the dividers release on the left side, so with a bit of 'persuasion' from a prybar, Al and Dale got it loose and step two was accomplished.

We moved on to getting the drum taken off and this went a lot smoother than the pans did, especially with Jeff's main man running the skid steer. Once it was removed, the next task was to get the bat reels put back on...this ended up being the easiest job of all and they were on in no time at all.

Marilyn got the honors of loading the header back on the trailer, which went a lot smoother since the blocks were still in place and it was just a matter of getting lined up and setting it on the brackets. Job completed.

We left Jeff's, then made a mad dash to Langenburg to pick up a new air filter and oil for the combine at the CaseIH dealership before they closed. We went back through Esterhazy, stopping for fuel and a sub, then headed back for Carlyle...we just love driving...1500 miles since Sunday.

Back at Carlyle, we got caught up with the day's goings on with Kim, Gordie and Marg, then Marilyn did a bit of Skyping and had a Twitter class with one of her friends from Yorkton, getting the hang of UberTwitter on her BlackBerry.

Looks like there could be some barley combining on tomorrow's agenda...

August 24, 2010

View of the day-A new configuration for Al. We couldn't get an extra driver to help move the pickup head back and we didn't want to make a third trip to
Kenmare, so we hooked it on behind the cart trailer.

What a day. We were up early...and it was damn cold and the wind was huffing which gave us a wind chill of about 45ºF. We rushed through getting the camper and shop trailer hooked up and went over to the parking lot where the rigs were sitting. We got the General and pickup fueled up, grabbed a quick snack, then headed for the border...against the wind...again.

We got to the border and it went well, we were on our way within 1/2 hr after stopping at both offices. We made Carlyle, parked the General in the pasture, dropped the camper on the side of the lawn, so Gordie could get our camping spot mowed, then started back for Kenmare and the second load.

When we got to Kenmare, we fueled the Freightliner and the pickup then Marilyn hooked up the trailer with the pickup head and spotted it for Al to back his rig up to. It took a couple of stabs, but we got it hooked up and Marilyn hooked up to the MacDon header and we struck out for the border. Just as Marilyn was pulling out of the truck stop, the check engine light came on and it looked like the alternator was not doing it's job. We decided to just shut up and drive, then worry about it when we got to Carlyle. This trip was really slow because of the wind...top speed was probably 45mph...it was a hard go. We had a really short stop at the border before chugging the last 50 miles to the farm.

We got the Freightliner parked out by the General, then hooked up to the camper to get it parked and set up. First we had to unhook the shop trailer from the back of the camper, so Al took a piece of 4x4 to put under the jack, then got it unhooked and started to drive away. It was pulling pretty hard and we thought it was because it was in the soft grass...until we looked back and saw the shop trailer had refused to stay put. It had slipped of the block when we hooked the camper back up and it dropped back onto the ball. Kim and Marg have a lovely trench where the jack dug in, but Marilyn replaces all the sod to make it look good as new.

We got the camper flanged in then went back to unload the combine, tractor and grain cart...went without a hitch. We had to leave the Dodge running the whole time since it wasn't charging at all and we didn't want to shut it off, but when we did, we put the charger on it and were able to start it after an hour...looks like we need to go alternator shopping tomorrow.

Al did some servicing on the combine and Marilyn got the camper in order...TV, computers, dish...same old, same old. When Marg came home from work, she had a parcel for Marilyn that had come in the mail...IT WAS HERE!

Marilyn has been thinking about a way to have a copy of all the blog entries that are online...they do not get saved on any of her computers, so she went on a search to find something that would do the job with a minimum of work. Enter "Blurb". This company had software that actually downloaded all the entries and pictures from the 2007 blog. After doing a bit of tweaking she ordered a hardcover book with a dust jacket on August 15 and it arrived in Carlyle today...178 pages worth.

Wow, what a great job they did! The link on the side of the blog will take you to a preview of what the book ended up looking like...you can even order one if you like. Marilyn just wanted to have a hard copy of the blog, so she doesn't want to go into the book business and doesn't get anything out of selling extra copies...they are just there if you want one.

Or better yet, get your pictures together and make a book of your own...

August 23, 2010

View of the day-Hooking the shop trailer up from its parking spot at the Gettysburg campground.

Another early day, but it was the last day for Gettysburg and we were eager to get loaded up and on the road. Al went over to see if he could get the tire fixed…the man said “come on down”, so he started up the General and then picked Marilyn up so she could drop him off at the truck, go pay the bill at the Rock and get her work done at the camper.

First on the list for her was to get the rest of the laundry dried…the washer crapped out on the last two loads and didn’t agitate or spin, so they were dripping wet. There was a gale force wind during the night so the clothes hanging on the line were almost dry, but they got chucked back into the dryer to finish off. Then came the job undoing all the TV/Internet/computer cables and getting everything put into a safe place for the rough ride north…and of course the joys of cleaning the hoses.

Al had gone to settle up with the farmers and to drop some ‘beverage’ off for the elevator guys that were so helpful in getting us finished up…they even came down to dump us on their day off. When Al got back to the camper, we finished getting everything closed up then went to pay the camping bill and drop off the TV/Internet hardware…sniff.

When we woke up, we had the strong south wind blowing hard and it looked like another promising day until the front passed through while we were hooking up and the wind turned out of the NW…just great. As we left town we knew it was going to be a struggle and our fuel economy was going out the…tailpipe.

We stopped in Herried to check the load, and then stopped for fuel and lunch in Wilton…the wind never changed or died down, in fact, it seemed to get worse. We finally pulled into Kenmare around 6pm, parked the General by the Freight and headed for the campground. Once we were backed in Al went to do a bit of servicing on the Freightliner and Marilyn got the camper organized…well, as organized as she needed for one night…didn’t even bother to put all the slides out.

Tomorrow we face the border crossing…oh joy…

August 22, 2010

View of the day-Marilyn's rig in the hospital in Minot getting a new tire for the header trailer.

Al was surprised to see Marilyn AIS at 7:30am...half an hour before schedule! We checked everything over and decided the tire on the header trailer had better be watched, it was holding air but looked a little 'sprung' on the top...like the belts were gone or some such thing.

We made pretty good time with a strong wind pushing us...a nice change, and after a pit stop in Wilton to air the tire up...it was down to 20 lbs pressure...we started back on the highway. Marilyn pulled into Max to air the tire up again and it was then that we decided to see if there was anything open in Minot to get a new tire...and there was.

We got in and the guy got the tire changed right away so we were on the road and made Kenmare by 2:30pm. After getting everything parked and fueling up the Dodge, we were heading back to Gettysburg by 3pm.

Marilyn drove to Bismarck so Al could grab a nap, then after stopping for supper at the Great American Steak Buffet, Al took over for the rest of the trip. We got back to Gettysburg around 9:30pm and started to get organized for tomorrow's final trip out of this burg.

Laundry, tear down and a pile of stuff to get ready...

August 21, 2010

View of the day- Al combining just over from the camper...three rounds before the end.

WOO HOO!! We are finally finished at Gettysburg. Al was up early to dump the truck and grain cart then he started right in combining...at 10am, if you could imagine! He was able to finish the field without having to haul anything to the elevator...it all fit into the General.

Al brought the combine over to where the Freightliner was parked and Marilyn met him there with the shop trailer to start cleaning up the combine and header. After we got the header on the trailer, Marilyn took Al over to the General so he could dump at the elevator then fuel it up. He got the combine trailer moved over to where the wheat pile had been so it was on level ground for loading, then Marilyn gave him a ride back to get the cart moved over by the Freightliner.

Marilyn got the chaff and dust all blown off the combine...of all the days we have had cool weather, we have to have a 95º day to do the cleaning...not nice. Once it was blown off Marilyn drove it over to the camper where the pressure washer was hooked up and waiting to do it's job. After getting it all washed and shined up, it was time to load. We took it over to the combine trailer and had it loaded in pretty good time considering we hadn't done it for five weeks.

After it was all hooked up and the wide load sign was hooked on upside down...that sign really needs a new paint job...we got the rear view camera installed in the combine...one load down. Then Al checked the tires on the trailer and one of the inside duals was flat...not like we didn't have a few weeks to check these things out. This is the second load going so we will be able to get it fixed at the tire shop on Monday.

We went back to the Freightliner and got the tractor and cart loaded and tied down...this went just as easy as the combine load, so we were pretty happy with that. We brought the pickup head on the trailer over to the camper to get washed up, then Al took the shop trailer over to see if he could air the tire up...no luck, the bead was off. That was that then, all loading done.

Al wants AIS at 8am...it's not going to be easy...

August 20, 2010

View of the day-Al makes yet another round on our last field...finally.

It was another wet night with the dew dripping off the trees and the fog so thick you could hardly see the street lights...we knew there wouldn't be an early start.

We went out and did a test around 2pm and the elevator tester said 16.9% moisture...just as bad as yesterday...no wait...worse. The good news was that the clouds were breaking up and the sun was promising to heat things up...too bad it was late in the day.

Al went out around 4pm and did a test and this time it was 12.9%...that sure dropped in a hurry. Al went right back out and started combining and since there wasn't that much left on the field, he lapped it up in no time.

Al moved the combine around the block to the last field then Marilyn picked him up and took him to the tractor and cart so he could move it over to the new field where he continued combining until he had the cart full. Marilyn had picked up some buck burgers from the VFW and took them out to the field.

Al tried to get the combine empty enough to close the hopper topper but there was just too much, so we went over and brought the General from the first field. After we topped it off we were able to get the lid closed on the combine and quit for the day.

Tomorrow we hit the 90's, so we finish for sure...then the cleaning starts...

August 19, 2010

View of the day-All that is left of the 300,000 bushel pile at Gettysburg...didn't take long to clean it up.

We woke up to the sound of rain about 3am and we heard it dripping all night long. Marilyn got up at 7am to take a look at the damage and was confused because the streets were dry, but the paved pads were half wet...very curious. It didn't take long until we realized that the fog was so thick during the night that the drips we heard were from the dew falling off the trees over the camper, so it wasn't as bad as we thought.

We went to the Rock for lunch, then stopped to pick up some fresh sweet corn that the Scouts were selling for a fundraiser...supper was going to be good. We went out to the combine to service it and put the new reverser chain...and of course, Al had to do a test...16% moisture...not gonna happen today.

We went back to the camper and Al got to watch a football game while Marilyn made supper. She decided to use the microwave for the corn and had a dozen cobs in a big bowl cooked to perfection. As she pulled the bowl out of the microwave, the glass turntable plate came out with the bowl and smashed on the floor...but the corn was safe. Her foot was not...it got peppered with some of the shards and got a nice little slash on the top of her foot...nothing that an oversize bandage couldn't cover and stop the bleeding.

She will probably have to keep it elevated on the recliner for a while...

August 18, 2010

View of the day-Poised and ready to start the second last field in Gettysburg, SD.

It wasn't an early day because we knew we wouldn't be able to start right away. We weren't supposed to get any rain but there was a band of clouds that were just to the south of us that were looking like they could dump at any minute...they never did and it cleared off leaving us with a beautiful day for combining.

We got the General moved through the yard to the field...there is a long, tight tree lined lane that the combine won't fit down, so it had to start at the other end of the field. After taking a test in and finding out it was 13.2% moisture, we were ready to roll.

Al started combining and Marilyn went back to the camper and got the pressure washer rigged up to give the tractor a quick swish before taking it out to the field. By the time she got it to the field, Al had the General loaded so she took over the combining.

When Al got back with the General, the farmer gave Marilyn a ride back to the camper and Al combined until the cart and General were full, then brought Big Gen back to the campground to unload at the elevator in the morning. After cleaning up and having supper in the camper, it was relaxing time.

And now we are under 100 acres to go...

August 17, 2010 - Happy Birthday Al!

View of the day-The header is cleaned and ready to head north...on Al's birthday...the big 5-0.

We were up early to get the truck unloaded and the header tied down and washed up for the trip across the border.

We left town around 11am and started for Bismarck...or Minot...or Kenmare...we weren't really sure where we were going to leave the header. We passed a lot of fields that were already combined and as we continued on our way they varied...some really close all the way to looking like they had just been seeded a month ago...very strange...but here were combines testing and cutting here and there all the way to Kenmare.

We got to Kenmare and unhooked the header trailer just as it started to sprinkle, so we turned around and started back to Gettysburg. We stopped for fuel in Bismarck and carried on, getting back to the Burg at 12:30am...to being very tired and with no internet service. Good thing they have a 24 hour help desk.

That's why this is short and sweet...

August 16, 2010

View of the day-The last straight cutting in South Dakota this season...and perhaps the last in the US for the small grains.

We went out and did a sample just after lunch and it was 16.7% moisture...yeesh, not good at all. Even when we got them to take the weeds out it was still 14.8%. We went back to the camper to figure out what to do with the 30 acres of straight combining that was left.

Al went back to the elevator to see if he could sweet talk them into taking it...they said no problem as long as the farmer was okay with paying to have it dried. They wanted to get done as much as we did, so they said go for it...and we did. Al started and got the first load, then Marilyn took over to finish the field...and that was it...done straight cutting. Time to clean up the header.

Marilyn had to get back to the camper to Skype in to her theatre groups meeting so Al got to clean and load the straight header...no catastrophes. He got back to the camper and the meeting was still going on, so after cleaning up he was relegated to the upstairs TV.

The farmer has one more field to swath so we will have tomorrow off...sort of. We have to make an extra trip now that we have the pickup head and can't haul it on the combine like we used to, so we will take the straight header somewhere up the road so we don't have to come back all the way to Gettysburg to get it.

The big move is getting closer...

August 15, 2010

View of the day-We got the swather working like a dream and he's cutting like crazy.

We got right to work on the swather and after a lot of head scratching and picture comparisons, we got everything put back together and it ran like a top. A good start to the day.

We went to the Rock for lunch but this time we got in well behind the church crowd since it took a while to get the swather fixed. After lunch we went back to the camper and killed some time before we decided to take the combine out to the field and give it a try. We had to put the straight header back on and after doing a test discovered that it was still too wet...plus the elevator wasn't open today anyway.

We went back to the camper and worked on the General's headlights...we didn't find the problem because they decided to work. Marilyn figured it was time to finish cleaning out the shop trailer, a job that had been started before the rain held us up...there always seems to be something else to do when it comes to organizing. Once that was done, it was time to call it a day...another tough one but at least the weather was decent. The air conditioner in the camper has been shut off for two days...a pleasant change.

Al has high hopes for tomorrow...

August 14, 2010

View of the day-Quite the pile of corn near where we will be working on the swather...some happy cows around here.

Rain again...off and on most of the day until around 6pm, then the sun came out...big deal.

We took it easy most of the day, Al went out to see the farmers about their swather, but they were in Highmore getting parts...again. The 24 ft swather that was broke down was getting to be more of a headache for them so they decided to pull the 21 ft out of the grass...but it needed a bit of work too.

We got them to pick up a new gasket seal for our air filter on the combine while they were there...we hope that is the problem with the alarm going off. They had most of the parts needed to fix the 24 ft and had to make a couple of trips to get the right belts for the 21 ft...just for backup. Marilyn and Al will be putting the 24 ft back together tomorrow. After comparing the two drives and having a conversation with someone back home who was very familiar with these swathers we are pretty confident we can handle it.

The farmers are 83 and 85 years old, so we figured we better look after getting the swather back together...they are never in a hurry and tomorrow will be a month that we are here in Gettysburg...with 250 acres to go.

At least there is no rain in the forecast...HA...good one...

August 13, 2010

View of the day-We have finally conquered the header trailer issue. With a little bit of tweaking it's a perfect fit.

Once again we missed the nasty weather that went through the area last night...it all went north, except for some really strong winds that hit us when the front moved through, but that didn't last long.

We went out to the field to start moving the equipment back to town. Marilyn got to take the camera on the grain cart for a test run when she unloaded into the General...boy, is that going to be great when we have to load a semi. We got the straight header into transport then put the pickup head back on the combine and Marilyn drove it to town. Al brought the General in to see if they would unload the somewhat wet rye from the last of the field.

By the time Marilyn got back to town, Al was already at the camper...and he hadn't unloaded the rye. Oh, he could have. The young fellow that was working couldn't get a sample with the probe because there was only about 150 bushels in the box, so he told Al to just bring back a sample while he was unloading. Al said he didn't think that was a good idea because it could have been wet, so the kid jumped in the box to get a sample...18.1% moisture...ouch. They tested again and it was 17.6%, the bosses weren't in so Al just brought the truck back to the camper to wait until they were around.

We went back out to the field and Al brought the tractor and cart, while Marilyn brought the straight header in. While Al was still on the road, Marilyn got the header trailer hooked up so we could test out loading the pickup head since we would be doing some straight combining next. It took a few tries, but it went on and the the bar we added did the job perfectly.

It was buck a burger night at the VFW and one of the local farmers had brought in some sweet corn and they were offering all you can eat corn with their salad bar. Marilyn could have done without the burger and just gave the corn a workout.

Al had found out about an upcoming toy auction in Saskatoon this Sunday and had gotten a list of the toys that would be on offer...all 11 pages worth. We printed them out and he spent the rest of the evening going through the list trying to see which ones he needed. He has decided there is no way he is going to drive all that way just for the sale, but he did find out he can make a proxy bid on the items he wants...which is what he will do.

Tomorrow we hope to try to combine some straight wheat, but now it's time to go out and check the Perseid meteor shower...

August 12, 2010

View of the day-Al picks up the swaths on the last field of rye...finally...and the swather sits across the field, broken again.

Al was up early to unload the truck and cart, then went out to the field to do a bit of servicing and see if he could help the farmers get that dang swather working again.

Marilyn spent the better part of the day cleaning the camper and rerouting the computer cables that had been slowly increasing in number with every new piece of electronics that shows up. This required a hole saw to accommodate some of the wiring and two inches is just about at the end of allowing anything else through...unless we just cut another hole. It will look good until it comes time to move...if that ever happens.

Al and the farmers got the swather put back together and they were able to make a couple of rounds then the knife drive piled up again...very frustrating. Even though we had a bit of rain during the night and into the morning, Al decided to do a test. He brought the sample in to the elevator and it was only 12% moisture, so he dropped off the pickup and took the General out to the field and started combining.

He had a truckload by 6pm, so Marilyn went out and roaded the cart over to the rye field, then took over combining while he took the load to town. After the swaths were finished, we decided to use the straight header to clean up the 6 acres that was left unswathed.

The sun had gone behind a bank of clouds and the humidity shot up almost instantly which didn't help the moisture since it was pretty weedy to start with. Marilyn forged through it trying not to look at the monitor...it was all over the place...but the clouds were rolling in and we were in a weather warning, so we through caution to the wind. Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb...

We finally finished and came back to town so Al could get to watch his CFL game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the BC Lions...who got sent back to their litter box with their tails dragging 37-13.

And now we are in a severe weather warning...great...

August 11, 2010

View of the day-Al gets going on the second round of the rye while the swather sits and waits for more new parts.

The sun was shining and the heat was rising...a promising day for combining. We went up and got the tractor and cart from the north field and brought it over to the camper. We needed to rearrange the camera that was mounted on the auger of the cart so we could see into the grain truck box a bit better. Marilyn discovered it doesn't always pay to be so free with the zip ties when you are not sure where the best place to mount is...thank goodness for snippers.

We got the camera in just the right spot and Al took the rig out to the field and started combining. When he had a truck load, Marilyn came out and took over while he came to town to dump. When he came back to the field we decided to bring out the straight header so he went back to town with the pickup and brought it back, then took another load in.

The farmers had made a couple rounds in the rye with the swather then a bearing went in the pulley...back to town for more parts. There was only about an hour's worth of swathing left so we figured we could straight cut what was left and hopefully blend it off if it was too wet. Marilyn made the first round then picked Al up at the entrance on the main road, then he took over combining after dropping her off across from the pickup. After tarping the cart, Marilyn went into town to make supper at the camper and Al showed up once he had the General loaded with rye.

We had sun all day but there were clouds blowing up to the south of us, although we never did hear any weather warnings they sure looked ominous. Once again we have a 30% chance of rain for tomorrow, but we have our fingers crossed that it skirts around us if it shows up at all.

Got close to 100 acres today...

August 10, 2010

View of the day-We can't catch up to the swather man if he is broke down. Al helps get things bolted back in.

It was another day of wishful thinking. First we had more rain during the night...not much, just enough to put everything on hold, yet again. We took the General out to the field which was about 10 miles south of town. We saw the farmers out in the next field working on the swather, so we went over to see if we could lend a hand. We got everything back together but they still needed to get another part from Highmore.

Al drove one of their pickups back to their yard, then Marilyn took him over to where the combine was parked so he could bring it back to the shop trailer at the camper to blow out the rads and filters.

Marilyn finished painting the brackets for the trailer...they had dried off enough after the big rain then Al drove the combine out to the field and did a test. We brought it into the elevator and it tested 15.1% moisture, so that meant there would be no combining done today even though it was plenty hot enough. We checked out the pile of winter wheat that was slowly getting cleaned up...there's a lot of trucks hauling out. It will be interesting to see how long it takes.

We stopped at the VFW for supper, then came back to the camper...done for the day.

The cart moves down tomorrow...

August 9, 2010

View of the day-Al goes in to check on the probed rye sample at the Gettysburg elevator.

High humidity meant a long wait to get started on the rye. We had lunch in the camper and Marilyn worked on the laundry to kill some time until we could do a test.

Al went out and did a test around 2pm and it was 12.9% moisture...good news. Al went out and combined the General and the farmers truck full while Marilyn got the last of the laundry done.

Marilyn went out and took over so he could unload the General and fix the steering on the tractor. One of the nuts had backed off on the steering cylinder so he could only go in a straight line. It was nothing serious and he had it back together by the time Marilyn had a hopper full. We finally finished the field and were happy to be driving across the rough pasture for the last time.

Marilyn drove the combine back to town then Al picked her up with the General and we went back to get the last load of rye...for that field, at least...then Marilyn brought the trailer for the pickup head back to the camper and we took the new brackets off to paint them before the rust could hit them.

That was it for the day...supper in the camper and an eye on the radar...

August 8, 2010

View of the day-The seed truck waits for a load of rye...and waits some more...

We should have realized it was the weekend forecast..no rain? We woke up to grey skies, something that was not supposed to happen at all and it looked like there had been a sprinkle earlier in the morning...just what we didn't need. Al was sure we would be able to try it later on in the afternoon...rather, he hoped we would.

We went to the Rock for Sunday brunch then went out to the field to bring the General in so Al would have a set of wheel to go out and test with. Marilyn had other things on her list for today.

The alarm had come on in the Dodge saying the exhaust filter was 80% full and needed servicing. After checking the manual it said too much low speed driving will plug it and we needed to run at highway speed for 45 minutes. How convenient...Pierre is just about 45 minutes away so Marilyn volunteered to take the Dodge for it's run.

Al never did get out to do a test because it started to sprinkle and Marilyn ran into rain just as she got to Pierre. After an hour in the mall, she came out to the sun, but it still looked dark to the north...there was no rush to get back to Gettysburg.

At least after this shopping trip you could see out the back window of the pickup...

August 7, 2010

View of the day-A test of the rye was all we were able to do in the field today.

Marilyn was up early to get in on all the bargains that were to be had during crazy day in Gettysburg. She didn't come home with very much though...they aren't having the sales like they used to.

Al got the rye hauled in from the cart and combine and noticed that the rain gauge on the combine had .10" of rain in it, so we wouldn't be starting to early on the rye...if at all. To kill some time, Al cleaned out the cab of the General, then we got started on getting the box lights all working. We haven't had to use the grain truck at night, so we never noticed that the box lights had quit working...a ground issue, as usual.

We figured we would give the rye an extra hour or two to dry down, after all it was 90ºF and the humidity was at a reasonable level, with no sign of rain in the forecast. We went up to the field and got everything moved over to the next field, then Marilyn did a test. It didn't seem too bad, but the straw was pretty tough and when we took the sample in it confirmed what we had thought...15% moisture...too wet to go.

We grabbed something for supper then went back to the camper to eat and watch the CFL games on TV. Al took a road trip out to see how the farmer was coming with his swathing...no breakdowns today...then called it a night.

The campground has pretty much emptied out...there is one other harvester left beside us...three others moved out today. The bikers have been using Gettysburg as a pit stop on the way to Sturgis, so there is still lots of action around the campground.

No rain and high temperatures expected for the next few days...great news...

August 6, 2010

View of the day-Now this is service. The truck came out to the field and filled the combine and slip tank on the pickup.

We had a knock at the camper door this morning and a had good visit with a Sue Holland from Holland Harvesting out of Minnesota. This is one of a few US harvesters that had come into Canada to do some harvesting over the years...and not that far from us in Yorkton. We compared horror stories from the past couple of seasons...the good ones, as well and before you knew it the humidity had come down quite a bit and we could think about getting some combining done.

We went to the Rock for lunch, hoping it would be a quick one but the house was full and there was only one waitress...more drying time for the wheat. We finally got out to the field and had just started servicing when the fuel truck showed up to give us a fill, then it was cutting time.

We got the wheat finished then took the straight header off, left it in the field and moved back up to the rye that had been swathed and was ready to pick up...we hoped. We got the header on and did a test...hot damn, 11.3% moisture...what a shocker. The elevator had to set an auger up for us and clean out a bin since we were the only ones in the country with rye, so we just filled the truck and grain cart. The forecast for rain had gone up from 30% POP to 50% so we decided to finish the last of the field and left the last dab in the hopper of the combine. The auto folding hopper was looking like a good decision today.

We got into town around 10:30pm and they waited for us at the VFW for supper...Friday again, already, which meant $1 a burger night. It was a full house when we got in, but it looked like most of the guys were just swilling the beverage, so we got pretty good service...which we always do. We had a good chat with a few folks then called it a night.

Back at the camper we are being treated to a lightning show and it looks like we will be getting a shot of rain. Probably won't hurt us too much because we will have caught up to the swather, so we would be sitting anyway. We will have an early morning as Al has to get the two loads of rye into the elevator and Marilyn has to get up for the big Crazy Day sale that coincides with the county fair in town this weekend.

There are several bargains with Marilyn's name on them just waiting to be picked up...

August 5, 2010

View of the day-Woohoo, we finally got going again!

We had high hopes for the day and for a change those hopes became reality...and Marilyn can get off suicide watch.

We had lunch in the camper before going out to take a test at 1pm. We took it to the elevator in Gettysburg...it tested 15% moisture...they would not take it unless we brought in a test that was 13.5% or less. Al decided to run it 10 miles east to Lebanon to see if the elevator there would take it. It tested the same there, but they told us to cut a load...it was a good drying day, so the load would probably be lower by the time we had the truck filled.

The farmers we are working for leave it up to Al to find someplace to haul the grain, which gives him more stress than just from the fact that the grain isn't dry. No competition in Gettysburg means they won't work with the farmer...or ours, at least...Lebanon would take it 15% or under...Gettysburg 14% or under. Guess where we went?

We were able to finish one short 80 acre piece, then Marilyn moved across the road to make a couple of rounds on the next 80. Once again the humidity started to climb as the sun went down, so we couldn't get our 100 acres in for the day...90 would be close enough. After all, we wouldn't want to overdo it, would we?

If you want to have a "Reader's Digest" version of our season, check out the article Marilyn wrote in the Yorkton This Week newspaper...

August 4, 2010

View of the day-A meshing of brilliant minds has finally solved the tipping header problem.

Al was up early to get set up for the Richie Brothers auction online. He was shaking his head at the prices that some of the equipment was bringing. He didn't have a number, so he wasn't directly involved...except to be relieved that the pickup heads went for more than we paid for ours...which was still too much, in frugal Al's opinion.

The welding shop is just across the street from our camper so when the welder man came over to tell us we could bring the cart trailer over after lunch, we knew he had finished with the header trailer. We went over and got the Freightliner running and Al took it to the shop where they unhooked it with the forklift. Al brought the header trailer back to the camper and we proceeded to put it together with crossed fingers, hoping that all would work as we had figured.

Marilyn had come up with the idea of using a long pipe with two tubes fitting into the brackets that we already had. Al added the idea of having an adjustable holder at the end for the cross pipe and Mr. Bliese, the welderman added an adjustable down tube for the bracket...SUCCESS AT LAST! We got it put together on the trailer and loosened the ratchet straps all the way off...and it didn't tip. We still have a bit of tweaking to do with the brackets at the back, but at least one person can load and unload it without having a catastrophe.

Al picked up the Freightliner and cart trailer after they got the cracks welded, then came back to the camper and fought with the decision on whether to do a test or not..."or not" won out.

We went to the VFW for supper and Marilyn had her trusty bingo dabber with her so she could take the monthly bingo game in. Al left for the camper after supper was over and Marilyn went to play bingo...along with 11 other regulars, and managed to win the first two games. This didn't make her to popular with the crowd...newcomers luck, they said...then the lady next to her won about 10 times. Which made her unpopular with Marilyn.

Back at the camper, Al made a few phone calls to see if any of the other elevators in the vicinity would take wet wheat, so we could get going sometime this month. He had a bit of luck and since we actually had a rain free day, it might not be too wet to go tomorrow.

Twenty-five acres a week is just not cutting it...

August 3, 2010

View of the day-The sunflowers are starting to bloom...well this field was anyway. The others in the area look like they are a ways off but the birds seem to like them a lot.

Another slacker day with rain in the forecast. Al went up to see if the rye swaths might go and discovered there had been more rain up at the field so there was no way it was going to go today.

We took the header trailer into the welding shop to get a couple of new brackets made. We are pretty sure we have the final solution to make the trailer work with the pick up head...and he got us in right away.

The rest of the day was spent watching the weather channel and the sky as the dark clouds started working their way in from the west. We finally got a shower around 6pm but thankfully we just caught the edge of it...but it doesn't look like the southern part of the state fared as well.

Tomorrow Marilyn will be making the big bucks...bingo at the VFW...

Kathy Croswell Tribute

August 2, 2010

View of the day-We did a test then closed up the hopper because the skies did not look too friendly.

It was another wickedly humid day and the flies were biting...not a good sign. We went out to the field to see if we could have another catastrophe loading the header on the trailer.

We had come up with yet another plan to offset the balance issue that made the header want to tip off the trailer...not quite perfect just yet. We did get it loaded on and strapped down, then moved over to get the straight header into transport to move down to the highway field just out of town. The farmer had gotten one of the rye fields swathed and was getting ready to swath the next one when we left the field, so hopefully it will only be a few days before we can get started on that.

We moved down to the spring wheat field and got the header back on, then did a test. The elevator told us it was 16.2% moisture...not so good. We went back to the field and closed up the hopper, then went back to the camper for the rest of the day after grabbing a quick snack.

We had only been in the camper for 10 minutes when it started to rain...and then the wind came up as you can tell from the wind sock in the picture. It came down hard for about 10 minutes, then cleared right off and the sun came out...but it never cooled off and the humidity was up there again.

Back at the camper Marilyn worked on a video tribute to Kathy and Al did a bit of shopping on the internet and watched some TV.

And the rest of the day was more of the same...

August 1, 2010

View of the day-The combine sits and waits with the new pickup head on...it will be a few days before it sees action again.

Al was out the door early to go visit with the farmer to see if swathing was in his future. The weeds are really starting to take over in a couple of fields and with the elevators insisting on dry wheat, it won't happen with the weeds. There will be some swathing done...providing the rains miss us...so we will have some time to get the to-do list whittled down.

When we were on our way back from Yorkton, we learned of the passing of Al's godmother, Delores Kuntz, after a two year battle with cancer. She was a great baker and always made sure we had a plate full of dainties to take home whenever we would visit. This morning we learned that we had also lost a dear friend Kathy Croswell, who was only 37 years old, to cancer as well...a real shock since she had just found out a couple of months ago. She was a big part of the theatre group in Grayson and we had performed in many productions together. She leaves her husband Kelvin and three children


Marilyn has a couple of computers full of pictures and videos, so she spent the day sorting through them to put together a tribute to Kathy. Apparently there needs to be some sort of way to catalogue these things, because backing them up on DVD's or CD's is great if you can find the exact file without having to go through every folder, just in case they were misfiled. And you know there would have to be two perfect pictures Marilyn knew she had, but never did find. Lots of time today to trip down memory lane and think about our immortality.


Wish we could have been harvesting...