May 31, 2011

View of the day-Yes, it’s official, the first sample of the season as Al finished the last pass.

Finally no wind!

Al was up early to get the header trailer trimmed up, he took it in to Burlington and was back home with the completed project in a couple of hours. They did an excellent job and even added some new clearance lights, so now we are ready for action.
ProHarvest was on the move to Fairview so we were able to get hold of them to make sure we had the latest updates for the monitor in the combine. They sent out Clayton with a laptop to get us up and running, so while he was working in the combine, we went to work getting the light hook-ups ported out of the back of the combine and cart trailer. Fortunately we had cables run when we fixed the trailers last year, so all we had to do was add the plug end so they would work with the shop/pickup head trailer...always a treat.

With Al helping out at the signal switches, we were able to get both ends working…the right way, the first time, for a change. Once we got finished and Clayton had taken care of the software update, it was time to take a test…just to see where we were at. Al took the header out and Marilyn followed with the combine and we got everything hooked up and ready for action. After cutting out a patch, it appeared as if we might be just a bit early with the testing…although you can never trust the first readings of the season.

We took the test into town and the elevator’s tester read 17.4% moisture…that settled any thoughts of doing anything more. There were a few trucks rolling by the camper…which always makes Al happy…and more crews were moving into town, so it must be getting close.

Back at the camper, Marilyn decided it was time to tackle the cables and try to set up the computer desk. We only brought laptops this year, so it should have been a piece of cake, but…printer, router, speakers, external hard drives, USB hubs…you know…stuff. But, everything is in its place and it doesn’t have to move again until the end of the season.

And that takes care of another very productive day…

May 30, 2011

View of the day- Our new pets, two birds that have become infatuated with their reflections in the tinted windows on the camper. They spent the afternoon pecking at their reflections and Marilyn even tapped on the window right at their beaks and they just continued on. They moved to the back window once the sun moved north…cute at first, but irritating after a while.

Another day of strong south winds although the heat was not as severe…at least the wind kept the insects away. Today’s main project was getting the trailer for the pickup header rearranged so we could cut it down short enough to pull it behind the combine trailer. We used to haul the pickup head on the combine, but this newer one is 3 feet wider, which makes it too wide to haul down the highway, so we must improvise.

We had the header on and off the trailer, tweaking the brackets so they would be as close to the front of the trailer without hindering the turning radius. We finally got everything where it would work perfectly, then we had to cut the 2x2inch support tubes to length. Marilyn had purchased a portable band saw a couple years ago and it had made the trip in the shop trailer without being used, which meant it should have stayed at home. Marilyn insisted on bringing it again and since Al had gotten the generator working again, we used the saw to cut off the tubes and it worked like a dream, which earned it a permanent spot in the shop.

We took the trailer and header back to the camper and just as we pulled up, the man who is going to cut off the rest of the main frame stopped by. After setting up a morning appointment to get the job done, we called it a night.

Three more items on the to-do list and Al is itching to do some sampling…

May 29, 2011

View of the day-Big smoke west of Cherokee made worse by the strong south wind that blew hard all day.

We had another day of getting the to-do list whittled down, this time in the blast furnace heat and wind. It sure must not have been any fun for anyone moving their rigs south today.

While we were working on the combine we heard the sirens going off and then saw the huge clouds of smoke filling the sky. From where we were, we thought there was a possibility that it could get over to the farm yard where the tractor, cart and header were parked, so we made a dash out there to bring them into town where we could work on them.

Marilyn got the cameras mounted on the tractor, cart and combine while Al got the oil changed on the combine and greased everything. We got the header on and ran everything to make sure it was working as it should…no sense in waiting until we are in the field.

The fire had been put out…no word on what it was, have to wait for the Monday gossip to get the rest of the story…so Al took the header trailer back out to the farm. Once we had exhausted ourselves and the water jug in the heat, we called it a day…gotta save something for tomorrow.

We took a drive past the canola field to see how the swaths were holding up…not bad considering the wind gusts hitting 50mph. The wind and the 95º F heat will be bringing the wheat around in a hurry and with the crews starting to roll into town we should be cranking up before very long.

We’re ready…

May 28, 2011

View of the day-Al fills the combine up across from the camper at the Cherokee Coop.

We woke up to overcast skies and an east wind…you know what that usually brings. We had our to-do list in hand and went to work crossing things off as we completed them…some things went faster than others. Our landlord, Mike was over for a visit and lent a hand with a few of the items and Al even got him to do a bit of welding on the Freightliner.
Marilyn had a marathon shopping trip at Alva, getting home at 2:30am…she pretty much had the store to herself…until it came time to check-out, then there was a lineup. At some point in the shopping trip, the Tracfone started working, so now we have a cell phone…that nobody has a number for….but at least we can call out.

We took Mike out for supper to Pizza Hut…the first visit there for the summer, then we took a tour south of town to see how the swathing was progressing. The swather was going like 90, but of course he could when he was only cutting 21 feet…that will cut back on the productivity. We were curious to see how it would get swathed with the terraces in the field, since we usually cut along the terraces, then cut out in between them. By the looks of things, we will be going over the terraces…a whole new experience.

We didn’t get any bad weather today, but it has gotten hazy and humid…not telling what will happen…

May 27, 2011

View of the day-We have taken over the front yard of the campground, plenty of fixing to do before we get fired up.

It was cloudy and humid for most of the days…and the flies were biting, a sure sign of things to come. We went down to Miss Dotties for eggs, then brought the Freightliner back to the yard so Al could get the leaky air hose removed to try and find a replacement. Marilyn got the bucket out and started to give the camper a wash from the all the mud that had coated it at Yorkton and Carlyle. Since she had the bucket out, Al brought the pickup over and we gave it a swish, too.

The next thing on the agenda for Marilyn was to see if there was a way to get cell service…”call back in 24 to 48 hours, please”. We went to the local cell provider and they couldn’t help us either, but after taking a chance and calling on the Tracfone to a local number, there was success. Well, one phone works, at least.

Al went out to get the brakes set up on the General and Marilyn had the task of getting the satellite dish aimed and hooked into the camper. We had some issues back at home when we tried to run the cables through the provided hook-ups and we just ran it through the window so Al could test out the TV watching hockey. The bedroom and the downstairs both have two satellite inputs, but only one of them works on each bank…and we discovered through teamwork that they had been labelled wrong. Once we had signal to both receivers…BAM…Al was watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Marilyn, on the other hand, will be going to Alva to finally get some shopping done…

May 26, 2011

View of the day-Waiting again, this time on the road to Great Bend, KS.

It was a better night sleep in Gettysburg this time...no horse trailer outside the window, so we were able to get a good start on the day's marathon drive.

Things hadn't changed too much from the last trip through two days ago. On the way down we had met three harvest crews moving south, the first one at St. John, KS and unfortunately the front window on the combine that was on the trailer was missing...smashed...not a good start to their season. Today we did meet a couple of guys making the back haul...been there, done that and got back to Cherokee at 11pm.

Marilyn had been able to make a "todo" list according to Al's directions and it has gotten pretty long, so there will be no rest for the next couple of days.

At least we don't have to drive...

May 26, 2011

View of the day-Sunrise over Minot and fog in the valley...no surprise with all the water there.

We finished our nap at the rest stop, but because we didn't want to have the truck running to keep warm, it was a short one. We drove to Minot and decided we might as well have an early breakfast...like 3:30am early, so we stopped at Denny's to kill some time.

After we had our eggs, we continued on to Kenmare, where we had to wait for the John Deere dealer to open so we could pick up a toy that Al had ordered. This time the sun was up, so we found a parking spot and grabbed a couple hour snooze...much nicer in the warm sun. Once they were open, we picked up the tractor and headed for the border.

Once we got there, we got in line with the other trucks that were waiting to go through and when we had our turn we pretty much got waved through. We figured we might as well drive up to Carlyle and get the header, rather than having someone meet us as the border...calling at 4am just didn't seem right.

We got the trailer hooked up, aired the tires up, stopped at Precision Ag to get a coffee for the road and then started back to Cherokee. What a change in temperature, we didn't see 65º all day and of course there was the wind, but this time it was on our side.

Marilyn was able to get online once she got back into Canada and was checking out her Facebook when she saw a post from the US Custom Harvesters that one of their member's family had been in one of the tornadoes at Oklahoma City...a tragic story...their 3 year old son is still missing. Here is a link to the story. We are praying for the family and all others affected by the violent weather that has been occurring this week.

We got through the border without issue and carried on our way. Al said we would decide where we were going to stop and make sure we had a room...a bonus would be if we could stop in time for the hockey game. We figured Gettysburg was as good a place as any and we knew the hotel there was a decent one, so Marilyn called ahead...one room left and it was the suite. That got booked instantly.

There were a lot of tractors in the fields on the way down...none of them stuck, at least not where we could see them. Still lots of water everywhere and the Missouri is still rising...not good with more rain in the forecast.

We had to take the rough detour again but made Gettysburg just as the national anthem was being sung, so we ordered a pizza and had supper in the room.

So 591 miles from our early morning nap, which leaves 650 for tomorrow...good night...

May 23, 2011

View of the day-Something was brewing in the skies today…but all of it missed us.

Up early and ready to go after breakfast at McDonalds, and fuel for the trucks. The trip down was uneventful…lots of traffic, but at least the roads were smooth. The weather was really unsettled and you could just feel that something was brewing.

We made Cherokee around 1:30pm and after leaving the big rig parked on the street, we went to get the camper parked and flanged in. After some rearranging, we were able to park close enough to the 50amp hook-up…we have to be able to utilize both A/C and the washer/dryer…then we finished setting up before going back to get the combine rig unloaded.

Cherokee has had a HUGE influx of seismic activities and there are trailer houses being set up all over town…it would be a surprise if there was any spots open in the town park for harvesters once they show up. Where we usually park the equipment was no different, so we had a lot of bobbing and weaving to get back to where we had left a spot next to the cart trailer.

We got backed in, unhooked and unloaded, except for the shop trailer in the back of the General. We had been having issues with the straps breaking that we used to secure the shop trailer, so it had shifted around quite a bit on the rough roads that we had travelled over on the way down. Once we were able to squeak back into the unloading ramp, we did some manual shifting to get it back to centre, then pulled it out and upon inspection, discovered that not one of the wrenches had dropped off the hooks on the wall!

While unloading, we kept a close watch on the skies as the clouds had been building at an alarming rate, and there had been tornado watches all day. At one point while we were unloading, the wind picked up and the dust was flying, probably as the front went through. Marilyn made a mad dash back to the camper to pull the awning in…no damage…and by the time she got back to the lot, the temperature had dropped and the wind had disappeared.

And now to the phone issues. For some reason, as soon as we passed the Kansas/Oklahoma border, all we got was a recording telling us we could make a collect call or buy a pin card…WTF?? We called our home provider…no help, Marilyn went a bought a local Tracfone…same crap. We had used Tracfone on several occasions without incident and Marilyn was sure it would work, and it was only 9.99 for the phone, so it wouldn’t have been a loss…well, actually, it was in this area, at least. Marilyn looked into this so-called PIN card…$.25/minute, but ONLY OUTGOING CALLS! What a racket. So we go without phones for now…really…in this age of technology.

We missed all the weather, it hit further south and southeast…more reports as they come in. We had put an ad in the local paper and had gotten a call about doing some canola pick-up work, so we went out with the farmer to check his crop out and see whether we should bite the bullet and go home for the pick-up head. For all the drought in the area, the canola looked real good…even stand, long pods…Al’s unsubstantiated estimate is around 25bu/ac. There are about 300 acres and it is more than a few days off, but the interesting thing is that the first field he took us to was one that Al had combined in 1989…and he remembers it well…not fondly, but well. The interesting thing will be to see how it is swathed with all the terraces running through it…could be chaos…

We went out to the Smoke Shack for supper with John and Peggy, our main farmers, then called it a night. Back at the camper Marilyn tried out the washer and dryer, which received two thumbs up…even though it takes longer that the house models, it did a great job of cleaning the work clothes.

So the plan was to get up early and start the 1050 mile trek back to the Canadian border, where we hope Marilyn’s sister, Marg, will meet us with the pick-up head so we don’t have to go all the way back to Carlyle. We didn’t get as early a start as we had hoped, and we didn’t get to have eggs at the sale barn café, but we had miles to make, so off we went.

It was another unsettling day with warnings all around…with no phone or internet service, we were quite out of the loop as to what had happened in the central part of the state. We do get several local over-the-air stations…in digital, no less…fabulous picture, can’t wait for Canada to switch over. They had some coverage, at least regarding the warnings, but no totals or reports on damage.

We started north and listened to the weather reports, stopping to check the radar at the truck stops along the way and it seemed we had just gotten out of the way in time. There were warnings for Cherokee, then the next batch hit central Kansas with tornadoes on the ground right where we had passed through several hours earlier, then it was working up through northern Kansas and into Nebraska. As we got into South Dakota, we hit some rain, but not of the nasty kind and by the time we got to North Dakota, the skies were clear…that’s right…NORTH Dakota.

We had thought about finding a room in South Dakota, and when that didn’t pan out, we thought we would just get to Bismarck, ND and stay there which would make the next day a short run…except that there were no rooms in Bismarck. And by the way, is there any reason why hotels now refuse to put no vacancy signs up? We checked a few other towns along the way…same deal…so finally we decided to find a rest stop and snooze in the truck.

After 810 miles of driving today, it’s about time…

May 22, 2011

View of the day-Waiting in the wet fog at Highmore, SD.

Well, we are well on the road after an exhausting week of work, repairs and preparation for the trip south.

Marilyn had a marathon weekend at Staples, getting ready for the annual inventory…there is a LOT of stuff in that store and it all had to be counted…and recounted. Even though the shifts were 7am to noon, there were no ‘early to bed’ nights because there was as much to do at home getting the camper loaded. As usual, Marilyn gets into the ‘purge’ mode before leaving for the summer, donating or chucking the unessesary things that have been collected…or that don’t fit…several bags and boxes of stuff hit the road, which should have made loading the camper a simpler job…uh huh, riiight.

Al on the other hand was busy getting the General in running order…or rather stopping order…by getting new brakes put on. He had the help of Danny, his friend who lets us park our trailers for the winter out at his farm. Once the General was in tip top shape, we got everything out to the Yorkton Auction Centre lot and started loading.

The combine loading didn’t go as well as the tractor and cart, it did take a couple of tries to get the combine lined up and a few more to get the shop trailer lined up on the narrow ramp to load in the back of the General. All in all, we had everything loaded and tied down in a matter of a couple hours…then it was back to the camper for Marilyn, while Al took care of the banking, insurance and mail forwarding.

Marilyn hosted the windup for the theatre group and because it was to be a BBQ, we had to go out and purchase one. We had an old wreck of a thing that used to make the trip south for several years, but it had been sitting outside for so long that when Marilyn took the pressure washer to it, well…it sort of disintegrated…so a new one was in order. We made good use of it before we left and Al even hosted his own ‘end of season’ BBQ for his peeps from H&R Block.

The day finally arrived for us to leave for the season…Al wanted AIS by noon on Friday, May 20 which was the start of the Victoria Day weekend and we had to be off the highway with the wide load by 3pm. Marilyn still had a pile of stuff to get into the camper, so Al left as scheduled while she finished packing. We had hooked the camper up and had it lined up to leave, so the trek back and forth from the house to the camper was quite the workout.

Al made Carlyle with time to spare and Marilyn was able to finally get rolling around 5pm. We both ran into rain on the way down…not to mention the horrifical state of the #9 highway, which made the trip an hour longer than usual. Al had wiper issues and had to stop to try to get them working and was able to get them rigged up once he got out to the farm. Meanwhile, Marilyn was still trying to figure out where to put things in the camper…lots of storage, but optimizing things was the big task and 8 empty boxes later, there was a dent put in the pile.

We left for the border on Saturday morning and it was raining pretty hard, so it was fortunate that we had the regular guys on both sides of the border…especially on the US side, because he recognized everything we had and wasn’t about to go out into the rain. We had a north wind pushing us for most of the way and by the time we had gotten south of the interstate, we only had to deal with the occasional cloudburst…until we hit South Dakota.

We had just driven about 20 miles into the state when we encountered a detour with no clue where it was going to take us, although it was nice that it was going to help us avoid another terribly rough stretch of road. We hit some really heavy rains as it took us east to Eureka, then south to Bowdle, Hoven and Lebanon, SD. Because we came out 13 miles east of Gettysburg, at Lebanon, we figured we had enough daylight to make it to Highmore where we could spend the night…we didn’t need to stop in Gettysburg this pass and it would take 65 miles off the Sunday stretch.

We got to Highmore where they informed us that it had rained an inch the day before and you could certainly tell that by the water that was laying all around the parking lot. We managed to find a town park to set up camp…power, but we had to fill the fresh water holding tank so we could have our showers. We got the water heater working and Al was able to take the maiden voyage in the shower, but when it was Marilyn’s turn, the water pump and tank sensors wouldn’t work, so she was out of luck…and too tired to give a hoot.

After a great night’s sleep, we woke to see…or not see…that there was a thick fog outside, which meant that we wouldn’t be making an early start. We packed up the camper and after checking things over, Marilyn discovered that a fuse had blown in the water sensor which affected the water pump…an easy fix.

We grabbed a quick breakfast sandwich, then started off into the fog…which had pretty much disappeared about 30 miles south of Highmore. We still had the wind pushing us and we made pretty good time and only had to stop a couple of times to stretch and fuel up. We made Hays, Kansas and started around the bypass, when Al called on the radio to inform Marilyn that she had lost a mudflap off the Dodge. He carried on to Rush Center while she drove back through town to pick it up…and it was still there when she got to it, and with no traffic to tie up, it was in the box of the truck before you knew it.

Once Marilyn caught up to Al, it was on to Great Bend and into the campground after parking the General close to the fuel station. While waiting for Al to shut down the General, Marilyn replaced the fuse and rushed into the bathroom for a much needed pit stop. Unfortunately,once the pump was turned back on, it was apparent that the kitchen tap had not been shut off when testing the pump from the blown fuse and with the sink cover in place and the slides still in, the water had no place to go but over the counter and onto the floor under the table…lovely.

We got to the campground and after getting parked and getting the slides out, Marilyn started mopping up the mess…of all times for there to be good pressure from the pump…grr. Al was happy that we finally got to test out both A/C units and they really push the cold air through, which made him REALLY happy. Marilyn finally got a shower with no leaks and after a quick run to Arby’s for supper, that was the end of the day.

So we are already 1000 miles from home with about 150 to go to our destination…but…we may have found some pick-up work on canola, which would mean going back to Carlyle to get our pickup head.

Oh, joy…

May 10, 2011

View of the day-The wind was good for something...the Hyde County turbines were clipping right along.

We didn't get as early a start as yesterday, but we managed to get in a lot more miles covered. Al pulled the first shift, driving against the NE wind for the first half of his 400 miles, then the wind switched back out of the SW which really helped the cause. Of course, when you aren't pulling an oversize load, it doesn't make much difference...although the three crews we met moving south probably felt our pain from yesterday.

Marilyn took over driving in the middle of Nebraska, then we stopped for lunch in Bassett, NE before carrying on the last 250 miles to Bismarck, ND where we decided to stay for the night. Tomorrow will be a relatively short day with only 350 miles to go.

Shut up and drive...

May 9, 2011

View of the day-The Freightliner is tucked away in the shade of the hay barn until our return in a couple of weeks.

We were up bright and early again, hoping to make good time and beat the heat of the day...another 100 degree was not something we were looking forward to. We had to pick up oil and antifreeze for the Freight since it had been working extra hard in the high heat against the strong south wind, but since we had parked in the truck repair lot, we didn't have far to go...and it's like stopping to use the washroom at a gas station...we always like to spend some cash for the use of the facility.

Once the fluids had been topped off we were on the road heading for Cherokee, OK...the final destination this year. The crops were looking good for the most part, but as we got further south they looked somewhat stressed...although the winter canola was looking pretty good.

As we continued our drive, the temperature wasted no time getting up to 99 and the wind was blasting every bit as hard as it had been the last couple of days...which we didn't mind so much when it came time to unload tractor and cart. when we got to Cherokee, we took the header out to the farmers yard, then went back into town to get the tractor unloaded and moved out to the farm yard along with the Freight...it was way to early in the season to be battling the heat, especially after coming directly from the frigid temps from back home in Saskatchewan.

We had everything put away and after stopping at the elevator for a visit and to put some posters up, we started heading back north...the GPS showed 1192 miles to go to get back to our yard...hopefully the wind will be at our back this time.

We stopped in Great Bend for a quick snack, then made it back as far as Hays for the night.

We might even get to sleep in a bit...

Happy Mothers Day! - May 8, 2011

View of the day-Al can't wait to start driving the cart...while we took a pit stop in Sterling, ND. Actually he was in the 'phone booth' where it was quiet to talk on the cell.

No report yesterday due to technical difficulties. Marilyn's main laptop is getting repaired, so we had to take Al's WindowsXP laptop and it refused to recognize the camera card, so...no pictures, no blog.

We made Gettysburg, SD yesterday and after getting parked, fueled and checked in, we were ready to call it a day. Al talked to our main farmers here...two 85-ish year old brothers and we had always known that it would happen sooner or later...they rented out their land and were finally retiring. Renting for $90/ac...not a bad way to go...they still have cattle to keep busy with, but it looks like we will be restructuring come July.

We left Gettysburg this morning just before 8am and it didn't take long before we were fighting a strong SE wind...all the way to Kansas. Al never did get in the tall one and we were lucky to average 40mph for the day...but we still managed to get 480 miles covered and made it to Hays, KS. And talk about mild temperatures...the truck temp gauge showed 101 degrees!

We got into Hays after parking the Freightliner at the truck repair place north of town and while Al got cleaned up, Marilyn got fuel and supper after running into Walmart to get a memory card reader for Al's laptop. Back at the motel Al was listening to his hockey game while Marilyn found the laundry room and got that job taken care of, before finally getting online to find out what has been going on in the world.

It is nice to finally see leaves on the trees and fields looking lush and green...so far, at least...a FAR cry from the big snow we had at home last week.

Tomorrow we head for Oklahoma...same wind...same heat...

May 6, 2011

View of the day-Al checks over the rig after arriving at the first stop of the journey. Carlyle, SK at the Precision Ag parking lot.

Marilyn was up early to put in one more day of work at Staples...well, a half day from 7am -noon. Al was getting organized at home and by 2pm we had the Dodge loaded up and were on our way to get the Freightliner from the auction barn.

We had a slow trip to Carlyle, even though it is only 110 miles, it took forever it seemed, because the roads were chewed up so bad and the "patches" were a joke...except that they weren't the funny kind. Top speed most of the way was 45 mph and that slowed down when we hit the rain south of the Trans Canada highway.

We made Carlyle and after Marilyn and her sister, Marg, did their annual job of fixing the wiring on the cart trailer...this time it was an easy fix, since the cord had just been dragging and rubbed through the coating. It was far easier than last year when we had to do major wire chasing to find the bad connections.

Al and Kim worked on getting the draper header out of the barn where it had been stored over the winter. After getting the sprayer moved out of the way, Kim used his four-wheeler to pull the header out as far as he could before spinning out...the bottom brace of the header trailer got high-centered on the cement drain way in the barn and it just didn't have enough oomph to get it out. Once Kim got the tractor hooked up to it, out it came without a problem and after getting it hooked up to the Dodge and checking the lights, we had a rig ready to roll.

So tomorrow we see what the border has in store...

May 4, 2011

View of the day-The road to our house will not see much traffic in the next little while...except for the minnows trying to get across without being picked off by the birds.

Well, it's official. We got our final approval for our work visas and now the rush is on to get things organized for trip number 1.

After getting the oil changed on the Freightliner, Al went out to get the tractor and grain cart trailer from it's winter parking spot. Fortunately, his friend Danny had pulled it out onto the road with a tractor so Al could hook it up without getting stuck. He could not believe the water that is lying around that area southeast of Yorkton and with no camera, we all just have to imagine how bad it is.

Marilyn had to work at 7am, but got off at noon to help Al get the grain cart hooked up and moved to the big lot at the Yorkton Auction Centre. We were lucky enough to be able to use the lot to get things loaded, because we certainly have no room...at least any solid ground...to load near our house like we usually do. Over at the lot, Al had to take a tire of the cart trailer so he could get a new one tomorrow and Marilyn got the Freight and tractor cab all cleaned out and polished. Then it started to rain, so we called it a day.

Tomorrow, we load...the first one of the season is always a treat...