June 28, 2011

View of the day-Al gets probed at the elevator and we have fingers crossed that the moisture isn’t too high.

We went out to the field at the usual time and after servicing and fuelling the combine, Marilyn prepared to finish the last 5 acres on the field…the last five ‘green’ acres. We hoped there was enough dry wheat on the truck to get it low enough to unload at the elevator.

Marilyn notice the front end was making a lot of noise when she turned on the feeder house and after giving it a quick inspection, discovered that the reverser chain that Al had just finished tightening was pretty much stretched. Al gave Kevin a call and got him to pick up some new chain on his way back from checking the moisture at the next field.

After lapping up the last of the field, Marilyn took a ride into the elevator with Al and we were releaved to find that the moisture was 15.1%...not good, but a far cry from some of the other stuff that was showing on the monitor. We got the truck dumped then went back to the field to do some more servicing.

Al blew the rads and filters out, while Marilyn gave the windows on the combine and General a good cleaning and a coat of RainEx…a miracle product that makes dusting them off a dream. Once Kevin got back with the chain, Al went over to the yard to measure and break the chain to the right length and to cut some new threads in the blower wand that he broke when he threw it off the combine.

Once everything was in tip-top shape and we were given the next couple of days off, due to the fact that the moisture on the next field was 17%, we headed back to town. Marilyn went shopping at the truck parts store for some new clearance lights for the General…Al is loving the brightness of the LED lights and they are sorely in need of replacement. The gentleman there was quite helpful and she left with a few new warning flags and a couple of new oversize signs…great prices. The lights got ordered and they should be in Wednesday.

We had been invited out for supper by Taff & Wendy Hughes, the other harvester that is cutting for the same farmer. We had a great visit with their family and crew and got a tour of the ‘estate’. What a gorgeous evening for a BBQ, the bugs stayed away, the temperature was perfect and the steaks…well, just the best! The yard had been landscaped by a professional photographer and with the waterfall, pathways and cozy spots nestled in the little valleys of the tree canopied hideaway…it was just so relaxing and beautiful. No pictures...they would not have done it justice.

Marilyn said if she had something like this at home, she would quit harvesting…