July 30, 2011

View of the day-Well, that burst we saw over the field last night left a deposit.

Another day of working on the computer and waiting around...two inches of rain will do that.

We had a visit from Sue Holland from Holland Harvesting, they had just moved into town and were waiting on green wheat. Sue was the one who put Marilyn on the trail of the new camper last year, so she came over to compare notes and just catch up on the summer's doin's.

In the evening, we took a drive out to the combine, just so we could remember what it looked like...it's seems like forever since we combined. Surprisingly, there was a combine cutting right across the road from the field we will be on next...that's 'cutting'...not making dust. He could have just been cutting one of those 'samples'.

Back at the camper, it was CFL football time again, this time it was the home team Riders that were playing. And thanks to that game, Marilyn didn't get to go to the combine demo derby.

She's still looking...

July 29, 2011

View of the day- The action at the elevator these days is trucks hauling out, thanks to the rain that shows up every night.

We had high hopes for the day...as we do every day...the sun was shining and the wind was blowing, so we waited for the call. It never came.

Marilyn got started on the books and Al got mentally prepared for the two CFL football games he had to watch later on in the day, so it was another super-do-nothing day inside the camper.

And of course, the rain came again in the evening...not so much here in town, but it looked like the field got another healthy shot.

Maybe tomorrow...

July 28, 2011

View of the day-It looked so promising this morning...until...

Al was up to say farewell to Jeff as he rode off into the sunrise just before 6am...then it was back to sleep until the usual time. The farmer called to let us know he was going to try a test after lunch and he would let us know whether to come out or not. We went out for lunch, then waited for the call.
Marilyn was watching the radar online and there was a rogue little storm that had popped up just north of Gettysburg...right over the field we were to be starting on. The farmer called to let us know he had been working on his tractor when he got caught in a deluge, so we had another day off.

It wasn't long after that the storm swung south and we got hit in town. It didn't last long, but it dumped a good shot of rain, then moved on east.

Marilyn spent most of the day looking for some elusive backup files that were somewhere...can't start the books without them. Al waited patiently for the CFL football game to start, then spent the evening flipping channels...not much else to do.

Tomorrow we fix...for sure...

July 27, 2011

View of the day-Al and his brother, Jeff on his last day visiting with us.

Today we stayed around Gettysburg...there was no combining to do but we figured we might do some fixing later on in the day.

We went to the Rock for lunch, then back at the camper, Jeff washed the bugs off his bike and Marilyn swapped out the water pump in the camper with the new one that Heartland RV had sent out. And Al grabbed a Diet Mountain Dew and a lawn chair to watch both of us working.

We both had success in our endeavors...the new pump worked like a charm and looking at the bike required sunglasses, it was so shiny. After taking a short break, the guys went out to the combine to put the new solenoid on the starter and Marilyn worked on getting software installed in the laptop that she had gotten fixed. Al has been dying to get started on the books, so it was time to get everything reloaded so we could catch up.

We went down to the old VFW...now called Lucy's...for supper then went back to the camper to relax for the rest of the evening. Jeff wanted an early night in since he will be leaving at 6am so he can be home by 3pm...good thing that bike flies.

And the rain is falling again...

July 26, 2011

View of the day-Trouble brewing to the east of us.

It seemed like a short night with all the weather that had passed through. We didn't blow away, but there was probably just under an inch of rain that fell and we even had another sprinkle this morning. It did help to cool things off nicely...at least in Gettysburg.

We were up early to a knock at the door...Jeff had shown up early, the Lloyd Everett, a fellow harvester came over for a visit. We got lots of catching up done with both of them, then we took a short tour around town before going over to the Medicine Rock for lunch.

We had a road trip to Pierre on the day's agenda, so after lunch we were on our way...with one eye to the sky...there were bad things in the forecast. Clouds were building and the weather warnings were all over the radio...somebody was going to get it and by the look of the radar, it was going to be close to where we were.

We took a tour through the campground in Onida...it was full of harvest crews and all of them seemed to have "make work" projects on the go. Several semis, service trucks and even campers were getting the rainy day wash and polish.

On the way into Pierre, we stopped in at the CaseIH dealership and both the ProHarvest and the MacDon trailers were there. Jeff got his ProHarvest hat, Al got several questions answered by both companies and ended up buying a solenoid for the starter on the combine...it was getting temperamental and wouldn't always work as it should. This was a common problem...or so the story goes. The MacDon guys have promised to come out to the combine again to set the pressure on the knife drive...they agree that it should be reversing better.

We got to Pierre, then decided to take a tour over to the dam, to see the flow over there...it was unbelievable! We were able to get right down to the railing along the torrents...and to think it has been flowing like this for well over a month.

After the dam tour, we went into town and stopped at the Harley-Davidson dealership so Jeff could pick up some oil for his bike...and Al could browse for his "after harvesting career" ride. They had some nice bikes that were reasonably priced...Marilyn might have even gotten on the back of one for a ride...just a ride. Her idea of biking is driving the Dodge with the camper behind Al on the bike, or maybe taking a day trip on it...no tents or hotels with the Grand Canyon in the fleet. Once we got the oil, we were on our way to...WalMart, where else?

While Marilyn was getting her exercise, Al sat in Subway reading his Tractorhouse magazine and Jeff did some shopping. After the big shopping trip was over, we started back for Gettysburg...well, actually, Bob's Resort along the Missouri west of Gettysburg.

We had decided that we would take the scenic route along the Lewis and Clark trail that followed the Missouri up to Bob's Resort and it was a good thing that we did, because all the way up there, we could see to the east that someone was getting some nasty weather. Or was it just because the sun was shining against the high, dark clouds? Either way, there were tornado watches and thunder storm warnings. We passed over some highways that were wet from the rain that had passed over, but we never even had to put the wipers on.

We got to Bob's and ordered steaks...their specialty...they are massive and we had a good size doggie bag to bring home...but they were deeelicious! No dessert needed.

Back at the camper, we could see that there had been some rain in town, but the rain gauge didn't have a lot in it...perhaps the spot it is in near the camper is not conducive to collection. No matter, there will be no combining tomorrow.

But there will be fixing now that Jeff is here...

July 25, 2011

View of the day-A view from the top of the hill overlooking Chamberlain, SD...the water is high.

We had a road trip on the agenda for today, so we were up early and on the road right on schedule. Our first stop was at the CaseIH dealer in Chamberlain to root through the stash of farm toys they had tucked away in the corner where we found them last year. Once the backseat of the pickup was loaded with large boxes of toys, 1/8 Farmall Super M, 1/8 International 1206, 1/8 CaseIH Cottonpicker, 1/16 6195 White tractor, 1/32 8010 CaseIH combine, several 1/64 Case 1470's. We stopped at the antique store to see if they had any new treasures...we left empty handed from there. Marilyn did see a poster for Red Neck Days in Mt. Vernon, SD on July 30...and they will be having a combine demo derby! It's about 180 miles from Gettysburg, but since we missed the one at Hays, maybe we can make this one.

We carried on to Hamill and got the pickup head hooked up, then went over to settle up with Cal. We were treated to a piece of Mulberry pie cooked by Callie, and she also sent us home with a jar of Mulberry jam and one of Mulberry syrup...can't wait for waffles.

There were a lot of combines in the field pretty much all the way down to Hamill. The weather had been cooperating and while it was only 80º when we left Gettysburg, it was in the mid 90's at Hamill...and the humidity made it even worse. What's new?

We headed back to Gettysburg, got the header parked, then Al took a look at the treasures he had brought back. Marilyn has to make room for them under the camper...somewhere, but that will be tomorrow's job.

We listened to the weather warnings most of the night and as the blog is getting finalized, we are right in the middle of it...lightning, thunder and torrential rains. Al's brother Jeff is on his way down for a visit on his Harley...hopefully he doesn't hit any of this moisture.

No combining tomorrow...

July 24, 2011

View of the day-It's still pretty green...of course, that is spring wheat...at sunset.

Got to really sleep in and do pretty much nothing all day. Al went out to get a Truck Paper and Tractorhouse magazine to while away the afternoon and Marilyn spent some time on the laptop.

There were a couple more trailers that moved into the campground, but it didn't look like there was much combining going on around town, so everyone must be waiting.

Road trip back to Hamill for the pickup head tomorrow...

July 23, 2011

View of the day-The MacDon guys getting the header tweaked.

We were up early to get out to the farmyard so we could get the header unloaded and ready for the MacDon techs to work on. Once they showed up, it only took about an hour and we were ready to start combining...but we have to move a few miles first.

We got the header into transport and headed north to the field, then got it hooked up and ready to go. Marilyn had forgotten to take the lunch bags out...we left in such a hurry...so she had to go back to town to get them.

Al got to start combining and although the wheat was plenty dry, there were the occasional low spots that had cheat grass with green stalks, which meant the knife would jam up...every time. For some reason, the extra bucks we spent putting a knife reverser on the header seemed to be a waste of time, because every time it jammed up, we had to go out and pull straw the full length of the header. Made Marilyn wonder about the extra 5 feet of length on this header.

The farmer had his combine out and there wasn't too much left and he decided to work it on his own, so we were off for the day...actually a couple of days, because the next field is still a bit green.

Maybe we will get a bit more done on the 'to-do' list...

July 22, 2011

View of the day-All present and accounted for at Gettysburg, SD.

We had to go in to Winner to pay a few bills and get settled up with Roger. We had a quick snack at McDonald's, then it was back to Hamill to load in the heat...again.

We had to do a bit of rearranging with the cart trailer...we didn't want a repeat of the moving in debacle, no sir. We hooked up to the Freightliner with a chain and moved it to flatter ground and once we had the ramps lined up, Al had the tractor and cart loaded, chained down and ready to go. Actually, he did the chaining while Marilyn went back to the camper to get it ready for the road.

We were leaving Hamill right on schedule...3pm...Al's schedule, at least. We stopped in Highmore to get the part that had been ordered, then forged on to Gettysburg...another uneventful trip...thank goodness.

Al parked his rig at the fuel station in Gettysburg, then we went to get the camper parked and the A/C's cooling things off, while we moved the Freight out to the farmers yard with the rest of our equipment. Once we got out there, we unloaded the combine and Marilyn worked on getting the cab camera mounted in a new place in the hopper...something a little more permanent, so she doesn't have to move it every night when she closed the hopper. Al uses the camera in the General when we move, so he can see behind the wide load from high up in the combine cab, so it means changing up the cables every time.

We got back to town and stopped at the elevator so Al could get the number of the fuel truck driver. This way he can have the truck go directly to the combine to fill it and save us a couple of trips with our 99 gallon slip tank. Then it was back to the camper to clean up and get the dish aimed.

A record for Gettysburg...dish aimed in 5 minutes...

July 21, 2011

View of the day-Tight squeeze under the interstate at Reliance...no paint removed.

Up early to get the last 30 acres done, Al got a ride from Callie over to the General so he could get it unloaded. He got that done while Marilyn was getting the combine serviced and ready to roll.

There were only two small strips left to cut and it didn't take that long to get them done, then it was time to organize for the load out. Marilyn was able to find one of the guys from the crew that was blocking our trailers and they said they would clear a path to our trailers, so that was a relief.

Once the last of the wheat was in the bin, we took a lunch break...with fresh home made bread...made by Marilyn. Seriously. Well, the bread machine did most of the work...but Marilyn had to put it together...tasty no matter how it was made. After the dishes were done, we went over to get the header trailer hooked up and moved out to the field to load.

We got the header loaded and Al moved it over to the lot while Marilyn roaded the combine over to the trailer. The temperature was a little cooler,but the humidity and lack of wind made loading rather uncomfortable...what's new? After the combine was loaded and the trailer hooked up to the General, we got the shop trailer caboose hooked on, then decided we might as well move the load up to Gettysburg.

The trip up was fairly uneventful...a few crews on the move and a lot more combines in the field making dust. We got to Gettysburg then drove a few miles north to park out at the farmers yard...normally we just park in town, but with the changes around the "Burg", the parking spots for machinery are getting fewer and far between.

After parking the rigs, we got a quick chat in with the farmer who was dumping a truckload of wheat at his bins...he was cutting winter wheat already! We went back into Gettysburg to check out the camping situation...our "best spot in the campground" would not work for this new camper...the trees are way low to clear the roof, so decided on a new spot...hopefully it will still be available tomorrow when we get there.

After fueling up and grabbing a snack, we forged back to Hamill. The skies were filling with clouds and there were weather warnings for our neck of the woods...there was a lot of lightning flashing in the SW.

We took a short stop in Highmore to visit with Taff, our harvester friend from Great Bend, KS. They had just arrived in town and were ready to start combining in the area. He took us over to have a look at his MacDon header to show us what we should be looking for when we got back to our header...there are a lot of wear spots showing up on the feeder pan and it could be serious.

Once again we drove right into the eye of the storm...sort of...it was just a thin band of severe weather, but by the time we hit the interstate, it was just passing over. As we went through Reliance, the road was covered with little frogs...or toads...not really sure...didn't get out and don't know the difference, and by the time we got home to Hamill, the dust was flying...but somebody was getting it.

Tomorrow...load #2...

July 20, 2011

View of the day-Trying to stay ahead of the weeds that are hiding under the thick crop.

We went into town early to get fuel and the parts that we had ordered, then had a snack at McDonalds before heading back to Hamill. We got the combine serviced and Al noticed the straight header had a couple of large wear spots on the floor under the auger...when did that happen?

He figured the auger was too close, so he did a bit of adjusting so it would sit a bit higher and told Marilyn to see how that would work. We got moved out to the first patch, right near the base of the Hamill Buttes, just a couple miles from town. Once Marilyn got started, Al got everything else spotted with the help of Cal, Callie and Tanner.

Al was dumping in a bin right next to the field, so the haul was pretty sweet for the first couple of patches. He took a couple of loads into town just to make sure the rest of the fields would fit in the bin. Marilyn continued combining and had Callie ride with her during the evening which worked out great because she was able to help move between the fields while Al was gone to Winner.

When Al got back from the last load to town, he emptied the cart, then went into town leaving Marilyn to finish the last of the patch she was on. He was surprised to see another crew had moved into town and was parked in the same lot...blocking most of our trailers, which will make loading up interesting. Once Marilyn finished for the night, Callie gave her a ride back to the camper and that was it for the day.

It was a lot cooler and the wind was blowing hard out of the NW which was helping to make the temperature stay below the 100º mark...a real nice change.

Hopefully tomorrow has more of the same...or cooler yet...

July 19, 2011

View of the day-Unloading at the Winner elevator...in the overflow section, because of the line up..no line up back here, though.

Al was up early and out to the field to get the General loaded with the cart full from last night, then take it in to the elevator. Marilyn went in with the pickup to get fuel and harvest permits from the county treasurers office, and was pleasantly surprised not to have to stand in line this year.

Back at the field, the combine got serviced and started cutting to finish off Al's second load of the day, which also finished that field. We only had to move across the field to start in on the last 50 acres for Roger. Once Al and Roger got everything moved closer to the field, he was off again with another load...and Marilyn continued cutting.

Marilyn took the last pass around 4:30pm, by then Al was back at the field and the plan was to get the header into transport, take it to the lot, then go back to the field and blow out the radiators and air filters while Al took half the last load to town. There was way too much for one load, so he had to split it into two 'short' loads.

Once the rads were cleaned, Marilyn roaded the combine back to town where Al was waiting at the camper...trying to get a little cool air after his run to Winner. She jumped in the General with him and went back out to the field to bring the pickup and shop trailer in, while he dumped the cart then brought it back to the lot. We went back out with the Dodge to get the General, then Marilyn left it at the camper, jumped in with Al and made the trip into the elevator with him.

After dumping and getting his free pop from the elevator, we stopped at McDonald's for a quick snack, then headed back to Hamill to call it a day. It was another stifling day...106º with the humidex...again...but at least there was a strong wind to keep the sweat off. Unfortunately it was out of the SW, which Al had to drive against with a loaded truck.

One more day of this nasty heat, then we hit the cool down...90º...

July 18, 2011

View of the day-The local gang prowling the streets of Hamill.

We went out early to the combine to finish taking apart the pickup drum, so we could see exactly what we needed for repairs. We were able to get the combine lined up to give us some shade, because it was already close to 90º and we didn't want to fry to soon into the repair job...taking it apart is the easy stage.

After deciding what we needed, we got on the phone with a couple of parts lists for guidance, unfortunately we were coming up short with our search. MacDon didn't have any of the parts, CaseIH had a few of the parts and the one we really needed was in Minnisota...time for 'Plan B'.

We took a road trip up to Highmore, about 75 miles north, to the CaseIH dealer who had the most parts available of all the dealers we talked to. On the way we had to cross the Big Bend Dam over the Missouri River at Fort Thompson. The campground was a little submerged and the overflow was boiling...not sure if it was on the way up or starting to subside, but it was definitely churning up a foam.

At the CaseIH store, they had four of the six dissappearing fingers that we needed and a couple of the finger guides that needed replacing, but they didn't have the 13 inch square tube for the reverser, so we took the old one and got the local welder to fabricate us a new one. While we were there, we got him to straighten a few of the slightly bent fingers that we had salvaged from the wreck.

By the time we got back to Hamill, Al got the General started to take out to the field and Marilyn loaded up the water jugs with ice, then we went out to commence, commencin'. We were able to get just enough shade by parking the combine stratigically and it didn't take too much time before we had everything put back into place...with no leftovers, except the loss of an allen wrench.

We both took the inaugural run to see that everything was going to stay together...it was running a lot quieter than it had been before the big wreck...and the reverser was working as it was supposed to, as well. Al continued combining while Marilyn went back to the camper to have a Skype meeting with her theatre group.

The semi hadn't been dropped off at the new field, so Al got a load on the General and had the cart filled before he had to quit. He called the elevator and they told him they would wait for him if he left right away, so off he went to Winner with another load. When he got back to the camper Marilyn was still on her conference call.

At least we got going today...

July 17, 2011

View of the day-A lovely sunset at Hamill.

We woke up to an overcast day and the threat of rain...threat was all it was, as everything stayed to the west of us and eventually cleared off. It was also another oppressively hot day with temperatures reaching 104º...and that miserable humidity was at it again.

We went out to the field and the semi had shown up, so Al dumped the cart and Marilyn started combining. There was only 35 acres left to do and once we had the semi full and waiting for the driver to come back, Al loaded the General. He decided to try calling the elevator and was pleasantly surprised to hear they would be open until 6pm, so he took the load on the General to town.

Marilyn got the field finished, then roaded the combine around the scenic route to the next field...1/2 mile as the crow flies, 10 miles so the header would fit down the road. After stopping at the lot where the trailers were, she got the header unhooked and put into transport, then waited for Al to come back with the General so she could hitch a ride back out to the field to bring the pickup truck back. Al dumped the cart into the General, then roaded the tractor back to town, then hooked the header up to the pickup and got moved to the field.

Once we got out to the field, Marilyn cut a test and this wheat was even drier than the last field...10.2% moisture! She opened up the field while Al got a ride back to the General with Roger, then Al got her to call the elevator to see if they would wait for him to bring in the last load of the day. Once the combine was full, Marilyn drove into town and brought the tractor and cart out to the field so she could start making a load for the semi to take in, in the morning.

After dumping the combine and starting a second round, she got into some thick wheat with some green weeds and wiry stalks which jammed the cutting knife. She went out and pulled all the straw, then went back into the cab and tried reversing it...success! Then as soon as she cranked it up to start cutting again, there was some serious banging and jumping of the PTO shaft, so she shut everything down and went out to inspect.

Once she got a good look at the feeder auger, she could see the disappearing fingers that pull the grain into the feederhouse had popped back into their guide holes and jammed into the inside of the auger tube. She got the tool box out and removed all the inspection covers to see if she could do anything with what she had...that one bugger was jammed so bad, it had raised quite a blemish on the outside of the auger...she would not get that loose anytime soon.

Al got back to town, then came out with the pickup to lend a hand and decided it would work best if we could take the header off so we could work on the auger from both sides. We managed to get most of the bent fingers out, but the one that was jammed was going to be more of a challenge. The temperature was still at 104º at 7:30pm and we were just wringing wet from the humidity, so we did as much as we could, then called it a day to get out of the heat.

Back at the camper, we checked online for the parts we might need...and where we might find them in this neck of the woods, and found that Winner has a MacDon dealer, so hopefully we will find them there.

We will have to get at it early to keep cool...105º forecast for tomorrow, and you know the humidity will still be around...

July 16, 2011

View of the day-These cattle have the right idea for keeping cool...if that was even possible with the humidity and heat totaling up to 108º.

We didn't do the smart thing and go out to work early...nooo, we waited until 11am, then went out into the sweltering heat. We would gladly trade up the 108º dry Kansas heat for the 95º plus humidity that makes the temperature the same 108º in South Dakota...just awful. We are pretty sure the good old -45º of the Saskatchewan winter would be a great trade...you can always add another jacket or toque.

Al and Roger, the farmer, took a run out to the field to see how close the wheat was...it was real close, so we figured we would give it a whirl around 3pm. We got the Freightliner up and running, then worked on the tractor, getting it put back together and running as well, then we got the header off the high speed transport and ready to pull up to the field with the pickup.

We got up to the field and made a few passes to get a good sample, then went back to town to give it to Roger so he could take it to the elevator in Winner, 25 miles away. We went back to the camper to wait for his call...it tested 11.7 moisture...hot damn, we were good to go.

Al took the tractor and cart while Marilyn took the pickup so she could get started combining. The only fly in the ointment was that Roger was going to get a semi to haul the grain and it was out of commission for the day. If we were to haul the grain, we have to make sure the loads are small enough to please the SD DOT...you know, so we can help their economy by buying gallons of fuel to make several trips.

So we were only able to fill the cart, just in case they could get the semi out in the morning. Of course, it they don't, then we have to make a couple of loads in the General and Freightliner to take to the elevator Monday morning. It seemed such a shame to stop combining when it was so dry and the going was good...

Back at the camper we were only too happy to suck up some air conditioning and watch a little CFL football...not a good game for the Riders...Al was looking forward to call in to the radio station's phone-in show to raise a few questions, along with a few hundred other fans. He never got through...the phones for the show quit working.

We will combine again tomorrow, there is no rain in our future...

July 15, 2011

View of the day-Some wheat west of Hamill...still a bit green.

We had a trip to town on the agenda today...mostly for parts to get everything up and running, so after toast and coffee, we were on our way to Winner.

We stopped out at Runnings and were able to get the bulk of what we needed, but we had to go over to the JD dealer to order a new air filter for the General. Al dropped Marilyn off to get a few groceries while he got one of the propane tanks filled for the camper...first time this year...and only $38 for a 40 pound tank.

Back in Hamill, Al worked on the Freightliner, getting the new valve put on once he did a bit of fabricating. The heat was oppressive again...high humidity, makes the flies hungry and that keeps Marilyn inside, although she did have making supper as an excuse. We grabbed our first corn on the cob feed from a street side pickup selling vegetables, so we were really looking forward to it. The corn was not all it was cracked up to be...oh, it looked sweet, but looks can be deceiving. We tried our best and at least the watermelon we got from the truck was good.

After supper we took a drive out into the countryside to see how the crops looked and Al was pretty depressed to see a combine making dust...the only one in the area. He was, however, patching out on the top of the hill...and perhaps he had drying capabilities.

This gives us hope for next week...

July 14, 2011

View of the day-Al gets the cart trailer parked where it belongs...for now, at least.

No trains today, but an early phone call from the phone company looking for a container of 'scotch-locks' they had left by the pillar by the camper. Since we had decided to find an electrician in Winner, Marilyn called them back to say she would drop them off when we got to town.

Al called Kucera Electric in Winner and the owner told us he had what we needed to make the 50amp adapter for the power pole by the camper...if we got in within a half hour...so off we went. Marilyn had purchased an outdoor receptacle at Home Depot in Hayes, so we did have part of the adapter and it was this electrician that had made the first adapter cord for us 15 years ago, so we were pretty sure he knew what we needed.

When we got to his store, he was super helpful...even building the adapter at the front counter while he talked to us about harvesting and electrical issues that we had. He had it done in no time and was so pleasant...as was his secretary, who was laughing and joking with everyone...on a Thursday, no less. Simply an amazing experience...THAT was customer service.

We grabbed a quick snack and some groceries, then dropped off the scotch-locks and hit the card lock to get fuel for the combine, then it was back to Hamill. Al had a list of 'things to do' and even though it was only 95º, with the humidity at 50% it felt like 104º...but we had to get some work done.

The first thing we did was unload the combine from the trailer, then used it to move the cart trailer back into the line-up. Next on the list was taking the cracked fitting off the Freightliner so we could take it in for a replacement. Al had heard some strange sounds from the tractor when he unloaded it during the catastrophe the other day and upon further inspection, discovered the two small bolts that were holding the radiator had snapped off so it was tilting back...probably from the way it rides on the trailer when we move...so now the fan was hitting the shroud. We will have to come up with a way of shoring it up since the bolts that broke were part of the rad.

While Al was working on the tractor, Marilyn went to get the air filter out of the General so it could get replaced...and it needed replacement. By now, it was time to get out of the heat and humidity, get back to the camper for a much needed shower, then have supper before the CFL game came on at 7.

Tomorrow we go back to Winner for parts...

July 13, 2011

View of the day-Parked in misty and cool Hamill...with no casualties, this time.

It was a long night with all the trains that were going by the campground and it didn't help matters that they were going at high speed, and we were directly between two closely placed crossings...so the horns would blow twice. We didn't have the juice to use the A/C, but we didn't need it and it was a nice change to have the windows open and have the cool breeze blowing through...except the train horns were even louder.

There was no rush to get up early, since we only had 180 miles to cover today. It was overcast and misty, but when we listened to the weather band and checked the radar, we could see there was rain not far off. We were just getting organized inside the camper when it hit...and it hit hard. No wind, so it was falling straight down...like it was coming out of a bucket and it wasn't just a passing shower. We had to get off the grass we had parked on before it became impossible, so out into the rain we went. Fortunately we had left the camper hooked onto the pickup, so we only had to get the hoses, cords and slides put away, but at the rate the rain was falling, we got thoroughly soaked...no need for a shower.

We managed to get out of the campground and back to Ansley to get the General started up while we went in for a quick snack before heading out. The trip north was uneventful and it was great that it was overcast, the temperature was only 64º and we even had the wind helping us out.

We made Hamill and Al was able to get the combine trailer backed across the road that had given the cart trailer such fits. We just parked it for the day since we had to evaluate the camper spot...new camper, meant finding a new way to park so the cord and hoses would reach.

We had just gotten the camper backed in and leveled when the phone man showed up and got us hooked up with DSL and phone service...these guys are so good. There were some issues with wires not connected properly in the camper, but with his help, we got everything up and running so we are now connected...a good thing since there is poor cell service in this area.

Marilyn got the dish aimed and tried, unsuccessfully, to get the water pump working, using a lot of the ideas she had found online...none worked, so it is back to square one and with everything in place, we finally called it a day.

Tomorrow, we get down to some fixing...

July 12, 2011

View of the day-Parked at Mason City, NE...no air conditioning needed here!

We had a laid back day since we weren't planning on leaving until later on in the afternoon. We didn't have much left to do...pay the fuel bill and the rent, then get the camper ready to roll.

We went for lunch at Tracy's Bar & Grill...what a difference from the restaurant next to the campground. A full house, one waitress running her a$$ off, but still smiling and friendly to everyone...and the burgers were HUGE, all in all a great experience.

We got the camper hooked up and went out to the cardlock to get Al's rig aired up and ready to go. We left there around 4pm...the hottest part of the day, although not quite 100º, at least it was cloudy. We stopped on the road a couple of times to check the loads and have a 'pit' stop...Marilyn got to try out the new water pump in the camper...it worked great for one flush and a hand wash, then it quit. Fuses all fine, water in the tank, and no leaking this time, which is a plus, but still no water. Steve at Heartland better be prepared because Al will be dealing with him this time...and he is cranky.

We got to Ansley, NE with the load, parked it at the truck stop, then drove 6 miles to Mason City to get power...and now water...at the campground. We had stayed there before, so we knew what to expect...the trains on the main line 50 feet from the camper...it will definitely be a noisy night.

We didn't have enough power to run the A/C's, but we really didn't need them...the temperature was...65º...a drop of 38º from when we left LaCrosse! Marilyn got the windows opened up for the first time on the run and with the help of the fans, got it cooled off enough to sleep.

Hopefully we don't get too much nasty weather through the night...

July 11, 2011

View of the day-A shot before the storm hit last night in Nebraska...all colors present and accounted for.

We definitely slept in considering it was almost 3am by the time we finally settled down after the marathon drive. By the time we got back it looked like we hadn't had any rain here in LaCrosse...but it could have dried up long before.

We went out to the combine trailer to meet with the welder man just after lunch...he had to weld on the safety chain that we had bought to replace the one that had disappeared...broken or some such. Once he was finished, we continued on to Hayes to do a bit of looking around and to see if we could find a 50amp adapter for some of the various places we end up camping...the A/C is necessary in this heat.

We checked out a few of the ag dealers for toys, but came up empty handed. Marilyn went back to purchase a dress...that's right...a dress...that she had seen on her last trip into Hayes. We have a nephew that is tying the knot in August and she "didn't have a thing to wear". We stopped at an electrical wholesaler who sent us down to Herrman the German, the RV repair joint to find an adapter...success! He had just the thing we were looking for...although Al doesn't quite agree, he's not sure that it will work as promised...we'll see.

Back at the camper, Marilyn dismantled the keyless door lock that had quit working after the driving rain...and got it fixed, so we don't have to lock it the 'hard' way with the key. And that was it for the day...a 104º day, with no end to the heat in site.

By the way, we did get the wobble box completely covered under warranty! Thank you Paul and Erken(sp?) at MacDon.

Now we try to decide what time we will leave for good, tomorrow...

July 10, 2011

View of the day-Big thanks to the Schemper “Harvesting for helping us out on a Sunday with a tire on the header trailer.

We had a big storm blow through around midnight…the worst one we have been through this summer. The wind came out of the east and we thought it was going to remove some awnings…and rain…we didn’t have a gauge out, but there must have been at least an inch. Fortunately the camper stayed upright and we were able to get some sleep.

We made AIS by 6:25am…just ahead of schedule, which was a good start to the day. We drove the 8 miles to Liebenthal to get the Freightliner fired up and when Marilyn checked the rain gauge on the combine…the chaff in it had soaked up what little rain had fallen there. After hooking up the header, we were ready to roll.

It was an uneventful trip…at least as far as Phillipsburg, where we had to get the pickup header hooked on behind the cart trailer. Marilyn stopped at the CaseIH dealer to unhook the straight header trailer, so she could get the pickup head and take it north of Phillipsburg to where Al was waiting at the old weigh scale. We got the header hooked on in no time at all, then we went back to get the straight header.

Marilyn had noticed the back tire on the trailer was worn pretty bad and there were some slits where it was starting to separate. We had a spare tire with us…another stroke of luck…so we took it with us and changed it over…aaaand…it didn’t have enough air in it. Al figured there was enough to limp it the 24 miles up to Alma where we could air it up the rest of the way…so that is exactly what we did.

When we got to Alma, Marilyn tried to get to the air hose at the truck stop…it was in a bizarre place where you couldn’t reach because of the parked vehicles. A pickup pulled up and it was one of Al’s trucking cohorts from the Schemper crew out of Nebraska. After catching up with her on how their season had gone so far, we decided to try across the road at the Cenex for air…there was a hose…a long hose. Of course, it would have been nice if they had left the compressor on for the weekend…well, it was Sunday, after all. Fortunately for us, Ms. Schemper saved the day…their semis were parked at the Cenex along with their fuel trailer, which had a compressor on it, so we got the tire filled and were on our way.

We had one more pit stop at Springview, NE to grab a quick snack and have a stretch, then it was forward on to Hamill. It had heated up a lot during the drive and the humidity here was a killer, so by the time we got to Hamill, it was the worst part of the day and wouldn’t you know it…the wheels fell off and our luck changed…sort of.

Al had unhooked the pickup head on the road just at the turnoff to Hamill while Marilyn took the straight header up to the old school grounds where we always park. She was just going to go get the pickup head when Al called for assistance backing his rig back into it’s parking space. He managed to get the trailer directly across the road…then it high-centered and would not move…not good. While we were investigating the situation, we noticed a huge puddle under the engine of the Freightliner…a hose had blown and the antifreeze was gushing out.

So now, we can’t even use the Freight to try and move anything without coolant…and we have to get the trailer unhooked and get the truck moved out of the way before we could unload the tractor and cart to move the trailer. The plot thickens.

We got the trailer lifted off the hitch with the tractor hydraulics, then we hooked the Freight up to the Dodge and Marilyn pulled it around the block, trying to get it moved over to the lot before the air ran out and the brakes locked on. Stage one completed.
We lowered the tongue of the trailer with the tractor hydraulics,..problem number two showed up. We always have to use ramps to unload because the tractor hitch just clears the trailer…something we learned after a catastrophe early on in our loading career. Because the trailer was high-centered on the road, the tongue was about two feet too high to unload. We decided we had to try and pull it backwards off the road.

We went over to see if Cal, our Hamill landlord, had a tractor that was big enough to pull us back. The only thing he had at the yard was a JD 4020, but he thought we could give it a try…no go, so we had to come up with another plan.

Cal had some 8ft railroad ties that weighed about 150lbs each…did we mention the heat and humidity?? We got four of the ties, and did some stacking and arranging to make ramps so we could at least get the rig unloaded…that turned out a bit ugly. Cal and Marilyn were moving the ties around as the cart came off the trailer and freed them up, once the tractor started to move back, the weight of the tractor settled the tongue down onto the road and lifted the back end up, just like a teeter-totter…now we were getting somewhere.

As soon as the back tires were off the ramp, the trailer wanted to lift again, so we tried blocking up the back tires and Cal got the back wheel of the 4020 on one of the cradles for the cart to hold the trailer down so the tractor could get free of the trailer…then it fell off the ramp…but it was off the trailer. The cart had started to jack knife a bit so Cal came over with his tractor, we put a chain on the back of the cart and pulled it over so Al could go straight back and clear the trailer with the front axle of the tractor.
With the tractor free, we hooked a chain up to the back of the cart and FINALLY pulled the trailer backwards off the road and into the infirmary next to the Freight. All of us were soaking wet from the heat and humidity but we still had the ties and ramps to move…which we had help from a couple of young fellows recruited by Cal.

All that remained was to get the pickup head off the road and get it parked with everything else…that was the easiest job so far…once that was done we were on the road back to LaCrosse.

We had been watching the skies…there were some dark clouds to the SW that concerned us and as we got further into Nebraska, there were weather warning for the area we were going to be driving through to get back ‘home’. We figured we could beat the first one by getting past it and south before it hit…winds up to 70mph and hail…we did.

There was a stronger line of storms to the south of the one we squeaked by earlier, but we still figured if we could at least make it to the big truck stop at Elm Creek, NE and we would sit it out there…we didn’t make it. About 10 miles north of Elm Creek the big winds hit…very scary as we were driving through the hills with gullys that are great channels for the wind. Al had bothe hands on the wheel and was able to make it through that part of the obstacle course…then the rain hit…or rather, the wall of water. It just POURED…the RainEx on the windows earned its keep, so we could at least see to get to the truck stop…and it was packed with people that had the same idea.

We grabbed a coffee and snack, then went back out to the pickup to relax and check the radar out online. It had let up so we figured we might as well carry on, after all…how much worse could it be? It wasn’t worse. There was still a terrific amount of lightning and it was raining, just not as hard but we forged…it was getting to be a long day already.

12:30am and we still have 25 miles to go...

July 9, 2011

View of the day-St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Leibenthal..made out of post rocks.

A day of laying low...Al decided to pass on the auction sale, but Marilyn didn't change her mind about shopping in Hayes. Al passed on the shopping trip as well because he had a 3pm date with the satellite and the Saskatchewan Roughriders...unfortunately they let him down...another loss.

Marilyn covered the mall and WalMart before stopping at Pizza Hut and grabbing some take out for Al. Air conditioning was the only way to go today...100º+.

Now it's early to bed so we can be on the road to Hamill, SD with the first load. AIS is 6:30am...

July 8, 2011

View of the day-A trip to the Barton County Fair and a viewing of the wash bay as the steers get a shampoo.

A road trip to Great Bend was the main thing on the agenda today...get a few parts, maybe do some shopping, check out the fair...that sort of thing. We got everything but the shopping done...Marilyn was just not in the mood...shocking, for sure.

We went out to settle up with Ken and Kevin, then Marilyn insisted on getting a picture of Kevin's son, Maitland's, entry into the barbed wire sculpture for their county fair...a tornado. Nobody better steal his idea just because she posted a picture...it was just to awesome not to share.

There is an auction sale in Leibenthal tomorrow that Al wants to check out, so we thought we would see if they would let us have a quick peek...no chance...everything was closed up tight. We took our purchases out to the shop trailer, then Al decided he should take the shop trailer tire, that had the leaky valve, off and get it fixed so we wouldn't have to deal with it on the road.

We got back to the camper and had supper, then Al buckled in for a couple of CFL football games and Marilyn took a walk out to the bunker to see how the covering had progressed. It was a perfect evening for a walk...light breezed, mild temperatures and most importantly...no bugs!

Al has the auction and a CFL Riders game...Marilyn will force herself to go to Hayes for some 'retail therapy'...

July 7, 2011

View of the day-Cleaned off from the rain and all loaded...ready to head north. If you look really hard to the left of the header, you could see the purple Massey.

Marilyn had hopes of getting to the restaurant next door before the egg cut off time of 10:30am, but Al decided to let her sleep in. With only 15 minutes until the menu change, Marilyn got Al to run over and order breakfast...something he wasn't to keen to do since the waitresses weren't the friendliest yesterday when we went in for lunch. Apparently 10:30am is really 10:15 in Kansas time...but Al managed to persuade them with only 4 minutes to go and we got our damn eggs.

After we had breakfast, we went to the card lock to finish loading the rigs. It had rained during the night...anywhere from .30" in LaCrosse, to almost an inch where we had the equipment parked...which washed everything down quite nicely. It was cooler and cloudy, perfect for loading but the sun was working hard at melting the clouds, so we got right down to business.

We got the tractor and cart loaded and hooked up to the Freightliner, then loaded the combine and got it hooked up to the General. We had a bit of dressing up to do as we put new warning flags and oversize load signs on the General's load, then got the camera hooked up in the combine so Al could do some maneuvering to get the shop trailer hooked up behind the combine trailer. Once that was done we were finished for the day...and not any too soon since the clouds had pretty much dissipated and the heat was rising.

We stopped in Leibenthal to check out Pat's Beef Jerky...sorry Pat, it's good, but it doesn't hold a candle to Ottenbreit's in Grayson. When we got back to LaCrosse, Marilyn had decided she couldn't handle her hair anymore...way too many hat days...she got Al to drop her off a local hairdresser who was able to take her right away. After the haircut, we drove past the bunker of wheat to see the guys getting the pipes set to go under the tarp. Probably hoping to get that job done before the mercury rises past the 100º mark the rest of the week.

After getting cleaned up, we went to Rush Center to have supper with Ken, Kevin and their families, then went back to the camper. We were just getting ready to turn into the campground when Marilyn spotted the Schwan's truck over at the gas station, so we drove over so she could get a catalogue and fill up the freezer. We have been down here for almost two months and we have yet to find a truck that was not going in the opposite direction that we could catch...not anymore.

Tomorrow we take a road trip to Great Bend...

July 6, 2011

View of the day-A unique custom combine, almost ready for the Demo DerbyWe woke up to clouds and a lot cooler temperatures...a perfect day to do some machinery cleaning. We had lunch, then went to Rush Center to get the General from the Coop.

Earlier, we had tried to get fuel at the card lock where we had the rigs parked, but it wouldn't take credit cards and since we had an old account there from several years ago, they suggested we get some cards made up. We went to the main office and had our new cards within 15 minutes...what a difference from at home. There they want everything but your first born, a new application every year and a limit based on a percentage of your fuel usage. Two fills of the grain trucks and the combine and you are way over what they figure you need...and that's a Coop as well. At least somebody wants our business.

By the time we got out to the card lock, the sun had chased away the clouds and the east wind was blowing hard...which was going to help with the cleaning. Marilyn started blowing off the combine and header, which took the better part of the afternoon, while Al got the oil changed on the pickup, then we loaded the header onto the trailer and strapped it down. Marilyn wanted to get everything else loaded and hooked up so we would be done with it and be able to relax, but the clouds had disappeared so the heat was taking it's toll and it didn't take much to change her mind.

While we had been doing the cleaning, Marilyn noticed a farm yard just across the way from where we had parked and notices what looked like a purple combine...kind of a Massey-looking purple combine. A sprayer pulled out of the yard and came over to the card lock to fuel up so Marilyn went over to talk to him about what it could possibly be. He told her it was a Massey combine painted with the Kansas State colors and remade into a demo derby combine...so we just had to take a look at it before we went back to town.

When we got over there, we were able to talk to the driver of the combine, Kyle Zimmerman, and he proceeded to tell us all about the changes he had made to it. He also told us he has other combines that he runs in the demo derby's...one which is coming up in Hayes on July 22. Now we are trying to figure out how far along the South Dakota crops are and how we can work out coming back to check the derby out. It sounds like it would be a blast.

Back at the camper we got cleaned up and went out for supper to a local sub joint, then came back to the camper to wait out the storm...if it ever gets this far.

But we know better than to underestimate the power of mother nature...

July 5, 2011

View of the day-A stack of post rocks sit next to all that's left of the fence line.

Al was up early to get the semi and grain cart unloaded so the farmer could settle up and get on his way back home to Dallas, TX. Once that was looked after, we stopped for lunch, then went out to rescue the General from the other field and get it unloaded.

While Al was unloading the truck, Marilyn went out to the bin site and got the Freightliner started and backed into position to hook up to the empty trailer. She also had to load all the ramps, boomers, chains and straps into the box of the truck...all this in 103º heat, with no real wind to help move the sweat around. Al showed up just as she was getting the last of the second pile moved into the truck, then he backed in with the General so we could use the hydraulics to lift the trailer high enough to hook up the Freight to it. We usually have the tractor loaded on the trailer and use its hydraulics, but it was still out at the field 30 miles away.

We got the trailer hooked up and ready to go, then hooked up the combine trailer to the General...then discovered the inside back dual tire was flat, due to a nail sticking in it...that would need to get fixed. We hooked up the high speed transport header trailer to the pickup and headed for Rush Center, where we would stop at the Coop to see about getting the tire fixed.

Al talked to the tire man and he couldn't get it done right away, so Al figured since there wasn't really any weight on the tire, we would just run it up to the field north of Leibenthal where we were going to do all our loading, drop off the trailer and bring the General back to the tire shop...which we did.

After dropping the General off, we went out to the field to get the combine and header moved to the loading field, then went back for the tractor, cart and shop trailer, moving them to the same place so they could get cleaned up and loaded. Once we got back to the camper, Al took the semi back down to Ken's farm, then got a ride up to the bin site to get the Freightliner and trailer to take them to the loading spot.

With all the moving done in the unbearable heat, it was great to get back to the air conditioned comfort of the camper and get cleaned up and get the satellite dish aimed. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler...highs of 89º, cloudy with a chance of rain.

Let's hope there is a strong wind to help with the cleaning...

July 4, 2011 - Happy Independence Day!

View of the day-The church at Leibenthal, KS in the heart of Post Rock Country.

What is the point of shooting fireworks off at 7am…it’s daylight, so you don’t get the full effect and you waste your evening fun, plus you pi$$ off the neighbourhood. Oh well, Al did want AIS at 9am with the camper hooked up and ready to go…and it was.

We didn’t stop anywhere on the way out of Great Bend with the camper and made it to the campground in LaCrosse in no time at all. The landlord was just mowing what little grass had grown so we had to wait a bit to get parked, but once we got backed in and had everything hooked back up, we were set for a few days.

We grabbed a snack, then headed for the field, did a bit of servicing and then Marilyn cranked it up. Al got Kevin to bring his semi out and it didn’t take long to get it filled since we had a heaping cart load from last night. Al got hold of the elevator guy and they were good enough to dump us twice during the day which left us with enough room to finish the field well before the sun went down.

Al brought the semi into the campground and Marilyn scouted out the new loading spot that we had found just north of Leibenthal. It is always interesting to think about the number of times we have passed through some of these little towns along our tour, wondering about life carrying on in them as if we don’t exist…and we really don’t as far as they are concerned…then all of a sudden you are working in the area becoming one of the locals for a short time. What town will be next?

Back at the camper, we watched the Independence Day celebrations from Washington, DC…wishing we would have waited just one more day in Great Bend to see their fireworks show.

Not to worry, it sounds like we might get a local flavoured show here…

July 3, 2011

View of the day-A ring of wheat outside Lacrosse, KS.

Today was the day to move to the last field we have to do in this area. We went out for lunch, then headed out to the field to get the combine ready to start roading over to the next field…about 20 miles away.

Al went ahead with the header and Marilyn followed in the combine, it took a while to finally get there but it was nice to see some different countryside at slow speed. We got to the field and after cutting a patch to see how the moisture was, we went back to get the tractor, cart and shop trailer.

Marilyn went ahead with the shop trailer, but had to stop on the side of the road to air a tire up on it that had gone low…good thing the compr

essor was in the trailer. By the time she got back to the field and fired up the combine, the farmer had stopped by for a ride, so away they went to open up the field. They rustled up a herd of mule deer that were hiding in some deep grass…they even stood long enough to get a picture.

Al showed up with the cart just as Marilyn had a full h

opper, so after dumping the grain and her co-pilot, she carried on combining until the cart was full. The General had a load on from the last field and we wouldn’t get to dump it until Tuesday, so it was out of commission and the cart was all we had for the day.

Because we are at least 53 miles from Great Bend, we decided to pack up the camper and move to the campground at LaCrosse tomorrow, so the drive out to the field will be cut down. We will also be loading the rigs on the trailers at Leibenthal, which will help even more because it is even further north.

Now if only the elevator would be open tomorrow…