August 31, 2011

View of the day-The last morning at our campground…the Pingree Café on the left and the 281 Stop bar on the right…what could be better?

We didn’t get up at the crack of dawn because we were only going to Carlyle…275 miles, no biggie. Once we did get everything battened down and ready for the road, we went to the Café for lunch, then settled up with them and the bar.

We left the campground, then went over and got the General started…and discovered one of the combine trailer tires was low, so we had to un-batten the shop trailer to get to the compressor. We have an oversize sign that is threaded strategically through the back doors and we didn’t want to redo it, so we just cracked the door enough to get the air hose out and around to the tire. Once it was full, we got everything put away and forged on.

The trip went without event until Al thought he heard a pop from the back and thought it was one of the tires out back somewhere, so he pulled over to check it out…false alarm. We got to the border around 5pm and sailed through the USA port after they checked out the serial numbers on everything. We had to wait to get to the Canadian port because there was a few vehicles lined up, but once we were there, we answered a few questions and we were on our way to Carlyle.

About 6 miles south of town, we passed a tandem truck with a double header trailer pulled over on our side of the road. It looked like he needed some help, so we figured we would get the General parked a few miles north at Precision Ag, then we would go back and see if we could help out somehow. When we got to Precision, we could see several combines and trucks parked across the road and realized it was Holland Harvesting and it was their truck that was on the limp.

Al got the General parked, then we stopped across the road to talk to Rob who explained there was some kind of fuel issue with the truck and they didn’t have a pickup with them. We took the camper out to Kim and Marg’s, then Al and Kim went out with his pickup to give Rob a hand. Marg and Marilyn had supper with Gordie, then got the camper parked in a new spot by the shed. Al and Kim got back with the news that it was a wire that had come off the fuel pump and once it was reconnected, they were on the road again.

Back at the camper, we were watching the lightning and listening to the thunder…lots of weather warnings both at home in Yorkton and here in Carlyle.

It feels like we could walk out the door and be in an Oklahoma storm…if they get them anymore…

August 30, 2011

View of the day-No harvesting in the field, but Marilyn managed to harvest a deal at Walmart…a triple crock pot with individual controls, lid racks and spoons…only $34!

Al was up early to take the straight header up to Carlyle. He started out in the fog but after about 100 miles, he was driving in sunlight and made good time getting to the border at 11:30am.

After parking the header at Carlyle, he stopped for a visit with a couple of farmers, then headed back to Pingree, getting back to the border at 3pm, then dropped the hammer back to the camper.

Thanks to Danny supplying a pickup for Marilyn to drive, there was a trip to Jamestown to get a last shopping trip in before moving back to Canada. After her shopping trip she stopped for supper and a good visit with Donna Tompkins. We used to camp out at Donna’s house on the farm when we would come back for the fall harvest in years past, but now she lives in a senior’s complex in Jamestown, so we don’t get to see her as much.

Al made it back to the camper about an hour before Marilyn did and after she got everything put away from the shopping trip, it was time to relax with a Third Rock from the Sun marathon on TV.

Looks like we move on tomorrow…

August 29, 2011

View of the day-Cleaned and loaded to go...we even managed to get rid of all the mud from the...'events'.

Marilyn woke up at 2am and discovered the mother mouse had hit the sticky trap...that was a relief, if it was, indeed the mother. When we got up at 8:00am, there were three of the little pups stuck beside her...a wonderful sight.

We went over to the Cafe for breakfast, then Al started washing off the header that was parked by the camper. Marilyn dug into the depths of the camper to see if she could find the nest...hopefully they had just moved in while we were here and hadn't been born here. We estimated the young to be around 3 weeks old...we are far from experts on all things mousey...so we hoped they didn't arrive when we were on our Canadian vacation.

After getting the header and camper clean, we went out to the combine to start cleaning by blowing off all the chaff from the various hidey-holes. Once we got it clean, we took it over to one of the farmers that offered us to use his hot water pressure washer to get all that caked on clay off. It didn't take as long as we had thought...the hot water makes short work of the dirt...and we were on our way back to town with the combine around 4:30pm.

We got back to the elevator, where the trailer and General...which hadn't turned a wheel since we parked it there...were ready for loading. With the combine loaded and tied down, we got the General hooked up to the trailer, then got the shop trailer hooked on behind the combine trailer...and all lights worked!

Back at the camper, we discovered the demise of the 13 stripe ground squirrel that had been digging holes around the camper...he had gotten stuck on the trap that Marilyn had left out with the first two mice on it...well, what was left of them after the cat got through gnawing on them last night.

We went back to the bar for supper, then went back to the camper so Al could get his paperwork in order for his trip to Carlyle with the header. We couldn't find anyone to make the run with us on Wednesday, so it's backhaul time and we will both go on Wednesday with the combine and camper.

Marilyn will spend tomorrow visiting and shopping...with no time limit...

August 28, 2011

View of the day-Justin opens up the last of the field so Marilyn doesn’t get stuck.

Last night just before we went to bed, Al was reading the Green Sheet and looked up to see a mouse running across the floor and disappearing into a hole in one of the drawers on the steps to the bedroom. This drawer has several pairs of shoes, so Marilyn went in and shook them all out looking for the mouse...no luck...but Al went over to the General and got his mousetrap to lay a trap line

Not long after Al had gone to bed, Marilyn was watching TV and noticed something out of the corner of her eye...a mouse scampered from under the kitchen table across the floor and under the counter...she went looking for it but couldn't find it anywhere. About a half hour later, she could hear some scratching under the counter. She went to investigate and discovered the mouse had somehow gotten stuck between the garbage bag and the plastic garbage can...there was only a used coffee filter in the new garbage bag, so she could see the mouse through the plastic trying to lay low. She took the can out to the dumpster and emptied it...with great force...if it happened to live; at least it would find better things to eat and would leave us alone.

We went to sleep thinking the coast was clear, but had the trap set...just in case. About 4am we woke up to the sound of rain falling on the camper, it was heavier than yesterday’s early morning shower, but it didn’t last too long…it did settle the dust and that meant we would be able to sleep in. Too bad the mouse didn’t get the memo…he was back scratching at 7am. Marilyn got up to see where he was this time, but once again, he was in hiding and we just went back to sleep.

When we finally got up, Marilyn took a look at the trap line and it was empty. She checked through the drawers and discovered that the noise she had been hearing was the little bugger chewing into a bag of licorice twizzlers…he preferred the black to the red.

We went over to the Café for lunch and Charlotte, from the bar, joined us for coffee and told us about some sticky trays that they used when they had mouse problems. She gave us a couple, with a slice of cheese to bait them, then we set them up and went out to do some combining.

Justin was already making dust when we got out there, so Marilyn got right to work and even though there were some pretty soft spots, she managed to finish her share of the field without getting stuck. And that concludes the USA summer harvest for 2011…kind of sad.

Danny led us out of the field the back way so we wouldn’t have to drive through the spongy field…Al was having a hard time finding a solid spot to drive through with the tractor/cart and was having to take smaller loads just to make sure he didn’t sink the cart. By the way, the picture from yesterday with the cart that was sunk…we talked to the farmer in the restaurant and he said between the three combines and two grain carts, on 250 acres they were stuck 25 times!


We got the combine parked in the field across from Charlottes and blew off the header, then got it loaded on the high transport trailer, ready for the wash job and the move north. We pulled the header back to the camper, where Al will get the job of washing it tomorrow while Marilyn blows off the combine, then washes it out at Charlottes.

When we got back to the camper, we were eager to see what our trap line had brought us…success…sort of. There were two small mice stuck to one of the trays…unfortunately, they were quite a bit smaller than the one Marilyn had seen running across the floor last night. Great…a family. Since neither of us could bring ourselves to kill the two mice on the tray, Marilyn just set it outside, hoping they would squirm themselves to death…or something. Out of sight, out of mind.


Marilyn was lucky enough to have the first shower to get rid of all the chaff and dust from the header. Al went on a road trip to have a visit with our friend, Mike, and once he came back, Mike followed him in to drop off a wall clock that Al had purchased…and he wanted to check out the new camper.

After Mike left, there was a knock at the door and Danny was out there wanting to know if we wanted a pizza at the bar. They are closed on Sunday, but since they are part of the family owners, they have some pull, so we went in and had supper with him and Leanne. After that, we went back to the camper…no more mice, so far…and took the rest of the night off.

Not that there was much of it left…

August 27, 2011

View of the day-Both combines running and the cart keeping the grain away.

WE DIDN'T GET STUCK TODAY...and we DID combine this time.

We were out at the field just after lunch and after doing the windows and topping up the oil, we were ready to roll. No one else was out yet and we didn't want to start the last quarter without some guidance, so the first thing we did was drive the pickup over to get Big Red from the other side of the field and put it in a handy spot...just in case.

Justin showed up and did his servicing, then he led us over to the entrance of the field. Marilyn waited while he cut a few patches out for her to remain out of mud's way, then she started making dust right behind him.

Things went well until Justin started having power issues, so he had to quit until he could get some fuel filters. Without Justin to blaze a trail, Marilyn wasn't going to take ANY chances, so we quit around 6:30pm...more banker's hours. We took the scenic route into town to see a catastrophe we had heard about from Justin.

No matter how bad you think you have it...it could always be worse. This farmer's grain cart had a wheel drop and even with the Cat tractor with tracks, it wasn't going to move. Not to far away, they had also gotten one of the combines stuck and had a CaseIH Quadtrac hooked up to pull it out...and the trackhoe was making an appearance to help dig it out. When we left, the combine had gotten out, but the cart was still in deep...the auger was set up next to it and the grain cart auger wasn't going to miss the pit because it was only about four feet off the ground.

We got back to the bar and went in for supper, getting a good visit in with some friends from way back, then headed back to the camper for a cleanup and an early night.

We hope to finish that field tomorrow...

August 26, 2011

View of the day-Changing of the guards...and sections on the header.

WE DIDN'T GET STUCK TODAY!!!

But, of course, we didn't cut today either.

Al was up early and into Jamestown to pick up some oil and a filter for the combine. The alarm had been going off for an oil change so he figured we could get it done after we were done cutting today. He had also arranged to meet with Chris, the territory rep for MacDon that was in the area, so he could take a look at our header.

Once Al got back, Chris showed up and he hopped in with us in the pickup and we went over to the combine to check it over. He did a few tests, then said new guards and sections would make a big difference, so we decided to bite the bullet and get that job done...hopefully it would make using the useless reverser unnecessary. After we took him back to his car, which was at the camper, we went over to the Cafe for lunch, then headed back into Jamestown to get the guards and sections.

We stopped at West Country to get the guards, and the gentleman who was helping us out just happened to have some toy tractors on his desk...well, there was another 20 minutes comparing notes. He has several 1/16 Versatile tractors that he wants to get rid of since he is now into the 1/32 scale...Al was pretty excited about a couple of them and they will likely end up in his collections at some time.

After we got the parts, we picked up the shop trailer at the farmyard, then trundled it down the rough road out to the field...no wrenches left on the wall from the ride. We started the assembly line at the knife head, so we would do the hard part first. That went well, so we continued on taking off 5 guards and the knife sections underneath, then putting on the new ones...it worked like a dream. We had visitors while we were out there, but didn't stop our assembly and we were finished in 3 hours and after getting the hold downs set to perfection, it looked fabulous.

While we were working on the knife, we had time to drain the oil and change the filter, so Marilyn could reset the alarm and get rid of the chimes for another 300 hours. Marilyn greased the combine, then we tested out the new guards and sections...it ran like a top...smooth and chatter-free.

Justin was able to keep combining and worked at cleaning up all the patches that we couldn't get to earlier. He did manage to get stuck after we left last night with a full hopper, but we didn't get to see it, so it could be just a rumor.

We cleaned up all the tools, leaving the wrenches on the counter because that is where they would end up with the trip back down the trail, then took the shop trailer back to the farm and called it a day.

Tomorrow, we get to test the new knife...

August 25, 2011

View of the day-Al winds his way through the maze of soft spots and water holes to get back to the truck.

We got out to the field a little later than normal and spent some time looking over what the big pull could have damaged on the combine. After scraping the lumps of mud and clay off the tire and underneath the chassis, we could see the screen that protects...as best a screen can...the transmission area. We took it off and straightened it out with what we had on hand, then put it back together...quite a task since we couldn't get it completely straight.

We also hooked on a new tow strap to the chain so that it would stay on all the time. We had been folding the last tow strap over the chain and hooking both loups up to the main tow rope and after all the pulling, the tow strap got cut in half from the chain. We learned from that mistake. We also had to make sure the straps were long enough so the auger wouldn't accidently go through the back tractor window.

We finally got rolling around 1pm and Marilyn was trying to stay on the high spots to avoid having another of "those" incidents and did pretty well for the first couple of hours...then...on the top of a hill...both big wheels dropped down.

Marilyn rode over with Al in the tractor and cart to get Big Red from the other side of the field, then drove the cart back while Al brought the big gun over. We got the strap hooked up and ready for when Danny showed up and when he got in and gave a tug...it came right out. Woo hoo!

Marilyn was even more careful than before and managed to total 40 acres for the day...a far cry from the 140 acre days, but considering the extra curricular activities that have been going on, pretty darn good.

Justin forged on...his combine is 4000 lbs lighter and he has a smaller header, so that helps, too. Al keeps suggesting we go get our old 2588 back because then we wouldn't have to worry about being so heavy.

We worked banker's hours today, starting after lunch and quiting around 7pm. We are getting ready to move over to the last quarter of the three we started out with.

And we hear it is the wettest of the three...

August 24, 2011

View of the day-Al checks out the waterway to see if it is safe to cross.

We got an early start, Al wanted AIS at 10:30am and we were only 5 minutes late getting started. Justin was taking last nights load into the elevator so Marilyn was on her own for the first while…which made for some interesting cutting.

This field has also been called the “Land of 1000 Lakes”...there are a lot of potholes and this wet season has filled ALL of them. Marilyn was slowly working her way around all that she could, getting further and further south, away from the trucks and not getting to cut any big patches. Justin got back with the semi and started combining a patch on the east side of the first ravine, it was a lot drier there so he got some pieces patched out for Marilyn to cut before he took off with the next loaded semi.

It was working so much better on this side and Marilyn was getting lots of ground covered with hardly any soft spots…until she started cutting around one of the potholes. She made a point of cutting around 15 feet away from the pothole, when all of a sudden the right front wheel just dropped…about 4 feet down.

It didn’t look good. Al went over and got Big Red and tried to give the combine a tug…after all, there was only one wheel down and the other three were on solid ground…no luck, it just spun down even further. The combine tire had almost disappeared and we could see the reason was the oozing clay that was sucking it even deeper as the tire spun…time for another plan.

Danny made a call to bring in a trackhoe and after an hour’s wait, Nick showed up with rig. He was a master at the levers and was able to get a lot of the mud dug out from beside and behind the big wheel. We tried again with Big Red…the combine tire just spun deeper and by now the back rear left wheel was completely off the ground and able to spin freely. Time for another plan.

Nick took the trackhoe over to the rock pile and brought over a couple of bucket fulls to put in the hole behind the tire to give it some traction and just to be sure we would have a solid pull, Danny called in the big gun…a 4 wheel drive JD with triples.

We watched Justin continue combining and after a short wait for the JD, we got the tow strap hooked up and gave it a slow steady pull…and this time it had enough traction to get the combine out and pulled back onto solid ground.

By now the sun had gone down and there was no way Marilyn was going to attempt combining in the dark, so we drove back over to the other side of the field to park for the night. We stopped in the bar for supper and the first thing we heard from the crowd was “we already saw the pictures”…Al was ready to accuse Marilyn of uploading to Facebook, like she did the last time, but she was innocent this time…it was the guys in the JD rescue rig.

Marilyn was saving the pictures for the blog…

August 23, 2011

View of the day-The rain didn't hold us up, it was business as usual.

We didn't have to get out to the field early today, since the rain that fell last night put the brakes on cutting. The good news was, the rain gauge only had wet chaff in it, so there was hope we would get started later in the day.

Al went out to the field and took the flat tire off the header...it was the same tire that we had gotten 'fixed' the other day. The guy told us the tube might not last and he didn't lie. We took it into Jamestown and while Al took it to the tire shop, Marilyn went to Walmart to pick up some much needed groceries to make lunches.

After getting both jobs done, we stopped for lunch, then went back to the camper to wait. We decided to go out around 4pm and when we got out to the field, we could see that Wayne had started combining, while Justin took the load of wheat from yesterday in to the elevator.

We got the tire back on the header, then Marilyn started combining...there wasn't much left there and we were finished within the hour and were ready to make the move north.

The trip over was quite scenic…which translates into hair raising…rolling hills, patched roads where the water had been washing across, fiber optic idiots with their trucks parked on the road while they sat inside drinking coffee, and the two track trail that eventually led to the field. And then we had to delicately cross a spot where a new culvert had been put in…and it was just barely wide enough for the combines to cross.

Once we got across and into the field, we cut a patch to park everything, then Justin struck out across the field and Marilyn followed right behind him. This was a precarious situation…just because Justin could get through the low spots with the 2388, Marilyn wouldn’t make it through as easy.

Marilyn tried to find a high spot to keep out of trouble, but a high spot does not necessarily guarantee dry ground and just as she was getting close to the top…she was stopped in her tracks…literally. Big Red, the 4 wheel drive, was just showing up in the field, so Wayne found a path over to the combine and tugged it out without issue.

And once the sun was down we quit for the day, because “Hell’s Kitchen” as the field is called, is not someplace you want to be in the dark…

August 22, 2011

View of the day-Marilyn finishing up a corner…and don’t bother scrolling down to see any disaster pictures…today was ‘stuck-free’!

We went over to the Café for breakfast, then headed out to the field to do some servicing and get ready for action…and there was a lot of it today. Both combines ran without incident and the big 4 wheel drive never even got started.

Al was kept busy with the grain cart, making sure the semis were tarped and ready to go when the truck drivers showed up and he had his work cut out for him making sure Marilyn didn’t have too much in the hopper. She was hoping today would be the day not to get stuck.

We finished on one side of the water run, then moved down the road to get to the other side…it was much better combining on this side because the land was a bit higher and the high temperatures helped. Of course, ‘high’ here is more like 88º. The humidity was unreal…around 65% for most of the day…Marilyn’s cab windows had little fog circles where the a/c was blowing on it. It was really sticky.

Justin took his spreaders off and dropped straw for a few acres, so that meant Marilyn had to venture out on her own…carefully on her own. We had a good day…didn’t finish the field…but have whittled it down to just the wet spots and with the heat that is supposed to be coming this week, they will likely get lapped up before long. We stopped to fuel up...we have only been putting in 100 gallons at a time to keep the combine weight down.

We quit before dark because it was getting super tough and Marilyn had to pull straw out of her knife too many times during the day due to the tough straw. There was a big cloud that was moving in from the west and we were hoping it would miss us…and maybe it did…out at the field at least.

We had supper in the bar before calling it a night. We did end up getting a big wind, rain and lots of lightning and thunder…we don’t know about the accumulation, but the camper is still upright, so that is something, at least.

We might get to do some fixing tomorrow, depending what is in the rain gauge…

August 21, 2011

View of the day-The army is lined up with the most important part of the operation standing guard.

We had a somewhat productive day. We started off with our morning stroll over to the Cafe for breakfast, then packed the lunch bags and headed out to the field.

When we got there, we saw one of the semis getting two new boots on the trailer so we asked the tire man if he could fix another one of the tires on the header that had gone flat.He did't have a tube with him, but he said he would come back later and get the job done.Marilyn was gun shy and stayed away from anyplace that even looked like she might get stuck and fortunately, Al got his exercise by walking the patches that were left so there would be smooth sailing for the combine.

Justin had a good day in his combine, being lighter weight he could go places that Marilyn couldn't...but he still wasn't light enough to cross the waterway to get to the last patch in the field. First stuck of the day, but he came out with hardly a tug from the 4 wheel drive and he left that patch for another day.

Marilyn moved over to a small piece across the road and cleaned it up in no time and it was plenty dry, so there was no worried...why can't it all be like this...shut up and drive. We had to move a few miles over to the next field and this one was relatively flat compared to the last field. Justin started out on the north piece and Marilyn struck out on the larger south piece and she was able to cut right across the centre of the field without issue.

We never did get all the wheat cut, but with it opened up the heat and wind could get to the ground and dry it out so it could get finished later on in the week...hopefully.

Al had talked to Justin and he decided it would work better if we were both on the same piece, so Marilyn moved over and started cutting on the piece he had patched out. She had just turned around at the end of the standing grain and was about to start back in cutting, when her knife stopped. She tried to reverse the knife, but Lord knows that is a waste of time, so she decided to back up so she could go out and pull the straw out...the combine didn't want to move. Well, actually it did move...straight down...stuck two of the day.

Wayne was manning the grain cart while Al was running a truckload to town and since he had just left the field with the truck, he was able to leave the truck in Pingree and get a ride back to the field to help pull the combine out. Wayne took over in the 4 wheel drive and because we have a chain wired up, ready for action, it didn't take long to get the straps hooked to the tractor and Marilyn to get pulled out.

She went back to work on the high ground and was going along fairly good, but it wasn't long after that she was making a turn to go back into the standing grain to meet the grain cart when one wheel of the combine dropped and there she was...stuck again. Al came over with the grain cart and was able to get the combine unloaded and we were pretty sure that without the 100 bushels of wheat in the hopper, we might have been able to get out...but why take any chances when the cavalry is right there.

Still not ready to give up, she helped Justin finish off the last of the piece patched out, then we called it a night...it was getting tough...Marilyn actually had her feeder plug up. Surprisingly the reverser works to get that unplugged.

What adventures will tomorrow bring...

August 20, 2011

View of the day-We are back in the zone, cutting spring wheat in Pingree, ND.

We walked over to the Pingree Cafe...50 yards from the camper, through some mighty wet grass...and got our egg fix in. After breakfast, we loaded up the lunch bags and headed out to the field to get the combine ready for action.

Marilyn did the windows and got her camera mounted in the hopper so she could keep track of the wheat as it piled up...actually, she would likely not see a full hopper for a while...more later. Marilyn was having issues with the steering column...the same issue that Casey had with his JD combine...it tilted fine, but it would not lock into place. We discovered what the issue was and got it fixed as best we could, then got the header hooked up and ready for action, then we moved across the road to cut a patch for the trucks.

This field we are working on is one of those fields, that when you drive by, you think how scenic it is...rolling hills and thick wheat...beautiful. BUT when you actually have to go in and cut it...well,that is a whole other story. The hills help to keep the water drained...and they had a lot of it this year...but there were places where the water eventually had to end up and Marilyn started out avoiding these spots at all costs. It was easy enough to cut through the high part of the field, but it didn't take long before the "window kissing" hills gave way to the valleys and their hidden traps.

Al was running the grain cart and made a point of dumping the combine on every other pass, just to keep the weight off the combine...hence the mention about not getting to use the hopper camera. While he was up dumping the cart into the semi...Marilyn planted it. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as the Esterhazy catastrophe from last fall and Danny was able to pull her out with the 4 wheel drive tractor and a healthy tow strap.

Then the steering column gave way again, but this time Marilyn decided to keep on combining and just deal with the excitement of a wayward steering column with a mind of its own...we could deal with it when we quit for the day.

At least the combine could still do the important job, even though the tracks looked like Marilyn might have had a few beverages, or the wrong glasses on.

Justin was having issues with his 2388 CaseIH combine...or rather his draper head, the combine was working fine. Since his combine was lighter that Marilyn's, he was going to try and open up the field, or at the very least, patch out some pieces that Marilyn could clean up, but he would just get going and the feed draper would stop and he would have to get out and do some fixing. Eventually he had to go for parts, so Marilyn was on her own.

The weather was unpredictable...clouds built up, then dumped rain and moved on, but we were fortunate to only get a sprinkle to slow us down for a bit. Three miles south a half an inch fell...nice that most of the showers split and went around us.

When we finally quit combining, just as the sun was going down, we gave Ray from ProHarvest a call to find out what the issue with the steering column could be and he walked us through what he thought it might be. We had looked online at the parts catalogue and described to him which part we thought was wrecked, but when we had it off, we could see that the threads weren't stripped as we originally suspected. It turned out to be a lock nut that was hidden behind a rubber boot that wasn't doing it's job...we clued that bugger in and got everything almost back together. We had to stop because the mosquitoes were almost carrying us off. And that is pretty serious when you consider the size of us.

Still a pretty good day of combining...

August 19, 2011

View of the day-The Freightliner unhooked from it's load after almost a month...back in Canada at Carlyle. It will get the next couple of weeks off, too.

Up early and on the road after grabbing a coffee at the Pingree Cafe...we really need to get the coffee machine running in the camper...old and weak is not the way to get going in the morning...and we are talking about the coffee...not us!

We got over to Wilton and Al got the Freightliner started, courtesy of the booster cables and the Dodge, then did a circle check. When he looked at the hitch on the tractor, he noticed the pin that hooks the cart to the tractor had crept up out of the bottom hole and had bent the hair pin that was supposed to keep the pin in place. We managed to get the remains of the hairpin out and Marilyn took it into the Cenex to see if they had a replacement...they didn't...but they did have a bolt that would do the job.

We put a ramp board across the trailer so the jack on the cart would lift the hitch high enough to get the pin back in place. Once we accomplished that,we were back on the road to Carlyle, with all things operational...for a while at least.

Just as we got outside Minot, the sun...which had been behind the clouds all morning...came out and Al decided he wanted to open the driver's window in the Freight to get some air. It didn't want to crank down...not that it ever did crank down that well, but if you held your tongue right and used both hands to crank and ease it down, it would work. For some reason it had jammed up and when we turned the handle, it worked...at least it "turned". Around and around and around...without connecting to anything.

Of course, we didn't have the shop trailer, so we had to make do with what tools we had and every bolt that was holding the door panel on was a different size, making it even more challenging. We eventually got the window down, dodging traffic as we were parked on the side of the road...on a really wide shoulder, but you can never be too careful, can you? We nicely got the door panel bolted back on and closed the door...then the door latch wouldn't work to get the door open! How was Al supposed to get in?

First, a mental picture of what the cab of the Freight is like. The seats are very close to the dash...Marilyn's knees are right up against it when she rides in the passenger seat. Now add to this a steering wheel that is two feet across and you can see the problem trying to into the driver's seat...enough of a task when the door does open. Al...not the happiest about the situation to start with...managed to contort himself enough to get into the seat, decided we should keep going on to Kenmare where we could park in the lot at the Cenex and work on it without traffic bothering us. We just hoped we wouldn't get stopped by the coppers and have to get out of the cab.

So we made it to Kenmare, got the door opened...eventually...and not without some "language". We managed to get the window completely out of the door...in one piece, amazingly...got the latches all lubed up and working better than they ever did, then headed for the border...all doors operational.

The crossing went smoothly...through in ten minutes total for both sides...then we were on the last leg of the northern run. We got out to Kim and Marg's farm, got it parked out in the back field, then unhooked the trailer from the Freight so it wouldn't be hanging on the hitch for a long time. After a chat with nephew, Gordie and a stop at Precision Ag for some fresh brewed coffee...strong and no floating scum...and a gab, we were rolling back to Pingree.

We were listening to a radio station that had a sports talk show rehashing the Rider football game from last night and Al decided to call in with his opinion. He told the call screener his opinion and was waiting on hold when there was breaking news...they had just fired the head coach and the offensive coordinator! Al was the first caller after the big news and did an excellent job voicing his opinion on the big cuts...of course, he's no stranger to being "on the air".

Again, we got through the border without incident, actually getting the same woman at the US side who was surprised to see us so soon. On we drove, stopping at McDonald's in Minot where Marilyn took over driving so Al could grab a snooze. After a stop for fuel in Fessenden, Al took over the wheel so he could listen to his choice of radio show...aliens and such on Coast to Coast AM. That is the deal...the driver has control of the dial, while the co-pilot fetches the pop, files the receipts, sets up the gps...oh, wait...that is when Marilyn is co-pilot.

We made it home by 10pm...a 580 mile round trip with a lot accomplished and now we hope to get combining tomorrow...it looks promising.

A side note...the Freight never hauled one load in the USA this harvest season...first time ever...

August 18, 2011

View of the day-First load of the day making the short move through Wing and on to Washburn.

We got a lot accomplished today and most of it was according to schedule. We were up early to get the camper closed up and ready to move, but that wasn’t the first thing on the moving list. We went down to Hazelton to get the General, combine and shop trailer moved up to Sterling.

Once we had it parked, we got the Freightliner started…it took some coaxing, but after a boost from the Dodge it roared to life. There could be some new cables in her future. We grabbed a quick coffee, then took off for Wilton where we would leave it until tomorrow.

We took the scenic route up through Wing, then over to Wilton…a much quieter stretch of road for wide loads. When we got to Wilton, they were tearing up the lot at the Cenex, so we continued on to Washburn. Marilyn figured at this rate, we would end up at the border…but we found some place to squeeze in at the Cenex there, then it was back to Sterling to get the camper and the General load.

We had just gotten the camper hooked up and moved out to the highway...thanks to the Eberles who gave us somewhere to park...when we met with Lynn and Gerry who had just returned from their trip home to Canada. They are desperately looking for a truck driver or two and had hoped that Al would be able to help them out for a couple of days, but with our trip back to Carlyle tomorrow and the probability that we will start combining on our own on Saturday, we couldn’t oblige them. But…if you always wanted to go on a harvest run, are in the Sterling area or want to make the move and want to drive grain truck for a week or so, email us and we can get you in touch with them.

We grabbed a quick snack at the Cenex, then started off for Pingree…a peaceful drive up to Wing again and down highway 36. We got into town, then parked the General at the old elevator, then went over to the 281 Stop to park the camper. We used to camp here in the past, but the last few times we have come to harvest, it has been in the fall and we never had a camper with us. We got backed into a spot, hooked up the water and power, then went over to get the General unhooked and the combine unloaded.

We hadn’t forgotten how to unload things, even though it seemed like it had been forever since we had been in the combine…or at least that’s how it seemed. We got it unloaded and parked the General, then Al drove it out to the farm, while Marilyn followed with the pickup and shop trailer. We passed some tracks that looked like they wouldn’t be getting used for a while, due to the abundance of water in the area…shocking how much erosion has moved these heavy pieces of steel and ties.

It was a short drive of about 10 miles and when we got out there, we unhooked the shop trailer, then unlocked it to see what kind of catastrophe had happened on the move up from Gettysburg. With it hooked up behind the combine trailer, it bounces around a lot and when we took a look in we were surprised to see that there were actually some wrenches left on the wall…although most of them were on the bench and floor. After getting it organized, we came back to the camper so Marilyn could get the dish set up for the Rider game.

Dish aiming took some doing, since the highway that runs past the Stop goes NW to SE, which makes it hard to figure out which way is south and which way the dish should be pointing. With the Dishnetwork system we used to have, we just had to put in the zip code and the elevation and azimuth would show up on the screen, but with this Canadian dish, it is more or less a crap shoot. We set the dish close to one of the back windows and Al had it open to let Marilyn know how the signal was showing up on the dish and how close she was getting. There had been a big cloud passing over and while Marilyn was working on the dish, there was a loud clap of thunder…the lightning must have hit close by…so Al figured he could wait a bit for the game and told Marilyn to come into the camper until things quieted down a bit. By the time she got in the camper, it started to rain and within three minutes, it started to pour so much we couldn’t see the trees a half mile away. Fortunately, it didn’t last too long and once the rainbow showed up, it was safe to get back to dish aiming. This time it was a 10 minute job and Al was watching his Riders stink the joint out…for the first 50 minutes of the game, at least.

Marilyn headed in for a shower and was shocked to learn…the hard way…that the propane tank was empty and there was no hot water. Good thing the other tank was full, but now she had to wait for the water to heat up, so we went into the bar to have supper…a bonus we get camping here. After supper, it was time to shower and catch up on some laundry before calling it an early night, so we can get rolling at the crack of dawn.

The Riders pulled off another loss and there is a strong north wind blowing…

August 17, 2011 - Happy Birthday Al!

View of the day-The berm around the CaseIH dealer in Minot, ND is starting to come down, now that the water has receded.

We got up early, had coffee with Kim and Marg, then headed for the border at Northgate. Mr. Happy was at the gate, and lived up to his name by quizzing us, checking a bag or two, grilling us on the size of the slip tank, then telling us to have a great day.

We stopped in Minot at the Happy Panda for Chinese buffet and timed it just right…early enough to beat the rush and get in on the fresh food. After lunch we forged on, taking the round about way to Bismarck…via Pingree…so we could check out the crop over there. We got to see the aftermath of the flooding around Minot…it’s going to take a lot of recovery.

We drove down to Pingree, stopped in at the 281 Stop to check out the campground…we will be the only ones in there tomorrow, so we will get the choice spot…then started back to Sterling. We decided that we would go down to Hazelton and get the Freightliner load moved up to Sterling along with the header, then tomorrow morning the Freight would get moved to Wilton to wait for the Friday trip to Carlyle. We then decided we might as well get the header closer to Pingree and since Danny, the farmer, works out of Medina, right along the interstate, we took it to his workplace and left it there for him to move to Pingree tomorrow.

After dropping it off, we stopped for an ice cream at the Dairy Treat, then forged back to the camper at Sterling. Over 500 miles today.

Meanwhile, tomorrow we will move the Freight, then go back to Hazelton to get the General and combine, then Marilyn will hook up the camper on the way back through Sterling.

At least that is the plan…

August 13, 14, 15, 16, 2011

View of the day-Al gets some cutting in on some green grass.

It’s a slippery slope when the blog gets missed for a day…then two…then three…but there really wasn’t much going on, so you didn’t miss a lot.

Saturday was spent getting prepared for the wedding, then attending the ceremony, supper and dance. We were honored to be the Master of Ceremonies for the evening and had a pretty good time…we even avoided the usual “discussions” we have regarding the way things should be flowing. It’s a good thing Jenna had a script written out for us that we just had to personalize with our own style. A lot of fun and a late night, as we got home around 4am.

Sunday we laid low, we went for brunch at the greenhouse, then went out to see how the land had faired with all the moisture…it couldn’t get seeded, so it looked pretty bad, but at least what was out there was dead, making it look even worse. But then, there are a lot of the fields around that look the same.

Marilyn had a meeting with her theatre ‘peeps’…a lovely afternoon in the back yard of one of the members and lots accomplished. The last couple of meetings that she has attended have been through Skype….which works, but is not quite the same. Al came and picked her up when he was done with his visiting with the neighbors out at the farm.

Monday, Al got some yard work done after borrowing the neighbor’s riding lawn mower…apparently for our ‘huge’ yard, the push mower will not suffice. We are still trying to figure out how to adapt the mini combine to cut grass. Marilyn had a rehearsal later on in the evening and this time everyone came out to our place…only four people, a small cast for the entry into the TheatreOne drama festival that is coming up in Kamsack the first week of November. Marilyn is directing this play so she will have to forgo the toy show in Dyersville, Iowa this year, because it falls on the same weekend.

During the night the storms started up around midnight, they came and went until starting full time around 3am…we ended up getting just over an inch of rain, but it was a lot better than the almost 5 inches they got to the east of us.

Tuesday it was time to pack up and head back to North Dakota, but first we had a pile of things to get done in town before we left. Al had purchased a new hopper bin to put up on the land we had bought last year and he wanted to make sure he added the dryer tube to it before they had it built…no rush, since there was no crop this year. Marilyn had to pull a marathon shift at the Sasktel store, purchasing a new Blackberry.

After talking to the people at one of the Sasktel offices on Monday, Marilyn changed her data plan so she could use her Blackberry for tethered data while at home in Saskatchewan. After getting back home, she tried it out, but the BB Curve that she had…almost three years old…kept rebooting and she couldn’t stay online. So no internet and a cranky Marilyn. Al called Sasktel to see about getting here a new phone and they said she was eligible, just sign a contract…something she wasn’t keen on doing.

She went into the Sasktel store in the mall…chaos, that place is always nuts and you have to take a number when you enter the store…she had 99 and they were on 86. She left the store, chucking her number tag in the garbage on her way to one of the other Sasktel stores…only neither one of them had the new Blackberry Torch that had just come out this week. She was not happy, but ended up having to go back to the mall to tough it out until her time came up. The good news was that they were on #99 when she got there…the bad news was that her tag was in the garbage can outside the mall, and the number cops would not allow her to step into the spot. So she took another number, this time 104. They zipped right through up to #103, then she stood there for 35 minutes waiting for it to change, all the while watching as clerk after clerk disappeared into a room and never came back out. They need to change something up there…or at least give a damn about the rest of the people waiting.

She finally got her phone and services set up…sort of…they had system issues and needed an extra 45 minutes to get everything loaded, so we took off to get fuel and then a visit in at Staples, before going back to get Marilyn’s new phone. And as Al puts it…”she’s as happy as a little girl”.

After that marathon, we carried on to Carlyle where we were going to spend the night at the Johnstone Joint…Marilyn’s sister’s place. We got there in time for supper and after a good visit and some repair work out in the shop on nephew, Gordie’s pickup, we were done for the day.

And we are back on the blog schedule…
 

August 12, 2011

View of the day- Our Saskatchewan sunset as we settle in at home…for a few days, at least.

We were undecided as to what we would accomplish today but after a bit of discussion, we settled on taking a road trip to Porcupine Plain to talk to a farmer that had been calling us about doing some harvesting. This gentleman had been talking to us for the last three years, but our schedule was always so tight that we could never even consider it. Well…there was no hurt in looking.

We started north, with our destination about 125 miles…a lot of it on those infamous Saskatchewan roads. We had to cross through Greenwater Provincial Park, and it is mind boggling how they get any tourist to return after one trip…those highways are HORENDOUS. We arrived fairly shaken up, but none the worse for wear and after checking out the camping facilities in the town, went out to meet with Barry, the farmer’s son.

Barry took us around to look at some of the fields…all in blocks and a close haul…that would be nice, and all of it a month away from being ready…even nicer. We dropped Barry back off at the farm, then took another route back to Yorkton and even with a 15 mile stretch of gravel, it was a lot smoother and not near the traffic, so we know which way we will be moving up.

We had to take a side trip to just NE of Melville to take part in the rehearsal and family supper for Al’s nephew, Devin and his bride to be, Jenna’s wedding tomorrow…well, we took part in the supper, at least. The wedding will be outside in Jenna’s family’s farm yard…which looked absolutely fabulous for the event…it was a beautiful evening, no wind, bug free. The weather is supposed to be perfect for tomorrow and they got the rain out of the way…two inches fell there today! The dragonflies have taken care of most of the mosquitoes and it can’t be anything but perfect. We are Master of Ceremonies for the event, so that should be interesting. As long as Al doesn’t start telling Marilyn to “stop side seat driving” like he does when she tells him where to go when he is driving.

After the supper was over, we had a good visit with the families, then headed back for Yorkton. Al dropped Marilyn off at Staples so she could pick up a couple of things and get a quick visit in with her work cronies and he went next door to the Coop to fuel up. Then it was back to the farm to see if we could get the CFL Rider game on the TV that was left at home.

And of course…they lost again…

August 11, 2011

View of the day-Al gets some of the pickup unloaded at home.

Well we didn’t get the second blog in as hoped yesterday…the Verizon MiFi doesn’t work in this area and a drive into town was out of the question.

We were up early so we could get the camper closed up for a few days and while Marilyn was getting things packed, Al went over to the farmer’s yard and got the trailer with the pickup head hooked up and came back to the camper. The original idea was to get the trailer from Menoken on our way through to Bismarck, but Marilyn had seen the construction signs north of the city, so we figured we would just go the tried and true way…north of Sterling to Wing and over to Wilton.

That plan was the best one because the highway was a dream and the traffic was quiet…of course we weren’t pulling a wide load, so it really didn’t matter. We went through some rain, missing most of the heavy stuff and stopped in Minot so Marilyn could get the rest of the stuff she needed from Walmart…and Al had to get the 40 oz, and 24 pack of “beverage” to take home.

We carried on north and made our last stop in Kenmare to get yet another box of toys from our drop point, although this time it was for one of our friends back in Yorkton. The border crossing went fast, there were two new guys on the US side and when they looked at the paperwork, they said “we don’t have to worry about it being done wrong, we have been told you guys do a perfect job”…well…that was nice! New guys on the CDN side and they sent us on our way after checking the header out.

We stopped at Precision Ag to drop off some things and get a coffee refill, then forged on to meet Al’s stepdad at the junction of 9 and 22 highways. Ray gets our mail while we are gone and we had to get the two bags that he had collected…and get caught up on all things local. Ray doesn’t have a computer, so he has to find out about our summer the old fashioned way…word of mouth.

Once we had gotten caught up, we carried on to Yorkton and were extremely happy to see they had completely fixed the highway that had been so bad when we left…REALLY fixed it, not just patched it. Too bad it was only 1% of the roads we have to drive on.

When we got to the farm, we unloaded the boxed out of the truck, then went back into town, so Marilyn could get a haircut and a visit in with her friend Pam, and Al could have a visit and drop off the game he picked up in Kenmare. After that it was back home to the farm and our own bed…although the one in the camper is pretty nice, too.

Another road trip tomorrow and a wedding rehearsal…

August 10, 2011

View of the day-The sunflowers are looking pretty good along the highway north of Gettysburg.

We were up early to get the camper flanged in, get the camping bill paid and get settled up with the farmer before leaving the Burg for the last time this season.

We got out to the farm where the Freight was waiting, got the tractor chained back down from the big tire change, then started rolling. This time we had more than construction to deal with. We were about 30 miles into our journey we came up behind a cyclist "in" one of those recumbent, pod-looking kind of things. He was clipping along at a reasonable pace...for a bike, at least...and he pulled over onto the wide shoulder. Too bad the rest of the cyclists didn't have the same common sense.

Further up the road they were doubling up and the first few pairs went into single file and pulled over to the shoulder, but that didn't last long as the rest of them stayed in our lane. We had no problem sharing the road with them, but for some reason they didn't have the common sense to pull over going up a hill, which created a nasty road hazard. Marilyn was only pulling the camper, but it was still unnerving and she could only warn Al of the trouble he was likely to encounter...at least she could tell him if there was any oncoming traffic to deal with. We got through that batch of trouble unscathed...although there might have been some bike shorts that required scraping out.

Just before we got to the ND construction, we came up behind another bike tour...this time regular pedal bikes, with more of the same attitudes...some, not all of them. Al was following the team porta-potty on a trailer up a hill when it decided not to pass the bikers...at the last minute. He is glad the Freight has good brakes...and that the three vehicles behind him did too.

We finally made Hazelton and got the Freight parked, then got directions to our parking spot for the camper from Gerry Prevost. Because we are so close to Bismarck, the camping spots are all full with displaced flood victims, making it tough to find a place to park. Gerry and Lynn park in their farmer's yard so they were able to find us a plug in for the camper and since we are going back home for a wedding, we don't need anything else.

We got parked, plugged in, then went out to the field where Prevost's were finishing their last field of winter wheat. They were short a man for the day, so Al finally got to driver a new semi and haul grain, while Marilyn kept Lynn company in the cart tractor...and it ain't no 2390 Case.

Once they had the field finished, we went back to their camper and enjoyed a home made meal. Then Lynn and Marilyn went into Bismarck to drop some cash at Walmart. They had an early night, getting back around midnight...earlier than the usual 3am jaunts Marilyn usually goes on...then it was blog time.

Unfortunately the bins we were parked beside cut the signal, so no blog last night...expect two today...

August 9, 2011

View of the day-Al gets the General box up so we could fix the shock absorber that had blown a bolt.

We had about 30 acres left to do and we knew it wouldn't go until after lunch, so we went out and paid a few bills, then went to the Rock for lunch. We have been in town for three weeks and have gone to the Rock quite a bit...never early enough for the 10:30am egg cut off. Today we got there at 10:45 and the waitress asked us if we want breakfast or lunch...what?!? That's right, since they opened back up, the have offered breakfast ALL DAY...apparently we have never asked...just ass-umed. Lesson learned...AND we got eggs.

We had to do a quick fix on the General...there was a bolt that had come out of the bottom of the shock and it was dangling down. It didn't take long for the fix and once that was looked after, Al left with it for the field. Marilyn left at the same time with the pickup, but had to stop and hook up the high speed header transport at the other farm where the trailers were parked.

Al had one more load to take to the bins while Marilyn finished up the field with Casey, then it was time to load up. We got the header on the trailer and got the combine and header moved to the trailers, loaded the combine on the trailer, then went back to get the General and get it hooked up.

The A/C man was out at the tractor with the new hoses, but after getting the old hoses off and trying to get the new ones on, he discovered they had sent hoses with the wrong ends, so he had to put the old ones back on. So Al still has no A/C, but with the temperature alot cooler...56º as this blog goes up...he shouldn't need it.

Al called AIS for the move at 5pm and we were only 10 minutes late as we headed for Hazelton, where we would leave the rigs until tomorrow when we get there with the Freightliner, tractor and cart. Again, we had to go through all the detours and road construction, but we still made it before sunset, which was our goal and after parking at the Cenex, we headed back for Gettysburg, where we arrived around 10:45pm.

A long day of combining, loading and moving and tomorrow we do it again...minus the combining...

August 8, 2011

View of the day-Al gets to pull the first shift of the day.

There was a sprinkle this morning, but not enough to settle the dust and that gave us high hopes for the afternoon. We stayed around the camper until Danny came over with a sample and told us we were good to go.

Al had the General to go out to the field in, so he went out first and got started combining while Marilyn packed a snack and followed him out a half hour later. Once out at the field, Marilyn took over combining and Al went back to running the cart and hauling grain.

We finished the field and moved over the the last 70 acres we have left to do, it was a short move...just across the two track trail bordering the first field. Al took his last load of the day into town to dump at the bins, then went to the camper and when Marilyn and Casey had the semi filled, we quit for the night.

Tomorrow we finish and try to get loaded...and maybe get something moved...

August 7, 2011

View of the day-Ryan taking over for Al...soon we will be back at it.

We had a laid back day, with a bit of fixing...we worked on getting the ignition switch fixed up on the General and that went well, then we got the rear view mirrors adjusted. The mirror brackets had gotten all out of whack and needed some shimming to get the nuts to tighten so they would stay in place...and they will now. We figured we had gotten the clearance lights issue with the breaker looked after when we got the ignition fixed...that lasted until Al moved the General from the camper back to its parking spot...it kicked the breaker again. Later on he went out, reset the breaker, then started the truck again and this time it didn't kick the breaker, so it's on again-off again...we'll see how they work when we finally get to use it again.

It looked like we were going to get some rain all afternoon and evening, but it managed to fizzle out before it got to us in Gettysburg...others were not so lucky to the south. Even though we did not get rain, there wasn't a lot of combining by anyone around the campground. It was such a nice day that we actually got to have the windows open to let the wind air the place out and the air conditioning got a break...perfect day for working inside, which is what Marilyn did all day.

And we missed the Harvesters Appreciation Breakfast this morning...