September 30, 2011

View of the day-Getting the General back in operation out in the field where Al left it after the ujoint gave out.

Fixing Big Gen was the first thing on the agenda today. We took the shop trailer out to the field to make sure we had the right tools for the job and after getting the drive shaft shifted enough to get the remains of the wrecked ujoint, we headed to town with it to see if we could find a new one.

The first stop was the Bearing Shop in Balcarres and it was our lucky day, because he had one that was just what we needed. With that out of the way, we went to the Esso restaurant for lunch, then went right back out to the field to see if we could get things back together...without too much 'disCUSSing'. verything went back together way better than we thought it would and after a test drive around the field, we called that job a wrap.

Next we had to make a run into Lemberg to pick up a pump that Marilyn's sister needed at Precision Ag in Carlyle and after wrestling that into the back of the pickup, we headed for the combine. We had left the combine with some canola on it when we finished the first round of the field last night, so we needed to get it unloaded first and Blaine came to the rescue with the cart to take care of us. Al had brought the trailer for the pickup head, so we got that unhooked, loaded and strapped down, then we went back to the yard where the camper was parked so Marilyn could fire up the compressor and start cleaning off the chaff that had collected in those hard to reach places. We had a strong wind blowing from out of the SE which made cleaning off the rigs a treat...as much of a treat as cleaning can be.

While Marilyn was working on the combine and pickup head, Al went to get the straight header from the wheat field where we had left it earlier in the week. After getting that back to the yard, we hooked it up to the combine so we could get that one blown off as well. With that dirty job done, we got it loaded on the high speed transport trailer and parked it off to the side until we move it back home...or somewhere.

The trip back to the camper was just across the yard, so we had plenty of time to clean up, cook supper and watch some football.

Well, one of us, at least...

September 29, 2011

View of the day-Howie mans the fuel hose as the day is planned out on the ground.

We got out to the field early, got the combine serviced and fueled, then moved to the next field with the rest of the combines. While Marilyn started picking up canola with the other three combines, Al and the guys got the trucks moved around.

We were entertained again by the swarms of hawks and ravens cleaning up the mice that were scattering out of the swaths. They knew exactly where to hang around and followed us from field to field filling their bellies…the owl even showed up in one of the swaths again.

We finished the two quarters we had started on in the morning, just as one of the Masseys had bearing issues on the engine cooling fan. They had to wait for parts, so we were down to three machines for the rest of the day. We moved north of Abernethy to the next field and got another quarter finished before starting on the last one for the day.

We kept going on the canola until it got too tough…95% humidity will do that…then we parked and quit for the day around 10pm. Another good day, just over 150 acres for Marilyn.

Make that a really good day…

September 28, 2011

View of the day-The fields were swarming with ravens, hawks, an owl and a fox...only two would hold for a photo...and the batteries died in the camera.

We were out at the field, serviced then up and picking up canola swaths by 10am. There were clouds in the NW and we did have a few sprinkles, but only enough to make a mess on the windows when the dust started to stick.

There was lots of dust, but this time we had a pretty brisk wind which made going one direction a challenge...but with an arrow straight swath, a full mile long, there was no getting off the track. Those mile long runs made for great productivity by all four machines...a best acre day for Marilyn, getting 163 acres before quitting at 10pm.

After a run into Abernethy with Howie to get fuel from the Coop, Marilyn got back to the camper before Al, who was unloading the last truck at the bins before bringing it back to the yard.

Tomorrow we kick it again...

September 27, 2011

View of the day-A break for a delicious lunch out in the field...another gorgeous day, too.

We got the fueling and servicing done early and were cutting wheat by 10am. We got quite a chunk done, then when Jean showed up with the lunch, we all took a break. The field came together quickly with three machines running and before we knew it...it was time to move to a different field.

Al had been hauling with Big Gen and had noticed a vibration that had been getting progressively worse and on one of his trips back from the elevator, he discovered what it was. The back u-joint by the transmission had given it up. Fortunately his truck wasn't needed, so he limped in into a canola field that had already been combined, then got picked up by Blaine when he came back from the elevator.

Marilyn had the header unhooked and into transport by the time Al got back to the field, so we started the move south of Balcarres...about 10 or so miles. When we got there we got the header back on the combine, then took the guys back to the field to get the other vehicles moved to the new field. Then it was back to combining.

Marilyn finished her side of the field and by then it was time to quit, so she waited until Al got back from unloading at the bins, then we went home to the camper to clean up.

Tomorrow the General gets fixed...

September 26, 2011

View of the day-A moose makes the scene…not too concerned as it walked between two sloughs.

We were up and at ‘em by 10:30am and the going was good all day. We were working on a full section and were cutting out big patches to work around so we wouldn’t have to dead head back to the cart or trucks.

The truck drivers were hauling from both fields, to bins and to the elevator in town…which took a lot of coordinating so that no one was waiting too long to dump. Once the guys were finished picking up swaths at the field north of us, they moved over to our field and one of them jumped in to help out…only one straight header, so the other one had a break.

While we were hard at work on the wheat, the farmer across the road was working on flax swaths and as he would get some done, they would rake up the straw left behind into big stack…then set them on fire. What little wind there was, managed to be blowing in our direction, so we got all the smoke off the burning piles…and the sun looked like it was on fire, too.

Once we had most everything full, we quit for the night, stopped to get fuel for the combine in town, then went back to the camper for the night.

And the northern lights were dancing…

September 25, 2011

View of the day-The cart unloads into the semi which is parked at the bin in the field...one less driver needed...at times, at least.

We were out at the field, servicing, fueling, and waiting on orders for the day. It looked like there was going to be some time to wait, so Al sent Marilyn in to Fort Qu'Appelle to pick up a few groceries and fuel. He would be able to start combining in her absence...and he had the Sirius radion to occupy his time with some NFL football.

Marilyn stopped at the Coop for groceries and had quite a time getting back into the pickup...it must be wasp season. They were swarming around her shopping cart of groceries and seemed most interested in the fruit...and the donuts she had purchased for the guys. After flailing around and not getting stung, she got the cart unloaded and took off for the camper to get things put away.

Back at the field, Al had started combining and Marilyn took over after her shopping jaunt, just in time to finish the field. We moved over to a section of straight wheat and with only two machines running...the other two were up north picking up wheat swaths...it was quite a deal to get the field opened up...at least part of it. Al and Howie were kept busy at the bins...these were quite a bit smaller and required frequent moving of the auger to the next bin.

Marilyn's friend, Brenda, passed through for a ride on her way back to Yorkton from Regina. After a good gab and a scenic trip around the field a couple of times, she headed for home just before it was quitting time for us. That's right, we had gotten the word last night that we would be quitting at 6pm on Sunday...we thought it was a joke...nope. Marilyn shut the combine down at 6:15 and after the guys dumped the last of the wheat, we gave Howie a ride to his pickup and forged to the camper.

It was another beautiful day...not much wind and in the mid 80's...perfect for this time of year and with the trees changing color there is so much to take in during the day. It won't be long before that changes, so we enjoy it while we can.

Like there is anything we can do about it...

September 24, 2011

View of the day-Here we go again…but we weren’t the only one to get stuck.

Today was the day we were going back to straight cutting, so we went out to where we had left the combine to fuel and service before moving to where we had left the straight header.

While we were servicing we noticed that the feeder chain had jumped a cog and one of the three strands was shifted making the chain crooked. Fortunately, we were able to get it back in the right cog without too much work and we were back in business. But first we had to go and pick up one swath that had been left from the night before…there were a lot of sloughs that connected and it was no surprise that something was left out there.

We got moved over to the other field, got the header hooked up, then waited for the rest of the crew to show up from lunch before getting started. There was a farmer that wanted to bale some straw, so we took our spreaders off, moved the chopper knives and got started ‘laying a bead’ of straw…hopefully he doesn’t curse Marilyn too much. Although there was straw, the challenge of keeping the swaths in order was a bit tough because of the sloughs…and speaking of that…

While going around one of the sloughs, far enough out…or so she thought…the front tire dropped into a soft spot. The farmer that was wanting the straw made the mistake of coming to inspect…and got stuck too. There is the making of a song, here. One of the Massey’s was able to pull the truck out, but Al said not to even try using it for the combine…the big CaseIH 435 was put into action and since Marilyn knew from experience that once you hit the mud, you stop and don’t try to spin your way out, it wasn’t that deep. Or as Al likes to say…once you’re in a hole, stop digging…although it doesn’t only apply to the mud.

Once we got the tractor hooked up, it was no time at all and Marilyn was out…and back combining. We finished that field without any more incidents, moved across the road to finish the field we had started last week, then moved about 4 miles over to the next field and got started on it.

After the sun went down, the temperature dropped and the humidity went way up, making the straw pretty tough to spread…Marilyn had the spreaders and choppers back in operation, because there was no need for straw here. We shut down, had a short ‘safety meeting’…it was gorgeous out, even with the humidity. The 85º day probably helped a lot.

More of the same tomorrow…minus the getting stuck, of course...

September 23, 2011

View of the day-There’s a new kid in town…and it had to go to work pulling a combine that had slid off the road. Sorry, no pictures of that one…it was the neighbor.

We were up early and combining by 10:30am and never stopped until almost midnight. A very productive day in some heavy canola and after sunset the going got slow as the wheels on the pickup heads were shiny with moisture…the humidity had shot up and was making the big swaths tough to chew through.

Al was kept busy hauling the grain away from the three combines in the field, he had help from Lindsey, who works on the weekends and Blaine in the tractor and cart. A late night and early morning makes for a short entry...but a gorgeous sunset.


Tomorrow the straight header goes on and we start in the wheat…

September 22, 2011

View of the day-Servicing central, as all the combines get ready for another good day of harvesting.

We were eager to get back into the field after a couple of slack days off…harvesting, at least. We fueled and did the windows before moving across the highway to finish off a field that had been started previously. It was still a bit chewy, so we all stopped and went for lunch at Bob’s mom and dad’s place…you just can’t beat a home made meal and this one was delicious.

Once we got back to the field, it didn’t take too long before we had it lapped up and we getting the combines into moving mode to start the next field…about a five mile move. There was lots of entertainment in the field today as the hawks and ravens were picking off rodents like the seagull nabbing fries in the McDonald’s parking lot.

We were split up with two machines in each field, so Phil and I worked at getting the swaths around the sloughs picked up before it got dark…a necessity when you aren’t sure how it was swathed. Al and Blaine hauled grain for us and were able to keep up, even though the canola was yielding as high as 70 bu/ac.

We worked until they had filled the bin and didn’t want to set up a new one in the dark, so we filled both trucks and left the combines full as well. We stopped to get fuel for the combine on the way home and called it a wrap at midnight.

Tomorrow is supposed to be an even better day…

September 21, 2011

View of the day-Al blows out the rads while Marilyn stays in the cab waiting for ignition orders.

Cloudy and overcast…it didn’t look promising for combining. We had some work to do on the combine, so we hooked up the shop trailer and started out for the field. We decided to stop for eggs at the Esso and made it just under the wire for breakfast, then it was off to work.

The clouds were starting to clear off as Al got the compressor running to blow out the air filters and rads. Marilyn worked on the windows that had gotten pretty nasty from the combination of canola dust and rain. After getting the windows on our combine clean and having some time to kill, she went over to the Masseys to work on their windows…she got one done and quit. Those machines are not very ergonomic in the window cleaning department…curves, hinges and no handles…very precarious.

Once the combine was ready for action…should that happen later on…we went back to the camper, where Marilyn worked on the computer, getting caught up on work that had been piling up. Al went out and visited with the guys who were cleaning things up in the yard…then they decided to crank up and do a truckload or two.

An eight acre day…

September 20, 2011

View of the day-The Freightliner is parked in the "shed" for the winter...back at home.

There was rain during the night and well into the morning, so we knew we would have the day off from combining. Al had his list made out and the first thing on the list was to stop in Melville to get a couple of things done, then head for Yorkton.

We got to Yorkton just before lunch so we decided to have an early one and went to Melrose Place for a much missed real pizza. After lunch, we went out to Yorkton Auction Centre to unload the tractor and cart so we could get that load ready for the off season. It was the first time the new tires on the front of the tractor had touched the ground...as a matter of fact, it was the first time the tractor was off the trailer since July 18!!

It took some doing to get the unit off the trailer, since somewhere along the road, one of the inside duals was completely flat. We didn't notice it while it was on the trailer, because the duals sit in a wide cradle, but when we start to back it off when unloading, only the inside dual rides on the narrower ramp. Al was in the tractor and couldn't figure out why he was on 'tilt' so bad and Marilyn had no idea what was going on since she was on the other side watching the hitch and the other tire. We ended up using one of the wooden ramps to raise it up a bit and backed it off...in a hurry...which got the job done. Ugly...but accomplished.

Once the tractor was off, we hooked the trailer back up and Al took it out to his friend, Danny's, yard where we usually park it. Marilyn took the cameras off the grain cart while she was waiting...lots of cable ties to remove from the thorough job of mounting them. After that was in the bag, there was more time to kill.

To kill that time, Marilyn stopped in at Walmart and was pleasantly surprised to see Folgers coffee was on for $5.97 for the big container...she drinks a LOT of coffee and the price has been ridiculous this summer, topping out at 14.97 for the same size container. With five containers in the cart, she took one look at the lineups at the cash registers...not to mention the notice that said, "no debit or credit card machines, sorry", and said screw it...put the coffee and cart back, then left empty handed. Too bad they aren't 24 hours, because she would make the trip back at 3am just for the coffee.

After that waste of time, she went out to our place to meet Al and get the Freight put away for the season, right over this 8 inch mushroom that was right on the path to the 'shed'. Once it was parked we went back to the tractor so we could get it moved back to the farm. We unhooked the grain cart and left it for Danny to pick up at a later date, since he would be using it for their harvest. After everything was where it needed to go, we went back into town, picked up a few things, fueled up and left for Balcarres.

Back at the camper, Al got cleaned up so we could go out for a dinner date with his 'toy buddy', Roger and his wife, in Fort Qu'Appelle. On our way out, we took a detour to check on the trap line in the General...one kill...a baby, so there is likely more to come. He needs to park it in the yard by the camper with the doors open, so the two foxes that are playing around here can clean house.

After a good gab session and some Chinese food, we came back to the camper...and it was raining again! We even heard thunder a couple of times.

That wasn't in the forecast...

September 19, 2011

View of the day-Al in his latest drive...the Freightliner...one of several he hopped into during the day.

We were up early and out to the field to find the Masseys already making dust. It was an overcast day that threatened rain off and on during the day, but all we got were a few sprinkles...at least while Marilyn was combining.

We finished the field we were on, then moved across the road to the next quarter of canola, which we finished around 5:30pm. Marilyn had a theatre meeting to attend in Yorkton, so Al took over combining after we had moved to the next field. Although she offered to stay and combine, Al 'insisted' she go to the meeting...could it have had something to do with the flat field with one mile long swaths...and he had the satellite radio to listen to Monday Night Football? Yes, to all the above.

Marilyn left for Yorkton, had her meeting, then went for coffee with her friends before fueling up and starting back for Balcarres. While she was dropping her friend off at home, Al called to suggest she stay in Yorkton for the night, since Bob had to come to Yorkton tomorrow and Al could get a ride with him. They had gotten rained out and it hadn't let up yet, so tomorrow was going to be a day off for us.

The plan was to get the tractor and cart unloaded tomorrow, then park everything for the winter...we wouldn't be needing them again...so far, at least. Marilyn decided to return to Balcarres because she didn't have anything with her...computer wise...so the blog wouldn't be getting done...Al said no big deal. Marilyn disagreed.

Bob said it was getting boring anyway...all we do is combine...

September 18, 2011

View of the day- The combines waiting for servicing and the seeding rig ready to chase them down.

Al was up early to get some servicing done on the combine and Marilyn got to sleep in for an extra half hour and woke up to rain on the roof of the camper. It sprinkled on and off for about an hour, then the sun broke through and it looked like it was going to be a great day for combining.

It might have been a great day for combining, but Marilyn’s phone had crashed and after calling Sasktel support, they said the only way to reload the software was at a Sasktel dealer or online…the latter would not work because we use the phone to connect to the internet. On Sunday, the only dealer in the area that was open, was in Regina, about 65 miles from Balcarres...Marilyn had a road trip.

We went into Balcarres for brunch, then went back to the field just a big dark cloud started our way and before long, the rain was falling again…road trip was on. Al stayed at the camper, since they were pretty sure it would only be a couple of hours until they could start on the canola and Marilyn left for Regina.

They got combining about 45 minutes after Marilyn left and were just finishing the field and getting ready to move when she got back at 5pm. After getting everything moved to the next field, all four machines went to work again and got the first 70 acre patch done in one hour and fifteen minutes…nice flat ground and good dry swaths helped a lot, yes indeed. We got the next patch done, then moved across the canyon to the rest of the field and after the truck drivers left the field one at a time until Al was just left, we got the trucks and the combines full, then called it a day…at midnight.

The morning is going to come early…

September 17, 2011

View of the day-The Masseys are dumping into the cart…Blaine was kept busy roading the cart back to the bins a couple of miles away.

Al was up early and off to find the bearing for the sprocket…he got to the John Deere dealer too early, so he went for coffee at the Esso and Blaine was there, so he stopped for a chat until the store opened. They had the bearing, so he came back to the camper to press the bearing into the sprocket, then went out to the combine and put it back together, including the new drive chain.

We were moving from picking up canola over to straight cutting some wheat, so we drove the 10 miles or so to the field, dropped the pickup head on the ground, then hooked up the straight header that Al had brought over from the other field. We managed to combine a couple of loads, but it was 18% moisture, so we had to shut it down and move back over to the canola.

Al took the last load into the elevator while Marilyn switched out the headers…she ran into a bit of trouble with that. The feeder on the combine had to go to such a steep angle to hook the header, that there was no lip on it to pick it up…every time Marilyn tried to lift it, it just slipped off and back to the ground. She went over to the pickup to get a couple of blocks to try and get it just a bit higher…she was sure it wouldn’t take much. That didn’t work, so she thought blocking the pickup wheels would keep it from scooting ahead and allow her to reduce the angle…no luck there either…the pickup is meant to walk over obstacles like that. In the end, she is not sure how she managed to get it picked up…just held her tongue right, she figures…but finally it was on and hooked up just as Al got back from the elevator. We were on the move again.

Marilyn got right into combining in the canola and Al worked at the bins for a couple of loads before going back to the camper to shower and head to Yorkton for the hockey game… it was the Terriers home opener and he has season tickets. Marilyn stayed to combine…she will need Monday night off for a meeting in Yorkton.

It started to get really tough around 8:30pm so we all quit combining and went home for the night. There was lightning starting to light up the sky…kind of strange for this time of the year, although it is only September. There was rain to the east and south of us, but once again it missed us during the day, even though the clouds were threatening.

Tomorrow could be a different story…

September 16, 2011

View of the day-Looks are deceiving...a steep hillside makes for cab cleanup after everything slides across the floor.

We were up really early today...early for us, at least. Marilyn had a conference call at 8am and Al wanted to get started gutting the breakdown from yesterday. Once he got all the chaff blown away and bolted off the important parts, he discovered the problem...the locking collar had come off the shaft. So that meant when the return started to get overloaded and fill up the elevator, it pushed the housing out and out popped the shaft.

Al took the auger out and thankfully it wasn't broken or bent, but on the opposite side of the combine, the plate that supports the auger had a couple of cracks. We took everything over to the welding shop a few miles from the farm and got it welded right away and he even had the bearing we needed. We got back to the combine, got everything put back together and tested, then Marilyn drove it out to the field, while Al followed in the pickup. Al tested it out in the canola and it worked like a dream...and we were starting just after 12:30pm...pretty good considering what it looked like last night.

While Al combined, Marilyn drove up to the field where the other combine was cutting wheat, to get the hand held radio to keep in contact with the rest of the "A Team", as we have dubbed ourselves. After grabbing the radio and giving Phil a ride over to the General...he was the grain hauler running the two tandems for Lindsey in the combine...she gave Phil some sticky traps to lay a trap line in Big Gen, because Al's roll of paper towel was slowly disappearing.

After stopping in town for groceries and fuel for the combine, Marilyn went back to the camper to make lunch, then went back out to the combine to ride around with Al for a while. Once he got the call to go haul grain with Phil, she took over picking up the canola with Barry, Howie and Blaine. We finished the field we were on, between showers...thankfully it was never running off the header...then we moved across the road to the next field of canola.

Marilyn started in and made it part of the way around the field and since the swaths were a bit tough because of the rain, she plugged the feeder house and when she went to reverse it...the chain on the reverser broke. After calling Al to come over with the pickup, she went out and took the shield off, then discovered a bearing was also gone on one of the sprockets. Of course, it was after business hours so...no parts tonight.

An early night at the camper...and the rain missed us...

September 15, 2011

View of the day-Al had a short walk to work yesterday...from the camper to the semi. Not today, though.

Al was up early and got the combine serviced and fueled for Marilyn, so she could get started by 11am. Marilyn was pretty confident it would be another good day of combining canola...she found a penny on the way out the door and you know what that means...find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck. So she did.

Al was hauling wheat off the fancy big Massey 9560 combine that was out for a demo. He didn't get a ride in it, but he did get a good look at it and was impressed by the engine setup...7 cylinder inline Sisu with 460hp. The motor is mounted longitudinal with the rads on an angle on the side of the engine...and they had a 42 ft flex draper head on the front. Marilyn is not ready for that, yet.

While Al was busy with the wheat, Marilyn was out picking up canola swaths with Howie and Barry in their combines and Blaine manning the grain cart. Halfway into the day her sample was looking a bit dirty and the return alarm kept going off, so she went out to inspect, but couldn't find anything amiss. She actually had the return elevator plug a couple of times and the last time it went off, there was no warning like she usually got.

When she went out to open the trap to run the slug out...nothing happened...and upon further inspection she could see the auger shaft had somehow backed out of the bearing and was jammed in the elevator. She was done combining for the day.

After driving back to the yard, she started dismantling things to find out if the auger was bent...she couldn't get to it for all the chaff that was jammed in the auger trough. She cleaned out as much as she could, reporting to Al on the radio everytime she found something new that was wrong, but he said to leave it until morning...which she decided was a good idea. Thanks to the frost the other night, she didn't have to deal with mosquitoes, at least.

While she waited for Al to come back from his hauling job, she got busy cleaning a big bag of assorted vegetables that Barry had dropped off at the camper. This is a great time of year to get all the veggies you need, because everyone has way to many to eat themselves...Marilyn never turns them down.

Now back to the lucky penny...don't think it worked...

September 14, 2011

View of the day-Marilyn avoids the organized chaos during the opening of the field of canola.

We woke up to everything covered in a thick coat of frost. It was white outside and had been since we got back to the camper last night. We had to move the combines over to a field near the yard and at about 11:00 AM the combines started rolling in the canola.

Al had to unload the General from the wheat field from the day before, then it was put at the wheat field where the big new Massey combine was coming for a demo. It showed up late in the afternoon, but Bob didn’t get to drive it right away…he was given a 3 hour course on running all the technology it has available. Glenn, who brought the combine from White’s Ag Sales, needed a trailer to haul the pickup header back to Whitewood to exchange it, so he borrowed ours.

Al was kept busy unloading the semi, which was parked at the bin in the yard and since we were combining right next to the yard, the cart would come in to unload right onto the semi. The bin was the one right next to the camper…we are actually using the aeration fan plug in for power to the camper…and since Marilyn finally aimed the dish, Al got to watch some TV in between loads.

Al, meanwhile, called one of our customers from southwest Oklahoma while he was waiting and he said it is still very dry there. They have not had a rain of more than ½ an inch since Oct.11, 2010 in fact he told Al they had one stretch through June and July this year where it was a 110ºF or higher for 41 days in a row and also the wind was at 40 MPH for those days! He still has not planted his 2012 winter wheat waiting for rain. So like farming it seems custom harvesting is next year country.

Phil, Howie and Marilyn continued combining until just after 11pm with Blaine running the grain cart…quite a task in the heavy dust created from the combines. We had to be extra diligent to make sure we didn’t back into one another when we turned around on some of the shorter swaths.

Tomorrow, hopefully, we will get to see the big new Massey that made an appearance… 

September 13, 2011

View of the day-All four machines in the canola today made short work of this field.

Marilyn had a road trip on her agenda today. After getting the combine up and running for Al, she headed out for Yorkton with her list. It was a lot colder today…frost warnings for tonight and the wind was blowing hard and cold...definitely a day for layers.

Al got to combine wheat for the most of the day while Marilyn went to Yorkton to pick up the shop trailer and a few other things…one thing from six different places, so productivity wasn’t that great. Groceries, parts from Case, Sirius radio from the tractor that was still parked out at Yorkton Auction Centre…and most important, for Marilyn at least…insulated jeans.

After a stop at Tim Horton’s to get a coffee and some donuts for the gang, it was back to Balcarres to take over the combining from Al. After dropping the shop trailer and groceries off at the camper, Marilyn went out to the field just as they were finishing the wheat and were getting ready to move over to a field of canola, so she went back to get the pickup head that was on the trailer sitting in a field that had been seeded with winter wheat.

Al had dropped the straight header off the combine onto the transport wheels and left it in the wheat field before coming to get the pickup head hooked up where Marilyn had left it. Marilyn had gotten a ride into town with Barry, one of the other combiners, to Bob’s parents house for supper and after everyone had gotten there and had their fill, we went back to the combines to make the move to the next field.

We started on the canola and it was so nice to be making time picking up those 35 ft swaths. It had been really slow going in the wheat that was lodged and the straw was green which didn’t help either…it had been desiccated, so the grain was fine but the new guards and sections had a workout.

Al went back to hauling grain and Marilyn combined with the three Massey’s and it didn’t seem to take any time at all before we were done and quitting for the night. The frost was already starting to form on the pickup and the outside temperature guage showed 27ºF(-2ºC)…at 10:30pm!

Let’s hope we have water in the morning…

September 12, 2011

View of the day-When we left the field last night there was a nice line up, but this morning we showed up and someone had rearranged the rigs.

We had rain during the night, complete with lightning and thunder...it sounded like a lot of rain fell at the camper, but at the field, it didn't even settle the dust in the rain gauge.

We got out to the field early, but everyone was moving equipment or getting set up at other fields, so we went into Balcarres and took an early lunch.

After lunch, we got started combining and it was slow going for quite a while...especially where the wheat was laying down and lodged. We also did a lot of moving but fortunately it was only 1/4 mile here or there and we could move with the headers on. Al was hauling to the elevator so he was kept hopping from one truck to the other and with the exception of a couple of minor breakdowns, it was a productive day.

Did we mention we finished the barley? Al is pretty thrilled about that...

September 11, 2011

View of the day-The combine pulling the header to the next field, freeing up Al to help with the rest of the shuttling of vehicles.

We didn’t have to get up as early today, but we were still combining by 10am. We finished the part of the field that we were on, then went about our business cleaning up all the patches that we had left when we first started…because they were too tough to cut at night.

The grain haulers were kept pretty busy when all four machines were running, but after we got closer to getting finished…the pieces were getting smaller all the time and we were pretty much running into ourselves as we circled them. Unfortunately, both regular cameras had dead batteries, so it was the phone camera for the view of the day.We got finished with the field and while the Masseys roaded over to the next field with their headers on, Marilyn got her header put into transport and pulled it over behind the combine.

We moved back over to the wheat field that we had started a couple of days back…the one that was dry, but too green for the elevator and the difference in cutting was amazing. It was going through like butter…three days of 80º+ weather will do that…the wind we finally got today didn’t hurt, either.

We got to see clouds for the first time in several days and we were wondering what the weather was going to hold in store. Now, in the USA we usually have access to at least one of seven channels on the weather band on our combine and two way radios…sometimes, as in Kansas we will have up to six channels from the surrounding areas.

Weather is very important in our business, so it is irritating enough that the Environment Canada weather bands have the weather reports in English and French…so that means, if you tune in to find out what is happening and it is during the French portion, you have to listen to the whole report in that language before you get the English version. This has been bad enough, but now we are lucky if we can even find a weather band…even with the French…we had heard they may even be getting rid of some. Guess they think nobody wants to know when there is bad weather bearing down on them…and it’s not like there is a real person doing the reports, it’s all computers now. Priorities…

We all ended up at the bins after we had finished the last parts of the field that we could get done, even with the few sprinkles that ended up falling while we worked. The wind had really picked up and it was still good cutting, but we ran out of wheat, so we quit for the night. We had to wait for the cart to finish dumping and while we were waiting, Marilyn saw the box on the tandem lift as it was being dumped…apparently on its own because she could see everyone that was left there…who was in the cab lifting the box? Al had the remote control for the end gate and the hoist in his hand and was running it from well out of the dust.

Guess what is on the wish list now...

September 10, 2011

View of the day-Al unloading the General at the bin site…nice to be able to dump the trucks and not have to be moving the auger all the time. A 37,000 bushel bin helps…a lot.

We were up early and Al was out visiting with our campground neighbors, when he noticed there was water dripping off the frame onto one of the front legs of the camper. Upon further inspection, we could see it was coming out of the fill tube for the fresh water tank…apparently, the pressure was so good here that it was sending the water back through the water pump and into the tank. As the water was dripping down, it would run in behind one of the handles and end up on the ‘basement’ floor…so we began the mopping up process and those Shamwows really work as advertised…they soak up a lot of water.

We left the cargo doors open so it could dry out during the day, then headed out to the field. Al had to pick up the General from the bin site while Marilyn fueled and serviced the combine. We had to move a couple of miles to the next field, but after we got moved, we started making dust…well, not a lot to start with, but at least we were cutting.

We had a pretty good day and the truckers managed to keep up even though they had to deal with the weekend traffic that was a steady stream along the highway we were combining next to. It was another perfect harvesting day and we even had some wind to keep the dust away from the trucks as they were unloading at the bins.

Once the sun went down, we lost our wind and it was a good thing we finished this part of the field, because the straw was getting mighty tough. We had a ‘safety meeting’ under the almost full moon…the evening was just as nice as the day had been, although we could have done without the dampness and mosquitoes.

After the meeting, we went into town to fill the slip tank with diesel for tomorrow, then went back to the camper for the night.

More itchy barley tomorrow…

September 9, 2011

View of the day-The army all lined up and ready for attack.

We had a bit of moving to do today. First thing, Marilyn had to give Al a ride to the elevator so he could get the General unloaded while she went to the cardlock to fill the slip tank with fuel for the combine. Al left the General at the bin site and went back to the combine with Marilyn to service, fuel and get the header into transport for the move down the highway.

We had to move about 10 miles to the barley field we would be working on for the day...that's right, barley...Al's favorite itchy grain to haul. Once the combine was moved over and lined up with the rest of the machines, Marilyn was going to get the slip tank filled again but there was such a line up at the cardlock that she passed and just went out to get the straight header trailer moved back to the yard. While we were there we stopped for lunch, then had dessert up at the house before getting the General and heading back to the field.

We started combining, this time all the machines were in the same field, so Howie, the cart driver had his work cut out for him. The trucks were barely keeping up until another driver arrived to help out, which meant we hardly had to wait much at all after that. The bin site was about 6 miles away and the field was right along the very busy highway 10...and it didn't help that it was Friday...so the truckers had a long wait to get on and off the highway to get to the field.

We finished the first field, then moved across the road to start on the next field, by this time the sun was going down and we had no wind so it didn't take long before the straw was tough and it was time to quit. We moved the combines across the highway to the farm yard, then Marilyn picked Al up at the bin site. We went into town to get fuel for the combine, then it was back to the camper for the night.

More barley tomorrow...

September 8, 2011

View of the day-No clouds to speak of, but the contrails didn’t want to give it up as they criss-crossed the sky.

Al took the General out early to get the combine serviced…he brought it home when he quit last night at 12:30am…then he had to drive the combine about three miles into town to fuel up at the card lock. He was able to get combining when he got back while Marilyn got lunch ready and showed up later with the straight header, then went back to the bin site to get the trailer for the pickup head…there would be some straight cutting later on.

Al was helping out at the bin site as the truck was parked at the auger and the grain cart would shuttle its load from the field to the bin which eliminated the need for another truck driver. Here is a shot of Trapper picking up the last of the canola swath in one of the big Massey combines.

Just after lunch, Marilyn and Phil got rid of the pickup heads and moved over to a wheat field that had some cutting done on it, and put the straight heads on to continue the job.

The other two combines were still going on the canola and they had the grain cart, so we were left with the General and the Mack tandem. Al was driving both of them to start, but since the wheat was running over 60 bushels/acre, he was having a time of it…Phil had to leave his combine once to meet Al with the loaded Mack, to swap out on the road as Al was coming back from the elevator with the General.

Ahh, yes…the elevator. Now, you have heard stories of some of the elevators we have frequented…oh, how we wish this place could take a lesson. This is a relatively new concrete elevator built around 13 or 15 years ago, capable of unloading trucks in record time…however, unloading is not the bottle neck. Think of those high school girls in Oklahoma and Kansas who do the probing and testing of the trucks…weigh…probe…send you to dump…return to weigh…get your ticket delivered to the truck…on your way within 5 minutes if there isn’t a lineup.

Here in Balcarres at the Cargill elevator, they pretty much take the probed sample and make bread from it. They get the tweezers out and pick through it, grind it, weigh it, pick through again…you get the idea…all while the trucks are lining up outside. Oh, no, you won’t be unloading until they have done all their tests…they will not be rushed, either.

So here we are combining wheat and the moisture reading is not that bad…13.5% is wet. We had 12.6% on the first load, 12.8% on the second…and they told us we had to quit!!! Too many green seeds…seriously. Al had a few words to say about that, but the guys with the tweezers have the control, so we had to quit early and will have to find something else to combine tomorrow…sounds like barley.

Al still had a load of wheat on the General, but the elevator closed at 8pm, so he parked it at the elevator and Marilyn picked him up and we came back to the camper for supper. Bob, our landlord came over to inspect the premises and have a chat after a long day of seeding winter wheat. The camper got his stamp of approval, including the solar sunflowers planted outside the door.

Yesterday when Marilyn got back to the camper, there was a bag with cucumbers and a big ripe tomato, courtesy of some garden gnome…the tomato disappeared at supper tonight between a couple of slices of toast.

C’mon, seriously…12.8%...

September 7, 2011

View of the day-The gangs all here…almost…just missing one more Massey.

Al was up really early to get the General unhooked from the trailer and get the low down on what was happening for the day. We were out at the field by 10:30 and after a pile of organization, were able to get combining before noon. It was another perfect day for combining, it was almost 90º with just a light wind…beautiful fall weather.

Al started combining since he didn’t have to truck for the first part of the day and Marilyn had to go to town for groceries and to do some banking. Balcarres didn’t have a Credit Union, so Marilyn had to drive the extra miles to Fort Qu’Appelle to get the work done. After loading up at the Coop grocery store, she went back to the camper to get lunch made, then went back out to the field.

Back at the field, Al was still making dust with the rest of the crew and Marilyn hopped in and rode with him until it was his turn to run the tractor and cart…no pictures of that since the windows were pretty dusty and it was impossible to keep them cleaned off. Marilyn continued combining until Al was finished with his trucking duties, then he took over around 10pm…that’s right 10pm.

We had a hand held radio from Bob so we could keep in touch with what was going on and could talk to the cart driver when we needed to dump. With four combines in the field, it was not an easy task getting the dumping cycle coordinated…there was no telling where the next swath would take you and Marilyn’s yield map looked like spaghetti with all the twists and turns. It was to be expected what with the field conditions being so wet, but thankfully it was plenty dry enough so no one got stuck.

We are so used to being just the two of us in the field…we hardly ever talk on the radio because we know pretty much what the other is thinking and we have a system…most of the time. Today, it took some getting used to with all the chaos…at least it seemed like chaos to us…but it was perfectly orchestrated and everyone was where they needed to be at the right time. Marilyn just wasn’t used to the chatter, especially when Al would be calling on our radio and someone would be paging her on the hand held radio…and she would answer on the wrong one and wonder why no one was talking to her.

The good news for the day was that we actually got to see the hopper ‘full’ lights flashing on several occasions and when Marilyn left the field we had combined over 100 acres…and Al was still at it.

Marilyn guesses Bob wasn’t joking when he told Al this morning that they start combining at 7am and quit at 2am…

September 6, 2011

View of the day-Bob in the combine and Kim in the truck, picking up on the go...something Marilyn has never seen...at least with a grain truck.

We were out at the field by 11am and started making dust shortly after. We had done about 8 acres, when Bob sent a test in to Marg at Precision Ag...plenty dry, but 4% green count. We had to quit.

Since we couldn't do any combining and Bob and Kim would be able to finish it off once the green count came down, we got everything back to the yard and started loading to move north to Balcarres. We loaded the pickup head on the trailer, then hooked it up to the combine trailer, before loading the combine.

We had a bit of an issue getting the combine trailer hooked up to the General. As soon as we started to use the hydraulic lift to get it high enough to set on the pintle hitch...it started to sink into the ground and getting it high enough with the lift was just not going to happen. We had to go 'old school' and use the box hoist, chains and blocks to get it to the right height...and of course it was plenty hot with no wind back in the bin area...just as it always is when we load up.

We had to get a safety chain welded up...Marilyn forgot to unhook it when she unhooked the hydraulic hoses and it snapped...the first time ever for that mistake. While Al was getting that and the water hoses looked after, Marilyn got the camper ready for the road. We got the camper hooked up and were on the road by 3pm.

The trip up had no breakdowns, but lots of traffic. Since we weren't sure we would be able to get unloaded in the farmer's yard, we stopped on the grid road just off the highway, dropped the combine trailer to unload the combine, then hooked back up so we could park it in the yard without it's cargo.

We got the camper parked and flanged in with power and water, then unhooked the header trailer from the combine trailer and got it and the General parked. We had left the combine parked in a roadside area after we unloaded it and once we got directions to the bin site where we would be starting tomorrow, we moved the combine and pickup head out there.

We took a run into Balcarres before going back to the camper and had an excellent supper with pleasant service considering it was only 1/2 hour to closing when we showed up. After we closed the place down, we went back to the camper for a much needed shower and to check out the internet service...super high water pressure and five bars on the Blackberry for internet.

Now we check the power to see if we can use the washer and dryer...

September 5, 2011

View of the day-Al gets to pick up some canola…finally.

We got to sleep in a bit, then went to work getting the last of the tweaking and cleaning done on the combine…we had high hopes to start after lunch. We had lunch in the house, then after Bob did a couple of tests, it was time to get the machines into position and ready for action.

Gordie drove Kim’s rig, Bob was in his JD and Al got to drive our machine…Kim had the hauling job for the day. We didn’t need the General or an extra driver, so Marilyn had the day off to get some work done in the camper. For instance, after giving the water pump a couple of knocks…it started working. Not sure for how long though.

It was a gorgeous day and the guys made some time getting that canola picked up, finishing around 7:30pm, then going over to Bob and Audrey’s for supper. Marilyn and Marg grabbed a quick snack at home in between doing the books and working online.

Another good day tomorrow and we will be done here and ready to move again…

September 4, 2011

View of the day-That time of the year again...time for a pedicure for the horses.

We had a chilly night, it got down to 38ºF, but we only noticed it when we had to pry ourselves out of bed into the cold temps. The furnace did not seem to want to work, but at least the fireplace took the bite out of the air and with the sun shining it, it didn’t take long before we were back to normal.

We had brunch at the house, then got started with a few little things that needed to get done on the combine. Marilyn picked the header off the trailer and moved the combine by the shop so we could use the compressor…Al wanted to blow the rads, air and cab filters, while Marilyn had an ‘inside’ job to do. The wheat awns, or beards, tend to pack in along the edge of the sieves and it takes a screwdriver and some nifty maneuvering to get all the stuff chiseled out.
After spending an hour getting the sieves cleaned, it was time to put it all back together and blow everything out the back. Al got all the tires aired up to the proper pressure and by then it was time to get into the house for the big Labor Day Classic, between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers…quite the rivalry.

Marilyn went to work on the furnace in the camper…it didn’t seem to want to kick in…so after some monkeying around, she finally got it to start and run. We will see if it works tonight when it cools off. Kim’s dad, Bob, went out and did a test on the canola, but it was pretty wet under the swaths, so it looked like we wouldn’t be doing much combining today, that meant there was time to watch the Riders kick the Bombers 27-7…a pretty good deal since the Bombers were doing a lot of crowing…they even took out a billboard to raz the Riders. Who’s eating crow now?

Kim and Marg had gotten a boat this summer and since there was to be no combining and it was reasonably nice out, we all decided to take the boat up to White Bear Lake, just 12 miles north of Carlyle, to do some wake boarding. Marg was at the casino for their big game day festivities so she met us at the lake just as we were getting organized on the water.
It was a nice change of pace to be on the water, neither Al nor Marilyn took a chance on the board…we left that to Gordie and Kim. Gordie was new at the sport and initially had a time of it trying to get up and stay up, but eventually he mastered it and after quite a bit of time in the water, gave up the rope to Kim so he could give it a whirl. Marilyn and Marg were riding in the front of the boat when a passing boat sent out a wave that soaked them pretty good, so it cooled of a lot with the wet clothes and the wind. Marilyn had started taking pictures with her camera when the rope snapped down and clipped the camper…fortunately she had the loop on her wrist, but the impact popped the battery door open and they both went flying, so no more pictures…at least from the camera. Good thing the new Blackberry had a good charge and you can bet the big bucks that she was on guard every time a boat went by.

As the sun was setting, we loaded up the boat and headed back for the farm. The first thing Marilyn did was to go directly to the back of the closet to get the ‘fall’ clothes…the toasty sweat shirts and fleece pants. She was pleasantly surprised when she put on her hoodie and the long lost set of camper keys fell out of the pouch…another bonus. After supper in the house, we came back to the camper and ran a test on the furnace…it worked…so far so good.

Of course, we wonder if it will work during the night when we need it…

September 3, 2011

View of the day-The Freightliner and it's load are parked back at Yorkton Auction Centre...right where it started over three months ago.

We woke up to a much cooler day and a very strong NW wind...perfect for driving in to, especially with the Freightliner. We tossed around whether we should move the load to Yorkton today, or wait until tomorrow morning and hope the wind had gone down, but in the end we decided today was the day to get the move done and over with.

We got the door put back together after our window-fixing event, then got the shop trailer somewhat cleaned out and the necessary tools moved over to the pickup. We figured if we broke down, Kim has a shop full of whatever we might need for fixing and there was no sense in the Dodge not pulling anything up to Yorkton, so it had to go.

Once we got the Freight hooked back up to the trailer and fueled it up, we started off for Yorkton. We ran into a couple or three freak rain showers as we went through the Moose Mountain Park, but other than that it was 'buck the wind' all the way up. We got to Yorkton, parked the rig out behind the Yorkton Auction Centre, then took the back road out to our farm to drop off the shop trailer by the house.

Once we got back into town, we went for Chinese buffet then stopped at the Gallagher Centre so Al could pick up his season tickets for the junior hockey team...his Terriers. Unfortunately, the office wasn't open so he couldn't get his tickets, but Marilyn has promised she will call and get them at the early bird price before Sept. 9.

We left Yorkton, then stopped in Grayson on the way home to pick up our mail...a much smaller bag than last time we picked it up. After a quick visit with Raymond, we headed back for Carlyle...another uneventful drive except for the terrible 8 miles of road from Grayson to the main highway. There are so many of those red diamond 'bump' signs that the road looks like it is lit up...nasty.

We got back to Carlyle around 10pm and after having a visit with Kim, Marg and Gordie, we called it a night and headed for the camper.

And there are frost warnings for tonight...brrr...