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View of the day-A trip to see the guys of ProHarvest, to get our hats and belt buckles.
Yesterday morning, we woke up to the sound of rain, so we knew there would be no combining. Al and Kim got the General and shop trailer moved down from Kipling, while Marilyn and Marg went to Moose Jaw to do some shopping and have lunch with their family to celebrate their mother's 84th birthday.
Today, we had another day off and when we found out ProHarvest was going to be in Stanley, ND, only about 100 miles south, we figured we had better run down for a visit. We also wanted to pick up our ProHarvest hats and belt buckles.
With no combining to do, that meant Monday Night Football...
View of the day-This is what happens when the track takes a turn for the worse. It flipped and took out the side panel and put a healthy dent in the platform.
We had a couple of good 115 acre days of combining. That meant early mornings, late nights and no blog.
We finished up with all the canola we had been penciled in for...Friday was the last day we could work, since Carlyle was looking for us. We had been here almost a month...it was time to move on.
We were only 35 miles from Carlyle, so we decided to just drive the combine down. Al was a bit concerned on how the hauling would go on the combine trailer, now that we had the dual tires on, so he got to spend a couple hours moving it down the highway.
Marilyn moved the camper and had it all set up by the time Al showed up with the combine. We swapped out headers, had a quick lunch, then got right into combining again.
We were straight cutting canola and it was actually going pretty good until it started raining...not alot, but enough to shut us down for the night.
Besides, Al had filled the bin...
View of the day-Another productive day of picking up canola swaths.
We got going around 11am, didn't have any moves to deal with three quarters all together...and no mud. We also didn't have the fog that they had to the south, although it was pretty chewy for the better part of the day.
For all four combines, it was a catastrophe free day...
View of the day-Al gets to start the day combining...it started out tough and didn't get much better during the day. That seemed odd, since it was another hot day, you would think that it would get better as the day went on. Nope.
Marilyn got back from Yorkton by 11am, made lunches at the camper, then went out to the field to take over from Al, who had just started combining. Just as she took over, the combine that had been finally pulled out of the hole and was combining next to her, plugged his rotor...and it wasn't coming out easy.
Marilyn was just thinking about how she couldn't remember the last time the rotor had plugged on our machines. Jinx. The feederhouse had been plugging on a regular basis, but she would rather be reversing the feeder, rather than taking the wad right through the combine and plugging things up. That theory had been working quite well up until now.
So the rotor plugged as she was going around a slough. Al came over and after some cursing and big iron, we got the concaves dropped and the wads removed. We only lost an hour.
We finished the field and started to move over to the next field, three miles to the west. Marilyn was bringing up the rear of the four combine parade and, going into the sun just as it was going down, was not a treat...combined with a narrow two-track trail to drive down made it even more nerve wracking.
Then the phone call came. We had all stopped and the man in front was checking the low water crossing on the back road we had been taking and he found out there was a sink hole. We were going to have to back up the narrow road to the intersection we had passed...and Marilyn had to break trail. What the heck, it was only an eighth of a mile.
We got moved over without any catastrophes and started picking up swaths again. Once the bin was filled, we shut down for the night.
And the phone keeps ringing with people looking for harvesters...
View of the day-Alexander and Al went down to see how the digging was going on to get the combine out, so we got a couple of better pictures.
It was the best day yet, acre wise, at least...120! We moved to a new field, going past the poor combine that had spent the night in a hole and they were working on digging it out with a trackhoe, and not having much luck.
We were able to get started before 10am, which helped a great deal and the canola was really going through nice. We were working on a field close to the bins, which meant a short haul for Al. The weather was gorgeous again, but it had brought out the mosquitoes and not enough wind to keep them away, which wasn't good for the truckers.
Al did manage to fit in a phone interview with CBC Radio Saskatchewan on the topic of "getting stuck". He had called yesterday, when they were looking for people to submit pictures of getting stuck, and left a message saying he wasn't tech savvy enough to post pictures. Marilyn is pretty sure that is true, since he still insists on using a flip phone that is full of low resolution pictures of the inside of his pocket. This article pretty much covers the interview.
Marilyn had an early appointment booked for Tuesday morning in Yorkton, so she decided to drive up there and stay overnight, hoping to get back by noon to get back to work. Al got to take over combining when she left, but it got tough so he was retired after only 15 acres.
Still it was a great day...
View of the day-Everyone is making dust...for the better part of the day.
We were out at the field, ready to go by 10am, but had to kill an hour before we could start. Once we got going, there was no stopping...sort of.
We were still having issues with the feeder chain jumping a cog. Occasionally, it would somehow get back where it belonged, but we had to get the wrenches out a couple of times.
By the time we had moved over to the last field, it was getting dark and Marilyn didn't notice the load of dirt that had collected in the feederhouse, so there was a pile of dirt digging to do before she could get back to work. It could have been way worse.
One of the combines with the tracks had gotten stuck a while back and when they pulled it out, it was stuck so deep that the whole track system flipped around on one side and took out one of the big shields. Today, however, he was being cautious, but it didn't matter as he found a sinkhole, or underground spring...he dropped down on one side.
They tried several things to get it out but because it was on the other side and the auger was down so low they had to bring in a transfer auger to empty the hopper. This time the big quadtrac was not going to do the job...and there he sits until morning. Excuse the poor quality picture...Marilyn didn't want to get out of the cab and be a "looky-loo".
On the up side, we did finally get a 100 acre day...
View of the day-No chance of this big unit getting stuck with all the tracks.
We heard rain on the camper in the early morning hours...just what we didn't need...two tenths, enough to keep us from starting early.
We went out to the combine and serviced while the fuel truck filled the rigs...at least some of them. We had time to kill, so we created a "make work" project.
It is a pretty tight squeeze to get in between the header and the ladder, now that it has to stay turned to the front because of the duals. Marilyn noticed that perhaps it would be possible to slide it out past the outside tire, because it was just a long tube inside another tube under the cab. It was also long enough that a good portion of it would stay in that tube once it was out where we needed it...a shift of about 2 feet.
We got the bolts loosened off, then proceeded to pull the ladder out with the help of a ratchet strap on the receiver hitch of the pickup. And lots of wiggling of the ladder. Once we got it out all the way, Al was concerned that if we happened to get the combine stuck, the whole step might twist when it was pulled out backwards.
Marilyn's only concern was the rail that was the bumper for the glass door handle had been moved out of the way, so there could possibly by a catastropy if it swung open and hit something it shouldn't. There was also the issue of a two foot gap just outside the door and the lack of railing, that might cause an even greater catastrophe.
With that settled, we decided to put it back where it was and just deal with the squeezing past the header. It took a lot of WD40 and pushing...it was a lot tougher to put back in than it was to take out. But we got it done.
We got the word to head out to the field around 4:30...it was "good enough" to go, so Marilyn jumped in the cab and started picking up the swaths. Not at any great speed, but it was a go, at least.
Al had been trying to figure out a way to get enough time off to go to Yorkton to see the home opener for his Terrier hockey team. They were going to raise the five championship banners from last season...Division, League, Points, Western Canada and National champions. Since there would be another super-b coming to take a load to Whitewood, Al was able to take the evening off to see his team.
We went until around 10pm, when it got too tough...or probably, tougher...and everything was loaded with canola, then called it a night.
The Terriers won 6-2...
View of the day-The fleet is lined up ready for action.
We got going around noon and had the most productive day yet...even though it was slow going. We did have an issue when, after plugging the feederhouse and reversing the big slug of "wettish" canola, one side of the feeder chain jumped a cog and the chain was running crooked. Once that was fixed we were on our way again.
Marilyn pulled the first shift of the day, plugging along so as not to get stuck...although there wasn't any worry with the duals on. There were super-b semis coming in to haul to the elevator, since the canola was in the "dry enough" zone, so Al took over combining and Marilyn went back to the camper for the evening.
It was going good until it rained. But only enough to make it tough...
View of the day-Before the makeover, the combine sits with muddy tires.
With the better part of the week off, we made a few miles, going up to Yorkton on Wednesday night to stay over at home. Marilyn had a theatre meeting and we had to be in Esterhazy by 7am Thursday to finally pick up the adapters for the duals on the combine.
After getting the adapters, we drove back to the combine and moved it into Kipling to the tire shop. Al stayed with the combine and Marilyn came back to the camper to wait until he was ready to move out to the field with the new boots on the combine.
She nicely got to the camper when she got a call from Al...we needed to go back to Esterhazy to get some spacers made for the large holes on the adapters. Back to Kipling to pick up Al, then up to Esterhazy.
The new duals have a 9 bolt pattern. Tyler from SaskPro, did a great job of fabricating the adapters so the tire would fit perfectly.
The combine tires have 5 sets, or groups, of 3 holes for a total of 15 bolts holding them on. The adapters use the middle bolt of each group to hold the tire on while the adapter is bolted on by the other 10 bolts. The bolts were too long once the factory spacers were taken off, so Tyler had to make some to fit the larger holes.
We got back with the spacers so the tire guys could work their magic...and they did. Just over an hour and Al was on the road, heading out to the field.
Marilyn had pulled the header out to the field, taking the scenic route, but eventually got there. We got the header on and lubed up, then Al tested it out for a couple of rounds. We are doing pickup work in canola now, so we had to get the kinks out of the header.
Finally a good day, just cracking the 50 acre mark...not bad considering we didn't get started until after 4pm and the canola is somewhat "wet". With the buggy keeping us rolling, there is hardly time for a potty break, especially with 4 machines in the field. It's all about timing.
An absolutely gorgeous day and no one got stuck...
View of the day-Another beautiful sunset at the farm near Kipling.
Another "super-do-nothing" day...no duals yet, so we sit and listen to the semi unloading into the bins on the other side of the trees. Frustrating, to say the least.
We did go out in the afternoon to put the draper head on the high transport trailer and get it strapped down. We did a bit of cleaning on the header, blowing off all the awns or "whiskers" from the winter wheat that had stacked neatly and were jammed solid in several places.
The other guys were working across the field, making plenty of dust...seemed sad that we had to sit the dance out. We did some cleaning on the combine and changed the fuel filter before heading back to the camper.
Another tough day at the mill...
View of the day-Everyone but the General in the lineup...and all facing front.
With a couple of tenths of rain yesterday, nothing happened today...except the Roughriders and Seahawks lost. We spent the day in the camper on yet another Sunday. To soft for us to combine anywhere, and it didn't sound like the auger was getting used at the bins, so the rest of the crew might have been idle as well.
Hopefully, we hear how our dual adapters are coming along tomorrow...
View of the day-All machines getting serviced in one way or another. Had a u-joint issue on the header of the front one that needed repairing.
There was supposed to be a chance of rain today and we did have a 13-drop sprinkle in the morning, but since we were finished helping out with the winter wheat, it didn't bother us. However, we did have a "to-do" list, which would have been affected by the rain.
With the rest of the crew cranking up to finish the wheat that was left standing, we were left to try and get the air bags on the General working again. They wouldn't release the air, which made for an unstable unit when the box was all the way up dumping.
After dismantling the dash and chasing a spider web-like maze of air lines, we finally got it working. No idea exactly what we did to get it to work, but never the less, they went back to operating as they should. First job done.
Since we weren't going to need the straight cut head anymore...we were finished with the standing wheat...Al thought we should load it onto the high-speed transport trailer, so it would be ready for the next move. His plan was to get all the zerks greased while it was on the combine and they were easy to get to, then load and secure it to the trailer. Great plan, except both batteries were dead for the grease gun.
While he was working on that, Marilyn climbed into the grain cart to replace one of the straps that had broken somewhere along the line. It was starting to sprinkle again, so we tarped the cart, grabbed the dead batteries and headed back to the camper to recharge and wait out the rain.
The last thing on the list was to take a drive to Carlyle to get the pickup head. When it appeared we wouldn't be able to work outside anymore, we took the header trailer out to combine and started out for Carlyle. It was quits for the rest of the crew as they had everything lined up...except for the tractor and cart.
We got to Carlyle and it was raining there, so we got the header hooked up, then went into the house to see how Kim was making out with his harvest. Not so good with the rain. When Marg got back from her shopping trip to Regina, we all went up to the Moose Head Inn at Kenosee for supper.
After supper, we came back to the camper...in the rain most of the way, to call it a night. Football for Al, baking for Marilyn.
Maybe we get some loading done tomorrow...
View of the day-It took the better part of the day, but Marilyn couldn't stand prosperity.
We had the morning off while the other two combines finished yesterday's field. Marilyn was good with that. We got the call to go move to the next field after they confirmed that there were some high spots for us to work on.
We moved the combine and cart over and Marilyn started cutting, while Al ran the cart until the other cart got rolling. There had been a change in carts, with the rental going back and a new bigger unit with tracks coming on the scene...the only problem was the PTO shaft was too short, so there was a parts run to get one the right size.
Marilyn's goal was 40 acres for the day and it was looking like it was going to happen. At least there were a couple of times where the hopper alarm actually got to go off, but when it came time to unload, she always found high ground. That didn't necessarily solve the problem.
At one point, parked on a hill with the auger out, Marilyn noticed the combine was leaning on the auger side, which would have meant it would not clear the cart when it pulled under to dump. To remedy this, she decided to back up out of the low spot...only it got lower. She didn't get to dump until the tractor pulled her out...the ladder was even packed with mud.
Running out of high ground, she made a point of dumping the combine every time the cart passed by on it's way to the trucks. This worked quite well until she decided to make a couple of passes before going to park for the day. Big mistake. This time the tractor had to pull her waaayyyy back before she was on solid ground.
Al came out to help get the combine out, then got to drive it back to a high hill to park for the night. We took a look around the combine to see if anything had gotten wrecked...the ladder had taken a turn for the worse. Actually, the ladder is getting easier to use, the only thing is that now there are cracks in the top of it where the kinks are. A couple of times up and down and that first step will be a loo-loo.
After we got the combine parked, Al unloaded the corners in the box of the General, then we went out to bring the tractor and cart back from the far side of the field, where Al had left it when the big cart showed up.
Only managed 39.5 acres...
View of the day-The sunset took the edge, off an edgy day out in the field.
What a day we had today. Al was out the door early to get the truck unloaded and Marilyn had a visit from Lucille, the farmer's wife, who brought over an apple pie. We had been invited in for coffee the other day, but were on the "tractor rim mission", so had to pass. We missed the banana bread, but the pie was mighty fine.
Once we got out to the field, it was quite the job trying to find someplace that wouldn't be too soft to combine. At this point the moisture isn't an issue...the average has never gotten down below 16% and with the cool cloudy weather, it hasn't gotten much lower than 18% moisture.
We knew there would be issues when we got started and there was the tractor with duals, planted pretty deep...not a good sign at all. Marilyn managed to stay away from the bad spots until we had as much done in the field as we could get. Time to move to a new field.
We got moved a few miles south east of where we were and started in. It looked like a field that was a lot drier...looks can be so deceiving. Halfway up on the opening round, the wheel dropped on the right side of the combine. Marilyn got the rope into position and waited for the quadtrac to come do its work. He was able to hook on and pull the combine out of the sticky mess. The combine with the tracks was able to come in and clean up the rest of the wheat right up to where Marilyn got stuck.
There was no "ladies first" or "first come, first served" or "finder's keepers". It was time to stick to the high ground, but every time Marilyn found a "sweet spot" to combine, the guy in the tracked combine would come over and cut in. Al had talked to him and he found out that this was his first day driving the combine. That was all well and fine, but he had the technology to hit the soft spots!!
Shut up and drive.
So Marilyn proceeded in search of the high spots, but even in those, she managed to drop in. Fortunately we had the quad close at hand and by the time he got to the combine, Marilyn had the rope ready and it was a tug, and out.
That lasted for a couple of hours, then it was time to find something on the other side of the field...unfortunately, it was the same thing...down she went again. That was it. Three strikes and you're out.
The sun was starting to set and the other two machines were all but running into each other, so she waited for the pull, the called it a night.
Al rode out with the quad driver, and helped to get the combine out, then rode back in the combine to get the General, which was now loaded.
After moving the combine back over to the other side of the field...via the road, no way she was taking another chance on getting stuck...she grabbed Al's lunch kit from the tractor and headed for the camper.
Al was unloading at the bins when she got back to the yard and once the General parked for the night, it was camper time.
One thing about getting stuck...the ladder of the deck of the combine has been revamped. Looking down from the top, normally it is completely vertical, but now with the bend in it, it is more like stairs.
"Granny" stairs, Marilyn likes to call them...
View of the day-Finally, some combining, this is the machine with the tracks blazing a trail.
It was a cold, windy day that started out with some sun, but clouded over by mid morning. It looked like we wouldn't be getting too much done at this rate...at least it didn't rain. We actually had the furnace running last night and when we checked the propane tanks in the morning, one was empty, so we took a trip into Kipling to get it filled.
Beukes had suggested we move over to the field they were working on so we could stay together for the sake of the cart driver, who would pull us out if we got stuck. We moved the combine and General over to the field, then came back get the tractor and cart. Al dumped the little bit of wheat that had been left in the cart before the monsoon had hit onto the semi.
Once we got everything moved, the other two combines were already making dust, so Marilyn drove across the field to find a high spot to start on. At the end of the first pass, she decided to back up to turn around, rather than turning around along the slough, and...you guessed it...down she went.
We had to wait for Alexander and the quad trac to come from the other side of the field, where he was pulling out the other combine. You can just see them in the picture along the horizon. This side of the combine wasn't down as far, Marilyn knows the old adage "when your in a hole, stop digging" not only applies to putting your foot in your mouth, but to getting stuck, as well.
It didn't take long before Alexander showed up and hooked on to the tow rope we had mounted permanently on the combine. They have a large steel cable that runs from the back of the tractor to the front and they pull backwards to get the combines out of the mud. It takes some skill to pull the combine out and keep the cart straight in reverse...and be able to keep enough distance to keep the combine from backing into the tractor once it is out.
With all that power and traction, Marilyn was back combining within 15 minutes of Alex showing up. Now with that out of the way, we could get some combining done. The man with the tracks on his combine looked like he was invincible...or at least should be. Those tracks are worth $75,000 a set!
We combined until dark and the trucks were full, then called it a night...for combining at least. Apparently the fuel gauge on the tractor is not right, it showed 3 bars out of 9 left for fuel, but Al ran out on his way out to the combine. Fortunately, he had enough in the slip tank to get us through the rest of the night, but we had to make a road trip into Whitewood to get more for the rest of the week.
Can't wait to get the duals on...
