skip to main |
skip to sidebar
View of the day-Lloyd Everett from Clay Centre, Kansas came for a visit today and rode around with Al.
We were out at the field earlier than usual, there were filters to blow out so the shop trailer was hooked up to get the job done. While Al worked on the filters, Marilyn got the windows cleaned, then broke out the drone for some lineup pictures.
Marilyn and Alexander had the drone doing some video of the lineup before getting the parade on the road to move to the next field. Marilyn then remembered the memory card for the drone was still in the computer back at the camper, so no video/pictures saved. Looks like another early morning coming up to get that picture.
Once we got to the next field and got fueled up, everyone got back to combining. Marilyn took some video now that she had gotten the memory card back in the drone. As you can see, the lineup didn't happen here...kind of reminds us of some of the Balcarres lineups.
Lloyd showed up at the field just before lunch and Marilyn gave him a ride out to the combine so he could jump in with Al to get caught up. He started on the harvest run when he was six years old, helping his dad and has been harvesting for 74 years. We have known him forever, it seems.
We had dinner in the field brought out from Farm Credit Corp. They brought out KFC for the crew and spent some time riding around in the combine and tractor. It's always a nice change when this happens, even though we don't all get to stop at the same time.
After Lloyd was finished with his visit with Al, Marilyn drove out to pick him up and got caught up as well. After he dropped off a couple of ProHarvest hats, he was on his way back to Garrison, ND to wait for the soybeans to get fit to combine.
Marilyn jumped in the combine with Al and it wasn't very long before the alarms were going off. A belt had shredded...the one that drives the tailings processor. Marilyn called to Windthorst and they had one, so she was off to pick it up, while Al stayed back at the combine. They had it ready for her and she found out that one of the other combines that were out in the field with us blew the same belt in the morning. We got it back on and were back at it in less that an hour.
We had a pretty strong wind today...that's why Marilyn decided not to fly the drone again. It was even stronger by the time we finished the field and came home. Fortunately we have trees to protect us where we are parked, but it's still howling. If it keeps up there will be an early start tomorrow.
But first we have a long move...
View of the day-Al cutting straight in the spring wheat. A perfect day.
An early day on the combine, the guys were out, serviced and were making dust by 9am. They got the first patch done, then moved over to the next field, which was right next door...no travelling required.
Marilyn helped shuttle the truck drivers back and forth in between playing with the drone. She got a lot of footage, but now has to whittle it down and figure out the best way to share it. So far this link to Al driving the combine will have to do. She will figure it out yet.
We got finished with the last quarter section just as the sun disappeared...as had the wind, making it quite the task to see what was going on. The buggyman always seemed to find the full combines.
Finally a 125 acre day...
View of the day-The fleet keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Another early start combining. Al got going with the rest of the crew first thing...it's getting to be more of a gong show the more combines show up. There is an extra grain cart, so that helps keep the truck drivers hopping.
Marilyn went into Kipling to get some supplies to do a bit of cleaning. Apparently the "Victor Ultrasonic Mouse Repeller" just lures them in. Al heard some scratching this morning and when we checked the trap line, there was a live mouse with his leg caught in the trap...about 12 inches from where the repeller was plugged in. Marilyn thought for sure if it was a Victor product, they knew what they were doing...the basic mouse trap is a Victor, so it had to work.
Around here, Al looks after the spiders that aren't where they belong and Marilyn looks after the live mice in the trap. She grabbed some tongs, then grabbed the mouse and took the trap and all outside for the final kill. No hammer, but there was a heavyweight coax crimper that finished it off. Cupboard cleaning time.
Al and the crew finally got the oats finished, then moved to the field around the yard to start on the spring wheat. Marilyn went over to help Al get the combine set, then hung around to take some shots with the drone.
Marilyn has even taken it off "beginner mode"...
View of the day-Tried to swallow a bit too much. It was a bit green and would not cooperate.
We were out to the field by 9:30am and after doing a bit of servicing, started combining. We were in some low spots that had green straw, so if it wasn't the header plugging, it was the spreaders. We got lots of excercise going up and down the ladder to clean them out.
It was cloudy all morning and, although it wasn't in the forecast, we ended up with a shot of rain shutting us down for an hour or so. We came back to the camper to kill some time and hope that the showers were done for the day. It turned out that they were...here at least. The sun was shining and there was even a bit of a breeze.
We went back out to the combine around 4pm to start up again, Al carried on combining and Marilyn went back to the camper. We had one reinforcement from Alberta helping us out, with two more to come, all with the same combine as we have. They also brought a grain cart, so productivity should go up...as long as the rain stays away.
Hopefully we see a 100 acre day soon...
View of the day-Well, view of yesterday.
Rolling in the oats.
We got going on the oats at 10am, which was a nice change. The outside rounds were desiccated, so they went through quite nice, but as we moved further into the field, things changed. The straw was a bit greener, which slowed us down and a couple of times we had to go pull straw out of the spreaders in the back.
The clouds had started to roll in and we could see those rogue showers again, all around us. We were pretty lucky for the most part, but eventually one hit us and according to the harvesters rule..."you don't quit in the rain until it's running off the header", meant we were done.
We got the combines parked and just as we were getting set to move back to the yard, we got a call that a mile down the road, on the other end of the field, it hadn't rained. Rogue showers. So we moved the combines over and started combining again...it was dry, just as predicted. For about 15 minutes, then the sky opened up again. We were done for sure, this time.
We went back to the camper, then cleaned up a bit and headed down to Carlyle, to Kim and Marg's. Marilyn was going to stay overnight so Marg and her could get an early start to Moose Jaw tomorrow morning. Al and Kim watched the debacle that was the Saskatchewan Roughrider football game...we lost again...8 losses and 1 win for the season. Then Al came back to the camper.
Marilyn and Marg left early this morning and stopped in Regina to pick up their sister-in-law who was flying in from Calgary. The family was getting together to have lunch and then a come and go tea for their father who was celebrating his 90th birthday today.
It's been a while since the whole family was together, so there was plenty of visiting, but the girls were going to miss the jam session in the evening. Marilyn and Marg had to get back home to get back to work...Marg is now the combine driver at Carlyle and Marilyn has to keep Al on the straight and narrow...thanks to the auto steer that he is coming around to appreciate.
With the sun shining and warm temperatures Al and the guys got combining around 1pm. They were able to work the oats until the sun went down, then it was just like a switch was flipped. Tough again.
Tomorrow it is back to normal and this time there is no rain in the forecast...
View of the day-Trapline is set...four traps-no waiting.
We didn't do much yesterday, it rained off and on all day, so the camper was the place to be. It turned quite chilly...not furnace chilly, but it was fleecy pants and two jackets chilly...for Marilyn at least, Al was in short sleeves as usual.
While Marilyn was sitting at the table, through the sound of the rain, she heard what sounded like the trees rubbing against the side of the camper. Then she realized it was coming from the cupboard under the sink somewhere. Mice. Couldn't find any, but they left plenty of trails...and no traps in the camper. With the dryer running, we could at least go to sleep without the sound of scratching.
Today, the sun was shining and it was a lot dryer...no wind to help it out, but at least it had promise. First thing was to go into Kipling to have lunch, then buy some mouse traps. We came back to the camper and set one each under the sink and in each of the three drawers where Marilyn found the "sign" of the intruders.
We did a bit of work on the combine. Al did some servicing and got it set for oats, while Marilyn put in the satellite radio tuner in the cab. After dismantling the headliner to get to the back of the radio to plug it in...the little metal removal tools that are supposed to be with the radio, weren't...Marilyn got it all put back together.
Then she started putting the two way radio back, but the power connector had disappeared...it must be behind the radio, she thought. Dismantle headliner again...removing the three inch fine thread screws by hand, with a little cursing thrown in. Still no connector. Until she reached way in on the opposite side of the opening...there it was, with no need to have removed the headliner. Back together it went and this time everything had power and worked.
About this time the farmer had gone out and tested the standing oats to see if it would be good to combine. We got the word that it was time to roll, so we moved over to the field...just across the road from the farm, a nice short drive.
After a bit of tweaking to get the settings just right, we started combining. The oats were standing a lot better than the barley was, so we were able to make some time. It was running over 100 bushels per acre, so the buggyman was having quite the time keeping up.
The green one came over for a while, but we were filling the trucks so fast that the trucker couldn't keep up, so the green machine went back to the yard.
We combined until we had to turn the lights on then quit for the night. It had gotten a lot tougher and the trucks were full.
Back at the camper, we had success...
View of the day-Look what came in the mail today. We got two Timmies cards with a combine on them from Rob and Sue Holland!
Yorkton run today. We stopped south of Stockholm to visit with a farmer friend that we had combined for a long time ago. He has red machines and when Al and Jack get visiting, we can kiss an hour goodbye. Since we were going to be stopping at the CaseIH dealer, we got an order for some pickup head parts from Jack.
We got to Yorkton, picked up the parts, then took the big Dodge to Minute Muffler to get the brakes done. Mike from the shop was good enough to give us his pickup to do our errands.
We stopped in at H&R to have a visit with Curtis, then picked up the Dodge and went out to the farm for more forgotten items. Al checked his eyelids for cracks for a while, then we packed up to head back to the camper, but not before stopping at Canadian Tire for a few more things.
Hopefully the last day off for a while...
View of the day-Cleaning day...because you always want to blow out the rads when it is 90ºF out there.
We got a lot accomplished today. Replaced the pin that had broken on the header...the one we cobbled together with a bolt until we had time to get to it. Al did a bit of cleaning and greasing on the combine and header.
We had been having issues with the fuel gauge in the combine...it was always reading full. Marilyn thought it was wiring, so she changed the ends on a couple of them, but that didn't help. Ray from ProHarvest suggested taking the screws out of the sending unit...there are 8 of them in a circle holding it down...and just giving the whole unit a counter-clockwise turn one hole. That did the trick, it's now working!
After getting all our work done in the heat, we went into Kipling to get some super strength glue that we needed to fix a rib on the draper belt. We stopped for ice cream and a few groceries before coming back to the camper for the day.
Everything on the list got crossed off and tomorrow we road trip to Yorkton...
View of the day-Header is off and we're ready to head-er.
No combining today, the closest we got to grain was when we pulled the straw off the header.
We got over to Wapella, got the header off and the combine fueled up before starting the drive back to the camper. An uneventful drive, except that Al saw a moose with two calves romping through the swathed canola...without a camera.
We got back to the farm, parked the header and combine, then cleaned up a bit to go down to Kenosee Lake to meet Marg(Marilyn's sister), Kim and Gordie for a late birthday supper for Al.
We finished a delicious supper, then hopped in with Kim and Marg to go back to their cabin in the main part of Kenosee Park. We enjoyed the evening on the deck, then went back to get our truck from where it was parked at the restaurant. It was the last vehicle left their, since they were long closed and when Marilyn went to get in the passenger side, the window was open. It had sat there for three hours, with Al's wallet, among other things, in plain view. Nothing was missing, which was a big relief.
Cleaning and fixing day tomorrow...
View of the day-More fun with the drone today.
We were out at the field early to get the combine moved to the next field. The yellow one was put into retirement for the rest of the barley, so it was just the three of us...and we all ran all day without a breakdown.
Marilyn had a chance to take the drone out again...still in beginner mode, so it didn't get too far or too high. The only thing to figure out now is how to get them off the drone/tablet/phone and do some editing. When that happens, you'll be the first to know.
We moved to the last field just before the sun started setting and we could really tell. Productivity went down in a hurry...we spent more time backing up to clear the header than we did going ahead. By 8 pm we got the quit sign and were only too happy to shut her down.
The combines got moved back to the yard and after 20 minutes of feeding the mosquitoes as we had the "recap meeting" with the rest of the crew, it was back to the camper. They are left with only about 120 acres of barley left and they will be able to lap that up in no time, so we are done at Wapella.
Might be moving day tomorrow...or not...
View of the day-A gloomy start to the day as the "skittles"...colors of the rainbow...are lined up.
Could this possibly have been Friday the 13th?
Al stayed in Yorkton last night to get an early start on his errands. Marilyn was informed that the combining crew could possibly start as early as 8 am if there was enough wind and the humidity was low. They planned on starting as soon as it was even close...moisture really didn't matter, but the state of the straw would be the big concern.
Marilyn got up extra early...to thick, low clouds...and was packed and on the way to the field by 8:15 am. On the 30 mile drive over there were several pockets of misty rain, none of them heavy enough to use the wipers. By the time she got to the field and did a little bit of servicing, the misty spells were getting more frequent and heavier.
While she waited in the pickup killing time for a couple of hours, it rained on and off, but the wind was drying it off in between. She got the call that the rest of the crew would be coming out in about an hour to do a test...a mere formality...so she settled in.
The guys showed up and we got started combining...it was slow going, but we actually made some pretty good time. Until a rain shower shut us down for a while. After waiting a bit, we moved across the road and started in on the next field.
While we were waiting, Al showed up from his road trip with lunch for us. The sun came out again and within an hour, we were back combining. Everything was going great, even through the misty rains that would not leave us alone. The last one was timed just right as the chow wagon showed up.
We don't usually like to stop to eat, but we also don't want to be anti-social, so we joined everyone...and it had rained. We went back to the combine after supper and were humming right along...until we got a large wad that plugged the rotor so bad, it stalled the combine.
This machine will rock the rotor to clear the slug, but man, it was jammed tight. After a good hour of working it back and forth, we finally cleared the slug. We ran it for a few minutes to clear everything out, then decided to run the header to put what was left on it through the machine.
Bad idea.
It plugged again, even tighter than before. We worked it with the reverser, but it would only move a short distance and it refused to go even a smidge further. We drove back to the pickup and decided to go "old school" and take out one of the concaves to start pulling straw. Barley straw, oh joy. It took us another 45 minutes, but we got it cleared and by then the sun had gone down and the green ones were parking for the night. The yellow one never did crank up after supper.
Tomorrow can only be better...
View of the day-A different view unloading this morning.
Well, it really did only rain a tenth out at the combines, but we moved to another field NE that hardly had a sprinkle. We were out at the combine by 9:30am, serviced and ready to move before 10. Once all the combines and trucks had been shifted to the new field, we started combining, but it was slow going.
The yellow one was down for about 4 hours with a severe case of indigestion. It was the only machine dropping straw for baling and the driver made a sudden stop and that was all it took. With everyone having a job to do, he was left on his own to get the guts cleaned out of the straw. It was still pretty chewy, so it was no easy task.
The wind was huffing pretty good all day, so it did dry the straw out, but we still had issues with the lodged barley. The roots were so shallow on the plants that once the header pushed on the downed stalks, the uprooted and started pushing until there was a big wad of straw to go through...and it always stopped at the feeder drum on the header. Marilyn got lots of exercise going out and pulling straw...and it got worse as the sun went down.
The chow wagon came out with supper for everyone, so we got to grab a quick bite and a gab before finishing up the half section we were on. We moved a few miles further east and started in on another half section.
It got progressively worse as the sun disappeared and by 9pm we called it quits...all of us. The mosquitoes were getting bad enough that we didn't stop for the usual gabfest that happens outside the machines at the end of the night...we just hit the road.
Al has errands to run in Yorkton tomorrow, so as soon as we got back to the camper, he grabbed a few things and headed up there for the night.
Marilyn gets to start up tomorrow...
View of the day-Super B picking up on the go...we don't see that often.
Yesterday we finished the winter wheat before lunch and moved back to the yard. We now have a week or so to wait before the oats will be ready, so Al gave the combine a quick clean off with the air hose, then we cleaned up and headed for Yorkton.
Marilyn had a theatre group meeting at 6pm, so we went out to the farm and picked up a few things that we needed then went back into town for supper. While Marilyn was at her meeting, Al was able to get some visiting in while she was occupied and when it was all over, we headed back to the camper. It was a late night for us.
We thought we could sleep in this morning, but Al's phone rang and it was a farmer from Wapella, about 30 miles NE of where we were. Al had called him last night...he had gotten his number from one of the guys who had worked for us years ago and who lived in the area. The farmer had some barley to cut, so we drove over to talk to him and see if he needed any help.
We found the farm and after chatting with the farmer, came back to get the combine ready to drive over. Marilyn pulled the header and led the way as Al pulled up the rear. We got there around 1:30, got the combine set for barley...another learning curve...then started cutting.
We didn't know how hard to push the combine, but we found out soon enough...Al plugged the rotor. This machine has a rotor reverser that is hydraulic, so there was no pulling required, but it did take a lot of page flipping in the manual to clarify the procedure. We got it unplugged, then carried on cutting...not an easy task with the way it was lodged and lying every which way.
We combined next to a New Holland 970 and across the field were a couple of John Deere 690's working their magic.
We had a very competent cart driver, as well...same tractor, different cart. He was always on the run between all four combines and they never had to wait. The barley was running over 80 bushels per acre, so having three super B trucks was a necessity. It didn't hurt that the bins were only a half mile away, either.
We were going great guns...not at breakneck speed, mind you...when it started to cloud over and sprinkle a bit. We were working around a slough, when we heard a pop, and then we could hear the turbo whining real loud. Great. Here we go again, we thought.
After taking a look to see if there were turbo pieces everywhere...there weren't...we called back to our man at Rocky Mountain Equipment and he told us to check all the pipes and clamps, since it was not blowing black like it had done before. We found the problem in the engine compartment where one of the air intake pipes had popped out of the rubber connector. Marilyn was able to fit in the compartment(which is a lot smaller than the one in the last combine)to get it back together, re-clamped, all while the lightning was starting to get closer. We finally got back to combining after that.
For about 15 minutes, before it started raining. We all rushed to the trucks to dump and get parked before coming back to the camper. We just made it to the yard when it started raining here and although it was only looking like one rogue cloud that was going to dump, it has been a couple of hours and it's still raining.
Of course, we have hopes that it only rained a tenth at the combine...
View of the day-Meeting of the minds, waiting for the wheat to get fit...and the donuts to show up.
First thing on the agenda was to get the combines moved to the next field. It was still pretty damp...there had been a shower go through during the night, so there wasn't much to do but wait. Later on though, it turned out to be a gorgeous day for combining...hot and sunny, although it looked like someone was getting some nasty weather judging by the storm clouds that were getting fairly tall.
Marilyn went into Kipling to get a few groceries and electrical parts before running the Timbits (donut holes) from Tim Horton's out to the guys. After getting lunch ready, she headed back out to the field where they had just started combining.
It seemed the last few fields have had power poles that we have had to dance with, which totally eliminates the option of using auto steer around them. Fortunately, they were all left standing.
We got one quarter section done around 4pm...the JD combine had blown a belt, so it was just the red ones running. The next quarter was just across the road, so with the short move and the buggy man making sure the combines didn't have to stop, we were finished by 8:30pm.
Since there was still a bit of light left in the day, we moved to the last field of winter wheat, and it actually was the one we had to leave after the big rain last week, so it shouldn't take that long to lap up.
And that will be the end of the winter wheat...
View of the day-Maiden voyage with the drone...
We were up early with the hopes that our repair man would make the scene and get the combine fixed so we could make up for lost time yesterday. He got here just around 9am and went right to work.
Al had gone out to show him where the combine was, then stuck around to find out how bad it was. It was bad, alright, but Jason the mechanic from Rocky Mountain Equipment had it all under control and of course, it had to be one of the hotter days to spend in the engine compartment of the combine.
Marilyn decided it was time to take the drone for a flight. This would be the second flight, but the first official one outside. Check the end of this blog entry to ready about the first flight. She had been practicing with the simulator program that came with the drone and with no audience to witness any crashes, it finally came out of the case. She did purchase propeller guards just in case.
It was surprising how smoothly it worked, even with the strong wind blowing...a condition she wasn't to sure about taking a chance on. With a combination of having it set on beginner mode, not flying too high, and landing practices, it all came together.
Speaking of coming together...the combine was finished by 2pm, so we were able to get moved to the field where the rest of the crew had been working all morning. Jason followed us over and rode around with Al to make sure everything was working as it should...and it was, so he was on his way back to Yorkton.
Big thanks have to go out to Ray from CaseIH ProHarvest, Kurt from Young's Equipment and Jason from Rocky Mountain Equipment. Considering how serious the turbo issue was, we were able to get up and running in 24 hours!
This winter wheat was running quite good...60+ bushels per acre, so Big Jen was called into service. Marilyn took over combining while Al went back to the yard to get the General and start hauling grain.
We finished the field we were on, then moved north to the next fields. With four machines, it seemed like no time at all and we were moving from one quarter section to the next one. We had them finished by 9:30pm. There was a lot of lightning to the north and heavy clouds to the south, but they split the difference and missed us completely.
We hope...
View of the day-The buggy man had a easier day of it today since the full fleet wasn't running.
We woke up to a thick fog that eventually cleared off, but the clouds remained. We went out to the combine to see if we could find out why the fuel gauge wasn't working...it was always full and we knew it wasn't that fuel efficient. It was a loose wire...we think. We never got to use very much to confirm our theory.
Once we got a loose wire looked after, we waited to see if it was dry enough to start combining. After about an hour, we were given the go ahead, so Al went out to start and Marilyn went home to make lunch. Well...started to go home. Al called back to say there were error codes and alarms going off and he didn't recognize any of them. He did, however, know that as soon as he engaged the rotor, his engine speed dropped and after doing all the usual things to remedy it, gave up and called Ray at ProHarvest.
It turned out to be a perfect harvest day, but all we could do was watch the rest of the rigs doing their job out in the field. Two of them had their own problems during the day, but they managed to get them fixed...mechanical jobs are a lot easier to figure out than the "software" related ones.
We did get a number to call one of the local guys from Young's Equipment in Windthorst and he happened to be on his way back to the shop. After he grabbed his diagnostic equipment and a couple of sensors that he thought might be the problem, he came right out to the field.
Kurt worked on the combine for about an hour, then after getting all the "codes" cleared and new sensors in, gave us the go ahead to start combining as he packed up and left. He didn't make it very far from the field. We started the rotor and the same thing happened...back to square one. Once he had exhausted all his options, we called Ray at ProHarvest back and let him talk to Kurt.
One comment overheard in the conversation between the two was that Kurt had never seen a tier IV engine smoke like this one did...it just poured out when he had it running. Al said it was smoking like an old Gleaner combine.
After comparing notes, it was narrowed down to the turbo, but we had just gotten a new one put in when we had the Uptime Inspection done at the Rocky Mountain Equipment dealership in Yorkton a couple months ago. We had only done about 225 acres, so it didn't have a lot of wear, but when Kurt climbed into the engine compartment to inspect it, he saw a loose bolt on the clamp.
Good news is he found the problem...bad news, the turbo was shot and we needed to replace it. Fortunately, all the emission components have a five year warranty. After Kurt was able to locate a new turbo in Moosomin, we drove over to pick it up and when our man at Rocky Mountain called back, he said he would send someone out in the morning to install it.
Al hates technology even more...
View of the day- It was a good thing we had an extra box of knife sections, we seem to be changing a few daily.
We got out to the field to do a bit of work on the combine...changing sections and doing the windows, yet again. With the showers that keep passing through, the windows just won't stay "dust only" clean.
After another autosteer training session with Alexander, we got combining around lunch time. Al mastered the autosteer and did the combining while Marilyn went back to the camper to make lunch.
We had an eye to the sky as the popup showers skirted around us most of the day. It looked like they were all going to miss us, but around 4pm they closed in on us and before we could get stuck out in the field in the rain, we moved the machines back to the road.
It was a shame since there were only about 80 acres left on the back of the field.
We came back to the camper for an hour or so, then the farmer went out to check another field further south and after testing it gave us a call to make the move.
We got the combine and shop trailer and headed for the field, then started in. This field was yielding a lot better that the last one, so by the time the sun went down, it was getting pretty chewy. We have learned how to clear out the spreaders when they get plugged up and stop...a lot of pulling. But then, there is a LOT of straw...long wet straw.
The sun should dry it out some for tomorrow...
View of the day-Alexander keeping the combines rolling with the grain cart.
We went out to the field to do a bit of work on the header...it seemed to be lower on one side. After reading the manual over and trying a few things, we called our expert, Paul from MacDon and he told us exactly how to straighten things out. We discovered the bolt we had to turn was on the end of a clevis and the pin was missing. They didn't have one at the dealership, so we found a bolt that was in the neighbourhood, sizewize, and that did the trick.
We got the word to move to the next field and crank it up around 2pm...it really did only rain a tenth at the field. The rest of the day went smoothly for the most part...the occasional rock/stump/dirt pile, but mostly smoothish sailing.
And the rain stayed away...
View of the day-The fleet lined up and ready to go before the rain starts.
With a high probability of precipitation, we got going around 11am and only had about 50 acres left on the field.
The sky was getting pretty dark but with all the machines running we were able to get it lapped up just as the rain started at 12:30.
It's certainly nice to be able to go almost anywhere in the field without the worry of getting stuck, even with the rain. We spent the rest of the day taking it easy in the camper.
Maybe it only rained a tenth at the field and we can crank it up tomorrow...
View of the day-Two more machines showed up and everyone waits for the moisture to go down.
We had a little shower pass through around 5am, so that was the hold up to getting started early. We did manage to get going and while Al ran the combine, Marilyn got the last of the camper...which means the satellite dish...set up.
Al is comfortable with the combine, but there are still a few sounds that are different and will take some time getting used to. Marilyn is itching to start using the autosteer. Fortunately there is tech support from the farmer.
More rain in the forecast for tomorrow...
View of the day-We finally got to test out the new...to us...combine.
We got the camper mostly packed...the original plan was to start combining August 10...but we got the word it would be today. We had rain in Yorkton, so getting the last minute "panic packing" done was a little wet. We wanted to get into town before our road got to sloppy, so there was no time to finish the list.
Marilyn pulled the camper and Al followed behind with the 1/2 ton and shop trailer, this way we would have everything there and have an extra vehicle should one of us have to go to a meeting or such.
We got to the farm and the sun was shining...no rain...got the camper parked, then moved out to the field where one combine was already working. After getting the header hooked up and making sure everything was operational, we were off.
Rain in the forecast for tomorrow...
View of the day-Making the move south to the Kipling, SK area. Marilyn drove the pilot truck, Kardynal Transport took care of the combine and Al followed up with the General.
It's getting closer to "go" time...
