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View of the day-Hot, sunny and 0%POP...riiight...
Dust was flying by 9:30am and Marilyn was the only combine rolling in the field. There were still serious issues with the other combines header. She got about 80 acres combined, which was enough to finish the field, then she moved across the road to start on the next field.
It had been sprinkling off and on as we watched a weather system slowly moving up from the SW. Nowhere in the forecast was there any precipitation until at least Sunday and it seemed like sprinkles were all we were going to get. That thought lasted until about 4:30pm...then it started running off the header, so it was shut down time.
We know not to trust the weekend forecasters...
View of the day-Line up at the field elevator. Al was kept hopping today hauling grain.
Yesterday, Marilyn drove down to Carlyle to hitch a ride with her sister to Moose Jaw to have a birthday lunch with their mother, who was celebrating her 86th birthday.
Al was left to do the combining, but due to a truck shortage, our combine sat while he hauled grain away from the other combine. Once their truck was back from hauling canola to the elevator, Al was able to start combining again.
Today, we had an early start and perfect weather. Sunny, hot and windy. Al started out while Marilyn ran into Kipling to do a few errands. She took over combining as soon as she got back and that is where she stayed for the day.
We finished the quarter section we were on and moved four miles SE to the next field. We went until the trucks were filled for the last time, then called it a night. The other combine had straight header issues, so he left it in the field and went back to get the pickup head on and do some of the canola that was in swaths.
More beautiful weather in the forcast for tomorrow...
View of the day-Second last truck of the night.
We got the word that to start back in the straight canola after lunch. We cut through Kipling to grab lunch before heading out to the field.
Before we started, Al noticed a hydraulic oil leak on the side of the combine, so we had to remedy that. It was just a matter of tightening a couple of fittings, but the hardest part of the repair was trying to hold the side shield up. We have another gas shock failure. We didn't notice it because we never need to open that shield anymore for servicing. We used a rachet strap to help keep it lifted while we did the repair. Something else we now have on our "need it" list.
We went to get the General started so it could air up, but it refused to turn over, so we put the quick charge on it to give it a boost...no problem after that. Well, at least not until Al went to start it to bring the first load of canola in from the field. Just not enough juice to turn it over again. Marilyn called into the parts store in Kipling and they had three truck batteries in stock. Al took the old ones out and went in to get the new ones. That makes 5 batteries purchased in a week. Once he got them installed, she turned over like a top. Problem solved.
We combined until we finished the second of three, quarter sections of the straight canola. By then it was to late to start the last one, but it looks like we are going into straight wheat tomorrow anyway.
Thankfully, after all the rain that fell, we didn't find any mud in the field.
The road out to the field, on the other hand, was a different story...
View of the day-The stationary chopper blades midway through repair. Didn't take a picture of before, when they were all hanging down with loose bolts. They all kind of looked like the sample on the left, instead of the ones on the right.
Today was fixing day. We went out to the combine with a list for the day. Blow out the air filters, take a couple of links out of the clean grain elevator chain, replace all the burnt out bulbs...and they were burnt, not just a fuse as we had hoped, and the biggie was the chopper blades.
Al worked on the elevator chain while Marilyn looked after the filters, then we both went to work on the chopper. Marilyn had to crawl inside and work in the narrow space under the blades to get them out. We took them to the shop trailer to get them back into shape, rather that try to maneuver inside the combine. We pretty much had to take them all out to repair them, but it was mostly loose bolts, which was an easy fix.
We had a couple of broken blades, so we drove over to Windthorst to pick up a couple replacements. Once we had them in hand and got back to the combine, it didnt' take long to get everything back into shipshape.
There was no combining going on anywhere, but it was another great drying day. There was 1.10" of rain in the gauge on the combine and the ground was still pretty wet where we were working on it. Another day of this kind of weather will do wonders to dry it up and maybe we can get moving again.
And there is no rain in the forecast for a few days...
View of the day-Yard cleanup day.
Yesterday we went to Yorkton in the rain. We stopped at the CaseIH dealer to pick up some bulbs for the combine that we assume are burnt out...could be a fuse since they are all on the same side, but just to be safe, we got some to take back with us.
Al was having some pain in his shoulder and back, so he stopped at the walk in clinic to see a doctor. He came out with a shopping list of drugs to help out with the pain. Then we were off to get a couple of new batteries for the pickup and a few other things on our list. Once we had everything on our list we headed out to the farm for the night.
Today we got to enjoy the brunch at the casino in town...and that was the only cash we dropped there. Neither of us is a casino goer...Marilyn figures the $40 she would lose at the slot machines will buy her a bag of stuff at Walmart that she can't live without.
We had to take the old batteries back to get the core fee, then Marilyn had to have a visit at Staples. We went back out to the farm to do a bit of yard cleaning and to try to get the grain cart PTO shaft loosened up so it could be connected to the tractor. It was seized up from sitting so long and the last time we were home we lubed it up as much as we could and even had it hooked on to the pickup to try and get it to telescope. We finally got it to break free when we hooked up a loadbinder...haven't needed to use one of those for a really long time...then pulled with the pickup and tightened with the binder. A few shots up the length of it with a large tool and it finally came loose.
Al got the grass cut and Marilyn took down the gazebo cover. With a strong NW wind, the leaves were piling up as fast as we could sweep them off, so we gave up on even trying. Not that we ever did anything with them before...there will be another big wind come through and move them somewhere else for us. Or they will spend the winter rotting where they are.
We got the tractor and cart parked back in a corner, then loaded up what we needed for the trip back to the camper. It was a good drying day today with the sun and wind, but there was a lot of rain over the last two days.
Maybe it only rained one tenth at the field...
View of the day-The only thing we saw today.
More of the same tomorrow...
View of the day-The very last of the barley getting unloaded at the bin. Al is well out of the dust with his remote control for the hoist and endgate...that was a great investment.
Even though the day started out cloudy and cooler, the barley was good to go right off the bat. We were alone for the first couple of hours as the farmer had to do a few header and auger repairs, but once we were both out there, we didn't stop. With no grain cart and the trucks not coming out too far into the field, we had to do a lot of driving to dump the combines.
We finished the field around 8pm and got everything moved back to the farm yard...glad to see the last of the itchy barley. The farmer switched headers and went out to pickup some canola swaths before the forecasted rain could put a stop to it. We came back to the camper to call it a night.
Tomorrow we start into the wheat...unless it rains...
View of the day-Back in the barley.
We started out with a plan this morning, but by the the time we got into the yard and started the General airing up, all the plans had changed.
Al had noticed the auger he was dumping into was making strange noises and it seemed like the swing part of the auger wasn't in sync with the main part. He had a good ear...unfortunately, the gearbox was shot, so the guys were off for parts.
Marilyn was getting the combine greased while Al was supposed to be dumping the General. Because there was a possibility of rain, the farmer wanted to move across the road to get the barley off. With only one auger, we both had to be combining the same crop. We got the settings changed and started into the barley.
Marilyn ran into town to get lunch while Al combined, then she took over until the semi and the combine were full. The General still had canola in it from yesterday that they couldn't auger into the bin, until the new gear box made the scene. So with no more room, she got to take it easy in the combine cab for a couple of hours.
Finally the auger was fixed and the other combine came out and we were rolling again. Marilyn was getting regular exercise by going out and unloading the rocks in the header that she kept picking up...some too heavy for her to lift.
Once the sun went down, it started to get tough...thankfully the rains had missed us. Marilyn went out and pulled another big rock out of the header, then realized it was only half of a huge rock. The other half was jammed tightly under the auger, so tight, in fact that to get it out, we had to take the header off the combine.
We had a shortage of tools, but did manage to get it out by wrapping a tie down strap behind it and back to either side of the feeder house. which gave it enough pull to work it loose. By this time we had decided to call it a night.
We got the General back to the yard, where the other combine was standing with header issues. It was too dark to do any work on it, so everyone was shut down for the day.
More barley tomorrow...if it doesn't rain...
View of the day-Al straight cutting canola.
We got out early, but they were still having issues with the auger tractor...nothing that two new batteries wouldn't cure. Al got the truck unloaded and Marilyn started combining.
Once Al got back with the truck, Marilyn decided to take the drone for a spin since the wind was finally tolerable for flying. After killing a couple of batteries, it was back in the combine for the rest of the day.
We carried on combining until after dark and although it was still going through alright, we were on the far side of the slough-riddled field and getting lost finding our way back to dump was an issue. We called it a day.
Hopefully the rain stays away...
View of the day-A classic tractor in pristine shape. The auger tractor at the bins...no back story yet.
What a difference a day makes. Yesterday there were five combine, two grain carts and four super B trucks in the field. Today we moved the grain truck, combine and straight header south 15 miles to be the only one in the field.
We are straight cutting canola and it is going pretty good so far. It looks like there is a lot shelled out...they did have some hail in the area...but it is still yielding over 30 bushel per acre.
Al had to get back in the swing of things hauling grain, but the bins are only a half mile from the field, so he doesn't even need to tarp the loads. That was a good thing today, since the wind was gale force...or so it seemed.
Marilyn took a grocery run into Kipling, so Al ran the combine for a while. The field has a trench running through it, so the grain truck had to be strategically placed to get filled. It sure makes a difference with no grain cart...if nothing else, the bathroom breaks are easier to take.
The last load of the day that was on the grain truck did not get dumped. That pristine tractor refused to run after dark, no amount of fire power would boost it after all the trouble free loads it had augered during the day. If they get it running tomorrow, it likely won't get shut off, but with the farmer picking up canola and us in another field, it probably won't have too much down time.
Marilyn had the combine filled and got the word that the truck would not be coming back out, so she had to leave the hopper full. Not something we like to do, but there is no rain in the forecast, so Al allowed it.
More of the same tomorrow and hopefully some drone pictures...
View of the day-A very dusty day. Good thing the cart drivers could find us.
Out to the field early, serviced and rolling to finish off the last 100 acres. Marilyn got out in time to see the last of the canola swaths get picked up. Well, almost.
While picking up the last of the outside round, we picked up a rock...and some page wire managed to get sent up the chute and wrapped around the front of the rotor. We were officially done for the day.
We moved the combine back to the yard, got it blown off, although with the strong wind blowing today, it didn't take long. Marilyn was able to get in and work the wire that was wound around the front of the rotor, then we finally got time to change out the fuel sending unit. We have been running on empty for the last couple of weeks...or at least that is what the fuel gauge has been saying. All is back in order now.
We went into Kipling to try out the Chinese buffet, then drove out to check the fields out on the next job. It looks like the General will be coming out of storage to get used, since it will be just the two of us straight cutting canola...should be interesting.
The cart tractor has been called into seeding duty. It's quite the long load it has to pull and it's 79 feet wide! That will cover a few acres of winter wheat a day.
New adventures tomorrow...
View of the day-Al dumping in the cart, part of yesterday's drone flight.
Al went out to the field early to blow out filters and clean all the dirt out of the header that Marilyn had scooped up last night. We knew today was going to be a marathon to try and finish the last full section and a bit, so we split a shift.
Al got rolling early and it was going through a lot better than it had been. Marilyn came out and took over around 2pm so Al could get the General started...it was called into duty to shuttle some wheat between bins in the yard. It hadn't been running since we got here over a month ago, so as expected, it didn't start without a little help.
We had a sprinkle of rain pass through with a wind change that made combining somewhat of a challenge, but not enough to stop us. Al came out around 11pm to take the last shift after watching his Blue Jays lose.
While there had been high hopes of finishing, even if it was going to go late into the night, there were two machines down. They were getting worked on until 3 or 4pm, so that moved the schedule back.
Let's hope the rain stays away...
View of the day-Actually, the same view everyday so far. Combines coming and combines going.
An early start with no stopping in between. Al pulled the first shift, Marilyn took over mid-afternoon...a bit of retraining needed, since she hasn't driven combine very much this season.
Looks like the Straw Boss came out to teach grandpa how to do it.
On the other hand, the drone has been getting a workout. Here's a link to a new short video from yesterday.
Al got to see the season opener of his Yorkton Terriers hockey team...they lost in overtime. He got back to the field around midnight, just in time to fuel the combine...and catch Marilyn digging out some dirt from a bit of landscaping she did. Everyone else had quit, so we did too.
We are now in the tunnel and there is light at the end of it...
View of the day-Lots of servicing going on this morning. The fine canola dust needs to be blown out of the filters and rads...not a pleasant job when there is no wind to take it away.
What a difference a few days make. Earlier in the week it was a three jacket kind of day and today it was short sleeves. We're not complaining...this is perfect harvest weather.
After the servicing was done, combining started and although it was slow going to start, it didn't take long before the sun did its magic and it was smooth sailing. Except for the piles, of course.
Al combined all day...just like every day while Marilyn took a trip into Kipling for groceries, then came back and cleaned the camper. No more mice so far...no jinx.
Tomorrow Marilyn will get to combine in the afternoon while Al gets to road trip to Yorkton for the first Terriers hockey game of the season. A nice break for him.
We can see the tunnel and almost see the light at the end of it...
View of the day-Al in the canola, not going as fast as the swather apparently did...lots of beaver huts to break down.
Monday was a cold and windy day. It gave us a taste of what is to come...no snow, at least. We went out to do a bit of work on the combine and header, but as soon as that was done, we were back in the camper. It was not a drying day, so we spent the day in the camper.
Around 5pm, Al got a call that the guys were going to go give it a try, so off he went. Marilyn heard him come in at midnight.
Tuesday we got out to the field early, got the combine serviced and they finished the field they were on and moved north near the yard. Marilyn helped shuttle some of the vehicles to the new field, then took off for Yorkton for a theatre meeting. There were lots of combines in the fields on the way up, which was good to see.
First thing she did when she got there was to go out to the farm for extra blankets and a space heater for the camper. The furnace has been working...no jinx...but we want to save the propane and this heater does the trick. After a stop at staples for a visit, it was time for the meeting, followed by the first read through for the upcoming production in November. After grabbing a coffee for the road, she headed back to the camper.
Today we serviced early again and while the guys were combining, Marilyn ran into Windthorst to buy some disappearing fingers for the auger on the pickup head. Since we had been having fuel sensor issues, she picked up a new sending unit to be put on at a later date. Where once the tank was always full, it is now always empty...according to the gauge, at least. Marilyn discovered one of the blades on the sensor had broken right off, so it was beyond repair. The combine still runs and Al counts on the neighbours gauge to have an idea of how much he has left in the tank.
After getting back from the parts run and making some lunch to take out to Al, she helped move to the next field just down the road. The dust was flying and the pickup heads were growling. As Marilyn stood outside, she could hear the combines taking turns getting plugged up...it was kind of like they were talking to each other across the field.
Marilyn figured it was time to take the drone for a spin. It's the time of year that she will have to watch out for Canada geese flocks flying past. No incidents today.
After killing two batteries, she got in and rode around with Al for a while.
There was a gorgeous sunset tonight, but since she was in the combine when the best of it was happening, the only thing she could do was get the farmer in his combine coming toward us.
Nothing but great harvest weather ahead...
View of the day-Another busy day for the cart drivers when they have to plan their pickups around the canola swaths.
Out at the combines before 10am to service and get ready to move to the next field. After getting the servicing done, three machines moved across the road to finish a small patch left in yesterdays field...it was slow process. The other machines moved south near Kennedy to start in the canola.
Marilyn went back to the camper to make lunch, then delivered the goods to Al and rode around for a while. There was no forecast for rain, but it was cloudy, so anything could happen...and the windows were clean, so it had to happen.
It sprinkled off and on but was never "running off the header", so everyone forged on. Marilyn went back to the camper to do some paperwork and check the traplines. So much for the Irish Spring shreds working...unless the mouse was running away from them. This makes #10. Facebook has been full of suggestions...most of which Marilyn has tried and some new ones that she might try.
It sprinkled again at the camper around 5:30 and it wasn't long before the guys came back to the yard...they had been rained out.
Must have been running off the header...
View of the day-The cart driver was in demand all evening.
The day started with lots of promise...sun shining, wind blowing...but then the clouds came in. Fortunately, no rain out of the deal, but it was slow going.
We went out to the field around 1pm to try and shorten the grain elevator chain while we were waiting to see if the canola was dry enough to start. We could see the test combine was making pretty good dust and by the time the sample went in for testing, we got the word to crank up. The chain would have to wait.
We had all five machines running, backed up by two carts, so we thought we could make good time. It was still pretty tough going through the combine, which did slow us down. Still, we did manage to get 400 acres done between us...not bad for starting at 2:30pm.
Marilyn was on a mouse mission. We are up to 9 trapped so far, so she went into Kipling to add shaved Irish Spring soap to the list of preventatives.
If nothing else it smells nice in the camper...
View of the day-It seems the skies have looked the same for the past week...this was today at Carlyle.
We have done the sum total of nothing the last few days. So little have we done that Marilyn did not get out of her pyjamas on Wednesday.
Before we left the farm Tuesday, Marilyn took the drone out to get some shots of the yard. We are nestled in the trees between two other yard, so we have our own little village. After the flight we took the scenic route back from Yorkton by driving over to Jeff and Michele's place at Gerald. Jeff has a sweet corn patch, so we had to fill a couple of bags to take back to the camper.
After leaving Gerald, we took another scenic trip south to Wapella. We went through the Qu'Appelle Valley on a road that Al hadn't been on for over 30 years...and Marilyn had never been on. We stopped in to visit at the farm in Wapella where we had been combining, what seemed like, forever ago. They were having issues combining peas...the rain didn't help either.
We came back to the camper, welcomed by two traps full of mice, one that needed the coax crimper treatment to be put to rest. Tomorrow some reinforcing will have to be done. To finish the day off we had a corn feast and called it a day.
Wednesday was a rainy day and we did nothing, as noted earlier. While watching TV, Marilyn heard the "snap" of the trapline again. If it hadn't been for emptying the trap, noses would never have been stuck outside the door.
Thursday, we got the new gas lift jacks put on one of the side panels, then tightened up one of the chains that needed it. Marilyn had a theatre meeting in Yorkton in the evening, so Al tagged along so she wouldn't have to drive back alone.
We took the scenic route again, going south to Wawota for lunch, then stopped in at a garage that had quite the collection of farm toys. Al did some dickering, but came out with nothing...but he's not finished yet.
We got out to the farm and hooked the cart up to the tractor...there are a couple of chances that someone will be needing it, so we want it to be ready. Unfortunately, the PTO shaft was seized up so bad that we couldn't get it stretched out enough to hook it to the tractor...not even by hooking it up to the truck and pulling. Well, we didn't want to pull too hard and wreck something, so we lubed it up with a can of WD40 and left it to soak. The "borrowers" will have to deal with it.
Al stayed at the farm while Marilyn went to her meeting. He got the grass cut and enjoyed the actual high speed internet that we still have hooked up at home. Marilyn came back from her meeting, then we loaded up to drive back to the camper. Through the rain.
Today had a lot of promise, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing. Before we tackled any jobs, we went into Kipling for lunch, then went out to the combine to check on the grain elevator chain...it needed to have a couple links taken out.
Marilyn got the moisture sensor auger cleaned out...it needed it. We have been combining canola and it was full of wheat, so it probably wasn't too accurate.
While we were there, the farmer came out to do a test. The power pole in the picture is where that poor combine was stuck so bad a couple of years back. We continued with our work while we waited for the results, but noticed the clouds were starting to bunch up and there were random showers popping up. We got the word it was too wet to go just as it started to sprinkle. Done for the day and we hadn't even started.
We took a road trip to Carlyle, Marilyn had been hunting for popsicle sticks for a theatre project and couldn't find any in Kipling...or Carlyle for that matter. We had a visit with Kim and Marg, watched the storm move through, then came back to the camper...where it rained just as we got back.
Sleep in day tomorrow...
View of the day-Regular 1/64 tractor on the right..."chaser" on the left.
Another day that held no promise of combining. Cloudy and cool...and once again the furnace was on vacation.
The word came down that a test would be done around 11 am, just to see where the canola was at. It wasn't anywhere close to starting, so the machines got parked.
Rain was in the forecast and we could see that this one was going to be right. We moved the combine over to the next field with the rest of the machines and then headed for Yorkton.
We had a pit stop south of Stockholm to visit with Jack and see how his harvest was going. When Al and him get together...well...you can kiss an hour goodbye.
It started raining just as we stopped at the Case dealer to pick up some toys that Al had ordered, then did a bit of running around in town before meeting Roger and Linda for supper. They were in town doing the same thing...errands.
We came home to the farm to spend the night and pick up, yet another batch of "needed" items for the camper. Al went through his boxes of toys looking for the "chase" units...special chromed tractors, randomly inserted into the cases. He did find a couple of 1/64 scale chasers...the one on the left...so he was happy about that.
Back to the camper tomorrow...
View of the day-The dreaded first round of the field...especially on a borderline dry day. Good thing the big 9230 was the one breaking trail.
A colder, dismal, cloudy day, but there were hopes that the rain would stay away and the sun might come out for a while. That never happened, but the farmer decided to give it a try at 1pm...just to see where it was at.
We went into town for brunch...wasn't on par with the Painted Hand Casino brunch, but it filled us up. We went directly from Kipling out to the field and got the combine cranked up and went out to see how it would go through. The stalks were a bit chewy, but it was going not too bad...all things considered.
Marilyn went back to the camper to make some coffee to take out to the combine, then jumped in with Al for the rest of the afternoon. Just as we were finishing up the field on the west side of the water run, Al saw a piece of wire go into the combine. Unfortunately it didn't come out the other end and we could hear it ticking with every turn of the rotor.
We took the combine over to the shop trailer to get some tools to open it up and find the wire. We found it wrapped around the front of the rotor, but getting it out was going to be a task. As luck would have it, Alexander was driving by with the grain cart and stopped to help out. With Al moving the rotor by hand and Alex under the feederhouse pulling the wire out in pieces, we were able to get it all out.
After putting it all back together, Al moved over to the other side of the field where the other four were working and helped them finish it off. Marilyn moved the pickup over and put another drone video together.
Hopefully the forecasted rain stays away...
View of the day-Bird's eye view of the day.
The rain happened during the night, at least at the farm. We weren't sure if it had rained at the field, but we got the call that it had, so it would be a fixing day.
We drove into Kipling to get some new chain for the pickup head. We also had to pick up some parts for the farmer at the same place, which looked like the place to be in town...the lot was full of pickups. We decided to grab breakfast at the cafe and wait for the line to thin at the parts store.
When we got to the parts store to get our chain...they were out of it. Well, the stuff we wanted...the mid-price stuff, so we had to spring the extra $50 for the "better" stuff. As we paid and asked for the farmers order of parts, we discovered that he was the one who had gotten the last box of the good chain we wanted. Oh well.
We went back to the field and the other crew was out there changing oil and servicing their combines. Marilyn did the windows while Al got the rads and air filters blown out...we decided to take the shop trailer out with us and leave it there at the field. We would be working in this area for quite a few days, so we figured if the shop is here...we won't need it.
After testing a couple of times during the day, it was official around 5pm that we wouldn't be combining. So we were camperbound for the night.
When Marilyn was cleaning out the cupboards after "mousefest", she found one of those mouse traps with the fake cheese on it. After filling all the cracks and holes with steel wool, putting bounce sheets in the cupboards and plugging in the sonic repeller, she set the traps and put them back in the same places adding the fake cheese one to the mix.
None of those things work...except the fake cheese. Al opened the door and there it was...another mouse.
Here we go again...or maybe not...
View of the day-Goodbye straight header, into the canola today.
Early morning of getting the combine set up to pick canola. We got the headers swapped out, then changed settings, fueled up and Al hit the field.
Marilyn got lunch rounded up and went out to the field to ride around and see how the canola was working...after all we were in a new machine. Al was quite pleased with the capacity of the feederhouse...a lot less plugging. The swaths were pretty big and there were a lot of "lumps" in them which gave the auger in the header a workout.
Marilyn went back to the camper for a while...until she got the call from Al that the chain on the pickup auger had broken. She grabbed the box of chain that was in the shop trailer along with a few tools and headed out to the field.
Al had everything loosened off, ready for the new chain, but when we looked in the box it appeared that some of the chain had already been used and we were 6 links short of a whole new chain. Not to worry. We took those 6 off the old chain, found some connector links and were back in business.
We finished the section of canola around 10pm with lightning flashing around us...but never over us...a bonus.
Let's hope it lasts through the night...
View of the day-Look ma, no hands...what a straight line Al is cutting.
What a productive day we had today. The yard was on the way to the next field, so it was easier to stop at the tanks there, rather than fun the fuel trucks to the field.
We got out early to take some pictures with the drone...still way to windy to get it up to high, but we did get the lineup and then everyone moved to the yard to fuel up.
We moved about 10 miles south of the yard to start in a full section. This one was quite nice with long straight runs and very few obstacles, so it wasn't the full 640 acres, but it was still big. The cart drivers were kept busy with all five combines running smoothly until one of the grain carts was crossing a grass strip just one too many times.
This cart and tractor are wheeled as opposed to the other one that has tracks on both. The spot he crossed must have been rolled over enough times that he just punched through when he was loaded. The other cart got over beside him so he could unload some of the wheat and once that was done, he was able to drive out of the holes under his own steam...no pulling needed.
Of course, while this was all going on, the other combines were filling up. This was pretty much the only time we all had to stop and wait for the buggys...actually gave us some time to stretch our legs and get rid of some coffee.
We got that whole section done, then moved another 10 or so miles to the next half section field. This one was full of sloughs and water runs, so the auto steer was out of the question. Some of the pieces got so small that we felt like we were running into ourselves when we turned around. We lost one machine due to a gear box of some sort, so we were down to four with two carts and we just managed to finish up as the sun was setting. Good thing, too...that would have been quite the experience in the dark. Kind of took us back to some of those Balcarres fields of the past.
We had enough daylight left to drive back to the yard to call it a night. We are now done with the spring wheat and the straight headers and will suit up for the canola swaths tomorrow.
And, oh...those beaver houses are huge this year...
