November 9, 2009

View of the day-Another great Saskatchewan sunset.

Marilyn was off to work in the dark at 6:45am while Al continued to check his eyelids for cracks...all clear on that front.

Once he was mobile, he got things moved around with the help of Murray, the neighbor we are combining for, and when everything was where he needed it he started combining around 1pm. He filled the truck and cart, and was just dumping in to the farmers truck when Marilyn showed up after work to take over combining while he dumped everything.

We combined until 7pm when the flax was starting to wrap on the auger and were just ready to head the mile back home when Marilyn got a text from her friend saying that she and her young 6yr old daughter were coming out for a ride. Marilyn took Al back home and waited until her friends came out from town, then went back out to the field to make a few rounds.

Al got to watch his Monday Night Football and once Marilyn got back from the combine and did a bit of work on the computer it was time to call it a day.

Morning comes way too early...

November 8, 2009

View of the day-Al coming over the hill on the flax.

We got to sleep in a bit today since we were done combining at Esterhazy and just had to move things home. We went to the greenhouse for brunch, then picked up some fuel for the General, then picked up Marilyn's friend, Brenda to help us move home in one trip.

We got to the farm and Al unloaded the truck and cart while Marilyn and Brenda moved the combine to town, then went out to the wheat field to hook the straight header on the trailer up. We met Al back at the combine trailer and got the combine loaded, strapped down and hooked up to the General.

Al headed out with the General and combine, and Brenda helped Marilyn get the rearview camera rigged up on the tractor and cart so she could see who was behind her. Brenda left with the pickup and header, then Marilyn got the job of roading the tractor and cart all the way back to Yorkton...about 50 miles at 18mph. It was a rough ride but she made it to the front lawn at home by 5:50pm...in the dark.

Al got the combine unloaded and the empty trailer hooked back up to the General just as Brenda showed up with the header trailer, then after giving her a ride home, Al took the trailer out to the winter parking spot SE of town. When he got back he took the General directly to the flax field that he will be straight cutting...we hope...tomorrow.

Marilyn picked him up from the field, then got the combine monitor all set up for him ,then we went into town to pick up a few groceries before coming back home and calling it a day. Tomorrow Al will start combining on his own for the day and Marilyn gets to go to work at Staples, and she has to be there at 7am...all week long. Of course this means she only has to work until 3:30pm, but she has drama rehearsal to attend in the evening...things are almost back to normal...no rest.

At least the field is only a mile from our house...almost walking distance...

November 7, 2009

View of the day-A bald eagle showing a coyote who's boss. He must have been used to the traffic on the corner or been really hungry because he let us get reasonably close.

What a crazy day. We left home for Esterhazy, planning to stop in town like we normally do, but thanks to repairs on the railroad tracks near the highway, we ended up taking the scenic route. We live 3.5 miles from the main highway and there is only one road that branches off to anywhere along that 3.5 miles, it is at the 3 mile mark. They put the blockade up a half mile from the tracks, which are 1/3 mile from the highway...sound like a math problem? Well, they certainly never figured it out and we had to turn around and take the back roads east and south to the highway. The worst of it was that Marilyn didn't get her coffee...we even drove around Saltcoats looking for some. We ended up going to the field through Esterhazy so we were able to stock up there. Rant off.

Al got the truck and cart unloaded while Marilyn greased and serviced the combine, then we started right in combining by 11:30am. The neighbors had a few green ones move in to do a couple of fields of swathed canola...actually for the farmer that we had just finished for the other day. He had hired them when the plan was that we would be going to Dyersville and the weather would be good...we were okay with that since we had found other work to do in the area.

We got the field finished around 3:30pm, then moved over to the last of the flax. We got to combine along side Eugene and his 9500 JD and Al was the lone truck driver...but he was able to keep up, quite easily with the short haul. We got that field done by 8:30pm and that was also the end of Eugene's harvest for the season. Another 100+ acre day for us, which felt pretty good. Occasionally we had a lineup as you can see in the mirror in the picture.

The sun was shining and the wind was blowing hard again, unfortunately, the temps weren't anywhere near what they were yesterday...nice in the cab, but nippy by the bins. Al had a small chain issue with the auger...a trip into town and a few back to the shop trailer got him fixed and it was business as usual.

We decided to bring the shop trailer home with us, since we would be moving everything back home and after getting the clearance lights working, we headed north. We got through town and just as we hit the first set of tracks north of town the red and blue lights started flashing behind us...the mounties were pulling us over. Al is never in the mood for these guys and couldn't figure out what the problem was...the lights were all working, we weren't speeding, we stopped at the lights...we sat and waited to find out what the deal was. We did have a panic moment when we thought maybe the registration on the licence had expired...we couldn't remember because we usually let it go for the winter and this year was really late...they could have expired.

The officer finally made his way to the window and said he had run our plate number from the trailer and they told him it hadn't been registered since 2007, but after he got up to it, he realised he had one of the alphabets wrong...a G for a C, or something. Once he had the right letter, it checked out...Al mentioned the registration thing and he told us we were good until the end of this month, so we were good to go. Relatively painless.

Marilyn is sure it was the wafting aroma of the donut box on the dash...

November 6, 2009

View of the day-Morning servicing...and the guys found the donuts in the pickup.

We left town early after having breakfast at home, for a change, and by the time we got to the rigs, Jeff's crew was already there doing their servicing before moving back to the farm. The fuel truck showed up and while the combines got filled, Al greased and Marilyn did windows.

We had to do a bit of chiseling in the hopper to get all the goo that had collected on the auger in the hopper from the 'moist' canola. We couldn't figure out why the bushel count was out so bad until Marilyn took the cover off the sensor and discovered 4 inches of goo fused on to it. It took a bit of doing, but eventually we got it back into ship shape and we were on the road south. Al drove the combine and Marilyn went back to the wheat field to get the shop trailer.

Back at Eugene's, we got the combine set for flax, took off the spreaders and Al took the first swath around the first patch. He got a ride to get the tractor and cart and Marilyn took over combining. We had a terrific wind blowing for most of the day and the temperature was close to 70ºF...a gorgeous day for harvesting...especially in November. Once Al got back with the cart and unloaded the truck, he took over combining while Marilyn went into town to get lunch...no free pizza today, in fact they weren't even that friendly, but damn they make good subs.

We got the first couple of small patches done and moved over to the big piece and continued combining until 9:30pm. Marilyn was determined to fill the truck and the cart before going home and the way the wind picked up after sunset, we could have gone all night...if Al hadn't filled the bin. We had such a good day that it didn't matter that we had to quit...we still managed to do over 100 acres!

When was the last time that happened??

November 5, 2009

View of the day-Al tries to plug a few holes in the door of the bin so that the canola does not escape...the BlackBerry had to take the picture, so excuse the quality.

We got rolling a little later than yesterday...a couple of stops in town meant we had to wait until the stores opened. Marilyn had to stop at Staples to get some printing done and purchase some printer ink while Al went to grab some snacks to go. Once we had that done, it was time to head to the machines.

Marilyn dropped Al off at the General and while he unloaded at the yard, she got to go to the combine and service...what a difference from the summer. The grease gun battery was struggling with the stiff grease and the zerks weren't exactly cooperating either. Even though the sun was shining, the wind was strong and bitterly cold...insulated jeans and three jackets couldn't keep it from cutting through. Interestingly enough, getting a day like this in January would feel like we were in the Bahama's...still, it's easier to add layers when it's cold...eventually in the heat, you run out of layers to remove.

By the time Al got back to the field, Marilyn had already cranked up the combine and was making dust...not a lot, mind you...but there was dust coming out the back of the combine. Rudy and Mike showed up a little later and it didn't take long before everyone was getting the job done like a well oiled machine. Al was kept hopping even though the bins were in the field, between the leaking bin doors, a temperamental tractor running the auger and a grain cart that never seemed to get empty, he wasn't able to get any breaks.

We managed to get the field done around 7pm and after lining everything up and dumping the last of the canola for the season into the bin, we called it a night. Al decided to drop the General off in Eugene's yard where we had been camping months earlier...well, it was September back then...and Marilyn picked him up then it was home to Yorkton...on the highway, for a change. We got back home to see lights about a mile across the field from our place...four or five combines with lights flashing and all kinds of action going on...Al did say we could have combined all night the way the wind was blowing.

Tomorrow we tackle some flax...should be interesting...

November 4, 2009

View of the day-Nope, not out of the archives...we actually combined today!! Jeff dumping in the cart as Marilyn finally gets to do some combining.

We were up before the sun...that is not too hard these days, the way they are getting shorter. Sunrise is now at 7:50am...and we still have at least 6 weeks to go before the shortest day of the year.

We decided that combining was more important than going to Dyersville for the toy show...we actually are forecast to have at least four days of decent weather...above seasonal, if you can believe it. So this year we will pass on it and try to finish our harvest season at home...if that will ever happen. The phone has been ringing off the wall with farmers looking for harvesters...there is still so much crop out there...but we can only do so much.

We went into town early and had breakfast before going to the Case dealer to pick up a couple of clutch pads for the pickup head auger drive. Once we had those paid for...and had been given a couple of 25th anniversary hats...we left for Esterhazy.

We got out to the field, Jeff and Rudy were servicing their rigs, so we started on changing out the clutches...it went relatively easy...relatively being the key word. After several discussions on the best way to do it, the hammer finally came out and with a little persuasion it was apart, replaced and back together in no time at all. Since the humidity was still high...although, does that really matter at this point...the time it took to fix helped keep us out of the swaths and out of trouble...for a while. Once we got fueled up, Al went to dump the General at the bin and Marilyn started combining.

Al got to combine yesterday while Marilyn was away at Saskatoon attending the software course...which, by the way, was well worth it...we have only been utilizing 20% of what that software is capable of, so there will be lots of playing around with it now. Al had told Marilyn that he wasn't able to go much faster than 2mph since the straw was pretty tough...as you can see from what is left in the foreground of the view of the day. Marilyn got out and was being cautious...after all, with new clutches in the auger, that fail safe was eliminated...and sure enough, 0.47 acres into the field, the rotor plugged.

This was the first time the rotor has plugged on this machine, so it is was quite a shock...and the fingers started pointing as to who's fault it was. Was it the new clutches? Was it driving to fast...is 1.5mph to fast? Was it too early to start? Anyway, it didn't matter what the reason, the big wrench came out and once we dropped the concaves and Al started cranking the rotor back, we had it cleaned out and were back in the field within an hour. The canola was testing 16% moisture on the combine tester, and even though the sun was shining, the wind was blowing cold and it didn't seem like it was drying...like that matters at this point.

The rest of the field went without event, and once we got finished, the guys started out with the combines and the grain cart to move the 15 or so miles to the last canola field. Marilyn ran into Esterhazy to pick up a pizza that she had ordered earlier by phone. When she got to the station to pick it up, the lady told her it would be an extra 15 minutes...she had burnt the first one...but she was going to give Marilyn the new one for free! Should have bought a lottery ticket while she was there, although she wasn't so lucky with the rotor earlier in the day.

Back at the field, Jeff got it opened up and Al cleaned up around the bins he will be dumping in tomorrow. These swaths were only 25ft, so the productivity will be a bit better and they don't seem to be packed down so tightly which mean they aren't as wet underneath. Once the grain cart was full, we shut it down and gave Rudy and Jeff a ride back to their trucks, then headed back to Yorkton. We got there in time for Al to take in the hockey game...they lost...again. He got a ride home with the neighbor so Marilyn got to go home and get some work done.

We might even finish the canola tomorrow...

November 1, 2009

View of the day-At least the snow is gone...just barely. It was white yesterday morning, but the cat tails down the road from us don't seem to care..

Well, it was a week of doing absolutely nothing...in the harvesting department, at least. Marilyn worked all week and Al dug in and got the books done up to date...all the receipts from over the summer finally got entered into the accounting program...finally. It is amazing how many things you can find to do to avoid doing bookwork...if only we could just take the 10 minutes to enter each day as it happens...right, like that's gonna happen.

We had rain most of the week and snow for Halloween...we did manage to see the sun once or twice, but it never stayed out long enough to dry things down at all. The phone has been ringing off the wall with people from all over looking to get extra help for harvest...there is still a lot of crop out, but no one can make any head way and now the fields will probably be somewhat soft. There have been lots of pictures coming through the email of equipment getting stuck...not something anyone needs when you just want to get your crop in the bin...or dryer.

This coming week will be a busy one for us. Marilyn leaves for Saskatoon after work Monday to take a course all day Tuesday that CaseIH is holding. She has been wanting to take the course, but Case only offers a few per year and they only take so many students so it has never worked out. She will be learning how to use the desktop software that comes with the gps and mapping on the combine...Al is sure she will be disappointed because she has been using it for the past five years, and probably won't learn anything new. Marilyn wishes Al would attend...

Once Marilyn gets back to Yorkton, it will be a short sleep then we will be off to Dyersville, IA for the big farm toy show. Al's brother Jeff will be coming along and this year we know what to expect from the show...and we won't be sidetracked by purchasing a cargo trailer. The guys have everything mapped out and the wish lists have been getting longer and longer...Marilyn doesn't have a list...she will improvise when she gets there.

So hopefully we will be able to get some harvesting pictures while we are on our trip south and if we do, at least the blog will get back to a daily one.

Until we get rolling again...