July 7

View of the day-Windmill in the last Kansas field.

Wow, we actually combined to day, even with the repairs! Al got the bearings pressed on first thing in the morning at Straub's and we headed out to the field thinking "now what". We got everything back together with not a lot of swearing and were rolling in the field by 11:15am...yes am.

There were combines rolling all around us, to the SW was the other crew working with us for the same farmer. They must have been glad to see us finally cutting because the gave us a fireworks show late in the evening. That was fireworks, not fire works. Perhaps they too can see the light at the end of the tunnel. To the west of us was a local farmer with his combines and trucks, although they quit early, before the sun was set as you can see.

Still, with the repair in the morning, we were still able to cut all day and...are you sitting down...did 130 acres! With the weather behaving more like Kansas weather should, in the 90's, low humidity and a good wind, it was almost perfect. Tomorrow is forecast to be 100 with 25% humidity and the south wind will be back.

Was it the 7-7-07 lucky day number? Whatever it was, it was about time, but we won't get too cocky...the bottom has fallen out before...of course, we will just have to fix it and move on.

One day at a time...

July 6

View of the day-Fireworks!

Woo hoo-we combined today!! They had our combine all reassembled and ready to go shortly after lunch. Marilyn got to drive it back out to the field, while Al unloaded the load of wheat left on the truck when the rain hit. We did a couple of patches on one of the big fields and then moved to a small field with seed wheat. The crop was down and really dusty so the air screen kept plugging up, causing some overheating, so we had to stop for things to cool down periodically. It seemed odd that the combine yield monitor showed 569 bushels combined, but the truck was heaped so full, Al was sure there was over 600 bushels in it. After unloading into the bin, they took a sample to town and discovered the reason for the discrepancy...the test weight was only 47 lbs. (60 is the normal weight).

We moved back to the first field of the day and started in, it didn't take long before the rotor speed started to drop, so Marilyn went out to check what the problem could be. No surprise here, a bearing had gone and was heated up pretty good. Out came the tools again, and with all the parts extremely hot, it was a tricky bit of business to get the pulley dismantled and removed.

We got back to town in time to fight the traffic heading out to the fireworks show at the expo park. Marilyn walked out to the parking lot at the campground and was able to see the fireworks from a few miles away. They were probably something to see from up close.

Not really a day for celebration...

July 5

View of the day-Waitning our turn at the hospital.

Cloudy and humid again, but it didn't matter since the combine was in the hospital. We went down in the morning to see what the prognosis was, and they had just taken the feederhouse off and were going to remove the rotor. They called us to come in later on in the afternoon with the final diagnosis, and it was indeed the shaft on the rotor gear box, which would require replacing. Of course, the only gear box in the area was in Salina, so they were going to get it delivered and put everything back together, but...it wouldn't be done until tomorrow afternoon.

A super do nothing day...not that we wouldn't rather have been making dust...

July 4-Happy Independence Day!

View of the day-The Canadian weather front moving in.

The day started out with such promise, the sun was shining, the wind blowing, and we actually got rolling shortly after noon. We got the field finished just as Marilyn noticed the combine was vibrating a bit too much. Al looked in the engine compartment and discovered a couple of bolts loose on the gear box, so we were almost back where we started.

The clouds started gathering and it looked like they were going to go west of us, when all of a sudden the heavens let loose. We were able to get everything tarped and into the yard before the roads got to sticky. As the rain came down, Al decided to road the combine into Great Bend, 22 miles, to get it fixed at the shop, but it would have to wait until tomorrow because of the July 4 holiday. Perhaps lightning will strike and put us out of our misery.

Speaking of Independence Day, we thought since it had rained, we would be able to go see the fireworks display the city puts on every year. The rain followed Al into town, and it poured for a while then cleared off enough to let the show go on. Well, we got the cameras charged, pop bought and headed out to find a good spot to view the action. About an hour prior to the show, they announced it was being move to Friday night...boo. This didn't stop the rest of the city from lighting up.

All day long the fireworks were being lit up, although we thought it was a waste of the display during daylight hours. We parked out of town along the highway and could see all around us the fireworks being lit up in all areas. This was no bottle rocket/firecracker show either...these folks spent the big bucks, there was some real great stuff. It was unreal the amount of smoke that hung in the air since the wind had all but disappeared the visibility was down to a couple blocks. The cut off time is midnight for setting off fireworks, and we are still hearing the loud booms. Maybe the cops will cut them some slack, since they didn't get the professional show.

It only rained 1/4 inch at the farm...

July 3

View of the day-Postcards from the edge-Al writes a couple of postcards while waiting for the grain to dry.

Once again it was humid, but the clouds burned off a bit earlier than usual. We headed out to the field after lunch and did a test, it was 15.6% so we had a bit of a wait, time to service and wash windows. We got to start around 2:30pm and finished the field we were on and moved 1/4 mile west to start another one. It was really dry and was being saved for seed, so Al had a change of scenery by hauling to the bins instead of the elevator.

Al only had two loads go to the elevator, and was looking forward to the "free gifts" the local radio station was giving out at their on location report from the elevator. His first load was too early and his second load had him pulling into the elevator as they were pulling out. No treats for Al this time.

We worked until 10:30, when the straw got too tough and started piling up against the standing grain. The straw would pile up at the end of the header making it hard to cut and leaving "normies", the few stalks of grain that are left standing after cutting 30.5 feet with at 30 foot header. Still we got in 60 acres today, a long way from the 100 acre days of Oklahoma, but at least we are rolling.

The fireworks are getting set off early, so we can't tell the celebrations from the gunshots.

The real show will be tomorrow...

July 2

View of the day-Al dumping in the Albert, KS elevator.

Are you sitting down? We actually combined today!

It started out as every other day, and it was just as well, since we had to get the water pump replaced on the pickup. Al went to several shops in town looking for someone with the right tools to fix the Dodge. He finally found one who told him, while he was busy and understaffed, he would try work on it between jobs. Al left it with him, and asked if they had a courtesy car, and they didn't, so he walked back to the camper...about two miles...quite a workout to say the least. We were surprised when, at 12:30, we got a call saying they had finished the job and we could pick it up.

Al refused to walk back, so we took a chance and looked in the phone book to see if there was any transit service in town. Great Bend is about the same size as Yorkton and quite spread out, but we have never seen a cab in all the years we have been here. We found a cab company with one van, which is all they have, and they picked us up at the farm supply store across the street from the campground. The trip cost us $4! Al couldn't believe the garage guys wouldn't have told him there was a cab in town...and cheap at that...he bought a $2 pop on his walk, and for another $2 he would have been home free (well not really free, but close).

Once we got home, we talked to the farmer and he told us it would be later on in the afternoon before anything would go, so while Al rejuvenated himself, horizontally, Marilyn did it her way by checking out the thrift shops in town. We headed out to the field around 5pm and did a test, it was 14.2%, so we cranked up and finally made some dust. We got about 45 acres done before it got too tough, and besides, it was getting dark.

Al talked to one of our farmers in South Dakota, and they started combining in the area on Saturday...it's insane this year! We still have lots to do here, so it would appear that we will be missing another stop up the road. When one door closes another opens, and we are sure we will be able to make up the acres, and maybe find some new customers along the way. This, of course, could just be a one shot thing, but at least we will be making dust, and helping someone else get their crops off.

What surprises will tomorrow hold...

July 1-Happy Canada Day!

View of the day-Occupants at the Brit Spaugh Zoo trying to hide.

Yet another day of cloudy humid weather. We are on the edge of the weather system that is dumping massive amounts of rain to SE Kansas and E Oklahoma. It seems we are just far enough from the rain, but still close enough to suffer from the fringe effects. The forecast has been saying we are going to be in the mid 90's, but they told us that was what we would get last week and look where we are, in the 70's and low 80's.

There was no rush to get out to the field, but we still had to haul the last bit of grain to the elevator and move the tractor and grain cart to the next field where the combine was waiting, Once we got moved, it was just another day of fixing little things on the combine and grain truck. We did try a sample at 5pm, but it was 17.3% so we knew it wouldn't be getting any better, even if the sun came out. We went back into Great Bend and decided to take a stroll through the zoo, but the hours were only til 4:30. The gate was open a bit, so we went in, but the "guards" were putting the inmates away, and chasing the rest of us out the gate.

While we were sitting at the park, Al noticed an antifreeze leak in the pickup truck, and discovered the water pump will probably need to be replaced tomorrow..what next?

Since there was no cutting, we headed back to the camper and got ready for the Sunday night TV "Ice Road Truckers" on the History Channel. We just got through the "Deadliest Catch" crab fishing marathon, and now they come up with this one.

Our job doesn't seem so bad...