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View of the day-Hmm, a short corner, the approach just wasn't wide enough.
No sign of combining today after last nights rain and the cool, cloudy day. Al took the General into town to get the clutch set up while Marilyn cleaned off the combine and pressure washed the engine compartment. Once we found out we wouldn't be combining today, we decided to take the tractor, grain cart and straight header up to Esterhazy.
We got everything loaded and then made our way the 90 miles north to Esterhazy. Once we got there Marilyn scouted out the field where we were going to park the rigs and it looked like the approach would be wide enough to accommodate the long load. Unfortunately, the road leading to the approach was a bit on the narrow side. As Al turned in the approach the back axles of the truck went down on one side and the cart trailer tires went in on the other side and the trailer ended up high centered right on the approach. No backing up, no moving forward, fortunately the farmer showed up to laugh...er, help us out. 
After getting his tractor and hooking up the tow strap, one tug and he had the rig pulled up onto flat land.
We unloaded the tractor, got the Freight parked close to a plug in (it doesn't like the cold) and then proceeded to raid the garden. We were instructed by the farmer that it was supposed to freeze tonight so we were to rescue any veggies that we wanted. With a bag of tomatoes, a bag of cucs, some carrots and beets in the box of the truck we headed home.
We talked Al's step dad into meeting us on the way with our mail that he had been collecting for us all summer. After meeting with him and getting caught up on some of the Grayson gossip, we started back to Carlyle. We stopped at the truck stop in Whitewood for supper and then stopped again at Moose Mountain Auctions to check out what would be on sale at tomorrow's auction. Marilyn had already booked off the day to go to the sale with her sister Marg and she wanted to see what bargains were to be had.
Most of the trip home was spent with Marilyn opening the mail and Al asking "what's that one" and "I paid that already". Of course with the mail dating back to mid-May, there was bound to be some "old news" in the batch of letters. We found the odd cheque too, which could go to purchase the leather recliner sofa Marilyn spotted at the sale barn.
We're still refusing to turn the furnace on in the camper even though it is supposed to get mighty chilly tonight. It's a matter of denial...summer is not over, we only need the small heater...just to take the chill off.
Marilyn got an extra blanket from the house...
View of the day-The self-propelled combine taking care of the outside round.
A day we never saw the sun, but we combined just the same. We went over to Kisbey just after lunch and started in on the last 40 acres of oats. It tested dry enough but as soon as we got rolling it started to sprinkle. We kept on combining through about eight different showers. Every time it would start to rain we would finish a round and decide to quit, then the rain would quit and we just kept on going. By the time we got to the last round the rain had really started to fall but that didn't stop us from finishing.
While Al unloaded the truck in the rain, Marilyn got the combine fueled up and roaded it the 20 miles back to Carlyle. When Al got back with the pickup and shop trailer, he enlisted Kim to go back with him to bring back the grain truck. Right after they left the yard the rain started pouring down which we're pretty sure will put a stop to any thoughts of combining tomorrow.
Maybe we will move the tractor, cart and header to Esterhazy...
View of the day-At least nephew Gordie gets to combine some canola in his dad's 2388.
We woke up to a couple of rain showers. Just enough to screw things up for the day, by actually giving us the hope that it might dry out later on when the sun came out.
We went in to town to have lunch then drove over to Kisbey to service the combine and unload the truck. The sun was trying to shine and there was hope until the farmer did a sample and it was 17% moisture, so that settled that. Marilyn decided it was time for a Walmart fix, so since we were almost halfway there, we went to Estevan.
On our way back to Carlyle we spied brother-in-law Kim's combine in a field by the highway. It was stopped and the pickup truck was parked behind it so we decided to see if we could be of assistance. Once we got across the field we could see it was the lunch wagon...that was a relief. Since Gordie had finished eating, he was instructed to drive the combine over to the semi and unload it. Marilyn went along for the ride and then rode with him for a couple of rounds as he combined, changing all the settings to make use of all the technology available (which Kim probably changed back as soon as it was his turn to combine). He did a pretty good job...very careful... which was a refreshing thing to see.
Gordie also informed us that he had done a search for Kuntz Harvesting on Google and found we had a video on YouTube. We couldn't figure how the heck that had gotten up there, but when we checked it out we found it was one of several harvesting videos that Tom Isern had taken back in Tuttle, ND. There was also one of Prevost Harvesting, Brownridge Harvesting and even kuchen making in the Tuttle Store! Check them out if you get the chance.
Speaking of video's, we are trying out the video posting feature on the blog today to see how it works. It is of 12 year old Gordie picking up canola swaths. Remember too, that if you click on any of the pictures, you will get an enlarged version in which you can see a lot more detail.
No more rain, please...
View of the day-The pull-type combine leads the self-propelled with the Moose Mountains in the background.
First thing Al went into the local Coop at Carlyle to get the pickup belt re-laced that we had taken off the header yesterday. After getting lunch together it was off to Kisbey to continue picking up the wheat.
We finished the first patch and moved about four miles NE to another field that had three different pieces of wheat. With three machines working together in the small fields, it didn't take long to lap things up. It seemed to be a race against the weather on the last field as the lightning show to the west was quite spectacular and we were expecting the high winds and rain to kick in at any moment. We did manage to get finished and had time to blow some of the chaff off the combine before heading back to Carlyle.
Not much of an entry when you are parked in the combine for 11 hours going around in circles. Back at the camper the lightning was still flashing and there were a few sprinkles, but no down pour.
But the night is young...
View of the day-Canadian wildlife. An extended family of moose parade by the field south of Kisbey, SK.
WOW we have been harvesting for a long time and you see a lot of different things as you combine but today we saw a first while working not one or two but four, yes four moose or is it mooses not quite sure. Two bull moose and a cow and a calf. Al kept wondering where Rocky the flying squirrel was because we sure saw Bullwinkle and his peeps.
We had a slight change of plans from last night (imagine that a change of plans...) we thought we were going to be in canola but the change put us in the wheat instead. This meant we had to road the combine 20 miles east of Carlyle, just south of Kisbey.
We started in on some organic wheat and with the smaller swaths we made good time. We were working with the farmer and his brother in the same field. What a change from the day before...going from lots of technology and big machines to regular old time farming. Two three ton trucks with a pull type 914 International combine and a self propelled 915 International. The 915 was having pickup head troubles, and went back to the farm yard 1/2 mile away for repairs a couple of times, but the 914 stuck with us.
We had patched the belt on our pickup head to try and make it through the day, and it did do the job until the sun went down and the straw started getting tough. It would start jamming under the pickup teeth and stop some of the belts, so we quit around 8:30pm and drove back to the camper.
It wasn't a good day for brother-in-law Kim and his 2388. His top sieve decided it didn't want to stay in the machine and tried to exit the back of the machine...good thing the chaff spreaders were back there to help slow it down...well, until one of them went flying too. He did get up and running after a couple of hours of down time.
Oh dear, the leaves are starting to change color...
View of the day-Working together picking up oats. Too far apart for a "natural" picture.
The day started out sunny, but in the SW there were clouds that carried the threat of rain if they came our way. We went out to the barley field and after servicing the combine, blowing out the rad and air filters, started in to finish up the last 30 acres that were left. It kept trying to rain, always just enough to make a mess of the windows on the combine, but not enough to stop the combining.
Once the barley was done, Marilyn drove back to Kim and Marg's yard to blow off the combine again and change from the straight header to the pickup head. After changing a few settings, it was time to head south to help finish a field of swathed oats. Everything was running fine, except for the pickup belt we had intended on changing on a "rainy day"...like we didn't have a few of them. Of the seven belts, the one next to the centre one was missing about 8 inches of the lacing that hold the ends together. The missing lace was on the outside edge of the belt making it flap around a bit. It wasn't affecting the pickup work so Marilyn kept a close eye on it to make sure it didn't break all the way and go flying.
Everything was going fine, the oats was running around 90 bu/ac which meant the trucks were busy filling a ring that was set up in one of the fields about two miles away. The cart driver was kept busy and we eventually had to wait after everything at the field was full. Marilyn decided to take some unintentional time off to let them catch up. The combine had been picking up the swaths perfectly, no signs of slugging the rotor with a big wad of grain, when all of a sudden there was a quick growling noise and the rotor alarm went off.
Marilyn stopped immediately and was boggled by what could have happened...the swath wasn't big enough to plug things up. Once she lifted the header up, it was obvious what the noise was from. A quick trip down the ladder and out to the back of the combine and the mystery was revealed...the centre pickup belt had split and went right through the machine and was sitting in the field. It was minus a few pickup teeth and had a few gashes from going through the chopper, but the combine was fine.
Al came back to the field and we put on the backup belt we had purchased in SD, and found some extra wire to make a "mickey mouse" fix on the flapping belt. Marilyn went back out into the field and had no trouble finishing the field. We moved the combine back to the yard to blow it off again so it is clean to go into some canola tomorrow. We have a line on someone who will might be able to re-lace the flapping belt...no mean feat considering tomorrow is Labor Day.
Not a bad day, all things considered...
View of the day-The cavalry saves the day!
Well here we go again...the lightning was flashing and then the rain came around 2am. It rained a couple more times during the night, so Al had his sign. Marilyn's theory was that if it rained, the repair on yesterday's breakdown would be major...and if it didn't rain, the fix would be quick. Funny how things work.
We discovered the belt was not wrapped twice around the pulley...no indeed...it was more like seven times. We tried hooking some of the remnants to a chain and pulling with the pickup, that worked for one of the strands, but the rest were wrapped so badly that some of the fibers had pushed against the oil seal and there was a pretty heavy leak. We decided the only way to get it fixed was to remove the gear box, pulleys and all.
Since the rain has quashed any thoughts of combining, in the morning anyway, we had extra help in the form of brother-in-law Kim, nephew Gordie(who was the photographer of the day), and the farmer, Garrett. Kim called into his CaseIH dealer to see if we could get the seal replaced on a Saturday, and they told him they would be able to help us out. That was the least of our problems at that point.
The gear box weighed about 500 lbs. so lifting it out of the engine compartment was going to be a bit of a chore. We got all the bolts out that were holding it down, looped a couple of heavy ropes around it and tried to budge it. We budged it right off the platform and under a small gear, which made removal even further off. Garrett then suggested he go home and get his backhoe...BACKHOE...what a lifesaver!
Once that showed up, he hooked a chain hoist to the the bucket and ever so gently lifted the gear box out and on to the back of our pickup.
We drove the 45 miles to Storthoaks to get it gutted, and after they cleaned it up and removed the sheaves, the remnants just pulled right off. They changed the seal and and we decided to change some pins and bushings since the pulley half was off anyway. They reassembled it and we were on our way back.
Kim was combining on his canola, so we were a body short, but Garrett used the backhoe to replace the gear box and helped get it bolted back down. We were just ready to bolt up the PTO shaft when we realized that the sprockets that speed up the rotor were not lined up...they weren't even close. They had put that together backwards!
We finally got it put together the right way and after getting it all set the way it was, Al took it out for a test drive around 6:30pm. Marilyn took over after Al got the truck full and combined until 9:30pm. A 25 acre day, which wasn't that bad considering we didn't think we would get going at all.
What a great start to September...
After getting his tractor and hooking up the tow strap, one tug and he had the rig pulled up onto flat land.
