July 7, 2008

View of the day-Leaving from the bins at Timken, KS.

Marilyn got to bed at 4am...she had Walmart all to herself...great shopping...great exercise.

Al was up before Marilyn...not saying "early", just "before". After getting the new tire for the shop trailer fixed we went for lunch, then headed out to get settled up, put the tire on, fix a hydraulic hose, then head north to Nebraska.

Al wanted to leave late so we would cross into Nebraska after the "crows" had left the weigh scale...you know what we mean by "crows"...you never know who is listening on the two way radios...code words, you know...never know who is reading the blog either...

We were aware of the bad weather that was coming up from the SW, but thought that we would be able to stay ahead of it. We did have a contingency plan, just in case, though...but we never did have to wait it out. It hit us...or we crossed paths with it...just south of Stockton, KS, but the worst of it was still to the SW. No big deal, we just kept on forging and eventually when we reached the Bosselman's truck stop at Elm Creek, NE...the sun was shining!

We had a quick bite to eat before Al parked himself in one of the small phone rooms in the truck stop and called in to join the Terriers hockey meeting via speakerphone. Marilyn found a table and got logged on to get the blog done early...for a change.

While working online, a look out the window shows the bad weather has caught up with us...constant thunder, everything looking unsettled...and we have to drive back through it to Great Bend...about 195 miles.

Tomorrow the turtle shell moves north...

July 6, 2008

View of the day-If you have to wait in line, at least the happy face at the top of the bin should make you smile.

Got to sleep in a bit, then after Sunday brunch, Al went out to the bins to do a bit of fixing before we head out. One of the tires on the shop trailer was starting to show some wires, so Al took it off and brought it to town to get a new one mounted tomorrow when the tire shop opens. After fixing a few things he came back to town.

Marilyn, on the other hand, spent the afternoon going through receipts and trying to get the books in order. Al has been suggesting we get down to the job for the past couple of weeks, but...we have been combining. Marilyn thought today was a good day to get started, then, halfway through thought...we will be sitting in Hamill for at least a week...we will need something to do. Don't think there will be a lot of "retail therapy" in Hamill.

And now, back to watching the Ice Road Truckers on the History channel...

July 5, 2008

View of the day-Pretty much where we stayed today.

Not much happened today. After Al spent most of the morning calling around to see if we could find some more work in the area or farther north, we gave up and went for lunch.

While Marilyn did laundry, Al went to the coffee shop to catch up online and keep cool...it was 103 today...mighty warm. We stopped at the CaseIH dealer to get a new blower motor for the tractor...oh, yes and a few farm toys for Al. Once the laundry was put away and the bed remade, Al checked his eyelids for cracks and Marilyn went for her own retail "exercise".

Back at the camper we tried to get some paperwork done, but the Deadliest Catch kept sidelining us. So much in fact that we missed birthday cake and fireworks for the farmer's two young daughters.

Imagine us missing out on cake...

July 4, 2008

View of the day-Al picks up on the go from the combine.

Happy Independence Day!

We got started a little later than usual, the humidity was high and the clouds looked like they could form into something. It didn't take long before they all burned off and we had another great day.

Marilyn is always amazed at the variety of plant life on the run...particularly the various weeds. Upon closer examination...no touching, mind you...she discovers...well, you can figure it out. Weeds...yes...weeds, growing wild in the ditches, in the pastures...now that's where happy cows come from.

We finished the field we had started yesterday night and then moved over to our last 35 acre piece. The other crew that was working for our farmer was across the road from us working with two JD combines. With bigger headers and no terraces to speak of, they finished their 100 acres the same time we finished our field.

Marilyn got the header loaded on it's trailer then moved the combine up to the bins where the trailers had been parked. Al took the last load into the elevator and Marilyn got a ride back to the field to bring the tractor and cart back to the bins. We managed to get everything cleaned, loaded and hooked up, ready to head north tomorrow...well, that was the plan...

We had talked to the farmer up at the Kansas/Nebraska border and he had 150 acres that he thought were ready to go, so we figured we better get loaded up ASAP. Once we got everything done, we went back into Great Bend for supper...this time real food. It was 10pm and the only place that seemed to be open on the 4th was Applebees, which we were going to boycott after last year's rude service that we had gotten there. We decided to give them a second chance, and seeing as there were only three cars in the lot, it seemed like service wouldn't be a problem. We got a window seat, which helped us to see all the fireworks going on in town.

Earlier, when we were driving back from the field, the whole skyline of Great Bend was lit up from north to south with fireworks being blown off. They were allowed to go until midnight, but we are still hearing the occasional blast at 1am...we just can't imagine the amount of money that was spent on fireworks in town...it wasn't just bottle rockets and firecrackers either.

Al got to talk to the farmer up north after we had supper and it turns out he will be doing the acres himself, so here we are loaded up and ready to go...but where? South Dakota is our next stop and that is probably two or three weeks away.

Guess there's time for laundry now...

July 3, 2008

View of the day-Cutting more terraces...they never seem to end.

What a gorgeous day...81 degrees, mild wind...almost like the Canadian harvest.

Another early start and a lot of acres covered, even though we had to move to four different fields...of course they were right next to and across the road from each other. It's surprising how beautiful the landscape is until you start combining and realize some of the terraces are so steep you need a seat belt on your lunch bag to keep it from rolling off the seat.

Combines have been rolling everywhere around the area...custom harvesters across from us, but mostly it is local farmers taking care of their own crop. Al made a few trips to the elevator today and even managed to talk to the local radio station guy that was on a remote at the elevator. He got free water and put in a request for International Harvester by Craig Morgan...again, how appropriate for a Canadian cutting in the USA...we know, it's not that kind of "International", but what the heck.

As we came into Great Bend to the camper, we could see fireworks going off all around town...they can only set them off between 10am and midnight tomorrow...such law abiding citizens. No fireworks in town which is too bad...they always put on a great show.

Time to go for a drive to upload...another late night...

July 2,2008

View of the day-Talk about service...grain ticket delivery to the truck.

We started early, but just as we got rolling, the clouds that had been gathering started to sprinkle. Marilyn waited until the water was running off the header then parked the combine. We were up pretty high and could see the spotty showers all around us, but it seemed like we were lucky missing the downpours.

Marilyn rode along to the elevator, then we went to the local restaurant for lunch...no rush there. After we ate, we went back to the field...the sun was trying to shine, we decided to put the shock absorbers on the General. These had been riding around in the shop for a couple of weeks and now that we had a bit of time to kill we figured we might as well stay out at the field and get some fixing in.

Marilyn went out after the shocks were on and started combining again. Just before she finished the field, she had a few riders with her, they took shifts, but the ride was short as it was the end of the field. We moved to the next field...didn't have to take the header off this time...and started in on it. There are a lot of terraces in this field, as the picture of the first round shows...

The rain missed us for the rest of the day...could it have been the broken rain gauge? The forecast is for rain tonight and tomorrow morning, but so far the sky looks clear to the west.

But we know how fast that can change...

July 1, 2008 - Happy Canada Day!

View of the day-Working around the pump jack...the idle pump jack.

Goodness, July already!

We got going at 10:30am, finished the field we were on and moved 12 miles to the next field. the weather was hot and windy and there weren't any lineups...perfect harvesting conditions.

The second field wasn't running as good so Al was able to keep up without a problem...so much in fact that he was able to get the slip tank filled in town with fuel for the combine. After he took the last load of the night into the elevator, Marilyn kept going until the combine was full, then waited for him to return to unload. While she waited, she fueled and serviced the combine...a bit harder in the dark...but it means an extra 30 minutes in the morning.

After our visit yesterday from the Petersons, Marilyn received an email from Dana with a cute story...from out of the mouth of babes...

tonite my kids were out playing with their toy combines and they all had names, tyson was andrew...rhett was rodney and they were trying to convince tilynn that she was ben...these are all names of our crew that drive our combines....but tilynn decided that her name was marilyn......i didn't clue in that she was being you until a little later when she came over to tell me that she was that friend of mine that we saw today and her name is marilyn!!! you go girl!!!and inspiring my girl too without realizing it!!"

Oh, to be a role model...