August 7, 2008

View of the day-Al puts the final touches on the oil change on the General.

Oh, the day held such promise...sun shining, some wind blowing...out of the east as it always does, it seems...no rain in site and no fog during the night as was forecast.

We waited until 2pm before going out and doing a test...16%...back to the camper. Al dropped Marilyn at the Do It Center just out of town on his way to take the test to the elevator. He was going to pick her up on the way back, but got held up buying an oil filter, so Marilyn walked the half mile back into town...good thing the purchases were light and a little exercise never hurt.

We killed time back at the camper, then Al went out change oil on the General and after Marilyn showed up, we did another test...14.8%...back to the camper. Then we decided we might as well go to the Medicine Rock Cafe for supper...old people's supper at 4:30pm.

While we were there, one of the long time harvesters that had retired this year was passing through and saw our pickup and decided to stop in for an ice tea and a visit. This was the first summer in 28 years that he had not gone on the run...he claims he sure didn't miss the headaches, but did miss some of the people he had gotten to know over the years. He said the border hadn't gotten any easier to cross...while he was trying to jockey the leftover equipment he had left at various stops on his former run...they weren't any easier on him.

We thought we would go out an try it one more time around 6pm...14.8...it hadn't changed a bit. We can't figure out what the problem is with this stuff, we only have 60 acres left to do, but it just won't cooperate. It's a good thing the spring wheat isn't ready or Al would really be looking for a rope to throw over the auger...

Marilyn has two reasons for depression...she forgot about the bingo in town last night and our job at Bismarck...the farmer has his neighbor combining it because it is ready to go. We figured it wasn't going to be in the books this year...unless we could have gotten the rye done and made a quick move up to do the wheat then come back for the spring wheat here in Gettysburg.

No bright lights for Marilyn...

August 6, 2008

View of the day-Al dumps a load of rye from the cart to the General.

All the rain missed us last night...everything went south, but we still had the humidity to deal with in the morning, but yes indeed, we finally got to combine today!

We decided to wait until 2pm to do a test, just to give the rye some time to dry out, and it worked...the rye was 14%...borderline, but "the man" said we could cut a load and see where we were at.

The load was dry, so we kept going and finally finished the field that we had started on Friday...80 acres...not great productivity. We got moved across the road to the next field and made a couple of rounds, but the combination of the bindweed and humidity as the sun was going down meant an early night. Even though the grain was plenty dry, the weeds were bringing the moisture up to the danger zone and the elevator said to shut it down for the night. The forecast is for fog tonight, so it will be another late start tomorrow.

Maybe we can finish the rye...

August 5, 2008

View of the day-We got nothing to do but look at the sky...through the ladder on the side of one of the bins.

A beautiful day...with nothing to do. Well, almost nothing.

Ray from ProHarvest showed up to change a valve on the combine and it seemed to correct the problem of the header creeping down. The guy back at the dealership said that the amount of creep we had was within factory specs...that's fine in the field, but the fenders on the combine trailer tell a different story. Ray pulled rank and fixed it the right way...what a great guy, too bad his partner doesn't have the same drive.

We put in a couple of small parts that needed to be replaced and did a test...16.1% moisture...more sitting. Al did a test later on and it had only dropped to 15.6%, so that was it for the day.

There was lightning to the SW but so far it has managed to stay to the south, although there is a chance later on in the night for some showers. Our farmers are debating whether they should swath the grain to bring it along, and if they do, we will have to make a fast trip to Carlyle to get the pickup head.

Hurry up and wait...

August 4, 2008

View of the day-The rye is still waiting...

We heard the rain start to fall around 6:30am, and this time it didn't just sprinkle...it continued on until almost noon. Al was up and moving around when there was a knock at the door, it was Lynn and her husband Gerry stopping in for a visit on their way to Pierre.

After we had coffee and Lynn was able to get caught up online by hooking up to our wireless...now that's a change...they and their crew were off to Pierre. We had lunch then headed down there ourselves after checking the new rain gauge on the combine...at that point we had .60.

After making the rounds to the usual stores, Al was able to catch up on his sleep in the parking lot while Marilyn took care of the inside job. Every other harvester in the area seemed to have the same idea, as the parking lots were full of service trucks and the crews were roaming the aisles.

We had supper at the china buffet and headed back to Gettysburg with the backseat full of...stuff. Once we got back to the camper, we got everything put away and then took the rest of the day off.

No rain in forecast for the week...

August 3, 2008

View of the day-A semi moves a part of a turbine down the highway.

We were up bright and early again...not by choice. We had decided to pass on the harvesters breakfast...sleep seemed to be more important....until Lynn called to let us know she had come into town and was waiting for us.

We changed our minds and made a dash for the waffles and eggs. There wasn't a lot of harvesters when we first got there, but they filed in in bunches while we were enjoying the meal. No count on how many were served...that will come later in the week when the paper comes out. After we finished, Lynn came back to the camper so we could get some catching up done on the Canadian Harvesters Association, then she headed back to Hoven to get her crew moving.

Ray from ProHarvest made a visit to the combine to see if he could discover why the header was still insisting on creeping down...of course, while he was there it didn't do it...he told us to call him again if it continued. Al waited a while then went out to do a test...still to wet, as we knew it would be...and the header crept down.

The morning rain went to the north and south again, but that dang humidity wouldn't let up even with the sun shining. Marilyn decided to get some laundry done at the campground...one washer, and a dryer-that doesn't. They have clotheslines right behind the camper, but it seems the other harvesters did their laundry during the night...and didn't bother to take the dry clothes off the lines before they went to work. Oh well, we had nothing but time.

At least while we wait, the wheat gets closer...

August 2, 2008

View of the day-The team waits for the humidity to drop in a field of rye outside of Gettysburg, SD.

Well it was Crazy Days in Gettysburg and no one was crazier than Marilyn who was over in the other campground at 6:55...AM!...to pick up Lynn so they could have .25 coffee and catch up on the doings of the summer. That, and do some shopping.

It was really humid and cool...more than one item was blown off the tables that were set out for the sidewalk sales. There had been rain to the south, but it was moving straight east so we got lucky, although it remained cloudy and there wasn't much drying down of the crop.

Lynn had to get their camper moved up to Hoven, 25 miles NE of Gettysburg, so we only shopped until 9am and then she was on her way...with several bags of treasures. Marilyn went back to the camper to get Al, who got to sleep in, then it was time for breakfast and some decision making about the day.

We waited patiently for the humidity to go down...it never did. We went out and did a test...15.2% moisture...not much of a chance there, so we went back to the camper. Marilyn went back to do some more shopping...she only had one bag from the mornings excursion...and picked up a neat portable ice maker that just fits perfectly in the camper...makes 12 ice cubes in 6 minutes. The zippy marts can stick their $3 bags of ice...well, you know where...in the freezer. This baby will make 35 pounds of ice a day!

We went out around 4pm and did another test...this one more promising, so they said we could cut a load and see how it went. Al took the load in while Marilyn carried on combining until Al called on the radio and told her it tested 14.6% and perhaps she should quit. After he returned to the field with the empty truck we went back to the camper and called it a night...for harvesting at least.

Marilyn decided to take in the local dance recital at the town auditorium. This recital is for the summer dance classes that the 4-13 year olds take for six weeks. It was a change of pace and because Marilyn is a tapper herself...some of it was painful to watch...good thing they were cute and the costumes were fabulous. Actually it was pretty good for only six weeks of lessons.

On the walk home, Marilyn noticed the haze starting to fill the air and once again the humidity is at 91% so it will be a late start tomorrow. But we still have to get up early...

It's the harvester's appreciation breakfast...

August 1, 2008

View of the day-Al's view from the cart mirror.

We were rolling by noon and once again Marilyn hardly got a chance to stop to "powder her nose"...Al kept the combines empty with the cart. We finished the last field around 5:30 and by 6pm we were on the road to the rye field.

The rye field was on the outskirts of town...and right on the main highway so once again the traffic was heavy. Lots of motorcycles heading out to Sturgis for the big rally. Another crew from Saskatchewan pulled into town while we were cutting...the exec-secretary of the Association of Canadian Custom Harvesters. Marilyn had been trying to meet with Lynn all summer but we were always too busy or just too far away, now they will be moving north again tomorrow...only 25 miles so we will be able to meet after all.

Tomorrow is the annual Crazy Day in Gettysburg...sales everywhere, which Marilyn always takes advantage of. The best bargains are early in the morning from 7-9am, so Marilyn will be picking up Lynn at 7am...that's right AM...for coffee and some shopping before they head up the road.

It has to be an early night...