May 25, 2010

View of the day-We made it to the end of the line...parked in Davidson, OK.

Another early morning as we got the camper closed up, then hooked the shop trailer behind it for the last leg of the journey. We needed a new bulb for the camper tail light, fortunately we were right across the street from the Orchelins so it didn't take any time to get the lights lit and forge on over to get the General aired up.

We stopped a few times on the road to make sure the straps were still on and the fender wasn't rubbing the hydraulic ram on the feeder house...everything seemed to be okay. When Al had talked to John at Cherokee this morning he found out they had almost 4 inches of rain last night! As we had gotten closer to Cherokee there was water across the roadway in a few spots and we were kicking up some pretty high rooster tails as we went through them.

We made it to Cherokee and while Marilyn fueled the Dodge up, Al checked his rig out and discovered that one of the 6 inch straps had broken and only half of it remained...the half that used to have the hook on it. We managed to find another way to chain down the back and this time it stayed put and the baler belting that we had made collars for the rams managed to do the trick...with some help of some good old duct tape.

After having a good gab with John and our landlord at the campground, Mike, we continued on our way to Davidson. We stopped for a snack break at Thomas and before we left the parking lot that we were in, Marilyn got to test her backing skills with the camper and shop trailer...just enough to make room to get out of the lot. We carried on and finally made Davidson around 6pm.

We got the camper parked after doing a bit of branch trimming and got the air conditioning cooling things down, then went to check out the parking spot that we use when we are here. Curses...a couple of red combines from a Minnesota harvester had taken our spot. We went found another corner to park in and commenced unloading...and that went very well...as if there was any doubt that it wouldn't. After parking the shop trailer and General, we called it quits for the day.

Back at the camper it was dish aiming time again...this time it took a little longer, but Marilyn got it lined up just in time to catch the finale of Dancing With The Stars...we still miss the Weather Channel, though.

Now to find some internet...

May 24, 2010

View of the day-Ahhh, success. loaded and ready to weigh.

We were up early and eager to start the task of getting the combine loaded. We had to go on a parts run...and run we did, all over town looking for a circuit breaker for the General. After hitting about six different places, we came home empty handed...no breaker for us. This just means we have to drive in daylight only until we find one.

We went out to the CaseIH dealer where the combine was and used their ramp to get the shop trailer out of the General. It was a good thing they have a high, well built loading dock because we knew getting the trailer out after yesterday's calamity was going to be tough. After getting the trailer straightened out and switching receiver hitches a couple of times to get the right height, we managed to get it pulled out so we could survey the damage to the box. Surprisingly enough, the inside of the shop was intact...the wrenches were even on the wall and they usually fall off just going down a rough road.

The front cap had been bent forward ripping out a couple of self tapping screws, so we got it bent back into shape and screwed down as best we could. The elastic cord that pulls the tarp over was pretty much shot and after a good stretch broke all together so now that is something else for the list of repairs. We did get everything back together and were able to close the tarp...we were very happy that it turned out to be an easy fix considering how that trailer was rolling around in the box.

After we finished with the shop, we got the combine trailer unhooked and checked to see how the new combine was going to fit on it. Marilyn drove it up on the trailer...the nice thing is it has a higher clearance so now we don't need to use the ramps to get it on the trailer. After getting the truck backed up, we discovered that with the longer auger there wasn't enough clearance to the box of the truck. We knew once the trailer was hooked up, it would raise the auger by about 18 inches...but that would still be close, so we figured we could just swing the auger out until the trailer was hooked up to the truck and swing it back in. But the auger wouldn't swing out.

Chris from the dealership, was supposed to give us a quick rundown on the changes from the 2588 combine, but he was on lunch break so we figured we would move the blocks that had been on the trailer for the other combine and see if that gave us more clearance. By the time we had moved the blocks a couple of times, Chris showed up and explained the 'transport' switch that disables everything for moving...including the auger. By this time we had made enough room for the auger without having to swing it out and we finished off strapping it down and went for a weigh-in.

We had a visit from Kevin, our farmer from the Timken area who was in town on a parts run and happened to see our stuff parked in the lot as he passed by. After we finished chatting, we took the truck and combine over to the Great Bend Coop elevator where they told us we could weigh the rig on their scale...so we could make sure we had the weight distibuted legally...and we succeeded. After weighing the truck, Al had to back the combine trailer on to the scale because the scale wasn't wide enough for the whole rig. It turns out we even have some pounds to spare on the back axles, so that was a bonus.

We were planning on getting to Cherokee, OK today but there were wind warnings and it was blowing hard out of the SE all day. We decided to stay put and avoid the struggle against the wind, found a parking spot for the rig and called it a day.

After hitting the Great Wall Chinese buffet for supper, we went back to the camper and while Al cleaned up, Marilyn got the dish hooked up so Al could watch the hockey game. HABS LOSE!!! HABS LOSE!!! The perfect end to a perfect day...for Al at least. Marilyn has to go to NexTech to upload the blog, and it is right next to the Walmart Supercenter.

The perfect end to a perfect day...

May 23, 2010

View of the day-Al fuels the Dodge up across the street from a vintage Chevrolet dealer...when GM actually made money.

We were up early again and since we were fueled up and ready to go, it was a matter of hooking up the camper and heading out. We were fortunate that we did not have to contend with any of the bad weather during the night, making for a good sleep...except that we had no water in the camper. In our rush to get going, we hadn't cleaned out the antifreeze from the water system, so when it was time to 'powder ones nose', so to speak, it was a trip over to the shower shack in the city park...not fun at 4am.

We were thrilled that we actually had a strong NW wind to push us for a change, so we made good time until we stopped at Reliance, SD for a stretch and Al discovered the hook that was welded to the inside front of the grain box had broken off. This hook was used for a ratchet strap that looped over the cargo trailer axle and kept the trailer from rolling to the back of the box. There was someone welding in the shop where we had stopped, so Al asked him about doing a bit of welding and when he looked at it, he said we shouldn't have to worry about it rolling to the back because of the stand we had under the hitch and the fact that the jack was all the way down as well. We believed him and forged on.

We stopped in Springview to fuel the Dodge up out of the slip tank, so we would be sure to get all the way through Nebraska...not that there were a lot of places to stop. We aren't complaining about that, it's actually nice to drive straight through without having to slow down for towns every 15 miles. We stopped again in Elm Creek at the truck stop and had a quick snack before making the move for Kansas...and that was pretty much where we lost our north wind. It couldn't just get calm after it quit...noooo...it had to switch around and start blasting out of the south...again.

We made it through to La Crosse, KS before Marilyn had to stop to get enough fuel to make it the rest of the way to Great Bend, KS. Al stopped to check his load...and discovered that the ratchet strap that was to keep the shop trailer from moving to the front of the box had broken. This allowed the trailer to roll to the front of the box and put a healthy dent in the endcap for the tarp...just great. It was getting close to dark and we wanted to get the 50 or so miles to Great Bend, so we just dropped the hammer and hoped for the best.

We made it to Great Bend just as the sun had sunk below the horizon...the fact that it was cloudy didn't help matters...the sun disappeared even earlier, making lights a necessity. The way our day was going, it was no surprise that the headlights on the General had a mind of their own and the breaker kept kicking them off. Good thing our campground was on the west end of town and we didn't have to navigate the streets with a wide load and without lights. Another wild day...536 miles!

Marilyn got the camper parked while Al tried to survey the damage in the grain box...we won't know until daylight now, it was just to dark. We did get the water system in order and with the great water pressure we have here(the best on the run, actually) we haven't found any leaks from the winter storage...and the air conditioner still works, good thing too, it was hot inside once we got parked.

Tomorrow we get to load the combine...or try to...

May 22,2010

View of the day-Trouble is brewing in Gettysburg, South Dakota as we try to fuel up before it hits.

What a day!

With all that went on, the best news of the day was that those stinking Habs lost...that's the Montreal Canadien NHL hockey team, the most hated of all teams by anyone who is a REAL hockey fan, for those out of the loop. Now back to business.

We were up early and had to hook up the camper in the rain...that should have been an omen...but it went smoothly and we were rolling to the border in short time. We got there and rather than call across, we decided to pull in...as we have been instructed to in the past...going in the out door, because we don't fit through the scanner. Well, actually, Marilyn could have gone through with the camper, but they usually have us stay together to make checking the serial numbers easier.

But that was before we encountered..."Mrs. Happy"...no relation to the Mr. Happy that has been known to give us 'what for' on occasion. Apparently, Marilyn should have gone the other way...but no big deal, she left us with her underlings to finish our paperwork and she went on to take care of the people coming in the 'proper' way. We had a new girl come and check the serial numbers while the gentleman took some sort of scanner to our rigs.

This was the first time in a long time that they actually went into the camper to look around and wouldn't you know it, this was the first time Marilyn had actually brought a plant with her. This plant was a lovely potted ivy and poinsettia(or the leaving's of one) that she had been given by the theatre group for stage managing the Christmas play...it is now in possession of the Border Patrol. They did let her keep the pot it was in...lesson learned.

We actually got out of there in about 20 minutes and were heading for Kenmare so Marilyn could fuel up. The mileage was suffering with that ferocious wind we had to fight the last couple of days. We were just leaving the fuel station when Marilyn decided to check out the weather band on the radio...seems we were about to meet up with something around Foxholm on our way to Minot. We did hit rain and it was coming down pretty hard but we were able to continue on in the traffic...and it was insane how busy the highway was...Marilyn thought we had been blown back to Saskatchewan, because out of 40 vehicles, at least 36 were from SK.

We had just hit the divided highway a few miles out of Minot when all hell broke loose. The rain got heavier and the wind was whipping things around...then the hail started. We had to pull over and wait it out for about 15 minutes...it was crazy. Al had wiper issues, so he stopped to repair it once he had caught up to Marilyn and with all the traffic going past him as he worked, the vehicles were giving him a shower thanks to the wind and the water on the highway. Even after he got it fixed, he was wet and that started a window fogging problem, so out came the fog-x. We finally got back on the road and continued on to Wilton, where Marilyn had to fuel up again and we discovered the hail had blasted off Al's wide load sign on the trailer and totally removed his warning flag and post. We stopped in Sterling and purchased a new sign, got it mounted and carried on.

We got into South Dakota, all the while watching the skies and listening to the weather reports, and we figured at some point in time we would meet up with some more nasty stuff. Sure enough we were just getting through Mound City, when another hard rain started falling, then there were reports of a tornado on the ground 15 miles east of Selby, which was the next town we had to pass through. Lucky for us the crap was moving NE and we were on the west side of the action. The clouds were impressive and you could just tell there was trouble brewing.

We got to Gettysburg and headed directly to the fuel pumps so Al could fuel his rig up for a change. We got to chat with Lloyd Everett, a harvester friend from Kansas who had been in Gettysburg for the last 5 weeks...combining corn! He had only gotten a couple hundred acres done, what with getting stuck and the weather not cooperating, so he was getting ready to head back home. He said there was still around 3000 acres still left out in the area to combine.

We got the camper parked in the city park and continued to listen to the weather reports...sure do miss Dish network and the weather channel. It would have been nice to see where everything was situated...apparently it was splitting around us...tornado watches, wind warnings...and some place for internet service...it could be a long night.

At least tomorrow we will have a north wind...

May 21, 2010

View of the day-Al waits on the road for Marilyn to pull out...we're finally on our way!

Well, it was supposed to be AIS at 11am, but as usual the schedule got pushed back a bit with the last of the packing not quite getting finished the night before. And, as usual, it was a mad frenzy of chucking boxes of stuff in to get on the road...at least before lunch time.

After getting the camper hooked up to the truck and rearranging it so it was in the starting blocks to head out of the yard, we took the van into town to drop off several bags of donated items for the Women in Need drive that was currently being held. That really helped with the spring cleaning, although it didn't seem to lighten the camper load any...according to Al, at least.

Once we got back to the farm and made the last minute check to see that everything was turned off, we got rolling...as far as town anyway. Marilyn had to stop at Staples to say goodbye and pick up a few things, while Al forged on against a strong south wind...what's new. It wasn't as bad for him since he was pulling an empty combine trailer, but Marilyn might just as well have poured the diesel on the ground for the mileage she was getting pulling the camper.

We got to Carlyle and after unhooking the camper at Kim and Marg's place, we took a run over to Precision Ag where Marg works, to see if we could get the General and combine trailer weighed on the scale there. We stopped to talk to Kim while he was filling up his sprayer, then we got the measuring tape out at the scale to see if we could clear the poles that were lined up at either side of the scale. It looked like we would have a bit of room to spare, so we went back to the farm and Al brought the rig over and weighed it. He is concerned about hauling the new combine...at least, where we will have to position it on the trailer so we don't pi$$ off DOT and end up with an overweight fine. We will have time to do a bit of rearranging when we get to Great Bend, KS to load it, but now we know what the trailer weighs and we can go from there.

Once we got back to the farm, Marilyn started to get the camper in order...all those last minute boxes that got chucked in were crying for organization and there needed to be a revamp of the TV mount that we had so perfectly installed for the new TV. It worked like a charm...except that it was too wide and the slide-outs wouldn't close...so off it came for the trip down...and every trip here after. Maybe a bigger camper is the answer...

We got to move the new pickup head into Kim's barn, to wait out of the weather until we need it later on. It kind of amazing that the trailer doesn't tip over, the way the pickup part of the header just hangs over the support bar. Well, some good strong CaseIH ratchet straps are helping the cause and now that it is in the barn, we will deal with it when the pickup work starts.

So tomorrow we fight the wind again and may just run into some rain, if the forecast is correct and hopefully we make it to Gettysburg, SD before dark...and without event...

May 20, 2010

View of the day-what we woke up to in Bismarck, ND on our way back from Grand Island.

Well, a lot has happened since our last update and since we are leaving tomorrow Al thought it would be a good time to get updated. There have been a lot of comments from some of the regulars that the blog has not been updated since we got back home. Marilyn was busy with the dinner/dessert theatre on the weekend, then another week of work at Staples and their big inventory the following weekend. All the while trying to get some packing done, while Al got the truck and trailers serviced and cleaned up for the trip south.

Our trip back from Grand Island was uneventful until we got close to Bismarck ND. It was about 11:00 PM and it was snowing...keep in mind this was May 6th, so it isn't supposed to be snowing, but sometimes it can...and did. Fortunately the gound was warm enough that even with the 6 or so inches that fell, the highways were pretty much cleared off by the morning.

There are lots of things to get done before we can leave and one of them was to get a pick up header for the new combine. Al managed to locate one from a Case IH dealer in Brandon, Manitoba...it took some talking to get them to sell the header, in fact the combine was already sold. He left for Brandon Monday to get it and after he picked it up, drove to Carlyle to park it, because we will need it their first in the upcoming season. Sorry no pics of it...you know Al being technically challenged and all.

The next order of business was loading the shop trailer in the back of the General it went relatively well...only one broken ramp and we still got into the box okay. As we left the ramp at the CaseIH dealer where we loaded, we drove past our old 2588 combine as it sat in the lineup waiting for it's new owner...kind of sad...

Al had lunch with his boss from H&R Block today and on the way back called the local radio station (CJGX...940 on your dial). It was the request show and Al requested "International Harvester" so he could get in the swing for the upcoming road trip to start the harvest run. Danny the "DJ" was very accommodating and played it. He also is a very loyal blog follower so...thank you for giving us a plug on your show and we hope you will continue enjoying the blog.

Meanwhile, Marilyn keeps on packing the camper. Al think she takes so much stuff along that the camper seems full, then she gets to start the conversation about how we need a bigger camper. The load has been severely cut compared to previous years...what with Al's rule about "if it doesn't get used, it doesn't come next year". Among other things, Al likes to complain about the two sewing machines that she drags along every year, but every year they get used. If not for patching, then to fabricate some fabulous warning flags for the trailers and trucks. This year she has to justify three machines because she is bringing her swanky new four head Janome embroidery machine that she got for Christmas. No problem...it will get used.

Marilyn also went into town this evening to have coffee with one of her theatre friends to say goodbye until the fall...and enjoy her last cup of Tim Hortons coffee before coming back home to finish packing.

Tomorrow AIS(a$$ in seat) time is 11:00 am...