June 7, 2012

View of the day-This is how to treat the truck drivers...cold soda on a hot day.

Up early again, but this time it was to get a visit in with the ProHarvest team that had moved to Straub International at Great Bend.  Al missed getting his ProHarvest hats and the belt buckles that he has to take home for a few other folks because they aren’t available in Canada.  We didn’t get to see Ray, but had a short visit with Robert and his side kick…and got the hats at least.  Marilyn had a few questions about the monitor on the combine, most of which got answered, then we bought a case of grease and headed out to the field.

We got the combine serviced and Al took the first of two loads to the yard to get binned for seed.  Those trips took longer than the two miles into Bison to unload at the elevator.  Good thing he only had two loads of seed…this wheat was running 50 bu/ac, so Marilyn was constantly looking for the cart and this field had a lot of terraces, so the road to the cart was a challenge.

We got the field done by 8pm…another night that the lights didn’t need to be used.  The General had one more load to take to the elevator, but we had to take the header off and hook it up behind the combine for the move tomorrow.  Once that was done, Marilyn followed Al and Big Gen to the elevator and waited until he got dumped, then we drove to the new field...a mere 20 miles north west.  After parking the General, we drove the 50 miles back to Great Bend.

Early night of combining, but late to bed, as usual...

June 6, 2012

View of the day-Al keeps busy unloading seed in the bins at the yard.


We are sorry to hear of the passing of Cliff Petersen, past president and one of the founding members of the Association of Canadian Custom Harvesters.  He always had a good story to tell and really knew a lot about the "grey areas" in the business...he will be missed.

We were on the road early today...it promised to be a good one, weather wise at least.  Al hung around to help fuel and service the combine, then waited for Marilyn to combine enough to make a load for the elevator.

This field was not running to good, barely making 20 bu/ac, which was a far cry from the 45 bu/ac on the first field.  Al had plenty of time between loads, so he went into Albert to get the slip tank filled with fuel for the combine.  He even had time to ride around in the combine, which Marilyn made him drive so she could eat her lunch without juggling...for a change.

Al noticed a crew parked at the elevator doing some service work on their combine trailer, but he didn't get to stop and chat.

We got the field finished, got the header into transport and hooked to the pickup, then Marilyn started moving the combine to the next field about 10 miles away.  Al followed with the grain cart, then Kevin, Mandy and Maitland helped us get the rest of the stuff moved over.


Marilyn got right into combining on the next field and this one was running close to 50 bu/ac...a big change from earlier in the day.  Kevin wanted to fill a couple of bins with seed from this patch, so Al was hauling back to the yard, about 15 miles south.  He alternated loads, so Marilyn wouldn't be waiting with a full hopper and got to haul to Bison, which was only a couple miles from the field.  He was pretty happy to find out they give free pop to the truck drivers.

We filled the truck with another load of seed, then quit early for the night.  A 111 acre day, with a move and Marilyn didn't even have to use the lights on the combine.

And you can see, we are in post rock country. how about those corner posts...

June 5, 2012

View of the day-Al was kept busy hauling grain all day, making it back to the field in time to empty the cart, turn around and head back to the elevator.


We were up early, which was tough after the late night last night, but the wheat beckoned.  Marilyn dropped Al off at the elevator so he could dump the load that was in the General from last night, then she went out to the combine to get it fueled and greased.  


While she was up on top of the combine, enjoying the view, she notices a thin strip of wheat that she had missed the night before.  The pieces between the terraces pinch off and if you don't remember to turn around and pick them up right away, the dust obliterates them and you are left in this boat.  At least the cart was still there, loaded, but with enough room to add the dab that she got when she went back out for the strip.

When Al got back and unloaded the cart into the General, we hooked the header behind the Dodge and moved it and the combine to the next field.  There was no one to help us move, so we went back with the pickup so Marilyn could move the tractor and cart to the next field and Al took the last load on the General to the elevator.  When he came back past the field, he picked Marilyn up to go back for the Dodge.  All moved and set up to combine for the day.


While Al hauled grain, Marilyn had a few riders with her in the combine.  Maddy(9) and Macy(7) pulled the first shift, then Maitland(11) came along for a couple of loads, finally Mandy, their mother got to ride along for a bit.  Al was depressed...no one ever wants to ride with the truck driver.

Al had to haul a couple of loads to the bins at Ken's yard for seed.  He was a bit longer getting back because the auger was smaller than the pit at the elevator...a lot smaller.

We finished the field, then started the moving process all over again...this time we had some help moving from Mandy.  We got the combine and header moved over to the next field, hooked it up and cut a spot to park, then Mandy took us back so Al could take the General to the elevator and Marilyn could move the tractor and cart, then start combining.


After opening up the field, Al got back with the General and we called it an early night...well, early compared to last night...10pm.

Tomorrow, Marilyn will remember to take the camera out with her...

June 4, 2012

View of the day-Everyone got cranked up today.


We were up early, but we were pretty sure we wouldn't be heading out to the field with the humidity as high as it was.  We went for an early lunch at Pizza Hut, then headed out to the field just after noon.

We stopped at the bins to get the combine and header, then moved out to the field to put the header on and do a test.  We took the sample in to the Albert Coop and it was 15.3%, so we would have to wait a couple of hours and hope that the humidity would go down.  Where was that blistering wind that we usually put up with?


We stopped and got the General moved on the way back to the field, then tried to figure out if we should just sit around and wait...or what?

We then decided, since we were only 40 miles away from Ness City, to pick up the cargo trailer that we had finally decided on.  We called to make sure it was still available, then took off for Ness.  When we got there, Mitch had the trailer lined up and ready to go, so we just had to pay for it, hook on and head back to the bins.


We parked the shop trailer at the bins, then took the tractor and cart out to the field and did another test.  It had come down quite a bit...in parts of the field, at least...so Kevin said "cut a load and see where we are at".  You don't have to tell Marilyn that more than once.

Finally, off to the races.


The first load was 14.7%, but Kevin said it would only get better, so Marilyn continued combining, trying to blend the wetter grain with the dry.  That seemed to do the trick.  


We kept going...Al would just get back to the field as Marilyn would have a load for the General...no rest for him.  The elevator closed at 10pm, so Marilyn got the General and cart full just as she finished the field around midnight.  Not a usual time to quit, but it had been so long...or at least it seemed like it...since we had last combined and there was no point in only leaving a few acres for the morning.


Started at 5pm and took down 80 acres...

June 3, 2012

View of the day-We finally got to break in the WeberQ...looks like it gets to come again next year. Yes...it's a John Deere...but you know how they like to burn.

Marilyn got to sleep in after her Walmart marathon...she got back to the camper at 3am. That is what happens when you leave the first shopping trip so long.

We went to the Highland Inn for brunch...they have an excellent omelet bar...and this time we were ahead of the church crowd.  We saw a poster in the lobby for the Outdoor Sports Show and two of the guests were regulars on Al's favorite show, "Swamp People".  It will be June 15 & 16, so maybe Al will get to meet them...and maybe check out the "noodling" demo.

Today was a waiting day, calling the elevator and out to the farm to see if anyone had done a test..."just wait a couple hours" was a common comment.  It never really changed.

Marilyn was in the cleaning mood, so the Dodge got a much needed "shovel out" and wash job.  That was pretty much all that got accomplished today.

But, tomorrow...action for sure...

June 2, 2012

View of the day-All lined up and ready for action...it just has to dry down a bit more.


Al started the day early by getting the header trailer into the tire shop to get two new back tires on it.  He kept the "good" one that he had taken off the pickup header trailer and returned it to it's rightful place.  The trailer was still up on blocks in the lot by the campground.

We grabbed an early lunch after getting a few small parts at Orschelns then got the General aired up and on the road to the bins, where everything else was waiting.  Marilyn pulled the header out and with the new tires, there were no worries.

We got the combine unloaded, then Marilyn got the camera cables all routed and cable tied out of the way of the auger.  Al was kept busy moving the pickup around so she could stand on the box rails to reach all the different spots for the cables.


Marilyn finally got the two way radio mounted in the combine cab.  With everything in the shop trailer, we had to wait to get the right bolts to mount it.  Apparently the two sized she bought this morning were two short, but at least the large cable ties did the job.  She was finally able to get the tape residue off the front window of the combine with a razor...no idea what kind of tape they used, but even GooGone wouldn't take it off.  The windows finally got their RainEx treatment, so the duster can do a better job in the evening...just in case Al decides to start combining in the morning and won't do windows.

Al worked on getting the oil levels, brakes and tire pressures on the trucks looked after while Marilyn was doing her thing.  After calling the elevator to see if any loads had come in...a couple of tests that were well over 15%...he called Kevin to see if there was anything that might be close.  He drove out to one of the fields and gave it the "bite" test and knew we wouldn't be doing anything today...in the combining department, at least.

We went back to Great Bend and checked out some more cargo trailers...more of them in the decision pile.  No one was at the dealership, so we took a drive over to Sonic to get a shake, then went back to the camper.

Al watched his Stanley Cup hockey playoff game and Marilyn figured it was time to set the dish up.  Considering we have been on the road since May 18 and it hasn't been even looked at, it was time to get some news from Canada.  The dish had been thrown in the truck box when we moved and it was just sticking up enough to have the camper clip the LNB that picks up the signal and snap it off.  


A little patch job was in order and after getting out the Gorilla duct tape and a couple more cable ties, we were in business.  First time aiming took a little longer that anticipated, but Marilyn got the job done, just in time for Al to see Coaches Corner during one of the intermissions.

Since Marilyn was in the fixing mood, she figured she might as well get the water pump swapped out in the camper.  We had picked up a smaller model of pump at one of the RV dealers back home, because Marilyn had read in the RV forum online that the pump that had come with our RV had some issues and the smaller one would work just fine.  

The other pump is still under warranty, and can be replaced, but we have been too busy to set anything up.  Marilyn decided that some of the moves we have been on with the camper could have really used the water pump for the "powder room" breaks...so the small one was going in.

A productive day, and now Marilyn is going to have her first trip into a Walmart this season...that's right, the first time.  She didn't even step into one when we came down with the first load.


Look out Walmart...or maybe Al...

June 1, 2012

View of the day-The Freightliner slowing down to make the corner before the bins near Timken, KS.

We were up and the camper was closed up and ready to go by 8am...right on schedule.  It was overcast and cool, but by the time we had the Freight aired up and rolling out of town, it had started to sprinkle. Didn't see that coming...thought the rain was all past...and the temperatures for Kansas in June...48º at noon.  Won't need the A/C tonight.

It rained almost all the way to St. John, where we stopped to take a look at a cargo trailer that was parked at a trailer sales place there.  Nice trailer, a bit longer and wider with a ramp door in the back.  We are on the fence as to whether we want to make the change to the ramp door...it would make loading the pressure washer a lot easier, that's for sure.

We carried on in the rain all the way to Great Bend, parked the Freight in the usual lot at the south of town and proceeded to get the camper set up at the RV park.  Once we had that done, we stopped for lunch, then went to get the Freight moved out to the bin site at Timken.

The rain had pretty much quit and the sun was chasing the clouds away as we started unloading the tractor and cart.  We had noticed a hydraulic leak coming from under the cab and just dribbling down the housing...it had been a slow leak for quite some time, we just couldn't get into the tight spot between the cab and the transmission to find it.  That would change when we went to unload and it was running profusely...apparently their was a hole that had rubbed through on the return hose.  At least it wasn't under pressure.

We managed to get the hose taken off after the tractor was off the trailer, and decided to go 45 miles west to Ness City to look at a trailer dealer there and see if we could get a new hose while we were there.

This place had too many trailers to choose from...v front, 14ft, 16ft, flat roof, curved roof, cargo doors, ramp doors...lots of thinking to do.  After we left there, we stopped at a yard sale set up that was on the way to the hose repair place.  It had a sign that said "farm toys", so of course we had to stop in...and came away empty handed.  No bargains there.

We got to S&S Trailers repair shop and Dale found us a length of hose and a couple of replacement furls for the hose ends...and would not take any money for them!  He refused the cash we offered him and told us to just go buy a trailer from Mitch at the other store.  When we decide what we want, we sure might.


We drove back to the tractor and struggled to get the hose back on...and we did and it solved the problem.  Al was concerned that even though the hose had a hole in it, it could have been leaking from somewhere else.  If we could lift the cab like we do on the Freightliner, it would have been a lot easier.


Marilyn figured there was enough sun left to try and get the two cameras mounted back on the grain cart...until she realized that we didn't have any cable ties to secure the cords.  They got mounted and she will get the ties tomorrow and finish the job.

We got home just after 8pm and after cleaning up, decided to go see our one movie of the summer...Men In Black 3.  It was our first 3D movie...the 3D was pretty neat, especially with the new glasses...not the paper ones they used to have.  Al wasn't that keen on the storyline, but it was a nice evening out.  Boy, the seats have sure changed in the theatres now...very comfy.

Tomorrow, we get the tires fixed on the header trailer and take the combine out to get it unloaded and ready to make some dust.  Hopefully it is a lot warmer...Marilyn didn't bring any cold weather clothes.

The best part of this stop is that Marilyn doesn't have to leave the comfort of the camper to blog it up...