July 21, 2012

View of the day-Al gets the rads and the air filter blown out while we wait for the humidity to disappear.

We knew it wouldn't be an early day due to the high humidity...it had sprinkled a few times during the night, which didn't help.  Al went over to Java to get fuel and look at the next field we were going to, just to see how close it was...the spring wheat is ready to go.

After getting our lunches packed, we went out to the field and did a bit of servicing, then did a test.  It was 13.5%, which was dry enough, but with 80 bu/ac wheat, the straw was wayyy to tough to start...it wasn't spreading very well and there was no wind to speak of...so we waited.

We finally got going around 2:30pm and managed to cut those three acres we were short yesterday before the sprinkles started falling again...done for the afternoon, and back to the camper.  

The sun came out a couple times and it cleared off, the humidity never did get much below 55%, but we went back out around 5pm to see how much we could get done.  We filled a couple or three semis before it got too tough to carry on...the sun was getting low and the clouds were making their way back in 70% humidity. We got 40 acres covered but this time we were done for sure.

Hopefully we finish the winter wheat tomorrow...

July 20, 2012

View of the day-The hopper full lights were on more than they were off in this 70+ bu/ac wheat.


The dust was flying by 10:30am and we went hard all day.  We finished the last half of the field around 6pm, then got the header into transport to move to the next field three miles away.

It was another blistering day and the wind couldn't make up it's mind which direction it was coming out of.  When we got into the pickup...which was sitting in the shade...to leave the field, the temperature monitor said it all.  Al tried to keep cool in the tractor with no A/C by facing into the elusive wind with the windows open...a tough job when picking up on the go, which he was doing every 20 minutes or so.

While making a round, Marilyn happened to notice in her rear view mirror, that the straw and chaff had suddenly disappeared from the right side of the combine.  After turning around at the end of the cut, she could see why...one of the spreaders was sitting at the beginning of the bead of straw that was left.   No problem finding all the parts...except the bolt that was holding it on, it must have broken.  We had to go back to the shop trailer to find another bolt and put everything back together.  Once that was done, it was business as usual.

We got started on the other field and Lauren was kept busy hauling with his two semis.  Al had it down to a science just how much to put in each hopper and even though the haul was only a mile away, half of that was on the highway and no way were they taking any chances on overloading...those SD DOT are sneaky buggers.

Al called quittin' time just 3 acres short of Marilyn getting her 100 in for the day...

July 19, 2012

View of the day-Opened the blinds this morning in the camper, looked out the window and got a great surprise...we didn't have to hunt him down this time.


So much for forecasts.  Al got up this morning, looked out the window and saw dark clouds.  He then went online and saw two red patches across the river heading our way...that screwed up the plans of being out to do a test by noon.

The first batch of clouds crossed over and dropped some rain...more than a sprinkle, but less than 0.10".  The second one came by and did the same thing, the total never reached 0.10", but looking at the radar, it looked worse at the combine.


We had lunch in the camper, then Al decided to go out and do a test, just for the hell of it.  It tested 12.7%, so he brought a sample in to the elevator, stopped by to pick up Marilyn, then went back to the field to start cutting.

The field was 1/4 mile by 1 mile long, so we had to cut it half to make shuttling to the trucks a short trip.  Lauren had his two semis out at the field and Al ran our cart, picking up Marilyn on every round, since she couldn't make it the full round without the cart. It was averaging over 80 bu/ac!

Al noticed there were a lot of crews heading north on the highway and across the way was a JD with a stripper head making pretty good time and making lots of dust. Marilyn got the first chunk finished then opened up the other half, while Al and Lauren got the semi and grain cart moved over to the other end of the field, then we called it a night. Considering our short day of combining heavy wheat, 70 acres was not bad. 


Now we can get into the swing of things... 

July 18, 2012

View of the day-No combining today...just under an inch at the combine.


We were wakened to the sound of rain around 6am so we knew we would be able to sleep in for a little longer.  We had no idea how much rain had fell...it didn't sound like very much, so we called Lauren and he said they had about 0.20" at the farm.  We decided to go out around 3pm...surely that would give it time to dry down.


Marilyn worked on getting another year of the blog set up to make another book through Blurb.  The Booksmart program downloads all the blog entries, then Marilyn just has to reformat the pages and put the original pictures in...as you can see by clicking on the little book to the right of the blog.  Once the book is formatted, it takes about 10 days and you have a book in hand...a great way to save all the years of the blog...or pictures, or whatever.  The 2007 blog version that has already been made, is now available for the ipad and iphone...of course, as anyone who knows Marilyn...we are not "i"people.

We got lunch in the bag and ice in the water cooler then headed out to the field.  Al dropped Marilyn off at the combine and went out to give the standing grain the "bite test".  He just about fell over when Marilyn told him there was just under an inch of rain in the gauge..."are you sure you emptied it from yesterday?".  Marilyn assured him that she did and she even took the paper towel to it and dried it out right to the bottom...there was no mistake.

No combining today...there wasn't a lick of wind to work any miracles.  Now Marilyn could finish her shopping in Mobridge, so off we went on another road trip.  Al got to look for toys, missing a selection of big 4WD tractors by a couple weeks at the New Holland dealership.  He came home empty handed in the toy department, but did pick up a few things at Runnings.  


The big purchase of the day was at the meat market in town..."real" hot dogs...well, as real as hot dogs can get.  Al loves BBQ'd hot dogs, but doesn't like the packaged ones that seem to be the only ones available down here...until today.  We stocked up on meat from the butcher shop, then decided to take a quick tour of one of the pawn shops in town.  We seem to have problems with 7/16 wrenches evaporating and Al won't pay retail, so we checked out the pawn shop...the man there told us if we could find any, he would buy them all from us...he had only one and it looked like it had see the welder a time or two.

We came back to the camper, put out the awning and tried to keep cool watching the tornado hunter streaming video from back home...and some CFL football.

No rain forecast...

July 17, 2012

View of the day-The rest of the story on the dual wheel carrier from yesterday.  Here is the bracket that was built to carry the tires...BRILLIANT!


RAIN! During the night it rained several times, one of them around 6am was a gusher. Not sure what they got in town, but six miles south of town at the combine, the gauge showed 0.45".

We knew there wouldn't be any work for the better part of the day.  We had hoped that the sun would come out and the wind would blow to dry the wheat down...we hoped.  We had lunch in the camper, then headed over to Java to get some fuel for the combine.

We took the fuel over to the field and got the combine fueled, emptied the rain guage, cleaned the windows, then decided to do a bit of fixing.  Marilyn got into the grain cart to take one of the hoops out that the rivets had broken out of, making it tilt sideways and making it useless for holding the tarp up.  We knew getting it out would be no problem...it came out in three pieces...but would reassembling go as smooth?


We went back to the shop trailer, which was back at the yard, got the rivets replaced, then decided to change one of the tail lights on the combine trailer that had been giving Al problems.  We went back to the grain cart, got the hoop back in...good as new, then thought we would take a road trip to Mobridge to pick up a few things we couldn't get in town.

It was a nice drive over and we drove across the river to tour around a bit, then Al took Marilyn to the Alco store so she could get a shopping fix in.  She was only 1/4 way through the store when Al came in looking for her...he had gotten a phone call from one of our friends from Saskatchewan who was stopping in for a visit and was 20 miles from Selby.  That made short work of Marilyn's shopping trip...back to Selby we went.

We met Jack and his son-in-law in town...they had been down to Nebraska to pick up some sprayer booms...and after a beverage or two in the camper, we took them on a tour of the countryside and out to the combine to check it out.  It was too bad that it didn't dry down enough that they were able to do some combining...the humidity was crazy high all day.


After their tour, they were on their way to make Bismarck for the night...only an hour and a half drive north.  We had supper in the camper and called it a night.


Rain in the forecast, but we can hope, can't we...

July 16, 2012

View of the day-This combine was parked at the junction of Hwy 83 & 12 and it looks like it  has lots of traction.  Actually there is a bracket across the top of the feeder house that the wheels are bolted to for transport.

Plan for today was to get fuel for the combine from Java, have lunch, then head out to the combine and maybe do a test.  We got the first two items crossed off the list, then went out and fueled the combine.  After finding the farmer working on an auger in his new shop...*drool*...we stopped in to see what his plans were.

Because they were still busy hauling corn out of the bins, we wouldn't be able to start until the trucks were freed up.  It was decided then, that we should at least move out to the field and cut a patch out to park everything on when we got there.


This field is right along US83 highway, so the traffic is pretty hectic.  We have passed this field several times every year for at least 18 out of 21 years...the other three years we allow for construction that made us detour around.  We are always amazed by the turns this job takes us on.

There was a 'point of interest' marker across from the entrance to the field and we were able to weasle in with the header behind the Dodge so Marilyn could hook up.  By using the slow transport wheels on the header, instead of the big high transport trailer, it eliminates having to find a parking spot for the trailer...which would mean having to back up that four wheeled rig.  We haven't mastered that yet.  Perfect spotting of the header by Al and we were hooked up and ready to make some dust...once we got turned around.

Al jumped in and took over the combining duties...here is proof that he does get to drive it every once in a while.  We made a couple of passes on the outside edge and cut a big patch for the semis to park, then we were going to go back to get the grain cart to empty the hopper full that we had gotten...it was averaging around 70 bu/ac.  Just as we were leaving, Lauren, the farmer stopped his semi on the highway...he was hauling a load of corn into Selby...he grabbed a sample from the combine, then went on his way.  As did we.

We went back to get the tractor and cart, then decided to try and fix one of the hoops that was tired and just wanted to lay down...one of the rivets holding the pipe to the bracket insert had broke loose.  Marilyn was going to get into the cart and pass the hoop to Al, but the 102º temps made the cart too hot to handle and being as Marilyn had to sit on the end cap to get into the hopper...well, no one needs a hot seat...we scrapped the fix for a cooler day.


Al got the cart out to the field and we got the combine hopper unloaded and tarped the cart.  We came back to Selby and stopped at the grocery store to pick up something light for supper, then went back to the camper.  Marilyn went directly into the shower and while she was in there, a phone call came for Al...it was Lauren and he had a truck free, so he figured we could come back out and combine enough to fill it.

Al went out on his own and Marilyn stayed back at the camper, watching the radar to see if the thunderstorm warnings for our area were going to hit.  Al called just as he got started combining to say there was an error message and he needed to know what to do to get rid of it.  Marilyn is so used to the little things that come up, so that when Al asked if he could just get in the combine and go, she said yes, it is all set...not thinking about those little issues.  He got the error message off while they were talking and he was off and cutting.

Marilyn is sure Al had it all planned...

July 15, 2012

View of the day-All moved and unloaded, ready to get started when we get the green light.

We were up early and the first thing on the list was to get the General started so it could air up and we could move it onto the street from its parking spot.  Al walked over to do that, since it was only half a block away and when he arrived...there were three semis that had him blocked in.  We weren't going anywhere until they got moved.

Fortunately, it was our next door neighbours at the campground, so a knock at the door got things rolling and they were over to shift their rigs so we could escape.  Al got the General moved onto the street, then we got most of the camper packed up, ready to move and then we went to the Medicine Rock for Sunday Brunch.

After lunch, we hooked up the camper and headed out.  We wanted to get there early, because the forecast for the day was to crack 100º and we didn't want to be driving in that. This was also our shortest move ever...only 40 miles...so it didn't take us long and it was even better since the construction guys had taken Sunday off.

We got out to the farm, parked the General's rig, then Al jumped in the pickup with Marilyn and we forged into town to get settled in our camp spot at the motel. Once we figured out which way to park the camper so all the hoses would reach, it was no time at all that we were sucking up some of that A/C inside.  Marilyn made the motion that we should not go out to unload until later in the evening when it cooled off.  Al seconded, making it a unanimous vote, and inside we stayed.


Around 7:30pm, we made the move out the door and down to the convenience store to grab a block of ice for the water cooler, then it was time to unload.  We got out to the farm and the strong south wind was still blowing pretty hard, so that kept us somewhat cool and it had been cloudy all day...still didn't stop the thermometer from hitting 103º.

After we got everything unloaded and parked, we came back to the camper to clean up and call it a day.


Lots of crews are moving through town, heading north...