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View of the day-Al climbs into the hopper to grab a sample, hoping it will be dry enough to finally get going.
We got out to the field around 11am to do a test, then took the sample to the elevator...plenty dry enough but too much fusarium, so they wouldn't take it. Al didn't want to be "that guy" and give him a piece of his mind, so we went back to the camper where he grabbed the semi and headed out to the field while Marilyn made lunch.
By the time Marilyn got out to the field, Al had been combining and had gotten the General full. Unfortunately, the combine was not moving and one of the shields was open...apparently one of the hydraulic hoses on the header and sprung a leak and there was oil all over the front of the combine. Marilyn just can't trust Al alone with the combine.
Since we were having to bin the wheat, we needed to get the auger moved from one farmyard to another, then set it up at the bin. This is not something we do very often, so it probably didn't go as fast as it would have if the "pros" were doing it. It didn't help that we weren't familiar with the tractor or how the auger would move...but at least the bin was cleaned. After we had it set up, it was repair time.
Back at the combine we managed to get the hose off...no easy task with the tight quarters and spaghetti mess of intertwined hoses...then went in to the John Deere dealer to get a new hose made. Once we had that...and a new bucket of oil...we went back to put it back on the combine. Success.
Marilyn got back to combining...getting a nice layer of dust coating all that sprayed oil...and Al took the General over to dump in the bin. And we carried on that way until well after dark, getting 90 acres done, even with starting at 4pm. Then it was back to the camper for the night.
The weather is still promising and the wheat is dry, so we should be able to get an early start tomorrow.
But we will need fresh water in the window washing pail, that's for sure...
View of the day-How can you not start the day combining in a good mood with this character to greet you? This is the single point connect for the header hydraulics.
Too bad we weren't combining. Al spent the day hauling canola again...we decided not to try the wheat until Saturday. Of course, Al is already moving it ahead one day and wants to try a test tomorrow. Al has his own camera and even though he sits out at the field in the grain trucks waiting for a load, he claims he has nothing to take a picture of. Marilyn is sure that since he took that great sunset picture a few days ago, he thinks his work is done. Marilyn did enter it in a fall picture contest at the radio station and they will be putting all the pictures up at a later date for voting with the winner getting $1000. We will add the link to get your vote when they put it up!
We took a trip into Yorkton this evening, for Marilyn to attend a Grant Writing 101 class. There are so many different agencies that have money to give to non-profit groups in Canada, that the theatre group decided to send a contingent to learn the finer points of bullsh...uh, writing up proposals.
While Marilyn was studying, Al went to visit with Glen, the former tenant at our campground, who was just getting ready to move his camper back to Round Lake from our driveway. He tried to talk Al into the Challenger combine that he had been demoing, but Al said Marilyn doesn't look good in that color.
We went for coffee to McDonald's with Marilyn's friends, Brenda and Pam, then drove the 50 miles back to the camper at Abernethy.
And tried to ignore the temperature gauge on the pickup that was showing 37ºF at 11pm...
View of the day-The neighbours start servicing before dropping the pickup heads for the move to their next field. That flag took a kicking in the wind today.
We decided to go into Balcarres for breakfast today. There was a restaurant at the gas station that we had been to in the past, but as we pulled up, we could see that it was now closed...permanently by the looks of things. So we drove down town to see what we could find...Kevin's Cafe looked good.
Apparently, they just kept the name when they bought the cafe, because we're pretty sure Kevin is not a common name where they came from...and then there was the Chinese cartoon that was entertaining the little boy. We managed to get our order in...then got it later, mostly wrong. The woman was having a hard time understanding what "over easy" and "soft bacon" were, even though Marilyn tried everything but sketching a picture. What the heck, we ate what she brought out.
Once we were full, we went out to do some servicing and move the equipment over to the next field. Marilyn cut a patch to park everything on, then we took the sample in to the elevator...16.8%...we wouldn't be combining today. Still, we finished moving over the tractor and General, then dumped the sample and what was left in the cart into the semi.
The day was really cool...had to dig the jackets out...and the wind was crazy. The canola and field pea swaths were really catching hell. The short time Marilyn was in the combine, the wind was really moving it around and trying to unload without the grain blowing off the truck was a challenge. And don't forget what kind of a task getting the tarp closed on the trucks was...but Al has mastered parking just right, so there were no catastrophes.
Al took the semi into the elevator to dump it before going up to haul canola for Bob with it. Marilyn went into Fort Qu'Appelle to get groceries, then she went back to the camper...done for the day.
Al was hauling back to the bin where the camper is parked, so when he came to dump the trucks, Marilyn could go out for a visit. He was able to stop between loads to have supper before taking the truck back out. He was hauling with the tandem and semi, so there was plenty of time for a break.
No combining for us again tomorrow, so it will be more of the same...
View of the day-This is Al's office at H&R Block, his off season job. They have been setting aside his work for him.
We had a road trip on the agenda today, but we didn't have to get up too early...the appointment wasn't until 11am. Too bad somebody didn't let those fat tap dancing magpies that fell in love with the camper roof at 6am about it. They hopped from one end of the camper to the other over and over again...for what seemed like hours...there would be no sleeping in today.
We got to Yorkton and dropped the Dodge off at KM Auto Care so he could put in the new air conditioning compressor. It was going to take at least 3-4 hours, so the gave us a courtesy vehicle and we went about our business for the afternoon.
The first stop was to have lunch with Marilyn's theatre cohorts Brenda and Pam at the Chinese Buffet. We sat and caught up for an hour or so, then while the girls went back to work, we did a couple of errands, then went visiting.
We stopped in at H&R and had a great visit with Curtis, Erv and Sarah. That's where Al got a look at his office...actually they are using it to get some papers sorted...and to give Al a jolt. It worked.
We went over to Minute Muffler to visit with Mike, one of Al's farm toy pals. Al didn't have any to drop off for him...just yet...but they were wheeling and dealing, just the same.
Marilyn stopped in at Staples to have a visit while Al was getting fuel for the tractor in the slip tank. They are waiting for her return, but she is not ready to leave the combine just yet.
We picked up the Dodge, got a few pointers on how to dismantle the radiators so we could clean in between them. They were pretty plugged up and even though we had tried to keep them clean with screens on the front for bugs and special skinny air wands with holes in the side, it was almost impossible to do a good job...or get to all the spots where dust and fluff were collecting. We have our papers now, so hopefully we won't have the same problem in the future.
We got back to Abernethy and took a drive out to one of the fields that Bob thought might be ready...or close enough to ready. We will move the combine over in the morning and do a test.
And hopefully get rolling again...
View of the day-This is what happens when you book into a campground after Labor Day...you get to do some high-steppin' through the grass. Marilyn didn't step high enough over the satellite dish cable and had a lovely trip flat on her face...thank goodness for that thick pillowy grass.
No harvesting for a while, so today Al took a road trip to Lipton to drop off some farm toys...clearing out a few hidey-holes in the camper. He got to spend some time in a new CaseIH 8230 combine...he's not sold on getting one just yet. Besides, our 7088 is working just fine, thank you very much.
Marilyn spent the day in the camper with the windows and doors open to let the breeze in. It was a perfect day...not to hot and even though there was wind, the camper was protected by the bins and the trees. Quiet and relaxing...who could ask for anything more.
Tomorrow we get the air conditioning fixed in the Dodge...road trip...
View of the day-A step back in time...September 9, 2008 in the canola...
Al was up early to get the trucks unloaded and Marilyn had instructions to be combining by 10:30am...and she was. We finished the field we were on...there was only a hopper left...then started moving everything over to the next fields. They were only a mile as the crow flies, but we weren't crows, so we had to take the scenic route.
We made four trips to get everything moved over and once everything was was placed for loading, Al took the General in to the elevator and Marilyn started cutting. The sprayer had only made three rounds around each field and we could see the difference...the inside was still really green, so it looks like we will be having some down time.
On the first round of the first field, Marilyn plugged the feeder house from picking up the wheat that had laid down. Al came out to give a hand pulling and it actually turned out to be not that serious and after 20 minutes, she was back making dust. After getting the outside round done on the first quarter section, Al had made it back from the elevator and was back in the cart tractor. The next field was three quarter sections together in an "L" shape, so in order for Marilyn to make it around, Al had to follow with the cart, to keep her going.
The elevator closed at 5pm, so Al focused on filling the trucks. After Marilyn finished the sprayed rounds, Al had his trucks full and had a dump on the cart and we were done for the day...and a few days, actually, because it's way too green.
Back at the camper, the landlord came for a visit...
View of the day-Al gets to pull the first shift in the wheat.
We were up extra early this morning...Al wanted AIS at 7am...ouch. We had to run into Yorkton to get our other pickup and put licence plates on it. This way, Al could go out to the field earlier to get trucks unloaded and Marilyn could go out later, after making lunches...and stuff.
We got to the farm and hooked up the batteries in the pickup...it took off without a hitch, then we went back into town to get the paperwork looked after. Once we got that done, we went across the street to grab a quick bite at McDonald's, before heading over to the cardlock to fill the slip tank with fuel for the tractor.
Al left town right after getting the fuel, while Marilyn did some grocery shopping, then headed back to Abernethy, to unload the goods at the camper. After getting things put where they belonged, she had time to get the satellite dish aimed before going out to the field to take over from Al.
There were four red machines working in the next field to us and with the complete lack of wind, it must have been tough for their cart driver to find them.
Al got two loads into the elevator...one semi and one in the General...before they closed at 5pm. We kept working until we got both trucks and the grain cart filled, then shut down for the night. Marilyn's low fuel light was on anyway, so we had no choice. We still did over 100 acres.
Tomorrow is going to be another great harvesting day...
