August 16, 2015

View of the day-Both of us working on the knife in the header...one bundled up and one in short sleeves.

Wow. Talk about a change in the weather. When the front went through the temperature dropped and the wind came up. We almost had to turn the fireplace on in the camper! Still take the cold over the heat and humidity.

Game plan for the day was to get the header on the combine, check out the hopper jamming, then change out the sections on the header knife. We got item one done, then started in on the second one.

We tried to examine the schematics on the CaseIH parts site, to see how the grain tank cover was put together. The picture looked pretty detailed until you zoomed it in, then the quality was so poor you couldn't tell if you were looking at a bolt or a dotted line that pointed to a reference number that was impossible to decipher. We tried to get the areas lubed up as best we could, then left the juice to soak in as we went on to the last job for the day.

We though we only had a few knife sections to change, but as it turned out, there were quite a few...15 to be exact. Some of them didn't look to bad, but we could see there were cracks that were just waiting to let go, so while we were in the business of changing sections, we did all the rough ones.

After we got that finished, we headed out for Yorkton. There wasn't going to be any combining until Tuesday, so we figured we might as well go get the General and bring her down. We stopped in Whitewood for a pizza, then rolled north to home.

Got some "still need" items packed and ready for the morning...

August 15, 2015

View of the day-It's cleaning day for all the machines. Time to get the barley chaff and straw off the combines.

Today was moving day...after we got everything cleaned off. We did get rain during the night...2mm...enough to settle the dust and make a slight mess on the combine. It was another hot sticky day, but at least we had the wind to keep the bugs away for a while. 

We had been having issues with the hopper cover and wanted to see if we could figure out why it was binding when we opened it. We're still trying to figure it out. 

We got the combine blown off, then took it and the straight header over to the next farm we will be working at. It was a big move...10 miles west. We got the rigs parked out of the way, then went back to get the camper. It took some doing to get the it parked into the right spot, but once we got it plugged in and the A/C running, we were on the road back for the header trailer...and then back again to get the shop trailer.

With everything moved, we got the dish hooked up and aimed, all the while feeding the mosquitoes, but once the wind came back they couldn't hang around long. It cooled off quite a bit...a welcome change from the rest of the week and we might even be able to have a night with no A/C.

Road trip to Yorkton tomorrow...

August 15, 2015

View of the day-Al picking barley on the top of a hill...and there were a few of them.

Another early start...gotta do it while the weather allows it. We got the combine fueled and serviced, then Al was on his way at 9:30am. The green ones were just ahead of Al, since they fueled up when they got back to the yard last night...you know how the lineups are at the fuel pumps. With four machines needing 750 litres or almost 200 imperial gallons, it does take some time...so we wait until morning to do the trans"fuel"sion.

Marilyn brought lunch out and rode around the rest of the day. We had an issue with a rock...a big rock...so big that Marilyn couldn't get it unwedged from between the auger and the belts. Al came out and between the two of us, we were able to get it loose...one wonders how it fit in there in the first place. It didn't dent the auger, but two of the disappearing fingers that pull the crop in were gone...not far, mind you, they could be heard rattling around inside the auger.

We got the barley finished...finally finished and went back to the yard to assess the damage. While Al was pulling out the remnants of the broken disappearing fingers, Marilyn was in the hopper trying to figure out how why the camera would quit working every time the hopper was full. She discovered the excess wire loop had come loose and when the grain would fill the hopper, it would put so much weight on the wire and it had rubbed the outer casing in one spot allowing it to short out, but only when the hopper was full. A little bit of electrical tape and some zip ties and we were back in business.

With our shopping list for the CaseIH dealer in hand, we took a road trip to Moosomin to get the parts we needed for the repairs. We had supper at the Dairy Queen, then came back to the yard and got everything put back together...good as almost new.

Tomorrow we see what is keeping the hopper from opening up smoothly...

August 13, 2015

View of the day-The backside of the combine making dust in the barley.

We woke up during prime meteor watching time, to the sound of rain on the camper...that meant clouds and going back to sleep. The rain didn't last long or leave much, it just meant a later start in the morning.

Since the combines came back to the yard, Al was able to do the servicing by the shop trailer, which also meant giving the air filters a good cleaning. Since we had extra time to kill, Marilyn gave the windows on the combine a thorough cleaning and RainX treatment, so dusting them off would be more effective. By the time she finally got them finished, Al was ready to head out to the field and start picking up swaths.

Marilyn stayed at the camper for the better part of the day...got the Dodge washed, then started working on a task that has been in the works since the first book(the one at the top of the blog) was put together. It was time to start on the 2008 season's book. Today was a good day to stay inside and work on the computer...not the hottest this week, but still not pleasant.

Al combined straight through until 9:30 then brought the combine back to the yard. Since they are only 1 mile north, it was a short drive.

Could see the end of the barley tomorrow...

August 12, 2015

View of the day-This little fella hit the door, but managed to perch on the chain after it happened. He stayed there for a full pass down the field, through all the barley dust, getting his wits back, then flew away after we dumped on the cart.

Shades of Oklahoma! We got the combine serviced and started combining just after 9am. There were heat warnings on the radio all day and the weather reports were correct...no 110ºF day, but a cooker, just the same.

We only had a few acres to finish before moving on to the next field...it was slow going in the downed barley and coupled with the high yield it took a while. 

We passed around a spot that looked like the seeder had gotten stuck in, judging by the erratic seeding pattern in the otherwise perfectly lined seed rows. Marilyn wanted to check out the depth, but Al was on a mission to get done. They had to be 4 feet deep...we went around them.

Once we got finished, we had to drop the straight header into transport to get out the tree lined lane through the farm yard.

After Al got the pickup head on the combine, we headed over to the next field, where we changed back over to the straight head again. While Al carried on combining, Marilyn took a run into Whitewood to get some groceries and hurried back to get them in the fridge before they spoiled in the heat.

By the time she got back out to the field with some snacks, they were just finishing dumping in the semis for the move to the next field. We were done with the straight head for a while, so we put it into transport one last time for the day and moved over to the next field to jump in with the other two machines that only had pickup heads. With four machines, it didn't take long until we were done and the green ones were taking a supper break in the field.

Marilyn went back to the camper as the combines moved to the next field for more barley. She had visitors drop off some fresh garden cucumbers, tomatoes and crab apples...is it possible to eat too much of these things? 

It was kind of funny that the gentleman had asked us when we got the camper parked, if we would like some cucumbers...we said "yes, please"! All we could think about the last couple of days was how good those cucumbers were going to taste...but they never showed up. Marilyn bought cucumbers and tomatoes at the grocery store today. Figures.

No pickup service for Marilyn tonight...the combines came home to the yard...

August 11, 2015

View of the day-All set up in the tent at the Yorkton Thresherman's Show...the last show of the summer season.

We were able to get into the grounds at the Western Development Museum just after lunch on the day before the show, so it wasn't a mad rush to get set up. We had four tables and Roger had four right next to us, which he and Linda started filling a few hours after we got there.

After the set up, we went out for supper with Roger and Linda, then they got their RV parked in our yard for the weekend. There was perfect weather for the show...a nice change from the rain that seemed to be a regular occurrence lately. There was a lot of action around the grounds, but it seemed like we couldn't get away from the toys to see any of the threshing demonstrations. We got to see them getting ready for the parade at the end of the first day.

Sunday had a lot more traffic than Saturday did, but Marilyn didn't get to take in the festivities or the pack up, since she was trying to get last minute costumes and sets constructed for the Renaissance Fair that the theatre group was putting on the next weekend...that, and pack the camper. Fortunately, Mike and Heather, two of Al's toy pals were able to save the day, helping him pack up after the show.

There was also the ladder extension kit that we had gotten from CaseIH to move the platform out past the dual tires, for easier cab and servicing access. Right now, the ladder has to stay in the 2/3 turned position because of the tire width. This kit was supposed to add to the rails and platform...unfortunately, the tires we have are not 'standard' size and the whole thing was about 9 inches short. After Marilyn had struggled to get it all apart and partially back together, we ended up putting it all back the way it was and proceeded to come up with a plan to lengthen it and still keep the support.

Monday, Marilyn got the final load in the camper...well, enough to keep Al going for the week until she was done with Staples and the Renaissance Fair.  After taking the combine into town to get loaded, we took the camper down to Langbank, not to where the header was sitting, but to a new farm that was just looking to get some combine help with fall rye. We had met these farmers at AgDays in Brandon and when they found out we had combined a few miles west of them, and that their crops might be ready earlier than the Kipling area, it was a perfect fit.

Al made the big move to sell his combine trailer in the spring, so now we relied completely on Kardynal Transport to shift us from place to place...not a big deal when you are not going all the way to Oklahoma. 

Because the combine was so wide, due to the duals, Al had to pilot the load, while Marilyn followed in the rear. We got out to the farm and while the combine was getting unloaded, Marilyn got the camper set up for Al. It was easy to keep an eye on what was happening with the combine, since the view was perfect out the camper door to where it was unloading.

After we got the combine set for rye, it was time to move out to the field and get the rust off. There were three other machines in the field...all green...but at least the tractor and cart were red...Versatile red. 

Once Al set up, Marilyn went back to Yorkton and he was able to start picking up swaths as soon as he was out at the field and continued until the field was close to done, then Al was sent packing to do the winter wheat on his own for the rest of the night.  

After switching to the straight head, Al started cutting the winter wheat around 6:30pm and combined until 10:30 before shutting down for the night. Unfortunately, Al woke up to the sound of rain on the camper roof the next morning, so he came back home to Yorkton for the weekend.

While we were at home, Al got the General ready for action, whenever it would need to be called to duty. He also spent some time looking for parts to make the ladder extension work on the combine. There had been more rain during the week, so we didn't have to get back to Langbank in any great hurry, which was good for Marilyn and her theatre business.

It was a perfect day for the Renaissance Fair...a little long, even though the event was from 11am to 7pm. Marilyn and Brenda had to get to the park by 7am to get the sets and tent up. This was the first year for the fair and it turned out pretty good considering there were several other things going on around town the same day.

With the weekend finally over, it was time to think about heading back to Langbank. Marilyn got the rest of the stuff for the camper loaded up, then we hooked on to the shop trailer and headed south. By the time we got to the camper, it was already dusk and the mosquitoes were hungry, thank goodness for the automatic satellite dish. We were a bit concerned about the signal finder...Al had run over the cord with the lawnmower...but it worked.

We are looking forward to a week of hot weather, this is the thermometer on the combine at 9:30am! We got the windows washed and were out in the field in no time. Since they only need the combine here, Al gets the honors and Marilyn gets time off. The shop trailer has been needing a good cleaning, so that is what has been on Marilyn's agenda for the last couple days. On a rough road, the bolt bins give up their cargo and usually we just use the magnetic wand and dump them all in the trays, Marilyn decided it was time to sort and return them to their rightful spot. Not sure how long that will last.

Al got finished with the winter wheat, then it was time to move over to do some straight barley. The road over was too narrow for the straight head, so we had to put it into transport, mount the pickup head, then move to the next field. When we got there, we had to unload the pickup head and put the straight head back on.

Al started making dust...itchy dust...and Marilyn went back to her bolt sorting. After getting that done, there were even a couple of nightmare drawers in the tool box that got a makeover. 

Marilyn took supper out to Al and then rode along for the rest of the night. The barley was yielding pretty good, so Al was only able to go up and back on the field before he was full...a couple times he almost couldn't make it back to the truck. There was only one other combine in this field and the grain cart was on the other field with the other two machines. 

Thank goodness for the camera in the hopper, as you can see, it helps to fill the hopper right up without spilling over...that's quite a pile!

So now it is official...we are in the swing of things and the blog should get updated regularly...for a while at least...

July 26, 2015

View of the day-The combine waits across the road for the trip into town to get some work done. The canola blooming makes for a beautiful view every morning.

We got ready for our trip to Killarney, Manitoba for their Pioneer Days, taking the camper on it's first trip of the season. We got everything hooked up and ready to go directly after work, so we could make some time and get parked before dark. We made it to Brandon, which left just over 60 miles for the next days drive.

Since it was a short drive and we couldn't get in to set up before 2pm, we didn't rush to get out of Brandon at the crack of dawn. Good thing, too, since that happens pretty early at this time of year. We got to Killarney, parked the camper and got the A/C blasting, then went over to start setting up. The empty table always look so daunting at the start of the show.

The building was relatively cool, but the humidity was so high, the load in made it seem like a sauna. There was a lot of discussion as to whether it was more uncomfortable to be setting up in 35ºC/95ºF or -35ºC/-31ºF...while neither is pleasant, you can always add more clothes as it gets colder. At least there is no worry about blizzards in the summer.

We got everything set up and ready for the morning, then went back to the camper to cool off. Roger and Linda Miller had come to set up for the show just across the aisle from us and they were camped right next door, so when the evening cooled off, we were able to visit outside. 

The next day, it was action time, with people coming to check out the old machinery that was in the field next to the building where we were set up. 

Marilyn took a stroll around to see what kind of things were demonstrating...watching the setup in the sawmill was pretty neat, as was the several unsuccessful attempts to get the belt to stay on the thrashing machine.

There were a lot of well maintained or restored old tractors and watching the Minneapolis-Moline double tractor was another head-scratcher. 

The weekend was a success and by Sunday afternoon, we were ready to head for home...but first it was load up time in even more sultry conditions.

There were weather warning all day and we did have a couple of nasty systems go through on Saturday, but we kept our eyes to the sky and loaded like mad as soon as the doors were closed. 

We had just headed out of town with our load, when we ran into some heavy rain and when we were about 10 miles north of town, we heard an alarm on the radio that a tornado was funneling down, just 6 miles north of Killarney. No damage from that one, but we were glad to get out of the area before it hit. We managed to stay ahead of the heavier rain all the way back to Yorkton.

We were able to attend the combine clinic put on by the CaseIH dealership in Yorkton. After hearing all the new changes to the next series of combines coming down the line, we thought maybe, rather than looking for a newer series used combine, we should wait until next year to check out the latest and greatest. 

The likelihood is neither.

We got to take the golf cart on an outing last weekend, to the Drag Races out at the airport. It was a "bring your own lawn chair" event, so we did. Al's boss, Curtis, was racing, so we got to see a lot of jazzed up cars making some pretty good time down the track. It seemed like some of the street legal ones that we had thought were pretty fast during some of the trial runs, looked like they were crawling after the ones that topped out at 150 mph in 1/8 mile. It was an entertaining day, even with the strong north wind and while the cloud threatened to dump at anytime, we made it home just before the downpour hit.

It's getting closer to harvest time for us...finally. We got the header tuned up and ready for action, then took it down to the farm at Kipling where we will start in a few weeks.  The combine is getting a few things repaired before the big rush is on. The bearings went on one of the augers in the auger bed below the rotor and although we could have done it, it just seemed more sensible to let the pros do it, since we are both still working full time...and it is a tight spot to get into.

Al was out to check on the canola that is planted on our land...the blooms are dropping and the pods are filling out.

Things will start changing in a hurry, now...