It’s been 17 days since we arrived in Limon, CO. Today was the first rain day we’ve had since we started. We may have had down time previously but it wasn’t because of rain. We were nearly finished with the acres we had lined up but the daily storms finally caught us yesterday afternoon (Saturday). We had been lucking out with storms all around us but not on us. It rained 1/2 inch yesterday and 1.5 inches today. I think we’re out of commission now for a little while. Today was pure torture for the girls. They had NOTHING to do and it nearly drove them crazy. I, on the other hand, had quite a bit to get caught up with. It took most of the day but it’s done again. I appreciate the days to get caught up on what gets pushed aside while we’re busy in the field.
Category Archives: 2013
moving day
Thursday morning I woke up, looked out the window and saw other trailers. For a brief moment, I had to search the ‘ole memory bank to remember where the heck we were. Oh…now I remember – Limon, CO. This is our 7th year in Limon. We won’t be cutting for the same farmers that we had for the past six. Their last harvest was last summer. They decided it was time to do something different for a while. As you may recall from earlier posts, when we left home over four weeks ago, we didn’t have a job lined up to replace this one. God is good! We’re working for a new farmer. New names to put with new faces. New adventures. New people to add to our Christmas list. Most of the people we work for end up becoming more than just a job! Continue reading
we hit a wall (a big, cement one)
Our 4th of July was a little unlike any we’ve had in the past. We shared nearly two hours of the day with Teresa Scanlan (2011 Miss America) in our wheat field. Conrad Weaver (Conjo Studios) brought her to the field to “hang out” with us for a little while and to experience being in the combine while learning about our industry. Teresa is a true agvocate (advocate for agriculture) and is helping Conrad promote his documentary, The Great American Wheat Harvest. We had met her for the first time while we were in DC last March for Ag Day. Taylor and Callie found her very easy to talk to and enjoyed the company of someone closer to their own age. You can read here about the field-time-fun.
Jim said they laughed a lot and she was down to earth. Of course she’s down to earth – she’s from Nebraska!
better than expected
It’s been a few days since I felt like I had time to play catch up with my writing. We’re still in Garden City and still cutting wheat. Considering the summer, I feel we’re fortunate to say this!
And…I’m feeling quite fortunate to tell you the wheat we’re cutting for our farmer is doing much better than expected! The dry land wheat has averaged 30 bushels per acre with a weight of 62 lbs. Gary, the farm manager, told me before we started that the dry land was going to do better than the irrigated due to the late freezes they had in April. He said it would be lucky to make 20 bushels per acre. We’re cutting that irrigated now – it’s averaging 65 bushels per acre! The weight is the same 62-63 lbs. The Yellow Beast doesn’t know what to do with good wheat and moving at a slower pace.
a new place to hang our hats
We made it!
It was a LONG day for the Z Crew! We were packed up, hooked up and headed down Main Street of Shattuck before 9:00 a.m. 
A meeting with the troops before heading out of town.
adios, oklahoma
Leaving a place that has become “home” tends to make a person think about certain things. The one thing that I’ve thought about a lot this year is the fact that I take for granted way too many things! I found myself looking at my surroundings a little more intense this year. I sort of figured out that I don’t have a guarantee that I’ll be back next summer. So, I soaked in the lush green countryside, the smell of the wheat chaff, the beautiful water-colored sunsets (especially after a brief thunderstorm), the intense oven-like temps of the south winds (or Oklahoma gales) and the birds. I tried to take as many pictures of the countryside and the wheat field as I dared. The hot winds and birds are a different story.
Wordless Wednesday – Hands
I sat down to write a post about the final acres of wheat being cut today in Oklahoma; however, I decided to wait and will do a lengthy one later. I have a couple of really good pictures I wanted to share and since it’s “Wordless Wednesday”, I thought this was the perfect time.
Our family’s oldest and youngest hands. Grandma Dickson (age 95) and Eli (2 mos.)
Working hands…Jim threshing wheat for a quick quality check. (thanks for sharing, Taylor)
Blow on Oklahoma Wind!!
Yeah, the wind is blowing HARD today. But it’s just what we needed to get back in the field. We tried it late yesterday afternoon and was up against this the whole time –
Z Crew is Gonna Hire Out as Rain Makers!
Last night, the conversation went sort of like this:
“Dad, will you cut wheat tomorrow?” – Taylor
“We should be able to, if it doesn’t rain tonight”. – Jim
Father’s Day & Rain
Happy Father’s Day!!
What did the Z Crew do to celebrate? NOTHING! This just about drove Taylor and Callie completely bonkers. I, however, LOVED it. I needed this day to get caught up on book work and get a few things better organized.
It rained early this morning. There’s nothing better than rain on the roof of the trailer house. I know it’s early in the season and we’re already behind on acres but I needed a good down day. A day that meant nothing more would get done than what I allowed. It started at 9:30 am. Yep…I slept til then and it felt great! I’m not going to apologize for one second of it.