let’s cut wheat!

photo 1 (24) - CopyMontana – BIG country! Do you see the Beast?

We got back in the field on Thursday afternoon.

While Jim and I were servicing the combine on Wednesday evening, he realized a bracket which is part of the spreader had broken. So, on Thursday morning, he took it to his favorite local welder and got it temporarily fixed until a new one can be shipped to him. He had also taken the time to drain the oil from the Beast on Wednesday evening  so he needed to finish that job on Thursday morning too. All this takes time. So, it was very close to noon before the Beast headed into the wheat to see what we had. Result? Moisture was 10% – plenty dry! So, the plans changed from “unsure of what we were doing” to “let’s cut wheat”! Continue reading

the northward trek – final day

photo (11) - CopyThis is where the Beast and Frank spent the night – The Miles City sale barn.

For those of you who do not follow the Zeorian Harvesting Facebook page, you haven’t seen a few of the pictures I’ve posted and you don’t know that we made it to our final destination. We got to Jordan about 10:30 a.m.

photo 1 (21) - CopyThis is one of those “sames”. This has been in this pasture welcoming us every summer. I look forward to seeing it and I don’t even know what it is.

photo 2 (22) - CopyA good sight to see…Jordan!

There are a few changes but mostly the town looks the same. This is the 34th summer we’ve been to Jordan. Not necessarily Zeorian Harvesting but my family. We (Hancock Custom Combining) stopped in Jordan for the first time the summer of 1981. I was oh so much younger then! 🙂 The very first HUGE change is that we had to relocate our “home” to a different trailer park. We’ve been in the same one every summer since we first stopped here. Fellman’s (a convenient store/cafe) is closed. The swimming pool is open for the first time in a couple of years (updating). We haven’t been to the store or the post office yet. We’re hoping those are a couple of the “sames”.

The first thing we saw when we pulled into the farmyard was this awesome welcome sign. This was so much fun to see, Jennifer, you made our day!

photo (10) - CopyWe unloaded the service pickup and headed right back to the Cottage. We needed to get her set up and back to “normal” so we could continue with the day. Once we got everything hooked back up, it felt like we had never traveled the last several days. Jim and Callie jumped back in the dually and made that 85 mile trip back to Miles City to get the header trailer. We had to leave it at the sale barn as we lost it’s driver. Chanse, by the way, is back home tonight in his own bed. Again, thank you Chanse!

photo 2 (23) - Copy

photo 1 (22) - CopyIt’s very pretty here. There are even trees BUT it’s not the same.

photo 3 (5) - CopyThe view from my “desk”(aka the kitchen table).

photo 4 - Copy (13)Love these Big Sky sunsets

Everything is unloaded and ready to begin the task of harvesting wheat in the Jordan area. Our final stop for the summer. This also just feels weird. We just left home.

 

 

the northward trek – day 1 (video)

Well, the Colorado harvest is now in the history book. The activity that comes along with harvest each and every day is over for our farmer and his wonderful family. Unless you’ve been through this flurry of activity, you just can’t understand the let down that is experienced once it’s over. The daily push to cut as many acres as possible in the time frame of a day is over. The thrill of finishing a field and moving on to the next is done. The time that is spent putting that crop in the ground and watching it grow to maturity and harvest is complete for another year.

IMG_4401Taylor was resting a bit from her clean-up duties.

Continue reading

the goodbye will be hard

photo 1 (13) - Copy

It’s too quiet in here!

Continue reading

feelin a bit behind (video)

IMG_4392 We’ve been busy! The days have been long. It’s the time when you regret feeling bad for sitting due to rain. I know…this probably doesn’t make any sense to you. Maybe I can explain a bit better. When it’s raining and you know the wheat needs cut, you think about not being in the field. Now, we’ve been busy every day. The day starts at 7:00 a.m. and doesn’t stop until at least 12:30. BIG days! Good, right? Yes, but I’m starting to get tired. I think everyone is. But as soon as the combines fire up and the reels are pushing that wheat into the header, all signs of being tired are gone. It’s like the first day all over again. And…it helps working with good people. Great people! Until I have enough time to get all the pictures I want to share with you (and the stories), I’ll have to leave you with just this video from yesterday. I think we may be finished with this amazing wheat crop tomorrow or Saturday. (I think we’ve been able to get almost 350 acres cut per day.) Then, I’ll catch up. But until then…I’m feelin a bit behind!

back to work (video)

photo 2 (11) - CopyThe diagonal markings in the wheat are chisel marks. At some point during this wheat’s growing season, the wind blew. It blew so hard it covered the brand new fence that was on the south side of the field. It blew right down the rows and left the wheat plant in place. How the wheat survived and why it didn’t blow out cannot be answered. And even more than that – how did it raise 60 bushel wheat? Apparently, as Jack said, “we don’t need topsoil to grow wheat”.  They chiseled this field while the wind was blowing hoping the ridges created would help minimize the blowing.

Yes…we DID get back to work! The sun was shining yesterday (July 19) with all its glory and there was heat. And we cut wheat!

Continue reading

doesn’t that just figure!

 IMG_4339This is the storm that began our four-day raincation. We left this field on Monday evening and haven’t been back since.

There was something foreign in the sky this morning when we got up.

It was the sun.

Monday evening was the last time we were in the field. And, if you remember, we left it just prior to the rain because the moisture went up and the storm moved in all at the same time.

Continue reading

let the games begin

There’s one thing I can say about wheat harvest 2014…it’s not typical.

I was given the morning off (July 14). The guys were going to be moving the equipment to the fields that used to bring us to Limon. I was told that I would have most of the morning to do what I needed to do and get lunches made. Jim would call when they needed me. No big deal…they’d be close to Limon and Taylor could take me to the field.

Sounded like a great plan. If only the wheat would have cooperated. It wasn’t quite ready.

So, I got a call telling me to go to the Pete and follow Scott to the field. Which is what I did.  I didn’t look to see what time it was when we got to the field, so I’m going to guess about 1:00 or so. The combines met us there and Chad took his into the wheat to cut a sample. The moisture was a little on the high-end. Let’s give it an hour or so…HURRY UP AND WAIT!

Actually, this is one of my favorite things to do (if I don’t have anything else pressing me to get done) when we’re cutting with others. I enjoy spending time with them and learning more about the people we’re working with.

The first waiting-for-the-wheat-to-dry game was throwing rocks at the corner post and see who can hit something. It was funny how a simple rock being thrown began as a personal challenge for one and turned into a game for them all. Even Jim picked up a couple of rocks and started throwing them.

Continue reading

the beauty of a cloud

IMG_4315The pastures are so brown. This countryside is desperate for a drink.

Yesterday was nearly a full day for us. We waited for the sprinkle from the night before to dry off with the heat of the sun. I think we started just before noon and the moisture was still a little on the high-end. But, once we made a couple of rounds, it was back to a reasonable number which wasn’t necessary to be concerned about.  By the time that perfect number rolled around, we were throwing dust and moving along quite nicely.

Continue reading

came as strangers – left as family

IMG_4295

The days have been long.

Since my last post, we’ve moved to Limon, Colorado – higher elevation, cool nights and no biting flies (oh…and a view of Pikes Peak from the field). Since six days have already come and gone, I’ll take this one day at a time and get caught up.

Continue reading