This custom cutter business of ours is one low-budget operation!
What I mean is…we do things on a pretty low-scaled manner. There’s nothing big and/or impressive about our crew – except The Beast.
We do whatever it takes to get by so we can be on the road again next year. This “crew” that I speak of is just the two of us. Jim and me…me and Jim.
It takes us a whole lot longer to do anything. More so than most crews with hired men. It’s okay – it’s how we roll.
It was a week ago Jim told me we were done cutting wheat for 2019. Since then, he’s done quite a little servicing and maintenance on trucks, dug out growing wheat from the combine and header and cleaned. Well…I cleaned. I cleaned trucks, pickups and the trailer house. Needless to say, once we roll into home, home for the last time, we’ll be ALMOST ready to cut beans and corn. (In Nebraska, we pick corn.)
We finally left Jordan this afternoon about 3:30. We’re parked for the night at Belle Fourche, SD. And because we are the low-budgeting kind, we will be spending the night in the parking lot of the livestock sale barn…in the luxurious Hotel Pete.
Because I have time tonight (not much to do in a semi), I thought I would share the beauty of the mountains we saw on our raincation.
It was such a welcome break! We spent three nights out. First night in Thermopolis, WY. Second night in a cabin in Silver Gate, MT. The final night in a lovely cabin south of Anaconda, MT.
We left Jordan a little after noon on our first day (Monday). It had been drizzling most of the morning. Traffic in Billings, MT. The pickup hadn’t been washed all summer. Jim knew it was probably a silly thing to do (because of the forecast) but he paid to have it washed for the trip. It lasted a day. Making our way to Thermopolis. Entering Cody, WY. Heading into Thermopolis. Thermopolis, WYOur home for the first night. I loved this! The next morning, we walked to the hot springs bath house. You’re only allowed to sit in the free bath house for 20 minutes. But that was plenty long enough. This is the Bighorn River. This is outside pool at the free bath house. And the inside pool. Ohhhhh…it felt so good!The only one of six hotels built in the early 1900’s left. It looked amazing. Unfortunately for us, it was full or I would have booked a room here. Hot Spring’s State ParkHeaded back north towards Cody, WY. Those dark clouds were right over the area we were going towards. Those clouds you see held snow. We just missed seeing it falling from the sky. The clouds were crazy!Home for the second night. It was so cute! We went to Cooke City for supper. We went to the Miner’s Saloon for a really tasty meal! The moon was so bright as we were headed back to our cabin. The next morning we headed for the road that went across the northern edge of Yellowstone Park. FINALLY! After 50 some years…I saw a bear in the park! We spent the third, and final, night in a cabin at the Sugar Loaf Lodge and Cabin Resort. This find was a Godsend. When we arrived, Monica (the owner) met me at the door with the key to an upgraded cabin and a grocery bag. The grocery bag held all we needed to fix an amazing steak supper. Everything she did for us was appreciated so much more than she will ever know! What a perfect way to end our raincation! Jim looks pretty relaxed – considering there was NO TV or cell service. If you ever get to the Anaconda, MT area and want a beautiful place to get away from it all, this is where it’s at! Headed back to Jordan. The Rimrocks on the north edge of Billings. Downtown Billings. I really dislike seeing mountains in the rear view mirror!!The sun setting on our little getaway.
I didn’t have time to prepare for the last day of wheat harvest 2019. It just happened.
The last time I was in the combine, cutting wheat, was Friday, September 6. It seems the weather pattern is in some sort of weirdness where it rains every Friday. (It’s supposed to rain again in two days – Friday.)
If I had known this was going to be the last day I was going to climb the ladder and watch that header cut my favorite crop, I would have done things a whole lot differently.
I would have prepared my soul for the last acre. I would have soaked it all in a bit more. I would have taken a few more pictures.
