Category Archives: 2012

WHERE’S THE GRASS?

by nebraskawheatie

I’m sure they’re eating something but it’s not GREEN grass. 

We’re home, home! The final miles were driven yesterday. It’s been quite a long 5 days!  And so very HOT – 110 degrees on Wednesday and 105 yesterday. The Pete kept running hot all day on Wednesday – to the point it shut itself off going up a hill. That has never happened before. I asked Jim why it had decided to do it at that particular time and he said it was because of the intense heat and the four mile hills we were climbing. This heat and no rain is really taking a toll on our country. The Midwest is very, very sick right now!

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Time to Be Movin On

by nebraskawheatie

It’s time to tell J Town goodbye for another year. Our stay was a quick one; barely long enough to even feel like we were really here. And, as usual, the girls were just getting re-acquainted with their friends again and now it’s time to hit the road. The ‘ole heart strings are being pulled as it’s hard to tell good friends goodbye for another year!!

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Vacation’s Over – On the Road Again!

by nebraskawheatie

Our final night with the Graham’s a year ago.

Just a brief note to update you on our whereabouts. Still in Lusk…but not for long!

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A Recap of the Last Two Days

by nebraskawheatie

We made it to Lusk, WY early this evening. The trip from Jordan to Limon and back to Lusk was uneventful even though we had Friday the 13th to think about.The heat was cranked on high but since I wasn’t pulling anything, I had the luxury of air conditioning.

Wednesday night (after leaving Jordan) we made it as far as the parking lot of Walmart in Scottsbluff.


Hotel Pete

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Lunch and a Cattle Sale

by nebraskawheatie


We’re nearly two thirds done with our 2,100 mile trip from Limon, CO to Jordan, MT – back to Limon – back to Jordan.

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The Old Grey Goose Is Dead

by nebraskawheatie

(This was written Monday evening after we stopped for the day) Today started out early. I was up at 4:30 for a conference call at 5:00. It’s now 11:04 p.m. In between these two times, we have left Limon, CO and are spending the night in Lusk, WY.

Taylor helping Jim by making sure the Nasty didn’t drag as it was being driven on the trailer.

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We are now residents of Kansas

by nebraskawheatie

The above cloud formation was something we saw nearly every night since Saturday.

Since we finished on Saturday, the past four days seem like they lasted FOREVER!  The rain we received on Sunday morning continued on and off nearly every day. We were going to load up yesterday but it rained most of the day so we decided to wait one more day since there was no hurry to get to Deerfield.

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A 500 mile jaunt

by nebraskawheatie

Today was the day we made the trip with the first load to our new “home” – Shattuck, OK. We were in this area last year but stayed in Arnett. The fields are closer to Shattuck and it’s easier to get diesel fuel in Shattuck so we decided that’s where we’ll hang our hat for a while. When I mentioned to Taylor that we’d be staying there this year, she was disappointed. Even though there wasn’t much in the town of Arnett for them to do, it was a memory and had been “home” to them.

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And Then…It Rained

by nebraskawheatie

We made it to Burkburnett!

As we were driving through Snyder, Oklahoma and further south into Frederick, I started feeling like we were the last ones to the party. I couldn’t believe the amount of wheat that had already been cut since we had been down just a week earlier. When we were through this area a week ago, we saw four combines running and wheat that looked like it should be cut. The harvesters began their exodus from all points of the Midwest with one thing in mind – cut wheat. And that’s what they did while we were still trying to get a truck repaired and a trailer house packed. Oh well…we did the best we could.

So, after all that work we did to get here, guess what it did last night – it rained. (Hurry up and wait – the harvester’s motto) Our first day of harvest 2012 and it starts as a rain day. Frustrating? Yes but, on the other hand, it gives us a day or two to take a deep breath, get settled and then gear up to the working stage. Those who busted their butts to get here and then had to start right away needed a break, too.  It’s always nice to get to a place a day or two BEFORE having to start cutting – not the same day. So, if I’m responsible for their break – so be it. They needed one!

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Right now…I HATE harvest!

by nebraskawheatie

Wow – what a difference a couple of days can make!

The emotional roller coaster started kicking in last night. Maybe it’s just that I need a little more sleep than I’ve allowed myself since we got home on Saturday evening.  Yep, we made it home in the rental car and it was a  SAWEET ride! We drove home in a 2011 Chrysler 200. I sort of wonder why we don’t allow ourselves to rent something like that once in awhile just to enjoy some of lifes little treats. I usually drive a ’93 Dynasty (the Nasty) so having something that played a CD rather than a cassette was OUTSTANDING! The Pete was left in Ellinwood for exhaust manifold repairs.  Jim is headed south to make the exchange right now andshould be home late tonight.

Since we got home, we’ve attended Callie’s 8th grade graduation breakfast at church, the cottage on wheels has been decorated to feel like home (pictures, etc.), laundry caught up, yard mowed, bills paid, Callie’s ECNC honor band concert was last night, an early morning meeting today, and now working on packing the trailer house. I should be doing that rather than being on the computer but what I need is a little bit of normalcy! Writing this note is the closest thing to that (sorry state, I know).

Right now…I HATE HARVEST! It’s the transition between the two worlds that is the absolute HARDEST! Unless you’ve been where I am right now, you haven’t a clue how I feel. Leaving the harvest world in September and being sucked immediately back into the non-harvest world is even worse! I don’t like having to leave the kids for so long and missing out on so much. Taylor and Callie won’t catch up with us until the end of May. I won’t get to see Jamie, Curt and Jenna until who knows when – maybe mid September. The excitement and romance of the harvest lifestyle sounds like a great adventure (and it is) but there are great sacrifices, as well.

I must get busy! Thanks for letting me “vent” today. We should be back on the road tomorrow. Once the rest of the caravan is headed out the driveway and we’re focusing on the harvest world again, things will start to look better. Who knows…I may even LIKE harvest again.