returning to “normal”

One week ago yesterday, we began the final journey home.

Our first trip – Pete/the “job” trailer and Frank/the header trailer – began two weeks ago today.

So, within the past two weeks, we’ve traveled nearly 3,000 miles getting equipment moved back home. The same road gets a bit weary and I often think about the over-the-road truckers and how monotonous their days must get.

Once the final turn is made and the trucks are shut off, the reality of what’s next sets in. And it doesn’t take long for the harvest mode mentality to disappear. In fact, it all feels like a dream now. A bit of a post-harvest “hangover” or depression sets in. I can’t explain why it happens or even why it does what it does but unless I get busy right away, it can feel pretty rough.

Phases one and two (of three) of returning back home, home are now complete. Phase one: emptying the trailer house and getting it ready for winter storage. Phase two: going room to room in the house and attempting to get rid of spider webs and creepy, crawly things. It seems to take a while longer for the basement to be completely rid of them. I guess that’s why most old basements are a scary, scary place!

A friend of mine told me about a spray to use around the house and in the basement to prevent more from moving in. I’ve used it once and still have more left in the bottle. I’m thinking I may do it one more time just for good measure. The wolf spiders we’ve killed in the basement are actually miniature tarantulas. And…they move REALLY fast! I keep a boot at the bottom of the steps to grab should one be in my view. YUCK! I actually sucked one of those big nasty things up with the vacuum cleaner the other day and could feel it go through the hose. I knew I wasn’t touching it but it still gave me the creeps.

Phase three: yard work. Actually, the yard looks great! Between Callie and Mowen Owen, the yard couldn’t look any better. They did a fine job of keeping the grass mowed. It’s the three months growth on the weeds that need reigned in on. Good grief! Some of them look like small trees. But, I guess, what can I expect with the amount of rain this area has received since we left. The yard looked way worse last May than it does now. The grass was turning August brown due to lack of moisture. Not so much today.

Funny how a structure soon feels like just a structure after it’s no longer a “home”. I walk into the trailer house now and I miss the feeling of “home”. I adore our summer cottage on wheels. I really do. And I hate it when it no longer has that feel. But, on the other hand, “home, home” now feels like more than just a house again. I half jokingly/half seriously told Jim maybe we should just build a shed large enough to pull the trailer house in and live in it year-round. I could do that! Except, for the times when I’d like to host a family meal and have all the kids home. Then, it would get a wee bit small. Maybe we could just build one large room in the shed for that purpose. Ha!

It’s also quite interesting how quickly the gremlins move in after you’ve left. You know the kind…the same ones who screw up all the Christmas lights after you’ve put them away for the season. They worked on a couple of major items here over the summer. The dishwasher no longer works. The lights on the front look like a space ship blinking constantly. After many unsuccessful attempts at getting it to stop, Jim said with frustration in his voice, “You may as well just look for a dishwasher on sale.”

The van was backed into the garage just prior to leaving in June. Now, the back wheels won’t turn. They’re locked up tight. I’m certain it has something to do with humidity and rust. It’s still sitting there. Anyone know of a good used van I can buy?

And when the water was turned on again, there was a leak in the basement. In the pantry. Things had to be drug out, dried off and a fan set up to dry the area before everything could be put away again. We worked our marching muscles stepping over everything for several days while it was drying out. I felt really bad for being upset about my minor leak after seeing all the flooding due to Hurricane Florence. But still…messes cause mental torture – no matter how big or small!

The one item I pray will quit every. single. year…does not. The oven. It just keeps doing what it’s supposed to do. Of course!

Fall harvest hasn’t started in our area yet. Oh, there’s been a few that have tested to see where moisture levels are. And a couple of fields done. Jim said he wants to try picking corn tomorrow – to see what the moisture is – and to just have everything ready to go again. I don’t know how long it will last. The weather forecast is saying rain and cooler temps for most of the upcoming week. As for me, I haven’t received the call yet from my boss. I’m not sure when we’ll get started. But I’m going to keep working on the third phase hoping to get as much done as I can before I’ll be sitting in the cab of a combine again.

It is a good feeling to have as much done as I do. One more week and it’ll really feel like the past three months never happened. Good thing I can look back at words and pictures to recall and remember.

Since the last acre of wheat was cut on September 1, we’ve had some busy moments that I’d like to share. And now that I’m feeling like I’m getting a little less overwhelmed with all it means coming home, I will continue blogging my updates a bit better than I have (hopefully).

The next morning (after the gathering at the Hell Creek), I got up early and made my way north to the Hell Creek Recreation area. I was going fishing! Shelley set up the day with Trapper John and I was like a kid on Christmas Eve. I couldn’t sleep because I didn’t want to miss the alarm. It’s been a long time since I’ve got to go fishing! It took me longer than it should have to get there, though, because I had forgotten just how beautiful the scenery is getting there. I kept stopping and trying to soak in the morning.

The next morning was the day…we would be leaving Jordan with our first load. We didn’t get a very early start and ended up spending the night along the road in Hotel Pete at Union Center, South Dakota.

We made it home Monday evening about 8:30. Parked the trucks, unloaded the service truck and spent the next couple of nights at Jamie and Curt’s house. On Wednesday morning, we all got gathered and headed to Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island. At the end of the day, the kids headed back east and we began making our way back towards Jordan.

That night, we made it as far as O’Neill. We decided it would be fun to see what the historic Golden Hotel was like. After all, we had been blasted with dirt all day – a shower would feel good.

Back on the road again the next morning!

By the time we got to Miles City, we decided to call it a day. It was dark and the rest of the journey would have us watching for deer the entire 85 miles. So we pulled in the Walmart parking lot and left again the next morning. Back to Jordan about 10:00 that morning and started where we left off before heading for Nebraska with the first trip. First thing to do was get the combine loaded.

It was a pretty chilly day in Jordan, USA! To make matters worse, the electricity was shut off (planned event) the entire day. The “fireplace” would have felt awfully good if we could have turned it on.  Take note of Jim’s sweatshirt when he came in the trailer for a quick break:

Our final day in Jordan ended with another gathering at the Hell Creek for chicken and our final goodbye’s to friends. Oh, how I will miss you, Jordan, and your community! I’m so very glad we were able to come back! See ya next season!

The first night out with the second trip south was spent in Belle Fourche, South Dakota.

The second night was spent in O’Neill again. This time, we just plugged in the trailer house at the park. It was SO MUGGY!

We pulled back into the farmyard we left three months prior. It was September 17 – three months to the day was our very first day in the field for wheat harvest 2018. We made it! Jim has always viewed the summer being a success if we get the machinery back in one piece. I guess it was a success!