Tag Archives: family

a generation who can’t let it happen again

by Nebraska Wheatie

I can’t believe it’s been 13 years.

In March, the Z Crew made a trip to New York City. And, of course, the one place we all agreed to visit was the 9/11 Memorial. So, today takes on a whole different feel after actually standing on the same ground where so many died. Being in the city and seeing for myself how it is laid out helped me to understand how chaotic it must have been. But really…how could I know? I wasn’t there.

IMG_3507This was the first time I had ever been in New York so the skyline of the past wasn’t being missed. I didn’t know any different.

Just as there is a generation who don’t know what our world and our country was like prior to 9/11. They don’t know any different.

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the color green

by Nebraska Wheatie

Yesterday, Jim and I spent most of the day inside the Cottage. Well…maybe I should say I did. Jim, on the other hand, started doing some of the going-home chores that he normally does AFTER we finish cutting. Things like change oil in the pickups, grease whatever needs greased and preparing for the 900+ mile trip “home, home”.

It was about 4:30 when he walked through the door and announced he was going to take a trip out to the combine. That trip is about 40 miles. “Give me a second to finish what I’m doing and I’ll ride along”, I said. It didn’t take me long to finish typing what I was typing, shut off the internet, throw on my shoes and walk out the door.

Gosh, it felt good to get out of there and head back down the roads that we had been travelling daily until the rains began just a week ago today (Friday).  The day was beautiful and the sky seemed extra blue and clear. Once we got just west of Jordan, I noticed it…the color green. It was only seven days ago the color was brown. The desert had come to life after that life-giving rain we had. Jordan was blessed with about half her normal year’s rainfall in just two days.

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everything’s better when they’re here

by Nebraska Wheatie

IMG_4434Montana sunset

The time has come…already.

The girls will be heading home in the morning. They’ve been with us exactly one month today. It feels like we haven’t even had enough time together to say they were here.  Summer just started – didn’t it?

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the northward trek – day 2

by Nebraska Wheatie

photo 1 (20) - CopyOur day started out foggy and cool. This is Scottsbluff minus the top half.

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the northward trek – day 1 (video)

by Nebraska Wheatie

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.

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the goodbye will be hard

by Nebraska Wheatie

photo 1 (13) - Copy

It’s too quiet in here!

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feelin a bit behind (video)

by Nebraska Wheatie

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)

by Nebraska Wheatie

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!

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doesn’t that just figure!

by Nebraska Wheatie

 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.

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let the games begin

by Nebraska Wheatie

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.

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