Celebrated Jenna last Friday night with a surprise 30th birthday party. Her sisters did a fabulous job of keeping the secret!

Seems I just need to start writing. Beware…you won’t know what you’re about to read until you get to the end.

“When are you leaving?”

Good question. And it’s the #1 question most people seem to think to ask me when they see me. My reply? It varies. How much do you really want to know? Is it just a brief question in passing? Seems the most common one goes something like this, “Good question.” Then, depending on the look on their face (whether or not they’re happy with that answer or I sense further questioning) depends on what additional information I provide.

It’s sort of like this. Last summer was a tough one. When it was finally over, we had the hope that 2018 would be better. Just a little better would be better. Right? It would be. Well, 2018 is setting up to be even more of a challenge (right now) than last year.

Harvesters are already experiencing the dreaded phone call from their farmers in the southern country.

Wheat acres are still lower than they have been since records began being kept in 1919. However, I recently read the number of acres planted for 2018 are 3% higher than last summer. That’s good, right? It seems Mother Nature is trying to weed even more out. Maybe just to make the harvesters concerned about how everything is going to fall into place? Guess what, she’s doing a pretty darn good job! Between the severe drought in the south, the late freezes (also in the south) and the late spring conditions in the North, 2018 is setting up for a shipwreck.

I hope not.

Our bank account hopes not.

Our lifestyle hopes not.

Jim’s blood pressure hopes not.

But, as I’ve explained to you many times before…when there’s no acres to cut…there’s no income for the harvester.

Why do we do it? Another good question. Just about as good as the one EVERYONE asks me, “What’s your favorite part of being a custom harvester?” Every time it’s asked, I struggle. So, these two questions can/should go hand-in-hand! Oh wait…let’s not forget the first one I mentioned. So, that’s three very good questions.

Easter Day – the only members of the Hermesch crew to join the rest of the family. The rest of them were home sick. They’ve had one heck of a winter with sickness!

Maybe everyone asks those same three questions because they honestly want to know. OR because they’re trying to figure out why in the world we have chosen this as our job. OR maybe both. I always try to tell them the positives – hoping they will outweigh the negatives.

We haven’t received “the call”…yet. Unless Jim’s not sharing. But I’m pretty certain he would fill me in. A lot of acres are being “zeroed” out in the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma, Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado. No rain. Nothing for months and months. Some places exceeding 200+ days without measurable rainfall. Not very much can struggle to live (let alone just exist) without a drink for very long before it just quits. Except weeds.

Another result of the lack of rain is the lack of severe weather. To be specific, tornadoes. I just heard both Kansas and Oklahoma had no severe weather during the month of April. I believe I heard the last time that happened was in 1980. The first thing I think about when I hear that year (besides it being the year I graduated from high school) is the June 3, 1980 tornado outbreak in Grand Island.  Now, as I’m typing this, we are under a tornado watch (meaning conditions are favorable for something to happen). Sort of exciting. But, I’m hoping if something happens, it’s after I’ve returned kids home safely from the track meet I’ve been sitting at all day.

Am I rambling? I hope it doesn’t read that way because it feels that way to me.

Lincoln Children’s Zoo – celebrated Eli’s 5th birthday there.

Happy birthday, Eli!!!

So, as I mentioned, acres are being zeroed out. What does this mean? To a harvester, it means nothing to do. No work. No income. For a farmer, it means his/her crop is basically dead. Everything that went into that crop will have a zero ROI (return of investment). The insurance company will zero it out when there is no hope of it being harvested. The most recent report from Ron Hays with the Oklahoma Farm Report states:

Among the worries of the crop scouts across the state were the many acres that will not be harvested for wheat this year- many of those will be grazed out or have zero forage and will be zeroed out by crop adjusters. In southern Oklahoma- there are thousands of acres that continue to be shifted to cotton and in north central Oklahoma- there is significant freeze damage.

What will we do if we have nothing to head to Texas for? I guess stay home? I mean, if there’s nothing worthwhile to justify the expense of moving equipment that far away, why would we do that? It’s all so up in the air right now. What about Kansas? Who knows. Probably nothing to do beyond Kansas. A strong possibility could be Montana. They’ve had a tremendous amount of moisture over the winter. BUT they’re also at least a month behind in getting their spring crops planted. What a mess! Could it get any worse? That’s what we were asking last summer.

When two worlds collide – brought the welding class to Grand Island to tour the CNH plant and Hornady.

So, back to the original question, “When are you leaving?” I just have to shrug my shoulders because I honestly have no idea. I’m sort of believing this is going to be a summer of complete faith in God’s plan. Nothing we thought we had planned is panning out right now. So, I’m going to go with His knowing what’s ahead for us.

In the meantime, I will continue to drive the bus when needed, spend time with Eli, Nora and Ben when I can, get together with the girls when their schedules allow and just wonder what the day is going to bring…until I know that it’s time to begin packing the “cottage on wheels”. Am I concerned? Absolutely! Who wouldn’t be? Our entire livelihood exists on what work we can do with the equipment we’ve invested in for the last 36 years.  But, God has provided every year and I’m expecting to see some amazing things handled again this year!

So…hang onto your hats – it’s gonna be a wild ride!