We put in a pretty full day today. It was hot – no wind – and the wheat is plenty dry now. No more worries about green. We can just GO! The test weights remain in the 62 lb range. The field we’ve been working on for the past two days will probably average 50-55 bushels. Not too bad considering this area was suffering from drought this time last year!
… where the wind comes sweeping down the plain!
Oh my! The wind was certainly sweeping down the plain yesterday as we pulled into Shattuck with load #2. It was sweeping alright – with a vengeance! It was probably a good thing we had wind (as the temperature was near 100°) but 50 mph is a little much. At least Frank didn’t lose mudflaps again and I was able to keep my load on the road.
Harvest was getting back into full swing as we headed north again. The chatter on the two-way indicated the harvesters were working after the rain break that area had. As I was listening, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for an employee getting chewed out by the boss. Apparently, he had dumped grain on the wrong truck. The next thing I heard was something about a shovel and putting it back on the grain cart. Yikes! Just something about an active two-way and the stories you hear.
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.
We finished the job(s) we have been working on since late Monday afternoon. And, it was pretty much nonstop once we got rolling on Monday (today is Sunday). Believe me; I am ready for a break – even if that’s just a moving-day break!
The job we started yesterday ended early this evening – just as a storm wanted to move towards the field. The farmer asked us if we would cut a little more but Jim didn’t want to get caught starting a field, it starting to rain and we really need to get moved to job #2. So, we played a little less risk and decided to call the job complete. Burkburnett, Texas…it was fun but it’s time to move on.
Today, we were able to pick up more work.
It felt real odd being in the field without the Reimer crew!! I enjoyed the activity the larger crew brought to the day and feeling like part of a team. However, today was what I was used to and it felt nice, too. One machine means a slower pace! For most of the week, me and Frank were on the road constantly. Today meant a little more breathing time.
The wind blew today. It blew so hard, it blew the mud flaps right off Frank! I believe the southerly “breeze” was blowing as hard as 40-45 mph. I faced my truck towards the east most of the day so that when it was time to roll the tarp, it was rolling with the wind. If I had it facing west and tried rolling it, the wind would catch the tarp, blow it up and probably tear it right off the box. I DIDN’T need that to happen! Sometimes, if I had to face Frank in a different direction, the grain cart driver would block the wind so the tarp wasn’t in jeopardy. It was warm again – 92 – but with the wind, it made it more tolerable being in the truck.
Today seemed more like a typical harvest day. We were able to get started before 10:00. Moisture was 13.1% with my first load. Weather man said it was going to be a warmer day than we’ve been seeing. One thing I think we all forget about because the wheat’s ready to cut now is it is still only the middle of May – not the end. So, I wonder if the cooler temps at night and the not-so-brutal day temps are because of the day we see when we look at the calendar. Today WAS warmer, though – 98 degrees with a little breeze. It was definitely a drink-your-water-jug-dry kind of day!
The day began earlier than we were used to while on “vacation” (due to the rain break). This morning, we had to move the trailer house. What a pain! Everything had to be taken down, slid in, unplugged and removed just as if we were moving 250 miles. This little trip was taking us to another section of the park – with lower voltage electricity (no air) and no sewer hookup. Apparently the owner of the KOA had people coming in who had booked our space over a year ago. So, we have a new view when we look out our windows for the next three days. After those three days, it will mean tearing everything down again and moving back to a real RV space. I guess I could look at it as practice – how fast can the cottage on wheels go from stationary to road ready?
The day started out with dew. So much dew, it looked like it had rained. It was decided that we’d go out after lunch and try a sample just to see where we were at.