You know, when you get involved with the day-to-day stuff that being in the field is all about, the last thing that gets done is posting on Nebraska Wheatie! Oh…I think about it at the end of the day but most times, taking my shower and finishing up the what-needs-to-be-done-before-you-go-to-bed chores takes precedence. And then, all at once, another week has gone by! No wonder it feels like the summer has zoomed by!
Well, we made it to what could be our final stop for the 2013 harvest season. Coming back to Jordan feels like returning home! We’ve been coming here since 1981. My Grandpa & Grandma were looking for wheat to cut when we stopped here 32 years ago. Who would have known just how important this little town would become to the Z Crew!
Before we left Denton, Jim and I cleaned the combine and header – AGAIN. My job…the header. Yuck! I sent Taylor & Callie a text and asked them if they missed this mess.
While we were in Limon, CO, the girls and I took our turn one evening to help with the supper meal. Although everything worked out just fine, it seemed like an overwhelming task considering we have a “Barbie” sized oven to cook in. After I mentioned the items the girls and I cooked in my post, it began only 17 days ago, I had a couple of people ask me for the recipes. If you read the post, you’ll also understand the title of this post. I will share the recipes with you – but first, I have to tell a story about the cookbook they came from.
I sat down to write a post about the final acres of wheat being cut today in Oklahoma; however, I decided to wait and will do a lengthy one later. I have a couple of really good pictures I wanted to share and since it’s “Wordless Wednesday”, I thought this was the perfect time.
Our family’s oldest and youngest hands. Grandma Dickson (age 95) and Eli (2 mos.)
Working hands…Jim threshing wheat for a quick quality check. (thanks for sharing, Taylor)
I should have more pictures to share but I don’t. But what I do have is a video that Taylor put together for the All Aboard Wheat Harvest. She and Jim had an uneventful trip (a good thing) to Shattuck, OK and back again.
I received an email from a gentleman in August asking me if I’d consider doing a presentation about custom harvesting at a meeting (involving agricultural engineers) at the AG CONNECT show the end of January. I remember where I was and what I was doing the very instant I received this email. Why? Because it instantly made me sick to my stomach thinking about talking in front of anyone, let alone educated engineers! I was sitting in the buddy seat of the combine with Jim in Montana. I read the email to him and his next words were, “Maybe you should see if Jon would do it”. Incentive enough to reconsider the idea that I couldn’t do it and show Mr. Jim I COULD do it. I was hoping for a little encouragement but he probably knew how I was feeling (terrified) and was trying to make it better the only way he knew how. I thought about it for a while before I answered with my “yes, I think I can do this”. I decided God had opened this door for me and I needed to walk through it. Continue reading
Twenty-seven years ago today, we brought home a tiny little baby – the beginnings of the Z Crew. Jamie was just a little more than 24 hours old when we left the hospital in my little blue Subaru. It was sooo cold that evening, we couldn’t keep the car warm. I remember feeling like I was probably going to jail when I took that tiny little baby out of her car seat and held her close to me. I was hoping I would be able to keep her warmer than the car was providing. Our little guinea pig was born at 1:01 p.m. on December 23, 1985.
Baby Hermesch – making his/her appearance sometime around April 1, 2013. Can’t wait!
“A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip.” ~ Unknown
Taylor turned 18 on November 2. It was the day we left on our annual fall camping trip. Life happened and I haven’t been able to do a post just for her. This is your post, Taylor…HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I decided what I wanted to do for you was to gather a few pictures together for all the world to see. What I really wanted them to see was a shortened version of the kid you were and the young woman you have become. I hope I have adequately done this.
Jamie told me a couple of days ago she had lined up a personal tour of the CLAAS of Omaha plant with Jenna.
Jenna started working for CLAAS quite some time ago. I grew up respecting someone’s place of employment which meant don’t visit unless there’s a need and don’t call unless there’s an emergency. So, when Jamie told me she was going to visit Jenna at work, I thought…”well, heck, if she’s going maybe I’ll tag along too”. If Jamie hadn’t gone, I may have felt like I couldn’t visit until another group of custom harvesters made their way to the plant.
