Tag Archives: wheat harvest

Our Half Day Holiday

by nebraskawheatie
That’s what it sounds like when hail hits the side of a trailer house. It was right after we got in for the night that we heard the soft pitter patter of rain on the roof. Jim had me check the radar not more than 20 minutes earlier. There was NOTHING! So where did that come from?  We couldn’t even hear each other talk.
What this did was allow us to sleep in this a.m. And I had the morning to get caught up on laundry and take care  of some work I had been putting off on the computer. I have to take my computer to the Pizza Hut (which is basically in our front yard) and sit outside of the building to pick up signal. While I was sitting there,  a couple of employees came to work. Apparently they’re not used to seeing someone sitting on the bench at their back door with a computer. They both were a little concerned why I was there. 🙂

A Harvester’s Secret

by nebraskawheatie

 

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This morning as I was helping Jim service the combine (which doesn’t include much). A thought came to mind about sharing with you one of our trade secrets. Go to Walmart and spend $10 on a large California duster. This is a miracle work for windows and cleaning out the cab. The best time to clean the windows with this secret tool, though, is at night. If you wait till morning the dirt has stuck to the windows (due to the dew) and it’s harder to wipe off. It’s the best $10 you’ll ever spend…guaranteed!

Today looks like a good day with the possibility of storms this afternoon. We’re in the process of moving to another field.

I’ve heard reports that western Kansas may be cutting next week. Harvest 2012 is certainly going faster than expected!

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Those Fly Over States

by nebraskawheatie

Let me begin by telling you it’s a little stressful when you get used to something or doing something one way and then have to figure out how to do it a different way! Not having the internet available to you when you turn on the computer is frustrating…and not real great cell coverage, either. And, for Jim – no TV.

Knowing what I’m up against, the daily updates will probably be a day later not the same day as I’ve been doing.

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OOOOklahoma

by nebraskawheatie

… 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.

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A 500 mile jaunt

by nebraskawheatie

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.

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We gambled and won – for once!

by nebraskawheatie

It rained this morning.

Going with the safe bet worked for us this time! Unfortunately, what the rain did, though, was set us back on getting the equipment cleaned and loaded. We got everything done before it got too dark except loading the combine. This will have to be done in the morning and shouldn’t take too long.

Because of the rain, we ran into Wichita Falls to take care of a couple of errands – one being new mudflaps for Frank. They weren’t exactly the ones I wanted but you do what you have to do! And…I have moved up in the world!! I am now a proud owner and user of a SMART phone! No more flip phone for me while in DC – I’ll be smart just like the rest. 🙂 I can’t wait until Taylor and Callie get here so they can show me everything this thing can do.

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“Something’s going on with the sun!”

by nebraskawheatie

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.

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Back to Just the Two of Us

by nebraskawheatie

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.

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The Final Round of Job #1

by nebraskawheatie

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.

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Excuse me, can you tell me what that big building is?

by nebraskawheatie

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!

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