We gambled and won – for once!
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.
As a brief recap of the wheat in the Burkburnett area (that we cut): The average was 45 bushels per acre. Test weight was 60-64. Protein 11%-13% I would be willing to bet the producers in this area were pleasantly surprised! The harvest is definitely coming to a close. The KOA is thinning out and the number of harvester’s semis are dwindling. There’s still wheat to cut and the harvesters who are able to stick around may find plenty more to do right here. I’m hearing wheat will be tested as far north as Salina, KS by the end of this week. If that happens and it’s dry, wheat will be cut from TX to central KS all at the same time (remember, it’s only May 21). Rain has slowed some of the cutters down in the southern OK territory. Reports of 2″-4″ in Sentinel, OK and surrounding areas.
Zeorian Harvesting will be heading for Shattuck/Arnett, OK tomorrow with load #1. We’ll get unloaded and turn right around and come back to get load #2 headed down the highway Wednesday a.m. As we’re moving to job #2, Taylor and Callie will be experiencing their last day of being an 8th grader and a Junior. When they start back in the fall, I’ll have a Freshman and a Senior to deal with.
No pictures today – just simply didn’t think about it.
“Something’s going on with the sun!”
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
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 Final Round of Job #1
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?
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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A New View
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?
Frank needed unloaded from the night before. So, Jim took me to the field so I could take it to town and back before everyone got fired up for the day. When I returned to the field, Jim was waiting for me. The moisture was too high – testing 15%. It was decided we’d go back to the KOA and have lunch before trying it again. The moisture was 13.2% when I took Frank in with the day’s first load…get those combines rolling – again!
The fields we’re working on are thick, some have rust and some are flat on the ground. The fields cut this afternoon had rust and the wheat was laying mostly on the ground. When cut, the wheat with the rust throws out a lot of dark black dirt or residue which turns the yellow beast BLACK. The air is so dirty you can’t see the combines – just a huge dirt cloud. Some of my pictures will give you an idea of what I’m talking about. The combines did have to go much slower than they did yesterday because of the amount of straw that was being ingested. The yields have been outstanding. Jim said it varies from 35 – 70 bushels consistently. The test weights were 60 – 64 and protein from 11% – 13%.
Today was a good day. It yielded seven trips (for me) to two different elevators and an additional 100 miles put on the truck.
View from the driver’s seat while at the elevator pit waiting for the wheat to be dumped.
Lined up from quitting the night before. Jim was taking a sample test with the yellow beast.
I took this picture because these HUGE towers are being set up with a HUGE crane. It’s been very interesting to watch as they have been erected throughout the countryside.
Not much breeze today.
A field fire in the distance.
This gives you a good idea just how flat to the ground the wheat is.
Can barely see the green combine through all the black dirt.
There’s always someone at the back of the truck to open the door before dumping the wheat. He’s also the one to give me directions of either raising the box of stopping the box from raising. I depend on him to watch my box as it’s raising so it doesn’t hit anything while it’s inside the elevator. These poor guys have a hot, dirty job during wheat harvest!
Quite a bit of dust in the air.
After a hot day, this is the very best part of the day – the sun is losing its heat and the shadows are getting long.
This is the inside of Frank’s box when empty.
Not a real good picture because I had to zoom in so much. What I wanted to show was just how BLACK the yellow beast was.
The view from my seat as I was dumping my final load for the day.
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We cut wheat today!
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.
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Yes? No? Maybe? NO!
Nope…not today. We thought we might get to start later this afternoon but it just didn’t happen. And, it wasn’t because we weren’t ALL anxious to get started.
Jim and I are helping another harvester on this first job of ours. The other harvester is a longtime friend of ours (Delane and Travis Reimer) whom we’ve known for over 20 years. Our kids played together when we reached the Chappell, Nebraska area. There were always a whole slug of kids at that stop – Zeorian’s, Krumbach’s, Reimer’s, Trummel’s, Slattery’s and more. It was the stop the kids looked most forward to (except Jordan, MT) because there were friends to get together with. There were times when the kids were all together in one trailer and the old folks were in another. Rain days were most looked forward to in Chappell so we could gather together for a meal and friend time.
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Safety: A True Story
The following is a true story about a custom harvester who lost his son in a tragic accident. We produced this for the US Custom Harvester’s Safety Program. Please pass it on to anyone involved in farming operations.
THE day to Honor Mom!
One day? I guess one is better than none
Because I don’t have any of my chillun’s to do anything with, or make me breakfast in bed or even pick a dandelion, I thought I’d sit down here and share with you a few thoughts…and my flowers.
