Weird Christmas

This has been a bit of  weird Christmas holiday for me.  When we built our house in 1995 my mother-in-law told me I had to have every holiday for the next 20 years.  I don't think my 20 years are up yet, but this year she told me everything would happen at her new (to her) house in town.  Since I was gone for the first 18 days of the month that was really okay with me, but it meant that I didn't put up one decoration (I didn't have time even if I had wanted to), had no visitors at my house, and didn't even have to cook.  I did make my famous broccoli casserole to contribute to Christmas day dinner and did make sugar cookies and gingerbread men at my mother-in-law's house so my great niece could help me (she lost interest pretty quickly as a 4-year-old will do).  Add to that the beautiful weather we've been having with warm temperatures and no snow and it all compounded into a very odd Christmas.  I didn't even have time to get close to my piano during the festive season.  That NEVER happens. 

M's sister and family and R were here for the week before Christmas so we were in town to see them every day.  That was almost more exhausting than getting my house ready for company and cooking.  Too much food, too much drink and irregular hours sure wiped me out.  Maybe I will perk up by next year and have a more normal holiday.

Where Ya Been?

Wow, it's been a month since I've blogged.  I did try a couple of times but couldn't do it on my husband's or my mom's laptops.  I have to say, it's been a crazy month and I have been BUSY!

We went to Rapid City to spend Thanksgiving with R and M's sister and her family.  My in-laws were also there.  We even ventured out a little on Black Friday, and it wasn't so bad.  I thought we were probably the only people shopping for livestock trailers on Black Friday.  We came home on Saturday and arrived in Scobey just in time for the parade of lights.  We were home for four days and then headed out for our vacation to the big island of Hawaii.  We spent a week there and had a wonderful, relaxing time.  M rented a Jeep and had way too much fun with it.  He went quickly from wanting to buy me a Cadillac to wanting to buy me a Jeep.  It would be an ideal cow-checking, run-to-the-field vehicle.  He's been shopping for one since he's been home.  We put 900 miles on our rental and saw just about the whole island.  I think we only missed the southeast corner.  We didn't do a few things we wanted to do like go up Mauna Kea and go parasailing.  Maybe next time.  I haven't had time to go through my photos yet.  I didn't think I took very many but when I downloaded them to my computer I had 116!

We arrived back in Billings at about 11:30 pm on Dec. 10.  M headed home on the 11th while I flew to Arizona to spend time with my mom during her recovery from hip replacement surgery.  She didn't really need me except that she wasn't supposed to drive yet.  We had to make sure she could drive before I left and she did and did just fine.  She's on her own again now.  She continues to amaze us with how well she recovers after surgery.  I had some bonding time with my sister as well.  We went out to finish her Christmas shopping, went to a movie and spent some time at her house singing Christmas carols and hymns at the piano.  We have spent many hours singing together, one of our very favorite things to do.  I can't believe her husband said he was glad he wasn't home.  Mine said "I'm sorry I missed that."  I'm sure he meant that very sincerely--haha!

I flew back into Billings on the 18th.  I didn't want M to have to make another trip to Billings to pick me up and have that 5-hour drive (if the roads are good) home so I decided to take the flight from Billings to Glasgow.  Bad idea!  This was my 7th flight in two weeks so I shouldn't have been surprised that there would be a problem.  The flight was supposed to leave at 5:30 pm.  We boarded, were informed the plane had a problem with a generator, deplaned and waited and waited and waited.  That plane was a no go so they had to get a plane out of the hangar after they finished maintenance on it.  By that time it had started to snow so we had to be de-iced before we left--at 10:30 pm.  I called M as soon as I knew we weren't flying on schedule and told him I'd call him back when I knew more.  He made the mistake of heading to Glasgow before I called him back.  He went to get a pizza and have a few beers--I was really afraid he'd be sloshed by the time I got there.  He was okay when I finally arrived at midnight.  Fell into bed about 1:30 but was up at 7:00 to go to work Monday morning.  We had a very busy day at work, but I have to say it was good to be back.

M's family and R from South Dakota arrived Sunday night as well.  C and his wife were heading to Hawaii for Christmas with her family on Tuesday so we all had supper together Monday night so that was another late night.  I spent Tuesday doing laundry, paying bills and balancing the checkbooks.  It was dart night and R was going to fill in for C so I went along.  Another late night.  Then today we Bang's vaccinated and branded our heifer calves.  We like to keep the family busy when they come to visit!  We had some hot drinks and then I mixed up cookie dough so it will be ready for tomorrow when I plan to make cut-out cookies with my 4-year-old great niece.  It's been a few years since I had a kid to help me make cookies.

Maybe one of these days life will get back to normal and I will get caught up, hopefully on my sleep at least!  So, that's where I've been lately.

From Bad to Worse

Today was our first real cold day of the winter, about -10 this morning, and it did not go well.  M went out to start his bale pickup and the battery was dead.  So, he started another pickup so he could use it to jump start the bale pickup.  It started but wouldn't come out of park.  He let it run awhile thinking that maybe if it warmed up it would go into gear--not!  Then he started our good pickup which was in the garage, backed it out and jump started the bale pickup.  I was watching out the window and told him I didn't think the hood on our good pickup was latched.  It wasn't, and it won't latch.  Something is wrong with the cable that runs from the cab.  Not sure how we're going to fix that.  By that time M was a bit upset and cursing the weather.

We went to do cow chores and found all the cows at home crowded around the wind break.  M finally felt sorry for them and rolled out a couple of bales of hay.  The pickup died, and we had a moment of panic that it wouldn't start again, but it did.  A friend showed up to look at some pasture so he and M took off to do that.  I was really hoping they wouldn't get stuck somewhere.  I didn't want to go rescue them.

They came back for lunch and to watch the Cat-Griz game.  The Cats (our team from Montana State) were leading the conference (undefeated in conference play) and ranked #1 in the nation.  The Griz are from the University of Montana and if they won would share the conference championship with the Cats.  It is a HUGE rivalry in the state, and we Bobcat fans are a bit outnumbered (but a lot nicer).  Anyway, the game went from bad to worse and the Cats lost--at home to the rotten Grizzlies.  Ruined our whole day!

After the game we put a light fixture in our kitchen that we had gotten in Rapid City a month ago.  We are trying to find something to replace our fluorescent fixtures and are not having much luck.  We don't think these are going to give enough light so we may be back to square one.  I think it's time for wine......

First Winter Rescue

Just before dark on Friday I got a call from M and heard the dreaded words, "I'm stuck.  Come get me."  He had been out and about checking on some hunters and got stuck in a coulee where the snow had blown in.  He had been across it the day before, even pulling an auger, but it had warmed up enough that the snow was soft and slick.  As he tried to come up the other side he spun and was sucked sideways into the deep stuff.  So deep that he could barely get the door open.  When I came upon him I wasn't sure where he wanted me to go so tried to stop and also slid sideways.  I was dangerously close to also being stuck (and walking home in the dark), but with much cursing he managed to get the second pickup out, and we went back to the farm to get a tractor.  M plowed a track through the snow with the tractor and then pulled the pickup out backwards.

I tried to lighten the mood by commenting that we do such fun things together, but I'm afraid if it's starting already it could be a really long winter!  I think about how many times R rescued M last winter and with him gone that leaves me.  I don't think that's a comforting thought for either of us.  M had better be more careful!

Snow!

We had a drastic change in the weather over the weekend with our first snow--and not just a skiff but several inches along with enough wind to create some drifts.  We were not impressed.  We were up early on Sunday morning with the phone ringing.  M had loads of cows and calves to haul and the owners were calling to discuss the roads and weather.  We did our cow chores and discovered one of the waterers was starting to freeze up so M had to get that figured out (which he did) before he took off in the truck.  Since I was dressed for the weather I decided I might as well shovel the drift off the driveway.  As it turned out, I did it way too soon since it continued to snow lightly most of the day.

The snow made for an interesting drive to work on Monday morning.  First I had to get out of the yard with my car.  I made the mistake of stopping to close our gate and couldn't get going again with the slight hill.  I had to back up and take another run at it before I made it out.  The highway was icy in spots--very icy, in fact.  I felt like I didn't have my winter legs under me so it was a nervous drive to town.  Thankfullly, the sun was out and the road had cleared off by the time I headed home.

They looked pretty good for November.....

What a difference a day makes.

Monday was the first day in many months that M didn't have a plan for his day.  He almost begged me to tell him what to do (not really, but it sounded good).  He actually worked on some paperwork without me having to drag him to his desk.  We did more of that on Tuesday morning.  I wondered aloud about when farming got so complicated between crop insurance reports, state land reports and government program documentation.

Tuesday afternoon we hauled some old couches out of our basement to the dumpster and headed to R's house to get it winterized and bring his couch (that he made me buy from him when he left) home.  It made me sad all over again going to his empty house.  M was a bit frustrated that I was not good help with the heavy lifting, but we managed to get everything loaded and unloaded.

Today M was back in the truck so I was on cow chore duty.  It was a beautiful day to be out.  I like to stand at the gate and wait for the heifer calves to come check me out.  I've already picked out my favorites. They are a bit curious, and sometimes they'll come up and lick my hands.  It's also fascinating to watch them stick their tongues up their noses.  Makes me laugh anyway.  Yeah, it's the little things.

Taking Advantage of a Nice Day

We have a feeling that our nice days are dwindling down so we're trying to take advantage while we can.  I spent the day cleaning out some of the outbuildings.  I hauled sacks of aluminum cans to town along with empty feed sacks and boxes that had just gotten thrown in the quonset.  Then I tackled our garage.  I've been waiting for help but realized that wasn't going to happen so I dug in.  I threw away some boxes and other junk, moved things around and swept it all out.  It'll probably look good for a week or so.

M has been super busy hauling cows and calves and seeding grass in some CRP for the neighbor.  He attempted to seed some grass near our place, got 6 acres in and got stuck so I guess that project is on hold for awhile.  He's been a bit panicked about getting the seeding done before it gets really cold but should be able to finish tomorrow.  I often ask him if the words "over-extended" mean anything to him.  I did actually hear him tell someone "no" on the phone this morning and was surprised.  Trust me, that doesn't often happen (only when I ask for something).

There are plenty of items still on the fall to-do list so we're really hoping the weather holds out a little longer.

Tribute to My Daddy

On this day seven years ago I lost my dad to cancer.  It was a day a lot like this one, gray and cool, and I'll remember it forever.  No one asked if I was ready to let him go, but I definitely wasn't.  I'm too much like him, not a talker, and I'm sorry that he and I didn't have more time to do more connecting.  I've been thinking lately, though, about how many things are ingrained in me from my childhood that I never thought about or realized before.  Like not driving in a field.  We do it a lot around here for various reasons, but it always bothers me and my family thinks it's funny.  And not driving over a gate, always pulling it out of the way.  Other people might not understand, but I find it so interesting to think about how the lessons learned as a child stick with you.  Makes me hopeful that maybe something I tried to teach my children actually stuck with them.

As we were having a glass of wine to toast my dad's life, M said he didn't think my siblings really appreciate how much our son is like my father.  I often say that I have a whole new appreciation for my grandmother after raising J who is the spitting image of my dad in so many ways.  If I ever wonder what my dad would say about something, I just have to ask J.  He looks like him, he thinks like him, he acts like him in so many ways.  He can make things and fix things, works hard, is loyal and stubborn, just like my dad.

My dad was smart and taught me a lot.  He would make me do math problems in my head all the time.  He was tough but I eventually realized that he was a softie underneath and his bark was worse than his bite.  Some of my favorite memories are of him carrying me up to bed when I was little and would fall asleep curled up in a chair and the way he held my hand and told me not to cry on my last visit to him.  He loved us fiercely but had definite ideas about how we should behave.  We all grew into strong people who call a spade a spade just like he did.  Someone I once worked with said my "bullshit meter" was too acute, meaning I just didn't deal well with the frivolous.  I inherited that from my dad.  Several of my siblings and I also inherited the "Buster look."  Many times he didn't have to say anything to us, just give us the look, and we knew we were in trouble.  I think we all probably inherited his heavy foot on the accelerator.

We used to joke that no man was ever good enough for his daughters.  He was a worrier, always wanting us to be happy and successful.  I was lucky because he and M had a great relationship and respect for each other eventhough he didn't want me to marry a farmer.  They had a lot in common and would talk for hours.  When M and I were dating I would meet him at the door or outside because if he came in he and my dad would talk and talk and we'd never go out!  I used to say that my dad liked M better than me, but I was his little girl so that couldn't have been true.

My dad, to me, was always a bit larger than life, and I was in awe of him.  He'd be gruff and tough one minute and the next he was buying something from a guy on the street because that guy needed some cash.  He liked adventure and fun and had lots of stories to tell.  I tried to get him to record some stories so we'd always have them, but he never did do it. 

Sometimes it seems like he just left us, and sometimes it feels like he's been gone so long.  I think of him every day and wish he was here because I still have so much to learn from him.  I just wasn't done with him yet.  Rest in peace, Daddy, I love you.

Cow Days

The past few days have been dominated by cows.  On Friday we continued to work on making sure the barn and corrals were ready.  R and M's sister (Pam) arrived from Rapid City to help with the calf shipping.  M put everyone to work.  R and I worked on repairing the windbreak that was broken by snow, Pam helped with digging post holes, J and Jared finished cleaning manure out of the corral and set up the new chute.  P supervised all the work.  M finally put in the short alley way from a back pen to the barn--he'd been thinking about it for awhile, just hadn't had time to do it.  We put in a new post and hung a gate that had to swing two ways and it turned out just perfect.  He was pretty impressed with himself that it worked just like he had envisioned it.  When R saw what he was doing he wondered why he hadn't done it sooner as it would have made his life a lot easier during the winter.  We decided that it would a good time to get everyone together for our annual post-harvest family dinner so off we went to Dutch Henry's Club in Peerless.

Saturday was spent rounding up cows, one group from the west and one group from the east, into holding pens at the barn.  J brought out his new toy, a Can-Am Commander side-by-side.  We weren't sure he'd use it to chase cows but he did and took Pam along for the ride.  R and Jared were on 4-wheelers and M and I were in the pickup.  When we finished we went to the neighbor's to get their stock trailer.  They had gotten their cows rounded up, too, so we had a couple of drinks with them.  Holly brought wine for me but didn't have a corkscrew.  We ended up opening the bottle with a big screw and a vise-grip.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of that.

Sunday was show time to get the calves cut off from the cows, separated as to steers and heifers (boys and girls) and shipped out.  We had a lot of good help--C, his stepson, Neill, J, Jared, R, Pam, M and me--and it went pretty smoothly.  We sold our calves with the neighbor's and he purchased a portable scale this year so we trailered our calves to his place to be weighed and viewed by the buyer.  He didn't cut any back so must have liked the looks of them.  Our weights were down this year probably because of the slow start the calves had after the rough winter and wet spring.  The steers go to a feedlot in South Dakota and the heifers are staying in Montana to be bred.  Our neighbor's wife, Holly, is like a walking grocery store and had donuts, sandwiches, chips, cookies, pop, apples and candy available for everyone who helped.  There were over 20 people there at times.  The beer came out once all the trucks were loaded and all the work was done.  It occurred to me that it was like harvest in one day instead of six weeks.

Last year we shipped on Talladega race day.  All I asked for this year was that that not happen again.  It did, however.  C and Pam sat in the pickup and listened to it on the radio so the rest of us got periodic updates.

We went back to our place to brand R's heifers since we didn't get it done in the spring.  He had 13 and one was supposed to be mine because he didn't want the white one.  We kept her because she has a good mother so she's got potential.  We saved her for last.  I am in the process of getting my dad's brand transferred to me, but it's not done yet so we couldn't put my brand on her.  I told M he could put his brand on her, but he said we could wait and then proceeded to put R's brand on her--oops!  I told R that's what I always do, sacrifice for my children.

M branding R's heifer

Why is R smiling?  Because my heifer just got his brand on it!

Yesterday was another busy day with pregnancy testing.  We started at the neighbor's and worked about 300 head, had Holly's chili for lunch and then tested our 150 head.  R was hoping he could stay long enough to see his heifers checked, but he and Pam had to take off to head back to South Dakota before we got to his animals.  He was joking that he half hoped one of them was open so he could sell it and have some ready cash rather than waiting another year to have calves to sell.  When one of his heifers turned out to be open (not pregnant) the vet thought he'd be funny and paint a dollar sign on her back.  We got photos to send to R.

The "money heifer".  Yes, it was snowing this morning!

We had a friend come help us since we knew R had to leave right after lunch.  Everyone was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and there was a lot of joking and laughing going on.  The friend commented later that he didn't know working cows could be so much fun--we had a great group of helpers.

This morning I had orders to check on the cows and the heifer calves we're keeping to make sure they were all where they were supposed to be.  A lot of the cows weren't too concerned about their babies being gone but some were still hanging around the corral.  Since it was snowing (ugh) I put the 4-wheelers inside and did a few other chores. We were so lucky that the weather was good and the snow held off while we had so much going on.  This afternoon after M got back from hauling a load of calves I went to help him sort out the open cows that he will take to Glasgow to sell.

It's a good thing my husband loves me in Carhartts and Muck boots since that's all I've been in for the past week.  And yes, diamond earrings go with that.

The To-Do List

We are busy working on the fall to-do list.  At the top of the list right now is getting the barn and corrals ready for shipping calves on Sunday.  Yesterday M was cleaning the corral while I did some mowing in front of the barn.  There was grass up to our necks in places around the farm, and it looked so nice mowed that I did a little more and a little more.  I could still do more but that may have to wait.  It was like a little treasure hunt, too.  I was very careful trying to get through the tall grass and didn't hit anything but found a tiling spade, a steel fence post, a wooden handle, and several pieces of wood.  I also did some mowing around our gate at the main road.  We are remembering last winter and don't want to have anything for the snow to build up in.

Today we worked on the barn and corrals.  We had a cow do some damage inside the barn this spring and the snow do some damage to some of the other shelter.  We had to put a new support pole in the barn, we put a quick latch on one of the gates that gets a lot of use when we're sorting, repaired some shelters by replacing some wood that was broken by the snow and wind, and hung a new gate.  Of course, M did the heavy lifting and hole digging.  I was more the finder, runner and holder.  He needs someone with more muscle than me for a lot of what we did today.

Of course, on our last little project just before we were ready to head home M smashed a finger.  We're not sure there's enough Aleve in the house for the both of us tonight!

Hauling Hay

We managed to take a few days off and head to South Dakota to see R and stay with M's sister.  That is always a good time.  It was so good to hug R and see that he's doing well.  We did some wine tasting in the Black Hills and got in on a Miranda Lambert concert.  While we were gone J had swathed and baled the grass and weeds that were on some of the acres that were too wet to plant or spray this year.  M wanted to get them moved and stacked so that he could get the loader tractor to Opheim where he needs to haul hay.  He had me come along with the bale pickup so that we could both move bales and get done in half the time.  I'm not sure I speeded things up too much.  I had never used the bale bed before and that was a lot of backing up and using the mirrors for this female!  Actually, I did okay.  Before we got started M assured me that he had a chain in the tractor in case I got the pickup stuck.  That was reassuring.  Neither of us got stuck but we did find some soft spots--driving along just fine and then having a sinking feeling.

When we finished there I took the loader tractor and M took the truck and hay trailer to Opheim.  I had never driven the loader tractor either so it was quite an educational day.  M says he can cross a couple more things off the list and pretty soon I won't be able to plead ignorance anymore.

It was getting close to dark by the time he got the truck loaded with hay bales so we took back roads back to Richland and then had to go back to Glentana to get the bale pickup.  It was about 8:00 when we finally made it home.  M rewarded me by cooking supper--burgers on the new grill.  He's off hauling hay today, and I get a day to get caught up at home--after I go check on some cows.

Fire Scare

Yesterday was a pretty scary day in the neighborhood.  I'm kind of glad that I was at my job in town.  Sometime after 1:00 the fire whistle blew in town, but I didn't think anything of it.  Then a couple of people came into the store and said they heard the fire was near Richland.  I still wasn't concerned.Then my brother called and asked how close the fire was to my house.  I got a bit concerned at that time!  Shortly after that M called while he had a minute as he was refilling our water truck to let me know the situation.  The county crew was out mowing the sides of the road and started two fires.  J saw one which went through one of our fields and was headed for the neighbor's yard and our stack of bales.  By the time they got that one out they noticed the other one which was headed north into some rough pasture land.  Volunteer fire crews from two counties as well as airplanes converged to battle the blaze.  If unchecked, it could have burned for miles and miles, acres and acres.  As it was, it probably burned 2000 acres.  M said it was such a helpless feeling to watch the fire burn through coulees and not be able to get to it.  In many instances, they would have to wait for the fire to come to them and then try to put it out.  It got within about a half mile or less of four farmsteads, ours being one of them.  They tried to keep it away from fields full of hay bales but one neighbor lost theirs.  The bales can smolder for days and then start burning again, especially if the wind comes up like did last night and today.  There was a flare up last night so a couple of the neighbors and M were out again about 11:00 pm.  He told me I had to wake him up if the wind came up, but it was "up" when he went to bed.  I sure didn't sleep well.

These are some photos that I borrowed from the neighbors.

Our neighbor's pasture looking from south to north.

They kept the fire from getting to this field of bales which is about a half mile south and est of our house.

There was some fence repair going on today along with rounding up of cattle gone astray, and smoke is still hanging in the air.  We are so thankful that no homes were lost and no one was hurt.

What I Learned This Harvest

Yay, harvest is over!  Except for the moving home, cleaning up equipment and putting everything away for the winter.  We left J on Saturday evening to work on the hailed out piece while we began moving equipment back home.  So fun to move the swather at 12.2 mph.  I managed to stay awake but just barely.  We made it through without coming to blows (just barely), no major breakdowns (mental or equipment), only a couple of days with extra help, and a lot of grain in bins so I guess we'd have to call it a success.

Anyway, I sure learned a lot. Like:
*  My husband is a bit of a control freak.  I think I already knew that, but he reinforced it a few times.  (I probably shouldn't have put that in since he reads this).

*  My son is very scary looking when he hasn't had a haircut for a couple of months and hasn't shaved for a couple of weeks.  I already knew that, too, but he reminded me lately.

*  I learned what R must have felt like having three people telling him what to do.  Of course, I get a little more respect (as befitting the queen) than he did.  And, I will tell them to shut up and leave me alone, something I don't think R ever did.

*  I found out that you can't fill those grain trailers up.  Why do they make them so big if you can't fill them up?  I got into trouble twice loading two different trailers too heavy.  The first time I didn't really know better, but the second time was just a lapse in judgement.  Oops!

 *  I covered some of our property that I'd never been on before.  Unlike the guys, I don't cover every acre two or three times a year.  Learned a lot about washouts and coulee crossings.

*  I learned that I can do more than I thought I could and I'm not too old to learn.

*  I realized that I'm very grateful that we can still do the hard work.  None of us are sick, injured or disabled.

*  And, I learned that I love being with my family in all things.  (Actually, I already knew that, too, but sometimes need to take the time to acknowledge it.)

Yesterday we had planned a lazy Sunday but it didn't happen.  We were back to cowboying, moving some cows closer to home and today I have to go to my other job.  Looking forward to the weekend when we can really relax.

End in Sight

We can see the end of our harvest and will (hopefully) be finished by the weekend.  We moved to our last place yesterday at lunchtime.  A friend had called a couple of days ago and said he was almost done with the job he was working on and wondered if we still wanted him to come over.  M did a poll of J and C and they all agreed that he should come--I guess everyone wants to be done!  This guy isn't always real prompt so J was betting that he wouldn't show up yesterday, but by the time we got moved he was there.  Someone should have taken the bet.  All the acres we have left have been hailed on but the wheat is still running  pretty good.  It would have been a pretty awesome crop without that stupid white stuff hitting it.

I've had quite a few days off from field work while J and C handled the hailed wheat of the neighbor's and M was swathing green spots.  Right now the truck drivers have just a short haul so I wasn't needed too much yesterday either.  I headed to the field later yesterday so I could bring the lunch with me.  I know how much my mother-in-law dislikes having to make the trek to Opheim so I thought I would save her the trip.

M, C and I all took our turns on the grain cart yesterday.  The friend who is helping says I am the best operator because I go the right speed for him.  That's funny because J says I'm too slow.  I'm glad someone appreciates my effort!

This morning I am off to check on cows before I venture out to the field with lunch.  Only a few more days......

17 Gates

We've been plugging along with the combining until yesterday when we had rain.  We moved to Opheim on Friday night but ran into wheat that wasn't quite ready.  On Saturday morning we did more crop adjusting and then cut what we could on Saturday and Sunday before moving back home.  All the acres we have left (still a couple thousand) have hail damage and green spots.  M made the decision to send the rental combine back rather than pay for the days we can't use it until things dry up again.  The weather looks good well into next week so we shouldn't have too much trouble finishing up with one, and if we get in a panic we have friends that we can get to help.

As soon as it started raining yesterday I knew what we'd be doing today.  Moving cows.  We trailed one group home from the pasture by the highway--about 5 miles.  We had to pass cows and bulls in pastures of two different neighbors on the way, but the move really went pretty smoothly.  We had one old, slow cow, but she eventually made it.  We're thinking she's been on the "to go" list for a couple of years.  She may be out of reprieves now.

After we got them home we had to run around and close gates and check fences.  In the process we opened another gate to let another herd into a field.  From there we headed to Opheim for lunch and then fixed some more fence there and let that bunch of cows into the field there.  In all, we either closed, opened or passed through 17 gates.  I'm always teasing M that we should number all the gates so I'll know which one he's talking about when he tells me to go open or close one.  Later in the day it occurred to me that we forgot gate #18 so we had to call M's mom to go close it before the cows found it.

From there we went to get the swather near Glentana to move west of Opheim so M can cut the spots where the wheat is still green.  That was a 2 1/2 hour trip at 12.2 mph.  It was hard for me to stay awake!  By the time we got there M had almost changed his mind about the swathing.  Then we went to the hay field and got the loader tractor to bring it home. 

J and C were busy hauling grain out of an air bin so we can fill it up again.  The wheat didn't get hauled during the winter because they couldn't even get to the bin.  Then J went to get the rental combine and move it back to Richland so that we can get it cleaned up and ready to go back tomorrow.

All day M kept telling me that I could have tomorrow off, but by the time he got home tonight had decided that I need to help him at least in the morning.  He says he's getting too used to working with me everyday.  I must be a breath of fresh air compared to those crabby guys he has to deal with....who would have ever thought that would be the case.

Crop Adjusting

We are continuing our march west.  We've had some cool, damp mornings so haven't been able to get started cutting until after lunch.  We had our first frost Tuesday night.  Do the temperatures really have to go from 90 to 30 in a day?  I was out helping M move and auger and dump trucks this morning and I can't feel my fingers!

Yesterday morning I had to escort the crop adjuster to view our hail damage.  Crops are supposed to be adjusted within 10 days after notification of a loss--how about a month and a half.  There is apparently a shortage of adjusters and lots of claims in the area.  They still haven't looked at the prevented planting claims from this spring.  We'll still have to pay our premiums on time even though they will have to give them back to us.  I guess they want to use our money for awhile.  Funny how the big guy always wins.  We also laugh at how the crop adjusters always arrive in a little car that can't navigate the trails to get to the fields so we have to drive them around while they get paid mileage.  Sometimes the system stinks.  Anyway, the adjuster is not done yet.  We haven't gotten to the worst of the damage around Opheim.  Maybe tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath.

We cut some really good wheat yesterday and toward the end of the day the truck driver (C) couldn't keep up.  M shut down his combine and took off with a truck.  He and C met on the road and switched trucks so C could dump the full one and M could get back to the field.  They cut after dark until they had all the trucks filled so it was almost 10:00 before we got home.

We have a couple of small moves to make before we make the big move to Opheim.  The in-laws headed to Billings today to take Uncle Bud for cancer treatment so now even the cook is gone--help!

We're Not in Kansas....

It's been a busy few days as we continue to make our way west.  We've had absolutely beautiful harvest weather with clear blue skies, no wind and some heat to get things to ripen.  They've been a bit afraid that they would run into wheat that isn't ready but have pleasantly surprised that it's all been ready so far.  They've also been pleasantly surprised with the yields on some of our marginal ground.  K has been getting lessons on the combine and she and I both agreed that it would be nice to farm where the land is flat.  I've had about enough of bouncing the tractor and grain cart over hills and gopher holes and through washouts.  That's going to get worse before it gets better, unfortunately.

I had the day off today since Jared and his dad came out to help for the day.  Poor Jared caught a little grief after some mistakes before he got back into the swing of things.  M asked him if I needed to come give him a quick lesson on the cart.  I'm sure he didn't think that was very funny--14-year-old boys can be a bit sensitive that way.  I told them to be nice to him so he'll keep coming back.

My "day off" consisted of walking the dog, delivering lunch (which took 3 1/2 hours as I waited for truck drivers and then helped them make a small move down the road), taking salt and mineral to the cows (it always makes me laugh when they come running, licking their chops all the way), laundry (gotta keep the combine operator in clean socks and underwear!), cleaning bathrooms (yuck) and just generally catching up around the house. I did have time for a couple of important phone calls (my mom and my brother) and some football watching (I should have skipped that, very disappointing).

Tomorrow I have to go to my "real job" because my boss is going to be gone so they will be very shorthanded here.  I tried to talk Jared's mom into letting him skip school (he was all for it), but she wasn't going for it.  They've moved to some of our best land with the worst road in and out which means the poor truck driver will have his work cut out for him.  And, the weather is supposed to change and get cool so things might slow down a bit as the temperature and humidity affect the grain.  We're making good progress so I hope the trend continues.

Dumping grain from the combine onto the grain cart

Catching the other combine going the other way

Dumping onto the grain cart

Strong Silent Types

I guess I'm not used to working with men...very quiet men.  I told M that they are kind of boring since there's no chatter on the radios....and I get no instructions.  Once in awhile I try to interject some humor and get no response.  Most of the time I just bite my tongue.  Today I really wanted to tell them that I can't see through hills and I can't read their minds.  There was a humorous moment when M called on the radio and said that J was full.  I couldn't see him from where I was but I headed in his direction.  Then J said he thought he could make it back to the end so I stopped.  Then he came over the hill and C said he didn't think he could make it so I started off again.  J said the wheat wasn't over his window yet so I stopped.  Then shortly after that he told me to come to him because he wasn't going to make it back to the end.  Hard to read the mind of one male, much less three!

M says they set a record today, cutting over 600 acres.  Only ten more days like that and we should have it whipped.......and we'll all be exhausted and crabby.....and quiet.

Wet, wet, wet

We are still dealing with the effects of our incredible winter and wet spring.  Our day started off with more fencing.  Last night, just before dark a neighbor called to let us know that we had calves out.....again.  We had already chased them in once that day.  We have been wanting to move them but had more fence to fix in the pasture we wanted to move them to.  There's a reason that fence hasn't been fixed yet--it runs through a swamp!  As we were leaving the house this morning I asked if we needed our Muck boots.  No, M didn't think so.  Well, yeah we probably could have used them.  It was a bit wet where we were working with grass and weeds up to our chins.  After much cursing and gnashing of teeth, we had the fence fixed (sort of) and were ready to move the cows.

Of course, those cows have a mind of their own and headed toward every water hole they could where we couldn't get to them.  Pete earned his dog chow and saved the day by swimming across and getting the cows moving in the right direction.  At one point, I couldn't see him and could just hear M yell, "go get 'em" and then a splash, splash, splash, a hesitation, M would yell again and another splash, splash, splash.  Finally, they figured out where they were supposed to be going.

I headed home with the pickup while M moved the salt and mineral tubs.  As I was driving, I heard a funny sound so when I got home I looked and there was a piece of barbed wire sticking out from under the pickup.  Uh oh!  Of course, when M got back and I showed him, he had a fit, and I got "the look" like it was my fault,  but we managed to get it out without much problem.  Who knows where I picked up that piece of wire.

We had a quick lunch and headed to the combines and finally, it was dry enough to go.  They had tried it yesterday and it was still too wet.  They thought they would make good progress until J came on the radio and said "I guess it's still wet here."  He was trying to cut around a spot that hadn't been seeded because it was too wet when he started sinking.  Uh-oh, stuck combine!  They tried to pull it out with the tractor that pulls the grain cart, but it couldn't get good traction.  They called a neighbor and he happened to be close by as was his 4WD tractor so he came to help.  It was a trick to get the grain off the combine because with the combine sunk into the ground the unloading auger in the usual position would hit the top of the grain cart.  We had to leave it all the way back and managed to get it unloaded to lessen the weight on the combine.  The neighbor was able to pull it out with no problem--thank goodness!

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful and the guys kept me hopping with the cart and C busy dumping trucks.  No time to read today!

Wild, Wicked Weather

We were awakened around 3 am yesterday by incredible thunder, lightning, wind and rain.  I was sure something in our house was going to get zapped or the lightning was going to start a fire somewhere.  However, we came through it unscathed (other than some lack of sleep) and thankfully, it didn't last long.  I was feeling bad for J who was riding it out in the camper all alone.

Then last night around 7:00 we had another huge, wicked storm roll through with high winds, rain and hail.  We could see the ridge of clouds and then this wall of white coming at us.  We have some bushes on the west side of our yard and at times couldn't see them because it was raining so hard.  We had some small hailstones here and not too many, but with the wind they could do some damage.  I had a few flower petals on my steps this morning.  Again, thankfully, it didn't last long.  We've heard reports that the hail was worse at Opheim, but no one has wanted to go check.  M is so tired of these storms and worrying about getting the crop in that he said he's ready for winter.  Be careful what you wish for!!  It is very disheartening to have what you've worked for all year destroyed by Mother Nature.  Some neighbors lost 5000 acres of durum in the last storm and estimate that it was worth $2 million.  That hurts!  Thank goodness we got the lentils (most of them) harvested!

So, everyone is a bit crabby today and I'm trying to lay low.  I made a trip to see the cows and make sure they survived the storm.  All was fine there, but I did notice where the heavy rain had washed down some hills and coulees.  It's a nice cool day so I did some work outside starting to transplant to the new flowerbeds, the job I had planned to do this spring!  Like everything, it will get done eventually.

Going to Extremes

I had a fairly easy weekend since we had a couple of rain showers on Friday night so didn't get back to cutting until Saturday afternoon and that wasn't much because it was still too wet.  Jared was here for the weekend so that gave me time to catch up at home.  We did some fencing on Sunday morning and then they started cutting again in the afternoon.  Yesterday I had to "get my Bob fix" and go to work at my real job.

I made up for it today.  The morning started kind of slow since we had fog and dew.  M and I checked fences and gates so we could let cows out into the fields they finished cutting last night.  They started cutting on some of the neighbor's wheat since he had a bin with air that they could put it in if it was too wet.  The land there is sandy and they think there was some chemical damage to the crop so it wasn't running to good.  I had some time to read my book while waiting for the combines to get full.

We had lunch and moved down to Richland where there was better wheat and from then on I didn't have much time to read--what a change!  The wheat there was running close to 50 bushels to the acre so it didn't take long for the combines to fill up.  I could hardly keep up with the grain cart.  By the time I got the cart dumped on the truck the combines were ready to dump again.  C had work to do on the grain elevator so was having trouble getting trucks to us as fast as we needed them.  I got in trouble because I loaded a truck too heavy and I had a little spillage on another truck.  J told me it would cost me a case of beer for every bushel I put on the ground.  I didn't take the time to check how bad it was until later and there probably wasn't even a shovel full on the ground so I don't think I need to buy beer.  It looked worse to me at the time it happened.  One of these days I'll get it all figured out.....I hope!

When we were checking gates this morning I was trying to help M get one open that he had used a tarp strap to close.  I pulled on the little bit of rope that was still on the gate post and it was rotten and came off in my hand and I fell over backwards, flat on my back.  At first, I felt like I had whiplash but later realized that my back felt better today than it has in weeks.  M says he'll knock me on my ass weekly if that's all it takes to make me feel better.  What a guy!

Cutting Wheat

We spent most of the day moving from Opheim back to Richland and getting everything ready to cut wheat.  We had trucks, augers and the grain cart to bring back and got it all in one trip, thank goodness.  They had some cleaning up to do on the combines and M had to switch headers and J changed concaves.

This morning M told me I had to find time to check the cows.  I was thinking then he had to gjve me time to check the cows.  I found time while they were getting the combines ready.  I took salt and mineral and made sure the cows were still in the pasture.  Everything was fine.  I picked up lunch on the way back and delivered it to the shop.

C's stepson had a day off from his day job so came out to help us.  He usually helps his grandpa but their wheat wasn't quite ready.  Finally, about 3:30 J pulled in to the first field of wheat.  C had a load of lentils to take to Opheim so I rode along.  I called my mom to see if she would pick me up there and take me to her house where our service pickup has been sitting for a couple of days.  C took a wheat sample to check moisture and protein.  M had looked at it and said it looked like 13.3 protein and then said, no, maybe 13.8.  I said there was no way he could tell by looking at it.  Sure enough, it was 13.3.  I think that was just a lucky guess.

When we got there the tire that has been going low was very low so I had to get it to the shop and air it up to get home.  Just as I was getting back to Richland the guys needed a flagger to move down the highway a couple of miles.  From there I hurried back to Richland so I could get the pickup to the station to get the tire fixed before they closed.

I was going to go ride the combine but then decided I would have lots more chances to do that so came home early, about 6:15.  I have gotten a load of laundry done, did dishes, vacuumed, and made a fruit cobbler and spaghetti sauce so we could have a decent supper finally.  I think Jared will be here for the weekend so I might get some more time off.  That will be okay with me.

Done With Lentils

We finished cutting our lentils today....well, sort of.  They ran into some green spots that they had to leave until later.  J and C are very ready to be done with the lentils and move on to the wheat--something that stands more than six inches high.  M thinks they'll be disappointed when they get into the wheat.  He likes the lentils because he calculates in his head how many $$$ he's bringing into the tank every hour.

I had a better day, I guess, since I didn't put any lentils on the ground, but it was still stressful.  The fields they were cutting today are wrapped around some hills, plus they were cutting around green spots so it was like a maze for me who didn't know where I was going.  I spun out on a hill with a full grain cart so that freaked me out.  I was spun down before I even realized what was happening.  C admitted that it was probably his fault because he had taken the tractor out of 4WD when we were moving and thought it was funny.  J wasn't surprised that I spun out in that spot.  I guess it wasn't a big deal to anyone but me.

We made the move back to Richland this evening, and it was pretty dark when we arrived.  We took back roads and didn't see one other vehicle in 30+ miles.  Sometimes (most of the time) it's a good thing to live where there are no people!

Tomorrow we will be busy getting all the trucks back home and dumped and getting augers set up so we're ready to dive into the wheat.  M is pretty sure he will have to pull back on the reins to keep J and C from diving in before we're ready.  Happens every year so no one should be surprised.

Grain Cart Operator

Today was my maiden voyage on running the grain cart.  The plan was that I would just have to run from the combines to the trucks.  C was supposed to be there to dump on the trucks.  Well, that didn't happen.  He was just barely keeping up with getting the trucks dumped and getting back so was never there when I needed to unload the cart onto the trucks.  J helped me the first time since I didn't have a clue where the controls were for the cart auger, etc.  Have I mentioned that I'm really not that mechanically inclined?  (Nor do I want to be).

It didn't take long for J to be tired of having to stop to dump onto the cart so asked if I thought we could dump on the go.  M thought we wouldn't do that until my second day.  Never know until you try, right?  So, J talked me through it and it was fine--in his immortal words "just don't run over the header".  So far, so good.

Of course, I got different instructions from everyone on how to load the trucks.  There were three semis with different size trailers so they were all different.  I told them they needed to put the instructions on how to load them on the side of the trailers so I could remember.  Ok, was that two piles in the front and one in the back, or two in the front and two in the back?  J and C kept saying that I had to get close to the trailer, but apparently I got a little too close because I had some spillage over the side on my last load.  They don't understand that I'm female and don't judge distance well.  Plus, I'm too short-bodied to be able to see well into the trailer when I'm dumping.  And, I panic when it starts filling up and I have to move because everything goes too fast!  I'm sure I'll get the hang of it and feel more confident as the days go by.  I didn't break anything or hit anything so that qualifies as a good day.

M was impressed that I had listened to preach through the years to other grain cart operators that they didn't need to let the tractor run all day.  I would shut it off and open the door so that I didn't roast.  We had some wind, though, so I had to park just right so that the wind wasn't a problem.  Just glad it wasn't any hotter today......or any windier!

R called to let me know he needed more money for his fire fighting gear and was surprised to hear that I was on the grain cart.  He's getting a taste of the real world--had to shave off his goatee and has to be in uniform for school.  He was made a squad leader temporarily--I think it changes weekly.  So far he's liking what he's doing so that makes me happy.

Better get to my chores and get to bed.  We'll be making another move first thing in the morning.

Lazy Sunday.....well, almost!

The guys had made the move from Glentana to Opheim and cut lentils there on Friday and Saturday but ran into some that weren't quite ready.  So, yesterday afternoon we made the move back to Glentana where the combines are sitting until Monday morning.

That meant a day off today, sort of.  We hung around the house and watched the NASCAR race.  We had talked about going golfing but neither of us were very excited about making the drive to town.  Instead, we took the 4-wheelers and went to check cows and take them mineral and salt.  When we got there all the cows were right by the gate so M decided to move them to the next pasture.  I asked if the fence had been checked.  M was pretty sure it had been because the original intention this spring had been to put them in that pasture first. 

The cows immediately headed south toward the water hole so M tried to beat them there with on the 4-wheeler to make sure the gate there was closed.  I think they beat him there.  I went to make sure there weren't any strays hiding anywhere.  By the time I got to the water hole M was busy fixing some fence through a coulee.  We had to scrounge around through the fencing box to find any clips or splicers so he could tighten the wires.  We were going to check a couple more gates on our way home so headed west.  Before we could get to the end of the coulee there were a cow and a calf out.  More fence to fix while wading through grass up to our armpits and rapidly running out of clips and splicers.  Could have used a post pounder, too, which we didn't have along.

We stopped at his parent's house for a cold drink on our way home.  When we got home I suggested that we should go check on the heifers so we headed north.  There we found a bunch of calves on the road.  We ran them back into the pasture and proceeded to fix more fence.  The whole pasture is fenced with old sheep fence that's getting pretty old and brittle and needs to be replaced.  M says we need to move that fence tot the top of our priority list.  That list is getting so long that I don't think we'll get to the bottom of it in our lifetime.  M's dad used to spend his summers fixing fence, but he can't do it anymore and we are really missing his help.  We can't move the cows out of there either because the alternative pasture has winter fence damage that we haven't had time to fix either.  Are you seeing a pattern here?  Too much to do and never enough time.

We did have a relaxing evening with burgers on the grill and a movie.  Back to harvest tomorrow.

6 for 7

I've had a busy day being the cow person while everyone else is farming.  First thing this morning (after my walk) I went to check the cows in the pasture we kicked the bulls out of the other day.  We knew there was some fence work to do there.  I thought a wire was broken, M thought it was just stretched.  Either way, it needed some attention.  When I got there two cows in the neighbor's pasture came toward me.  That was my first clue that they were ours and not the neighbor's.  Sure enough they were ours.  I thought they might try to come through the hole in the fence, but they couldn't figure that out.  So, I fixed the broken wire and replaced some missing clips.  By then, the nosy rest of the herd had to come see what I was doing.  I went into the neighbor's pasture to try to push our cows up to the gate.  They weren't really wanting to go and leave the herd, but we were slowly making progress.  We were almost to the gate when they tried to veer off.  I tried to cut them off and then Pete jumped off the 4-wheeler and got in their faces.  Not good!  Back to the herd they went.  I circled around and tried again and one cow went OVER the fence taking a clip or two with her.  I made one attempt to get the other cow to the gate and saw that it wasn't going to happen so I gave up, reluctantly.  I knew it was getting close to lunchtime and I needed to get lunch to the guys so I went home.

The guys were near Glentana cutting lentils.  J had sprayed off a load of desiccant so was just getting ready to get in his combine.  As I was on my way there, I saw the calf that I couldn't get in on Monday.  It was standing right by the gate with it's mom on the other side.  I opened the gate and it ran right in.  I half expected it to head in the wrong direction--I don't think it's very smart.


I went home and took salt and mineral up to the pasture where our heifers are along with some cow-calf pairs.  M said that some calves have been getting out.  He fixed one spot in the fence yesterday but wanted me to check and see where they might be getting out.  How about the open gate?!?!  Not sure if the cows rubbed the rope off the post or what but the gate was wide open and four calves were up in a corner in the fields.  I  let the fence down and coaxed the calves through.  Took a lot of patience and a tight hold on Pete who, again, was NOT helpful!

The neighbor's fencer called M today to let him know he was just about finished with his latest project.  It is a fence between the neighbor and us so we agreed to pay for half.  He wants to be paid tomorrow since he's leaving for a few days.  Just one problem--he put in a ridiculous six-wire fence without consulting the neighbor (who hired him) or us and a fence like that isn't needed in that area.  M told him he'd better refigure his price because he wasn't paying for half of a six-wire fence that no one told him to build.  M said he could hear my voice in his head and knew he didn't want to hear me for a month if he paid the full bill.  I told him to hold tough.  I was a bit afraid that I'd have to handle it myself.  I don't think the stubborn old Minnesotan would take to kindly to a woman telling him what he did was stupid.  Our neighbor is too nice to let him have it when he does something stupid--everyone knows I'm not!

This afternoon I  mowed the yard and now I need to work on the inside of my house and fold laundry.  I'd really like to just take a shower and call it a day.

Busy!

It's been a busy few days.  I took off on Friday for a road trip with my mom, brother and his wife to my other brother's ranch near Pray, MT for his daughter's wedding.  I hadn't been there for five years and every time I go there I think I need to go there more often.  It's a beautiful place and my brother and his wife are some of my favorite people!

My sister and her husband from Arizona were there also and the six of us stayed at a bed and breakfast cabin (no breakfast, though, unfortunately).  We had a great supper that night.  Our sister-in-law (and mother of the bride) seemed a bit hesitant to ask us to help get everything ready saying, "you need to have some fun while you're here."  We assured her that helping with the festivities was fun and that was what we had come for.

We were all busy on Saturday, some helping in the kitchen and some with setting up chairs and stringing lights.  I told my husband I was pretty sure I was better at manual labor than in the kitchen so stuck with setting up and decorating.  It's good to know your strengths and weaknesses.

The weather was perfect, the setting was awesome and the bride was beautiful.  It was so much fun to have four of my siblings and seven nieces and nephews (along with their significant others and kids) all in one place for such a festive occasion, and we partied well into the night--even our 85-year old mom!

Sadly, the trip was too short and we had to head home on Sunday.  I arrived home just in time for a hail storm and a tornado warning.  I didn't want to go home and be by myself but didn't have much choice.  M and J were trying to combine lentils.  We were on the edge of the storm with most of the bad stuff to our north.  They got rained out and headed south and kept cutting.  The lightning was incredible and sparked a few fires--one near where they were combining, one just to the southwest of our house and a hay bale in the neighbor's hay field.  Luckily, the rain took care of most of those.

This morning I went with M on the 4-wheeler to check on the cows and check for crop damage.  We found our three bulls pushing on the fence separating them from the neighbor's cows so ran them out of the pasture until we could get them moved home.  From there we headed north to check crop and found hail damage in the neighbor's wheat and in some of ours.  Another storm was brewing and M was taking us toward the lightning until I made him head west instead of north.  Getting struck by lightning was not in my plans for the day!  We also got rained on but not too much.

I had to get to R's house to help him pack for his move to Rapid City.  I have to say his pickup is stuffed to the rafters.  I feel like I'll be bringing as much stuff home to store as he'll be taking when he leaves.  I will have to go over later as I have time and finish cleaning out his house.  It was a bit of a stressful day for me trying not to cry every minute.  I know he needs to go and that it's the right thing for him, but I am going to miss him SO much!

While I was packing M and Pete went back and moved those three bulls home without too much trouble and then went to combining lentils.  I stopped to see how things were going on my way home.  As I headed up the road I noticed two of our calves out of the pasture and in the ditch.  I managed to run one to the gate and get it back in, but the other one was stubborn (or stupid?) and is probably still out because I couldn't get it in by myself.  I did notice the fence needed some work so I had to go back to Richland to get the fencing box and replace some missing clips and staples.

Cutting lentils

The new combine--that header looks huge!

The new bins

It seemed like I was gone a lot longer than I was since I don't like traveling without M.  The best thing about being gone was that the circus had moved out of my backyard by the time I got back--hooray!

Harvest Begins

And we're off......like a herd of turtles!  J started cutting peas on Saturday evening.  We had planned his birthday party for Sunday evening which was not really ideal since he was cutting again on Sunday.  We just pushed the party back a couple of hours.  I can't believe I ever had a baby in August.  Poor planning on our part!  We had 15 people and 5 dogs at the house in town and had a barbecue.  It was a good time.  K spoiled J by getting him an IPad and a cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory (no, there isn't a local one--it was shipped in).  Cheesecake is one of his favorite things ever.

Anyway, they planned to hit it hard on Monday (J's actual 25th birthday) but it was cool and damp in the morning so the combine wasn't going until the afternoon.  Our rental combine was delivered, too, so today they were both going.  It's taken M some time to get used to all the computer gadgetry in the new machine.  Our Vice President in charge of Technology (J) is always on duty!  They have been desiccating lentils in the mornings so that they will be ready as soon as we're done with the peas.

R has been swathing CRP for the neighbor and thought he'd be finished with that tonight, but this afternoon he broke the sickle so I think he's done.  No one has time to fix it now that both combines are going.

Now we have the sketchy bin erection crew camping in our yard.  They finished the bin at Opheim and are going to put two in our yard.  I'm not sure how high the IQs are since they drove by our place three times before they figured out where we were.  Didn't think we were that hard to find.  I had to send Pete to the grandparents for a few days so that they don't drive him crazy or vice versa.  I hope they work fast and move on soon!

I've been thinking lately how nice it would be to ever have everything ready to go when it's time to harvest.  I'm not sure that's ever happened.  Too much to do and never enough bodies.

Heating Up

Things are heating up around here, literally and figuratively.  We were hoping for a couple of days away since the haying is FINALLY done!  (well, except for the hauling, ugh!).  M went to check crops yesterday morning and our slim hope of a day away went up in smoke.  He was pretty sure we had some peas that were ready to cut.  He and J worked on getting the new combine ready to go and took it to the field in the afternoon and cut 77 bushels, but they weren't quite ready.  Maybe in a couple of days.

In the meantime, they will be running around like chickens with their heads cut off getting everything ready to go.  The stress is starting to show already as M had words with a salesman who sold him an auger months ago but we hadn't picked up yet and then it got sold again......to someone else.  Not happy!  Then, he had to have words with the guy who is supposed to be building our new grain bins and hasn't shown up yet.  He was in the area but then headed back to the Saco area because that guy "was yelling more" than M was.  That's because the office wouldn't give him the guy's cell number.  Seriously!  They are supposed to be here Monday.  It's getting to be crunch time.

The CRP has opened up so we've had lots of calls to do some swathing.  Like we have time for that.  Actually, R did take on a job to make some money for school.

So it begins.......

Dirt Work

J has been having a bit of fun with the new (to us) scraper.  We are going to have some new bins put up so he has been leveling the sites.  He has also been doing some road work.  He worked at the creek crossing and will do more of that when we get a culvert put in there.  We are a bit afraid that he's having too much fun and that we may have created a dirt-moving monster.  Yesterday he was working in our yard and asked if he could take the dirt pile that was in front of our house.  I answered with a hearty "yes"!  That dirt pile is from when we dug the basement for our new house, almost 17 years ago now, and I've wanted it gone ever since.  Finally!  Good things come to those who wait....and wait....and wait.

Starting to take away the dirt pile

 

 

 

Working up the site where the pile used to be

 

Finished!

 

 

The only bad thing is that it will be a weed patch for awhile until the grass grows in.  M says I should plant some trees there for a shady retreat.  I'm just happy that pile of dirt is finally gone!

Thank God for AC

So much for my plan to stay inside my nice, cool, air-conditioned house today since temps were going to get close to 100.  M asked me to take salt and mineral to two groups of cows.  I took a walk first thing this morning and then went to do that chore before the heat of the day.  The first group of cows seemed perfectly content and the bulls were still where they were supposed to be so all was good there.  Then I went to the other pasture where there are a bunch of heifers.  They usually come running when they hear or see someone.  I moved the tubs and filled them with salt and mineral and didn't see a critter.  I rode up onto the top of the hill and looked all around and still saw nothing.  By that time I'm beginning to panic that the whole group had disappeared and I would have to find them and try to get them back to the pasture.  I checked all the gates and they were fine.  I just thought it so odd that I couldn't see even one animal.  Finally I found them hiding in some trees.--whew! 

From there I took lunch to J, M and Jared who were all at the hay field.  J was on his way to Opheim where he was doing some dirt work with the new scraper.  He had a flat on the skid steer so needed the service truck and tools to get it off and get it fixed.  Jared had broken the grapple on the loader tractor.  Actually, it wasn't the first time it had happened so it wasn't really his fault.  It was getting too dry for M to bale so he and I headed to Opheim, too.

R had noticed a couple of calves out of the pasture in the adjacent wheat field while he was swathing and found a broken wire but didn't have anything to fix it with.  M and I got the calves back into the pasture and fixed the fence.  R had also found a washout that had gotten worse this year where calves could just walk out under the fence.  We had the wrong pickup since we were on our way to take fuel to R so didn't have a post.  We tried to find a rock to tie wire to and couldn't find one.  What are the odds that we couldn't find a rock when we needed one--unbelievable.  So, Marty found an old guard in the pickup and hammered it into the ground and then tied wire to it.  Pretty ingenious, I thought.

After that we needed to take a pickup to R.  He had moved the swather to cut for a neighbor.  M wanted to take the route cross country but decided there was too much tall grass to get through so we had to go by road.  I had R's work pickup and the AC didn't keep up.  I was wringing wet by the time we got to our destination.  We fueled the swather and helped R change some guards and sections.  He wasn't very happy about where he was cutting since it was rough and full of rocks.  Typical of that neighbor to have someone else cut the crappy stuff.  If it was me, I'd tell him I had better things to do.  Oh well, R needs the money!

I got home about 5:30 and headed straight to the shower.  I'm hoping the heat melted off a few pounds!

Holy Horseflies.....and Hotness!

I hate to say it but I'm missing the mosquitoes.  A little itch and it's over with.  Not so with horseflies.  Big red welt that can bother me for days.  This evening I had to walk about 100 yards from one pickup to another and was swatting the whole way and came away with a welt on my leg.  I have never seen them this bad.

Our temps were well into the 90s today and tomorrow is supposed to be the hot day.  We've had thunder boomers the past three nights, just a lot of noise and wind and very little rain.  It's been a bit humid for our neck of the woods so we're longing for some "dry heat".

We had cows out this evening down at the river.  Some cows went under the wire strung across the river and then one finally broke it.  Glad Jared was the one who had to wade across to stretch the wire back up.  He was probably glad for the little dip in the water to cool off.  We don't use our AC very often, but I think it will stay on for a day or two.

Making Hay

R and M have been busy haying, R on the swather and M baling.  Jared has been helping move bales.  It's nice to have that done as soon as they are made--makes us feel like we're that much ahead of the game.  Things haven't been going so smoothly, however.  A couple of days ago it was too damp to bale so M and Jared were going to haul some bales.  It was so rough that a bale fell and bent the fairing on the truck and bent the hay rack--oops!  They decided that wasn't going to work so rigged a rack onto a low flatbed trailer.  Works much better.  We had thunderstorms two nights so I was surprised that M was able to bale yesterday..  He wasn't happy last night when I went to pick him up, though.  He had trouble with his new (to him) baler and plugged it up which took forever to clean out and then ate a willow post that had somehow found its way into the hay field.  This afternoon he ate a wheel rim with the baler.  Not sure how that made it past the swather, but the baler didn't like it much.  There was much cursing and gnashing of teeth, but it didn't turn out to be as catastrophic as M thought it was going to be.  A little heat and a hammer (and a cold beer) and he was back in business in no time.  I have helped with combine repair and drill repair, and now I can add baler repair to my resume.  John Deere and Company may come calling for me any day now.

R is in Rapid City for orientation for school and was worried about being gone, but M hasn't caught up yet so it's okay that the swather is sitting for a few days.  I'm thinking he should enjoy his time away since it may be his last chance for awhile.  I'm happy that Jared is gone to the lake with his parents for the weekend.  He's good help, but you have to keep him busy.  I'm not used to having a hyper 14-year-old boy around anymore! 

Feeling Sorry for the City Folk

As my sister and I were driving to our mom's on the 4th I commented that I feel sorry for people who have lived in the city all their lives.  My sister agreed because "they just don't get it."  It was the most beautiful summer day with a clear blue sky and beautiful green pastures and fields.  I can't imagine living in a concrete world. 

My sister and I took some "nature walks" while she was here. We went down to the pasture near where we grew up and where we used to go to swim in the summer (I'm not sure I did much swimming but I do remember my brothers throwing a frog at me making me fall off the inner tube I was floating on.  That was probably the end of my swimming) and a fun place to sled in the winter.  I was disappointed that my sister didn't get to see it when the creek was running high, higher than I have ever seen it.  There was still more water than normal.  These photos were taken by my sister.

Mama duck and her babies at the creek

The spring where we used to swim

Today was another beautiful day, and I had great plans to get my house back in order after the busy weekend.  I washed sheets and towels and hung them on the clothesline--they will smell so good!  M arrived as I was doing laundry and was headed to Richland to start swathing hay.  I rode along to bring a pickup back home and as we were driving along he gave me a to-do list.  I told him I was going to have to write it all down so I wouldn't forget something.

First, I ordered 4-wheeler parts.  Then I went to feed the cats at the barn and get the 4-wheeler to take salt and mineral to some of the cows.  I felt like the Pied Piper because they followed me around the pasture--they are a bit too domesticated sometimes!  Then I filled in a hole in our road.  As I was doing that J called to see if I was home and could help him and R get stuff moved back home.

R called to let me know he was on his way and asked if I could make them some sandwiches.  I was out of bread so I ran to my in-laws and stole buns out of the freezer, made sandwiches and picked R up in Richland.  J had finished spraying west of Opheim and was moving back here so we needed to get the water truck.  We helped J load the sprayer and then took the truck to the next place to be sprayed.  Then I had to take R home.

I visited my mom for a few minutes and arrived home about 7:00, five hours after I had left.  So much for getting my stuff done today.  Oh well, in the immortal words of Scarlett O'Hara, "tomorrow is another day".