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.