Sunday, November 11, 2012

Harvest is Done!


This has been a crazy weekend, but the harvest is done!
 

We had some wonderful weather it was time to get things done for the season. 
Our combine had been repaired and we were ready.
 

I was privileged to get to ride in the grain truck with my husband to the grain elevator.
 The line waiting to dump the corn was long so we had a chance to admire the beautiful sunset.
 

They unloaded the wagon hitched to the truck first.
 

Dean showed me all the levers and the things to do when dumping in the truck cab.
It'll take some time to learn how to use all the levers when dumping.
 

Then we were back at it in the dark.  
 You could see lightning off in the distance and we were hoping that we wouldn't get rained on.
We did finish the corn that night and put a tarp over the wagon to protect it from rain in the dark.
No one has lived a full life until they have had to put a tarp on a grain wagon in the dark only using a flashlight in the wind.  There's no experience like it!
 

Early the next morning Dean took the tractor over to pick up the wagon of corn and I received a phone call that went something like this:  
"Dear could you drive over to Dad's?  I left the hitch pin in my pickup."
So my  husband who was embarrassed quickly  received his hitch pin.

This is what happens when farmers get tired and that is when I get a little worried because farming accidents happen when people work 12 to 16 hour days to try to beat the weather.


Yeah--the corn is finished, but we have one more field of double crop beans to combine.
(A double crop is two crops in one season.  We harvested wheat and planted beans late June.)
Changing the combine from doing corn over to beans takes some time to convert.  I'd rather be changing needles in my sewing machine.  It's easier, not complicated, and cleaner!




Oh no!  When Dean has his tools out like this, it means there's some wrong.
Pictured below is a shaft that has enclosed bearings.
The bearings are going bad--what can we do to band-aid the situation?
We spent 2 1/2 hours shooting syringes full of grease into a pin hole to grease up the bearing just enough to finish the field of beans.  I even microwaved some grease to warm it up so it would flow better through the needle.  
Life on the farm can be interesting some days!
  

It was an extremely windy day today and combine fires can be a great concern, but Dean quickly combined the opposite direction so the wind would not blow the chaff into the hot engine compartment.


Yes, there is sunshine at the end of this story!  Harvest is done and we are tired.
I am thankful that there were no accidents and the combine can be fixed at a later time.
Since the weather is getting colder, maybe I can spend some time on doing things that I really like doing like quilting.

Happy Quilting!

Kay Lynne

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow KayLynne what an interesting and tiring time on a farm,so glad everything went well and you are finished for the moment,lol.xx

Adrienne said...

Riding to the elevator with my dad was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid. I'd still love to do it if I were home. So glad you are done and can sew for a while. And you know it's not farming unless equipment breaks at the worst time!

Ranch Wife said...

Well I know 2 people who will be sleeping soundly tonight! :) Thanks for giving us a peek into a day of harvest. I know that although the days get shorter, the work does not. We too have had to tend to many a chore with the help of a flashlight. :) Thankful that all turned out well and hope that you will soon be able to put all of that equipment to rest for the winter.

Needled Mom said...

You all deserve a rest for a job well done. Enjoy the down time as it will start up again before you can blink.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on a safe harvest. Enjoy the quilting season :)

Deb R said...

What a wonderful "day in a life" story on the farm. Enjoy your rest and your quilting

Fleurette said...

That was an interesting day of farm life. Hard work but so rewarding. Love your barn quilt in the first photo.Time for a well deserved rest. Happy quilting!