Harvest 2012

 Harvest 2012 began on Memorial Day. The first time that has happened that my father in law can recall. Dean got the combine out yesterday morning. Derek was eager to get out and help him. 

  The girls and I decided to go shopping. Carter's had their Memorial Day sale. When I called Dean at one point, he said they were getting ready to head out. Other trucks were going by, hauling wheat to town and honking at him. It was time to get to the field!


  Since the boys were in the field, the girls met Papa and Nana at the new Braum's in Newton for supper. We got home around 9:30. The boys didn't come till about 10:00 when we were on our way to the neighbor's to get milk, farm fresh milk. The boys ate some supper while the girls tried to wind down and get to bed. Derek napped in the combine, so wasn't quite ready for bed yet.


  This morning, Dean had to fix the baler to go bale a couple more bales he had been trying to get done before starting harvest. Farm equipment is not guaranteed to be free from breaking down. Farmers have to know a lot if they want to save money and fix things themselves. Dean's dad, who is 86, comes to the farm everyday and helps.


  Dean also had to unhook the baler from ONE of our AGCO tractors and hook up the grain cart. They use that to unload the combine on the go in the field instead of taking the time to unload in the truck. Our grain cart driver came after dinner. Dean still had some other things to do before going out to the field. Derek kept asking when he could go out and go with daddy. He was eager to get ride the combine again.

The girls took naps this afternoon (too bad not at the same time)! After everybody was awake, we went to pick mulberries in our yard. Since the boys were close to home, and rain in the forecast, I got by with sending sandwiches one of the times Dean came home.

  Dean was cutting seed wheat to be used for this fall's planting, so he was unloading at home. Grandpa drove the combine, with Derek helping. Derek was so excited when he came home after 10:00. (he napped again so isn't tired and still up at midnight) No sooner had Dean gone back out to drive equipment in, and it started raining. Praying for no hail! We need some rain to help "fill" the big cracks in the ground, but hail would not be good for the wheat.