Corn

Well, it is only November 2nd the combines are all done! Such a difference compared to last year. Things went really well overall. Now we can get the rest of the fieldwork done with the Salford, start cutting trees and trimming field edges before the snow flies! It will be nice to enjoy Thanksgiving without having to think about needing to get out to the field.


Holly combining corn.




Notice how tall the corn was! Some areas were unbelieveably tall this year. In the tallest areas, I was eye level with the ears of corn, with several feet of stalk above my head, it was crazy.




My aunt and cousins came and all rode in the combine and tractor with me! It was kind of squishy, but I'm glad they came.


Some fun time spent together during harvest.

Let the fall harvest begin!!

Fall is here and harvest is underway. I went to South Carolina with some friends for our dear friends Rose & Anthony's wedding. We were gone 5 days from the end of September to the beginning of October, and when we got back I couldn't believe how many acres of soybeans had already been combined!





We had a fabulous time celebrating with them! Now it is back home and back in gear. At this time we are mostly done with soybeans we custom combine for farmers in our area and probably about 1/2 done with our own soybeans. It feels great, being only the 9th of October and having so much done. As last year we had this much done by about the 9th of NOVEMBER! Oh that was a rainy October last year, and we are ever thankful for this beautiful weather to harvest the crops in. Yeah there may be those darn beetles and some annoying breakdowns, long lines at the elevaters, and allergies to deal with(me-ugh); but we just love this time of year. The cooler air, the breath-taking colors, working together with family and friends, and the feeling of thankfulness as we reap the crops that were sown not so long ago. We hold these days near and dear.

Here are a bunch of pictures taken within the past week:
A picture perfect day!


These 2 combines are hungry!




The semis...they have often been waiting patiently in the long lines at Mankato this fall.




Lunchtime!


Jon & Andy enjoying the harvest at home :)


It was a beautiful 80+ degree October Saturday! We'll take it and love it while it's here!


It's a lovely sight




On to the next field!


There is a harmony in Autumn and a luster in its skies...

Home Sweet Home!

Well as most people already know - we are home! I know the first thing I should have done when I got home was to update this, but that didn't happen. We got home on Thursday morning. after spending a fun night in the camper in a gas station parking lot in Mankato...we finally got home the next morning. It was dark by the time we got to Mankato on Wed. night, so we had to stop (oversize load restrictions). So close yet so far!

The summer harvest is over just as quickly as it seemed to begin. For our first year doing this I think things went really well. We learned so much and have many, many memories - some bad and lots of good ones. Looking back at the things that worried me some: snakes, poisenous spiders, accidents on the road or with machinery, no one making it home alive because we would all strangle each other living in a camper all summer.....I have to say I have never been more THANKFUL, because we didn't have any major injuries.

We are getting used to home again. The humidity really hit us, we were liking South Dakota's mostly dry heat. Home has never felt so good though. Our own bed, bathroom, TV (what's that again?), counterspace, clothesline, yard, familiar people and places....life is good.

Thank you everyone who has been following our adventures and encouraging us along the wheat harvest this summer. It meant a lot to us. I will put some pictures of the fall harvest on here when we start that in a short whil, it will be fun to combine around home again! Here are some pictures from the last week:

Hanging out with my relatives for an afternoon! Katie, Cecelia, and Naomi
They came to South Dakota for a week and I met them in the Badlands and spent an afternoon with their family.


We saw lots of Buffalo, it is always fun to watch them.






Andy & Jon hard at work!


Jon & I with Ben combining in the background.

A LOT of updates!

Internet service has been bad in the camper, and never good enough to upload pictures on here. I was heading out to the field and thought I'd through in the computer for kicks and giggles, and on top of this hill in the field I am getting great signal! Enough so I was able to post a bunch of pictures even! There is a lot to look at and read, but it has been a while.

The Latest and Greatest Pics on Harvest

We wanted to play checkers but didn't have a board so Andy cut Jon's hair into one!



Scary clouds!!








Our crew chillin in the camper on a rainy night.






Grandma & Grandpa visited again for a few days :)


The sunflowers are just starting to flower here, it is so beautiful to see everyday.


I got all 5 in 1 picture!


Storm rolling in on Friday night


Jon in his element


Chris driving the farmer's tractor & grain cart, 1 cart fills up the semi!


Chris must want to be like Carl (will make more sense after you read the journaling from the past week)


There is a large horse ranch here with tons of horses, not sure what they do with them all!


A beautiful evening!

A few early pictures from Dupree

I went for spare parts shortly after we arrived here. The bridge over the Missouri River / Oahe Lake, it is on that bridge that the time zone changes back to Central from Mountain!


Combining Winter Wheat :)








This field is just West of the town, it was full of tin and debris from the tornado that hit the town on June 16 this summer, glad we did not combine that field.

Some pictures Andy took, a while ago!

The lineup back in Julesburg, CO.




Ben got stuck on the way to the road from the field. He sunk way down, had to get a small auger out there cause we couldn't pull him out loaded. It took hours to unload with that small auger.