For several weeks in S. Dakota the weather was so comfortable. But it isn't ideal for the dew to dry off quickly from the fields.
We were able to make it to church every Sunday while we were there. It was a small church but a lively congregation, we really enjoyed going there. 1 of the farmers and his family we cut for came into church 1 Sunday at the end of the 1st song and everyone was standing. After the song he said, "A standing ovation for me?" it was funny and would not fly at most churches! We really bonded with the people at that church and even helped a family pack up and get ready to move to MN! They are teachers and will be in the Brainard, MN area and asked for help after church. Of course it had just rained so there wasn't any reason we couldn't help.
The team is in a huddle.
There were several days that rained enough we couldn't combine for a day or at least until the next afternoon. So Chad's harvest crew challenged our crew to a football game.
Chad's team in a huddle.
It was good exercise for the guys and they were complaining how sore they were for days afterward. I'm sure whoever ran into the dumpster and our truck were especially sore. They had a lot of fun, it was good for all of them.
Water Break!
Due to rain we also had time to make it to 2 local rodeos in the area while Marg was out here. They were both really good, this is rodeo country out here with lots of locals that do very well. It was a fun time. We sure enjoyed Marg coming to visit and I sure enjoyed all of the help with cooking and dishes!!
2011 Melchert Harvesting Crew
When Dan, Charlie & I were cutting for a different farmer than the other guys were, I guess we were known as "Holly's Crew" to the farmer Jon was cutting for. I liked the sound of that!
Dan, Jon, Holly, Andy
waiting for the wheat to dry down....
The winter wheat was better with 30-45 bu/acre in this area. The spring wheat fields looked good, but when you got out in the fields you could see the actual heads of wheat were very small and the fields only averaged 25-35 bu/acre with lower test weights and protein levels than usual.
Gary works for the farmer and usually drives the JD combine. Well one night he combined a skunk right up, it stunk to high heaven. That combine still has a bad odor when you get near it!
We had to drive through some tribal land that was full of prairie dogs to get to 1 field.
this is what some of the roads looked like to get to the fields we were cutting. the semis had to drive down many miles of these roads! We have had 3 chips in windshields and 1 windshield really cracked up this summer, last summer we didn't have any!
When it rains you have to get off of these roads quickly or they turn to slime and you can't steer. The guys got caught in a storm and were trying to get back to the camper but the trucks were going sideways like on ice. Then there were a couple of the fire stations grass rigs heading towards them, apparantly lightning had struck and there was a fire somewhere. But they could hardly drive out to it. It was a MESS. Mud was a main issue for us in SD. It was hardly a day when someone or something wasn't stuck or almost stuck.
The clothesline! The couple that owns the lot where the RV hookups are let us use their clothesline, it was wonderful and saved us money from the laundromat dryers.
We were cutting the field right by the farmers bin site. He likes everything to go through his grain cart since it has a scale and ours doesn't.
Jon & Chris discussing plans
Dan sure looks happy! Is it being in the wheat fields or the Mello Yello? I think both.
This field is all done, where do we go next?
Back to our field offices after a pow-wow about which field to go to next.
I couldn't leave SD without snapping a picture of the sunflowers! I love seeing those fields.
On Friday, August 19th, we were up before 5am getting the camper together to leave. After checking chains, switching a radio, and some more fuel we were on the road by 7 something headed for home!! It was going well until our blue pick-up started to overheat on me, I was pulling the double header trailer. I stopped for a bit to let it cool down and then we took it a little easier until we got to Watertown and stopped in at the Titan dealer. Jon used their pressure washer to blow out all of the straw and grasshoppers that were stuck in the front of the truck, no wonder it was overheating....we then discovered that 1 of the vent covers on the camper had blown off along the way....but after that it was smooth sailing, well until the bridge in Granite Falls anyways. The combine on Andy's trailer scraped the end of the auger and broke the wire for the light going under the bridge, so the rest of us took a detour around that bridge. We made it home around 7:30 that night. Millie had come out to the farm with pizzas that she picked up for us all, it was so nice of her! It was WONDERFUL to get home!!
All clean and lined up nicely. These combines harvested a little over 11,000 acres of wheat this summer, and it was only the 3 until S. Dakota. They did very well and we are looking at selling at least 1 of them, so stop by the lot and check it out, these deals won't last long!
Jon & I want to thank everyone again for their support. We have been shocked at the interest people have in this endeavor of ours! It was a good summer, better than last year and we have a lot to be thankful for. Now that we are home and gearing up for fall harvest we look forward to seeing everyone and reconnecting with our family and friends.
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