Makeover

Extreme makeover farm edition continues.  The big tractor is getting many new interior pieces, including a new seat.  I keep hearing rumors about a possible trade in, though.  It might be like when you fix a house up to sell it...

9200 tractor getting a little TLC

This and that

The cold snap continues here.  We had a little bit of snow over the weekend.  The men continue feeding cows, minor maintenance work and working on their "honey-do" lists at home.  They have also been working out fertilizer and herbicide plans for next spring.  Time flies!

Cold days!

Winter has set in here on the farm.  The cold days are still busy days!  Quentin has been out of the field since the snow, but is working on the strip-till bar.  It broke down on him last time he was out trying to run.  Paul keeps busy feeding hungry cows.  They burn through the hay in this cold weather.

Flurries!

We have a few flurries starting to move through!  It hasn't kept Quentin out of the field yet.  He is trying to finish up strip-tilling and fertilizing part of the neighbor's field before it gets too cold.  In the meantime, we are having soil sampling done on some of our fields so we can get the fertilizer recommendations worked out for those.  Quentin threw out some dry fertilizer over the top before the last rain to get a head start.  He doesn't want to get too much out too early to guard against losses, but it will be time to get rolling soon.

A little white

Winter is coming!

Quentin was able to finish strip-tilling one field for a neighbor late last week.  Then, we had 0.5" of rain on Sunday.  It brought a halt to the field work, but we needed it for the wheat.  Quentin may try some more strip-tilling today if the field isn't too wet.  He would like to get a little more done before the cold sets in.  Winter is looming over us!  We are expecting cold weather and even some snow tomorrow.

Onward

Work continues on the farm!  The men are working on everything from paperwork and taxes to equipment and field repairs.  We have only had a couple small showers of rain, which did not result in any measurable precipitation.  It is getting dry, and the wheat could use a good rain.  Quentin has the strip-till fertilizer applicator up and running now.  He would like to do some fall tillage and may try it on a neighbor's field today.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from our little Indians and pilgrim!

Indians Isaac and Sierra

Pilgrim Noah

Post-harvest work

No rest for the weary!  Harvest is over, but work continues at a slower, but steady pace.  The men worked on the disk for a couple days.  They will have to use it in some areas to smooth out ruts and washed terraces.  They are also giving the strip-till fertilizer rig a makeover.  Dry fertilizer tends to "sand-blast" the hoses so they needed replaced.  Much to the kids' delight, they are now a bright green color.  Very snazzy.  Several other adjustments and work on the hydraulic cylinders are also on the list this fall.  The weather is to turn cooler starting tomorrow, and Quentin may still be able to get some fertilizer application done this fall if he finishes the applicator in time.

 

Extreme makeover: Farm edition

Not to worry, it is not all work and no play.  We still managed to squeeze in a little "harvest is over" party while the weather was nice.  Hot dogs and s'mores over the campfire!


Counting our blessings

With harvest finished and the holidays on the horizon, it is time for us to count our blessings.  We had plentiful rain most of the year, which gave us a bountiful harvest.  While the grain prices were not what any of us hoped for, the yields were amazing.  We had some delays during harvest, but still wrapped up everything in pretty good time.  We had several small issues with equipment, but they were mostly minor and fixed fairly quickly.  We were blessed to have Ken drive a truck for us many days, which really expedited the process of getting everything to the COOP.  With all that grain, it was a big help.  Thanks, Ken!  Most importantly, we had a safe harvest.  A friend of Quentin's lost his father in a farm accident this year, and we were reminded how important it is to come through another year without any accidents.  Thanks to all for your prayers and support!  On to the next project around here...

The end

Harvest 2016 is officially over!  Quentin finished harvesting the last few acres of corn down at Rose this afternoon.  Whew!

Reflections of a grain cart driver

As the season draws to a close, and my grain cart days come to an end, I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on my time in the tractor this year.  (After all, I have nothing else exciting to post today.). So here are my top ten life (tractor) lessons learned:

10.  The first rule is "DO NOT GET STUCK".  Really?  You would think it would be something more like "Don't hit anything" or "Don't miss the truck when you unload".

9.  Always wear appropriate footwear to the field.  Even if you think you are just there to drop off a lunch or water jug, be prepared to spend at least two hours and don't wear flip flops.

This was not in my afternoon plan

8.  I am never, ever getting a manual transmission vehicle.  My left leg is completely incapable of easing gently on and off the clutch.  I always thought it was a coordination issue, but I may need to do some strengthening excercises.  I wonder if the IRS would recognize a leg press as a business expense.

7.  Do not get stuck in the mud.  I cannot tell you how many times I heard this.

6.  If your father-in-law tells you one thing and your husband tells you something different, you should probably listen to the one you have to sleep with at night.

5.  Driving a tractor is kind of fun...until you've been at it for more than 8 hours.  I have new sympathy for the time Quentin puts in during planting season.  It is hard (and exhausting) to sit still for that long!

4.  If you eat your sandwich in the tractor while watching your husband eat his sandwich in the combine as he unloads, date night obligations are fulfilled.

3.  If you want an added challenge, throw a two year old in the passenger seat.  For even more fun, pile in his older sister.  If you can ignore them moving your seat up or down and honking the horn, they provide good entertainment.



Expert navigators

2.  The appropriate driving speed is the speed that gets you to and from the trucks in time for the combine to dump on you.  You waiting on the combine...ok.  The combine waiting on you...NOT OK.  The latter will result in a phone call from your impatient husband.

1.  DO NOT GET STUCK IN THE MUD!!!!  Seriously.

Switch back

We had a dreary day here with some light showers.  Quentin used the time to blow all that dust off the combine and start switching it back for corn.  I'm not sure who needs a bath worse...the combine or Quentin.



Dusty, dusty

In the books

Soybean harvest is done for this year!!  The men were happy to wrap it up this afternoon.  There are rain chances in the forecast tonight and tomorrow.  The last field was not fun to harvest.  It was on Watts' near the creek.  Clearly the water had been up over the beans.  They were covered in dirt!  The dust was so bad that Quentin couldn't see where he was driving, especially as they were finishing around dusk.

There are still around 15 acres of corn in the field where there were wet spots earlier in the harvest season.  It will not take long to finish up, but we will have to wait and see how much rain we get out of the front coming through.

Planting and harvesting

The clouds were hanging around yesterday morning, but the sun came out around 11am.  Quentin and Paul tried the beans early afternoon, but the moisture was too high.  Instead, they switched to planting rye cover crop on some of the old corn ground.  They tried again around 5pm and were able to cut for a couple hours before the moisture settled back in.  The sun is out this morning, and they hope to get an earlier start today.

The earlier planted cover crops are doing well.  Quentin is harvesting the soybeans on which they had an airplane fly on the cover earlier in October.  With the warm fall, the cover is doing almost too well.  Quentin said the rye is tall enough to interfere with the harvesting a bit.  They run the combine header so low with soybeans that the rye is getting a little trim.

Rye-radish cover flown on Winfrey's

Dreary day

It is a dreary day here today.  We had a light shower this morning and more chances of rain throughout today and tonight.  It is enough to stop the men from getting out the combine, but not enough to keep them out of the field completely.  They have decided to focus on planting a few fields of wheat today as long as the weather holds.

Yesterday, they were able to finish up on Chambers' fields.  They moved everything back under cover yesterday evening in preparation for the rain.  I think they have 100-120 acres of soybeans left to harvest and about 15 acres of corn.  A few days of good weather should allow us to finish up.

Ready to combine!

Quentin hopes to get a full day of combining in today.  There is sunshine and a nice breeze this morning so he is out getting the combine ready early.  He'll start on Osterloh and then finish Chambers' fields.  He has Harry Frank's and some after wheat beans left there.  I'm not sure if he'll be able to finish everything today or not, but he'll do what he can!  

Short days again

The men are trying their hardest to get some beans cut, but they have had a couple of short days.  Yesterday was a short day, of course, since it was a Sunday.  This morning was foggy, and they were not able to start until around 2.  Then, the combine had a run in with a log that had floated up in the field.  Not good a good day.  They were down for a large chunk of the afternoon.  

We hope tomorrow will be a better day!  We have chances of rain in the forecast tomorrow night and also Wednesday night.  They may not be able to finish up Chambers' before the rain, but they will do what they can.

Cutting again

The men tried the beans yesterday, but the grain was too wet.  Today, the sunshine and wind dried things out by 11:30 or so, and they were off to the field.  They cut Marilyn's beans and have now moved over to begin on Chambers' ground.  They will be there for a few days, at least.  The next chance of rain looks to be on Wednesday so they should be able to get quite a bit cut before that.

 

 

 

A little wet

We are a little wet today.  We had about 0.4" of rain early this morning so we will be out of the field for a couple days, at least.

More rain?

There is more rain in the forecast for tonight.  We were able to cut Kenneth's soybeans today.  There are long lines at the COOP these days, which slows us down considerably, but we are chipping away at it!
 

Another field done!

Paul finished combining on Street's this afternoon.  It was short days and slow going over the weekend, but we are rolling along now.  Our favorite truck driver is even back from Texas to help out for a few days!  I think the plan is to start on Ken's field tomorrow as soon as it is dry enough to run.

Broke down

The combine spent much of the day sitting, unfortunately.  A tie rod on the back left tire broke.  There was a parts run, which led to a second parts run, which turned in to an extended parts run...well, you get the idea.  It was a long day.  By 4:30 this afternoon, it was up and running again, but that made for a short day of combining.  However, we are thankful that the parts store was able to track down a part on a Saturday afternoon...even if it meant driving to Missouri to retrieve it!
 

Plugging away

The weather has been cooperative this week, and the combine is chugging along.  Steeby's was finished by early afternoon, and then on to Street's down at Rose.

Soybean harvest

The soybeans were a "go" by late yesterday afternoon.  The ground is a little soft, but not too bad.  Hopefully, Paul can finish the field up at his house tomorrow and then move on to Steeby's.  However, we are expecting a cloudy day with a slight chance for rain so we will have to see how the beans dry out.

Back to harvest?

The soybeans are ready to come out of the field, but we are not sure if the ground is dry enough yet.  The combine has left the hay barn so I guess we will find out soon!  They will start up at Paul's house today.

 

 

 

Always something...

There is always something to work on at the farm!  Quentin has been giving the strip-till fertilizer applicator a tune-up.  If he gets a chance yet this fall, he strip a few fields before the ground freezes.  The rig needs some serious maintenance first.  With the soybean fields still wet, it is a good time to get started.

 

Wet again

We only had 0.5" of rain last night, but with the saturated ground, it was enough to make good mud puddles.  Harvest is still on hold.

Switching gears

The men are spending the afternoon switching the combine back over for soybeans.  It is nearly dry enough to try something, but rain is in the forecast for tonight again.

Flying on cover crops

Quentin enrolled a couple fields in a conservation program that helps with cover cropping expenses.  However, the program comes with dates and deadlines that don't always translate to good timing on the farm, especially with wet fields.  In order to get the cover out in a timely manner, he contacted a airplane service to fly the seed on a field that currently has beans on it.  They came out yesterday and the kids and I went to watch.  It sure was a quick way to plant!

Flooded again

We have been flooded again!  I'm not sure how much rain we had because our rain gauge broke in the storms, but at least 5 inches.  With the ground already pretty saturated, the water was over the roads again.  By the time we woke up this morning, it had gone down quite a bit, but based on the gravel wash and trash in the fields, it was up even higher than the last flood!

Quentin is using the down time to coordinate cover crops and analyze some of the corn yield data.  It's already time to start ordering seed for next year!

Almost done??

We ended up with only 0.2" of rain last night.  There was a heavy fog and dew this morning, but by 2pm the corn and ground were dry enough to roll the combine back out of the barn.  Quentin worked on the field by Paul's house and finished the "dry part" by early evening.  That leaves about 12 acres  there and about 3 acres down at Rose left to harvest.  We will have to wait for drier weather (or frozen ground) to finish.  There are chances of rain again tonight through tomorrow night.

It takes a village

We had a busy day yesterday!  We thought it might end up being a very short day in the field when rain showers began popping up mid afternoon.  We had a few sprinkles, but the storms slid around us.  Yeah!

Close call!  Afternoon showers just missed us.

Quentin was able to keep cutting on the home place, despite some soft areas.  He really wanted to get it cut, or we might have had to wait until the ground froze to get back in the "swamp" area.  The COOP lines were very long, and the combine had to keep shutting down to wait for the next truck.  Frustrating!!

If you have a village helping, however, you can get some things done!  Ken and Paul were on the trucks, and I was in the grain cart.  Grandma was on babysitting duty.  It looked like we might have to quit with just a few acres left last night, but a neighbor who had just finished his harvesting brought his semi over so we could load it up late last night.  We were able to finish the whole field about 9:30.  Whew!  It does take a village sometimes...


 

One more day

One more day of predicted dry weather!  Quentin had an early morning to try and get things going.  It is windy with very little dew so they can get started earlier today.  Paul is out drilling one more field of rye cover crop while Quentin and Ken get the corn harvest going.  Paul should be done soon so he can join them before it gets too busy.  They are trying the corn on the home place, but will move to the field by Paul's house if the home place is too muddy.  We will keep one eye on the sky (or radar) as the day progresses.  You don't want to be caught in the rain with a full combine!!

Racing the rain...again

We are racing the rain again.  There is a pretty good chance of storms later in the day tomorrow.  The men are scrambling to get done what they can.  They have about 150 acres of corn left in the field and will not be able to finish before the storms.  They will do what they can.

Quentin spent the morning getting the drill ready so Paul could plant cover crops on the one field of harvested beans.  It will be good to get that in before the rain.  The rye they put out in the field west of our house is already coming up.

Quentin and Ken are headed to the corn field on Osterloh this afternoon to cut.  It is still pretty soft in spots, but they hope to get it out today without tracking it up too much.  Even in the "drier" fields, I can see the tire tracks in the ground.



Making a few tracks in the fields

If they finish Osterloh, that will leave a field at Paul and Helen's and the "home place" on Chambers' left to harvest.  Hopefully, the rain will hold off at least until late tomorrow so they can get one more day of corn harvest in this week.
 

Short, but productive

We had a short, but productive day in the field.  We had a later than usual start with church and then a quick birthday party for Isaac (Happy 7th Birthday to our pint-sized farmer!)  The men headed to the field around 1:30pm and were able to finish on Austin Frank's around 7.  The COOP lines are getting long, and the ground is still a little soft, but we are chipping away at the corn!

Counting our blessings

Well, the breakdowns didn't stop with the semi yesterday.  As they were fixing the wheel bearing on the semi, Quentin noticed hydraulic oil leaking on the combine.  Then, when the red truck came back to the field, he noticed that a front tire on it was cracked all around the rim!  We were starting to feel like it was just not our day to harvest, BUT we still had blessings to count.  The hydraulic leak was a minor fix, the semi was fixed within a couple hours, and the red truck was up and running soon after.  Most importantly, Quentin noticed the red truck tire before it blew out on Ken cruising down the highway.  The day, while frustrating, could have been much, much worse.  Everything was back up and running before dark, and they were able to get a good chunk of Chambers' on Austin Frank's cut.

Trying to run

Harvesting on Chambers' ground again today.  It seems like we've been plagued with truck trouble all season and today is no different.  We've had a double blow out on the semi and then a wheel bearing go out, also on the semi.  Currently running with just the red truck, but we'll see how that works.  Quentin may try to borrow a truck from a neighbor not running today, or we may quit if we run in to wetter ground.

Back to work

The men are back in the corn field today! They moved over to Chambers' and will cut as much as they can before the next rain.  Our next big chance is Tuesday night in to Wednesday.  Hopefully, they can harvest a lot of corn before then.

Routine maintenance

The men are spending the down time doing some light maintenance on the combine...under the watchful eye of the "boss," of course.

Quentin is hoping that the fields dry out enough by Friday to get rolling on corn harvest again.

Rain

More rain.  We had 2.6" last night through about lunchtime today.  Since things were just borderline dry before, we are very, very wet again now!  I guess the harvest crew gets a few days off.

Soybean harvest

The men were able to get all the early beans harvested today!  They finished just in time as we can see lightning in the west now.  Soybean harvest is a slightly slower pace, and they were able to keep up well with just one truck driver (Ken) and a grain cart (Paul) to haul the beans out of the field.  (I got a day off!)  Quentin is very happy to have these beans out of the field so that he does not have to worry about them shattering.

The rest of the beans are changing fast, but harvest will be awhile yet for them.

Late beans turning

Beat the rain?

We are in a race against the rain today.  Yesterday, we were able to finish the corn on Steeby's.  It was a bit soft and there were still a few mud puddles to avoid, but it went pretty well.  The truck just stayed on the drive near the road and the grain cart stayed mostly at the field edges.  No one got stuck.  Yeah!  Hopefully, we did not compact the field too much.

Still some wet spots

Quentin has the corn header off the combine this morning so I would guess he is going to try to get those early soybeans out of the field today before the rain.  We will just have to keep one eye on the sky (or radar) and changes our plans as needed.

Progress

We had another good day today.  Quentin finished cutting down at Rose late afternoon, and then cut the last of Marilyn's, a small field near the house.  Tomorrow should be good harvest weather, but a front is still expected to move through some time on Saturday.  Quentin will have to evaluate the early beans tomorrow to see if they need to come out before the rain or if we should stay focused on corn.

Feeling blessed!

Yesterday ended up being a short combine day.  They ran in to mud on Steeby's and quit by 7pm.  Today, they decided to try down at Rose.  We started about noon, and Quentin is still out now (8pm).  I expect he'll run out of truck space for the night soon.  There were some soft spots in the field, but the trucks stayed on the road and let the grain cart/combine go back and forth across the field. 

Quentin was feeling blessed today.  We had two truck drivers, a grain cart operator and a Grandma willing to babysit for much of the day.  We can move a lot of corn that way!  Unfortunately, the grain cart driver had to shut it down by 5 and go back to being a soccer mom (literally), but we were VERY thankful to have our extra truck driver up from Texas!

I don't do selfies, but...can you believe they let me drive this thing!?!

Trying it

The men are out "trying it" on Steeby's.  The ground is a little wet, and the grain is just a hair wet, but they have decided to combine this afternoon.  There is a chance of rain again on Saturday, and they would like to get as much done as possible before that.  Prayers that they won't get stuck!!

Impatient beans

The men are getting out the soybean header this morning.  The fields of soybeans are turning fast, especially the field of early-planted beans over on Leisure's.  Soybeans are not quite as "patient" as corn when it comes to harvest time.  Once the beans are ready, they need to come out of the field or they will start to shatter (the pods pop open and the seeds fall out.)  Quentin decided it was wise to use his time out of the corn field to get the other header ready.  We might have to switch to beans and then back to corn if things get tight this fall.

A little R and R

It rained 1.25" on Friday, a soaking rain that saturated the fields again.  It gave us a chance for a little rest and relaxation this weekend!  We spent time visiting with family and made some homemade ice cream, a nice break for us.

With the wet fields, Quentin has been able to spend some time looking in to cover crops for next year.  We will need to plant those as soon as possible after the crops are harvested.  He is going to plant a cover on more fields this year to see how they respond to it, and it would be best to get a good start on growth yet this fall.

Too wet

On hold again!  The men tried to cut on Chambers' yesterday, but the ground and grain were too wet.  They also tried a field on Steeby's, but the corn was too wet there also so they brought the combine back home to watch the storms roll through.  We have had quite a bit of thunder, but not much rain to speak of yet.  

Slight progress

It wasn't the best drying day on the farm.  This morning, it was windy, but cloudy.  We had a small shower around 10am, and then it was sunny with very little breeze.  We counted ourselves luckily, however.  We heard that they had a downpour in Yates Center!  Quentin was able to combine a little bit late afternoon.  He cut the small field directly west of our house.  It was a little soft in spots, but went OK.  There was some corn down in parts of the field where the water must have been draining through.  Overall, not bad considering it was flooded just last week.

The field last week!

There are chances of rain tomorrow, but we are hoping it holds off a bit longer.  The men would like to get over to Chambers' tomorrow if that ground is dry enough.  Some fields over there by Owl Creek were flooded over the ears, and the grain is trying to sprout on the cob.  It would be good to get that harvested sooner rather than later.

Drying out

We are slowing drying out around here.  Quentin walked a few soybean fields this morning and did some hand spraying for late flushes of weeds.  It was drier than you might expect with all that rain.  There have been a few combines rolling in the area, but Quentin checked our corn fields earlier and it is still too wet.  The weather has been good for drying, but chances of rain start sneaking back in to the forecast by tonight so we will have to see if they are able to get the combine out at all this week.

Flooded

We are flooded!  We received another 4.5" last night, which brings us up to 7".  There is water over the road both directions, and I can hear the creek roaring from up here by the house.  Luckily, you can still get through with the pickups.  This morning, the men had to pull a couple pieces of equipment to higher ground that were parked in a low spot.  The forecast calls for more rain later today/tonight.  I think it will be a while before the combine is back in the corn fields.

Our road to the east

Our road to the west

Screeching halt

The rains are coming down!  Harvest has come to a screeching halt around here.  We have received over 2.5" already, and it is still raining.  It will be several days before the fields dry out, and there is more rain in the forecast.

On the upside, we were all able to relax and celebrate our littlest farmer today.  Happy 2nd Birthday to Farmer Noah!

Desperate times...

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  Long rows and great yields (yeah!) have forced the men to enlist the help of an inexperienced grain cart driver...me!  It was scary for all of us, but I'm happy to report that both the equipment and my marriage are still mostly in tact.  (Most married couples fight about money.  We fight about the appropriate speed to drive a grain cart through the field!)

Double duty

The rain moves in tonight or tomorrow, but Quentin seems happy with the harvest progress.  We were able to finish Kenneth's corn by early evening and brought all the equipment home before the storms set in.

Filling trucks

Quentin was able to finish Marilyn's last yesterday afternoon and moved on to Paul's field just east of the hay barn.  This morning, the dew is light with a good breeze so hopefully he'll be able to get an earlier start again today.  A front moves in later this afternoon/evening so they would like to get as much done as they can before the rain starts.

Filling trucks

A start

Moisture on Claude's was fine yesterday, and the men were able to get a start on corn harvest.  Quentin finished up on that field this morning.  He tried some of Kenneth's, but the grain is just a little wetter than we would like.  Now he is off to try a test cut on Marilyn's.  It was planted just a few days earlier than Kenneth's with the same hybrid maturity so it might go this afternoon.  We have had some good sunshine and wind to help the drying the last few days.  There are chances of rain starting late tomorrow so we will see how much they are able to do before then.

Yields look well above average thus far!!  It's very exciting even with disappointing corn prices.  And I've only made one run to the parts store since the start of harvest (for something minor) so we are feeling blessed.

Snouts down!

Quentin has the combine out and is putting down the snouts on the corn header.  They are ready to try their first field.  Paul's corn on Claude's looks the furthest along so they will go there first.

Finished!

Paul finished baling the last of the hay yesterday afternoon.  Whew!  Many in the area are still going strong on haying, and we are very thankful to be done.  Time to set sights on corn harvest!  I expect they'll be checking the fields to see if the ground is still too muddy for the combine this week.

Full barns!

A shaky morning!

You may have heard of (or even felt) the Oklahoma earthquake this morning.  We hope none of you had any damage!  I never thought we'd have an earthquake on the farm, but we certainly felt it here.  Our oldest came out and announced that the floor woke him up.  He didn't know what to make of a shaking floor.  I am happy to report that all Grandpa Peck's tools are still up on the wall, but I was watching them get a good shaking and wondering if I would have a mess to clean up.  The rattling added more drama than a Hollywood sound effects crew!

Paul is busy baling hay today.  We'll see how much he can get done before he runs in to wet hay.  I know he would like to be finished.  It sure is heavy hay this year!  The trucks and grain cart are close to ready.  They have to have a couple tires fixed/replaced on one truck, but thankfully, they spotted the need for repairs before we had a blow out on a loaded grain truck.

Drying out

We are trying to dry out a little bit this week.  Paul went back to mowing yesterday and finished up this morning.  He is hoping to have everything baled and hauled in before harvest, of course.  Quentin is working to get the grain cart and trucks ready for harvest.  There isn't any rain in the forecast until the middle of next week so they may get a chance to get in the corn fields if the ground dries out enough over the next couple days.

New management

Someone thinks he's the new manager on the farm these days.  Noah follows Grandpa around the farm and "helps".  He loves to check cows, bale hay and anything else Grandpa might be doing.

Grandpa's Lil' Helper

Paul was able to bale a little more hay yesterday, but we had another 0.9" of rain last night.  That puts both the haying and corn harvest on hold for a while longer.

Scandal on the farm

Paul tells me we have a new white calf on the farm.  Quite scandalous in a herd of black cattle!  Someone wasn't staying on their side of the fence.  This one cow didn't have a calf earlier when she was expected to, but perhaps she was just saving herself for the right bull.  I guess we have the neighbor's bull to thank for this calf!

Rains continue to come.  Not a lot, but enough to keep us wet.  Quentin is starting to rumble about harvesting corn as soon as he can get in the fields without tracking them up.  Soon, we hope.

Hit and miss

A forecast of hit and miss showers have kept the men out of the hay field the last few days.  Yesterday, the showers missed, but we have a system moving through this evening with thunderstorms.  More chances linger in the forecast so I don't expect any more hay baling this week.

Quentin continues to work on the combine in anticipation of corn harvest.  He mostly finished with the adjustments and such on the combine itself last week and has now turned his attention to the corn header.  I've heard a little grumbling, of course, but we agreed that the time spent on adjustments now is better than fixing a broken combine mid-harvest!  However, tomorrow he will be making his third trip this week to the parts dealer so I can understand the frustrations.  He also plans to begin getting the drill ready.  He'd like to get some cover crops in as soon as the corn is out of the fields.

Nice kernels!

Bales and bales

The men chipped away at haying this week.  It went pretty well except for some still, humid days and a flat tire on the baling tractor.  They were able to switch out tractors pretty quickly and get back to baling.  They are currently waiting on a tire repair, but will be out of the hay field for awhile now anyway.  Last night, we had almost 2.5" of rain!

Flat tire!

In the meantime, the hay has been doing very well.  Lots of bales and we are running out of places to put them.  The combine takes up a good chunk of hay barn space!



Loading up bales

Haying again!

After some slow drying days, the men are out raking and baling hay again today.  They hope to get a lot done before the next rain.  We have a good chance in the forecast for Friday evening.

In the meantime, Quentin has been working on the combine, getting everything ready for corn.  Harvest is coming more quickly than we realize!

It's beginning to look like fall

The corn fields are beginning to look very fall-ish!  The corn is drying up fast and harvest will be here before we know it.  Quentin has started talking about getting the combine and corn header out and ready to go, but I know they would like to finish haying first.  Paul mowed some hay yesterday so they may be able to get back to baling later today or tomorrow.

Podding beans

We went to tour a few soybean fields yesterday.  Most fields are podding now and have some at least around the bottom of the stem.  (They flower and pod from the bottom up.)  The earliest beans have pods all the way up the stem now.  The pods are still pretty flat, but they look great.  The last soybeans planted are still flowering and should be putting pods on soon.  Quentin has been out scouting for podworms.  They have been spotted in some fields around the area already this year.  Last year, we sprayed for them and may have to again this year.

Persistent rain

The rain showers are persisting at just frequent enough intervals to keep the men out of the hay field.  I think they have around 100 acres left to hay and would be thankful for a dry week to finish up.  The early season corn is starting to dry up fast.  The later season still looks pretty green, but will be turning soon, I'm sure.  The beans are putting on pods and soaking up moisture and sunshine!

More rain!

We were not expecting much out of the latest cool front, but we had 0.4" of rain yesterday and another 3" this morning!  Not great for the hay, but the soybeans are very happy!

Hot days!

We are having a lot of hot, humid days!  The soybeans are holding up well, but could use a rain soon.  The men are plugging away at the haying.  They had a couple delays.  A cloudy morning with sprinkles slowed drying one day and a hydraulic hose broke on the mower yesterday, but they are going full force again today.  We do have some rain chances over the next few days and hope that we get some moisture for our soybeans!

Back to it

Back to raking and baling today!  We are supposed to have a stretch of dry weather this week so they should be able to get quite a bit done. 

Soon we'll be ready for more rain!  I've decided farmers are a very demanding group.  Rain.  Not too much rain.  More rain.  Dry out a little.  Not too dry.  More rain.  Seriously, though, it has been a great year weatherwise so far.  We're excited for harvest.  I have seen some early corn (on a neighbor's field) that is drying down already.  It won't be long before harvest season is here!

Hit and miss

The rain showers were hit and miss this week...mostly miss.  There were enough rain chances that the men put off haying, but I think Paul will be back to mowing by this afternoon.

Rain!

A nice rain just when we could use it.  We had 2.3" at the house yesterday morning.  I guess Paul is glad he didn't mow any hay down Sunday!

A break from haying

The men were able to bale quite a bit of hay this week.  It was hot and dry!  They paused on the mowing, however, since there were chances of rain in the forecast.  This morning, there is a front coming through and showers around.  Nothing accumulating yet, but hopefully we will get a good rain out of it.  The soybeans could use the moisture.

Filling up the hay barn!

Hay season is in full swing.  The men have been busy mowing, raking, baling and moving bales.  We do have some chances of rain in the forecast for next week, and we'll need it by then.  The soybeans will need the moisture and the men will be ready for a break!

 

Haying progress!

The men are finally making some progress on haying.  Tuesday was cloudy in the morning and very humid with little wind so the hay was not drying well.  Yesterday was sunnier with a breeze so they were able to make some good progress.

Mowing hay