Disking Bulrushes

I'm finally getting some of the bulrush forests knocked down in hopes of reclaiming the land now that it has dried up. Beaver trenches and dead trees make it interesting. I think it will still need to be burned as there is too much vegetation laying there for anything other than a disk to work through. At least it won't be a snow trap to catch more water for next year.

Down The Highway and Through The Woods

Just some scenic video I put together from a couple of days ago. Leaf scenery is as good as I have ever seen it here. I've taken a lot of pictures of it over the years but never get tired of seeing it from new angles. Gopro on the sun visor of the old Merc as I cruised down the highway. Then some drone video as I drove the winding trail through the woods. Stopped for a photo re-enactment in the same spot as the Merc was parked in a 1961 photo by Grandpa's house. A lot of changes over the years but the old Merc continues to be a common thread.

We will likely lose a lot of those leaves if the winds get as strong as predicted. 

At Long Last, Rain!

Its the first real rain since early August. There is actually water standing in the yard. And its not over yet. It always sounds like a downpour when I'm working in the shed with the metal roof but when I came out and saw the water I realized it was significant. 6 tenths in the gauge so far. Lucky the harvest is almost finished and I didn't swath that bit of wheat yesterday.
Working on a long overdue repair on the Chevy II and its turning into a real #*& job. A simple wheel cylinder replacement on the front wheel but with rusted fittings and lines I'm having to do more disassembly. Might have to resort to hammer and chisel if things get too stubborn. Just a start on the long list of rainy day jobs that never got done all this dry summer.
I took the picture to refresh my memory when (if) I get to putting it back together as I'll never remember where all those parts go.

Hauling Oat Straw

Now that harvest is pretty much done I am catching up on other jobs. The cattle have been patiently waiting to get into this oat field since I combined it two weeks ago. I knew the fence had weak spots in it (flat on the ground) so could not let them out. Knowing cows, even if they have good pasture they want to check for weak places in the fence. I spent a good many hours pounding in new pickets and stringing up wire to replace what had sunk into the mud of now dry sloughs. Its not hundred percent how I'd like it but I think it will pass. So I got the bales picked up and left the gates open for them to find their way out to the new field. There is enough green stuff there to keep them fed and happy til snow comes I think.

Later that day I figured since the tractor was hitched up to the bale wagon I might as well continue with the job so I hauled a load (11 bales) of hay home from the hundred acre woods. Beautiful almost hot day for this time in September but it can change overnight to cold.

Harvest 2017

I was going to say that harvest 2017 is complete as of last night (Sept 16) but remembered that I have a few acres of late planted wheat here to swath and combine. Hardly worth the trouble but I guess since I planted it I might as well harvest it.

I had a whole series of "combine cab commentary" on the sd card in the Gopro that ran right through harvest. Unfortunately it seems to have deleted most of them except for the last day of harvest. So you get the economy version of this year's harvest video. I know there were a lot of other videos and photos on the card that now seem to have disappeared. Good thing I can't remember what most of them were or I'd be even more disappointed.

I was unable to get any drone  video of harvest as I was just too busy.

Its been a month since I started swathing and combining crops and was pretty near a not stop run of good dry weather. Like nothing we have ever seen. Harvest began and will finish early this year. It turned out better than expected but then my expectations were low considering the lack of rain all summer.



I was really needing my "flathead fix" not having had a chance to take the old Merc out for a spin. So today after a day of baler repairs and fencing,  I took a sunset drive. A good end to the day.

Where I've Been

Not on the net much lately as I've spent most of the last 9 days in or around the combine. Time just flies by. It seems I no sooner get into the cab and suddenly its 12 or so hours later and I'm quitting for the day. The acres are getting done and bins are filling up though so its ok.
Crop yields are surprising me as I did not expect much after a summer of almost no rain. Bin space will be adequate. Less fuel being burned since the ground is hard and dry and not trying to suck the combine down into the mud as it has the past 7 years.
The seeming endless run of hot dry weather seems to have come to an end today as it got cold and then light rain this evening. Canola seed was still testing so dry even though the straw coming out the back of the combine was hardly breaking up at all. Normally canola straw disintegrates to a fine dust by the time it runs through the combine. So I had to quit. Hoping for a few good hours of sunshine and wind tomorrow to finish that field. I could have wrapped it up late tonight or early tomorrow morning if the rain had stayed away. Kind of nice to get home before midnight for a change though.

Maybe I'll have time to exercise the "Merc" one of these days. Its been too long.

Swathing Solar Eclipse

I shot some video while swathing oats on August 21, the day of the solar eclipse. We were well North of the area where it actually got dark. I could not tell any difference at all. Not a bad crop of oats. I have since combined it and the oats are in the bin (dry I think).