Is There A Limit?

,,,to my stupidity? I doubt it some days. Hitching up to the sprayer the other day getting it ready to go and I could not get the hydraulic drive pump to turn. Tried various ideas and came to the conclusion it had seized up over winter, although its not an old pump. It was a long and difficult task disconnecting to various hoses and fittings so that I could get at the impeller with a socket to turn it. After fighting mosquitos and other hindrances I found that the impeller was free and easy turning.
Re-assembled the whole thing and tried again, still nothing. Patience long gone I somehow stumbled onto the realization that I had the hydraulic hoses plugged into the opposite circuit to the lever I had been working. An easy fix but I can't believe I could overlook the most basic possibility.Just too stupid.
Managed to get a field of canola sprayed, without GPS. The $3000 guidance system has become nothing more than a decoration as it quit working last week. No local places work on them and mailing it to the next province does not look like a good option right now with our Canada Post strike going on.
Guess I will have to depend on my aging eyes to tell where to drive in the field.

Grass continues to grow out of control in my yard as I have had not had time to spend on the lawn tractor. Yesterday evening with high hopes I made a start cutting but after a short time the front axle collapsed on the faithful old John Deere 111. Its looking like a big dis-assembly and welding job so I guess the grass will grow a while longer.
At least spring seeding is done and early crops are up and looking good. Fields have dried up considerably from the muddy mess we started with a month ago.

This Weather

Its driving me crazy.. Late as it is I should be out planting oats today but the weather can't make up its mind if its going to really rain or just mist and drizzle all day. Do I head out for the other farm 9 miles away with a full air seeder to get caught in rain on the way there, find its too wet to seed anyway? Its the kind of rain that if I was already in the field I would keep working through the light showers but hate to start out on a long journey as uncertain as it looks.
Maybe its for the best. I'm hearing that the cold wet conditions are not good for the seed thats already in the ground. Not germinating, plant disease, etc. If it wasn't already June 3 I'd wait a bit but this is really late to be planting even oats. Farming is always a gamble, but this year maybe bigger than ever. Maybe I"m losing my memory but in 40 years of farming I don't recall such an exasperating spring before.
Unhappy Farmers
I took this picture on a rare sunny morning earlier this week. What is so rare as a sunny day in June in Saskatchewan?

Olle Hemmingssons trio

My favourite video of all time on youtube. I could (and sometimes do) listen to/watch this one every day. Something about the rythmic tractor beat in the background is just so mesmerizing.

Rainy Day Break

Woke up to the relaxing sound of rain on the roof. Although I'd really like to be out there finishing the already late planting process, I guess it won't happen today. The setbacks of slow anhydrous deliveries cost me a few days. Combined with having to burn last years flax straw (should have been done last fall)and the fields being too wet to get out there before mid May, its now impossible to catch up the lost time.
Some of the fields were so lumpy and rutted from all the excess moisture required pre-working which costs me more time (and money).
Soil conditions have really improved and dried up. Weed growth is heavy and fast. I know I will need to be spraying before I am even finished seeding.Is it any wonder that spring goes by in a blur for me?
And roads are another big headache. Trips to town are like the Baja 1000 off road endurance race. Really rough  Bouncing through the horrendous sinkholes and swerving around others is no fun when you are in a hurry to get where you are going and back to work. In the 25 years I have  owned and driven My 81 GMC  I have never given it such abuse before. Better off driving in the ditch. Although it is interesing watching the semis swerving around the highway holes when I'm working close enough to the road to watch.
Still, we have no tornadoes, earthquakes, fires, and the water levels are dropping so I won't complain too much. The rainy day gives me a chance to catch up on some other long neglected jobs but lets hope its only one day.

Seeding Begins

This is where I spend most of my daylight hours lately. Its late but still within the normal planting window of opportunity.

Checkmate?

Its been years since I played Chess and I've forgotten almost everything I knew about it, except for the fact I hated the game. As I recall the term "checkmate" basically meant you were beat no matter which way you turned. The term came to mind today re: my spring planting.
I can't get anywhere it seems. Weather is co-operating and the ground dries up enough that I can apply anhydrous. Unfortunately I am "rationed" to one tank a day since my supplier has major problems with equipment, short of drivers, moon phase, etc. I have literally spent hours sitting in the tractor at a standstill waiting for delivery, or even a phone call to put me out of my misery so I can unhitch and head for home in the tractor. No problem, another 5 mile drive in a big slow tractor at today's cheap diesel fuel prices. Why should that upset me? Watching the neighbours at work planting their crops while I stand still..... I am "only" a couple of weeks behind normal progress.
I don't have the competition's phone number and doubt they would deliver anyway until I went to see them and sign a credit agreement (lose another half day). I am already two weeks behind normal so whats another day?
I could start seeding on the summerfallowed fields but don't have my granular fertilizer in the yard yet and won't for a couple more days. Maybe I should just go ahead and plant without it. I held off ordering fertilizer this wet spring as I didn't know how many acres would even be workable. Didn't want to get stuck with a partial bin of unused fertilizer that is non returnable and does not always store well. Plus, the roads are atrocious in places and heavy trucks might have problems on them.
And speaking of roads, there are at least 60 acres I can't even get to since the road is impassable due to water damage. The field is cut in half by a small creek (impassable) so I can see the land a hundred feet across from me but no way to get to it. The municipality is hard at work repairing the high priority roads and this back road is way down on the list. I tried to do something myself but gave up after nearly getting stuck in the ditch with the old Massey while trying to scoop up some fill dirt with the front end loader.
Today rain showers are in the forecast and I have heard no word from Viterra so say if my NH3 tank is full and ready to go. Maybe I will hitch up to the big field cultivator and try a little pre-work on the fields where the weeds are growing the worst. Better than standing still and frustrating I guess.
I took this shot yesterday driving home in mid afternoon when I should have been working. Wild winds and angry waves on the water.

May 13 NH3

Finally getting in a little field work. The ground is actually drying up good in places although there is still a lot of good land under water. Carrying a big tow rope with me as insurance. against getting stuck.
I must have set a record for the longest wait ever for a refill of anhydrous. About 24 hours from the time I requested it. Problems at Viterra so consequently , I only got a couple of hours worth done today. Just one more setback in an already late spring planting season.