Harvest 2009

Wheat harvest this year....in one word...it was AWFUL! And, thank goodness for insurance. We had an early spring freeze and it really zapped the crop. The wind turbines and clouds made better pictures than the wheat.

We cut 1500 acres of wheat---cutting about 100 acres a day IF we don't break down, and this year we broke down a lot. My old combine is now classified as obsolite and it's getting harder to get parts for her. One breakdown sent us to Dallas (4 hr trip one day) to get parts, so I can see a newer combine in the future.

Thank goodness for boys who can repair whatever Mom tears up. I took a corner a little too sharp and hit a terrace. Did a little bending on some metal parts and took a welder to put it back in place. Poor Troy. It was a standing joke "what is Mom going to tear up today".

No, we're not done either. A rain shower came through Saturday evening and we had to stop. Hopfully we'll get done in the next few days and this harvest will be history. Next year will be better or at least we hope so.

Outside

The last few weeks have been in preparation; first for graduation and now for harvest. The prospect of having visitors at the house made me get my french doors painted. I used a Sherwin Williams paint called Stolen Kiss....love the color, but hated the humiditiy when trying to paint. This is the final outcome. AND...if you see a thin spot...keep it to yourself. I've been promised that the metal chairs will be painted too...sometime.
This is the view of #1--my slow-starting garden and #2--wheat trucks getting worked on.
The garden is about where my old kitchen use to be in the old house. Oh, BTW..I went and visited my old house. That'll be another post someday.

Does anybody else have a 4440 JD tractor in their backyard? Since the yard was going to be tilled up, Troy and I moved all of the playground equipment out. It probably won't get done until this fall. But, if I keep pushing it'll get done eventually...maybe.

This is MY combine being worked on. They're leaving the door opened on it to air out---yep, mice can leave a horrible smell behind. Hope it's gone by the time I get to the field with the combine. You can see the other combine inside the shop building. It's ready to go to the field as soon as the wheat is ready.

I call the tractors Ugly Betty #1 and #2. They're ready to work ground as soon as the wheat is cut. THankfully, they're not waiting on me to drive them!

Another view of the combine. Am so glad that my JDeere mechanic is able to work on these things.

Harvest should begin in the next day or two. I'll be working half-days so I can run the combine...thank goodness for air conditioning!

I'll accept donations for my diesel bill.

On the wall

JudyL talked about taking a picture of what's on your design wall. This is my latest project and hopefully will get done as soon as I get back to sewing.

I can find the pattern link if anybody is interested. It's a free online pattern from QuickQuilts (if my memory is right)

Grandma Duty

I'm currently spending a week at my oldest son's house taking care of this little one while her Mom teaches her last week of school for the year.





It's a tough job, but us Grandmas always come thru! This is Mia--born in January.