It's campfire time, and out came the hot dogs and all things that happen around a campfire! Watching the little twins was like watching a circus. They're getting very independent, have distinct likes and dislikes! You'd better get it right the first time! They're also very good at helping themselves to jars and bottles of goodies that they spie.
Applesauce is always a big hit with them, and Kelsey can't resist running her spoon down the jar if someone doesn't respond quickly to her request!! It's the old song - what one doesn't think of the other one does. It makes for a very tired set of parents at the end of the day. Katelyn and the twins are growing soooo fast. It's just amazing. The twins are so proud of themselves when it comes to any potty function. In fact, Kyler was standing near the campfire and boldly announced that he had to go to the potty, and with that pulled his pants down and piddled right there and then. Unfortunately, I wasn't even close to being able to get the camera geared up for that one.
AKA I did the combine thingie today! Ken called a cousin - a big time farmer here in a really big time farm land. It is corn harvesting time and thousands of acres of corn has to be processed now before it's time to harvest the beans. So, Dan agreed to give Katelyn and me a ride on the monster machine. When we pulled into the field where they were working, they had cleared maybe a third of corn in that field. There are three units involved in the operation. The truck that hauls the corn to the grain storage elevator, the tractor pulling a large wagon that fills the truck and the combine that harvests the corn from the stalks, strips the corn from the cobs, spits the chopped stalks and cobs out the back and pours the kernels of corn into the wagon.
Dan owns all the equipment and hires the truck and tractor drivers. The corn is sold to the operators of the grain elevators on a contract. Dan owns a good portion of the acreage, but leases most of it. It's a massive operation, 2400 acres of corn and beans. During harvest period it is a 12 hour and more a day and night.
From time to time deer will cross the path of the combine, and birds will be flushed out. None today, but the experience was incredible. A ladder on the side is the means of getting to the cab of the combine...it's like being on a second story. The cab is sealed with air conditioning, music, a fridge(!) and of course all kinds of electronic meters and monitors. The GPS is set once, and the machine stays on path with the operator making turns and stops when necessary. Dan's Combine, a Cat, is the smallest of the versions and handles 8 rows at a time. It has teeth on the front that are cone shaped. As they run down the rows, the teeth force the stalks into the machine. There is a massive implement that shreds the cobs from the stalks, grinds up the stalks, strips the corn from the cobs and pours the corn into the holding box.
There is a computer that calculates the amount of acres covered, the weight of the haul on board, the cumulative amount on a real time basis and other things that I don't remember. The direction of the combine and the lift of the front teeth is controlled by a joy stick. It controls other features as well, which of course, I have forgotten. There are three cameras, one focused on the forward direction, one showing the rear and another monitoring the hopper, the transfer of the corn from the hopper to the wagon. Directly behind the seats is a large window that shows the amount of corn in the combine.
The speed is variable and can move forward as well as in reverse. If for some reason, the teeth get clogged, the operator simply reverses the combine which throws all the material in the teeth back out the front. Sitting up looking over the corn stalks gives you the opportunity to watch the tasseled corn stalks wave back and forth and then swoosh through the teeth.
One trip down a row and back filled the hauling truck to the brim and by the time another rotation was completed, the truck would be back in the field, having driven to the elevator, dumped the load and returned. The tractor has tracs which prevents the soil from compaction. Dan explained that he rotates the combine about every two years for a new one and intends to have the combine with tracs as well.
The combine is able to plant next year's seed between the rows of this year's stalks, just ingenious! The investment in all this equipment is substantial. It rounds out at about $500,000. So it's like a house mortgage, as long as the payments are made, it's yours. Of course with trading in the combine every couple of years, it's truly a lifetime investment.
from the MABarry - over and out!
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