"Heading" Towards Harvest

Summer is happening and harvest is just around the corner!  Right now, the finishing touches of harvest prep are happening. Machinery tune-ups, grain bin clean-outs, and some cow chores all have to be done before the combine can roll down some acres.

Large implements are not like your standard car: they are much bigger and they have WAAAAAAY more moving parts. Each and every part on a machine can break or cause problems. It seems like there's always something that needs to be tweaked or tightened. But, when you think about it in the context of just how many pieces there are that could break, well, I'm surprised there aren't MORE breakdowns!

The guys have been busy tuning up the combine. Today, they're making finishing touches on the header. I find the mechanical workings of these large, beastly machines to be fascinating. It's like a strange magic that I only vaguely comprehend.


Here's another view of the combine header, showing the problem area...

 They had to take that large belt apart so they could get to the part that needed replacing. They're finishing up on the header right now, then they'll tow it down the road to where they've been working on the combine at Tom and Carol's house. Attach the header to the combine and we should be about set. We'll be "heading" toward harvest! (ha!)

To me, mechanical work on farm implements is a very precise skill. It's something I don't quite understand. I mean, I could follow directions if someone guided me through a simple mechanical fix, but no way could I do this all on my own. These guys have a lifetime of "coursework" on the job, learning how to speak the language of machines. I am pretty good at standing around and watching, though. And offering useful tips, such as, "Don't get impaled by those sharp pointy things!"

And speaking of safety, I find the warning stickers on farm machines to be morbidly comical:

So... if you wind your body around this rod, you could die. Do they think I'm Stretch Armstrong?! What they really need is stickers that simply say, "Don't Touch Anything While Machine is Running!"  I think that would cover it. But wildly entangled stick figures are pretty entertaining, in my opinion.

Anyway. After an early thaw this spring, the winter wheat came up early. Then, it grew some before it used up the ground moisture and it stopped raining. Then it got zapped by some really hot, dry, windy weather. Then it got hailed on. All this is to say that harvest is here sooner than normal, the growing season was early and shorter, and the yields are not looking stupendous. Nevertheless, it's still bound to be an exciting time of year. Harvest always is. Plus, sometimes you can be surprised by crops you had written off. Maybe our expectations will be exceeded! Never underestimate the ability of a plant to grow.

Let's get the show on the road! Or, in the field, rather! Happy harvest, everyone!