Fall Harvest is Upon us!

Fall Harvest is here! 2010 corn is being picked earlier than people remember. It is still August and most people are in full swing. Fall Harvest is a lot different than wheat harvest. Wheat harvest is usually over in about a week, depending on the weather, of course. Fall Harvest involves getting 3 crops in from the field: corn has to be picked (not cut which is tempting for us Kansas folk to say!), milo aka grain sorghum has to be cut, although we don't have a lot of that around here anymore, and soybeans, mostly double crop planted into the wheat stubble after it was cut.

We officially started last week. Dean tried some of our corn and decided to do some work on the corn head. Different combine, so different corn head and it needed some work. Notice I said different, not new, which is why it needed work. Saturday was spent picking corn for somebody else before trying another one of our fields and coming home  about 9 p.m.

Today, corn had to be hauled into town in the big red truck. Then the grain cart had to be emptied from the field and hauled away. A neighbor wanted some, so he had to take the truck to weigh it first before delivering it to their farm. Grandma Suderman and I made dinner to take out to the field. We had tater tot casserole, rolls, carrots and celery, and fresh peach cobbler. Yum!! We couldn't find much shade to eat in. April and I ate in the back of the van. The back door stayed open to provide the only shade we had for 4 other adults, Alana, and Derek. 

Alana and Derek wanted to ride in the combine of course! That is the fun part for them...and mom as I get a break from three kids! April fell asleep on the way home and took a long nap! So, this tired mommy-to-be got a nap, too, until I got a call that Alana was ready to come home. Derek stayed out to help daddy.

It is 6:00 and we are doing an easy "lunch" of pizza and pop! We still have to take it out, but hopefully can find some shade now.

Vacation

It is 1 week  till school starts. In the past, we have taken a little vacation after school starts, but this year that won't work...at least not during the week. Our big girl is going to Kindergarten! With life on the farm, it is going to be tight to fit in going somewhere. Dean has hay down that needs to be baled. Rain would be nice, though, too! The corn, milo, and beans are needing it.


We have discussed doing little things here and there that we have talked about with the kids. Alana would like to go fishing, or swimming at the lake. It is too hot in Kansas for a trip to the zoo, which would be fun. After school shopping with Alana at the mall, I told Dean we could just go there and ride the escalator! They also have other toys to ride. We would like to stay at a hotel at least so it seems like a getaway! The kids want to go see Uncle Mark and Tammy in Topeka. They usually come this way and we usually have farm business so we can't go that way.


We will have to see what works out yet. We can always do weekend fun things, too, after school starts. When talking to Alana about school starting, she says we haven't gone on vacation yet!