Highlights From Wheat Harvest

Normally I take a ton of photos during wheat harvest on my family's farm in Kansas. But I guess this year I had other priorities, mainly the care of my mom who suffers from dementia.

My dad is her chief caregiver during the rest of the year, but the lure of driving the combine during harvest was too tempting for him. So I took on that role as well as my usual duties of chief cook & bottle washer and unofficial documentary photographer. I hardly fulfilled that last task.

Still, there were a few photo ops like sandwich suppers in the field, 

down times when the coolest place was underneath the grain cart,

stops to repair the combine,

connections made at the top of the grain bins,

and the semi dumped

once pipe connections are tight.

There were also lulls after thunderstorms rolled through,

times to congregate on the back porch

and discuss what fields to try next.

Times when one generation sees another 

step forward to assume responsibility. 

Of course, there was drama, too!

A grain bin pipe burst and dumped 300 bushels of wheat on the ground. 

Naturally, this happened at the end of a long day

when predictions of thunderstorms

added a sense of urgency to the clean-up. 

Still, we were fortunate.

As the sun set on our last day of cutting,

we received word that a neighbor needed help. 

So my nephew moved our combine to their field to help them finish, too. 

As the moon rose in the sky, we were grateful to have our wheat safely in the bin.

Tim and I are traveling to the Badlands of South Dakota today. Last night we stayed at a campground on the outskirts of North Platte, Nebraska. Tornado sirens split the night as we crowded into the campground's cinder block laundry facilities. Luckily, no funnels were sighted.

 Only dramatic clouds that whirled across the sky!