Jenna: Recap of First Trip to OK

This past Friday, my dad (Jim) and I made our first trip to Seiling, Okla., which will be our first stop this summer. In order to move all of our equipment, two trips are required each time we move to a new town.

On the first trip, my dad drives the semi, pulling the combine and grain trailer, and I drive a car. This is the second summer we’ve brought a car along and we do so for two reasons. First, it allows me to drive a couple of miles ahead of Dad on moving days so that I can check road conditions, height and width restrictions, narrow bridges, and anything else that could pose a problem with Dad’s wide load. Second, it is more economic to drive the car around town and on part-runs, for example, rather than one of our pick-ups.

Dad and I left home late on Friday morning. We stopped once in Lebanon, Kan., at a gas station to stretch our legs and then in Russell, Kan., to grab a bite to eat for supper. Wide loads have to be parked by dusk, so we stopped in Medicine Lodge, Kan., for the night.

The next morning, we finished the drive to Seiling, which only took a couple of hours. It’s always interesting to pull into a town you’ve never been to before and know nothing about, and know that in a few short days it will be “home.” My first impression of Seiling was a good one; there isn’t a lot there but it seems like a nice, clean small town.

Dad and I had lunch at a café then drove out of town to meet the farmer who we will be working for. After making introductions and chatting for a while, the farmer showed us where to park our equipment, so we unhooked the grain trailer and unloaded the combine. When we were finished, the farmer drove us around to look at a few of the fields we’ll be cutting. I couldn’t believe how green the wheat still was.

We got in the semi and headed home late that afternoon. We made it as far as Russell, Kan., that night. We could have traveled longer but some of our good fellow harvesting friends from South Dakota had left home that day and stopped in Russell for the night, so we wanted to see them. They are another family-run crew that has been in the business for generations, also. It was great to be able to see them and catch up, even if it was for a short amount of time.

The next morning, we got on the road early and made it home by early afternoon. It was good to be home.

Total miles traveled: around 1,000
Total hours on the road: 20ish

Truck, combine and trailer

Our semi, combine and grain trailer. Ready to go!

Jenna with All Aboard sign

Look for Zeorian Harvesting on the road!

Jenna and dad

Dad and I going over our route before heading south.

On the road

Taking the combine to the farm outside of Seiling, Okla.

Jenna Zeorian can be reached at jenna@allaboardharvest.com. All Aboard 2009 Wheat Harvest is sponsored by High Plains Journal and DuPont Crop Protection.

 

 

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