21 Jul Tracy: This just doesn’t feel right
Chadron, Nebraska – The last time we were in Chadron for the wheat harvest was 20 years ago. Our kiddos were much younger. I was pregnant with Callie, and the job I had at that time had nothing to do with spending time in the field (except to haul meals) or the combine. My job was so much different back then. I was in charge of kids, activities, food, laundry and being the “go-fer.” Little did I know that just four short years later, plans would change. Man… what I wouldn’t give to be able to step back in time and relive one of those days. Those days seemed they would never end because of the needs of the kids, the husband and the hired man. When I see familiar sights in this town, I think back to those days. One of my favorite memories is attending the circus held under the big tent on the east side of town. We went with those same harvest friends (Krumbach Harvesting), whom shared their acres with us this year. They also have four children very close to the same age as our girls. I remember how excited they all were when the elephants made their grand entrance, and I’m certain there was cotton candy involved.
The last 20 acres of wheat harvest 2017 for the Z Crew were cut yesterday afternoon. It was a pretty emotional ending for me – as usual. What began only six short weeks ago (45 days ago, to be exact) was over… done …kaput – just like that! Not the typical 120 days (which also includes 30 days for the millet harvest) that we usually cross off our calendar after we leave home, home.
I could always count on Grant and Mike (with Kiowa County Media Center) to be riding along with me via the Combine Cam, so when Luke Bryan’s song, “Fast,” came on the radio, I said, “Hey, Grant… this should be the summer’s theme song.” Just about the same time I said it, I received a note from him in all caps, “THAT IS THE SONG OF THE SUMMER.”
Sixty seconds now feels more like thirty
Tick-tock, won’t stop, around it goes
Sand through the glass sure falls in a hurry
And all you keep trying to do is slow it down, soak it in
Keep trying to make the good times last as long as you can
But you can’t, man
It just goes too fast!
Because we don’t usually cut here, I don’t know if the 35 bushel crop we cut is an average or an above average yield for this area. The test weights were good at 62 pounds, but the protein was only 9 percent. The cutting conditions were ideal for cutting wheat but a bit uncomfortable for my truck driver. He had to deal with heat nearing 100 degrees every day with very little wind. One very nice thing about this part of Nebraska is as the sun dips in the western sky, the cool of the night is felt almost immediately.
Our plan for now (until it changes, because it changes nearly every hour this summer) is to leave the equipment parked in Chadron and head for home tomorrow (7/19). We’ll stick around there for 10 days or so, and then head back out to Chadron and move equipment to Colorado. Then what? Jim thought maybe we could take some time and do things we don’t normally do during the summer – like go to the mountains for a few days or go to Montana and visit friends. It doesn’t seem right to think about going home, home while watching so many combines heading north. I’m not sure where they’re going… they’re just going and going in hopes of finding something to do to keep them busy – something that will help pay the bills. But all that movement also means expenses, and that could be a very expensive vacation. I honestly wish them all the luck in the world, because I will never discourage hope and perseverance! I just hope I don’t see any loaded combines headed west while I’m headed east. It could be a long drive home!
All Aboard Wheat Harvest™ is sponsored by High Plains Journal and John Deere. Tracy Zeorian can be reached at zcrew@allaboardharvest.com.
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