Tracy: Feast or Famine

Limon, Colorado – A week ago, I was feeling overwhelmed with the amount of stuff that was piling up on me, laundry, bills, dishes, dirty trailer house, etc. Amazing what a difference a few days can bring.

Z Crew Cutting among the wind turbines. There are so many of these scattered all over the countryside. Personally, I think they visually pollute the horizon.

Z Crew Moving to another field.

Z Crew Jim…rolling the tarp and getting ready to head to the elevator.

Z Crew The “golden” hour.

Z Crew The straw of a recently cut field is just as beautiful to me as a field of wheat.

Man, we were going strong and only a day away from finishing. Then it happened…green wheat. It’s not like we didn’t try to find something dry enough to whittle the number of acres even more. It just wasn’t happening. If a plane were to fly over the last field I was in, they would think there was something wrong. I jokingly told Kyle (the farmer who was in the second machine also trying to find something worth cutting), “My grandpa always told me you could plant more in a crooked row than a straight one.” He told me if cutting crooked would find more bushels I was to keep cutting the way I was. This was last Wednesday afternoon (7/11).

Z Crew Just a couple of HarvestHER’s out in their field.

Z Crew A different point of view.

Z Crew Jim and Kyle discussing what to do next. This was after it was decided we’d just sit it out and give the green several days to dry.

I have a feeling what we’re waiting on is going to be more like what you would expect when you hear of drought conditions. I hope, for Kyle’s sake, it makes at least 20 bushels per acre.

We decided to just let it sit until Monday.

Of course, being me – one who doesn’t like to sit in one place very long – I was hoping we could make a trip home. Ben will be turning one on July 24 but his birthday celebration was going to be the 15th. When I suggested going home (multiple times), it wasn’t received with a whole-heartedly “OKAY!” So, I figured it wasn’t going to happen. If you will recall, a year ago we were done cutting wheat on the 17th of July. We did go home and we were there when Ben was born. For that, I am so very thankful!! I guess the only way he will know that we didn’t help celebrate his birthday, will be the pictures.

Z Crew Happy Birthday, Benny Boy! He’s modeling his Zeorian Harvesting shirt for Grandma.

Z Crew Happy first birthday, Ben! Looks like you had a great crowd to help you celebrate.

Z Crew The cake…Oh, the cake!

As I’m sitting here typing this, I’m hearing rolling thunder and the sweet smell of rain blowing in the window. I’m going to guess, unless south of town didn’t get any of this, we won’t be cutting wheat tomorrow either. We have been sitting in this trailer house for four days.

Limon is not a booming town. Well, it is if you’re a traveler making your way west to the Rocky Mountains. It has nearly every fast-food restaurant (except Kentucky Fried Chicken) you would want and plenty of hotel rooms. I guess I should also give the Dollar General a shout-out. Well, there’s also a really great free museum (which I finally visited since we’re sitting) and a pretty darn good grocery store, too.

Z Crew I saw this making rounds on social media before we arrived to Limon. This is even way more cool in person!

If I would have had girls here with me, we would have packed up and headed for the mountains for a couple of days. Darn, I miss those days!

Jim? Perfectly happy with doing absolutely nothing, if he can get away with it. UGH!

And now, the sound of rain on the roof.  I just might go a bit crazy before we are able to get back in the field again. One day…that’s all we had left!

We’re parked in the Limon KOA – the location most everyone who is on vacation lands for the night. The vacationers begin their entry about 3:00, they fill the place up and then they’re gone before 10:00 am. You can definitely tell who is here for other reasons after they all leave.

Well, so much for the nice, gentle rain. Holy smokes! We had a storm roll through that offered lots of rain and even more wind. Thank goodness, no hail. And, by the looks of the radar, the field is still dry – for now.

Z Crew The view of the storm through the cottage window.

Z Crew A view from the other side of the trailer. Can you see the tents? No? Well, you will in the next picture.

Z Crew I feel sorry for them in this wind and rain!

So, what have I done for the past four days, you ask? The first day was full! I cut out and sewed a pinafore apron for Nora and caught up on laundry, dishes and paperwork. The envelope of mail showed up this day, too. So, new mail to go through and more bills to figure out.

Z Crew One of Nora’s Pinafore Aprons.

The second day? Well, Jim and I sorted through a bag of papers that when we left “home, home” was on the kitchen table. You see, before we leave, the pile grows and grows and grows. And we don’t take the time to get through it like we should because, well, we’ve got to get the heck on the road! So, it’s neglected. At the very last minute, we stuffed the pile in a brown paper bag and it’s been hanging out either in a chair or in the back room (the girls’ bedroom). So, our goal for that day was to eliminate the clutter. I also cut out apron #2.

The third day was the day of company – which I totally, totally enjoyed! Ryan, Kathryn and two of their children made a two-hour one-way trip to visit. As they were within 1/2 hour of arriving, they received a phone call from their farmer telling them they could have more acres to cut. So, then the question is…do we turn around now and go back? Or do we continue and have a short visit? They opted for the visit. I think we had nearly two hours and then they headed back towards “home”. After they left, I sewed apron #2. And then we got invited out for supper with the farmers we used to cut for ten years ago.

Z Crew Me, Caleb, Kathryn and Grace.

Let’s touch on the fact that Kathryn and Ryan came to visit. The connection we have with each other means more than just a visit. We women are way more social people than our harvesters. Well…maybe. Because of the creation of the HarvestHER website and Facebook page, we now have a link to each other. I am seeing a growth in the number of women chatting with other women that may not have been several years ago. This is a good thing. A very good thing! When we connect, we realize we’re not the only one feeling the way we do. We realize there are other ways to do something. We realize those older women (includes me) may have a bit more experience and something to offer those going through it for the first time. HarvestHER has brought those of us out here on the road together. I am so very thankful for my HarvestHER friends! Without them, this job would be a whole lot lonelier!

Today – day number 4. I don’t know why I woke up early. But I did. And knew it was going to be a very long day. And it has been. And now the rain. I’m thinking if we don’t work tomorrow, I’m gonna drag out another sewing project. I brought along material to make Christmas stockings…it’s right around the corner!

And so, the motto for Harvest 2018 continues – “It Is What It Is”.

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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