Corn Harvest 2012

So Originally this post was gonna be called... "Catching Up - Corn Harvest, Chester, Life...A little Bit of it All," but then I started looking at corn pictures and decided to just make this a big ol' corn post, cause I had oodles of corn pics I wanted to share.

So here ya go...here's my corn post...

 

First I have to say that Corn Harvest has came a went here on our farms....Well actually it came and went about a month and half ago...but seriously who keeps track of those things....they are still harvesting corn somewhere out there so I am good....right?!?!

Over the past few years my role in corn harvest has changed dramatically. I went from being a full time truck driver to not driving a truck at all to now driving the truck some. I really do miss driving and being out there all the time, cause I love being out there and now I don't get to take near as many pictures, but I still get out there a little about every day, cause I have to take meals to the field and run errands for the guys as well.

If you have seen the news at all this summer you would have heard that we were in a drought all over the country and that the corn crop had been hurt really bad. We were no exception to this. The corn on our farm averaged anywhere from 45-80 bushels / acre in all but one field. We did have one field that averaged 107 bushels / acre. We use to think that wasn't such a great yield for our farms, but for us farmers down here in Southeast Kansas (I am sure OK and TX farmers could relate too) after last year having an average of 7-15 bushels / acre we were more than pleased! 

Usually in this part of the country we will average between 100-120 bushels / acre so there was a huge difference the past few years, but even thought it has been as great as we would have liked it to be, God has still supplied all our needs and fully taken care of us and for that we are more than thankful!

Corn harvest this year started on July 23rd. Most years it doesn't start till closer to August 23rd....or so I'm told...

2008 - harvest took place around September 27 (that's when Caleb and I got married and we picked the date cause it was suppose to be between corn harvest and wheat planting...hmm)

2009 - Harvest started September 18th and went all the way through October 29th....that was a long wet fall!

2010 - We started August 12 (about a week early) and finished on August 31st

2011 - We started on August 8th (I think it was a few days before that, but that's the first picture I had) and we finished on August 25th

So like I said I'm not really sure what normal is around here cause in 5 corn harvest's that I have been around for we haven't ever started on the August 20-25th dates that I have been told was normal...

But that's how things go on a farm...lol
 

Even though I wasn't in the field as much as I use to be I still got out there and took advantage of the time I was there and got as many pictures as I could...

Just so you know I taking pictures like this can be a dangerous job...not because I am worried about getting ran over....the combine is already past me, so I am safe....

but because you can get whacked in the head by the corn cobs flying out the back end and they hurt!   

Now this picture, on the other hand can be dangerous and you have to be careful cause there is more of a chance of getting ran over. Especially when Pop is running the combine (and he was) cause he doesn't always slow down at the end he can drive like a wild man...and he was on this day...lol

 

This is why I am sure my camera and lens hate me....cause they have to work in dust like this.

FYI: I was really nasty after taking this photo! 

When the guys are moving the combines from field to field the are hoping and praying not to meat anyone, cause there really isn't much road space left when they are coming.

 Fact: Caleb rarely remembers to turn his blinker off, so it is on in most of the pictures I take of the semi.

So one very hot day I decide to take Chester to grandma's house so I can hang out with Caleb all day and ride with him in the truck. That's how I was able to get this picture of him un-loading at the grain elevator.

 
On that very same day we return to the field and the grain cart starts dumping on the semi and I see this coming out the bottom of the trailer and I'm sure I said some not nice word on the same lines as poop....and then proceeded to yell at Caleb to have the tractor shut off. 

But by the time the message went through everyone we had a huge pile of corn there on the ground....grrr

What do you do with that corn now...

You do this...

 And this....

It's worth way too much to leave there for the critters.

So Caleb and Jeff took turns scooping it into the combine header, while I took pictures.

I think I had the better end of the deal! ;)

When it was all said and done this is all that was left. I think they did a pretty good job...

Now if I could only get Caleb to clean up his messes at home that good we would be in business. ;)

 

Now don't think that little man wasn't part of the action, cause he was there with me all the time.  Most of the time he was setting in his car seat in the air conditioned truck but he also got to drive the grain cart tractor some.

He also talked on the radio and told the guys what to do.

But his favorite thing to do was drive the combine...

That's everyone's favorite thing.
 

Boy did he have fun doing that...

Well for a while and then we would get bored and want to push buttons...

That would be are cue that it was time to go. lol

Don't mind the white legs or the part of the grain cart hanging above my head, I was to lazy to crop either one of them out. :)

Not only did we get pictures with Chester man, but we took some of just ourselves while on our date, when I rode all day with him in the semi. 

Caleb thought I was crazy for wanting to ride with him, cause not only was it hot outside, but the semi didn't have any a/c so it was a long hot ride all day. But I had fun and I think he did too.

 When it was all said and done all that was left was corn trash and blue skies.

I saved these for last, cause these are my favorite pictures...

I don't know what it is, but I love a close up of grain falling out of the auger and into the truck or grain cart....they just make me smile! 

Well that's all for now. I hope you enjoy my corn harvest pictures. If you have any questions shoot them my way and I will do my best to answer them. 

Lots of Love,

Janet