Sometimes is seems like things work out well for a change! Jim was concerned that he wasn’t going to get finished tonight before it was supposed to rain. But…he did! We just finished bringing trucks to town in case it does start raining tonight. The lightning to the west makes me think the possibility of it happening may be good. More chances for rain tomorrow too. What’s next for us? Not sure right now. Curt, Jamie and Jenna are on their way up here tonight. They were hoping to get to a motel in Ogallala about midnight tonight. Will finish the trip tomorrow via Mount Rushmore. And, their dad has taught them well with planning trips around food. The Belle Inn (I think that’s the name) Restaurant in Belle Fourche is the best darn little diner you’ll EVER eat in! The prices are reasonable and the portions are way more than you’ll ever finish. So, they’re anticipating a meal there on their way up here tomorrow. I haven’t seen Curt and Jamie since we left in May. Jenna came to visit us while we were in Deerfield, KS over the 4th of July. It’ll be good to see them all again!!! I’m NOT looking forward to telling the kids good-bye on Sunday, though. Even though it’s temporary, it’s still very hard to see them leave. The trailer house takes on a whole different feel when the kids are gone. And another harvest summer is done and gone.

Just as I was starting to fix supper, Jim called and needed my help with getting trucks moved around. So, Taylor, finished what I started. We made a new recipe that turned out marvelous. She said it was easy. I will post it for you, just in case it sounds like something you’d like to try. It seems like we make certain dishes only during harvest. I’m not sure why, either. This one should be more than a harvest meal! A lot of the meals that is brought to the field is food that’s easy to pack up. Tacos is one meal that’s not an easy meal to bring to the field! I have a couple of insulated food carriers that were Grandmas. I try to look for more when I’m in thrift stores because they are the best for hauling meals and keeping food hot in! One of them has a reminder of the days that I helped her.  I think I put it on the stove top when it was still very hot and melted the bottom. It now has duct tape over the holes to prevent water from going into the holes while it’s being washed. I’m glad I have it – it’s a visual reminder of my days with them.

Speaking of duct tape…that and baling wire were two required items to have on the service truck when Grandpa harvesting. That man could fix ANYTHING with duct tape and baling wire – SERIOUSLY! Grandpa’s family grew up during the depression. They wasted nothing and threw nothing away for fear they might need it someday. Grandpa had a mind of an engineer and so does my dad! I think it was passed on to me, as well. Not that I’m bragging but my brain can “visually” see how something might work before it’s tried. And being the persistent person that I am, I don’t usually  stop until I figure out how it will work. That’s a passed down trait, I’m sure!

Since we all have cell phones now, its hard to imagine how we used to have to stand in lines at the pay phones to call home or farmers or girl/boyfriends. One place in particular I remember standing in line waiting for the phone was Dacoma, OK. I remember sitting in the pickup after the sun had set just wishing the person we were waiting for would hurry up and get off the phone so we could just go back to the trailer house and sleep. Another memory is the phone booth in Lodgepole, NE. There was ONE pay phone along the street and there was ALWAYS a line to use. If you’ve ever been through Lodgepole or Chapell, you know there’s a trail blowing it’s whistle about every five minutes. This phone in particular was the hardest to use because your conversation was always extended due to having to wait for the train to go by before you could hear the other person. Lodgepole holds a lot of fond memories for me. The restaurant on the East side of town, the trains, the post office, the Linger Longer bar, the busy elevator right across the street from the trailer park, 4th of July and a town full of other harvesters. This particular trailer park also had a clothes line. We didn’t have to string our own here. It was a treat!! And a real clothes line is STILL a treat. I talked the owners of the RV park here in Jordan into putting one up for me and they did. What a silly item that makes a persons day!  Most of the time, I have to figure out how I can string a line to make it work and I can get pretty good and making them work. When Jamie & Jenna were little, I’d put the line low enough so they could help me hang clothes. They used to get the biggest kick out of helping me with that chore. Jamie had her dad help her last spring before we left for harvest set clothes line poles in her yard. Nothing beats the smell of clothes hung up outside!

Better quit for now. As a kid, I always dreamed of being a writer one day. I feel like I’ve got my opportunity to write 🙂 so I’m gonna write. Whether it makes sense to anyone or not, I write what comes to mind – so beware.