September 2020

by Nebraska Wheatie

Life happens and updating this blog gets pushed aside. So very close and yet still far enough away from the end of the year (2020). I am determined, though, to get this caught up before we head south again.

Yes, that time is rolling around way too fast. It appears the cool and wet weather has set the date back. The harvesters in Texas as STILL waiting to get rolling. Once the sun pops out and the wet stuff stops falling from the sky, I’m certain the combines will, once again, be going round and round – if they still do that. Thanks to GPS, it seems the round and round has been turned into back and forth, back and forth.

When September rolled around, we were done with cutting wheat. Remember…the last day of wheat harvest for us was on August 26th. Our typical routine after we finish in Montana is to take our time in cleaning everything up really well. The push to get to the next job is over and a better, more thorough job is possible and usually needed.

The trip back home is nearly 1,000 miles. And the Pete makes the trip four times. So, truck maintenance is also a must. By the time we finish what we do, it’s usually 10 days to two weeks past the final day of cutting before we make our way home with the first load.

Jamie and Curt are still here. They won’t actually leave until September 9. So, between doing what we have to do, we also tried to do some fun things with them while we were all together. Video, “Day 96”, gives a highlight of our time with the kids while they were in Jordan with us.

September 2 was one of the craziest days of the summer – and maybe one of the craziest of our lives.

The Jordan area was dry…very dry. And the winds were supposed to be extremely bad on this particular day. The morning of September 2, however, was fairly quiet. A fire was started by a rancher’s hired man north of town. And then the winds picked up. And then a spark led to what became a huge wildfire threatening the town of Jordan. The Huff Fire video is still the #1 viewed video of the 2020 wheat harvest with nearly 52,000 views.

We left Jordan with the first load headed home, home on September 10. (Video, “Day 99”)

In the following days, we arrived home (on September 12) and turned right around and headed back north again. We arrived back to Jordan on September 14. We spent the next day loading the combine and tying up some loose ends. On September 16, we left Jordan for the final time for the 2020 wheat harvest. This is NEVER easy to do. Never.

We arrived back home on September 18 and decided to park the trailer house at the Fairgrounds just until we could get back to “normal” again.

The videos to watch for the roadtrip home and final days of harvest are: Day 100, Day 101, Day 102, Day 103, Day 104, Day 105, Day 106, Day 107/Final Day of our Journey End of Journey Narrative, Trying to Find the Normal and It’s Empty!

What’s next? Fall harvest!

Colten & Taylor left Montana and headed for Yellowstone National Park.
Jamie and Angie used to play together on this very same playground when the girls used to attend school here. The girls were lucky to get to attend school here while we were cutting wheat. They would usually go to school here for a couple of weeks to a month before we would head home.
Now their kids play together on the same playground. 🙂
Who could have ever guessed later this afternoon, we would be leaving our trailer houses not knowing if we’d be back again or not.
I remember stepping out of the trailer and seeing the smoke thinking, “Boy, I sure hope that stays east of town!”
This is beginning to look a little more intense.
The fire was close enough to the equipment, we decided to move the combine further west of town.
Do you see the fire-fighting plane?
Jamie and I walked over to the Catholic Church and volunteered to make sandwiches for the firefighters.
Jim drove The Beast in the Trump parade on September 4th.
Gathering with friends after the parade for supper.
Breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa’s.
Still smoldering five days later.
Answer to prayers! We received over an inch of rain today (September 7th).
Gathering at Ryan and Randi’s house for a final night together before Jamie and Curt headed for Cody, Wyoming.
Getting Frank and Pete ready to make the first load home.
I was attempting to get a picture of the Broadus sign. Ha!
Broadus Weigh Scale.
We spent the first night on the road at the Belle Fourche Sale Barn.
LOVE the sign on the top right!!!!!!!
Before leaving Miles City and making our way back to Jordan, we stopped at the Airport Inn for lunch. All these years and I had never been here before. What a view from on top of this hill!
Henry. Henry was purchased brand new by my grandpa. We purchased it from him when we were beginning this adventure. And, now, Henry is retiring in Montana.
A different view of Jordan.
New growth through the ashes.
Taking the time for a visit just one more time.
Headed south once again.
The Belle Fourche Sales Barn. The smoke from the wildfires blocked the sun and created a big red ball in the sky.
Still seeing the wildfire smoke in Nebraska.
Second – and final night on the road for the 2020 harvest – was spent in O’Neill, Nebraska.
The elevator on the horizon is home, home – Manley. We parked temporarily parked everything at the fairgrounds until we figured out what the heck we were doing first.
Look who came for a visit!
Callie came to the trailer house one day and hung out with me and Layne.
All the views from home.
Next…Fall Harvest.