Sunday, September 15, 2013

#168. or, Adversity

  You know that thing?

  That thing.....

  .........where you're swathing canola in the middle of the night because you're trying to catch the dew to keep the pods from breaking open and spilling their seed all over the ground along with everything you worked all summer to achieve? When your swather makes this sickening bang and suddenly the header is hanging to the left and you limp it off the field, best you can, without tearing apart all of the swaths that you've cut earlier in the day? When you're finally off the stubble and onto the wet grass, crawling around underneath looking for the problem by the light of a cell phone because you didn't really think you needed a proper flash light? When you find the problem, and your heart sinks a little because you know, in the dark, laying there in the wet grass, by the light of your cell phone, THIS is gonna be a bitch to fix?

  So, you go to town the next morning for parts, and along the way, you see that one guy has been combining, which means even though it's only one guy, EVERY DAMN BODY is combining and you're the very last to start. Again! Without thinking about it, you chat it up with the parts guy a little longer than usual, because even though you know you need to get that swather repaired and back to work, you're delaying just a bit, because inside, there's a tiny piece of you that doesn't really want to tackle the job. But it needs to be fixed so you get to the field with your tools and the parts, and wander over to start the repairs with the body language of a quarterback who just threw an interception that cost his team the game in the final.

  And in 10 minutes it's done. Even before you realize, as you're crawling out from underneath the swather with a hand full of greasy tools, you have to stop and look back to make sure you did it right, because the whole job only took 10 minutes.

  That thing!

  Ya, that happened to me, earlier this week. First time ever! This year, anyways.

  I've been swathing canola like a madman, as it's been unseasonably wonderful weather for this time of year. Unfortunately, the heat has had our canola turning faster that I can get it cut, and now my last 80 acres are dead ripe and I can't swath it without losing all of the seed. So I'm a little stressed.

  I do have another option. I can cut it standing, directly into the combine. I do that with grain, but have never done it with canola. It's extremely delicate, much moreso than the other grains, so I'd prefer it to be in a swath, but all is not lost. Last night, I went to talk to my neighbour who was hauling grain in a field near ours, as his son combined. He straight cuts canola sometimes, and put my mind at ease about doing it. Somewhat. He also assured me that I am in fact NOT the very last farmer to begin combining this year, and he's also got some canola that still needs to be swathed. And most likely will be straight combining some as well.

  So that made me feel a little better.

  .........even though, it still bugs me that I wasn't able to get it done.


18 comments:

  1. Growing up with three farmers (my Dad and my brothers), I thought they knew everything, everything I didn't. I've since learned that all jobs are collaborative and they should be.
    I know you are programmed for excessive worry at this time of the year (spring too) but I encourage you to remember you can do this and you are not alone. (It's a mantra I like to repeat to myself even though I'm not a farmer; I think it applies regardless of the career.)

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    1. Those are wise words. I'll try to make them a part of my daily grind. Thanks.

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  2. You can do it, Ken! Get as much of it in the bin as you can!

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    1. Hey Debra,

      I expect it will all get there......eventually. :)

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  3. Dear dear friend,

    I am DAHGUM impressed. It continues to amaze me to learn all of this about the in's and out's of farming because, well, I like others, have probably been entirely too naive about that whole process. Or sets of processes.

    I know about the stress. I'm with ya. I can NOT seem to get ahead or even near the finish line. I know you can do it. We're here, collectively cheering you on!

    I like the form of this post, by the way. Maybe I can borrow the same idea but put my ''day in the life of a professor' spin on it. :)

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    1. Hello my friend!

      Sometimes I forget that this blog-o-mine is supposed to supposed to be, at least once in a while, about me in a tractor. I never think it's going to be all that interesting when I do a post on what I do, yet, they seem to be.

      You most certainly can borrow the idea, any time you like. Pretty sure I borrowed it from someone else somewhere along the line. :)

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  4. I never really thought that much about the life of a farmer until I started reading your blog. You remind me of just how much I take for granted.

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    1. Thanks Stephen, I think we all fall into that "the grass is greener..." trap. I'm glad to shed a bit of light on what I do, even if I might not be the best spokesman for it.

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  5. Minus the machinery part I know exactly what you mean. This has been a weird year and everything needs be harvested and canned NOW NOW RIGHT NOW and I am swamped with work and winter prep and oh god when will it END!?

    Ahem.

    I mean good luck with that canola.

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    1. Hey Holly!

      January! It will all go away in January. Except the shovelling of the snow, and the feeding of the animals and the planning of the new year......

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  6. I love to read about your farming life (especially your challenges) as a lifelong city girl. We all get frustrated when things just do go right! Good luck with the rest f your harvest!

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  7. Ken, I'm impressed, too. Your tenancity, attitude and effort is real and honest. Don't know the farming life (loving the lessons) but I know stress and you handle damn well.

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    1. Hi LaTonya,

      Thanks. I try to handle it well, but there are days, Oh boy, are there days!

      I'm hope that I can do what I do justice, in my explanations. :)

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  8. Reading your posts always bring me back to reality in a way. I can't imagine being at the mercy of nature so much - my hat's off to you.

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    1. Thanks Natalie,

      The weather is the one thing that seems to play into almost every facet of what I do, and the thing we have no control over at all. It can be frustrating at times.

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  9. Oh man. That is stressful. It's good to know that you have a solution that should work.

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    1. I guess there's almost always a solution. And if nothing presents itself, I can fall back on that old farmer saying, "there's always next year." :)

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