Randi Beckley – Beckley Harvesting
I have to admit, the first couple weeks of harvest are always tough. Yes, we get to play with the kids a lot when Jake is home, but for those days he is in the fields testing wheat or working on equipment, it’s just me and three little hoodlums inside the trailer house, with walls that seem to get smaller the longer we stay inside. I’m sure a lot of you HarvestHERs feel the same way. When I’m at home in Kansas, I have lots of things to do to stay busy: volunteering at school, going to the store, visiting friends, working on house projects, taking kids to school and various activities, and spending time with extended family. But when we begin harvest, my only job is to cook for our guys, and the rest of the time, I’m on my own. To go from being busy every day and having multiple commitments, to suddenly being in a small trailer house in the middle of nowhere, can be a little isolating, at first. I try to use this time to cross books off my ever-expanding reading list and to find fun things to do with the kids. Still, it’s a big adjustment every year.
Jake and I have been making the most of our time together and are trying to give the kids some good memories of harvest. Jake has been coming to Leedey for harvest since he was a little boy, so he knows all the fun things in town, and, of course, all the best fishing ponds. Each kid got an evening alone with their dad to go fishing and each one came back beaming, with tales of fish as long as their arms. We’ve spent a lot of time fishing (and a lot of time picking off ticks).
The kids have also been learning to ride their bikes, which is rather entertaining to watch. I particularly enjoy watching Jake run to catch the kids when they’re going down hills too quickly, or when they’re about to run into a pole (Michael hasn’t figured out steering yet).
Our family is especially enjoying the biweekly trips to Elk City, because we usually end up stopping by Braums on the way home. I’ve also taken the kids to visit my grandparents, who only live about an hour away from here. We don’t get to see them very often throughout the year, so it’s always special to be able to take time to visit them on days I don’t have to cook.
However, my cooking days are about to begin in earnest, as the weather forecast calls for clear skies and hot days. We should be able to start cutting wheat today! Within the next week or so, our crew will need to be getting up to the next stop, so we can only hope that cutting goes quickly and smoothly while we’re down here in Leedey, Oklahoma.
As difficult as harvest life can be, I really do try to cherish this time we have together. Not every family gets to be so close to each other. In a house smaller than 500 square feet, we’re always close! (If only those dang mice hadn’t invited themselves in.)
1. Be ready to go at the drop of a hat...sometimes without a lunchbox.
2. Has removed the word impossible from her vocabulary!
3. Can hold a baby, take care of a toddler and drive a tractor or combine all at the same time.
4. Must be able to cook for a crew - large or small.
5. Must be able to read minds.
6. Must be able to banter with a parts man until he realizes you DO know what you're talking about.
7. Must be the entertainment director for those rainy days.
8. Be a wife, mom, friend, helper, cook, problem solver, taxi driver or extra crew hand at all times.
9. Can handle the call that makes you react, "You need what? When?" Dropping everything you're doing to make it happen.
10. At the end of the day say, "I really do love this life".
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