Lindsey Sterkel
It has come to that sad time of year when everyone starts going their separate ways. 
We started to pack up and leave Moline, IL and two guys stayed behind here. We had to say goodbye (Hopefully not for good! We better see them again sometime!) and then soon realized we won’t be home until Tuesday and we have three more leaving by Monday! 
Words really can’t express how thankful we are for all of our crew’s help this season. We had our rough patches, that’s for sure, but I think the good times totally outweighed those times this year. We could not have and cannot do what we do without their help! Whether it’s the cooks making us an awesome supper and lunch and bringing it to the field, or one of the guys helping me with my hood, or changing a sickle on a header! Everything these awesome people have done has helped us reach the end of harvest for 2016!
Machine shed!! The best place to eat in Iowa! And I think almost everyone in the state agrees!
These guys and gals have been troopers for taking all the group pictures I’ve forced them into! 
We have to take a picture by the Deere outside of Harvester Works, of course!
We got 7 in the shovel!! I was hoping for more but that’s still pretty good!
We did our Harvester Works tour today and a tour of John Deere World Headquarters. It was pretty neat because we were their first tour for the 2017 model combines.
Our guides let us all sneak a picture in the factory where gold key members start a combine on the line.
My favorite part is the painting section of the tour. They have (I think but I’m not 100% sure) six 55,000 gallon steel tubs of different solutions they dip the machines into to get ready for paint. 
The World Headquarters is my most favorite out of all of the tours. I love, love, LOVE that building. Not only do they give us an awesome meal every time we go for a gold key tour, but the history of the building and people who ran it are so interesting. The building is tucked away in the hills and the building is made of 120,000 tons of steel! 
We had some hungry guys that couldn’t wait to dive in! And I don’t blame them, I was right behind em’!
They have an atrium full of exotic plants which we got to eat in today. Another fun fact is that instead of normal offices where you work your way up the building, the higher up people in the company like the CEO, etc work their way down. They do this because the thought is they are closer and more linked to the land that way. SO COOL!!!
In the atrium with all of the plants and where we got to enjoy an awesome lunch. 
I hope everyone is having as much fun as we are, and that everyone is winding down safely.
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".