Kylee DeBock – DeBock Harvesting
As I write this post, I am listening to the wind howl and the rain hit the camper roof.
The North Dakota weather has set in…again. We had a month off due to weather and then finally got the ten days we needed to finish up our jobs. Well…at least finish up with the work we knew about; but Dillon’s phone kept ringing, so we kept cutting!
One of the phone calls was actually for work in Nebraska to cut milo. After much discussion, we decided that we would take some equipment to Nebraska and leave one combine here in North Dakota. So, last Saturday, we loaded up the tractor, grain cart and one combine. On Sunday, the crew left for Nebraska, leaving only me and the kids in North Dakota.
Sunday was the only day in the week’s forecast with sunshine. So, I was a one-man show…or I should say a one-woman show!! I called the farmer and told him I had a full truck-load of soybeans and wondered where he would like it taken. Unfortunately, the elevators were closed. So, I called another farmer and asked if I could move to his fields if he had a truck available. He was happy to hear from me. Riggin and I headed to the farm while Colston went fishing with a friend.
It was just me and the farmer, so it took a bit of time to get everything to the field. My combine was about ten miles away. We got that first, then headed to his house to get his truck and back again to get his tractor. It took us awhile but we got it all moved and I was able to start cutting.
We had been cutting soybeans and I was moving onto wheat. Yes, I said wheat! (It’s a bit late in the season but there are still several fields of wheat and durum standing.) I knew the combine was going to need a few things changed, so I called Dillon and he walked me through all of it. The farmer tested the moisture and he gave me the “go ahead”. Riggin and I worked until 11:00 that night. We could have gone longer but I ran out of truck space.
I figured I better get Riggin home, anyway, since he had school the next morning. I was so proud of him. I was worried he’d be super hard to get up and grumpy but he hopped right out of bed just like any other morning! I was pretty proud of myself, too! I moved the combine with the header on, reset the combine from soybeans to wheat and cut 85 acres all by myself and, thank God, with no issues! I was pretty pumped about going the next day and getting a full day’s work in; however, I woke to rain.
Since it was raining, I decided to head to the laundromat. My washing machine decided to start leaking all over my floor a few weeks earlier. While I was folding clothes, my soybean farmer called to tell me where to take the soybeans. First thing Tuesday morning, I took those to the Bowbells elevator. Then, I was off to Minot to pick up some parts Dillon had ordered before he left.
It was still rainy on Wednesday. I was a little thankful because it was Halloween and I wanted to go to the kids’ school parties and take them trick-or-treating. The evening was a bit chilly but not so cold that it was miserable. The kids had a really great time with their friends and so did I and the other parents!
I think we made the right decision on sending the crew to Nebraska because they were able to start cutting when they unloaded. I have only cut one day. However, the rain has found its way there now as Dillon got shut down yesterday, due to the moisture. I think he is headed back to North Dakota tomorrow in hopes that we can finish up. But, the weather is just not cooperating. We have snow in the forecast. This time of year, when North Dakota gets snow, it might not melt! Hopefully, the sun will shine soon and we can help this farmer get finished up.
Saturday, the kids were super excited to wake up to a dusting of snow! But it was a wet snow so it wasn’t sticking to the roads. I decided that we would take a day-trip to Minot to the indoor water park! It was a great decision which turned into a great day with my boys. We went to the water park, played arcade games, shopped, watched a movie and finished the evening off with ice cream! One of my favorite things is making memories with my kids and I think the water park will be one they will remember fondly!
God Bless,
Kylee DeBock
“Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope,”
1 Peter 1:3 GNT
