End rows . . .

give me a headache! First thing when I started today, I about had a heart attack. They had told me that I probably could/should leave one row of stalks on the very edges (next to the fence or standing corn) but after having about 3 days' experience, I thought I was good enough that I'd be able to go ahead and get that row for 'em! Right away today doing that I scared myself to see I was going by a light pole pretty fast! But missed it - whew! It wasn't close to me but it was very close to the end of that 8 row stalk cutter that sticks out!

I did get better with the end rows today but it sure helps when you're doing them in the daylight - and in straighter fields!! As of this year, we have a 24 row planter which means 48 end rows all around the field. A couple fields are mostly end rows! :) I also moved to another field on the road farther this time - but there was no traffic where we were.

For the farmers, I'm driving a John Deere 4440 and Pam is in a John Deere 8300 with the cart. Pam and her husband, Carl, help us in the Fall. Pam has helped the Kemnas for about 30 years and she is GOOD at what she does! Carl was ripping most of today in the IH 9370 four wheel drive tractor. Bill farms with Uncle Tim. They make a good team. Tim is usually hauling and/or filling bins during Harvest. We have two GMC Volvo semis to haul with. They are matching with white cabs that say Kemna Farms on the sides with Colts blue trailers. But Bill and Tim each claim one and can tell a difference between them - kind of like twins.

We're very lucky to have others help us out some. Bill's brother, Jim, from Kansas City takes a week off of work to help. Our brother-in-law Dave took 3 days off work this past week and ripped. Kyle, a bank VP, took Fri. off and ripped. He has also helped nights and on the weekends. Glenn helps occasionally.

Last night Carl brought the stalk chopper to the field I was going to be working in and to be nice, got started on the end rows for me. He had been around about once and heard a bad, loud noise, saw smoke and liquid coming out of the tractor. He shut it down immediately and called for help. A big part of the air cond. broke! I was so glad that happened to him and not me! We are too close to being done, and with rain coming in about 3 days, to stop and get it fixed, plus it's Sun. So for today, with temps. going to be around 70, they told me I better wear my bikini with all the glass that surrounds you in the cab! It wasn't bad though - I had the side windows open most of the time and that was kind of nice.

Our equipment all have old CB radios in them so when you're close, you can talk to each other. Unfortunatly, my radio has something wrong with it and I can only hear but not talk! So I can't complain about the end rows or the guy that designed the layout (Bill, the planter) - and they make fun of the Colts and I can't say anything!

We only have 20 acres to go so my job in the stalk cutter will end already tomorrow. And I'm just getting it all figured out! There were many stars in the sky when we quit tonight. It was a good day.