Harvest

As far as the eye can see are fields and fields of corn. Dotted through this landscape are the reds, greens, and occasional blues of combines, tractors and huge trucks. It's harvest time in the heartland. To a country girl raised in the rolling hills of Kentucky (translate-not much land that will grow crops) this is fascinating stuff. The huge combines lumber through the rows of corn until they fill with the golden grains. Then they load up the big semi-trailers and it is hauled to the scales to be weighed and unloaded for storage. It's an all day and sometimes late night job until the weather breaks or the harvest is finished.

Occasionally you will see a combine stopped in the field surrounded by a cluster of pick-up trucks. That usually means trouble. Every farmer keeps a vehicle loaded with tools, parts, oils, and various other supplies ready to run from field to field in the event that there is a break down. Farmers become masters at taking equipment apart and repairing it in the field. They have to, time is literally money when you are rushing to beat the weather.

It's the farm wives who carry the heaviest load during all of this. They not only have to continue with their usual chores of getting kids up and off to school, washing, cleaning, cooking, housework--you know the usual routine. Now however are added all the chores that the hubby can't get to. For some that is feeding and checking cows, picking up supplies, getting replacement parts, finding equipment repair books. calling manufacturers for parts, paying bills, and in short, keeping the rest of the farming operation running. Also, added to the routine, are the lunches and suppers that are served in the fields. The fields are too big and too far apart to make stopping and coming in for meals a possibility, so every farm wife becomes a master at packing and delivering hot meals in out of the way places.

Like one wife said, "It's like being a widow for about two months, except you have this dirty, tired, grumpy man that wanders through at odd hours for a hot shower and a little sleep--during which time the world is supposed to stop so he isn't disturbed."

This has been a good harvest year and they will soon be finished in the fields. The weather has been unusually warm and dry, so there haven't been a lot of down days. The harvest will be done in time for a special Thanksgiving (sometimes they are still struggling at Christmas!).