Wheat Harvest, first edition

I am terribly sorry that I was not able to update you all sooner but working from 8 am to 11ish pm with no internet within a 20 minute drive makes E-life difficult. Today and yeasterday we were off because it rained the last two nights. Here are a few of the pictures I have so far.

This is the combines (minus 1) lined up in the morning with our service truck. We are probably greasing them and getting ready for the day. For the first 4 days I ran one of these. Try driving around in a field with 8 other combines trying not to run over each other while keeping your 27 foot header from digging up rocks or missing the top of the wheat and leaving a "skipper". I was surprised at how hard it was during the day, and then it got dark. Here are two pictures of my 'house'. It is an old refrigerated semi-trailer that has been converted with bunks, shower, toilet, sink, TV, DVD player, stereo, washer and dryer and lots of storage space. About 8 of us will stay in here. Sleeping in a constant 60 degree climate controlled trailer is really not that bad (except it was broke the last few nights, but the repair man is there now). Other than sleeping we really don't spend any time here except on days off, Sundays and rain days.


So this week I got to spend monday in a truck, #106 to be exact. It is a tandom 10 wheeler with about an 18 foot grain dump box on it. This is me at the controls of this 30+ ton rig.
This is a small sampling of what 9 combines in one field looks like. You probably can't see all nine, since I am in one.

And one parting picture of the grand sunsets with the combine infront. This picture really does'nt do justice. Imagine 180 degrees of sunset behind 9 combines. I will see you all soon, maybe. And you can e-mail me, but I probably won't have time to e-mail you back. stay posted for more pictures as we move into Kansas and then on north to Montana.

A Journey Begins...

I am going to give you a few details of a journey I have recently decided to embark on. It is a scary journey, one with many unknowns . But a journey that is well worth the risks.I am not talking about a backpacking trip or even a journey in time.
I am talking about a relationship.

Allow me to start at the begining, say back in november.
I asked the lovely Sarah to the annual Christmas.
I was thinking "I'll ask a good friend and we can have a great time."
So this was my invitation and...
She checked YES!

We had a wonderful evening, so we took a picture.

It wasn't long before we found ourselves (unconsciously, for a while) among the same group of friends on the weekends, Occasionally playing poker (Sorry momma Staley for the bad influence). And I must add that her first game she made even the best among us shake our heads at our loses.

Over time we had more and more talks, conversations,
and other interations, often in uncommon places at all hours of the day and night.
The topics usually wern't about anything in partiucular, just life.

I was not really looking to start anything as I was leaving for 5 months and the means of communication are questionable at best. But we all know that when a young lady catches the attention of a young man there is not much that can stand in the way.
So when the counsel I recieved on the matter said I shouldn't wait, it didnt' take me long (long, in this case was probably measured in nano-seconds) to see it their way. May I add that waiting two days untill her college finals were over were probably the hardest days of my life.

So, then as of May 18 2006 we officially started dating.
Or you could say we embarked on a journey, a path, or a road, that as of right now is heading in the same dirction at the same place at the same time, but the end is still far off , and uncertain.
So Keep checking back regualarly to see where God leads, and after reading this post (which certainly took more than 30 seconds) please take just 30 seconds to pray for us, invest in our lives, it will be greatly appreciated.

Dime-A-Dog Day

"Limit 5 per person per visit" read the sign above the concession stand where workers feverishly labored to keep the hotdogs stocked for the droves of customers lined up outside. This was the scene at just one of the possibly dozens of counters that offered this cheap commodity.

That's right, 10 meager cents would buy 1 whole hotdog compete with a bun and condiments. "Dime-A-Dog Day" is just one ploy to attract fans to see a game of the "Columbus Clippers". Which, (for those who don't know) is the AAA farm team that supplies talent to the New York Yankees. The downside is that a large drink cost $4.00. So for 5 of my hard earned dollars I opted for 10 hotdogs and a Mt Dew. Note to self: #1 goes down a whole lot faster than #9 (I gave 1 away, slyly apearing to be generous).

Of course there was some baseball mixed in with the festivities, featuring the fledgling Clippers against the Rochester Braves.

And Entertainment Provided by the ever present Mascots.

And if the game and mascots got too boring there was always a vendor shouting about his various products which may include, alcohol, cracker jacks, peanuts, popcorn, cotton candy or other various items.

And then there were those stray foul balls. My apologies to the guy I smacked in the head during that scuffle, I hope my glove wasn't too hard, but you did end up with a ball to show for your efforts.

Unfortunately, "If they lose its a shame" was reality. 7-3, but if it wasn't' for the two home runs by the same guy on the Braves, the game would have been really close. Oh well, the night ended with much enthusiasm and hollering, it is so much more exciting to cheer when you really have no interest in who wins.

And with that, I leave you with one last look at the park, Cooper stadium, downtown Columbus.