Wheat Harvest: NE panhandle

Welcome to Nebraska. Some of it looks like Kansas and some looks like this. It is much more exciting (and dangerous) driving truck here than the plains.

To move 9 combines with only 8 trailers is quite a feat The first convoy (which included me) left at about 5 am and then returned. The rest of the equipment and vehicles left about 1 pm. The temperature that day was in the upper 90's. That means overheated trucks and blown tires. When a tire does blow the combine needs to be unloaded, and the service truck is essential for tools. With 15 energetic young men a tire can be changed fairly quickly,the combine re-loaded and we can be back on the road with efficiently that rivals some pit crews.

When we come to town, sometimes the elevators look like this. One truck at the pit, Two in line and another pulling onto the scales. They are all ours.

Thanks to mother nature, this is what we did on independance day. Good ole' BBQ, with Mel at the grill. Note the homemade propane grill made from 3/8" well casing, mounted on the trailer so it swings out of the way for quick packing when we move.

Special thanks to the town, there is a 'walk-on' golf course that we played at one evening. I have nerver seen a course with pasture style fairways and sand "greens".

Our current home-Hemingord NE. There are about 6 other crews in town , I think about 2 are staying in our "park".
One last story:
We were told of this and reminded to keep our distance. Another harvest crew had an accident recently. Apparently one trucker was following too close to another one and didn't stop in time when the first one did. 65 mph was the number I heard, and the way I inderstand it the dash was crunched in and the driver had to be 'medi-vac'ed (sp?) to the hospital. I believe he is still alive, but certainly not 100%.