Getting in on Harvest

We got to take an unexpected road trip last week out to the farm in NE Montana.  Usually by this time of year, harvest has been finished for a month or more.  Not this year.  This was a year of crazy amounts of spring rain that delayed seeding (if it happened at all - some of the farmers around Dad didn't even get into their fields), making for an unusually late harvest.  So when Ryan got off the phone a couple Sundays ago, he told me that harvest was starting and Dad could use some help.  Did I want to go?  Sure!  Of course when the kids heard about the prospect of combine rides, grain truck rides, dune buggy and 4-wheeler rides, and (best of all!) seeing Grandpa Larry, well, the deal was sealed.  A few days later we were looking at scenes like this:

The home place nestled into the wide open prairie.

 First order of business?  Combine rides.

Lots and lots of combine rides!  Morgan wasn't too sure what to think of the big noisy machine.  It took her almost an entire round before she started saying much to Grandpa Larry.  Dad and Ryan would head out early and the kids and I would bring out lunch and dinner.  The kids kept asking me when lunch was (they call every meal 'lunch') because it meant rides on the combine and in the grain trucks.

Once Farmer Lane realized walkie-talkies were involved, he kept us all quite entertained.  He'd get SUPER excited when one of us would respond to his inquiries.  I'm sure we went through more batteries on these things then Grandpa usually would!

Emptying the grain truck was a highlight too.  Grandpa would grab handfuls of wheat every few minutes and dump them into buckets to get an idea of the quality of his crop.

Take a few handfuls of wheat, add two kids and you end up with lots of fun!

When we weren't out in the fields begging for rides, we explored a bit of the yard.  I hadn't ever seen the reservoir with this much water and Dad says this is the only time he remembers there being any water by late August.  One of his fields still has water running out of it! 

A thunderstorm came through Friday night and rained just enough to keep the combine out of the fields Saturday morning.  The kids didn't mind though.  It meant dune buggy and 4-wheeler rides with Daddy!

Maybe if Daddy sees me sitting on this thing, he'll take me for a ride?!

This is what a farmer loves to see - grain trucks filling up!

The kids enjoyed playing in the wheat - they ended up with wheat from head to toe! 

My happy husband.

Logan decided the straw was too poky to do any crawling.  Of course, right after this picture was taken, guess where that handful of straw went? 

Relaxing for a few minutes after dinner...

while enjoying a beautiful end to another busy day.