Kingman, KS: The good news is, Kansas is getting rain. Lots of it. We haven’t turned a wheel in a week, but we have received at least 12 inches of rain here since we last combined. As welcome as the rains are, they do pose a bit of challenge finishing up acres in the area.
Wheat that still needs to be combined is now becoming overrun with weeds who are happily excelling in the new moisture and hot temperatures that are now rising. They will complicate and prolong our harvest attempts, but also on the good side we currently have the time to get it done before our next stop.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen rains that have been so heavy and, here by Kingman, not accompanied by damaging hail or high winds. I have heard that a little farther up by Colby they did get some damaging winds and by Scott City they have seen hail. It’s hard to know how to feel about it when the rain is so badly needed.
Since I last updated, we completed our stop by Kiowa and moved over by Pratt. Pratt ran smoothly, outside of some four-wheel drive issues with one of the AF9 combines. Thankfully it was straightened out without effecting our ability to get crops out. Pratt had seen a good bit of rain and was pretty wet when we got there. We struggled with some mud, but I learned that sometimes when it’s slushy, it’s a little easier to work with than when it starts tacking up with warm temperatures. We had some machines get stuck, but I think it was a good opportunity for our crew to gain some experience working with tougher conditions.
We were lucky enough to pick up some acres by Kingman to keep us busy. We cleaned the machines up and made our way there. Things were running well until we got all the rain we are currently waiting to dry up.
So, what does a harvest crew do when it rains for several days straight? Well, we’ve been working on our cornhole skills, for one. Luckily, Wichita and Hutchinson are both about 30 minutes away, and there’s lots to do in both places. Between bowling, Top Golf, and Go Karts, we’ve been able to somewhat keep ourselves entertained. But I think everyone on the crew will agree they’d much rather be combining.
The wind is up today, and we’re looking to get hot, so Paul’s hoping we can get back going again either late tomorrow, or the following day. There’s little left here, and then we’ll be making our way out to Montana. From what I’ve heard, things look good out there. I’m hoping our crew will finally get some consistent running in.
With the Fourth of July coming up this weekend, we hope you all enjoy happy and safe celebrations.
