Is bad help better than no help at all, you make the call!

Bruce had corn to deliver to the ethanol plant today, he asked me if I would come and load wagons while he was hauling, I agreed without much enthusiasm.

I am not a multi-tasker, I especially am not a multi-tasker under pressure and I proved it this morning.

Usually loading wagons are pretty straight forward, put the wagon under the grain spout and fill the wagon, moving it as needed.

Today it was a little more complicated when Bruce found out the corn he was going to haul was too dry and needed to blend it with corn from another bin to bring the moisture rate up. That involved running two tractors and two bin switches.

First I had to start this tractor, because it is difficult to start and if I turn the bin switch on first, the hopper may overload before I get the tractor going. Ask me how I know this.

The auger from this tractor is running into the bin you see.

 

Next I flip the switch on this electrical box at the drying bin.

 

 

The corn out of the drying bin run out into the hopper of the auger that is powered by the big Deutz tractor. (The one hard to start.)

 

Then I start the little Deutz tractor that is attached to the auger that sends corn into the waiting wagon.

 

The last switch is on the bin that is unloading in the auger loading the wagon.

 

Then it is just the matter of monitoring the amount of corn flowing into the wagon and make sure it doesn't over flow, I repeat, Make Sure It Doesn't Overflow!

 

I thought I was doing okay until I moved the wagon a little too much and suddenly I see corn flowing out of the wagon onto the ground, YIKES!!!!

 

I'm like Chicken Little running around, "What do I do first?? Do I try to back the wagon under the corn??"

 

No, I panicked, leaped from the tractor and ran to the little Deutz and pulled the PTO lever.

 

Then I ran to the big Deutz and shut it down. "AACK!! Corn is still running out of the bin, flip the bin lever down!"

 

But I still hear corn running, I FORGOT to pull the lever on the other bin!! AAUUGGGHHH!!!

 

I raced over, hurtling the auger and a growing pile of corn and flip the lever down, silence.

 

But I have a huge pile of corn by this auger. (This is after I sucked most of it up with the shop vac.)

 

This was a big pile on the backside of the wagon, before I scooped it up.

 

 

What to do, what to do?

 

Run home and hide under the bed?

 

Pack my bag and take an extended vacation?

 

Or put on my big girl panties and deal with it?

 

I knew the first place Bruce would look was under the bed and I really don't want to go anywhere so decided to deal with it. I brought the loader tractor in and scooped as much off the ground as I could because Bruce would be coming back with another wagon anytime.

 

Which he did and he wasn't smiling, he was pretty ticked off, he 'didn't understand how that could happen.' REALLY??

 

I'm pleased to say I didn't burst into tears, Bruce even told me to go home! How Rude! You'd think he didn't even appreciate my help! I told him I didn't do it on purpose and not to scold me!!

 

He took off with the loaded wagon, still not very happy and I set to work filling the empty one, just to show him I could do it without all hell breaking loose!

 

Didn't I do a good job?

 

 

When it was full, I went home and got the shop vac and set to work cleaning up the big pile of corn, completely filling the loader bucket. Bruce came back in a better frame of mind, dumped the corn in the empty wagon so I could finish. He even complimented me on the good job I did cleaning it up.

 

I filled the last load and finished the cleanup, the shop vac takes a lot of work out of it.

 

 

And then there is Morris, always ready to lend moral support and remind me his food bowl is empty.

 

Just so you know, life is never dull on the farm.