Lessons from a Combine
Harvest has officially started! After his first evening working in the field, HandyMan came home full of adrenaline from harvest and in a really talkative mood. As we were standing in the kitchen talking, he asked me if I remembered the first time I rode with him in the combine. I did…
When HandyMan and I started dating, I hadn’t really spent a lot of time on a farm. I grew up surrounded by farms and farm families. In fact, my grandpa had a small farm and my two closest friends lived on a farm, but I knew very little about what went in to farming and had never even be in the cab of a tractor or combine. So that first fall, HandyMan invited me on a date, riding in the combine while he cut beans.
When I arrived at the farm, HandyMan told me to drive his truck out to the field and he would come get me in the combine. I parked his truck out of the way and nervously awaited my ride. I don’t remember exactly why I was nervous, but I think I was worried he would want me to try cutting beans and I was really worried that I would somehow break the combine!
My first combine ride was completely uneventful (I didn’t have to try operating it) and, after awhile, a little boring – until it was over.
When it had gotten too dark and damp from the dew to continue, HandyMan called it quits for the night and parked the combine. That was when we had our first fight.
Stirring up bean dust!
Since I didn’t know very much about farming, I hadn’t taken into account how much dust would be created when the beans were cut. And when I had driven to the field, I had left the windows all the way down on HandyMan’s freshly detailed truck (he had cleaned it to impress me)! When we got in the truck to leave the field and he saw the thick layer of dust coating the interior of the truck he was not happy! He angrily said something about how could I have left the windows down and reminded me that he had just cleaned it. I apologized profusely and even wrote sorry in the bean dust that was on the dash. I don’t remember what else was said that night, but HandyMan brings up the “bean dust incident” at the beginning of every harvest!
I’ve learned a lot about farming (and still have a lot to learn) since I met and married HandyMan, but one thing I have learned and always remember when driving to the field is to make sure the windows on the vehicle are up!
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has made a mistake like this. I would love to hear others’ stories of funny farming mishaps.
~Guest Post by MRS
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I really loved this post, and it reminded me a lot of some of my experiences as a “new farm girlfriend.” I am interested in using this as a guest post on my blog–would you be interested? I found the post through a twitter link. Feel free to e-mail me or send me a message on Twitter (j_gillespie).
Thanks!
Wow! I’m honored that you want to use this as a guest post on your blog! I am definitely interested, all I ask is that you attribute it to me & Gate to Plate with a link back to this blog.
Thanks!
A number of years ago prior to the age of cell phones, a couple got married in June. They were still much in love at wheat harvest time so the wife wanted to spice things up a bit. She decided to go to the field to bring an afternoon lun…ch wearing only a trench coat and flip flops. There were two combines going round the field. She walked out in front of the combine she thought was operated by her husband and opened the trench coat…. Only to discover the 60+ yearold hired man in the cab. He waved as he went past. Her husband was in the combine on the other side of the field.
Ha! That would be SO embarrassing! And what a blessing for that young woman that cell phones weren’t around then. Thanks for sharing!
I liked that you wrote sorry in the bean dust. Men can never forget things like not putting the windows up. I was always just excited to ride in the combine. I alternate back and forth between hauling grain with the tractor and riding in the combine. I often find myself nodding off and tell dad to wake me when i need to get out and dump. Also when cutting beans, My sister and i are always on “rock patrol” and if you miss a rock and then it knocks a sickle section out, WATCH OUT.
My husband also used to be on “rock patrol” as a kid. As the story is told, he usually didn’t pick up very many rocks before the combine put him to sleep! Thanks for the comment!!!
I also have to do rock patrol just so I can shred without breaking everything. City girls would never understand some of the strange things farm girls have to do!!!
You are so right!!!!!!!