Blue and HandyMan in the cab of the combine

Last week, HandyMan got his first opportunity to operate the combine. Since HandyMan can only help on evenings and weekends, he usually runs the grain cart or drives grain trucks. The tractor that pulls the grain cart doesn’t have a buddy seat or room for extra people, so Blue hadn’t had a chance to work in the field with daddy yet. So when the opportunity presented itself, we immediately jumped at the chance for Blue to get his first combine ride.

HandyMan carried Blue up into the cab of the combine while I took some pictures to document the event. Blue sat on HandyMan’s lap with his eyes wide open, reminiscent of a “deer in the headlights” look. HandyMan honked the horn on the combine (which is pretty wimpy considering the size of the combine!) and let Blue hold on to the steering wheel as if he were driving it.

When I had gotten some good pictures, I climbed up in the cab with them and held Blue on my lap while HandyMan began to shell corn. As I looked around I tried to take it in from Blue’s perspective, as if I were also seeing this for the first time. There was so much to take in. We were up higher than Blue had been in his entire life. It was really noisy! And there were several buttons, a large screen as well as the steering wheel and the joystick thingy* that makes the combine go forward or backward,  allows the operator to adjust the head; how high or low it is, whether it is on or off and also allows the operator to control the auger. This makes it much easier for the person operating the combine to do his job safely and efficiently.

The cab of the combine, featuring the "joystick thingy"

I began to take some pictures to show everyone what Blue was seeing. It also occurred to me that there might be some people reading this blog who have never seen the inside of a combine and might enjoy seeing what I’m talking about.

Shelling corn

For several minutes Blue stared at the corn head as the corn was chopped up and fed into the combine. He couldn’t take his eyes off it. If only I knew what Blue was thinking as he watched the corn disappear into the combine…and then come out again looking nothing like it looked as a dried plant in the field!

Filling up the grain cart

Blue sat really still on my lap for most of his ride, but after he had taken everything in, he began to squirm and then whine, after all, 11 month old babies don’t like to sit still for very long and Blue had reached his limit! So that was when we decided it was time to end his ride. I’m sure there will be more combine/tractor/grain truck rides in his future. And maybe, in a couple of years, he can join the ranks of the farm kids who have paid their dues on “rock patrol!”

*I’m sorry if I offended anyone with my lack of technical farming terms. Feel free to leave a comment correcting educating me 🙂

~Guest Post by MRS