the Elevator | Life on a Colorado Farm

(Yes flip-flops…but as of today I’m switching into tennis shoes…it’s just too cold anymore. 🙂 )

I don’t usually go down with Terry to dump the corn at the Elevator…I just have too much stuff to do here at the house. But his second load he asked if I would go with him

So I did! 🙂 This is the inside where the corn is unloaded.

After the corn is dumped, the floor is swept up, putting each kernel into the elevator. (I swept the floor. I’m good at things like that. 🙂 )

The line was long when we left …the semi’s take a whole hour to dump…just to give you an idea of the length of wait time. (But let me tell you, those drivers are not bored, they get out of the trucks and stand around in groups visiting. 🙂 )

Back to the field. Twilight Terry finished up the last hopper full for the day.

I heard the crows calling as I was coming in from the field. Change is in the air.

We start again in the early morning.

Propelled forward by a truckload of corn.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

The weather turned extremely cold—no rain or snow.

“Humm, I wonder if the moisture has dropped in the corn? I think I’ll run some down and have it checked” Terry said, heading out the door to the closest corn field.

“Okay, I’ll be down at the other house; I’m just about done down there.” I answered him.

“13.1% and there is a HUGE line down there, over 20 trucks waiting to unload.” Terry announced as soon as he got back. “The guy at the Elevator told me the number then laughed –‘No more sitting around watching T.V. for you!”

After he got the truck loaded, he backed it into the carport and we covered the bed with the blue tarp —- freezing our fingers off as we tied the flaps down so the corn would be safe inside, if the freezing wind decided to give us rain/snow/sleet to our area.

So far the bad weather is just around us…the mountains look like they are getting dumped on. Terry left this morning at 5:00 to get in line. The Elevator opens as 6, first come first serve…it’s 8:31 a.m. right now and he is still down there. Makes me wonder what he number was when he lined up. His parting words were—“See you at Noon!” Boy, I hope not.

The minute he gets back the combine will begin, (if the weather holds) the truck will fill up, and depending on the time, it will either head back down to the Elevator (doors close at 4:00, you MUST BE IN LINE at 4:00 to get in on that day…otherwise you are first in line for the next day.) If the truck is full after 4 we will back the truck into the carport and cover up the load. The next day will be a repeat of today. This will go on and on and on— every day until we have every last load down to the Elevator. (No working on Sunday–the Elevator is closed and we take it off also) BUT COME MONDAY……………………….!

It all begins again!