wind blowing in kansas

[slick4x4]

Well ... another Kansas weather update ....

Had one of the driest first quarters (Jan Feb Mar) in Kansas history
The wheat crop is very poor ... yields of about 1/2 of average
Lucky part is ... price has gone up some
And I have the least amount of acres planted as I ever did

Put out a lot of soybeans this year
Big investment ... seed very exspensive
But lucky that it has enough moisture, that it has all sprouted & up

But it has been very hot & dry... maybe not a good idea ?

Cutting wheat yesterday... south winds blowing the 4 day in a row ... hard winds
-and just as we were finishing a field ... a few drops
And here it came .... toad strangler .. got the trucks home & in the sheds

All were wet (Colleen , Jim , & my father in law )
Cleaned up while I fixed chicken burritos for supper
Still raining gently ... then here come a even harder rain
Was a "toad strangler" up dated to a "cow pizzing on a flat rock" downpour

Over an inch on the soybeans ... I'm happy this morning
I have a couple tires to fix .... 9.00-20 dual with 18,000# of weight in the bed
Machinery has been running pretty good though
For 45 year old combines .. they are doing great
It's amazing those old 6 cylinder gas engines can take such a beating ....
Screaming for hours on end , against a load , 105* temp
They use about a 1/2 quart oil every 8-10 hour day

The Slicks have kept up the pace ... "George" is the service truck this year...

I will post some pictures in the future ... today I'm in the lazyboy .... till I'm not

[slick4x4]

Another 1.25 rain !

I know it's hard for some people to get excited about the weather ...
But think of working at your job for a year
And getting one paycheck at the end ....
Can mean the difference between getting zero ... (or paying to work)
or full paycheck plus a bonus

Usally it's in the middle ...

[slick4x4]

Worked ground today ... will soon be wheat planting starting here
I try to have the equipment and some land ready by the 20th
The seed wheat has been treated & it's in the F1000 ready to go in the planter
The F600 gets the fertilizer

The soybeans look pretty darn good
The price isn't the greatest ...

I watched the news tonight
Watching the flood victims east coast
Weather makes a big impact on the human life
We can't change it , just have to accept what we get

[slick4x4]

Started planting wheat yesterday
The ground is perfect
Nice moisture to get the little seeds started
I haul the seed in the F1000
It takes around 75# to plant an acre
75# is about 2 full 5 gallon buckets
An acre is just about the size of a football field
Pulling the drill (planter) about 4mph
It is 24' feet wide
I put fertilizer in it about every 15 acres
Put in wheat every other time
Then next spring put on more liquid fertilizer & weed control
Then harvest rolls around about mid June ....
Then work-spray the ground about 4 times to get ready to plant again !
I have rolled across some of this farm ground for over 40 years

[slick4x4]

Was hot yesterday 90*
Today in the 50*s
Wants to rain
Got to the tractor & have a flat on the big tire
Sidewall looks bad & tread all cracked
Used ones are hard to find
Have to buy a new one ....
That's a $1000 I didn't see in the plans
Easy come , easy go
Soybeans are getting close to ripening
One more week & there will be combines rolling

[foodstick]

ouch, that is a bad surprise to find ....

Your weather sounds the same as here. except we have been getting into the 40's

Tons of late season rain.. but man did those beans dry down the last few weeks !

[slick4x4]

Western Kansas got into the upper 30*s
We hit about 47*
Yes... the beans are really turning
Some early fields have been cut , mine are a ways off
I guess a combine caught fire over east about 15 miles
Don't know much about it
I'll take the flat tire !

[slick4x4]

Well we have had about 10" inches of rain the last 5 days
Not going to be in the field for quite a while
Got some wheat planted ... about 1/3 what I planned on ...
The soybeans are standing out there ...
Getting riper... they will be ready to go when the ground dries
I hate letting the weather make me upset...
I usally just accept what nature serves
But there are about $100k standing out there
Compared to what other parts of the country has to deal With though
I should be grateful... but
They have more rain predicted for this weekend

[foodstick]

I hear you Pat... it is soggy as heck here as well.
Sweating the unknown weather would give me ulcers if I was a farmer.. I imagine at times it feels like being in Vegas...

[slick4x4]

I've been in Vegas
The first time I was there , I had very good luck
The second time .... I got married

[slick4x4]

First day back in the field for a LONG stretch
Been very muddy
Cool days & nights don't dry things up much
Started cutting soybeans
I hire a neighbor to cut them with his modern machine
I hual with my old trucks
They are yielding good ... but the price is kinda low

[slick4x4]

The wettest fall & winter Ive ever seen
Had many snows , but most of them smaller (2"-6")
Lots of rains... today we had rain .. then snow
Been cold for a long time
We haven't reached 40* since before Christmas
But no super-cold stuff
Just a lot of 20*-30* degree stuff
Been down to zero a handful of times
Had a water leak yesterday... but it was nice
No wind.. sunshine .. 35*
Dang glad it wasn't today !

[slick4x4]

I haven't seen it this wet & muddy in decades
Started last fall
Every pond around here is full & running over
We are supposed to get an inch of rain today
They have flood warnings for the low areas
Also supposed to get some high winds
Will be in the shop doing some of the least favorite
Cleaning it up today !
Stumbled over some stuff yesterday & about fell

[slick4x4]

I don't think it Can get wetter....
We have been in a wet cycle since last October
But the last 2 weeks , it has really came down
Nearly 8" all together last 15 days

The ground is saturated ...
Got a little water coming in the basement
Sump pump is kicking on & off.
No real damage except a few wet rugs

Hasn't been water came in there since 1993 ....
Probably will never dry up

[Mr. Jones]

Have you finished planting ?

[slick4x4]

Haven't started
Corn is about the only thing planted this early
And I didn't have any plans of planting any anyway...

I have about 400 acres that needs to go into soybeans
But usally plant that around June 1-20
So im good .... it will be extra busy once its dry enough !

[slick4x4]

Apparently I was wrong
It did get wetter
Water coming into basement
Not just the walls
Now its coming through the floor where the 50 year
Old concrete has cracks ......
Not much damage so far
A few wet carpets
The sump pump is constantly off & on

Drove over east about 40 miles to Chapman
The river has gotten out of its banks in places
Rain predicted sll week

[slick4x4]

2019 is the wettest first 6 months I’ve ever seen ....
soybeans 2/3 planted ....
Raining like crazy again
Wheat harvest is going to be fair , at best

Came to town to do some errands...
Will be in the shop getting old combine ready today
They are almost as old as the Slicks ... early 70s

6 cylinder gas powered with literally dozen belts
Sprockets , pulleys , chains , bearings ....
Running full bore 10 hours a day , in 100 temps

Ya keep one of those running.... old trucks are cake

[slick4x4]

Well......
Cut wheat the last 4 days
About 1/2 done
Started raining at midnight
Woke at 4am... couldn't get back to sleep
Got on Facebook
Other people having the same issue
Reports of 4" 5" 6" and even 7" inches of rain....
This is gonna throw a monkey wrench into the wheat harvesting

But ... gotta count the blessings
All the soybeans are planted & rain makes em grow

[slick4x4]

105* today
Hot sonofagun !
I have been running the old sprayer in the mornings
No AC....

Have one little patch of wheat left
But its too weedy
Have to spray to kill the weeds
Then wait 10 days to cut

The soybeans are looking fair
Hopefully the weather will be kind to them

And yes ... the wind DID blow in kansas today