Sunday, October 30, 2022

Picking Corn - 2022/10/30

 

I/we did it and when the drone landed, I gave it a smoochie!

I'm working on the video, in fact 2 videos....it's been a Purple Ribbon Day!

You're probably wondering why I'm making such a fuss about corn picking, picking rather than harvesting shelled corn with a combine, the popular way of gathering the modern grain.  For one, it's a method rapidly disappearing and there are many reasons for that....volumes, marketing, fewer cattle being fed on small(er) farms, etc.  My uncles had a mounted (likely a pull-type before my time) two row Ford picker on a 961 narrow front tractor.  One of them caught fire and burned up, it was replaced with another and used for some years before they too moved to a combine and shelled corn.

If you'd like to know more about the why's and wherefore's, I'm going to do something I normally try not to do.  The Gierok's have a YouTube channel, they're in my extended neighborhood of SW Wisconsin and are still picking ear corn.  They've just Posted a video and you'd be hard pressed to get a better explanation of why, how and for how long they'll continue to harvest corn the way they do for their very traditional, family-owned dairy farm.     https://youtu.be/UahKhbvurqs  They say it all, as users that know, so much better than I.

Today's ride, just a few tenths over 100 miles.

 Many of the same roads, less wandering today.  Some corn spillage here, wagon or truck extra full dropping out of that field.

An exciting sign, a full wagon and more rows harvested than there were yesterday afternoon!!  Hope at last!!


Now to kill some time...but not tooo much time.


 
A perfect spot for luncheon, this time no fire.

 
 Some sandwiches, chips and coffee from home today.
 




Four gravel bikes and not a GS among them!


I'm back, an empty wagon has been exchanged with the full one.  I'm so excited I can't see straight!!

 
So I waited just down off the ridge....until I heard a tractor and some noisy things being pulled!

 

As mentioned, a video is coming forthwith.  I mostly used up one drone battery, about 20 minutes, flew 'home', put everything away and headed for Stockholm.

For pie.  Post haste.
 




Blueberry Peach....will it get any better??  Real Whipped Cream....flowing.

Not one single thing stolen!

 
Back up the hill on County E, but not very far.

A left turn (west) out to the edge of the bluff.

Remember in my last Post's mention and map of Maiden Rock?  I did what I could to work that wonderful, inspiring piece of pie off this afternoon.



The Lake City Ardent grain elevator on the Minnesota side.



 
There's Point-No-Point that I keep going on and on about....





Once again, the village of Maiden Rock...

Back in Minnesota...

 
Almost home....another Grand Day Out, 3 in a row, a tough string of days to top.  As mentioned, definitely Purple Ribbon caliber.

Early this morning I dropped my patient and forgiving wife off at the airport.  She'll be bowling in Manhattan Wednesday evening, I'll be busy in Frontenac.  Do not expect another Post tomorrow, please.

And thanks for watching!