New Year's Day prep work

 This week we are working on getting our drills ready for fall seeding.  This is the set the Reynald and Alicia rebuilt this winter in the shop.  We would like to get this project finished up this week.  Next week is pre-harvest panic, putting the finishing touch on all equipment and spending a couple days on the tractor, running the rod weeder over all our summer fallow ground.

Alicia and I are replacing all the towers that hold the hoses that deliver the seed to the drill boot.  The boot "drills" in to the ground to places the seed at a depth that we determine.  We are also replacing the white hoses which were part of the original rebuild over 20 years ago.

This is an old style tower that we will replace.  Also a couple white hoses.

We won't replace this big hose, but it needs to come off the old tower and then put back on to the new one.  It was quite warm yesterday, making hose removal and re-install much easier.  Good for hoses, but a little more tiring for humans.

Alicia is pulling out the hoses from the tower.

Cutting new hose to replace the white.

Our little angel with a black hose halo!

This is the receiving bracket at the top of the boot.

New hose installed.

And this is a completed new tower!

The packer wheels were re-built this winter by Barnes Fabricating in Waterville WA.  We also bought new straw pickers from Barnes.   Both need to be put on to the drill frames.

Here's faithful Kenny who is on his last leg of Rolinco farm life.  Something is dreadfully wrong with his engine, but he is limping along to help with projects we simply can't do without him.  

This is all I can see from the driver's seat of Kenny.  Hand signals help, and loud hoops and hollering!

Straw pickers rolled almost in to place.  

Next lifted and bolted on to the drill frame, which is not an easy task.

Packer wheels ready to roll in to place, which is an even more difficult task.  

And this is what the drill produces!  Though not yet in the bin, our crop looks fantastic.  Just a couple more weeks and we will know for sure the fruits of our labor.

An ocean of wheat and a huge blue sky.