PARTING

As we work camp our way around America’s Heartland, we are constantly seeing new and wonderful sights.

However, we are also having to meet up and depart with old friends.

Today is such a day. We start gathering up things and getting ready to leave out for Campbellsville Kentucky where we will work with our Amazon.com Family until just before CHRISTmas.

Sometimes it is difficult to leave a job, such as the sugar beet harvest, where you have been trying to complete it and it just won’t seem to end. Weather this far North is always a factor, and this year is no exception. The harvest is nearly, but not quiet finished, yet we must leave to meet our next commitment.

Then it will be hand shakes, hugs and back slaps with our coworkers at Amazon.

COOKIES

The sugar beet harvest is the world’s largest harvest, and, therein lies the problem. There aren’t enough folks in North Dakota to get the harvest done ! People come from everywhere to help with the harvest. For example, I helped train two workers from Somalia ! That help is appreciated, here is a look. Click for larger view.

This years goodies included cookies baked by a local church’s youth group. The thank you note includes a prayer for a safe harvest.

This years harvest may well be one of the best on record. The sugar content is very high in the beets.

WIND

Those of us that drive high profile vehicles such as Travel Trailers or Semi tractor trailers, and especially our double trailer set up, always factor in the wind. A quick look at this online source could change your driving strategy for the day.

6 second wind map video

The wind can boost or destroy your fuel mileage, in addition to making it a long tiring day behind the wheel.

Here is a link to a wind map of the USA, that my friend Chris Daniel posted on Twitter. 

http://hint.fm/wind/

We liked the link so well that we saved it to our favorites so we can use it in trip planning. Let’s face it, there are days when we would be better off to stay parked and go geocaching, instead of the unnecessary expense of driving against the wind.

A head wind can cost us an extra $25. in diesel fuel, meaning that we can save money by finding a good restaurant and some cool geocaches !

As you move your pointer over the map slowly, the wind speed appears. A pretty cool feature ! The map even shows the different wind speeds as an opposing front causes direction changes.

We hope this will help our nomadic friends as it does us.

OPENING

Our first snow fall here at the sugar beet harvest prompted Betty and I to laugh about out opening day at the campground that we managed last Summer, 9200 feet up in the Rocky mountains. Here is a look:

Opening morning snow

Last minute adjustments in the snow

With just minutes before we are scheduled to open the campground for the season, we are redoing the reservation boards.

Here is a look at the actual gate opening:

Opening Columbine Campground in the snow

NORTHER

A Blue Norther blew in while we were piling beets last night, the one that the weather channel was forecasting. Now, that was quite an experience ! The official weather reporting station for Hillsboro reported over 7 inches of snow from the event.

This photo taken from the control cab. Note that the 32’ high and 200 plus feet wide beet pile can’t be seen for the “sideways” snow that is falling.

Keeping the piler going in that high of a volume of snow fall was tough. Belts would slip and drive motors would stall out. Got the last of the trucks dumped and headed home @ 0630 or so. Early to bed, and slept in ! Having fun at the sugar beet harvest !

SILO

Being currently located in the home of the world’s largest harvest you might think that this blog entry might be about farm silo’s.

But it isn’t, many of us lived and served during the cold war era. You will remember this type of silo, though, like us, you may have never been near one. Today Betty and I went for a look. Click on pix for larger view.

Located near Cooperstown North Dakota.

For size perspective, here is Betty standing atop of the hardened facility’s blast door.

Here is a look at the top of that door.

Explanatory overview photo below.

Personnel entered the silo facility through this hatch.

This is the N-33  site, the Oscar Zero site is open to the public for tours, but not open on this day.

Now a historical site, but once a very deadly place.

I remember being on the Charleston South Carolina naval base when it was locked down when President Kennedy was assassinated . We were all on edge, but not , I expect, as on edge as these silo crews !

The pre pile and much of the training is completed. We are to soon start the regular harvest season.

THIRTYFOUR

Thirtyfour years ago, Betty’s family visited Lookout Mountain just West of Denver Colorado. Located near I-70, the area has grown up and now has many businesses and residences.

The picnic shelter where they ate a water melon, was nearly unchanged.

Betty and Poco enjoy the view from the picnic table where Finis Green, Betty’s Stepdad, had his photo taken.

We visited the grave of Buffalo Bill as Betty’s Family did that day thirtyfour years ago.

There is a Museum there now.