10.19.20 Wet Corn and ninja skills

Friday night I asked the guys to stop by 9 so we could celebrate a birthday. I knew we were within striking distance, but they persisted on. The next day I learned to make hay while the sun shines lest you are wishing while it rains. I took the first load in although it was wet, the belt unloaded with no problems. The next load on the older truck bed, which to this point had performed perfectly, was a problem. I had heard tales of shoveling off loads, Unfortunately, this day I gained my own experience.

After an alarming squealing and no movement from the belt, I realized I was going to have to manually unload some of the corn. I began trying to move corn with my hands. I cleared all I could reach, then  tried the belt again and called my husband. Alas, not being patient, I continued to work at moving several hundred pounds more of corn. I cautiously climbed up the narrow wet steps and inched along an euqally narrow platform to heave myself over the 4 foot wall and into the full bed of corn. I made it into the bed and began kicking corn, that was not very effective either so I pulled myself up, kicked my leg over the now 6 foot high truck bed wall and skeddadled over the edge of the bed. I slid slowly onto the 6 inch ledge down the 6 inch wide ladder onto the ground. I spied a scoop shovel and got back into the bed to shovel off corn. After another 3 minutes or so I determined my body was tiring and I had to again jump up and wiggle -ninja kick- my way out of the slick bed. I was overjoyed when the belt moved. 

Each hump is a pile I am referring to moving manually. Several hundred pounds of corn usually it rolls quickly and freely just by gravity. 

One load delivered  I headed back to the field. I gallantly offered to take another load that was sitting in the grain cart thinking the corn was drier there and would not be a problem. Greg also added boards to the truck bed so the belt wouldn't be under full weight when starting. Unfortunately, when I tried the belt it just screamed and didnt move so I was again cautiously heading into the slick bed. The puddles were deepening and the rain was not letting up. 

Proof I was in the bed. The second trip I scooped standing on corn from the ground level. Thankfully the boards we had added in the front removed enough weight that only one pile had to be scooped by hand, however the wet corn was hanging up in the bed and not rolling out. Thus, I had to get in the bed to scrape the corn by foot while the belt moved through the center of the bed. 

 This was much more precarious. The slick metal, cool wind, rolling corn, moving belt, high sides... it was truly a ninja tv show like stunt. My heart was racing not just from exertion but from fear! I was worried of getting tripped up on the bed if I lost my footing. The sides were too high to hold on for balance and the sides were to slick to hold my shoes. It was a true balancing act. In hindsight I would have been fine on the belt riding out to the pile, but ignorance and the uniqueness of the situation kept my adrenaline rushing through my middle-age mainly use to sitting limbs. Somehow I got the corn out of the bed and flat jumped up to the now 6 foot hall top of the bed. I held on with my arms and managed a leg over the edge. A humph and a grumph and I was back on the slender platform inching my way to the wet small ladder. Once down the ladder I triumphantly walked slowly back to my truck bed took these pictures and headed home. I felt victorious and so grateful to not be strained or bruised. Just wet and cold. I think two more loads went that day and we were done! I'm thankful we didn't have six loads to deliver. It's a great balancing act being married and working together, add in the precious kids and it's a tight rope on a unicycle balancing apples on your head act. I think I mostly splatted in glorious fashion but the harvest is done and I am grateful to have been part of the team and to have a very forgiving husband. Life is good.