This is the time of year that truly defines a farmer’s wife. Getting through the 3 months of harvest season says more about a marriage than the other 9 months put together, IMO. It started here today.
If you haven’t married a farmer like me it might help you to think of harvesting like deer hunting. The men are busy for weeks beforehand getting their gear ready and talking amongst themselves about what might happen and how it will go. They hope for good weather and complain about the years that it was snowing and they almost got frostbite. Their is an undercurrent of excitement and tension during the preparations.
When it actually starts, ladies, you’re on your own. As I sit here typing this I think about all the bubble baths I could take and the quiet time I might have to myself. Then I remember – this isn’t deer hunting and this part of the equation is much different. There are no “deer widows’ weekends” for farmer’s wives. Maybe it is different for some smarter less compassionate wives but around here I’m ready to help out at a moment’s notice. Dinners should be good, warm, filling, QUICK, and delivered to the field. That is of course if they want dinner and don’t run to a fast food joint instead. It is really fun trying to figure out if you should cook for 5 or for 1. 😉 If they need more seed, more fuel, a part from the dealer 45 minutes away, a band aid, more to drink, or an extra hand to hold this or drive that you’d better be ready. Don’t forget the single piece of paper that they need all of sudden to compare to last year or document something. Okay, maybe the band aid is stretch but you get the point.
Along with all the little tasks I’ve taken on a job I enjoy a little more: resident photographer. I like to snap pictures of every harvest and all of the equipment. Our neighbor/farming friend laughs and says his wife used to take a lot of pictures when they had old, crappy equipment. Now that they have nice stuff she rarely takes pictures. I wonder if I’ll be like that.
Oh, let’s not forget that while Brian is gone life around home must continue as usual. That means I now get to do more of the chores that we usually share. I do chores in the morning and he usually does them at night but I’ll probably be doing them both times for awhile. Chores right now are pretty easy but the workload will increase again once the ewes come home and everyone’s water buckets start to freeze. Not to mention this year we are still finishing the new barn so the animals can get in there before too much snow comes (knock on wood).
I’m very happy to say that this year things are much easier to take than every before. I’ve adjusted to this lifestyle more and more and now I’m actually enjoying it. This is what we want to be doing and I feel blessed to be doing it.
What do you think, sound like fun? What kind of experiences come with your lifestyle? Are you enjoying it all?
I grew up on a family farm so I have vivid memories of harvest time. My Dad would run the combine, Mom would drive the tractor hauling the wagons of grain back to the house (until we kids were old enough to help). Kids were responsible for unloading wagons, keeping the house, making food (when we got old enough) and delivering it out to the field. When we were little, my grandmother would come from in town to stay with us while my parents were in the field. It seemed that for weeks we never saw our parents unless it was raining. But I wouldn’t trade it now for the world!
Here’s wishing you a speedy harvest!
Judy
Judy – I’m so glad you have nice memories about your farming days. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I think it sounds great! Of course, I’m not the one doing chores in the morning… lol!! I always thought I wanted to though.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.
This post makes me think of building our house. For two years, I was in charge of coffee, lunch, drinks, runs to the hardware store, paying bills, calling people, and helping with construction in between. I’m glad that’s pretty much over though!
This time of year around here the harvest is pretty much over, but our store is crazy!!! After Halloween we’ll have a break til Thanksgiving, but then we’ll bake pies for 24-hours a day all that week. Then it starts with Christmas trees and pies for Christmas. The marathon is over on Christmas Eve, when we finally close until May.