TALES FROM THE BEET HARVEST
It has been an exciting time in the beet fields! Last night one of the truck drivers missed a turn with a triple axle truck loaded with 20 tons of beets in the fields north of Cartwright, and went in the ditch. They pulled the truck out but there was some damage to the front end. When Ron was driving it toward Cartwright early this morning before daylight he stepped on the brakes as he was approaching the down hill grade just north of Cartwright. The brake pulled sharply in one direction, causing the truck to turn over in a steep ditch along the road. Fortunately, Ron was not hurt!! Mavis was driving right behind Ron and watched the whole thing happen. The truck was totally wrecked and a valuable load of beets was dumped along the road. Some of them can be retrieved but a lot of damage was done. They pulled the truck out with a crane and hauled it back to the farm. They have some other smaller trucks (one of which lost its brakes this morning as well!) that can be put into service, but their biggest and best one is out for the season.
The harvest has been a bit slow generally because of a combination of warm weather and rainy days when they couldn't work. They go 24 hours per day, with Will leading the night shift, and Luke the day shift. They are only about one-third done. The good news is that the crop is excellent, with 28 tons per acre and 18% sugar in some fields.
They are trying to get the beets out of the north fields so that two oil drilling rigs can move onto the fields to start drilling. That land belongs to a neighbor, however.
Dad is doing fine, although he left a pan on the stove and forgot it, burning the pan badly. Mavis unplugged the stove and told him he should use the microwave instead. However, he told her he knew how to fix it if he wanted to!
Mavis went to a sewing festival in Billings last weekend, with Lana, and had a great time, she said.
Marie saw her cardiologist (who was one of her students at the University of Idaho, 25 years ago!) and got a positive report. She has to be monitored for another month with a little machine attached to her, but the doctor thinks she'll be fine, with no coronary heart disease and very low stroke potential. Continuing good news on that front!
The harvest has been a bit slow generally because of a combination of warm weather and rainy days when they couldn't work. They go 24 hours per day, with Will leading the night shift, and Luke the day shift. They are only about one-third done. The good news is that the crop is excellent, with 28 tons per acre and 18% sugar in some fields.
They are trying to get the beets out of the north fields so that two oil drilling rigs can move onto the fields to start drilling. That land belongs to a neighbor, however.
Dad is doing fine, although he left a pan on the stove and forgot it, burning the pan badly. Mavis unplugged the stove and told him he should use the microwave instead. However, he told her he knew how to fix it if he wanted to!
Mavis went to a sewing festival in Billings last weekend, with Lana, and had a great time, she said.
Marie saw her cardiologist (who was one of her students at the University of Idaho, 25 years ago!) and got a positive report. She has to be monitored for another month with a little machine attached to her, but the doctor thinks she'll be fine, with no coronary heart disease and very low stroke potential. Continuing good news on that front!
posted by Bill Lassey at 1:00 PM
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