Harvest Season!!!

Cedar Rapids, IA is known as the City of Five Seasons. My husband says its Indian Summer that makes the 5th season (yeah, right - how inspiring is THAT; I mean we don't get Indian Summer every year, and what exactly IS Indian Summer anyway???!) I will vote that Harvest Season is the fifth season. (For the correct answer, consult the City's website: http://www.cedar-rapids.org/community/fifthseason.asp) At least, it is in my first year here, because we have been eagerly awaiting this event. Our house is surrounded by soy fields (as in beans, ethanol, "soy" good-for-you" products), and then by corn (did you know that some part of corn goes into crayons??). We've been reading the farm reports published in the newspaper everyday since about Labor Day that have been telling us about yield percentages. We don't understand them - they discuss corn dent and soy rot and yeild factors based on ratings - blah, blah. HOWEVER, we certainly knew that harvest began in MV this week!! LOOK!

The cloud of dust is the combine working. You can see where part of the field has been cut already. This is off the SW corner of our land.








This next photo is a south-facing photo of the tractors holding the harvest soy hulls. By my measurements this week, it takes 1 combine, 2 of those tracotr-holder thingees and 2 pick-up trucks to bring in a field of soy.



This is the combine doing the last row that is adjacent to our land. This is going right beside D's workshed, aka "the hen house".

A testament to MV

Lest you might wonder about our sanity, Mount Vernon is a truly unique place to hang one's hat. And, you can take it from a congressional candidate - check the quote at the end of the article:

http://www.mtvernonlisbonsun.com/article.php?viewID=349

On Transportation

We've seen a lot of "farm implements" going down Museum Road lately. Apparently, they are getting in place for the harvest, although I have not seen any evidence of cutting or reaping or any such thing. I can't tell you waht these vehilces are, but I can hear 'em coming as they rumble up "the big hill", then "the small hill", then "another big hill" - this is how the kids describe the dirt road runway approaching our house.

And, since I'm talking about vehicles, I should mention that mine is now quite dusty. I hate that. Can I get a car wash installed in my driveway?? Given that I don't drive to work or anything, I have managed to nurse a tank of gas in the ol' Saturn for what I think is coming up on 3 weeks now. We're within 10 miles of the grocery store and a Walmart. And, a lot of the driving is on highway, which seems to be more efficient. It's nice to live in a place where, when you get on the highway and it says you have 65 miles to get someplace, you know it'll take you about an hour. Living on Chicago's north side, not too far from O'Hare, it took me just about an hour to get anywhere. 25 miles to Downers Grove - hour. 22 miles to Arlington Heights - thx to OPEN ROAD TOLLING, an hour plus. Not around here.

Just with that alone, I think my blood pressure must be down a few points, at least. I hated Chicago traffic and it's nice to be out of it. Did I mention that gas here is around $2.40 a gallon lately???!

The Big Dig

Due to updated county (Linn) codes, we were required to get a new septic system out here on Museum Road. Despite assurances that the work would be complete before we moved in (July) and would take a week, the backhoe arrived promptly right behind the moving truck (Aug 10). We signed off on the new system today (Sept 5). While it's been entertaining, it's also been a mess. Here's the view!