wheat screenings

Matthew called this morning and said that he needed me to go get wheat screenings (what's left over from the wheat being sifted. It's very light and they can mix it with the feed for the cattle). So, I dug out my really warm winter clothes, got Finn dressed and bundled up and out to the farm we headed. Darlene (Matthew's mom) watched Finn for us.

I hopped in the 1970 Chevy grain truck. Let me tell you a little bit about this truck. It has leather seats...not the nice luxury leather, but the kind that freezes and then never ever warms up, no matter how long you sit on it. Eventually your legs get to be the same temperature as the seats so you never really warm up. Not that you would anyways because there's no heat. Did I tell you it was 16 degrees actual temperature when I left this morning and the real feel temp was around 0? The driver's side window was rolled down when I got into it...that didn't help the temperature inside the truck all that much...and the passenger side window doesn't roll up all the way. Shifting gears isn't too bad but fourth gear always grinds...even Matthew can't shift into fourth without it grinding. I'm pretty sure they hadn't heard of power steering back then because there wasn't any. It would be easier for me to get out of the truck and manually turn the wheels myself. I almost hit the elevator (where you drop off and get the grain) and a truck at the railroad tracks trying to turn. I'm sure all the men were laughing at me because I practically had to get up on the seat to be able to steer this truck. I'm not sure what my face looks like when I'm trying to steer that thing, but it must be funny judging from their faces. The breaks are not that good unless you put the pedal to the floor and then you jolt forward, but you have to press on them really hard. Oh yeah, before I left the farm Bob (Matthew's dad) and Matthew had to show me how to switch to a different gas tank if it started sputtering out. They both gave me different directions...

Anyways, I started down the highway. It's a pretty short drive, about 6 miles from us, so it should take 5 or so minutes to get there...except that in fifth gear the truck goes 40. I know you can shift into the higher gears, but I figured "Why press your luck". So, I went 40 even though it sounded like I was going 90...and about to take flight. I crossed the big bridge going out of town and then noticed how horrible the truck reacted to the wind. So, I steered into the wind coming from the driver's side. At least that window was shut all the way now! I got to a curve in the road and turned toward the right. Wow, a tailwind! I was going 45 and sounded like I was going 100! I could see the elevator up ahead now and started slowing down...more preparing for the turn than anything else. I had 2 cars behind me by now and I was almost sweating with the thought of turning the truck. I turned and like I said before, I almost hit the building. I probably would have if someone hadn't already hit it and dented it in. The men in the elevator were turning to look and I'm pretty sure they were laughing. I sat and waited my turn as a truck turned in behind me and got in line. One time I noticed that he was getting closer to me and then realized that my foot had relaxed a little on the brake pedal and it was me backing closer to him. This happened at least twice. I didn't want to turn it off though for fear of it not starting again. My turn came and I got my wheat screenings. The operator is on the fire department with us and was nice enough to explain everything to me so filling the truck with the screenings was pretty uneventful. When we were finished I pulled out of the elevator and back out onto the highway...of course going onto the shoulder of the opposite lane trying to turn the truck. And then the wind hit...and went right through that crack in the window, which happened to be right in line with my head. Wheat screenings are very light and if you go really fast you can lose a lot of them in the wind...so I had to go in fourth gear...30 miles per hour! I got back to the farm freezing cold, but just happy to be out of that truck! I was too cold to stand outside and tell the guys how it really went so I said it went "just fine". I'm pretty sure that means this is my new job at the farm. =)