June 16, 2009

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
It feels as if that the summer weather has arrived. We need the hot winds and the heat to get the wheat out of the fields. I took a friend to Freedom, Oklahoma to the Alabaster Caverns by way of Medicine Lodge. We went around the world so to speak. I was surprised that there was not many wheat fields that have been cut. Usually Alva, Oklahoma is cutting their wheat before we are, but we saw more machines working in the Buttermilk area than anywhere else.
There was however, some machines in a wheat field waiting to do a test cut. But there was a combine in one of the fields north of Alva that was different than any combine I have ever seen- not that I am a combine expert- in fact, I am so happy that I do not have to deal with wheat-but anyway-- this machine had an extra long header and it looked like it could flex with uneven ground. The header had an extension so it was farther away from the cab of the combine. Times like this are when I would like to talk to Dad about the newest equipment. I remember when the custom cutters would bring their big wheat trucks in the fields. Dad was so impressed that they could haul 300 bushel at a time. He thought that was something else- now 300 bushel trucks are the small ones. My, how times change!
As we were traveling down the road we noticed all of the different colors of gold that the wheat was turning. I think that there are more varieties of wheat to choose from than when I was a kid. Dad usually planted Scout and sometimes Eagle. Years ago, way before my time, Dad planted the kind of wheat that was beardless. I think that it was called- Red Man or Chief. His landlord, Perry Wall, told him not to plant it again- it was just too ugly to look at. From what Dad told me it did look odd compared to the neighboring wheat fields.
Anyway, we enjoyed the ride and the scenery was beautiful. We have had the moisture and it shows in the pastures. Most all of the ponds are full of water and the wild flowers are blooming. We have all kinds of different flowers and bushes that are in full bloom this time of the year.
It is nice to have friends that come to visit and I can show them our part of the world. And a very nice part of the world it is.