The Golden Harvest!

The corn is finally getting dry enough to harvest.  Yesterday Dad called and said--come on out if you want to see the corn coming in.  So we did.  Micah rode in the combine for several "strips". I hear it is a bit mesmerizing up there.

 This is the tractor and wagon Dad pulls to the elevator while Farmer Cal fills another wagon in the field.  Each of the kids were able to take a trip to the elevator with Papa.I had never seen this up so close!  Pretty neat!
Micah is still riding along!
When Papa and Katie returned from the elevator. Papa gave her a quick lesson in corn harvesting.
They handpicked a few ears just for fun.
 Then tossed them into the combine "mouth"Nothing like a little time with Papa to put a smile on your face!
Katie liked the combine almost as much as Micah!
Here she goes!!

Iowa Gold!
Farmer Cal and Katie Grace after their ride.  Farmer Cal told us to go to the end of the field and wait for a bit.  He said Dad was sure to show up there.
We quickly discovered why Dad might show up there...
This is Dorothy, Cal's mom, and I mean to tell you this woman can cook!  She brought out a full spread of steamy hot mashed potatoes smothered in yummy beef and noodles completed with chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.  She set it all out in the back of the pickup truck right in the middle of the field.  She said her daughter keeps on her to write a book about Harvest Meals on Pick Up Wheels.  I told her I thought that was a great idea.  She says well, its just plain food...all I know is it was just plain yummy!
Here comes Cal for lunch!
MMMMM MMMMM MMMMM!
A little discussion over a hot meal about moisture levels and bushel counts from the elevator!Farmer Cal heads back to work.
When Micah was a little guy we often would wake up to this scene in the living room--every single John Deere tractor toy he owned standing on end, his Lightening McQueen and Mater toys facing them and a sleeping boy nearby on the floor.  Obviously, Micah had been "tractor tippin'" in the middle of the night.

After lunch the kids and I settled in at the end of the field to live out the next scene from the movie Cars.  While I waited for another tractor shot the kids played and played.  We heard the big combine noise and saw this sight and I couldn't help but yell "FFFRRRAAANNNKKK"!!  The kids ran and jumped in the car then we hightailed it out of there.