We Have Fought the Good Fight,and Finished The Course

As I mentioned in a previous post, It was a bit of a battle to get the crops seeded this year.   We are glad that the record snowfall didn't melt so fast that it all ran down the coulees and washed out the fields.  Most of the snowfall did melt and was absorbed into the ground.  However, the challenge came in May when we had an unusual amount  of rain.  Our normal annual rainfall is about 14 inches.  In May alone, we had over 11 inches!  Add that in with the precipitation from the melted snow, and the ground was saturated.  This made getting the crop in a challenge to say the least.  They seeded peas at the end of April and throughout May as they were able to, then went on to wheat.  Here is a peek at the consequences of trying to seed with a deadline looming, and the ground is too wet.

the neighbors had trouble too - everyone had troubles!

The weird thing is, it wasn't just in the low spots that they got stuck.  guys were getting stuck on the sides of hills, on top, anywhere...  We heard stories of tractors driving into fields and water spurting out of gopher holes...  Fact or Fiction?

It wasn't just tractors getting stuck.  Spraying was challenge as well.

one of the fields that was too wet to seed.  this photo was taken on June 17, too near the deadline of a crop being able to be planted, come up, grow, produce a crop and be harvested before fall frost would damage it.

Alas, all is not lost!  As I type this, Warren is in the combine, cutting peas.  The wheat that was able to be planted grew with good moisture, and is making its way through July & August's dry, hot weather.  It would have been nice to have more rain in the last couple of weeks, but we aren't complaining.  God has provided a crop.  Hopefully we make it through the thunderstorms and into harvest.  Things are really busy around here.