Harvest Time

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I remember about 25 years ago driving through eastern Washington and seeing the golden wheat rolling in the wind like ocean waves.  It was beautiful.  I told my husband I would love to live in country like what I was looking at.  Well, not too many years later we moved to north central Oregon in the midst of those beautiful rolling wheat fields.  I enjoy each stage of the growing process from the freshly tilled earth to the tiny blades of grass to the green wheat to the precious golden grains!

Though this is a beautiful time of year with the wheat ready to harvest and being harvested in many areas, it is also a dangerous time.  This is the time that frequently brings fires.  Some are caused by lightning but yesterday a fire was started by someone carelessly driving into the wheat field.  The catalytic converter on a vehicle can and will start a fire in the dry wheat or tall grasses.  Yesterday this fire brought out at least three rural fire departments.  Today, the wind caught some sparks and off it went again.  My son and many others have been fighting this fire since about 1:00 this afternoon.

The wheat harvest for most of the farmers in this area looks to be a good one.  The springs rains made nice plump wheat kernals which makes a higher yield per acre.  This will benefit many in the local economy.

Though I know this post is about wheat, I would just like to thank all the rural firemen out there!  If you know one, pass along my thanks for all they do and add your thanks as well.  Till next time--Kat