"Mission Accomplished"..UPDATED

   A few weeks back, an off-hand comment I made on our morning show resulted in a campaign to get "Craig in a Combine" during an event where we take a catered meal to a farmers field and serve it to them.
   Last night was the final night of the fall campaign...and I got my ride in a combine. It was near Oakburn, Manitoba. Not only did I get a ride, but the daugher of the farm owners, David and Helen Sytnyk, even let me take a few swaths of Canola off the field. What an experience. Steering the big machine took a little getting used to, since the rear wheels steer it. I'm used to my little 140 HP sport sedan, not a hulking John Deere with who knows how much horsepower.
   In the cab, you truly don't get a sense you're quite a way off the ground, and once you get used to the controls, it's actually not difficult to operate. For the short amount of time I did. But the farm we went to had been at it until 4:30 in the morning. They stopped for 2 hours sleep, and were back at it again at 6:30. I'll never complain about getting up at 4:00 a.m anymore after that!
   This was my tutor and chauffeur Sammy Sytnyk..Thanks Sammy, even though this isn't the best picture.

   I've managed to get a few more pictures from our "Supper in the Field" event:
   Me getting ready to head out into the field:

   Unloading the Canola Sammy and I picked up: (Mostly Sammy)

   A better picture of myself and my driver/tutor Sammy Sytnyk

 

   All in all, a wonderful evening. Thanks again to David, Helen, Sammy and everyone for helping a city boy get a taste, even a brief one, of farm life.

TTFN