And the Employee of the Month Award Goes to…..

Barb and I have been coming up here for ….. like forever (well actually 8 years) and each time we stay 4-5 weeks and each time I eagerly await the announcement of who will be the winner of the  Employee of the Month award. Even though it is not the end of the month yet, we are leaving in a couple days and since I am basically their only employee, I think I have a good shot!

Up at sunrise, getting to bed well after sunset, I gave it my all over the past 5 weeks. Hauling grain, carting and harrowing for hours on end. Working in and cleaning dusty grain bins I am sure the coveted award is mine. I will be the envy of everyone in the county!

View from inside a dusty grain bin

Well, employee of the month might not be exactly the right term as employees are typically there by their own free will and seeing how Farmer Bob removed the tires from our truck I can’t say that we are here by our own free will. But nonetheless, I am grasping at any little reward or recognition for my toils.

Then suddenly, one day I have some competition when Barb tells Chris “I could harrow if you want me to”. Next thing I know Barb and Chris are off in the 440 quadtrac and she is learning to harrow. But I am not worried, I have hundreds of hours on her and surely she will take down a fence trying to maneuver the 70’ harrow through the field. Or if I am really lucky maybe she even hit a tree and knock a tire off! (I heard someone did that a few years ago).

Barb in the driver seat of the 440 harrowing her way down the field!

So after a quick lesson on how to use the guidance and controls, she is out on her own harrowing a couple of hundred acre field. At 60 acres/hour it should take her a good 5-6 hours to get it done. Imagine our surprise when she is back in 2 hours. When asked what went wrong she simply replies “Nothing, I got some done, I will go back later and do some more”. 

She explains that she is more of a casual farmer get a little done now, a little done later…. Chris laughs and says “Casual and Farmer, two words I have never used in the same sentence." I stand back and snicker, the employee of the month award is officially a lock!

I continue to do my thing working each day at whatever they need. But it was not all work this week as Bob, DeAnne, Barb and I got out on a little adventure. We went ATV'ing at Kimball Bottoms OHV area just south of Bismarck. Bob had just bought a brand new Polaris Ranger 1000 the week before and wanted to do a little trail riding. 

Their old Ranger 500 fit right in the back of our pickup and we trailered the 1000 an hour south to the OHV area. We had a great day whipping through the trails, switching drivers and passengers throughout the day.

The trails are right along the Missouri River, a mix of woods and sandy beaches with 25 miles of trails weaving through 400 acres. It was relatively quiet on this Friday but as we were preparing to leave in the afternoon the weekenders started showing up as you can camp for free as well.

DeAnne ready to ride!

DeAnne and I

B&B (Barb and Bob)

Not to be outdone DeAnne bought herself a new golf with a custom paint job! On its maiden voyage she took it to Garrison where she and Chase had a mini parade for DeAnne's dad who turned 90! They did circles around the assisted living parking lot giving her dad a ride in her new wheels! 

DeAnne and her new wheels

Chase with his parade vehicle

DeAnne taking her dad for a ride

Day's’, go by, even weeks I finish the field that Barb started (she never did get back out), in fact I finished all the harrowing and moved on to other work. Then the day arrives, it is the day before we are to leave. Bob has given us back all our tires and we are ready to roll in the morning. Surely today will be the day they present me the award! Bob, Chris and Dylan are in the office I am sure talking over what a great job I did. Barb is no where around, she knows she has no chance. Then I hear it. I hear Barb's laughter coming from the office as well. Wait, what?!? What is she doing in there? I burst in just as Barb is pulling a pie and apple crisp out of the oven as the boys are watching on with eager anticipation. Then my world started spinning and everything was in slow motion as I hear Bob say "Congratulations Barb, you are the best employee we have ever had!"

The moral to this story? Well, there are several but the first one that comes to mind is....Work your fingers to the bone, what do you get? Boney fingers! Unless you can bake that is....