Some photo's from a past harvest season -   

A thought to "ponder"
Hindsight is a gift, one that keeps on giving -- WHY DID I NOT TAKE MORE PICTURES OF THOSE PROCESSES AND EQUIPMENT?  Short answer - it was just common sights, the way it was, and now so much is in the fading dusk of evening, never to return.   Digital Cameras make this much easier and less expensive, gone are the days of film, processing, prints, etc.  

A couple of notes about these pictures --- The Sutter Buttes - the smallest mountain range in the world - entirely surrounded by the Sacramento Valley floor.
Rice field - notice the "contours" for controlling the water -   these were usually set at 2/10's of a foot elevation changes in the field and thus followed the "ups and downs" of the land.
Most of the fields today are levelled much better and contours are now seldom seen.  Instead of the "rice boxes that were typically made of Redwood", Concrete risers with plastic pipes control the flows beneath wide - drivable - dividers in the fields.  

This particular view of the rice - FLAT - either heads were too heavy for the stalks to support or more likely, a wind came up and "knocked it down".   Makes for very slow going as all the straw must go through the machine too and usually it is on the very damp side.  

I hope you enjoy - having been "prodded" to post to the BB - I now extend that "invitation" to all others - share the memories.

CTS
 

Glad you decided to get out of bed this morning! Nice photos. How much do these new machines cost now? I cannot imagine!
Back to the earlier days of my life, while moonlighting some of my harvesting days using the infamous Hardy Harvester soured me, as some not so nice co-workers had skipped over some "downed" rice and made me go harvest it. "Flatter than the lines in the road" I said. 2/3 throttle and first gear only, leaning forward straining my eyes to watch the header, trying to get the 6 bat U2 reel to gather up some of that precious rice, which was already too dry (quality/milling issues); Hardy is heavy on the "ass end", so to add insult to injury, I am slogging around in some wet checks (parcels) of rice; the header pan sits level on perfect conditions; when it sinks, it acts as a grader blade, so if you are not quick enough, mud will boil out from under and get into the rice that was cut. My cat like reflexes did not fully engage, as I suffered from bouts of narcolepsy from driving truck 1/2 the night; my new name was "Dozer" after balling up bits of that sticky, nasty adobe mud into the grain tank and eventually finding its way all the way back to the rice drying facility.
I did find a cure for the down rice issue, I suggested they modify the machine with a spacer block to change the geometry of the machine by a couple of degrees. What was not supposed to be possible for a cheap cure managed to catch on with several owners of these custom machines. BTW, they liked my idea so much, they modified the co-workers machines and made them cut downed rice from that point on...karma! Ahhh, thanks for the memories CTS.

Pickles we got into? I do not think those were Dill, or Bread n Butter Chips either!
Anyone working around equipment has stories to tell, I hope you will enjoy this one. I can laugh now - but it certainly had no humor in it at the time!

I worked for a "prominent" farmer in The Southern End of Colusa County in 1968. He drove a Cadilac, was never seen without a 3 piece suit and tie!
He had employed several German Exchange Students that summer, gave them some experience of a magnitude they would have not been able to find elsewhere!
Long hours, Six Day Weeks - life in a bunkhouse, breakfast long before daylight and dinner after dark, pay was standard for the day - $1.65 and hour and you furnished transportation to the fields. I do not recall what the fee was for meals but they were also out of your pay! Bunkhouse had screens on the windows but no AC and the mosquitos were always your bunkmates!

"Hans" and I had just finished discing a very large field - 2 weeks with 2 - 3TD7's and 15 foot disc. - on the way back to camp, we were stopped by "Fritz" , the owner. Here is a story about NECK TIES - Suits and an Owner - I think you will enjoy -

The "irrigator" had a levee wash out in the field - so instead of having the pump shut off - he watched the water break 3 more levee's down hill! To remedy the situation, he took a 3T with full cable operated dozer and equipped with belly pan to "plug" the breaks! He did fine for the first one, working up hill, at the second break, he became "STUCK" to the point the top of the tracks were barely visible, fan picking up mud - so wisely, he shut it down! My Dad was also working for "Fritz" and hauled two D7-17A's to the field. "Fritz" told Dad - follow me - whereupon "Fritz" proceded to lead the way with the D7 under his full suit! Following the levee, the only high ground, he did fine until he turned off to line up with the stuck 3T, the 17A SUNK! Having no recourse - "Fritz" stripped his dress shoes, his socks, Slacks and left them in the seat. Now you can see -- this was a real sight!
Boxer shorts for bottoms, still with white shirt, tie, vest and Jacket, he crossed throuh the muck to the 17A Dad was on - the retreated to high ground!
Hauling two more 3T to the mess and having at least 6 of us on site, the chore began - stretching all the cables we could round up and tying them to tether with chains. Yes, just tie down chains! Now - while all this was going on - "Hans" borrowed my car to return to the camp for his camera! He said no one would believe this sight of a man dressed as
"Fritz" was! (I wonder if those pictures are still out n about in Germany?)
Once we had enough makeshift tow line dragged to the stuck 3T, Dad used plastic to build a containment around the starting engine magneto, dried it out and managed to get the 3T running --- Mud Flying from the fan. The boss's Son was on the second 3T and I was on the Leading 3T a section of chain between us. "Fritz" had told us to open the throttles full, and snap the clutches in when he dropped his handkerchief. If you can not see the results coming, let me tell you, it was spectacular - the air was filled with flying chain and cable, with nothing gained but two damn scared "skinners" ! After much work and effort - several hours later, we had the two stuck 7's on dry earth. The end result was "Fritz's" son and I had made a plan to let me ont he lead engine do all I could before he pulled his clutch in and added the extra power.

What I would not give today to have that on film! No one would believe this, and as far as I know - I am the last one living to tell the story. Maybe someone in Germany but I have no way of knowing.

CTS

Hi, Kurt Bangert.
Methinks there may just possibly could perhaps be a lesson buried somewhere in that story from which a goodly few younger people might perchance draw some benefit - - - - - - IF they were of a mind to go looking for it.

Just my 0.02.

Life lessons. I love it when others are willing to share experiences. It was mind blowing to have someone have similar versions of Kurt's; I had someone stop once offering to help me by the side of the road once. Turned out to be a well to do farmer that I had never met, but heard of; he proceeded to tell me what a great set of folks I had, and how lucky I was (I am completely dumbfounded at this point, thinking it is a major case of mistaken identity) apparently they often fed his family and even gave them rides to school when it was raining etc.and apparently that stuck with him in life, try to repay the favor any way he could...It must have been tough love, because I always had to walk home in the rain! Hahaha.
Seriously, my folks never spoke of any of these nice deeds they always did for others, I was too young to remember, but those were the days when people helped each other!

These are Great stories of the people that raised all of us , people of our generation cannot appreciate today just what they had too go thru to get started and what little they had to work with. The 1920s and 30s farming was in a depression as my dad said it didn’t really get better till the War came, he started with 2 horses and a walking plow. As my wife keeps telling me I need to write all of these stories down, which every one of us who were raised by this really tough great generation should record and remember for the kids coming up. Good stuff keep it coming 17afarmer