The last few weeks I've spent quite a bit of time in this.
A sugar beet truck.
I drive through the fields along side a big tractor and a beet digger that are digging and 
simultaneously putting beets in my truck. When the farmer gives me the signal I take off to the beet dump to dump the load. 
At the beet dump I drive onto a scale to get weighed. The heaviest load I've done was 32,000 lbs. I have a small truck. After being weighed I drive over to the piler where I back up a ramp and then engage the pto so it will run the belt to unload all the beets. The guy on the platform tells me when to start unloading and when I'm done. I was backed into the piler when I took this picture. The beets go up the conveyor and into the beet pile.
When I first moved to Idaho I thought these big piles were potatoes. We are in Idaho, right?
I wondered how being in the sun didn't ruin the potatoes. Then I started wondering why they were the biggest potatoes I'd ever seen in my life? Hmmm -- maybe they aren't potatoes! Around here the farmers certainly grow more sugar beets than potatoes. Do you think it's because we Americans eat more sugar than potatoes? I don't know.
Last week we started on a field that involves 12 miles of dirt road from the field to where we dump the beets. Potholes, blind corners, cattle guards, and some single lane places. But some of the loveliest scenery I've seen around here! The whole road is following the river and there are no farms or houses, just really interesting cliffs, rock formations and great fall colors. It's a dead end road and at the end are 3 pivots and a small farm house. I was sad that I kept forgetting my camera. Saturday, Joel, Reagan, Leif and I all rode together the whole day doing that field. Actually, Reagan hopped over into Chad Mills semi to ride with his kids for part of the day. Their family has a truck with a double sleeper cab and there were 5 kids in there playing hide and seek. I'm not sure how many hiding spots you can find in a truck sleeper but they were all having a marvelous time.
3 comments:
So Sariah, you're driving a big truck now? ...I need to just call you - I hear you guys might be coming for Thanksgiving again - that would be so fun!
You must be the cutest lady to ever drive a beat truck! I am sure of it! And wish I could see it in person. I mean, come on, you are not the safest driver I know so I kinda smile to think of you drivin a big old beat truck. Luv you!
Not the safest driver...???? Lani, I'm seriously shocked! ha ha Actually, you just know me well. Soon after I posted this I was backing the Exursion and hit the wire fence. I broke off the rear view mirror and scraped the side of the whole vehicle. I couldn't believe I'd been backing a huge truck up a ramp safely everyday but couldn't manage my daily "mom" vehicle. so embarrassing!
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