Thursday, November 27, 2008 - Posts

Thursday, November 27, 2008 9:59 AM

Happy Thanksgiving! It's In The Bin!!!

Harvest 2008 is over, the crop is in the bin, and we are truly thankful to be done!  This year was extremely trying due to weather conditions all throughout the growing season.  Spring rains, washouts, hail, unmatured cobs, corn that wouldn't dry down, and confused combines that refused to adjust to this year's field conditions  (this does not compute!).  But we're done.  No more sleep deprivation.  Now, we can spend the day in rest and thanks... and in prayer -- that our friends will soon complete a safe harvest also.

For this year's harvest I made three changes and they really seemed to help my energy levels... I'm wondering if I should carry these changes over to my motorcycle cruising trips.  My three goals this year were:

  • no pop -- I didn't even pack it in my lunch bag
  • no big meals -- I nibbled throughout the day and added a Gnu Flavor & Fiber bar or Fiber One bar
  • stretch -- when possible I got out of the tractor & tried to get my heart pumping; fresh oxygen to clear my head
These 3 things really improved my quality of life in the field ... no afternoon sleepies, no energy crashes, and the fresh oxygen really did make a difference in circumventing "the 4 pm stupids" -- you know what I'm talking about... the late afternoon brain-fog decisions.  Also, I chugged water throughout the day (my MTM podcast guy told me once that if you're grumpy or foggy-headed, think about your water intake... you're probably dehydrated... get H20!  He's right!).  Warning -- increasing your water intake does have consequences which are especially challenging for female field workers.  Nuff said. 

During harvest, I spend 12 - 16 hours in my tractor pulling a grain cart at the mercy of the truckers and the combine driver.  During the last few years, I've started worrying about blood clots in the legs from all that sitting.  Last year, I switched to TravelSox for the field... they really helped.  The added stretch breaks kicked it up a notch; my feet and ankles didn't seem to swell as much this season.  (Yes, you can do push-ups leaning against a tractor tire... just don't get caught or fellow grain cart drivers and truckers might think you're weird.)

This year, food-wise, I also discovered four new things:  Flatouts (healthy with a great flavor, and they make it so much easier to eat a sandwich while driving a tractor!), Gnu Flavor & Fiber Bars (one bar contains 1/2 of your daily fiber requirements; great for people who must sit long periods of time, Orange Cranberry is my favorite!), Breakstone's cottage cheese and pineapple fruit combos, and Hammy's salad... Hammy loves to invent things and she put this salad together for me based on a recipe shared by another Frenchman Valley Rider.  The flavor made a great change from sandwiches, and the complex carbs kept me going all afternoon without a post-meal energy crash or afternoon munchies.  Here's her recipe:

Hammy's Salad

  • 1 package broccoli slaw
  • chopped almonds or walnuts
  • dried cranberries or Craisins
  • cooked chicken pieces or strips
  • Poppyseed Dressing

Combine the above ingredients, eyeballing quantities according to personal preference (that's Hammy's mad-scientist mentality for most of her creations -- just throw it in and forget the measuring cups).  Just don't get carried away with the dressing.

Enjoy.



posted by U2Farmer with 1 Comments