Friday, August 30, 2013

Silo Filling Adventures...

It was a day of adventures here, with silo filling.

After getting rained out after starting the chopping at the other farm on Wednesday, the guys started up again this morning.

Adventure #1...just as Jim was getting ready to go over to the other farm this morning, he noticed that the fill pipe here at home...at the top of the silo (of course) was broken.  Not so great timing, but there were no options but to repair it.  Now.

It wasn't a "serious" break, but enough that it took more than one person to fix it, and required a service call.  Can you see the shiny section of the pipe at the top?  That's what needed to be replaced...


Jim's running a part to the top, for Tom, the repair man.  Thanks Tom, for dropping what you were doing on your busy day, and helping us out!  That's his silhouette at the top.


The full silage wagons are waiting for them to get finished.  I think it looks a little bit like they're planes, lined up on the runway, waiting to taxi and take off...


Adventure #2...while Jim and Tom were working on the fill pipe here at home, someone had to go to the other farm, climb the silo, and tell the guys who were unloading when it was full.  Had they filled it too full, the fill pipe there would have plugged up.  Not fun when that happens. So...guess who got to do that?  Yep...the one who is terrified of heights!  I climbed up the inside of the chute, and stood up on the top and gave them the thumbs up or thumbs down.  There's a large flat area surrounded by a railing at the top of that silo, but I was still shaking in my boots!  But...I survived!

At the end of the day, we have two full silos, and one left to fill next week. The corn here at home was still just a little green.  It would've been ok, had we continued, but in a few days it will hopefully be even better.  Two down, one to go!


13 comments:

  1. ooh, i'd have been shaking, too! i have a fear of ladders - can't imagine ladders on silos! :)

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  2. Living on a farm, I know that sometimes you have to do things that you never thought you would ever do. Great job Alica.

    I hope that you don't get any other set back.
    Hugs,
    JB

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  3. Glad you survived! I wouldn't have liked that either!

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  4. Just looking at the picture just makes me almost dizzy. I do not like heights either.
    I posted a candle tutorial for you. :)

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  5. Oh that would be scary up there ! Glad you got the pipe fixed and your silos are being filled to the brim ! great photos. Thanks for sharing . Have a good weekend !

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  6. Wow, I can relate. I do not like heights at all, either. You are a trooper to do that!

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  7. Rather you than me! I don't bounce as well as I used to. Silos around here are almost a thing of the past, with round bales and plastic covers taking over.

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  8. So many silos here stand empty and unused now. My Uncle Marcus always filled his with good ensilage, and fed that to his dairy herd during the winter. I loved smelling it and peeking in the side door and seeing it all. Now it's empty, too, and the cows all gone. How satisfying for you to see yours full! (And I'm petrified of heights, too... I don't know how you did it, Alica!)

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  9. Never seen the inside of a silo before.
    Glad yo were able to get them fixed, and things always seem to break at the worst time too! Glad you got two of them filled and survived being at the top! Yikes!

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  10. Oh I can imagine how brave you had to look. Oh I am so proud of you we are both getting rather good at heights:) That is good to have done. Great shots. My that is a very tall ladder if you know what I mean:) Hugs B

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  11. Glad we don't have to fool with all of that for our beef cows. We don't even make our own hay anymore. My husband has decided that it makes more sense for us to just buy it all. Glad you got down safe, a picture from the top would have been cool.

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    1. I thought of the camera after I was already at the top! That would've been great...but I wasn't about to do that climb again! :)

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  12. I am so impressed you made it to the top and got it done!

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