More than a little rain

 Last week Garry decided that they needed to start watering the hay. It was the first time this year, since we have  had so much rain, so Max had one problem after another trying to get it running. That morning we went Dnepro and ended up bringing  back parts for him to fix it. A piece fell off the reel while they were driving it out to the field. It ran for a while but broke again, Andrei ended up welding Sunday night until two am so they could turn it on again. They even turned the water on for the driplines in the cornfields on Sunday, as it was hot and the forecast only had a small chance of rain Monday. Garry drove out to the hayfield often to check if it was working. It takes a long time to get water on all the hay.

Monday I was busy getting ready for student supper. I had decided to cook hamburgers inside. It was a good choice as the sky was getting ready for a show, Garry said it was too windy to eat outside, although it might not rain.. While Garry was doing his devotional for the students,a neighbor ran in to say the roof was blowing off the tent barn. Garry, Victor and a couple of the guys went out to look. 

We started eating after they came back and Garry finished the devotion. Everyone loaded up on pasta salads, cucumbers from the garden and garnished their hamburgers with sauces. As we were eating, the electricity went off and on a few times. Then it went out and didn't come back on. 

We lit a couple candles and opened all the curtains, everyone finished eating, got a raspberry cookie and headed for home as the thunder and lightning got closer. No one was sure we were going to get any rain. However a short time later, Garry went to check on the irrigation and told Max maybe they should turn it off. Max said it might still miss us. He ended up getting wet, turning  the valve off as fast as he could and driving back as it really started raining.












We got five inches before dark and six in the rain gauge by morning. Some houses in the village got power back on Tuesday but us and most of our houses were out until Wednesday afternoon. We got a photo of them working as we drove out of the village at 12:30.







Some photos of the damage to the canvas on the barn, the edge of a corn field that washed out. Some of our pepper and bean plants had leaves that ended up under the dirt as the water rushed past them in the garden.



Believe it or not, they were able to start combining Wednesday afternoon, the wheat was 12% moisture. They thought they'd have two combines Thursday but none showed up. One started Friday afternoon. They also mowed the alfalfa Wednesday and today (Friday) they baled one load of straw and several loads of third cut hay. Some of the boys are getting very tanned. They say they're getting ready for going to the sea after the straw is all baled.