The Last Day Of Cutting.

 Saturday 16th August 2025.

Today started good. I was on the grain game again. Nigel took dad over to Cuckoostone Farm where the combine spent the night. I stayed and helped mum clear away the breakfast things as there was no rush for me to get going as Nigel would have the job covered for a while. They needed to get the combine checked over and get some cutting done before I needed to be there. This is to be our last day of cutting for this harvest, which to be honest I was feeling a little sad about. It will be nice to get back to shorter days and more time with mum. But on the other hand I've really enjoyed the busyness of it all.

Everything was going to plan and we expected to be finished in time to bring the combine home with us. Then when dad was checking something on the combine after just having lunch he noticed that one of the rear tyres was misshaped. My untrained eyes had to look close to see it but he was in no doubt. He said there was nothing he could do and so pressed on with the job. He only got halfway back up the field when there was this huge bang. Nigel told me the tyre just blew. We went down the field and sure enough the tyre was flat and had a big slit in it.

Dad called several contacts and while there were people willing to come out and fit a new one they didn't have a new tyre to fit. Welcome to the UK in 2025! Eventually he found a machinery dealer who had a combine in their yard with a wheel that would fit our combine. So it was decided that dad would take off the wheel of our combine while I drove Nigel over to the dealers to pick up the one that they were loaning us. So we first had to drive back to the farm to pick up tools dad needed to remove the wheel from our combine. We then drove to the dealers who had kept their promise and had the wheel off ready for us to load on to our trailer and take to dad who soon had it fitted on our combine. I then took the truck and trailer, which now had the dodgy wheel on it, back to the farm where I picked up my tractor and went back to the field.

We lost so much time that I actually picked up the tea and took it back to the field with me. We only end up getting one load of grain off all afternoon. Dad gave us a choice during tea time to either stop at a reasonable time and return on Sunday to finish off, or press on until it was done which probably wouldn't be until midnight. Me and Nigel agreed to stay and get finished today, as did Eric and Steve when Nigel got to the farm and put it to them also. Yes, Nigel is now talking to everyone!

It was sort of funny, because when returning to the farm to get the pickup and trailer we went on my tractor and during the journey Nigel asked if this was the promised ride on my tractor.

"No of course not, unless you want it to be."

I reminded him at this point that he had yet to tell me one way or the other if he wanted to have a go on the baler with me. I'm keen to let him know that he is coming for a trip with me rather than him getting to do the job as he pleases.

"Yes for sure I do, I thought that was obvious."

I noticed a tone to that - did you? I nearly said that I didn't like his attitude, but it brought back certain memories of a road I never want to go down. So I tried to present it to him in what I hoped to be a more positive way.

"It might be obvious to you, but it may or may not be to others so it's important that you still communicate your feelings and wishes to avoid confusion and so missing out and leading to disappointment." I told him.

Anyway we got on well with the cutting, although it was way to late to bring the combine home. We did get it finished, and after a bit of supper I got to my bed at ten to one which wasn't to bad considering how a lot of people will still be up clubbin' and what have you way later than that.