By Rex Alphin

Harvest time.

Get up! Let’s get going! Peanuts have been dug for two weeks! Get rolling!

Get those drying trailers and check the air pressure. Hurry up. By 11 o’clock, we should be in the field. Can’t waste that daylight!

Fuel the tractors up. Check that belt. Is it loose? Is that a hole in the air duct? Plug it up with a rag and some duct tape. Grease those universal joints. Is that a squeak? Oh, no! A bearing is gone. You take it off while I drive to town and get a new one. Be back in 30 minutes.

It’s fixed — and it’s 11 o’clock. Let’s go!

In the field, dust flying. Is it picking them off the vines? Are we driving too fast? Should we wait? We can’t wait. We have too many acres to pick.

Get another trailer. Level this one. Hook up to the dryer. Get another trailer. Level this one.

Why is that combine stopped out there? Oh, no! A belt came off. Stopped up the combine. Get it unplugged, get going. I’ll clean those peanuts up. Get another trailer — flat tire on the trailer. Change that tire! Combines are waiting. Tractor running hot. Get some water for that radiator. Level the trailer.

How many can we pick today? When is it supposed to rain? Fill trailers, level, pull to dryer. Fill trailers, level, pull to dryer…. 10 p.m. Fall into bed, mind racing. How many did we pick? How many left? Will it rain on Wednesday? If not, we might finish by….

My wife says I get like this every year. Man, am I tired.

Post-harvest time.

(Yawn.) Well, I guess it’s time to get up.

Let me get some coffee. Mmmm, that’s good. I like the way the spoon clinks on the side. Don’t you? Guess I’ll have another cup.

Sure is peaceful this morning. Love the sound of quiet. Guess I’ll amble over to the shop and see what’s going on. Might stop by the store on the way. Let’s see what’s in this newspaper.

Maybe I’ll get my hair cut today. Maybe not. (Yawn).

Think I’ll take a long lunch. Let’s drive over to Henry’s and see how he’s doing. That was a good supper. Let me sit in this chair awhile and look at the paper again and see what’s on TV. That was a good show.

Well, it’s about 10 o’clock. Guess I’ll go to bed. Man, am I tired.