One more week...

Until the asparagus harvest is over in Washington. At least in the field we are working in. Well, we really means Joe, the one who really works.

I haven't posted in a long time for two reasons: I keep misplacing my USB connector for the camera, and I have been in a brain fog.

Since the middle of February, Joe has been working about 70 hours a week, give or take a little. 12-15 hours a day, 6 days a week. Starting in April, he even had to put some time in every Sunday (usually only about 4 hours or so). To be fair, he got 2 whole days off in April, and it May he was able to come home for a few hours in the afternoon on a few occasions. It has been long. Really long. To be honest, for a while I'd wake up in the middle of the night startled that there was a man in my bed. Then I remembered that yes, I do have a husband (hence the 4.5 children...).

In that time, Joe and his dad have created this:
With three other guys.

It cuts asparagus like this:

Yum!

The only parts they didn't make are the driving tractor, the hydraulics, and the tires. Thousands of parts that came from Kim's head to Joe's computer, to the machinists programs, and out of the CNC milling machine and lathe. I know that was a really technical explanation, but that's really all that I understand about it. :)

It's an amazing feat. And though some of the skeletal elements are the same as last years model, the majority of the machine was made in 4 months at the beginning of this year. They have been harvesting in the field since April, and this is the best machine yet! They have had lots of chances for field testing, and made lots of progress in perfecting the mechanism. It's been a big year for the harvester!

But I am so SICK of the harvester. It is a long and hard road here at home. This is the longest that we've ever had this crazy time, and I am so excited for it to be over!!! Being without Joe so much really puts me in a fog. He is my mainstay.

So, since I couldn't really write anything without whining about being lonely and sick and tired, I have avoided blogging. But, I have lots of things I want to say... When I am out of whiny mode, I'll say it. :)