2017 Old Thresher Days

So what brought us to this event?  Mark.  Yup you read that right.  HE wanted to go here because there was an old fashioned saw mill that is still being used plus antique threshing machines and farm equipment.  

We had to make a "relatively long" car trip to get to Yuma.  Those of you who live in West Texas know that everything is measured, not in miles, but in hours.  Most stuff around here is easy to get to...usually less than a two hour drive.  Yuma, on the other hand, was about a 3 hour trip but with no pretty scenery to pass the time.  Not only that but it was about 15 degree warmer than Denver that day and about 30 degrees warmer than the mountains.  So between the heat and the scenery there had to be a pretty good reason for us to go there, doncha think? Yuma is out on the eastern plains of Colorado- almost to the Nebraska border- and it is surrounded by miles and miles of flat farmland. 

 

Yuma and the eastern side of Colorado has a lot of wheat farming so naturally there is a ton of wheat harvesting. Mark was interested in the machinery and I was interested in seeing the area that my Dad worked in for a few summers when he was in his early teens.  His uncle owned a wheat farm in Julesburg, CO and he used a lot of the same kind of equipment that they had on display.  And yes the equipment is technically antique but I'm not insinuating that he is too *cough*.

Here's how the threshers work:

 

Here's how the saw mill works:

 

And one of the best parts of the trip?  Check out this sweet deal of a meal!