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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 13, 2011 23:11:59 GMT -6
Just finished picking our grapes for this year. Harvest from hell. The worst I can ever remember. It was late to start with the cool summer and 3 days before we started, we had 3 inches of rain over 4 days.
After waiting 48 or so hours we finally were able to get on the ground with the machinery to start picking. Grape Harvesters are not made to work in the mud. Everything went okay for the first 3 days. Grapes looked good, then on day 4 it rained again. The straw that broke the camels back. It was only .25 inches but that's all it took to start the bunch rot from taking hold in the chardonnay. It was like a pile of straw on fire with some throwing gas on it. We got it picked but it , but it wasn't pretty.
Then to top it off with 4 rows left to go yesterday on our last chardonnay block which was about a ton or so when the diesel injector pump on the harvester decided to take a shit. Made a turn and the fucker died like unplugging a light. Broke the main shaft in the pump. 4 Fucking rows about 15 minutes. Fortunately we got a new one shipped in overnight picked it up at 6:00 this morning and we it running by 8:15. Didn't ask what it cost and I don't want to know.
Today we finished the Merlot, it made it okay but it was starting to head south.
All in all we shoved what would be on a normal year 10 to 12 days work into 6 days 15 to 21 hours per day.
I still have about 7 days of picking starting Friday morning for friends. Most of it's Cab Sav. It holds up better to the rain, but it is not long for this world either.
As farmers always say, there is always next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 13, 2011 23:30:11 GMT -6
Sounds like the toughest job you'll ever love!
People who work for other people have no ideas about the joys of working for yourself. And the horrors!
Congrats on bringing the herd in alive......Jake (channeling "City Slickers")
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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 13, 2011 23:38:33 GMT -6
People who work for other people have no ideas about the joys of working for yourself. And the horrors!Congrats on bringing the herd in alive......Jake (channeling "City Slickers") Well put professor. |
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Post by Tex on Oct 14, 2011 6:55:55 GMT -6
You might need to drink some of your product. Better luck next year.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 14, 2011 7:02:18 GMT -6
Put a cork in it Joe.
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Post by Irish Stu on Oct 14, 2011 7:51:54 GMT -6
People who work for other people have no ideas about the joys of working for yourself. And the horrors! Amen to that!! |
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Oct 14, 2011 7:59:53 GMT -6
Which is why I never started my own business.
Try to make it back for the World Series, Joe!
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Post by Irish Stu on Oct 14, 2011 8:20:08 GMT -6
Which is why I never started my own business Sound thinking there Beeb. The way things have been with the global economy for the past three years now I sometimes wish I had never started mine. |
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 14, 2011 8:31:49 GMT -6
Running my own business has given me the ultimate joy of knowing just what it means to work for an asshole.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Oct 14, 2011 8:38:35 GMT -6
As well as having co-workers who gossip about you behind your back.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Oct 14, 2011 8:40:39 GMT -6
Which is why I never started my own business I'd rather let someone with better business acumen than I to worry about that end of things so I could just focus on the work itself. |
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Post by innit Geezer on Oct 14, 2011 9:54:49 GMT -6
People who work for other people have no ideas about the joys of working for yourself. And the horrors! Speaking of some of the horrors, this morning I had to drive over to 2 builders I work for and politely beg for my money. Both paid but if I don't physically chase it, they'll never send a check. (lucky for you guys the shout box is gone! I'm pissed at the need for the added effort on my part to collect) |
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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 14, 2011 23:18:49 GMT -6
Try to make it back for the World Series, Joe! I hope so. |
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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 14, 2011 23:20:07 GMT -6
what it means to work for an asshole. I asked my asshole boss for the weekend off he said to go fuck myself. Just got home about an hour ago. Left at 4:30 this morning. |
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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 14, 2011 23:22:54 GMT -6
Speaking of some of the horrors, this morning I had to drive over to 2 builders I work for and politely beg for my money. Both paid but if I don't physically chase it, they'll never send a check. (lucky for you guys the shout box is gone! I'm pissed at the need for the added effort on my part to collect) No shit. You do work for some fuckers and they don't pay you. Last year I picked about 50 tons of grapes for one guy. I finally got my check on December 31st for work done on September 15th. If he had a group picking hgy hand he would have had to pay them the day they finished. He said he was short of cash. Fucker |
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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 26, 2011 0:01:12 GMT -6
Down to the final 3 days. A 25 ton Cab Sav pick Wednesday, 50 ton Cab Sav pick Thursday and a 35 ton Cab Sav pick Friday. The fruit looks real sad, but the wineries want it.
Get done Friday, clean the up and put all the toys away on Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 26, 2011 0:27:00 GMT -6
Go for it, Joseph! It will all be worth the effort when you're laying on the beach with a Delroy drink in your hand!
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Post by Tex on Oct 26, 2011 8:41:24 GMT -6
Grit your teeth and get it done, then drink up and party. Good luck.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Oct 26, 2011 8:53:00 GMT -6
The fruit looks real sad, but the wineries want it. I'm making a mental note not to get any 2011 California wine. |
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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 26, 2011 12:18:03 GMT -6
The fruit looks real sad, but the wineries want it. . Aw, that's just sour grapes. |
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 26, 2011 13:02:49 GMT -6
There is always the second hand raisin market
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Oct 26, 2011 13:05:36 GMT -6
I'm making a mental note not to get any 2011 California wine. The Grapes Of Wraith. |
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 26, 2011 13:32:30 GMT -6
Aw, that's just sour grapes. A ghost of past vintages |
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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 26, 2011 13:36:46 GMT -6
There is always the second hand raisin market They would not want them either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just finsished the first 25 tons. Down 2 to go. |
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Oct 26, 2011 13:42:41 GMT -6
They put the "boo" in "booze". |
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Post by Merlot Joe on Oct 28, 2011 15:07:56 GMT -6
Done, Finished, No Mas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Finished at 11:49AM PDT. This has had to be the toughest year that we have ever had on the machine, the crew and ourselves in the 13 years that we have been harvesting by machine. Maybe the toughest harvest ever!!!!!!!
We even took the picking rods out of the machine before we went home so if some else called I could truthfully say that we started to disassemble the machine to clean it up and put it in for the winter.
I don't wantt to see another grape until next spring.
My friend Jack Daniels is calling my name got to go.
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Post by innit Geezer on Oct 28, 2011 15:32:11 GMT -6
Sounds great, congratulations on getting to the end goal.
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