Last Sunday I did harvest work of my rice field at last.
It was a calm and warｍ, very nice day for the harvest. Son’s and daughter’s family came for help, but I used the big harvest machine this year, so there was not a lot of work by hand. These photos show the end moment of harvesting work, ( in the beginning I was very nervous about using harvest machine so I forgot to take photos ) grandson and granddaughter on the machine, it looks very happy and joyful scene, but it was not.
I used this old and huge harvesting machine last year and she( ? ) worked very well. Therefore I was thinking I can do more better than the last year…. but it was not. Maybe the reason was I didn’t understand the mechanism, it was too difficult for me to operate. I dug the earth several times and I had to take out the mud from the cutting blade. I was so disappointed .
We had a lot of rain this Autumn and the ground was very wet, the machine could move because she wears wide caterpillar but it became very muddy at the end. I have to clean up that, it takes 6 hours ( more than harvest work time ) it was hard….
I carried the rice seeds to the harvest center of JA ( Japan Agricultural Cooperation ) and asked to remove the husks from rice.
Anyway, my rice cultivating project 2017 was ended.
Now I am waiting the rice coming back…. Normally I feel very happy after harvest, but somehow I don’t have the happy and joyful feeling this year.
One week past after harvest. I look the empty rice field and still thinking how should I do next year.