My Day At Gateway F.S.

This week has been a very productive week for me. I have yet to start on paper three, but I did spend all morning Saturday at the mill watching the different ones coming in with grain. Since harvest is over for most farmers there were only three different farmers coming in. One being my family farm but we are all done now. One of the farmers told me I owed him a dollar because he got in one of my pictures. I was scared at first, but he was just joking. Another farmer came in and the office worker told him that I wanted to interview him and he just laughed and then the next load he did not come into the office. The office worker and I found it funny. This gave the office worker and I a lot of time to talk about the different information that I needed and for me to take notes and look around the office to be able to better describe the appearance of the area. I had never gotten the chance to be showed around the facility was just able to come in the front door and look around. Saturday I was able to see the feed mill, the unloading area and the employee room and the office. The office worker gave me a run down of all the different computers and what is done on each one. There is the grain computer which is where the checks and all that business are taken care of. Then there is the computer at the front desk that is for the fertilizer part of the company. There is also another computer and that computer is used to weigh in the farmers when they get on the scale and to keep track of the names and whose grain is being brought in. I was able to walk around the facility and take pictures. I was also told some cool history facts about the company and some things that may be happening in the future. Since it was a slower day the manager of the branch was also there and I got the chance to talk with him and ask different things. Saturday was a very good day. I learned and got a lot of information that will be helpful with writing my paper.

Time to get busy

Ok life is kind of back to normal. During my sister wedding I was doing what I had to for school, but no extra because there was just no time with everything that my mom was having me help with for the wedding. That is over now so it is time for me to get busy with doing the extra papers about Percy Elevator. This next week I plan of working on the paper about the history of the company. I took time to go the mill this past week and talked with the lady in the office. She informed me of different items on the grain ticket that I did not know about. Harvest for my family is over so I will be taking trips over to the mill to just sit and watch and talk to the different people that come in.

Week of the Wedding

The wedding is over and now I my life will be a little more normal.  About two weeks before the wedding I was finding myself spending less time at the mill and more time doing wedding decorations and different wedding stuff.  The week before the week of the wedding I was only taking about a load a day in.  I told the office worker that the mill that I guess I am only going to see you once a day.  She fired back the week of the wedding I will not see you at all.  She was about right.  The week of the wedding I only made one trip to the mill.   That was to take a sample in for my dad.  While I was taking in the sample I talked with the manager of the Percy Branch.  I wanted to make sure that he know what I was doing and not just the office worker know what I was doing when I was there visiting.  I also took time to walk around and see what the inside was like.  I found out that the bathroom is a horrible place that does not get cleaned much.  I talked with mom about it and she said when she uses the restroom there she always takes the toilet brush and gives it a little cleaning.  Like I have said before the mill is a dusty dirty place. 

Trip to the City

Last weekend some of my family and I took a trip to Chicago.  It consisted of my mom's little sister and oldest sister along with my mom, sister and little cousin.  As we walked off the train and people everywhere I was ready to get back on the train and head to Southern Illinois.  On the train ride there were cornfields and bean but nothing like what I am use to.  In the city I rode in my first taxi and also my first subway ride.  The taxi ride I was scared at first because I have watch to much CSI.  After the first taxi ride we started going in taxi vans and all of us together and I was good then.  I did not think the one guy stood a chance with seven women, let alone Wilson women.  While in Chicago we went to a show and just spent time together.  From going to the windy city I learned that the country is where I am to be.  When I got back from my trip I took a trip over to the mill and talked with the employer and have them my permission letter and consent form and took a few pictures.  (Which are posted on my page if you would like to check them out.)  While I was taking the pictures I was able to talk with one of the workers.  He was very nice and I look forward to asking him a few more questions.  I talked to him about how dirty it was and he explained by they always either come to the front of the truck and talk to you or run to the back to get out of the dust.  It really just depends on which way the wind is blowing.  I enjoyed my time in the city with the family but I do not care if I ever go back.  I am happy right here being a farmers daughter.    

Pictures

This semi is one of the trucks that haul the grain away as the farmers bring it in.

When they come to take the grain out they have to weigh before they load of and then once they are loaded.

This is the lady at the mill that takes a sample of the grain to see the moister of the grain and tells you what pit to go to and the bin to tell the worker to load it into.

Unloading the grain.

The mill is a dirty place.