1.9.2020 Sunny.

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Tuesday 1st September 2020. 46-66?F. Calm, clear and bright. Overnight temperatures are only falling slowly. Daytime temperatures pleasantly mild.

One of the "prairies" was being ploughed by two tractors in parallel tandem. Despite the illusion caused by my viewpoint they were laying down two stripes, side by side. I snapped away in the hope of capturing the sheer scale of their activities and equipment. The ground they cover per day is absolutely immense.

Another prairie, just across the road, was being seed drilled. Here the photographic opportunities were much more limited due to distance, intervening trees and hedges. Note the doubled wheels for and aft to reduce ground pressure. [Image below] A small harrow is fitted in front of the tractor to break up the soil for the following seed drill. Rocks up to football size are constantly rising to the surface. Causing a pause while the farmer lifts the rocks out of the way by hand or on a shovel.

My freedom to wander the stubble fields after the harvest is very short lived. Just a few days and the machines are already working on the next harvest. This severely limits my ability to capture images from different viewpoints. Those usually denied to me by crops.

The landscape is mostly, gently rolling, low hills. So it makes a huge difference being able to gain just a few meters in height. Whole new vistas and landmarks seem to pop into view.

Even a normal grain crop is tall enough to obliterate the usual viewpoints for several months of the year. Crops can change from vast lawns, seen from a distance. To soft, fitted carpets which smooths the lumps and bumps.

A short ride, later in the morning, found the farmers already seed drilling the field they had ploughed earlier. Meanwhile they had turned their ploughs to completing their work on the opposite prairie.

Danish police have recorded 7078 speeding offences in school roads in the last three weeks alone. 1000 more than last year. Multiply that to cover a whole year and the number rises to over 120,000. 78 were using their mobile phones while driving.

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