Farmerjan's journal - Weather

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Baymule said:

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Yeah, no joke...

Windy all all get out yesterday afternoon and evening... thought it was going to blow everything to Kansas....

Finally settled down and temps dropped like a rock. It was a "balmy" 19 this morning... Sun is out, wind has died down... but it is still cold at 35...
Heading up to feed calf... bottle or cow... we'll see. She would not come to the barn yesterday and going out there just sends her in the other direction... It really is not worth the time... but he drinks the bottle, goes in the feed bunk and eats grain, goes out with the other calves, so has plenty of opportunity to "be a calf" and have freedom... and is smart enough to come to the barn to get a bottle...

Plan to try to work on the chicken run later on as it warms up some. Get some of the other boxes opened up and see what is what...

Dishes to do, and maybe even some laundry since I can now do it here again.

Samples from last evening's herd to pack too...

Is the pressure back to normal now, after filter cleaned? Running water is a wonderful thing!

You're not the only one, FJ. However, you work with and own an biz with your offspring. That is very different from most of us.

We got home from San Diego, I saw more than a doz eggs on the counter that son had gathered, so texted my DD: "We're home and do you need some eggs?"

Her text back? "Yes."

rolls eyes....

My DD & DGD get 90% of my eggs. It's fine as I rarely eat any. Right now, saving them a bunch as they eat a lot of them.

During pandemic, eggs were hard to find at stores & I've shared excess with friend for yrs.....anyway -- had a LOT of hens then and sent 15 dz to work with DD for her co-workers 2x, and 6 dz to friend for her fam with 2 dtrs more often. Hey -- people were out of work, businesses closed & contact limited.

My hens didn't know or care.

In for the night and headed to get a shower and wash my hair...

@Mini Horses .... water pressure is better than anytime since I have lived here since he cleaned out the filter... MIRACLES never cease...

Speaking of water... to any/everyone.... I ordered a DRIVSE hand held type shower head a few months ago... all the hype of how it increased the pressure and it was healthier because of the filter in it... supposed to change it once a month or when looks dirty....... filters out chlorine and other stuff... makes water "softer" for your skin...
WELL.... it IS ALL THAT and MORE.... About $20-30 I think... I LOVE IT..... before the water froze and quit in the house, it gave me better water pressure in the shower than I had had, since moving in here... 3 settings... and it makes the soap and shampoo feel like it does a better job of lathering and all that. With the hard water/lime in this water, I wanted to try it... mostly I got it for the pressure originally... but I am SOOOOOO GLADDDDD I got it. It has like little rubber fingers that you can use to massage the skin too... not hard but firm...
It goes on the flexible hose that can be used as a shower head or taken down to use directly on a part of your body... the thing is, it REALLY DOES increase the water pressure... In fact, I am now cutting the water pressure on the faucet way back and so using a little less water too.... except that I have been luxuriating in taking showers and being able to go to bed and not get dressed again to come home.... so they have been extra long.
So, just wanted to tell everyone that this thing is a good deal... Also, the shower head part comes off and you can use it as a direct stream to wash things down... but I just use the one setting to wash down the wall and such...

It was a cool but not too bad afternoon. I got into the boxes on the trailer.... there is one more complete poultry run like I am getting together now... box 1 is 3 front panels with the door, 3 back panels all wire mesh... box 2 is all the side panels that are wire mesh, and the couple of "trusses" .... box 3 is all the roof panels; solid ones with the corrugated plastic, and wire mesh ones... to completely enclose/cover it.

Then there is another set of (box 1) front panels, back panels, and the (box 2) side panels... but none of box 3... the solid roof panels or wire panels.... I did not get the third set all off, just got off box 1..... and the falling apart cardboard and styrofoam that the mice chewed all through...that is off the 2nd complete pen.... all loaded on the little ranger.
Then there is a very heavy box that has a different number that is shows a picture of a poultry house...Says box 1 of 2..... where they go down a ramp into a pen underneath and attached bigger pen, that is all under roof. I am hoping it is the "house part"... and maybe I can add part of the other extra pen to it... and make a couple frames to make the top cover for it... Maybe use lightweight clear fiberglass type panels like we use on barn roofs for light in a building??? And extend the sides a little longer to give the wood extra protection from the rain??? Don't know if that is just the "house materials" or if the roof and the house materials is in that box 1...
I will know more once I get that box off and opened up... see how it is configured and if I can use some of the side panels out of box 2 of the other set... to just "finish the pen"... and make the rest of the bigger run shorter.... Thinking I will leave the first pen the size it is.... then after I see what I can do with the chicken house box... will decide what I do with the other 2 poultry pens. Once I know what I am dealing with for roof panels for the poultry house one... and if they will match up to some of the panels(sides) in "box 2" of the other set... Might be able to add on a part of the "box 2" to complete the run part of the "house" and make a smaller pen out of the rest of the panels for a run that I can use also... We'll see.....

It was getting later... DS asked me to watch gates so he could feed hay... and then I wanted to go to the calf... I did not get all that off yet... maybe tomorrow...

Made a bottle... Betsy and calves were all headed towards the barn as I drove up there...... I got the feed in the bunks, but did not put any in for 1305 black cow.. Then called and here comes Betsy, and then 1305 nearly right behind her and came right in the gate past me without thinking about it... So I shut the gate and went in and gave her a pile of feed in the bunk and gave Betsy some more since 1305 was eating at her pile... I never figured she would be around... and here she comes...
I can't figure this cow at all.... But, the calf went right on her... so I left them in for a bit, then 1305 came out in the little barn lot, went back in, came back out a couple minutes later... and stood out in lot... so I opened the gate and walked past her with the bottle for the calf... she just walked out, I fed the bottle. and then made Betsy go out loose and opened the gate inside the barn so the jersey calf could go with the other calves and go out the creep gate in the other side... with the other 4 calves.....

It was not bad this afternoon for awhile,. but the temps dropped as the sun went down... I was cold by the time I got done and in the house.

Samples are all packed to go to UPS tomorrow... Supposed to be a little warmer... I'd like to get the rest of the cardboard and all off the panels and such, and make one trip to the dumpster with it if I could.
I want to go get the protein tubs for the pasture... didn't go get them on Friday since it was the last day of the month... I will get them in the next day or 2 and then they won't get billed until the first of April. Give me an extra month of interest on my money in the bank.... it's earning over 4% so why not..... yep, getting tight and trying to capitalize on any and all forms of interest income.

22 overnight so another chilly one. Up to about 40 so far, not going to be real warm, but not much wind, just a light breeze so far, so very bearable to be out. Sunny today and into tomorrow, then clouding and some severe rain and wind for Wed.

Heading out to see about taking the rest of the boxes off the trailer and opening them up to clean off all the styrofoam and stuff from the mice making homes in the past... Found a snake skin so the black snakes must've gone in after some of the mice at one time too...
Then I will make a trip to the dumpster with the cardboard and junk... and then go to town to get the protein tubs while it is still easy to get in the pastures with the dry ground. Need a few salt blocks too... don't know if DS has any at the barn....

32 overnight but has gotten up to 55 or so. Partly to mostly cloudy. Breezy out there too so not very warm.

Heading to town to get the protein tubs in a few minutes. Came in to make a sandwich. Want to get them in the field before it gets slick with mud. Looking like a pretty severe T-storm / wind coming tomorrow morning...I also need to get some more feed up there that is on the back of the truck in Deb's covered arena where he has the hay wagons and other stuff.... I will load some when I come back with the tubs... they ought to b e occupied with the tubs and let me unload some feed bags in peace.

1805 came right in with Betsy last evening again.. calf came in and went right on her... but it looked like it was trying to suck someone out in the field when I got there...She comes out in the lot when she is done with her grain and then I just open the gate and she now just walks out instead of running out.....
Calf took the bottle good, but doesn't look "hollowed out" so I wonder if he is getting some outside in the field also. Sure hope none of the other heifers are letting him suck them or he can ruin their udders. I have seen him several times near the area that 1305 is, so he is "sorta" staying with her somewhat. Plus Betsy and the other calves are usually in the same area.

Got sunnier later in the afternoon. Went to town, got 2 tubs, that have no "clarify" or any kind of feed through for fly control, and no urea... 18% protein so pretty good. I am happy with them. Ran into a friend there, who is actually the general manager, and the feed store was finally "sold" to another feed group, and she stayed on as their gen mgr... which was the best thing that happened to the feed company.... the previous owner... who started this feed company over 50 years ago.... also was a control freak, has lost several real good workers because he would accuse people/office mgrs of stealing from the company... he promised the one for 11 years he would sell it to them, then would renig... real mess.... and she quit and had to bring counter charges against him for slander and such... several of the mill guys quit when she left... anyway.....

This other friend took over the day to day stuff after 2 very "clueless" office people the owner had hired...... about 15 years ago???? and then the owner started accusing her about stealing from the company... this other feed company wanted to buy it because they needed the "pellet mill" capacity.... and this friend had a place in Alaska, so she would go up there for several months... stayed in constant contact with whomever was in the office because some of them were totally clueless... and the owner couldn't keep good help that was familiar with the feed/mineral business....so he couldn't let her go... he tried and a couple of BIG customers threatened to take their business elsewhere unless they could deal with her... owner has always been a bit of a jerk, but as he got older he got worse... He is now in his late 80's I guess... his wife passed away and he has nothing else to do... his daughter lives away, and is estranged from his son....
Anyway, she is back for a week from Alaska, and her daughter in law, who had been working there and owner fired her last year, then was rehired when the new company took it over.... and now her daughter is also working there... Business sale was finally finalized around the first of the year.... and so now she is a "full time" but works remotely much of the time, comes back since her kids are here too... and the new owners are perfectly satisfied... Several customers that had left are coming back she said, since they know that the owner is not there... and are used to her knowledge and all, in the feed and mineral business. I am really glad... So, we spent a bunch of time gabbing, her DIL had the "baby" there and he is about 12-14 months I guess now... her son came in, who makes my DS look "small"....and a couple of calls for mineral orders for the spring... with hi-mag for the beef cattle that go out on green grass ... low mag will cause them major problems... grass tetany.....
So all of this is leading to I didn't get any feed moved to the barn. I went to doug's farm, on the way home from the feed store, because DS is gone for 4 days... found out Sat eve...that they were leaving Monday..... long story....... so I went to feed grain to 2 groups, a friend of DS was going to do the silage feeding with the skid loader and such...and the grain... but on the no silage feeding days, they still need feed/grain... and this guy was not going to be able to feed until late today... and he and I talked and I said I would feed the 2 outside groups, and he could feed in the barn, after dark, because the lights would make it easier for him... we talked about DS going away and the "set up"... and all that... I said I could do them all, but if they were concerned about me carrying feed buckets in there where the cattle were... then I would just do the outside ones that I can feed from outside over the fence... and he wouldn't have to worry about trying to have lights etc out there... and he could do the inside with the heifers in and around....Seems this was all figured out but I was not told about it except DS was telling me all sorts of things but not that I would have to do this,,,, but just for me to know... and to check for calves... but in the meantime, seems gf sister is checking for calves too.... and tagged a couple... which is fine, but then why do I need to go check them too..... which I have started back doing some now... I can get them between my knees and hold them although my hand is not doing good at squeezing the ear tag pliers so have to grip with 2 hands... so whatever....Just tell me that he has gf sister doing this... although the other friend will be doing it the next couple days...the whole right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing... he has people doing stuff, tells me bits and pieces and just expects me to accept things... I also think this is why he was getting things at my house; like the water all of a sudden done... guilt over going away and then not telling me until last minute....has happened before, should have been looking for something sneaky to happen.

BUT, I am left in the dark about who is doing what...but I need to know which pen gets how much grain and all that.... then, I need to go to his house and do the dogs and the chickens... and check the sheep and water them... GRRRRRR .....

Anyway, took the tubs up there and put them out for the heifers etc at the nurse cow pasture and will go get feed off the other truck tomorrow and put some bags in the forester... can transfer them to the barn when it is not raining...

Got the cardboard and junk, off the ranger at the dumpster, and the other 2 boxes covered over for the upcoming rain. I will see about getting "box 1 of 2" with the actual chicken house pieces, put together and see what is missing since there is no "box 2" for that chicken house...... and go from there. Going to leave the first one I put together, whole like it is... and I can then decide how to put together the second and the third poultry runs; one that has all the parts, and the one that is missing the "roof sections".... shorten it up to add some to the chicken house part I have if they will work together...... we'll see when I get that one done.

It was chillier than I thought it would be today... it hit 60 late in the sun, but there was quite a breeze/wind so a hooded sweatshirt was not overly warm....so I did not do as much out there I was thinking to do.... One plus for all this, there were a couple pallets under these boxes, so I will have enough to make the compost "bin" at the garden.

I then got home, and did dishes, have some more to catch up on, doing the buckets that I was hauling water in, and some clothes to go in the washing machine... Brought boxes of bottles in the house, to put bottles in the trays for testing tomorrow afternoon.

Going to be an intersting night with the "state of the union" type speech from the president... and the answers/bebuttal speech from the other party...

Congress has "held up"/stopped, the bill introduced and voted for by all 53 republicans, to prevent biological males from competing in "womens's sports"... all democrats voted against it...this does not meet the criteria of 60 votes, it is not a simple majority type of vote..... their constituents ought to really consider what these people are doing; since by conservative estimates from any and all polls taken, it has anywhere from 67 to 90% of ALL people saying that these "trans men/women" should NOT compete in women's sports...