Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[thistlebloom]

How are you doing Jan? Haven't seen you since Wednesday. Hope the work you did Thursday didn't overwhelm you and you can get some time to relax and keep your foot up.

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, I didn't get on here Thursday because after we got done testing, got the samples packed, dropped the meters and hoses at the other farm, which my son did as I was finishing the computer work and had started to pack the samples, we stopped at a small "Waffle Inn" (not the chain) restaurant and ate some breakfast. Good local and very reasonable prices. Then picked up some parts in town, then came home and I actually stayed in the truck as we were running late because they were coming to do the "grading" of the feeder cattle that are going to go to the sale on the 23rd. So Michael got all the cattle in the barn, and then they came to grade them so that took a couple of hours all together. Then he finally dropped the samples off on the way to take me home and he and I were both pretty tired. I hadn't slept good wed night and he had worked at the barn until after 11 that eve getting some of the muck cleaned out, so he didn't get much sleep either. He was going to feed the bull lot hay and go home and do his chickens and quit for the day too he said.
Friday I was aching some after having the walking boot on for so long.... although I do take it off in the truck if I am not going to be getting out. It was sunny about half the day on Friday but only in the 40's and very breezy so pretty cold. Clouded up late afternoon so not a day I needed to be out in. I did keep it up a good part of the day, although it was not too swollen Friday morning.

Today, Sat., it is sunny and supposed to warm up into the 50's and not so much breeze. I feel alot better today. Need to talk to my son and see what his day is like as I am going to need some groceries, like milk and some cereal. Took a roasted chicken out of the freezer yesterday, yeah, one of Walmart's, but I can pull it apart and get a couple of meals off it. So I am trying to get myself together and maybe do some stuff in the house like fold clothes that were left in the basket when I went. Plus I have a huge pile of papers and stuff that I left, to go through when I was sitting here doing nothing. Might get started on that today. If it is nicer out, later, I will go out and feed the cats and the chickens. He did fill the feeder and waterer on Thursday when he brought me home as I can't carry much with the crutches, so they ought to be good for a couple days there but I can at least carry a gallon or so and then if I do that a couple times, will be able to fill it up again in a couple days. They haven't been drinking alot because it hasn't been that hot but we are supposed to get back up into the low 60's again.
The daffodils are out many places already, and I have seen a few of the forsythia already showing some flowers. About a month earlier than normal. Afraid to look at the peach trees. Also had an article on the local news about all the insects already coming out of "hibernation" or whatever, and the [possible bug problems this spring. I have found 2 ticks already which we NEVER have at this time of year.

Ankle still is mostly tinglely numb on the top. Still none of the "pain". Sure hope that they tell me that I can walk without the crutches after the appt on Thursday, with them taking out the stitches too. With the boot it will still give it alot of "protection" and support. And to be able to take a shower without having to wrap it all up in a bag.......

Have a farm scheduled on Tuesday with Geneva helping again. This farm is one she milks at part-time, so is well versed in the whole thing as I have tested with her many times. She will be doing "my job" as she is normally off on Tuesdays and she will work with whoever else is milking. Then I will do the computer stuff and get one of the guys to help pull down the meters and put in the truck for me, after the wash system runs.
I will go early and get the meters and samples from the owner sampler farm that we dropped off on Thursday. The farmer is going to do his test on Monday night/Tues morning. Already got it cleared that they will pull meters and put everything in the truck for me. Then I will only have to load enough meters and stuff here, to make up enough for the other farm, since they already have 8 and I will need 16 for Tues aft.. I back the truck right up to where I keep everything here when it isn't on the truck so that is good.
Plus I am on week 3 so can now put 75 lbs weight on this ankle in the boot so can stand and do some things without the crutches and just balance more of the weight on the good leg but not as hindered about not putting much weight on it. That helps.

Guess that's all for now.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

So very happy to read you are getting back towards normal....how was that farm fix smell you were missing so much ? .......I happen to love a whiff of cow poo in the air myself Jan , and adore having my neighbors cows next to us when he puts them "in the front pasture " ., it's almost as good as having a few myself.

 

[farmerjan]

It was good to get out around our cows and all. Just the fresh air, and earth, and even the rain in the country, smells different than in the city. I really don't miss the smell of the dairy cows like I thought. Realized that the whole routine of testing is getting old. Maybe I will be able to settle back into it once I am back on my own 2 feet with no crutches and the weather will be warmer too. But I really wasn't missing the smells of iodine and all the manure in the parlors. The big farm we did isn't bad as you don't get real dirty there. And they don't dip with iodine so not strong there. There are a couple that do dip with iodine and I am not looking forward to them. I still like my dairy cows, but really am not looking forward to the hassles of testing. There are about 4 that I would like to get rid of, but there is no one else to take them so if I want to give some up I will have to give them all up and quit I am sure. So for now, my focus is getting the appt done and hopefully getting off the crutches, then getting back to a normal routine/life for the summer and finding somewhere else to move to. Then if I do, then I can make some decisions. And maybe with the ankle back to working normally, with no pain, I will have a different outlook on it.

 

[Mini Horses]

Hmmm, very interesting. We grow turnips, neither of us like them. Maybe we can pickle them this year? That looks really yummy!!

when we have all those turnips and don’t know what to do with them!!

My chickens & goats LOVE them!!! Grow their feed.


Jan, so glad you are up & about -- knew you would be!! LOL can't hold you down for long. Yes, I suspect you will have a different outlook once you are walking without all the pain. My work was so dead slow for 2 1/2 months that I "thought" maybe I had quit and forgotten. So, so hard to go back & get into the swing of things. Well, wanting to anyway. But, I eased back into it and am back to being "ok" with the extra hours during our busy season. But, gotta admit, I sure think I would like not working -- for others. Then again, I worked today because weather was bad out (very windy and COLD). An inside day for everyone on the farm. I went to work, will give me some time next week to stay home a day. Maybe. It's a wicked week coming up!!

 

[Ridgetop]

So happy to hear that you are recovering from the surgery and are home. Keep a list of all the problems you had with carrying stuff on this surgery and you can be more prepared when you do the knee replacement. Think secure travel mugs for hot stuff, thermoses for hot drinks in your room, a mini fridge or cooler in the bedroom, and how about one of those toilet chairs actually in your room instead of having to travel to the toilet? They are tallerwith arms to help you stand up of them. Of course, it has to be emptied, but you can keep a bucket with a lid for emergency emptying until someone can help you with that.

On the other hand, with knee replacements, I understand you are walking on the leg almost immediately so you won't have to be in the rehab facility any longer than it takes to be able to get up and down.

Glad that you are getting out and back into your normal routine though. Is there any way you can split your test route with another person?

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

@Mini Horses ..thanks for the tip on turnips!! We didn’t know those guys would eat them!! Awesome!! And, yes, we are planting almost 2acres of stuff just for the animals!

@farmerjan ...I’m glad you’re doing better too. It’s great to hear you on here, like yourself...I can just tell you’re doing better!!

 

[Baymule]

Farmerjan it sounds like you are getting better and better. I am sure glad to hear how good you are doing.

 

[farmerjan]

If the weather could get on some kind of NORMAL schedule, I think everything would be great. It was 24 this morning, everything had a frost coating like @Mini Horses . Up to 68 today and beautiful sun. Supposed to be in the 60's all week with some rain on Tuesday. About 15 degrees warmer than normal and I am sure by the end of the week the peaches will be about blooming. Then we will get another 24 degree night and everything will get killed off. I love the sun but 50 would be much more normal and realistic.
Local paper had an article how many bugs/insects are out already and how this is going to be a bad year for them and subsequent problems. I am very concerned about ticks.

I wish there was someone else I could give some of the farms to. The last 3 testers that have quit, their farms have been absorbed/gotten split up between those of us still testing. There isn't anyone to take them in the area. Then the one tester that went to part-time, that I got a couple of herds from, and she kept all her owner sampler ones that she can just drop off the equipment and then pick it up and do their stuff, she has had a couple of them beg to go back on regular testing so now she is back to working a few she never wanted to because there isn't anyone to take them. She went to work at the P.O. 12-4 in the afternoons and saturday mornings, so she could slow down and get some rest and sleep. She had pneumonia and our mgr said it was her problem to take care of her herds, not the mgrs problem. I have absolutely no respect for our manager at all. So, that's where we are at. I would gladly give a couple up, but she doesn't want/can't handle anymore..... the other full time girl has 27 of which 12 are owner sampler, and she is like me; they have sheep and some beef cattle and she has had both her hips replaced and doesn't want/can't handle any more either. The thing is, they are over an hour north of me to start, and there aren't any more dairy herds down this way, so there aren't any other testers even close. At least 2-3 hours away. Most all have also been absorbing herds as testers have retired or quit. And most are in their 50's/60's...... this job is slowly dying off by attrition as farms go out of business.

Yes, a mini fridge and a microwave- or my table top convection oven- in the room would have ideal. I did look into a "potty chair" for people recovering from surgeries. Of course, having a normal house with a master bath off the bedroom is what I really needed. I am on zillow all the time looking at properties around here and keeping my eyes open for any other things for sale. Friends of mine have put their parents house (deceased), on the market, it is an older house and is definitely in the price range, but there is no driveway up to the house. You have to walk up a little hill to it. I am going to have a friend that does excavating look at it and see if there is a practical way to put a driveway up to it.
There is also a house that belonged to another "set of parents" (deceased also), that has been empty for years; they are talking about selling it. It is on a rather busy corner, a couple of acres, and owned by people that we rent some land/pasture from. Trying to get them to commit to selling it as is...... it is again an older house but the land is nearly flat, one step up into the house from the "carport shed" it would have been very good for someone like me with this ankle deal. I would fence it with privacy fence around 3 sides and be able to have the chickens and other stuff there.

But I am also looking because I really want out of here since I cannot do anything to improve it, being that it is rented. And the owner won't do anything he absolutely doesn't have to and I am tired of all the stuff that needs doing. I love the old stone, and it could be a much better place to live, but he is 75 and won't put anything into it, and I was hoping that maybe he would sell it to my son with some of the farmland on this side of the road, and then I could put money into fixing the house. I would have added a bedroom at the end of the house near the bathroom and gone up a 2nd story and put a bath in upstairs also to serve the 2 upstairs rooms that I cannot even access since he took the stairs out. There is now a leak in the roof, that you can't get to because again, you can't get upstairs, and you can hear some drip,drip, drip when we have a hard rain. One of these days the ceiling will come down and this beautiful old house will go to he//.

One reason not to quit working yet, so I have an income to qualify for a mortgage. Since I have very little debt at all, all my income can go into paying a mortgage. But would sure like to get that done here real soon, instead of continuing to pay the rent that was supposed to be a short term deal......instead of staying here this long.

Went out in the sun and did the chickens and the cats. Nice day out. Tomorrow is supposed to hit 70????? totally nuts. Oh well, maybe spring will come early and we won't have any late frosts to surprise us.

Hate this DST...... always liked my daylight in the morning. I always feel like I am running behind with DST.....

 

[Ridgetop]

I hope you can find a nice little place that will be easy access for you. Does your son own his own place? If not maybe you could go in together and find a place that would do for both of you. Farmland for him, and if you don't want to share a house, maybe you could get a nice newer mobile home to put in an area of the property. There are a lot of times hen I really appreciate living in our 5th wheel trailer as we travel. LOL We really wanted to relocate to Yelm, WA, and live in the little 2 bedroom house we fixed up for my aunt. It only had 4 acres, but a nice old barn and a newer barn, as well as a couple other outbuildings. We were really planning on moving there with the sheep until we found out that the city of Yelm had extended the city limits round it and you can only keep 3 chickens on the property now!