Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

You are right @thistlebloom , they just wouldn't get it if I opened up his brain and poured it in there.....

And @Baymule they are pretty inconsiderate and they will find out when I move out, because he is going to have one hell of a time getting a renter that will put up with all the BS I keep letting slide. Like the water that runs brown every time it rains because there is no filtering of any kind. I LOVE SPRING WATER, so it isn't that. But it needs to have some sort of a tank for collection so that any sediment will settle out at least. And I refuse to hook up the washer that came from my parents because of the limestone residue that is ruining the pipes and all here. My old washer was getting past usable stage, but it just quit and I think that the water here contributed to it...... The faucets are getting so corroded and I am just not going to worry about it any more. I would put in a cistern/collection tank for starters, then put in some sort of a filtration unit to keep the build up from ruining the pipes etc...... NOPE - NOT MINE and I am not going to do anything to help (or hurt) the situation anymore. Plus the light fixtures that don't work as I think that the wires have been chewed through and the plugs that don't work anymore,

Reminds me, need to leave the rent check for him..... aren't I such a good renter.....
Going to go get some "real gas" and see about maybe getting the mower started.... Supposed to be nice the next couple of days. Maybe I will surprise myself, and see if I can operate it with this boot...... I only need to push the clutch to get it started..... then it can be operated with the shift thing and the lever that puts it into forward and neutral and reverse..... Got to go around the lawn and pick up some lids to the buckets that got blown around, clean up some stuff a little. It's awkward still, but I am trying to walk a little more without the crutches.

Hey for anyone that uses diesel ( fuel oil) .... Get it right now...... Prices have been in a free fall with the pissing match between Saudi Arabia and Russia refusing to cut back production. Well, they just agreed to cut production so prices are going to go up. Get it while it is down . My son and I talked about it the other day and he said he needed to clean out the one big tank and get it reset on the stand.... I told him this morning to get it done right now as oil prices already went up today with this announcement.... I'm getting the tank filled here at the house and stopping using the 2 infared heaters as the oil is cheaper and then when ever I do move, they have to pay me for the oil left in the tank.....

 

[Baymule]

We had our fuel tank filled with 400 gallons a week ago. We had emptied it several months ago, put a new filter housing and filter on it and there it sat. Diesel was so darn high! Now we are delighted that we didn't bite the bullet and fill the tank. WHOOO HOOO!!!

So the Saudi's and Russians agreed to stop dumping oil? People here are getting laid off left and right. Companies have shut down production. It gets bad when the oil patch goes down. Last time that happened was the early 1980's.

 

[farmerjan]

Got the ticket for my fuel oil fill. 1.81/gallon. That's off road. I think it was about 2.45 or something in January. Don't know if my son got his tank cleaned and moved and filled yet.
Yeah, the price of barrels of oil went up yesterday. Don't know how much they are going to cut production, but I have heard rumors as much as 20%. Thing is, with so many businesses shut down, and schools closed and all that, the useage in this country has dropped way off too, so any cutting production will be negated by dwindling use. Plus we are going into warmer months, so not as much use in homes and businesses for heat, although there will be use for cooling some places. Alot of that is electrical.
10 million total applied for unemployment in the last 2 weeks. Yet things here just continue on as normal pretty much.

Neighbor of my son's had a huge garden last year and offered extra to everyone. I did get some tomatoes and stuff. Son said he threw out buckets and buckets of stuff. So I guess I will use that for my garden produce. I can trade some chickens for it at least. But no sense in it going to waste. They are retired and he has nothing else to do.....

Landlord was in a rush and they actually mowed the front of the yard around the house yesterday when they were here mowing around the barns and stuff. It's all for "LOOKS" because they only did what shows up from the road.... I had gotten home from testing in the morning, and was pretty worn out. It is hard to be up on the ankle/boot for several hours. Plus I didn't sleep good the night before, think I was afraid I wouldn't hear the alarm and get up in time to go to the morning milking.
Got to get the sample bottles in the truck and head up to meet my son to go test this afternoon. No set up, they have their own sampling system. Just have to write down the numbers, milk weight, and take the sample then I punch it all into the computer after milking is done. They move pretty fast, 2 hours or less in the milking parlor, less than 100 cows.

 

[farmerjan]

Home from testing, they had some mistakes in their computer work that I had to correct so took longer than I expected after milking was done; then we stopped and got Arby's roast beef on the way home and filled up this truck with diesel. It went from a chilly 35 this morning all the way up to 76 this afternoon. Sunny and nice, very little breeze today. Possibility of showers Sunday afternoon. I will take the meters up to the farm in the morning, and leave them for the farmer & his help to put up since they have put me off the last 3 times I wanted to test. Then my son and I will be there by 3 or so to test. It will be at least 4 hours for the afternoon and closer to 5 on Monday morning, if they get there to start on time. I am really dreading going to this farm. Then I will go do the other farm on Monday eve since my son is going to be close to there and can come help, when he gets done at the sale. Still got 4 more to "catch up" that haven't tested since just before my surgery..... and to get back into the swing of doing the rest somewhat regularly starting again with this April testings.
I'm going to go in and get a hot shower even though it is still a pain to have to deal with not being able to just stand there and enjoy it because of the ankle. I will sleep alot better if I get a good hot relaxing shower. I can take a bath if I keep the ankle up as they don't want it to be soaking in water while there are still some scabs and tender skin ..... But that is too much trouble to try to keep it out of the water so a shower is the next best thing.

Might see if I can get the mower started tomorrow and maybe see if I can do some of what they didn't do yesterday.... I am not going to offer them anything since they took it upon themselves to do what he wanted done so it won't look messy from the road. Tough SHT ....

 

[Mini Horses]

. Tough SHT

YES, yes and yes!

Hope you enjoyed the hot shower. Sometimes I just sit there and run the water down my back -- with the hand held unit. It's relaxing. I so miss my old hot tub, even after all these years.

 

[Bruce]

Plus we are going into warmer months, so not as much use in homes and businesses for heat, although there will be use for cooling some places. Alot of that is electrical.

Not so much. I found a reference that said 1/2 of 1% of electricity in the USA is oil generated.

How is your ankle healing with respect to "expected?

 

[Baymule]

How is your ankle healing with respect to "expected?

x2

 

[farmerjan]

Monday 46 partly sunny and temps up to 63 already. Possibility of showers this afternoon and again tomorrow. Did the closeby 220+ cow herd that put me off several times, last night and again this morning. It is just so aggravating as the "moseying along" attitude here at this farm compared to the other ones that want to get in and get the cows milked and get done. Probably took close to an hour longer than it should have because they just don't concentrate on the milking like they should.
Did finally get them to realize that we are only going to take samples one milking instead of them taking a 1/2 bottle sample each of the 2 milkings which is a royal PITA. He was all worried about how accurate the milk weights would be if we went to only testing one milking and going to all afternoons as I have done with several of my farms. He seemed to think that it was going to happen with the next test and that is not what I had told him. I was about ready to slap him upside the head and say NO YOU AREN'T LISTENING TO ME. What I told him was that - IF - I retire, that he would have trouble getting a tester to come and do the 2x testing and that many will not come in and do the morning tests when they are coming from a long distance away.....So what I tried to get through to him this morning, was that things will just stay pretty much the same, that I will only take one milk sample but will alternate month to month, so next test I will take the milk sample in the morning. That until I "do something" like retire, not much else will change for now. That there just aren't people wanting to take on this job, and the crazy hours, plus there aren't enough farms for this to be a "full time" job and so a new person would not be able to qualify for benefits. It's not like there are farms around that do not test that could be recruited to go on test..... there just aren't any more farms around to try to put on test. Especially with the farms that are selling out.
So things will be status quo for a bit here. I think he is going to calm down a little for awhile.

I have to do all the computer stuff, but it won't all get done today. I have to get my ankle/foot up for a bit and I will start getting the milk weights entered but the samples will not get packed and sent today. They will get sent out tomorrow. That is normal for this herd anyway. Oh well, you just can't tell some of these farmers anything. And like the farm I tested Sat aft., he is so easy going and accommodating. Sure I had to fix some stuff they entered into the computer wrong, but they are learning the program and it wasn't that big a deal to fix and I showed them how to fix what they did, and hopefully they will not be "afraid" to delete things and redo them like I showed them. They are very appreciative of me going to test.

So, I am going to get something to drink, figure a way to prop my foot up and enter some of this stuff in the computer.
I have to get the sample bottles ready for this afternoon, and it all gets done on their computer so don't have to do so much to get ready to meet my son at 1:30 to go. Got to go out and check the chickens water and feed before I go. I know my ankle will be hurting this eve, as it is aching some from this morning. Oh well, tomorrow I don't intend to do much except packing samples here, so will be able to stay off of it. There's a few things I want to get picked up and, then try to get the mower started and maybe mow some of the grass, in the next couple of days.

 

[farmerjan]

Tuesday afternoon..... it started out at 45 and up to 77 . We have had some sun and a couple of showers inbetween too. Just got done with a 2 minute fast hard shower.....

I paid for 2 farms like that, back to back. I did most all the test at the farm yesterday afternoon after my son dropped me off. He got back with about 4 groups of cows left and I was more than ready to let him do those few groups. My foot did swell alot after being on it so much. It is still more swollen this morning than I would like but it isn't hot or anything. Just too much "down" . I have kept it up most all day today. Oh well, at least I know that I can do a farm that doesn't require set up or are real big and that lasts only a couple hours..... I was in the barn for over 3 hours Monday afternoon which wouldn"t have been too bad if I hadn't done that morning herd. Still have to talk to a couple and will probably do one or 2 in the next couple days or over the weekend.

We are supposed to have some warmer temps over the next few days. More showers in the forecast.

The lilacs are putting out their flowers on the ends of the branches. I expect they will be in full bloom in another couple of days. Still too early but guess that this is going to be our spring. The bradford pear trees, that are ornamental have bloomed and have green leaves and the peach trees have alot of green leaves on them now. The forsythia has quickly bloomed it"s yellow flowers and are getting green too. Daffaodils are done and I expect that naturally planted tulips are coming on. The truck stop here puts out some very impressive gardens and they just got all the tulips planted and they are beautiful. They will pull all them as soon as they start to fade and plant other plants. I would like to see if I couldn't get some of the bulbs when they pull them. I need to look here and see if the peonies are coming up that I planted a couple years ago. They came from a place when the owners sold and went into a nursing home. They were related to the family that owned the grist mill I used to work at. They will go with me when ever I move too. Got some nice irises that are rebloomers, and some daylilies that I bought and planted here several years ago.

Today is my sons' first day back to work. He really had liked being off this past month since his hip/femur had healed and he was getting alot done at the farm. I don't think he is going to be too thrilled about being back to work with all the BS at VDOT. He has been having more headaches since all the therapy was cancelled at the clinic that is associated with Va Tech. That's from the accident a couple years ago when the roller went over the bank and flipped when he was at work. I guess he needs some time to get back into the swing of it. Bad thing is we are going to get into the busier season with haying coming along and cows having to get moved to summer pastures in the next month.

Well, I hope to continue to get more mobile as the ankle slowly starts to get back to more normal size and works better. My appt was cancelled for this week, and they wanted to have me come in next week instead. The friend that had offered to drive me, now doesn't want to go down there. They had also said that they could do a teleconference and I may do that until I can get a ride, or my car finally gets done, or I may just go rent a car if they are working????
I do know that there is going to be some exercises and PT for it as the swelling continues to go down, they already told me that and I sure don't want to not get back all the motion because this virus has shut down so much and I can't get all the PT that I need. Well. I will call them and tell them that I cannot get there next week, and see about the teleconference on the phone for now. Don't want to do anything I am not supposed to but sure don't want to neglect anything that will help to get it moving more and better as it continues to heal.

Temps just went up to 79 and the sun is out again. I opened up some windows and let some fresh air in the house today. Maybe tomorrow I will try to get the mower started, today was just not possible with the ankle being swollen and me feeling so deflated from working so much yesterday.

 

[thistlebloom]

I would like to see if I couldn't get some of the bulbs when they pull them.

Oh do! My sis used to work at a bank and they did the same thing, pulling all the tulips when they were through blooming. She always got big bags of them and planted her yard and had plenty to share.
Speaking of tulips, I noticed that the deer have been eating my tulips that are planted up front by the veg garden. They are only 3 or 4" tall but the deer have been mowing them down and yanking the bulbs out of the ground. I laid some heavy deernet scraps over them and hope that works. Darn deer.