Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Baymule]

Moving is a big job and a lot of work. We closed on this place in September 1014, but didn’t move until February 14, 2015 which also happened to be our 19th anniversary. LOL We had sold our old house and had 3 days to vacate. Even though we had done TONS of work here, packing it all in a U-Haul was a mad house. Once I had the house ready to move into, I wanted to move at a more leisurely pace, but it came to closing day on the old house and there was still plenty of stuff to move. LOL LOL

I am happy for you, this will be YOUR house and you can do what you want to. Chickens, garden, redo the inside and it is yours to do with as you wish.

 

[Mini Horses]

don't need to see ya on a future episode of Judge Judy.....

BUT -- might be fun to watch

 

[farmerjan]

BUT -- might be fun to watch

Nah, you'd probably see me getting hauled off to jail!!!!! Actually, I don't foresee any big problems with the landlord as I think he will be unhappy to see me go because I pay the rent on time, don't bother him for anything, and gave up on the garden and my chickens here so nothing for him to fuss about except I don't keep it looking "better homes and gardens perfect" from the road view. It will take me awhile to get stuff moved and I will just put a load in the truck every time I get ready to leave..... The appliances are all his, came with the house, except for the freezers, and I hope to get one empty and then get it moved, then move the stuff from one here to there, then move the next empty one..... I have 4 which is alot for one person, but when we kill an steer it takes a BIG amount of room. Plus I prefer to freeze my vegs most of the time rather than can but I can many of my fruits. I probably need to start canning some of the meats but honestly, I have never canned meat. Mom always froze it so I do the same. Would be kinda nice to have a BYH get together, have some of the more adept "canning experts, like @Baymule " come, spend a few days camping out on the property and in the house, and help me do a "sshet pot" of already butchered chickens up..... and then send some of the bounty home with everyone else too....
Since there might be some real issues with the freezers and place to put them, it was suggested to me to maybe invest in one of the "amish bldgs" what we call "Byler type Barns here" as a storage place for the freezers. You can get them already wired up for things like a workshop and that might be the better way to go since there is no "back porch" like there is here. And the one "mud room" area is not very big. Something to consider. They cost in the neighborhood of 1-4,000 all according to size and what they "have" and that is delivered to your spot. Get an electrician to run the wire from the breaker box out to it and instant extra storage room. I will be looking at them too in my travels here around. Just need to get the dumb people at the banks to call me back with a appt to meet..... Part of the problem is my lack of cell service here lately and that is from all the people at home using the towers all the time and the overload so you can't get on them.

Still waiting on Verizon to get the d@#$@d road in for the start of the tower on my son's property too. At least the chickens are off to the side away from where they should be putting in the driveway/road. At the rate they are going we will have the first cutting hay off the property before they even get on it to disturb the ground....

Did some counting finally, and realized that there weren't 60+ when I got them, as the count kept coming out to 53 with the ones I lost the first couple of days. Must've counted a group twice. Have lost a few more, which is to be expected due to the complete upheaval of their existence and some were pretty small and puny looking. So as of yesterday I had 39 pretty decent healthy looking cornish x that were already venturing out into some of the underbrush. So again, losing about 20-30% which seems to be the norm. Seems like alot but then since I am not paying for them, I guess I can't complain. I have gotten some batches and only lost 2 or 3 out of 20, but mostly like this time, there were a fair number of some pretty scrawny ones. And 3 that were crippled that wouldn't be able to get around to eat; don't know how they manage to live that long except they are so close to the feed and water and didn't have to travel very far to survive.... but that is why they were pretty scrawny.
And I just realized that the first of June is right around the corner and I will be calling the other guy here real close, that had all those left over the last time and wants me to be able to come get them this time..... This source will probably be my main source going forward as there is a possibility that the other farm will be losing their contract with the poultry company. The houses are getting some age and need some upgrading and I am not sure the farmer is going to put the money into them. Plus, I have always dealt with whomever is living and "managing" the farm... chickens and dairy.... and the guy there now is looking at buying his own place and moving on. Can't blame him, there is no time off there and I sure wouldn't work like that for someone else forever..... so might lose my contact there. Getting with this other guy, who is a friend of both my son and I, my son's age, and real close.... I will only be 5 miles or so away in the other house.... makes more sense.

 

[Baymule]

Canning meat is fairly easy. It just takes a looooong time to process it! If I get 3 cookings done in one day, I’ve done good. Already cooked meat is a time saver for throwing a meal together. Plus it frees up freezer space. It would be fun to get together and have a canning party! And a sheet rock party, tape and float party, paint party, fence party, gee I hope you like parties! LOL LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

YES, let's party!! I'm happily eating from chicken I canned New Yrs eve. LOL I'm about 3.5 hrs from ya. Bay has a longer drive I could bring my son -- he's no good at canning but, frames houses & does additions, barns, does roofs, siding, etc. Yep, we can party -- big time.

 

[Bruce]

Doesn't pay but 2.25 % but cannot lose anything with the volatile market either.

2.25% isn't bad at all these days.

Sure they aren't all wonderful.... but something to consider.

I suspect if you find grad students or older students you'll be better off. I'd steer clear of the 18 Y/O freshmen that just escaped the bondage of living in their parents' home. PARTY PARTY PARTY.

 

[Baymule]

@Mini Horses i will defer to your canning expertise and join my talents (mostly energy and tell me what to do) to the experience of your son and we could put in that extra bathroom. LOL

 

[farmerjan]

@Mini Horses i will defer to your canning expertise and join my talents (mostly energy and tell me what to do) to the experience of your son and we could put in that extra bathroom. LOL

Thanks for the support @Baymule .....

Actually, I would want to have any/every one that wanted to come when the bathroom was working..... a bit more comfortable for all....

Talked to my credit union today and was not very impressed with the woman. I explained the whole deal, and that the house needed some stuff done, bathroom and the upstairs ceilings, and that I planned to do the bathroom before moving in so that I could use it in a normal way.... that I had had a contractor friend look at it and that he said that the breaker/panel box was a good one and all that would pass as he does this for a living.....
So she said that they naturally would have to get an appraiser to come out and if they mentioned in the appraisal that the bathroom needed remodeling to be used, and about the ceilings, that they would require that the work be done before they would approve it. Either by the owners, or by me. I said ( AGAIN ) that I was buying it as is, that the owners were not going to put any money into it and that I sure wasn't going to do the work until it was MINE.....
Then I said that I wanted to put down 20% of the purchase price, and then she said that it would be helpful as with 20% down, I wouldn't need PMI..... (private mortgage insurance). But that before they would even consider looking that I had to have a signed contract from them, stating that they agree to sell it for X dollars, that they were the seller, that I was the buyer and any other contingencies.... like subject to a home inspection..... ...... Oh but my 29 YEAR history of being with the same company was good .... EXCEPT why was I only part-time now????? I said, I AM SEMI-RETIRED......

I was pretty P.O.ed at this point.

Got a call in to the other bank that was suggested to me. Come to find out, she is the wife of friends of my son's..... that could be good or bad ...LOL..... and she gave me her cell # in a return call while I was in PT..... so after trying again this aft and she was on the phone..... I will call her this weekend when I am out with good service and just see what she has to say.

I am also considering talking to the owners..... see if they would hold the mortgage for a year, with the 20% downpayment made to them.....so it would be mine, so that I can get the work done then go and get a conventional mtg..... with the house being in better shape (ready to move in condition so to speak), ( and if they hold the mortgage I might qualify for "re-financing" so a better rate maybe) , but if the work is done, it ought to appraise for more so shouldn't have any trouble getting a mortgage........the couple that came and looked at it for me is doing that very thing with a guy on a place they have now.....
Not going to do anything til I at least talk to the other bank, and going to talk to our farm credit where my son has all the farm loans.....Their interest rates are higher, but they pay back like 20% of the interest paid..... he got back quite a bit from the loans he paid on last year.... he says he has figured it and it works out to be much the same rate when all is figured in. Can't hurt to go talk to them too. So I will just let the owners know I have talked to a couple of people and will let them know if/when I hear anything. That I am going to need some sort of a signed proof of intent to sell / "purchase" this particular place from them. Like a real estate agent has a contract that both sign with any stipulations .... like most have something about it being contingent on the buyers selling the their own property and such.... but I don't have that to worry about. But a signed contract because a "verbal agreement" is not enough it seems.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Ya may want advice from a real estate lawyer....they know the "ins&outs" and can draw up a "contract" that includes each person's responsibility towards an agreement.... .....I wouldn't waste time with any that didn't look to "cater" to me....if they want ya to jump thru "hoops"....find another.....

 

[farmerjan]

One of the places we rent, the guy is a real estate agent.... so might ask him about a standard contract between 2 people. Have a lawyer that I can use that did my will MANY years ago..... son of a former dairy farmer so knew them back then.... my son used him for a simple rental agreement on the house that is down on the other farm, 20 miles south of here.

We had a horrific storm last night, wind blew and it poured down, thunder lightning and all. Before the internet went all wonky, you could see the severe storm cell over our area, in the radar picture. My rain gauge was even blown a bit sideways as the ground is so soft from the rain the last few days. Took the top 10-15 feet out of one of the 2 big tall pines, at least 60 feet tall, in the front yard. They have been dying the last few years and no life in them at all this year, and a few weeks ago I told the landlord that he really needed to see about getting them taken down before they fell over and hit the porch or something. Well, the top wound up half over on the fence on the other side of the driveway and across the driveway. He just took his big tractor with the front end loader and got it off. Maybe now he will take them down????? Doubt it, that will cost money to do.....the other will fall and probably take down the electric wires to the house.
There is an inch or more of water in the gauge, so don't know how much we really had, but it was pouring out of the gutters off the porch roof as they couldn't hold it to go down the downspouts....
Maybe storms again this afternoon then 3-5 days of sun?????