Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Weather has been totally screwy!!!!! Was 29 this morning. Got up to 66 this afternoon, 74 on my open porch in the sun !!. They have changed to partly sun tomorrow, with some showers possible overnight into Wednesday.... but temps still staying in the 40's to poss. 70..... Then back down to 20's and 40's by Sunday. Were originally calling for showers all Wed, Thurs, Fri but now they will be more scattered. I sure hope not much rain. The ground is thawing after that hard cold frozen week, and it is like grease on top to get around. I've got 8 buckets of feed out of the bin to hopefully get up to my "nurse cow barn" in the morning. Would like to make a 2nd trip but we'll see.

 

[farmerjan]

I mentioned in another thread about the #@$%# neighbor and the lawsuit against my son about the cell phone tower. Well, he went to court and they tried everything they could to stop it. The judge; a woman; listened and for everything they came up with my son's lawyer had an answer or a rebuttal or could prove she didn't know what she was saying. They tried to make an issue about the "junk vehicles" that were against the covenant, which had all been moved etc., within the time frame the sheriffs dept had given him after she made the complaint. So the judge said, this has been satisfied, so is a NON ISSUE. Then they tried the whole "building a new structure" thing that the cell tower would not meet the restrictive covenants, and the judge said that number one, it was not a "building" so did not have to meet the 1500 sq foot living space requirement, that my son was not doing the building but was leasing the land to Verizon, so why was she suing my son for it.... and whether we liked it or not, progress is the way of the world. It may not be what they want, but that there were worse things than this, that it would be of the greater benefit to the public, and so she basically dismissed the whole lawsuit. The woman's lawyer kept interrupting the judge, and kept bringing back up stuff about the vehicles, and the judge said that she had already ruled on that so they could not keep bringing it up, and they said they would appeal. She said you have every right to appeal. BUT, they had better have some new reasons that would stand up under scrutiny, and they would be right back in HER court so to make sure of what they were doing if they wanted to go that route.... Her lawyer interrupted the judge a couple more times when the judge said she had ruled, they pissed her off and she got up and walked out of the courtroom. It was the last case of the day.... but my son's lawyer said the judge was really P.O. by their lawyer and as far as he was concerned it was a done and finished deal. He said he doubted that they would try to appeal since they really rubbed the judge the wrong way.
The Board of Supervisor's meeting is Feb 25th. Several of the board members know my son, and a couple have told him that they have been watching this ( everyone knows everything that goes on around here) and the one told him they are tired of the "d@#@ed" Yankees thinking they were coming here and trying to run things. Then he laughed and said...." yeah, I know where you come from originally too.... but you aren't like most of them". We are yankees too, but we have a reputation of trying to fit in and liking the way things are for the most part. I am thinking this will give us a very good chance for it to get passed.
Verizon has hinted that they can appeal a "NO" decision with the state and get it over ruled, in 99% of the cases when it is of concern to public safety and since they have tried to comply by staying away from the historic district area, and all, it is SELDOM that the state will refuse if there is good cause.

I'm not a big believer in things like eminent domain and taking people's property and such.... but for pete's sake, this is only a single pole cell tower, not a frickin 5 acre compound with razor wire and lights and all sorts of noise and stuff. I bet in 6 months after it is built, it won't even be noticed by 90% of the people there.
We are afraid she might have something up her sleeve to try to stop it.... we will see.
We also do not have to worry about any of our farm equipment, the flat bed trailer that he hauls hay on, any of the "farm use" vehicles being there. They just have to be "operable". And the box trailer falls under that too.

 

[Bruce]

You must be really POed since you posted all that twice

it was not a "building" so did not have to meet the 1500 sq foot living space requirement

Yeah, we all want to live on a pole in a field. Sure does sound like the neighbor is reaching for every straw she can grasp and her lawyer is a bottom feeder for taking the case. Gonna get the legal fees either win or lose.

 

[Latestarter]

I don't have a problem with eminent domain when it is done fairly and to the public's benefit, not an individual. I HAVE see it abused... badly. Glad your son has passed through that little fire. Hope the neighbor smartens up, cuts her losses and just moves on.

 

[Rammy]

I like that Ms.PITA got her clock cleaned in court.

 

[farmerjan]

I don't have a problem with eminent domain when it is done fairly and to the public's benefit, not an individual. I HAVE see it abused... badly. Glad your son has passed through that little fire. Hope the neighbor smartens up, cuts her losses and just moves on.

I agree that there are cases for eminent domain. I didn't say it very well, but was referring to the state being able to "over ride" if the board of supervisors turn it down. And I do agree that there are times that the public welfare should win out over individual wants. This whole thing is just a B$#@# neighbor, that has taken a dislike to us, because we refused to make her hay after they screwed us the first year we made it. That was after another neighbor farmer refused to make it again after having a problem with them 2 years in a row. This is problem person.

 

[Baymule]

There is a rotten apple in every barrel. Too bad you can't just toss her out.

My sister has a cell tower on her property and gets a nice check every month, around $800. While it is not enough to make a living on, it is a nice kick in the bank account. The cell tower payment would make a payment on needed equipment, buy a truck or anything else you might need. Go for it. Fight this BIT&@$% all the way.

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks @Baymule . If we can get this thing done, it will take about a year's worth of payments just to "pay us back" for the lawyers fees. But it will be worth it if we can just get it done. The "neighbors" had once put the house on the market, then withdrew it. Wish to god they had sold it back then. Sadly, the husband isn't a bad guy. How he has lived with her I will never know. He had a heart attack a while back, and my son said he looked horrible in court that day. I don't think she cares that she is putting him through all this extra stress too. I don't think he is really against it.... but since she is his wife..... God bless him because he has a tough row to hoe with her.

Sunny, started out at 37 already up to 57 @ 10 a.m. Maybe record highs on Thursday.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

@farmerjan ....how is your head cold doing ? Hope you are on the mend and back on your feet real soon

 

[farmerjan]

@B&B Happy goats ...Cold is about the same. Nose running, but that is better than tight and stuffed up. Not feeling up to 100 % by any means. Sun today was nice.
Had to go to town this afternoon and pick up a 530 lb heifer from the stockyards. She is part belted galloway, and one place that we are supposed to "get back" to rent; used to have it 2 owners ago; the owner is rich as croesus, and he made a $5,000 bet with a friend that he would have some belted cattle on his place by April of 2019. This was 2 years ago. So I have been looking for a couple of heifers/cows, that we could get and put there to help him win his bet, by his request. But he still hasn't gotten with the guy who came and looked at the land, to build the fences this guy is wanting. He bought this place to rent out .... you know the kind, more money than they have sense....
Didn't get serious about finding any til about a month ago, as why should I tie up my money until the fences were built.... But I asked a friend who is a cattle dealer, to keep his eye out for 2 to 4 heifers or cows for me. They generally bring about half of what a black heifer would bring. He sees them occasionally up in Winchester at the stock sale as there is a farm up there that raises them.
But he saw this one here close, and I told him to go ahead and get her if she looked decent. The belt doesn't go all the way around on top, and one side is much better than the other, but she's a nicely built heifer. 530 lbs for like .61... Cost me 323. + some change. Eventually I guess he will be buying her, but if not, she is nice enough that I will breed her anyway and just keep her. He hasn't okayed, and paid, the up front money the fencing guy wants; he gets materials up front and I don't blame him....

So I am the new owner of a partially belted heifer. They say she came in with her momma and they split the pair, but that the cow would go after you and really want to "get you". So the buyer said he didn't want to get her too. She is plenty old enough to be weaned. We put her in with our "bigger" weaned heifers, and she will learn to come in to eat by following them. And the fences there are good, so shouldn't have any issues with her getting out and going looking for her momma who is on her way to be hamburger. Could be the cow was open, or real old, or just plain mean. If they had sold them as a pair, I would have taken them. But maybe he can find 1-3 more for me. I happen to like them alot. But they are just not going to make any money and we cannot afford to feed anything right now that doesn't make enough money to pay their way. I am not into registered belteds, and not into showing, so I really cannot afford to keep very many animals that I cannot at least get back what they are worth.
For example, the 10 heifers we sold weighed 497 lbs and we got 1.25 = $621. +. This heifer weighed 530 and brought .61 = 323. +. Nearly half. And she is built nice. Can't afford to feed what won't make money. The cost of feeding a cow for a year is about 450-550. This heifer did not even bring what it cost to keep her momma for the year.
They are supposed to make good beef, but I am not into direct marketing much anymore and am tired of the ones that want a beef, then don't have the money when they are ready or want to "make payments". So not going to get back into it much. If we raise a few of these and I wind up with them, will try to market a little beef, or put it in my own freezer. Maybe offer it to some members here that want some grass fed good beef.... These will gain faster than my jerseys and they are supposed to marble pretty good. Will have to maybe kill one for myself and see how I like it. If it is good, maybe make a "road trip" and visit some members, and sell some beef..... then it will be worth keeping, and feeding a few.