Farmerjan's journal - Weather

farmerjan

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Well, it's cloudy, wet and RAINING for a change!!!! Really???
We had grey cloudy skies yesterday and raw damp feeling. Got the last 30+ cows and steer calves moved home from pasture. Pregnancy checked and not at all good. This group may have had some problems with the bull as they were either 5-6 1/2 months, or open.
Been a very discouraging and difficult year. Vet still thinks it is in part due to needing more magnesium. So we are going to go for all hi-mag salt this year, not just in the early part of the year when grass growth is excessive. I am also going to use Rumensin in the mineral although I am not big on "additives", but there may be some underlying clostridiums due to the exceptional wet. Cannot afford to "not have" all the calves we need to sell for the payments and all. We will be in a very tight spot next fall since we will be short about 40 calves this spring from what we normally would have born. Some will hopefully be recycled into fall calves, but there are some that will be probably have to be culled. Also, need to up the nutrition level on the younger cows, as they seem to have taken a bigger hit from the wet grasses that did not supply the nutrition they needed. Although we are not the only ones from what we are hearing, still knowing that is not paying the bills either.
I am in favor of cutting back some, but we need a certain income in order to keep the "home farm" we rent, as the rent is high but we base our operation there. Maybe making and selling more square bales this year is going to be the answer. Since we have already decided to do that, hopefully we can see our way clear in that direction.
The tower might be hitting a new snag. Verizon has made a new set of plans, moving it down the hill in order to accomodate the neighbors concerns behind it, and that is all good. The "B$#@H that has caused all the problems so far has been quiet. Now one of the people on the Board of Supervisors is advising that this new "set of plans" to move it down the hill a bit, constitutes a whole new "proposal" and we might have to go through the whole application and hearing and all....all because Verizon is willing to change things a bit to address the one neighbor who is concerned that the tower could fall on his property if it should ever come down.... and so in order to try to keep the peace, they are trying to move it to where it can not do any damage to his property...and now a board member is trying to be stupid about the placement...??? Well, the meeting is in 2 weeks, guess we will see. Verizon is saying they will go with the original proposal, and then when the concerns come up in the meeting, that they have this other plan that would move it and address the neighbors concern about possible problems if it should fall, and that they did it just to see if they couldn't address all the concerns with simply moving it a bit further down the field. IE, trying to get along with all the neighbors and make it as "least offensive" as possible. The other 2 landowners that the B#@$# was proposing SHOULD have the tower, have both expressed their DEFINITE refusal to lease the land to Verizon, and do not want the tower on their land. MOSTLY because they do not want to go through what we are going through; both have told Michael that. So that takes the wind out of the "opposition's sails" as far as having an alternative for placement. We are hoping that the board members will see that the alternative "plan" is not going to change anything, and that it shouldn't mean that they have to go through the whole application again simply because it is being proposed to move it another 150 feet from the original site, staying on the same property. The access road will be at the other side of the property, where there is already a gateway also, will not be along the B@$#h's property line, that she was having a fit about. Thing is, we are going to put a "driveway" around the barn to the back of the barn anyway, so it will run right along her property line and nothing she can do about that. The "road" up to the tower was just going to make it easier for us....
Weather is supposed to rain again this afternoon and get heavier this eve into tomorrow. Then warmer and decent for Wed and Thurs, then rain again on Friday. Then colder again. Miserable to work in.
 
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CntryBoy777

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Could the stress from the weather have affected the rate? Some animals are affected by stress and the ability to reproduce is reduced.....didn't know if cows were or not. Sure hope ya don't have to face those issues again this year....that Bermuda High needs to stay in its normal place and away from the NC coast....:)
 

Bruce

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Well, it's cloudy, wet and RAINING for a change!!!! Really???
It does seem like your rainy season from last year is just continuing along.

all because Verizon is willing to change things a bit to address the one neighbor who is concerned that the tower could fall on his property if it should ever come down.
Not terribly unreasonable. MOST boards would see Verizon and your son's willingness to move the tower a bit as a positive thing and just a modification to the existing proposal, not a whole new one. I hope the rest of the board can get Mr/Ms. Unreasonable to shut up.
 

farmerjan

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Morning all. It is cloudy, damp, and not looking like a very pretty day.:( Yesterday, Wed., it was sunny but chilly. Wind got up and felt like it was going to blow you away. I left at 515 a.m. went to test and got home finally at 1:30 p.m. Farm is over an hour away, and after the milking and then all the paperwork, talked to the "son" who does most of the "paperwork" for the herd and all, for a little while. They are also feeling the effects of the constant struggle in the dairy industry. :hit

Supposed to continue to cloud up, then rain, and some "wintry mix" for the next 2-3 days and nights. JOY...... :barnie:barnie:th:th

Anyway, after I got home and did what I had to here, went to a bred cow sale with my son and a good friend and former part-time employee of ours. Prices were up a bit from what they've been. Most were in the 1,000 to 1,200 range which is about 2-300 more than what they were a month ago. Only wound up with one bred cow, but she is about 7 months so will calve in the spring. We put her in the upper lot with a few cows of ours that have some steer calves, will have to get her in the chute, check her mouth (for age) and vaccinate and worm. She was being VERY aggressive:ep when they went to load her last night so we decided that she didn't need to be further riled up and run through the chute. Give her a couple of weeks to calm down, get used to us being in and out of that smaller pasture, and then see. If she keeps the attitude, she will raise one calf and go. But, will give her a chance to see if she can cool off and be okay. Wanted to buy a group of 4 but some guy got on the bidding at the last minute and we ran them as far as we thought we should. One in the group was "old" looking, and it didn't make sense to pay too much. :idunno:idunno We will just keep our eyes open and maybe pick up a few odd ones here and there to help give us some more to calve this spring so we will have some numbers we need for sales in the fall.
The one good thing is that cull/pound cow prices are up for good fleshy ones. The poor, thin ones are still low, but the ones in good condition are bringing back up in the low 50's. :yesss: We have a couple that will be going and a couple that we will probably hold a bit and try to get some more weight back on them.

New twist in the SAGA on the cell tower.:th
THE B#@#H neighbor that took us to court, went to the Board of Supervisors, the Sheriffs' dept, and then to the Commonwealth's Attorney for our county and claimed that there was a "DEAL" made with my son and his employer, Va. DOT, on the cell tower and that it was illegal and wanted the Comm Atty. to investigate it. :hu HUH ????? For what we aren't sure, what "deal" we aren't sure, it wasn't explained exactly what it all was.... but he got the call from the commonwealth's atty..... gist of the matter is, the comm. atty. told her to STOP WASTING the county's money and the resources and that it was not an issue that the comm atty felt had any relevance... So in other words, SHUT UP. :smack:duc

REALLY????? This woman is totally nuts. Meeting is the 25th. We are thinking from what rumors are around, that they will approve it in some manner. Hopefully in the "new proposal" direction.... and we are sure it will then be appealed by her. Luckily, she will have to go in front of the same judge that heard the original lawsuit. It is getting to the point of ridiculousness.... No wonder the other 2 sites that the KNOW IT ALL BITCH says would be more "appropriate" aren't on the table as the owners want no part of this BS......:rant:somad

Oh it just goes on....But, one good thing, she will have to include Verizon, in the appeal, and they have LAWYERS to go back after her, and the guy we deal with has already told my son they do not plan to lose this case if they are included, and she wants to continue to be a PIA. :tongue:tongue What an aggravation. And it sounds like the commonwealth's atty isn't very happy with her stupid histrionics, and that is a good thing for our side....:yesss: He's a pretty decent guy and has been watching this for awhile. One good thing about smaller towns and counties.... they all know what is going on and there comes a time when they will close ranks around "their own"; and we "qualify" as one of their own after 35 plus years of my being here and his being a VDOT employee for 20, and having alot of friends in the farming community too. :highfive::yesss:
Wish they would just move away and go back to where ever they came from and leave us all in peace. One thing, they are making so many waves, and in the wake, alot of enemies, that they will never be given any consideration for anything in the future.... Karma is a good thing....:bow:bow
 
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