Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[rachels.haven]

I second that method. It works smarter, not harder and is a perfect way to water those developing hopefully deep root systems.

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks for the tips on watering the trees. Might have to just get a couple of 5 gal buckets with cracks because they are hard to come by here lately. But I have been running the hose and literally soaking them until the water doesn't "sink" into the surrounding soil.... plus I have the soaker hoses that I am going to put on them now... a ring around each tree with the hose.... and then let them have it for a few hours at a time since they don't run very fast....Used to use them in the other garden and haven't used them for several years. I would let the garden get the water for about 4-6 hours with the hoses and it seemed to really get soaked in deep and I could go another week or more before them needing any watering if we didn't get any rain...They were mulched real good though also .

Back here for a little bit to change clothes and all. Earlier, I put the computer, printer and samples that I packed, into the car. Did not unload the meters and hoses before I left. Went to PT and was really sore before and a different sore after. He said that the infection from the UTI, which came up in conversation when he asked how my week had been since I was there last week.; can also cause more ache and joints hurting because it acts on the body in many ways.... and that older people who get a UTI can also get disoriented like they had dementia.... common side effect.... No wonder I have felt so out of it.

Anyway, left there, and went to Staples. The young man that I met there, got on the computer and did a whole bunch of erasing stuff, and uninstalling things, then some new updates, and a whole bunch of other stuff..... AND WAA LAA.... computer is talking to the printer and it printed. Took about an hour or more.... in the meantime we were talking and come to find out he is also a "conservative" who thinks that the gov't is way too intrusive.... we were on the subject of cell phones, and that there were alot of things that I could do on a smart phone and I said, nope, real old fashioned flip phone.... then went to what might be a good computer for me in the future as this windows 7 is obsolete but that I did not want to replace with a nicer, new one to take in the cattle barns.... and he says he would like to become more self sufficient and have a place with some acreage to grow his own food... his grandparents had a small farm..... So naturally I told him about BYH and SS and that we were a bunch of "homesteader type" self sufficient people.... and gave him the websites.... he also is very against the Covid vaccine which I was really intrigued by since he is probably late 20's.... we talked about that too and after we got the printer all figured out, went on the byh and ss sites, and should him the info that @Beekissed had posted with the graph, and the article that @texas lisa had posted about it and he said he was not convinced that this whole thing was not contrived and forced on us to control things in the fututre,... and what if there was anything to the "conspiracy theory" of it possibly causing sterility or other problems down the road....

He said windows 7 was the best operating system they ever came out with... and XP was the best of it's time.... 98 also real good, and it was s shame that windows would not support 7 anymore... Said that vista was a bunch of crap, 8 was worse and the fixes in 8.1 were barely better... and that they did not do enough to bring 10 up to the quality of 7 . He said there are alot more safeguards on the Chromebooks, but that they have limitations, and do not need updates like the windows systems do....I was asking about all the different things out and what would be the best way for me to go.

One thing he said is that not to get a touch screen laptop... the screens are not the quality of say a smart phone... too "soft" and that they will get to the point where they will think you are touching them if you have touched the same spot constantly over time, and then the whole system will have to be disabled or you won't be able to use them.... and the girl at the one farm I test has one and she had it through college, and now it won't work with the touch on certain spots and gets hung up..... interesting insight.

Talked about a desk top, but that I could plug in the laptop to a bigger screen and use it and that it would still be portable.... and after realizing that I took this laptop with me to the hosp and rehab for the ankle.... and that I will want to have one with me after the knees and rehab... may very well go with a new laptop. He said the thing is that there are too many hackers and even the companies, tracking everything you do and selling the info, so older systems like mine that are not supported do not get updates and such... so any bank info and stuff like that are at the mercy of the thieves out there..... and you are being tracked all the time....

Got some good insight. Also tried out the chairs again, and decided to get the one that I really liked..... got a 10% discount by buying the 3 yr warranty which covers even the stitching coming undone/ripping..... the wheels/casters you name it; and having them put it together.... so I just said, do it. I will go get it on Friday although it will probably be ready tomorrow afternoon. Not going to make a special trip and figured I would be back in there by Friday for something....
He also showed me and gave me the links to set a virtual/fake e-mail... that will connect directly with my e-mail... so I can get away from all the stupid stuff in my e-mail.... which is why I don't go through it much because I only delete 2/3's of the stuff.... and he can teach me how to do things like put "links" in my posts and things.... they do it at Staples, but that if I wanted to contact him through his e-mail, he could help me if I had questions.
Also said that most of the time the computer companies came out with "new models" in like June and July on normal years... and that I might be able to find a nice "older model" computer after the new ones come out. Like "leftover car and truck models" when the new cars come out in the fall.....

All in all a very good morning with that. I printed the reports the farmer wanted that I couldn't print yesterday, and went the extra 15 miles north to the farm and dropped them off..... then came down and went to the farm and picked up my milk. Then stopped and dropped off the samples, and came here. I did not go to the stone house because I realized I did not have a cooler to keep the milk cold.
I poured the milk into the glass jars I use in the fridge, and brought the computer and printer in the house, and changed my clothes and am going down the hill in a few minutes. My knees ache and I needed to get them up for a little bit. Need to take some more stuff to get the hurt tamped down a bit too.
Haven't heard from the farm yet about testing.... sure would like to do him tomorrow or Thurs aft.....thought I would leave the meters in the car until I heard since I will need them and a bunch more. But if I don't hear from him today, I will probably go on and take them out. Of course then you know he will want Thursday....
Murphy's Law...

It is partly sunny and nice, mid 70's. Clouds off and on, still a 30% chance of showers but the radar does not look like it will get to us. Then warming the rest of the week to near 90 by the weekend????

 

[farmerjan]

Taking a sit down break. I have done some stuff, got one more load of boxes here and went through some more stuff. Sat for a bit and put the garden cart together I got when I went to NC to the dr appt. Knees are aching. It wasn't too hard to put it together.... sits a bit higher than I would have liked, but the smaller one would not hold enough; dumps right over all the way. Pretty nifty.
Put the hose on the tree when I got here with the stuff on the truck. Let it run a 1/2 hour and ground is quite soaked. Switched to the other tree, finished putting cart together. Changed to the 3rd tree and went and weed eated around the couple of peonies that they left here in the yard, and then unloaded the stuff off truck and that was another 1/2 hour so turned it off for now. Came in, got a drink, and will give myself a 1/2 hour break , got a drink and took some more IB to try to take the edge off and am going back down the hill for a second load.
Went to the pasture earlier and checked the cows. They needed mineral and DS had left the gate open the other day between 2 pastures, then they came up and went out the other gate, and a couple had been out around the barn up there. The driveway is long and gate closed at the end, so they weren't going far, they would have gone into the hayfield before the long trip down to the road, but he wasn't sure if they were all back in. So I went up and counted, put out more mineral, and didn't see any in the other field that he left the gate open to the barn, gate was closed between the fields, in case someone was still out. Didn't see anyone.
Then swung by and checked the heifers in the pasture close to there. He had the count right, but there are 2 there that the numbers don't match his list.... and 2 on the list that I did not see. I think he just wrote them down wrong....
Went from there to the dumpster with the truck and then from there to the house and loaded that load.
I think I am going to see about moving a few things and get to the freezer and get one emptied, then bring the cooler chests full, back up here on the truck. If I can get the freezers both emptied in the next 2 days, that gives him some leeway to get some help to get them moved. Making a "pile" of stuff to go to the dumpster from there too.
But if I get the freezer chests on the truck, filled and brought up here, then I can work at getting the stuff sorted and put into the freezer here this evening and be able to take a sit down break if needed.

Sun and warm this afternoon, mid 80's.

Break time is over....

 

[farmerjan]

Been a little busy this eve.. Went down the hill and was going to get the 2 freezer chests on the truck and start emptying the chest freezer for starters. BUT, my so very "considerate" ignorant landlord.... or his son..... had mowed and weed eated and got the freezer chests all full of grass and crap.... and the hoses are all at the new house so no good way to wash them out.... no brushes or anything there.... so they will have to come back up here and get washed out before I put any frozen packages in them. Needless to say I was not happy.
So I loaded up some more stuff and brought it up and backed the truck up to the carport. Then I took the car, and went down and got odd ball stuff out of the inside of the house, like some lamp shades, pillows... and filled up the back of the car and came back up. So that was 3 loads, none of them huge, but manageable with the knees. I will unload the car tomorrow.

I had a little time, so I unloaded the truck and put some stuff on it to go down to the dumpster. Have some "packing peanuts" and other stuff that I will drop at the mill for them to reuse to pack things he ships out.... and a couple things that need to go to doug's barn. Then I will go to the house and load some more for the dumpster with what is on there, and go get rid of that. Then work on some more sorting there. I will have to bring the freezer chests up, there won't be much room but will bring up what I can fit with them. Being a small pickup, and with the tool box on the back, there is not alot of room in the back... Then come here and wash them out and put them on the truck to dry in the sun and then make a trip back down there. Really would like to get one load of frozen stuff out and brought up here. We'll see how things go.

It is still pretty decent out , temps not real cold. Down to about 50 so cool, but tomorrow will be warmer.

Allergies have been giving me some grief this evening.... The locust trees are blooming so that is part of it, and the orchard grass fields are heading out and that is a bigger part of it.

Talked to the farmer friend, about the guy who works for him sometime, and he has things to keep him busy to the first of the week, so maybe Monday to get helper to work for me doing some weedeating and such. If he does the weedeating all along the split rail fence, then I will get him to haul chips and smother the grass all along it too. Got one post to replace that is rotted off, will see if he can do that too. Then as soon as things are done at the other house, get some electric netting fence up to move a couple of calves here.....
I have got to get the grass mowed... maybe do that tomorrow inbetween trips down the hill, when I need a sit down break....

Time for a hot shower to wash the dirt off and get off the knees for the night.

 

[Baymule]

You can’t get away from that landlord fast enough. Gheesh. Giving him the key will be a day for celebration. Then you will have the summer to do all that you normally do, plus get ready for the fall when you have your knee surgery.

Has the dandelion syrup helped with allergies?

 

[farmerjan]

I hadn't seen much improvement in the allergies with the dandelion syrup, although they did seem a little less intense. But then I got that uti and stopped taking it since the antibiotics often counter any type of supplements you take by killing all the good stuff in your gut. So, tomorrow is the last dose of antibiotics... I am not sure if it is completely gone though. Guess if I have any relapse, I will have to go back to the dr and get something. I am not trying to be negative, and hope this is it.
The allergies get pretty intense this time of year.... and I know it is the orchard grass. Always hits right at first cutting. With no rain to settle some of the pollen, it will be worse the next few days.

Going to go water the peonies and take the weed eater around the porch and stuff here as the grass is taking over. Need to get on the grass mowing here too. There will be plenty for the other guy to work on next week if he comes to work.

Got to get going and go down the hill and do a dumpster run and get the freezer chests. Get the car unloaded too.
Sun is out and 60 already. Going to be a "beautiful summer type day".... Waiting on the allergy pills to kick in before I go outside and get into the pollen. The eyes seem to get it the worst. Won't mow for another little bit.

 

[farmerjan]

Nearly noon. Have had an interesting morning. Just as I am getting ready to go out the door, get a phone call....there are cows out up where I was checking cows yesterday and counting...where DS thought there might still be a cow or 2 out that I left the one gate open.... So, there are 5 cows 4 calves out along the road near the "road gate " at the end of the road up into this pasture. They are headed to the corn field across the road....So I said that I would be up there in a little bit.... Finished getting shoes and all on, headed out, got in the truck and up the road. Get right to where I am going to lose reliable service.... get a call; it seems that they have tracked down the owner... I had said in the earlier call that I was pretty sure they weren't ours since we didn't have double yellow eartags in the cows, but once in awhile we will buy a cow with yellow ear tags..... and that the cows had been missing for several days and another neighbor had seen them in the woods, right next to the place we rent. Thought they were ours..... so they must be the ones that had been up around the barn where DS saw the manure and thought there might still be one of ours out....
I offered to go help but the guy who called me said that the owner said that they thought they would be able to get them right up the road to a catch pen, and I said to call if they needed me. People have helped us get some in, so we try to help others..... you never know when it is going to be your SOB's out....

Turned around from there and went on to the stone house. Got a bunch of stuff loaded on the truck to go to the dumpster. Went there and got rid of it, and then a friend came in so talked to them a few minutes. Then stopped at the mill on the way back, dropped off a couple boxes of the packing peanuts. Came on back to the house, met the one guy I got the big bunch of meat birds from last year.... he said he had some go out a couple weeks ago, and one house had alot left.... but he didn't think that they had been very good, and didn't call me.... I told him that if they get outside on the grass, the ones that are so-so in the houses often really do better.... he said he should have called me.... But he has more coming in the 28th of this month... they will be going out right around the 4th of July... and he will call me. I will also put it on my calendar and call him the end of June to stay in the loop.... If I got them early July... I would have them for 4-6 weeks when the fall poultry swap comes along, so they would be a real good size to take for butcher size. HOPEFULLY, it will work out for then....

So, I loaded the cooler chests, and some other things I could fit, and am back at the house. Going to unload the few things and get the chests washed out.... but I forgot to take something and the knees are aching. Just took some stuff, got a drink, and will go out in about 10-15 minutes as soon as they calm down a little. Did put the 2 1/2 gallons water on the peonies, filled the jugs again... will water them again since that did not by any means give them enough to soak them. Want to really soak them good so they last for a few days. There are holes in the bottoms of the containers so a good soaking will be good and not waterlog them. Also used the weedeater around a few things but more I want to do around these plants. Next: Get the chests washed out, stuff off the truck. Make some lunch.... then go back down and hopefully get stuff out of the freezer..... at least it won't hurt to work with the cold stuff since it is getting really warm out there already.

 

[farmerjan]

Waiting on some chili to heat since it is in the fridge and I am hungry.

Was a real nice day all day. A little warm but not really hot. Got the few things off the truck and got the cooler chests washed out. Decided to eat a sandwich and then mowed the lawn.
It was V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W going since it is several weeks worth. Took quite awhile but got the same area done I did the last time. Weed eated around the 2 peonies and the "piece" of rose bush, in the front. Mowed a path out to the peach trees to make it easier for me to get out there and got a piece of "plastic" baler twine around the shaft I guess, cuz it started to make noise, and smoke so the belts were slipping real bad. Quickly turned off the mower part and decided that it was time to quit.... I will get the jack out and see if I can jack it up enough to reach under and get the twine off.... if that is what it is but I think so. There was a piece of the heavy blue twine off a big sq bale that we had used to help unload the trees and hold them straight when we filled in around them and I saw it then didn't see it and think it got caught and wound up underneath.

I took a 4 gal bucket of water out to the rose bush and I see a couple of little tiny green leaves starting to come near where the other leaves all died off from when I moved it. The stems are still mostly all green... These leaves are at the end of the one stem, so I will not do any trimming or cutting back. Let whatever will grow, help to feed the roots and hope they get a good "foothold" and then this winter when all the leaves are dead, cut it back good so it will be able to put new growth into a smaller plant for next year.
The 2 peony plants they left here ; 1 was complete, the other they dug and transplanted but must've missed a small eye or two; both have a couple buds on them ready to bloom. The ones that I moved here have a bunch of buds about ready to bloom.... one of the supposedly yellow ones I bought that bloomed, is almost done... still really more white than anything. The other yellow one has a real tight bud on it. The one that was supposed to be like a varigated white with red splashes, is growing good but no buds this year. I would like to move them all along the split rail fence in the front after I get the weed eating done and give the wood chips a chance to smother the weeds and all. Won't do anything with them until after the growing season anyway.

The rhododendron in the back along the deck is in full bloom right now. Pretty. Have decided that I will move that early blooming bush with the little white flowers down along the property line as it is thick and spreads and will make a better screening bush. Flowers don't last long and then is just a big bush. That and the forsythia will help along the road/property line for next year even though they will get a severe pruning in the process.

Allergies have been rough today. Still have watery itchy eyes... I washed them with a cold wet washcloth when I came in a little bit ago. Nose running like a drippy faucet. But I really needed to get the lawn done.

So, I did not get back down the hill, but am ready to get into the freezer tomorrow. I think that I will go down in the morning and start on that. Hope to get them done in 2 trips.... then I can get real serious with more cleaning/sorting and have things ready for DS to get moved when he can get some help... freezers and kitchen cupboards. Have the space in the kitchen for the one "spice" cupboard that has LOTS of shelves; and a wall in the DR is "empty" so can put one or 2 there. They will come in the house for now anyway.

Staples called and left a message that the chair was put together.... and I forgot about the clothes at the cleaners so will try to fit in a trip for them tomorrow. Been making a list. Then I can get the computer moved into the LR at the corner desk and have a chair that I can sit in and be comfortable. And the floor mat I ordered for it, for the hardwood floor, came today too....I have one for putting on a rug, but all those little thingy's sticking down (so it stays put on the rug) , would just tear up the wood floor. Then I can get the short bookcase I have been using in the bedroom, for a makeshift desk, cleaned off and out of the way.

Got to get in the shower and see if I can wash off all the pollen that must still be on the clothes and my face and all.

 

[farmerjan]

Nice sunny morning. I need new batteries in the indoor-outdoor recording thermometer since the outside temp has not changed in 2 days. Weather forecast says mid-upper 80's today.

Had a horrible night, allergies had me totally stuffed up. How can your nose drip and yet be too stuffy to be able to blow it??????? I am really paying for the lawn mowing yesterday. It is still really stuffy this morning. Took a different allergy med this morning....cannot remember the one that gave me the best solution last year. The one that I thought to have had the best luck with last year doesn't seem to be helping much at all this year. The eyes are itchy already/still....

Knees are not happy today either. I think it is going to be a rough day. Took some stuff, so hope it kicks in soon so I can start out not hurting too bad.

Got a load of clothes in the washer ready to hang. Wash cloths and such. Will get them hung so they will be dry by this afternoon.
Leaves on the trees are pretty still this morning. Kinda strange to not see a breeze. Hope we get a little breeze since it really helps to make the clothes softer/fluffier.

Time to get out the door, hang the clothes and hopefully breathe so I can go down the hill and get on the freezers.
Want to try to finish the weed eating around the flowers here so that I don't have to worry about them getting mowed down by accident. Then hand weed around the plants. They are mostly the ones I brought up from the other house and stuck in the ground next to the carport. Get them through this year then make decisions where their more permanent homes will be. I really think a bunch along the long split rail fence along the road. But need to smother out the weeds there first. Then I can go out and try out my new cart and load up a load of the chips to put around the plants for this year. If it continues to stay dry, the mulch will really be welcome by the plants.

Just realized I did not unload the misc stuff out of the car the other day.... oh well, that is not the end of the world. Get that done too. I have some stuff still in the hallway so have to get it cleared out so I can bring the freezer chest in that way to the inside freezer, pull it down the hall on the rug to not scratch the wood floor.

Hope it is a nice day for everyone else.

 

[Ridgetop]

You have been busy. I don't know how you can keep going with your knees so bad. You are an inspiration to me! Whenever I start to think that we should just quit and go into a condo on a golf course I read about all you do and figure there is still life ahead of us. We just go slower and rest more!