Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Some days @Ridgetop I am ashamed of how little I seem to get done. I just want to lay on the bed and read and not put my feet...then knees.... down to stand on them.
Luckily today is NOT a do nothing day.
Yesterday, Friday, I was still feeling the effects of the allergies/lawn mowing. I did get the car unloaded, and the clothes hung out. Went to town to pick up the chair and got the dry cleaning.... still a spot on my wedding dress. I did not like the guy I went to so just took them and left. Maybe I can get it out with something myself. But I wanted them clean to put away. Went to Walmart since it was close and got the "shoe goo" to use on the bottom of a couple pair of sneakers that are peeling off some of the tread.... got a couple other odds and ends on the list and came home. Never did get down the hill.
So last evening I got all the sneakers "glued" and got a box unpacked. Not alot of progress. like I should have gotten done. Was stuffed up terrible last night.

Got up this morning feeling ALOT better. Have made 2 trips down the hill.... got 2 more freezer chests to unpack now. Didn't have enough tape to put the couple boxes together,,, it was down at the other house. So on the first trip back up, I swung by the cardboard dumpster and found a bunch of nice sized boxes. Brought them here and that is when I realized that I had no tape left. GRRRR. 1 freezer chest unloaded in freezer. Brought the other in the house. Then took the empty one and some stuff to go to DS barn, dropped that off and went down the hill again. Filled the big freezer chest again... and got the vacuum to bring up here to do the floor in the LR so I can get the desk and corner computer thing set up. I am seriously thinking to make some other changes since they take up so much room. I had alot more room in the other house..... but for now it will be crowded but bearable. Brought up some other odds and ends stuff too.
So the one freezer chest in here will probably all fit in the smaller upright. Food that needs to be eaten sooner rather than later. The other freezer chest will go out in the upright in the building. Tomorrow I will go down and get the rest out of the upright, and some more out of the chest freezer, already brought up a bunch out of it on the first trip.... and fill the upright in the building. The turkeys in the chest freezer will have to come out when he is going to move it as they are too big to fit in the upright.... 27 and 34 and 38 lbs.....

So, the project now is to get the 2 freezer chests unloaded this evening, after I tape together a couple of boxes to group stuff in.
Already got the laundry off the line and folded in the basket. It was cloudy/hazy all day today... but no rain. Looks like some places north of here might have gotten hit or miss showers. I am going to put up the windows on the truck and car just in the off chance though....

Measured a smallish corner in the utility room and a cabinet I already emptied and brought here will just fit there. So that is going to be the "linen catchall closet for the bathroom. Light bulbs and all that sort of stuff.... There is not enough room in the bathroom vanity for many towels or anything like that.

Then I am going in to work in the LR..... got the furniture polish stuff to wipe down the dust and dirt on the desk and corner hutch.... vacuum the floor and put down the mat for the new chair so it doesn't scratch the floor.
Had to sit for a bit after getting the stuff and then getting up here and getting in the clothes. Time to go do some more. I had to unplug the freezer because there is some frost on the top and middle shelf.... I left the door closed so the stuff in there won't defrost much but it will start to loosen the frost on the one side so I can get the rest out. Don't think it will fill more than 1 or 1 1/2 freezer chest with what is in there and the chest freezer stuff.

Oh, and I went out and looked and there ARE SOME LITTLE NEW LEAVES on the partial rose bush I brought up here . So I think I will save it if I keep it watered good. I will trim off the dead pieces but let it grow however it wants this year then prune it down this winter...

OH another wonderful thing.... The other "yellow peony" bloomed and it is a real nice YELLOW.... single bloom with a little red in the center..... I am soooooo happy about that. .
The one bush they left in the front is a pink as it bloomed today and the other partial one they left, has not bloomed yet. The ones I transplanted into the big tubs from the stone house are full of buds.

Okay, time to get the freezer stuff unloaded. I am making progress today!!!!!

 

[farmerjan]

In for the night. I got the one unloaded and in the freezer here, a couple of boxes taped up and things sorted. Everything fit that was in the freezer chest except for some packages of blueberries I had bought on a special at Walmart a couple years ago. There were about 6-8 pkgs in this freezer chest and I knew there were some in the other one so I took them out to the other freezer to get them all together.
They were marked down to 1.00 a pt container and I took the last 40 + pts so got them for 30.00. They were on a truck that broke down or something, so were past their prime, , a few were soft but they were really in pretty good shape. I got them to make blueberry jam and stuff. Brought them home and remember washing and then vacuum packed them. Then I think things with the ankle got worse and I had the surgery and all and just never got to them. I am thinking that smoothies for the summer maybe? And yes, some jam once I get things here put together.
Also found the strawberries from last years' trip to dr, and blackberries that are at the nurse cow pasture that the birds get half of them because the owners don't always get there to get them. But this year they have game cameras up, so doubt I will go get any so I don't have to listen to them. Got about 6-8 qts in the freezer...

So after getting the stuff in the house freezer, backed the truck down to the building... then had to figure out how to get the big freezer chest off the truck without busting a handle.... it's the biggest one that I have seen, like the one @Baymule bought @Walmart when she went to get her beef.
Finally put the other freezer chest on the ground so I could slide the big one off the tailgate, onto the other one that was 6-8 inches lower than the tailgate, then scooted it to the end of it and onto the ground which was a bit of a drop but not like all the way off the tailgate. Drug it in and then got to work sorting the stuff. Finally got it all sorted, some into boxes and some just on the shelves for now because these shelves are closer together and most of the boxes were about 2 inches too high. I was getting tired so didn't try to cut them down... just got the stuff on shelves and all.
Should be able to get most everything else left into this upright except the turkeys. TOMORROW.....

Have had enough, I am going in to get a shower and get off the knees. I need to be able to function tomorrow. I will probably go down early since the one freezer is off, and get all the stuff up here before it gets too hot. Thinking I will get it all put into the freezer, then maybe work in the house here for a bit... sit down stuff after I vacuum the LR floor....Not going to get to the dusting stuff tonight; then go back down later and see about getting some more stuff sorted, and take some more junk to the dumpster....
I am about to the plastic totes that the Christmas decorations are in. They will come here and go right up to the attic storage....
Got a sink full of dishes here that need doing in the morning too.

 

[Baymule]

Almost done. You are so close!

 

[farmerjan]

Back here at new house and taking a lunch break. Went down and emptied the freezers of most everything except the turkeys. Got some stuff that looks old that will go to the dumpster. Also put a couple of small boxes on the truck and came up. Unloaded and the upright out in the building is full but the freezer chests are empty.
Vacuumed in the LR area around the desk. Have to take a screwdriver and loosen the top to stretch it wide enough to try to feed the roll top back into the groove. Made a sandwich and took some more allergy stuff as I am really feeling it again, and some Ibuprofen for the knees. I can barely breathe for the congestion. Blast it anyway.
So I am going to go in and work on the desk a little and see if I can get it together. I really think that I am going to put this desk in the yard sale. It is not an "old" roll top ... not an antique, and it has had some serious use. Would make a good desk for a teenager, kids room, or something like that. But for the time being, I want to get all the stuff out of the boxes and the drawers back in it and all. Then will clean/dust the corner hutch and get that all done. It only has one shelf and I think that I might see about getting another one or two cut to use in it. I am not thrilled with it in there either. Different house, different needs for furniture. I could maybe put the vcr and dvd player in the hutch too....I am even thinking about the possibility of putting the TV up on the wall instead of sitting on the one coffee table.... Well, get the desk done and work my way around the room.
I will go back down the hill later on after it cools off a bit. It is 89* out there and the sun is out for a bit. It will most likely break 90 before the afternoon is over. Clouds pass over then they move on... but tomorrow is 50% chance of the rain.
Got to go out and switch the hose to the next tree.....been letting them get a good 2 hr soaking with a light flow from the hose. This way it can sink in real good.

 

[farmerjan]

It is quitting time. Changed plans a bit. Worked on the desk a bit and that is the most frustrating thing. Still not all in the little groove. I know there is probably a trick to doing it.... I sure haven't figured it out.

I decided to go out and work on the mower. The string I ran over and got all wound up underneath . OMG, what a mess. It got around both blades and it was a nightmare to dig out. Spent nearly 2 hours with it jacked up and working on one side then the other. Got about all out finally, it works but is "rough" so might be that the belt needs tightening or something. It won't kick out when you flip the lever, but if you drop the deck it will stop immediately... so something needs adjusting I guess. But it does run and it does cut so for right now it will do. Thank goodness but boy oh boy..... I will be VERY CAREFUL of any strings/rope or twine on the ground. Problem was, I really didn't see it. I certainly would not have run over it purposely.

I was drenched when I got done. Temps hit 91 here today. So, I went out and took the weedeater around the peonies and a few other things I don't want to get just mowed down when that other guy gets done with glen and comes here. But then the battery died and I was just too tired to start with another one.

All 3 trees got a good soaking. The forecast is now for 70% chance tomorrow.... some hit or miss, and not necessarily soaking rain but might have some downpours. Since we are about 2 1/2 inches or more short for the month, it will be welcome. Some possible Tues then drier Wed/Thurs and now they are saying we are going to most likely have a wet Memorial day weekend. The original was poss rain Mon clearer Tues and Wed, showers Thurs and Fri and then clearing.... they keep backing it up. Guess we will take it as we can.
DS stopped this eve to get the hand cart to use at GF house as she is moving some furniture around....We talked about a bunch of different things and it was good. Told him that the freezers were empty except for the turkeys and they could go in the freezer chests to move, and then back in the freezer when it gets up here. Also said that the 2 kitchen cupboards will be ready for him to move too if he wants to or can move it all at once.

I did not go back down there this aft/eve... so will go down in the morning. He won't get to them until Tues or Wed at the earliest. So, that will work good. I will spend time tomorrow sorting and stuff. Got some stuff here to go to the dumpster so will take that on my way. DS wants to move a few cows out to pasture tomorrow after work if it is not raining too hard.... The few old cows and their calves and a young bull he had bought and then didn't castrate because he kinda liked him. Didn't know where to put him since the big bulls would beat him up, and don't want him with the heifers.... so he will spend the summer with the old cows and then he can decide what to do with him. Keep him or band him....Won't matter if the cows get bred because they will be culled at the end of the summer anyway. Unless they do such a fantastic job we can't possibly sell them, but I doubt they will do much more than adequate. They have no teeth. If it gets dry, they will go sooner rather than later as the place they will be doesn't have the greatest grass but there are no animals up against any fences and we don't have to worry about stuff getting out as the old cows don't test the fences which are so-so. Sometimes the calves will go through and get into the woods/with some grass, next door, but they don't go too far from their momma's.

So, I am going to go in and get a shower and will have to wash my hair since I was soooo sweaty this aft. Got the ceiling fan on to cool it off a bit in here. Might go fool with the roll top (tambour) some more and see if I can get it in. It's a B#@$h to try to do by yourself. Better put up the truck windows in case tonight... already did the car windows when I went by it before.

 

[Mini Horses]

Yep, looks like some rain out your way. Hope you get it! We SO NEED some rain. We "may" get some here between Thur night and Sat morn....may and not much. Grass is now crunchy! Ouch! Pastures are not good with this.

 

[Baymule]

I hope both of you get some rain. Ours is supposed to stop on Thursday. Then it’s going to heat up and it will be a steam bath. But at least I’ll be able to get back in the garden and plant more stuff. The heat might scorch it, who knows.

 

[rachels.haven]

@farmerjan , you are not lazy, even on bad days. You are doing all you can do. You are doing your best. You are ENOUGH.

 

[farmerjan]

A quick stop for a few minutes after unloading the car. Glen called this morning and asked if I still wanted the guy to do some weedeating.... I said sure, how soon, and he said in about an hour. I said good because I had a real miserable night with the knees hurting... and was just getting going... 8 a.m. So he got here about 9-9:15 and then the guy came a few minutes later... he is using glen's weed eater. Guy is okay, 30's , not 100%.... but glen says he is decent enough help for stuff like this. Talked to him a minute and showed him what I wanted and said I was going to the other house I was moving out of to do some work and would be back in a little while. Took the truck and went down and loaded a big bunch or boxes, junk, trash.... and the dumpsters were FULL and overflowing onto the ground, so did not leave the stuff. So I came back up to the new house and took the car and went down and got a bunch of boxes loaded and came up. Some Christmas stuff, couple other boxes. Car is unloaded, and am going to take the truck and go dump the stuff because I saw the trash truck at the dumpsters emptying them. So, I am heading down the hill now, will dump this stuff and then go to the house and get some more while the dumpsters are empty. Then get some stuff for here and come back and then it will be either raining or time to go to the barn to help DS.

My knees felt like I could not touch them they felt so tender even laying on the bed last night. Have no idea what the deal was but they kept me up for hours. Oh well.... they are sore today but I have taken a bunch of stuff to keep it at bay so I can work. Getting alot accomplished.

I got the tambour in, and the top back together, but it doesn't stay in the track. So. I just put the section back in with the cubby holes and such inside the desk top, with the tambour in there, and it will stay like that. Doesn't roll and not going to mess with it. Done with fooling with it.

Gotta go, it is getting cloudier and cloudier, there was some sun earlier... but looking like some serious T-storms or hard rain later so I want to get a little more accomplished today.

 

[farmerjan]

In for the night. LONNNGGG DAY.....

Took the truck down and unloaded at the dumpster. Went to the house and loaded a bunch more old boxes and sorted some stuff and condensed and made a second trip to the dumpsters. Then went back and loaded a bunch more boxes of Christmas stuff, and a box of canning jars with really OLD stuff in them , and some that the tops had actually rusted and the stuff inside was dried out. I went through 2 boxes of old food that somehow got stuck in there, and got all the canning jars into one box and dumped the rest of the old food. Then I came up and went to the barn to meet DS. I worked on the lists of cows at the different pastures and got a tentative list of who might be coming through the barn to be checked and calves worked.
He got there and it started to get real dark... I covered the boxes with some plastic I had in the tool box and I went into the barn. Started to sprinkle, then as he went to get the cows in from the upper lot, it started to rain a bit harder. By the time he got in the barn, it was raining steady.... then it started to pour as we were running them through the chute... and you could not see out the barn for the solid grey rain.... I mean not see 20 feet away. Rained like that for about half hour... No wind, just a good old fashioned downpour. I preg checked about 10-12 cows... and 2, I couldn't find anything and both had had their calves sold because they were supposed to be 3 months or so bred and the calves were big enough to go with the groups we had.

Anyway, so the 2, I called open and he will sell them..... one was pretty short in my "guestimate" as I am not good when they are less than 4 months or so.... and 2 were probably 4 months, and the rest were pretty well along.... 6 months or so I think. One was REAL close.... and she got moved right away.... Her calf was supposed to be sold but was a little smaller and was still here, but I had it down as sold so I thought it was gone...so she got moved to the field where the still preg cows are, and one that had a new calf go moved with her... there is one more cow with a new calf up there.... any one that calves in the next 2 weeks, will be going out with their calves to a pasture and hopefully will get bred back fairly fast. The one that is ready to calve anytime calved the end of July or August 1st week... so she came back in heat and "backed up " her due date.... which is great. She is getting some age on her though, that could be why her calf was smaller. Her udder was dried up though, so don't think the calf was still nursing. Most of these cows have calves on them so they will get weaned off and kept at the barn, and we will move the cows in the next few days.

He took the 3 old cows and their calves and the young bull he had bought, that I am not impressed with.... to the "old cow pasture"....all 3 of these cows are one and dones.... and turns out all 3 are mine this time. The one has a real nice steer calf but she walks with a limp and it is not worth her going with a bull to get bred back and getting hurt. She has a "short" mouth anyway... so pretty old. The other 2 are ones I bought a couple months ago.... and they ought to do good out on the grass.... calves will eat too and grow . They won't make me a mint, but they ought to do okay when sale time comes. The young bull might breed them, but he won't hurt them like a bigger bull might with his weight.... but they will not get preg checked, they will go to the stock yard when the pasture gets short. Have to see if we can come up with a couple more to go there....DS said he was not near as impressed with the young bull as he was when he bought him, and I said maybe he ought to cut him.... but he decided to put him out there for the summer.... There aren't any cows right up against them so he should hopefully stay put with them.

DS has been moving cows and calves to pastures and I told him today after making up the lists, that he moved 5 to pastures that will get bulls put in, that were supposed to be raising their last calf this time.... in other words, they were supposed to go with these other old cows ..... I was not very happy when I realized that. But, he was moving them without me being there and with GF and all.... so not knowing what was going on....
So, if they do okay, and come up pregnant, they will hopefully get put separate in the back lot when they come back from pasture, and their calves get weaned off late this fall..... and then they will stay in one group so they will not get turned out for the summer again. If they come up open, after being with the bull this summer, then they just get sold like was originally planned. 3 of the 5 are my old cows.....

I came on home and took the plastic off and the boxes got a little wet on the edges.... one was falling apart already so I will rebox the stuff and it will go up into the storage attic.... it is Christmas stuff.

That was alot today for me with the knees keeping me up most of the night. I would give anything to take a hot soaking bath.... but I could never get back up once I got down in this tub and it is not near as deep as the clawfoot tub in the other house. I do miss that tub so much..... I will have one here when the bathroom gets redone since the tub here needs replacing since it is that molded fiberglass or whatever and has the hairline cracks that I used the flex-seal tape on.

I am sitting in my nice new desk chair and it feels so comfortable.... I'm at the desk since I don't have the corner hutch cleaned up and I have been working on the desk. Got 2 drawers for the desk completely emptied, and will put them in and then sort through the other drawers and get them better organized.

I checked the rain gauge and we had 6/10ths of an inch here at the house when it rained this afternoon... It might have come down hard and fast but there was next to no runoff along the roads or anything that I can see. We really needed it too... Great on the flowers and added to the soaking of the trees.

Speaking of which, there are peaches on the one tree.... The worst shaped one, that I didn't see many blossoms on and I was so happy to see it get green leaves right off the bat, has peaches on it.... Not alot.... maybe a dozen or so.... but it has leafed out real good and has not seemed to struggle at all. The other 2 were full of blossoms and they were really set back with the transplanting....but they do have leaves and this rain will really help them too. They will need more severe pruning in the fall too....
And my little piece of a rose bush has little green leaves in several spots now.... so it must be spreading out some roots.
The piece of the peony that they left (missed) when they took the plant which they had asked and I said of course you can take it.... has one small bud that is opening and looks to be white...
My yellow one got tattered a bit in the rain today.... the others I have in the pots are FULL of buds.....

Jeremy, the guy that is doing the weed eating, did along most of the rail fence ... except he left some muliflora rose and some other weedy looking thing.... and did all around the 3 peach trees. Also did the stretch in front of the house along the road where there is no fence.... I still want to put something there. So now in my spare time I need to take and get some of the wood chips and smother all the weeds along the rail fence so I can transplant the peonies and other stuff there.... Might get some climbing roses to go along it.... they will look nice and come up every year.... Although if the deer are going to be a problem with the fruit trees, I will put up the 4" woven wire fencing, then could have turkeys in the "orchard" to keep the bugs down too.... and the fence would keep a dog in and that would help keep the deer out....

Still more for him to come do.... probably tomorrow???? All along the house, the deck, the trees and shrubs in the yard... the storage building.... and I will see if he wants to start doing the mulch along the fence with my lawn tractor and the dump cart.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, I have PT in the pool at 10. Then DS asked if I could go to pickup 5 head that one of the guys bought for him, today, at the Monday sale in Roanoke. These will get sold to the other guy that we have been shipping to. DS and he got an agreement worked out so we are not waiting for our money so long.... we'll see if it works out. DS said that I may need to start going to the Friday sale regularly and seeing about buying some... and maybe start buying a few more of these "common older cow/calf sets".....the one and dones that no one really wants....We can make a little and it keeps our hands in, to where we have future contacts....
Hopefully after I get back with the truck and trailer and the feeders, I will be able to maybe go down the hill and get at least one more load in the car if it is rainy....Got to clean out the upright freezer, that is empty ...... mostly just water and stuff where the frost melted....

Talked to a neighbors' son who is working for a fencing contractor.... to see how busy they are... which they are very busy.... but I want a quote for 1 roll's worth of wire along the property line with the Christmas tree farm so that I can see about getting some calves moved here to utilize the grass. I may just get DS to cut it when he comes to do the field just down the road... and then be able to graze if for the latter part of the summer. I want that 4" woven wire so that it will keep the chickens in and then if I have some sheep or anything, it is more "escape proof" than the traditional 6" woven wire. I am mostly thinking the chickens....DS certainly isn't going to get to it before winter at the earliest.... my stuff is not high on the priority list like the GF .....

Time to call it quits, and get a shower and see if I can get more sleep than I got last night. Not going to get too much more done in here tonight....I want a nice big glass of milk too....