Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

Glad the hay got rolled! Critical feed source for your operation.

Non livestock owners don't understand grass and graze, cut or not, nutrition or filler, etc. Lawn and forage, not the same! You just smile and try to appease. A new neighbor up the road, a few yrs ago, called county on an established farm -- grass not cut. It was a fenced pasture! City dwellers!!! stay in the city.

You might find something to wear in your stockpile. Your like me, save things....never know what's there! I recently pulled out some bib overalls and found they are "back in style" . Farmers never knew they had gone out!

 

[Baymule]

I totally understand! When I gave up working in the public, I got rid of FIVE big garbage bags of high heels! I can't believe I used to wear those things. Never. Again.

 

[farmerjan]

Just a few things as I get things all ready to be gone.
Had a nice visit with the friends from Ct. M looks the same as she had for 40 years; seriously.... she does not age. She is 85 and still going all the time. Her DD that used to babysit for my DS, is doing as well as she can with the limited eyesight... and her DD came too, so 3 generations. They all get along so good for the most part.... and enjoy traveling together and stuff. It was great to just talk. We went out to a Mexican rest for supper Sun eve, and then got together this morning and my DS managed to come and visit too.
It was tough to see them go, because it made the trip north and the "finality" of my mom passing so much more "close" ....

So, they left around 11... and I came home and DS went to get the baler torn apart to see if he can get the parts ordered for when we get back. I got the samples finished packed, and did a few things. Found a pair of black plain clogs that I'd gotten, that fit and will work. Dug out some black jeans and will try on some stuff tonight after I get a shower and am not so sticky.

It got hot and humid today... hit 90 in the shade and know it was real hot in the sun. DS had lost his glasses last night and I went up to see if I could find them at the hayfield, and I was feeling the heat at 11.....but luckily he found them on the back of the truck where they got knocked off his head......anyway.....so then I came home and did the samples and stuff.

I soaked all the plants at the house so they should keep while we are gone. Water is on the trees...... although we are supposed to get some rain/showers, you can't count on it and it has been real hot the last few days and I hadn't done any water for a week.

I am going to run up and see if I can find the 2 little calves.... haven't been there in a couple days. It is getting real dark out there so maybe we will get some of the rain. Hay is all rolled so it doesn't matter.

B called and she had worked at cleaning the house for awhile this morning... sounds like she has really been going to it. She asked 25/hr when she looked at it the other day, since it is pretty dirty, and I said that was fine. 10 or 12 ft ceilings to have to get up to clean the windows and the cobwebs and such...At this point I am just glad to not have to look at or deal with it. Sounds like she is really doing a thorough job ....may have her come here and do some here with the knees giving me such a fit.... I will know when I get back. But anything she does is less that I may have to do if it isn't all as much as I am hoping she is doing.

So, I am going to check the cows/calves, and go get the clipboard for our cattle to take so I can work on some of the new lists of what cows are where that he got moved around.

It looked like some areas got really "hurt" from the tropical storm Claudette... and the deaths associated with it. So sad. I hope no one got hit too bad .

Going to go, see you all in a few days.

 

[Mini Horses]

Wishing you a safe trip. Take care.

 

[Baymule]

Travel safely, let us know when you are back.

 

[farmerjan]

Just a little bit to let you know I am back. It was a LOOONNNGGGG... trip up... 12 hours. Misty rainy showers... there was some more significant rain here at home...so we were told... but today when we got home I dumped the rain gauge and looked in several buckets and with about .3 in the gauge, I will be generous and say .4 inch of rain earlier in the week. Buckets looked about .3 also and figure evaporation so I am being generous saying .4. I am very glad that I did soak the trees and the plants outside, before I left. I will get to them tomorrow....they all looked okay.

I will go down the other house, and talk to B, and see where things stand tomorrow. She was going to be gone this weekend for her birthday... I will see the progress and talk to her... I had said I would be back late Friday and she said we would catch up. Going to get the rest of the odds and ends, moved out and then the fish tanks out of the building. I expect that landlord will not fuss since he said not to worry about it.... I am NOT going to worry about it. He sees there is progress being made there so I really don't care right now.

It was sad and my father is hurting as I knew he would. I think in some ways he was a little more accepting after the incident a few weeks ago when he called up nearly hysterical.... he knew it was coming.
Service was brief and the weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL.... Clear blue skies with a few puffy white clouds, air was clear and dry with no humidity, sunny and comfortable... I am glad that "mom had ordered such a nice day for her service". Grave spot is in a small cemetery alongside a white rail fence... on the other side is a huge hayfield looking across over to some mountains in the distance. It is peaceful and very nice.... she liked the quieter slower pace of life up there so I am glad. She is not suffering or facing the daily indignities of not knowing most anyone or being completely dependent on others for everything. It seems the aides all feel that she did seem to know my father most all days the last couple weeks after she rallied a bit... I am glad for his sake. She did not look at all like the "mom" I knew, in the casket... they did a good job on her everyone thought and she did look good considering... but she was not the same mom that is in my mind and heart and memories.... and that is okay....

It was very hard for him to see us leave... DS, and maybe me also, will be going back up in about a month to take the steers, and a bull he wants to buy, up to the friend in upper VT and naturally will go by there. Spent alot of time with my sister, the older brother, DS and sisters" kids.... Niece is a nurse and nephew is just another pretty smart, big ole young guy.... and have been discussing some about the POA brother that is obviously trying to exert total mind control on father, and actually could be accused of "mental" elder abuse with his controlling ways. The aides also have said some things... and we have discussed them being able to take father outside to start walking and getting some sun and fresh air and getting some strength built back up in his arms and legs.... try to undo some of the relapse from the rehab progress and get him back to some better physical exercises.... he was walking quite good with out the cane all the time.... so he can do it and I think some of it was that he needs the incentive. Luckily POA brother will be going back to his fishing charters and stuff in a week.... and all the rest of us and the 3 aides that come in there, will be working on him to get him try to get back some of the physical strength he needs plus to work on his mental state to get him psyched to WANT to get less dependent.

He said to mom in the casket and at the grave that it wouldn't be long that he would be seeing her... but then he seemed to rally again and was talking about "future" things....

My sister and my niece have "face-timed" with him when the aides were there with their phone... so I have told my niece to check into a tablet? or maybe it is an I-pad.... the aides can help teach him, she showed me how easy it is on hers.... and I will pay for it for him. She has one and said she might be able to get a discount through her nursing work...to get a newer version.... and I said to go ahead and get herself a new one and let daddy have hers since it is a little older and she said very easy to operate and it does not need alot of confusing bells and whistles and huge memory to just do things like face-time....she will let me know about her search she said in a week... then she can order it and have it sent to her and she can send hers to him.....both she and nephew said somewhere in the 3-600 range... and she will see about any possible discount she can get.... I figure 500 and she will put it on my cc and then I can pay it off the next month..... she and nephew and sister offered to kick in and I said I would pay for it and we will go from there. Hopefully we can get this done in a couple of weeks.....

Guess I am going to have to come into the current world and get either a new phone to do it or an I-pad too.... but I want to get him set up for this if it will help him not feel so alone and can see and talk to everyone on a regular basis....
Plus, I am going to challenge him to a certain number of steps a day... or trips around the garage outside or something... to get him up and going.....

If he gives up he will follow my mom soon.... if he decides he wants to fight for some time then I think he will and I know that the "girls" (aides) will help to push him as they all feel that he needs to get out and walking more and they are not happy with the way my POA brother is treating him like a total incompetent imbecile.... and the way he talks down and "over " him.... alot came out in some discussions... so we are working on this....to try to "save him" from some of the oppression that he is being forced to submit to. POA brother is just too overbearing... he has done alot, but he is taking away all my fathers' sense of independence and dignity since he is home instead of pushing him to get better and do more.....

I am really tired so am going to bed early.... will try to catch up more tomorrow.

 

[Baymule]

There is no easy way to say goodbye to a parent. It may finally come as a relief, an ending to pain and suffering. Even though it we know it’s for the best, it is still hard. Big hugs.

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday morning. Had to look at the calendar to make sure of the day!!! Partly sun and some clouds, not too bad...64 to start. 20% possibility of some showers but they look to pretty well stay east near @Mini Horses area. We have 20-30% chance the next few days and getting hotter... 90's coming.
DS got a little hay on the ground and blew a tire on the tractor he texted me. Will probably take a different tractor there and get it all done unless the tire guy can come fix it. Want to get done with this hay, watching the weather.

Going to head down the hill to the stone house, in a bit, and maybe get some stuff in the truck... the odds and ends... see what B has gotten done. Lots of things on list... have to go check some of the cows/calves.... Get the 2 cupboards cleaned out and in the house. Didn't rain enough and they were covered so want to get them inside before they do get wet.

Need to get in contact with the farm I had to cancel last week... see what is going to work for him. Have not heard back from Geneva for the 500 cow herd for next week. DS is competing in the local VDOT roadeo... that they have to test the skills of the drivers/operators... he has competed for years and placed well enough to go to the state competition and then several years gone on to the regionals... so he is not available next week. Worst comes to worst they will get done first week of July, but I wanted to get them done and out of the way this coming week....

Just got 2 text... got one for Wed morning, no set up... then the one for Wed aft/Thurs morning that got cancelled last week... got to take all the meters there...I will have them loaded and drop off on my way home on Wed, since I will go right by there... that will work but will be a b$#@% because of doing back to back... oh well.... I'd like to do the 500 cow herd on Friday morning or the following Monday would even be better. They won't do this coming Monday or Tuesday I am sure... their vet comes one of those days (either last Mon or last Tues of month) and it throws the cows' off a bit ....

Back to the day to day real life....

Have a nice day

 

[farmerjan]

Knees got to hurting and woke me up and I realized I did not shut down the computer... so just wanted to mention something. With the talk about hay and such, too much rain to get it made then getting hot and dry... everyone with animals needs to take note of the weather conditions across the country....what I am trying to convey is the availability of hay or lack thereof.... if you have storage, then buy all you can fit. There might not be any available next year... or the quality might be really bad.....hay can be rotated around like anything else... fill the storage/hay mow/ and feed it out from one side... however. Hay will keep and be very good feed if it is good when you put it in the barn, for several years....we have fed 4 & 5 yr old sq bales many times.... it really is like money in the bank.... only it will be worth more than that if you can't find any to buy regardless the price....

Couple of you tubes to check out.... Our Wyoming Life; date 6-11-2021; Record drought spells disaster......
also Epic Economist; 4-21-2021; Farmers warn that the Mega drought in Western US threatens to cause devastating crop failures.......
There are others, but I want people to start becoming more aware of the actual conditions that the "commercial farmers and ranchers" are facing..... and what this is going to trickle down to every day people....

The US Drought Monitor maps that you can pull up will show the changes in the drought conditions. This is affecting the wheat and rice and other crops... as well as things like almonds and such.

What I am trying to say is "over do" it with canning and storage of things that you normally store. Food prices are going to go up, and continue to go up. This has nothing to do with the covid crap of the last year... this is food shortages due to weather conditions. This is stuff that you can store and have on hand. Most canned stuff lasts for several years.... do more than you think you need... rotate it next year to use the oldest stuff first.... you may have neighbors that will be in need and you will be very glad to help.... or family that gets laid off or paychecks reduced....

There are several ranchers like Mike on Our Wyoming life, that are talking, or have already started to reduce herd size to try to match the cattle to grass and available hay for the winter.... talking about not making any hay and buying in hay to feed this winter while trying to graze the hayfields.... and that does damage to them so the hay yield is less the following year anyway....

If you store wheat and other grains, get your bins filled..... because the prices are going up with the drought there will be reduced yields if not crop failures; unless they get some serious rain soon.

Our hay yields were good on a couple places, but definitely reduced on a couple other places. I am encouraging DS to make all the hay we can this year and store the sq bales in the barn from 2nd cutting that may seem like excess.... I think we will have a bigger demand for them. One reason why we are making more corn silage this year... and will sell some combined corn if prices are real good too....

Need to go back to bed. Have to take the rake and tractor up to the field that he finished cutting this morning, after changing to the other big tractor to mow with. It isn't a bad tire, the rim actually has a split in it... don't know if it can be fixed, I didn't ask him.... but if not, you are looking at 100's of dollars for a new one.... I will know more tomorrow. He said that the field will rake tomorrow... and he was going to cut some more so we can get mostly finished in this area.....it is over mature so is drying fast... but alot of new growth coming up through it so it will make decent hay. If we get some rain, it will make a good second cutting later on. Got about 50 acres done so far for first cutting... got another 75+/- to do of ours, and the friend that we do custom, and that is about 30 or 40, I think.... Ought to get another 30-40 done of ours, in the next 2-3 days if the weather cooperates.

 

[Baymule]

Very good points Jan. People are so removed from their food that they have no clue. They just don’t understand the process of what it actually takes to put a loaf of bread in the grocery cart. The idea that it comes from a plant that grows out of dirt……. EEEEWWWW. DIRT!!

Not only weather conditions, but farms are being sold and cut up in smaller and smaller pieces at record rates. DD just got a job in Corpus Christi, they are moving. They are trying to entice us to move too by buying and sharing a piece of land. As I’m looking online at places for sale, with 40 or 50 year old homes and 10-20 acres, I realize with horror that it is crop land, broken up in tracts. Unimproved flat land that still has rows is selling in rosy, glowing “build your dream home in the country” realtor BS sales pitches. The houses are at the age of being built by young farmers, rejected by the kids and sold when parents, now retired or dead.

The ranch lands in parts of Texas that takes 5-50 acres to support ONE cow are being sold in 5 to 40 acres in likewise build your dream home, land for raising livestock. Dummies without a clue think they are going to be ranchers, when in reality they will do good to raise one steer for the freezer.

Couple this with drought and the fires that WILL come in the western states and this country is in trouble. Stocking up on storable food stuffs never has been so important.

The plus side of people buying land is maybe they will raise a garden. Maybe they will raise a small flock of goats or sheep. Maybe they will raise pigs or a steer for the freezer. Maybe people will take more responsibility for themselves. Maybe,

We are small land holders, 8 acres. Our land was part of a larger farm, owned by a black family some 70-80 years ago. The old man died quite a few years back, land was divided between his wife and children. Most of the kids sold their shares, only a couple kept theirs. Their mother is 92, still living, around the corner from us. Their original shack was on our land, they built a better house where the mother still lives. Only one of the kids lives on his piece of land, maybe 10 acres and does nothing with it, not even a garden.

Three acres right down the road from us sold last year for over $20,000 per acre. It has gone up since then. At some point prices will level off, then fall. This can’t continue.