Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

It's so hot. I though I'd walked thru water....no, sweat is what soaked the tennis shoes!

I'm inside for a good break. Finished most feed chores or set ups for their coming in. Checked temps and refilled water tubs where needed. Collected eggs...yeah. Too hot for some to even lay regular...but, getting enough.

Will start early tomorrow in the coolest of day. My farmer tan is about done! At least I only have to work at ONE farm.

 

[farmerjan]

Got going later this morning than I had planned. There are some issues with my father already and I spent a bit of time on the phone with my POA brother... my father had had some hallucinations, and he was imagining that they were building a tower on top of the hill behind his house, on the property.... he had expressed this to me also.... well he went way over the line with one of the caregivers and is insisting that there is a person "living " in the blue "building"... a 55 gal barrel, that is partway down the hill that they keep sand in for winter.... he is refusing to eat and drink and now is dehydrated. They have had to call the emt's to talk him into going back to the house, and to try to get him to drink, and then the dr was called and he came out to see him and they finally had to have him taken to the hosp for observation/evaluation.... it is not good. I expected some depression to set in, but for it to take a few weeks to really hit him. Not this complete breakdown. For all my not agreeing with this POA brother, I agree that he had no choice at this point because father would not come back up to the house again, and they are worried he would go walking down the road. Seems he has done that also and the caregivers have been able to talk him into getting in the car and coming back to the house. This was not made known to me before....
Don't know how long he will be in there and if he will be able to come back home or if they may move him to another facility for a longer stay and evaluation to get him back on track.
I feel for this brother in some ways, even if father is slowly losing his mental facilities and is afraid of this brother in some ways. It may not be as justified as I thought. But then again, he does not come out and tell things to us and the caregivers have their issues with this brother too.... hard to know what is what when you are not there.
I think that he wants to go, and maybe his saying he would be with mom, soon, was really the only sensible thing he has said lately.

So this did not help me start my day after not sleeping well. I did get to the house last night and got some odd things loaded on the truck.... there is some stuff in the kitchen yet, couple of boxes of stuff... some odd shelving lumber and other things, then the fish tanks and some stuff.
Went and got a few smaller boxes to use to put the stuff out of the fridge that is mostly all going to the dumpster. I will turn it off so it will defrost the freezer .

B has done a very good job of cleaning... I am pleased and with all the stress the last 10 days- 2 weeks; or so I am glad to not have to deal with the cleaning.

I got on the other tractor that DS hooked to the rake and raked the field that he mowed yesterday. It was pretty dry on top and by raking, it turned up the underneath greener stuff, so ought to dry. He got the repaired wheel back last night and the guy came today, and put a tire on it... seems DS had an extra used one he had bought at an auction one time since it was the right size... so he could use that tractor, the Agco, to hook back up to the baler and get the hay at the 9 acre field baled and will bring it back to the 10 acre orchard grass field to finish baling it. Then leave it there to bale the field I just raked tomorrow after it has time to dry more.

I went and got the car filled with gas because it went up over 10 cents a gal today here. Went back to the other station that is 5 miles south and they hadn't gone up yet. I filled the truck yesterday. So both vehicles are full. Got to go test in the morning but the 2x farm I was going to do wed eve/thurs morn called to cancel due to the heat. So only the one tomorrow which is fine with me.

Deb didn't leave to go back to northern Va yesterday, she texted me and said she would feed the horse today and was going back this eve instead and so I will only have to feed Wed/Thurs and maybe Fri... then she is coming back out. All good.

I have to get the few things out of the truck, then will might go back down there this evening. We'll see. I am hungry, haven't eaten much all day due to the heat and upsets and all. DS might need a ride back to get his truck so I am waiting for him to let me know. I really want to get that mulch hay here too.... Well, since I will not be working tomorrow and Thursday morning, I will have some time to do some other things. I am going to take all the meters out of the car that I left in there to take to the farm on my way home tomorrow.

Gotta go get DS

 

[Mini Horses]

Sorry your dad is taking such turns. I Know my mother had difficulty at times and hallucinations. You just don't know how their minds work with this dementia. There is no rationalization, or convincing of what is true. I remember one night when my mom began screaming there was a fire in her room, had to get her out of bed, room and house! It was a light blinking on my computer base. Could not convince her, even when looking at it. Spent a couple hrs on porch. Had DD come, turn off light, tell her she was fire dept and all out. We spent the night in a recliner in living room....not going into smokey room! Next day, all forgotten. At her rehab they had to put ankle monitor on her. Locked door as she tried to leave, set off alarm. Yep, leaving! Be ready for more dad issues.

Glad hay is working and weather cooperating. Canceling farm prob a good thing for this week! I'm sure using my slow work right now! I can see how much I needed it. You will appreciate it more about when its the weekend!!

 

[farmerjan]

Ate a chicken parm patty that sisters' fiancee sent home from CT last Friday. He is Italian and likes to cook. Had it for us when we got home from NH to CT on Thursday afternoon. It was good. Got a couple that I am sticking in the freezer for DS....

Thanks @Mini Horses .... the hallucinations about them building a tower up on the property was bad enough, but he really went way off track. I know that dehydration contributes, and he had refused to eat or drink and then wouldn"t take his meds.... gout and other stuff.... I am afraid he is going to go downhill fast.... can't make him want to live either... Just hard to deal with right after her funeral and him acting like he was "with it".

Yep, not sorry farm cancelled, with it supposed to be hottest day this week. Except I will have to make them up. Looking like showers/rain for Thurs and Friday.... we could use it here. They did get a downpour about 10 miles south the other day when it got dark then stayed away.... very spotty.....
Can't get Geneva to answer about the 500 cow herd... so am going to have to see what DS can fit in I guess.....next week since it is so hot this week.
Going to bed so I can leave early to go to the morning farm. Sample bottles already in the car ready to go.

 

[Baymule]

Hay season! Our hay guy Russel is either at work, in the hay field or asleep-and I’ve seen him in the field long after dark with the headlights on. His dad is retired and makes a lot of hay, even his mom is on a tractor too. In extreme break downs, they call another neighbor, Kyle, to bring his tractor and help. When hay is on the ground, it’s all hands on deck. We had so much rain this spring that they didn’t get the first cutting. The first cutting they got was normally the second cutting. We have gotten rain so they will get another cutting. We already got 13 big round bales and had 7 left over from last year, so should be ok. And we actually have grass! I’ve been grazing the sheep daily for a couple of weeks. It sure helps. With the pop up showers we’ve had lately, they get rained on or huddle up under the trees.

Im sorry about your Dad. If he doesn’t want to live without your Mom, you can’t make him. BJs sister passed away just a few months after we married. Her husband just quit and was found dead 3 weeks later. Without her, he had no will to live. The heart wants what the heart wants.

I finally had to put my Mom in a nursing home, I just couldn’t do the 24-7 any more, I was exhausted. She was afraid of dying alone. I don’t know if she knew we were there, but we held her hand and talked to her as she passed.

There is no easy way, there are no easy answers. Your POA brother has his hands full.

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks @Baymule .... I have said many times that even though I don't see eye to eye very much with my POA brother, I do not envy him the headaches and heartaches and decisions he has had to make. This is making it harder on him...
Don't know what will happen, I thought that father would maybe go this "don't want to live without mom" route... but I also thought that maybe he would rally and decide to try to carry on. Now, I really don't think so and really, if he is going to have to be restrained and constantly on meds and other stuff, I am not sure that is a kindness for him. Or for my POA brother, or for any of us either.

It's hot already. Pushing 88 or 89 at noon, and very "close" out there. Radar showing some showers to the west and may come through WVA into far northwest VA this afternoon, but not looking for much here. That would be good to get the rest of the hay that I raked yesterday, baled today. Then let the showers and storms come Thurs and Fri and cool it off. Then 7 days after that shows not much of anything so I am sure DS will be cutting and maybe trying to get the rest done? Got about 40-50 left of ours to do, and the guy we custom do, which is over 25 acres. We could conceivably get it done next week... although there is 15 acres left where we are now, then the 25 of his and another 7+ we do in another place, then another 30 +/- in another area.... alot of road traveling with the equipment. But I would like to see if we can't get it done..... next thing you know it will be time to do 2nd cutting of the good orchard grass and that is all sq bales.....


The farm that cancelled this afternoon wants next Mon/Tues.... I have PT on Tues...pool @ 10 a.m..... I think I can make it work.... might be good to get in the pool after all the aching on my feet for this herd. Guess I will do it. Got to talk to DS about the 500 cow herd....Haven't heard back from Geneva.
And it is July as of tomorrow so will have to get farms scheduled for that. Only have 2 that didn't test this month that might have and one I didn't expect to, so.... light month and I am not sorry.

Stomach is growling so going to get something to eat and get the samples packed. Do the watering. Need to look at the list of what else is on it to do. I also put a load of clothes in the wash that need to go out on the line. They ought to dry in an hour as hot as the sun is...

 

[Baymule]

That’s a lot of acres to cut and bale. For square bales, do you have an accumulator or do y’all have to haul them by hand?

 

[farmerjan]

Our sq baler has a kicker, so they are kicked into the wagons with sides, as they come out of the baler. Used to pull off the baler chute, and stack on the wagons by hand, but my knees and ankle said NO many years ago. The kicker is like a conveyor belt but it runs at a high speed so as the bale comes out on it, it is run "90 miles an hour" and lofted into the wagon. picture a conveyor on rocket speed.... if they are going right to be unloaded they stay just kicked on.... every which way... but if the wagons are going in the barn and bales will stay on them for a few days/weeks... DS will stop every 15-20 bales and then go on the wagon and stack them tightly in rows. You can get more on the wagon, and the bales don't lose shape from being stuffed every which way on the wagon. We try to sq bale 2-3000...we will sell 1000 right off the wagons in the field usually. Have some horse hay customers that he delivers to that we have had for 20 years or more... takes about 200 across the mountain towards the Charlottesville area about every 4-6 weeks... so will deliver 1500 or more in a couple months.

We need at least 12-1500 round bales to get through the winter with the cows....1 for every 20 cows per day... 150 cows + so at least 8 per day when it is cold... not counting the heifers and such... so we figure 10 per day for at least 150 to 200 days..... to be on the safe side. We use less with the corn silage, but we have been keeping the feeder calves longer after weaning, so wind up needing more rather than less.

Packed samples and dropped them off, hung the clothes, truck is unloaded. Car is next to get the meters out of it. It was so miserably hot and humid. I really felt it after getting up early to go to work. Going up now to feed the horse since it is cooling off a bit, then will bring in the laundry. There was a nice breeze and it was in full sun so I am sure it is dry.

I did sit in the shade and repot a spider plant. I actually broke it up into 6 new pots, it was so root bound and all; it needed separating. It was many many plants all in the hanging pot... Now I have 6 hanging pots... may put a couple in the yard sale when the time comes.... Want to see what they bring in the nursery.... this is from my parents house in CT that was rescued when they were going to throw it out years ago.... Have (had) 2 big pots like this... one the hanger broke and the rim of the pot cracked and broke, so I did that one. The other one might get done some time later.... If I put them in small pots with like one or 2 plants, there would be like 30 or more. Figured it would be good to get watered with rain water tomorrow... it soaked up the water. Also watered the lilac and roses. Just had to take a break in the heat.

 

[farmerjan]

Done for the night. Went and fed the horse. Got the clothes off the line... the jeans were dry... even the thick seams, after only about 3 hours? I went down to the local pizza/italian rest and got an order of stuffed shells for a change.... just too hot to cook and I wasn't real hungry. Figured it would last me 2 or 3 meals with this heat. Wound up eating a half a shell and the salad that comes with it... and a small piece of the garlic bread and it is more than enough. Drank some pepsi that was in a bottle that had been opened & in the fridge from when we were gone... and now feel all bloated. The carbonation does that to me. Had a half a can in NH..... that's more than enough for me. Will put this back in with the top on tight, and will probably have it with the shells tomorrow and then that will be enough for weeks or more. A couple sips and I have enough.

Got the car backed up to take the meters out tomorrow morning. I am going to go take a shower and wash my hair from the splattered cow manure in the barn and the sweat.... Then go collapse in bed.
Been making a grocery list of stuff I keep trying to remember to get.... memory like a sieve when I get to the store. Might make that trip Friday if it is raining. Need to pay the elec bill at the bank by Friday anyway.

Thinking if it is a little cooler I will go down to the stone house tomorrow. Got some small boxes to use to clean out fridge... car will be empty in the back... then I can go back and get some of the misc stuff left...

Forgot all about the cupboards with having to go to NH.... Might make them a priority tomorrow morning, before it rains....at least get them in the house. And it won't take a 1/2 hour to just wash/wipe the inside of the freezer in the building & get it plugged in to go get the chickens this coming week. The firehouse fair starts the 16th I think... so getting them out this coming week would be perfect. Need to check on the farm where the next birds are going out...but he knows that I want some if there are any....

Found my list and my jersey steer goes Aug 30th.... got all the dates in my calendar so they don't get forgotten... DS had someone else ask about a beef..... 1 in Nov, 2 in Dec.... then 1 each in July, Aug, and Sept...2022 ... don't know if DS has any other dates already booked.... sometimes we don't really communicate.... but at least we have those set if nothing else. I won't need any for me unless something happens to someone and I want to kill it rather than "give it away" at the stockyard.

Haven't heard from him this eve so I hope he got the hay baled. Looks like showers/storms by noon time tomorrow.

 

[farmerjan]

Was a muggy day earlier. 68 early, and sticky. Cloudy and got up to 87 and then the clouds got thicker. Some thunder in the background, and a few lightning flashes. Got about .6 in around 2 or so. Good rain, not too hard but a soaking one. Then it cooled off a bit. Saw a few peeks of sun as the clouds/storms moved east and is now cloudy again. Supposed to have more tonight.
Went down the house and got most everything left out of the kitchen cabinet and boxed. B was there cleaning.... she said she will be back tomorrow probably around noon. I am thinking about going back down and getting some stuff loaded in the car tonight or else in the morning. It was raining and I could not get backed up to the house very close and was not going to carry stuff out in the rain and make my knees hurt worse either. Might have a dozen small boxes of misc stuff ready to load. Then the house should be empty, a few shelving boards, some stuff to go to the dump, and the storage building with the fish tanks will be all. Paid her for the time so far, it is going to cost more than I had figured, but at this point I don't really care so much, just want it done. And she is doing a good job and landlord seems pleased. She says he comes to the house everytime he comes to the farm, and goes through the house.... she has told him about the electric outlets that aren't working, and the water leaks and the places where it looks like there have been mice/and other rodents in and out.

I have not had a good day, I think that things with my father up north is really affecting me. Can't seem to shake the depressing sadness of it. I didn't sleep good last night again. I normally don't have trouble going to sleep....My brother called me again and I think he needed to just talk... he went to see him after the 48 hr absence required, and father was very difficult, got verbally abusive and accused my brother of all sorts of things, and it was discussed and decided that they are going to keep him for at least 2 weeks with no outside contact with family... to try to get him through some counseling.... he went from wanting to die; to he is going home it is still his house; to if he behaves and does what the caregivers tell him can he please go back home..... he ate 1 meal, refused the next... wouldn't take his medications, then took them the next meal. The different doctors he has seen over the last couple of years are going to have a conference call thing to see if they can come up with something...I have a feeling I will have to go back up there......

I also got bit by something the other day on the back side of my arm/body right where it meets my shoulder and underarm. Figured it was a mosquito that night. Then it was very itchy and got more irritated. Then I guess I must have scratched at it during the next night more... and it got very red and is "warm" and now has a streak on the backside of the actual arm. It started Monday night and today is Thursday and it is red and irritated.... I finally went to have it looked at because I was thinking that it might have been a tick I didn't see and that the head might be imbedded in it, even though I did not find a tick. Or even a small thorn or sticker of some sort... with being on the tractors and all the hay I have been raking. They are iffy on their diagnosis, but did not see or think there might be something still in it. They did put a "circle" around it and said if it got any bigger, that I needed to have it looked at, at my PCP or even go to the emergency room. Put me back on anti-biotic, s because it is an open skin abrasion. It itches and told me to use anything that helps to stop the itch like a benadryl or hydrocotisone cream.... I am using that clear children's benadryl gel that does relieve the itch and cools it.
This is aggravating, and it is itchy.... and the anti-biotic causes you to be very sensitive to the sun.... and we are going to be back in the hayfield once this rain today and tomorrow passes and we are supposed to have dry and cooler weather for several days....

Time to get out and go feed the horse while it is not raining.... maybe go down the hill and load some stuff while it is quiet.... and get back to the house close enough... or else get up and going early in the morning. We'll see once I get the horse fed... won't take but a few minutes to go do her.