Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Just a quick note.... changed plans when we got a little sprinkle and I wasn't sure if it would turn into more....I went and did some grocery shopping that I didn't do when I forgot the list the other day and went by the bank and deposited some cash to make sure that everything is covered as I know B is going to go cash the check Monday..... I will be tight for a week or so but then should get back to normal with all the farms that I have tested and then getting my SS deposited... It is on the 3rd Wed, so some months it is early, like the 15th and this month it is late... the 21st... just the way the first of the month falls as to when the 3rd wed will be.... I will get a pretty big paycheck and a couple days later get the SS.... I like them to be on opposite weeks... but it will give me a bigger balance to put towards bills the first of the month next month.... get my cushion back....

We didn't get more than those few sprinkles.... it stayed just south of here and skirted across. Another wave of wet coming across from WVa but it looks like it is predicted to dissipate before it gets all the way over the mountains to here....

DS texted that we have a bunch of cows with pinkeye so will have to treat them in the morning....he is doing the cow and calf. Calf goes on her when she is eating... she is not overly attentive but not mean to it... calf is pretty aggressive and has gone on all 4 teats when I have been watching... give them a few more days and they ought to be good to go. That's a relief. Think she will go in the smaller pasture for a few days and then they can go in the bigger one once we know for sure he is sucking her out in the field.

So, I am back.... going to look at the forecast for tomorrow, might do a load of clothes because I go through jeans and shirts fast with this heat and humidity.... then will have to be available to help DS with the pinkeye cows... then go down to the house and empty the fridge. I think the pitchfork is outside the storage building there... under the porch overhang... so ought to be able to get it. There are some tires and stuff that I need to get there that ought not to cause any big uproar..... I'm hungry... forgot to eat something for supper.... maybe a bowl of cereal at this point....

 

[Bruce]

plus she did more than I would have had done, washing down the walls and stuff that I would have only had vacuumed..... extra time that I don't feel like I owed landlord.... but it is done.

Here a home sales contract says "broom clean". I'm sorry she spent some of your money going well beyond what is necessary.

I will offer him a little bit to leave the stuff there since he said it is safer to not get stung...

I don't suppose he considered DOING something about removing them. Wait for cold weather ... in Virginia. Your stuff will be in there for many many months.

but he won't put the stairs back in or open up the upstairs....

Not news ... that guy is a piece of work. He doesn't deserve you doing other than the VERY bare minimum. ESPECIALLY after all the things he SHOULD have done but didn't while you were living there.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday morning. Waiting to hear from DS as to the plans for working the cattle with the pinkeye problems.

Started at 65, up to 78, nice out. Not too muggy.

Yeah, you know, you just learn to deal with it. No, @Bruce , I am sure he is not planning to do anything with the few things in the storage building there. Not his style. Yes, he should have done alot of things he didn't do, and I resent that he is doing it all now... but it is behind me for the most part. So, let it go. I wish she had not done the cleaning so "good", but there will be no complaints from the landlord about it being left dirty or anything.
Stupid of him to keep doing little stuff and not taking care of the things that really need to be done to improve the maintenance... I mentioned about some of the small stones coming off the top of the chimney that needs to be fixed and he said, yeah, it needs to have some work done. And I told him about hearing the birds in the chimney that is in the bedroom... and the sounds of something in the ceiling/above where you can't see what is going on.

The drainpipe in the kitchen sink freezes in the cold winter.... so water won't go out... the pipes into the bathroom freeze when the groundhogs dig holes under the foundation and cold air whistles under the crawl space and I always had to put straw bales there....
Not my problem anymore.

Going to go down the hill.... we are going to get the cattle in this afternoon....I will go get the fridge cleaned out and unplugged. The freezer has frost keeping the freezer door stuck so has to defrost a bit to get it opened. But I can get the bottom fridge done and get the tires and stuff for the car & trucks loaded.

Put some barn clothes in to soak. The shirts from that farm that I get so badly splattered at will need some time to try to soak out the cow sh$t.... since the days are supposed to be warm and some possible showers, it will be fine to run through the wash and hang tomorrow after they soak today.

REALLY really need to mow the lawn here too.... and get the potatoes into the mulch and get it soaked... I think I have a sprinkler thing that I used to use on the garden....Hmmm to figure out where it is.... can't count on the rain to soak it... need the pitchfork so down the hill is first.

Got to get my rear in gear.....

 

[Mini Horses]

I'm did some "hope this fixes it" fence spots this morning for the goat jumpers. They are such creative, athletic things! Primarily 4 long yrlgs I kept from the Saanen buck I sold last yr. Hope breeding this Fall will stop their nonsense! I might have to pull those into a separate field as I have a horrid work schedule this week and want to leave everyone out in these big, heavy need to graze fields! Can't have escapes. It makes my chores far easier and everyone will flush for an earlier breeding this year.
I watched them go to and turn from those places. If all settle well good, otherwise 4 will be removed to that new fenced area for the week and others left to party on.

Almost out of that stone house!! It will be such a relief for you! I remember still the feeling of trying to empty mom's place and the never ending stuff. I STILL have boxes packed that I need to sort and "do something" with!

 

[Mini Horses]

It feels like the Olympics here...the fab four were in backyard! They were put back into the usual field and barn! All else ok as of this morning! Guess that's the norm for this week. Gotta work....gotta stay put. It's fine! You know how it works. Plenty of grass, water and shade for all. Makes leaving easier. If weren't so nice. I'd sell them.

Hope your week goes well!

 

[farmerjan]

Leave it to the "fab 4" @Mini Horses .

Have done things in different orders, but getting there. All chickens moved from the fairgrounds freezer and in mine here. Seems DS and GF took one of the freezer chests last week and never told me, to use for gf daughters' birthday party.....and I had to ask if they had taken it because I went to get it to move the rest of the chickens and it wasn't there.... Got it back last evening, went and got them this evening when Bonnie was going to be at the fairgrounds... a bunch of people there to get supplies in the building and prep work for the fair to start..Thursday.

Finally got to stone house, it has been hot and I haven't had alot of umph.... got the fridge emptied and turned off so freezer will thaw so I can get the door opened.... stuff to the dumpster and some brought here to this house. Brought up my vacuum, and step "stool" that I got to get in the cabinets here... I plan to go down early in the morning... hopefully get the freezer opened from the frost and that stuff emptied out... most should come here. It ought to still be frozen pretty much from just being off overnight....but the door still closed. If it is too thawed, it will get dumped. So everything will be out of the house then....and I will get the few things off the front porch too. Then it is just trash cans outside, a cattle panel that I used in the garden, and the stuff in the building....

I got most of the cows/calves in yesterday and DS finally got there to get them moved. All but 4 calves in, and 1 cow, that needed treating.... GF used the dart gun and shot them with the antibiotic. She is a good shot. There are 6 calves that were out, but 2, I know who they belong to... and they will start coming in the creep gate for feed and will get worked.
We moved the rest of the calves and a couple of cows to doug's farm, to run them through the chute to treat and had to band a couple bulls. There are 2 bulls and 2 bigger heifers that did not come in, but with all the rest tagged, banded, treated, at least I can identify who is on who..... and since the not tagged ones are few, it will be easier to identify... and if I can catch them in, one evening, DS can come work them there in the smaller headcatch.... it is not the ideal working catch but is usable....
One of the calves eyes are REALLY bad... both eyes..... the rest had one eye that was affected. One of my cows has a bad eye, and one young heifer that DS bought and turned out to be bred, and had a little calf, had it. There are a couple cows at another place with it that they had to dart.... The flies are terrible this year..... have heard that from a couple people that they are having trouble with it too. The co-op cannot keep darts on the shelves either.... that is why it was so good that I found the larger ones up near the farm I tested.....

Turns out GF is still off work, she was supposed to go back, but dr has her off for another month.... nerves/depression/anxiety.... so she has been using the truck to move more round bales.... I quit offering since he seems to rather have her doing it. Not worth the fight. Also has her doing parts runs and errands..... I am not offering unless like I did the other day when I was coming down through town.... he never asks her to go out and do the raking though.... since it is on the tractor that doesn't have the cab, guess it isn't "modern enough".... whatever.

Had to go to the owner sampler farm today to take meters...and the sample bottles.... they were going to test their cows this eve and tomorrow morning... then I will stop and get the meters, samples, and do the computer work and then go to the 200 cow herd that is right down the road. Saves me at least one trip..... I will take the meters and be able to set up at the 200 cow herd.... plus more that are in the car....so I have to get the sample bottles in the racks for the herd for tomorrow.

Still have not gotten the lawn mowed, but with no rain, I am not getting too worked up.... it will burn up if I cut it and we do not get rain. Going to put the water on the trees tomorrow.... they are looking pretty good considering, and I want to keep them continuing in a positive direction.
Potatoes are planned for Wednesday since I will be tied up all day tomorrow. Still trying to find the sprinkler waterer... might just go buy a new one since they are putting the "gardening stuff" on sale ..... OH... that reminds me, I didn't think about the pitchfork... gotta get that in the morning.....

 

[Mini Horses]

Or....maybe he doesn't trust her with equipment to rake?? Ya know the expense of inexperienced drivers and hitting rocks. Etc......

Nice that she can do some thing to help while she's off work. Let her! Share the work of being a gopher. I know it's hard but, it could be helpful in some cases.

Ive separated about half the bucklings to finish weaning. Talk about screaming does and kids. Wow! Plus I have some girls I'll need to milk out, sore and some not trained. Gonna be fun, right? The heat is keeping the kids from so much running from catching but, those rascals are heavier than I thought! Next month sale barn.

Between farm and work, everything aches. ibuprofen and to bed! At it again tomorrow!

 

[farmerjan]

Yes, @Mini Horses , let her do some of it. He doesn't lose his temper with her so there are some advantages to her being there when we do stuff.... I will stay home more....
Yes, I think he is afraid for equipment to get torn up in the field.... he had her in the big JD tractor with the seed drill planting the sorghum/sudan seed a few weeks ago.... pretty straight passes back and forth and no rocks in this field... I usually do it, but whatever. It is like 2 different people... when she is around he is so "respectful" and doesn't holler or cuss hardly at all..... I just stand there and look at him and wonder where the person is that I have taken all the verbal abuse from for all these years, has gone. So that is good I guess.... he is more respectful to me when she is around... but when she isn't, he is more like the old DS.... maybe I just bring out the bad in him.....

I feel for you with the screaming split up does and kids.... the cows/calves do the same..... Good luck with the ones not trained.... You will be falling in to bed this week with working full time.... like me when I have 3-4 farms back to back.... there isn't enough of anything to fix the pain.....
Been switching from tylenol to ibuprofen to try to take the edge off. Have found that a couple will help me to get to sleep on the really sore/worn out nights.... after a nice hot shower directed on the knees....

 

[Mini Horses]

Thankfully, it's sore muscles -- what's left of them. They just disappear with age. Well, certainly reduce....guess I'm lucky to still have what I do. Feel fine this morning and slept well. Home today would be great, ain't gonna happen....


Men and GFs! My son is a problem, too!

 

[farmerjan]

Up earlier than some days...already 72 out there. Radar shows some storms coming in this afternoon, but they tend to pretty much dissipate by the time they hit the mountains to the west....
Sun is coming up over the hill, it has been light since before 6...

Had left the work clothes in soaking so will let them run and out on the clothes line too.

Have got to get the right hoses for this afternoon into the car, this farm takes shorter ones than the ones for the owner sampler farm I dropped things off to yesterday. Got to remember to take the computer and printer too.... get them in the car here shortly so I don't forget along with the sample bottles.

Going out now to turn the water on for the trees for a couple hours of soaking... chances of rain/storms only in the 30% range, so don't want to count on them....

Will go back to stone house later, freezer still not thawed enough to get door open. I guess that only 8 hours or so isn't enough for it since it was cooler last night. The truck is unloaded, so can come home from testing and just switch vehicles, take the truck and go down and do it this evening... get the couple of other things outside....go around and see what all I may have left.... get the tires and see how big a box I need to put over top of the one the bees are in so maybe I can get it moved after dark...but I am not going to get all stung and eat up by them.... luckily the pitchfork and tires, and a few other things are outside the door there...still have to be careful of stirring them up....

Just checked my bank account and the deposit I was waiting for is scheduled to be credited today, so I can leave a check for the rest that I owe B for the cleaning, when I go to work... I will text her in awhile once I can confirm it is credited... usually after 10 a.m. is when things "show up" in my accounts. But it shows it is scheduled for 7/12... which was yesterday. There were notices that the bank was doing scheduled updating and account maintenance from 4 p.m. 7/12 to noon 7/13...today. They are doing some upgrades to the mobile banking services and some things would be delayed. At least they always give us several days notice of stuff like that... so I will wait to see if it shows up. Then I can get the rest of the monthly bills scheduled for payment like I always do....

Time to get things going so I can leave early enough to go by walmart on the way and see if they have the sprinkler marked down with the other garden stuff......and then the owner sampler farm, and then to set up and test the other one. They like to start before 2... so I do get out earlier than from some I test...