Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Ridgetop]

Why don't you suggest to DS that he take the milk tester course and certification? If he retires, instead of just helping you for extra money he could take over your herds and add some. Then you could retire and help him for extra cash!

 

[farmerjan]

If DS goes out on disability retirement, he will not be able to make a "paycheck"; anything he does will have to be either under the farm name, or cash. He does not "like " dairy farming like I do. He will help but wants no part of the computer, or the aggravations... I would just as soon get the "grunt" work out of him.... and really, I think that in 5 years there will be less than half of what I have now....There is no "course to take", just learn from a tester basically; and he would have to be certified once a year so that is not a problem... but he cannot hold a "paying job"..... he has looked into it some already, but not into the fine print so to speak....... There are no herds around here to add.... seriously, there are only 3 herds within 25 miles that are not on test and 2 of them are robots.... the other will never test.... I did them twice and they don't care so much about records... quantity not quality in the cows so to speak. The couple that I have had quit testing (2 that are still milking) will not go back on..... maybe for milk only samples... but they would be better to do their own as owner samples and neither need the meters. The rest that have quit testing have sold out.....I have 11 I think that have sold out in the past 5 years. Either the land has beef cattle on it, some still in crops, or sold for houses and "mini-estates". No possibility to increase herd numbers....

Got hot today, 94....humid....no pop ups though..... didn't get alot accomplished because of the heat making it miserable to do much of anything.

My father was in an accident last Thursday... he was on the mower, got off the side of the driveway and flipped the lawn tractor mower over on himself. Trapped under it..... Life flight, several broken ribs, broken clavicle (collarbone) nearly tore off one ear on some sharp dead pine tree branches, lots of stitches/staples.... bruised and cuts all over his body. Lucky he didn't get killed... running an infection so now on antibiotics..... been a tough couple of days... now hospital is shut down to all visitors due to a positive covid case.... I am about ready to just scream.... why he was where he was, has not been determined... he was only supposed to be doing the flatter lawns around the house... good for him to get out... and want to do stuff.... but he is not listening to the advice of build up to doing things... He// even I know that I will not be able to just jump into things when I do the knees.......... it has been a very bad summer....

Time to go to bed....

 

[Ridgetop]

Never rains but it pours trouble. So sorry about your dad. Yu sure don't need this aggravation. I hope he recovers quickly, although at his age and with an infection it might take some time. Can he go in a nursing home after the hospital stay?

 

[Mini Horses]

Geesh.....the horseback riding would have been safer! That must have been a really rough patch he was on. You're right, rough summer. Sorry he couldn't behave....you always said he was an doer. At least he's in a hospital with 24 hour watching and care.

 

[Baymule]

I will probably be as hard headed as your Dad, doing things I shouldn't. Kinda hard to shut down things one used to do with no problem, but now it is a problem.

In class at church some years back, I was telling how I got thrown off my horse. One of the church elders was in that class and he commented that I was too old to be riding a horse. I sweetly replied, "I'm going to ride my horses until I am 105 years old. One day I'll get thrown off my favorite Paint horse, hit my head on a rock and DIE." That shut him up.

I'm pretty sure your Dad feels the same way.

 

[farmerjan]

@Baymule I get the hard headed... but after the stroke a couple years ago and his almost dying, then the near miraculous recovery,,, although weaker...and some limitations of use of the leg and arm.... you would think that he would use his head a little bit. He was sooooo sedentary during the last 2 years of my mom's life with her being totally unable to go anywhere..... he was nearly housebound and recovering from the stroke and surgery; WOULDN'T keep up with the exercises to keep up his leg strength once he came home...... I REALLY AM GLAD he wants to get out and do things, he NEEDS to be more active.... but he has not been on the mower for like 2 + years.... He preached to us kids forever to be responsible, to not do stupid things, to not take chances that we could get hurt... to work up to doing things... he seemed to be doing so well after the mental breakdown after her death and getting his other meds straightened out... being much more coherent and not having the hallucinations and stuff.... going out to do things with some of the senior activities and wanting to be around the horses... BOY he sure effed up our plans for an early (and ongoing) Christmas present....which would have helped him with strength and stuff....

I am NOT SO THICK HEADED as to not accept that I cannot do things now that I could... and hope to do again... but I also do my exercises and do things to try to continue to build up ... well at this point, maintain..... my strength....
It just makes me so mad that he is also destroying my brother's business because he is POA and has to be there for any decisions... although some could be done remote I think if the brother would not be another control freak like father... and "have to" be there...
He//, I have enough sense to know that I am not comfortable on certain tractors now with my limited reaction strength in the knees like with the bush hogging and certain areas I don't want to do/don't feel comfortable doing...

As you can tell, this is really getting to me... and now the possibility of going up is out while he is in the hospital... due to the shut down of visitors due to covid.....I hope to he// that they move him into a rehab for a bit so my brother can go back, and my father has a full time babysitter to get him to listen to some sort of reason so he can heal. The horse therapy is out for who knows how long.... ribs and collarbone.... how long will it take for them to heal at his age and then start to work on getting some strength back from immobility from them...can I go smack him and say WAKE UP AND GROW UP AND USE YOUR HEAD???????

Went up to the nurse cow field to see if I could get them in but they were down in the woods where it was cooler. Put some feed in the barn feed bunk... the water was 2/3 up in the trough so good shape...... the spring has picked up real good from the rain. I will go up later.

Farmer that hasn't tested in 4-5 months wants to test and he is off the do not test list... so gotta get him set up... I am so over it.... really would like to just pack it in.... maybe monday. DS wants to get those cows and calves in tomorrow and calves get weaned so cows can get a rest to calve.... and sell calves Friday. Hope they are mostly all going to get sold. I will try to get the ones at nurse cow pasture in this afternoon after it cools off a bit. Got a farm set up for Saturday morning.....got to call some others....
It is 90 already, sun out, humid.....well, getting ready to go on the computer to do this quality certification for work....

 

[Ridgetop]

We will all be glad to see you retire from the testing. All that time on your feet is not good for you now. Even with the knee replacements, you won't be able to take that kind of standing for a while. Better to retire and just do your cattle and hay business. With your son retired too you will both be able to get more rest and will be able to work together better Especially since GF is on your side now. Sounds like she has grown up.

 

[farmerjan]

I meant maybe Monday to test him... not retire. I think I am just so uptight over latest with father...

Done with the meeting, had computer problems but I was on the computer with them getting it set up so at least they know it is not my screwing it up.
Got to do pool PT tomorrow morning, then come home and go on another meeting.... then we will be getting the cows in at the barn to ship calves on Friday....
Going back up to the nurse cow field around 6 or so to see if I can get them in up there; hopefully will cool off a bit. Had some darker clouds but they passed... don't think we are going to get anything.

 

[Mini Horses]

how long will it take for them to heal at his age and then start to work on getting some strength back from immobility from them...can I go smack him and say WAKE UP AND GROW UP AND USE YOUR HEAD???????

You can do that remotely! The smack won't hurt as badly.

Yep. It's gonna take a longer time for him to heal those bones and all. Bet he's a sore rascal about now....probably thinking mowing wasn't a good idea after all.

 

[Mini Horses]

The accident of your dad keeps me "going there" and I'm wondering -- who found him? Or if a caregiver was there...I know you said he had them during certain times. So if there. WHY would they allow him on that mower? He isn't stable mobilitywise...right? Who gave him the key? That would not be a good decision for his safety, IMO.