Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Nearly 6 pm. The wind finally died down and we are mostly still now. It is raining, not hard, but a light steady kind of rain. It could very well get heavier... I haven't looked at the radar lately. Just went out and locked in the chickens and set the traps. Nothing last night.
Haven't left the property today. I will go to the pasture with the cows again tomorrow. No point in going to day in the wind... that makes them a little skittish. Tomorrow they will be wanting to come in. Gives them something to look forward to.

It was up to 73 today so warm but the wind was tough.

I got the 2 doors back on the one cupboard so I can now get all the stuff into it and shut the doors when I get it done. Still haven't gotten the other one upright yet. I sorta tried today but it is just too big and awkward for me to do it without maybe letting it fall on the doors and mess it up. Not worth it.
Tomorrow I have PT and have a list of things I want to do. Milk will be ready for me at the farm too. I will try to make a big circle.. going to go to Home Depot and maybe the Lowe's near it.... the discount Sharp shopper store, check out gas prices over that way but both vehicles are pretty much full, then swing by and pick up the milk and go to the pasture on the way home from there to feed the 3 cows. Have to go check on DS's sheep & chickens when I come up the road. He should be home sometime Wed eve. Doubt I will see him though, he will be in a rush to get to her house and see her and whatever kids are there, her daughter and sisters' 2.
Oh well. I will also go up to the nurse cow pasture on the way home, and feed inside so that the calves will find feed when they go in the creep gate. Want to get the 5 or 6 in that need to be tagged and bull calves banded, pretty soon. Time to get the breeding bull out so that the heifers won't be bothered by him, when they start to calve in a few more weeks. The ones that calved in oct/nov should be bred back now.

So, I am going in to work on the cupboard and get some more stuff onto the shelves.... did a sink full of dishes so can put them all away. Made a bowl of jello earlier so I could have something sweet without a ton of calories.... Got to put away the clothes that are in the basket too. Plenty of wet weather stuff to work on.

I am thankful that we did not get the horrible winds that they had out in Iowa... and sorry for the families of the ones that were killed and the ones that lost their homes in the tornado.

 

[farmerjan]

Sun's up early; looked at the recording thermometer twice.....36 I thought they said mid 40's was what we were supposed to see. Oh well. It will warm fast enough with the sun. Clouds supposed to come in and rain this eve into tomorrow.

GF called early and said that DS called, from a # she didn't recognize. Seems he lost his phone, probably when he got out to fill the truck.. went back to the station and couldn"t find it and a guy let him use his to call. Since DS always has to have the phone glued to his ear, it is going to be a long ride home for him. Just a couple days ago, he had taken his phone when he got out to fill up at the station and left it on the edge of the bed and it fell into the back and he couldn't find it, and then did, and I told him he needed to have a blue tooth ear thing and to leave the DAM#@D phone in the truck, so he wouldn't keep losing it. I mean really, you can't put it down for 5 minutes to fuel up ???? Glad he is not coming home here, he will be in a foul mood.
He should be home around 5-6 pm... about dark.

Going out to the chickens here in a few minutes. Then it will be to PT to the pool session and then the list of errands. Need to eat something for breakfast. Right knee/tendons & ligs gave me a fit last night. I sure wish they would just mellow out and not hurt. The left knee is just fine but this right one is just not..... exercise seems to make it worse lately instead of helping to loosen it up. By now I thought it would start to let up.

 

[farmerjan]

It has been "A DAY".....best thing was sunny and warming up pretty nice...
Chickens let out and nothing in traps again. Came back in and loaded stuff in car, clothes for after the pool, lists, bucket for the farm to leave and pick up full bucket.... and everything. Get in, start the car, pull out the driveway and OOPS... something not right. Backed back in the driveway.. get out... FLAT front tire....Okay, not enough time to deal with it so switched things to the truck, and left. Did PT and when I went by the gas station it had gone up from 3.99 to 4.09 and 4.19 at 2 different stations... for regular... and diesel was 5.15 for cash and 5.28 for credit....


So headed to do some errands. Didn't find anything I was interested in @ Home Depot. Same at Lowe's. The discount grocery store was packed to where there weren't any parking spaces. I finally did get in and it was just full... nothing special going on. I just said, nope, I have to get other things done. So left there and headed back. DS called from a place he was stopped at about the clear fiberglass panels he wanted to stop and price. He didn't have his phone so didn't have the measurements... so I told him what I had texted him. He said that something had gotten into his sheep at his house and gotten 2 more lambs... he is pretty sure it is coyotes again... well, he is not there, there are no dogs there and no activity, and they have moved in again. I saw a big one up at the nurse cow pasture recently. That's 1/2 mile away or less. He asked me to give them water because GF said they were out. Why not just have had me do everything at his house... I did the chickens, and so I went back and put water in the sheep trough, and then checked the chickens to make sure they had plenty of water , so he does not have to do them tomorrow as he will be catching up with feeding the cattle. I don't see where she did any hay feeding but I can't say for sure.
Then I went to get the milk and forgot the grain for the cows... I was too distracted about the sheep. . So I will go tomorrow. I also had to come home and deal with the flat tire. I stopped at the barn, filled the air tank and brought it home. Called and they had time at the station... so I filled the tire and went down with the car. Turns out that there were 2 small pieces of gravel that had gotten between the treads and punctured the tire... talk about a freak thing. They put a patch on the inside of the tire, and all is good. I left from there and went to the garage where the other car is, and the owner wasn't there... but the guy in the office said that the car just got done over the weekend.. so the outback is now ready to get paid for and picked up. Since he got his SIL there to work, things really are getting done... he only works in the garage and does just mechanic work... doesn't go out on the road for road calls or do any "walk in" customers, or anything that they bring in on the rollback from break downs on the highway. It is amazing how the extra person there has made things get done faster/better. I will talk to the owner in a day or 2 and go from there.

Signed up for a seminar on the latest tick disease and the problem here in Va on Thursday eve. However, we are supposed to get all the calves in on Thursday eve to sort and group, to sell on Friday... Guess I won't be able to go to that now.

DS got home and just stopped by. He has been doing some feeding and is going to feed some hay and then go home. He wanted to use my phone to text GF and let her know he was back. She has been in a not very good mood lately and he said she didn't respond except to say OK so he wasn't going to get into a big deal. He had more to feed then was going home. He will get a new phone tomorrow. And I can't complain about the lost phone as he was using the flashlight on the phone, looking at something on the other side of the truck at the gas station, and set it down when the the pump kicked off , and that's how it got lost. So, it wasn't because he was on the phone then... still.... Doesn't matter, it is gone.

So, I am going to finish up some stuff here and go to bed early.

Now they are calling for mix of snow and rain tonight and into tomorrow......Crazy. Down to 46 from a high of 60 already.... feeling a little damp out there.

 

[Mini Horses]

Sorry about those lambs. Big loss with a small herd. Sounds like a coyote hunt is needed. Guy who owns farm behind did that with a couple friends last year. Seems they reduced the small pack they had seen on game cams. He's a huge deer hunter and keeps cams on his 50-60 acres of wooded section. I have only ever seen ONE in all the years I've been here. Was over near his woods. Been a long time. Guess he's doing a good job.. I do know that wild rabbits have been more evident now. Fox way down, too.

Was the car the one with engine replacement?

We're having rains from that system your dealing with. Fortunately we are a touch warmer but, still coolish. I'm trying to convince myself it will rain during week while I'm working and clear for weekend. Weatherman isn't co-operating. Reality sets in! . So while it's slamming work this week and next, the two weeks after are almost void of work. That would sure work for me!! Gotta get disc work done! Coops cleaned! It's the anxiety you feel with needing to cut hay & raining . Just way smaller job for me.

 

[Baymule]

I get OFF the phone when I stop for fuel. I get OFF the phone when I check out at the grocery store-a pet peeve of mine is rude people talking on their phone while treating the checker as if they don't exist. RUDE!

BJ lost keys, phone and whatever else he could think of to put on the side rail of the truck or on the tool box and just anywhere stupid and absent minded. One time he lost his wallet and phone and we didn't realize it for a couple of hours. Found both in grass on side of the road. One time he lost his glasses, couldn't find them-they were on top of his head. I joined the search and helped him look, offering such helpful things such as, "Did you leave them in your truck? Did you look in the bedroom, kitchen, at your desk?" and so on. It was great fun.

Son will continue to lose sheep until he either moves them or gets dogs to protect them. I know how badly you want to shake him until his teeth rattle, but he's too big for that now. He'll just have to figure that one out for himself.

 

[farmerjan]

It won't be dogs at DS house. LLamas or donkeys. And hope that he will get in touch with the guy who came and did some night hunting with the infrared scope like a couple of years ago. We had one resident coyote and he kept the rabbit population down, had next to no coons or anything else there... couple of people said that if you had one that did not bother livestock, don't bother it because it kept others out of it's territory. It worked until he was shot on a neighboring property. Then we had some problems move in and hence the guy to do some infrared night hunting.... time to get back to it again. The other thing is, he lived at the house and the dog was there... it was a great deterrent. Activity. He is going to have to make some other decisions. I am thinking that there is a possibility that if I get the fences here done, maybe I will offer to have the ewes lamb here and get some size on the lambs and then move them back out to grass later on. I haven't said anything but was thinking about it back when he was gone from the house so much. He dry lots them there for the winter anyway... they could stay here with a few calves if I have some weaned ones.
Something to think about.

He is planning to get some help this evening, Caleb is coming to help go through the steers and hopefully get them sorted and grouped a little more to take to the sale on Friday. Last night he said that he wanted to do it Thursday, and I texted Caleb. Caleb texted me this morning and said that he talked to DS and they were going to do it this evening. Of course, I haven't heard from DS yet....


DS realized he had left the phone on the bed before he was 2 miles down the road... went through the center cross over and went right back to the station... looked everywhere and found a flashlight in the truck and checked the area, road, shoulder and all where he turned to go onto the ramp for the interstate. It was snowing up there too... and it just wasn't to be found. No way to call it, it was 5 in the morning and the station was still closed. Finally just had to give it up and leave. MAYBE this will make him think more????
That is why I still like my flip phone... closed and in the pocket....period, end of discussion.

Yep, the flat was on the car (forester) that I had the engine and the trans replaced. It is running good. The tires are practically brand new... so it was just a weird thing. I am not upset or worried about it.
The other car is the outback that has just had the engine replaced. I am probably going to put it on the market/sell it.. I will get back more than I paid for it, more than the new tires I put on last year, more than the new engine cost plus putting it in. With the prices of used cars, I think I will do decent on it. I may call one of those car buying companies and see what they have to say....I will see what happens after I get it back and drive it for a few days. It gets decent mileage but is a 6 cyl and I like the 4 cyl forester much better. It is the only vehicle I have that uses 16" tires... the body is in very good shape. It could run for another 200,000 miles now... but I would rather have the forester and the ranger trucks. It was a "stop gap" purchase that DS found from a friend that just happened to be available when mine went down. I am not sorry that I bought it or am putting this money into it. Worse case, I will keep it and drive it for awhile.

@Mini Horses we are supposed to clear off here today around noon, then rain to come back in Friday night into Saturday with possibility of changing over to snow??? . But then, it is looking clear and warmer again after Sunday... so maybe you will get it for Monday......and into a few days next week....so if you are going to be off a few days you might have good weather to do some stuff at your house.

One of our local stockyards has a once a month "exotic animal" auction. It has gone nuts with the number of animals and such. They cancelled the poultry at it last month due to the recently discovered outbreaks of the bird flu in several poultry flocks. A couple here in Va; the original one in Ill, now several in Delaware and Maryland. Most outbreaks are in big commercial flocks,, but a couple are in small private mixed flocks. Don't know if it is going to affect the Swap/Sale in early May.... D@#N.... will keep you and any other people who might think about going as I hear anything.

Okay, only misting out there right now... radar shows it is moving east slowly.... Chilly only 41 out there. Guess I will here from DS sometime about working cattle later...???

 

[farmerjan]

Quick notes. Chilly this morning 34 and yesterday was 33. Frost on windshields and I had to scrape this morning..... because..... I was out the door at 3:45 to go to barn as we shipped 29 steers this morning. We had sorted and grouped some on Wed when Caleb came and helped "grade" them. Took 2 trailers and was back home at 6:15 a.m.. DS decided to go on and ship this group and we are hoping that the prices on these "grass cattle" will still be pretty good. The steers matched up into 2 groups... weighed like 465 and 560 average. DS kept a few that were more friendly, he has 2 people that want some, 7 to one person and then will need 30 to go to WVa, and another guy wants 3 smaller 350 lb calves which he has; but he is thinking that he will buy some in a couple weeks because we are afraid prices will be lower and did not want to hold ours and take a lesser price per pound. IF prices are not what he wants today, he will no sale them and they will go to wva. Also the guy wants the heifers, so there are about 10 or so... they will go today around noon and then DS will go on to town to the sale.
There will be a few odd ball calves left here probably after we get most other stuff sold.

The weather is calling to be rain tonight and change to some snow, with cold wind and temps down in the teens and wind chills in the -5 to +5 degree range. BRRRR. Will be glad to have the bulk of them all gone.

Headed to the barn to help DS do some feeding. He is going to bring the tractor up and we are going to feed out more of this crummy old hay... get it spread out in the pastures and get feeding done today so if it is as crappy as they say, he won't have much to do tomorrow.

Gotta go...

 

[farmerjan]

DS left feeding to go take GF for radiation treatment. It is kicking her butt now... gets real sick and exhausted... but she is right at the end of the 4 weeks. Hoping that it did the trick for her.
He took the truck to go meet her and I brought the tractor here to my house. Then got my truck and went and shut the gates. I have been in and out of the truck several times, and I was starting to ache, then climbing up in the tractor by myself was cute.... so when I came out of the field, the cows all down on the other side of the hill, I just left the gate open and came 1/2 mile down the road. Stopped and shut the gate at the first field we fed, then went and shut the gate at the nurse cow pasture.
He called and is supposed to call me when they get back, and then we will get the tractor and truck back to the main farm and I can get my car. He wants to load the heifers and take them on his way to town, it is a just a little bit of a swerve off the straight shot to the stockyards, so makes sense if he can.

I honestly thought he would call me back by now.

I must have pulled a muscle in my right upper quad/almost into my groin... It is really killing me... I have to take the net wrap off the falling apart bales as he holds them up on the spear, and it is awkward and of course I am not real good on my feet/knees on this uneven ground... I turned to take a step slipped a little in the slick ground, and all of a sudden I liked to fell over for the sudden pain. Hurts to pick up the whole right foot/leg... so it is in the muscles/ligs/tendons....
. Took something to dull the sudden pain.

I also did take the battery out of the 4wd that is still sitting, and took it down to put in the outback. The battery in it won't hold a charge. I think it was needing replaced when I had the engine trouble. So, since the 4wd has been sitting, I figured it was better to see if that battery will work because it is not doing it any good not being used. They said they would put it on the charger; if it charges and all, I will run it in the car for awhile and keep it charged back up. I am pretty sure it was a pretty new battery. If it doesn't work, then I will get a new one. The forester has a new one. The 2wd needs a new battery this year, but once it gets a little warmer it ought to last okay for the summer. It is running a little low on cca's but as long as I don't leave the lights on, it seems to do fine, and still starts the truck.

Forgot to hit send so I will do so now and then write more later.

 

[farmerjan]

I am home and done for the night. I called DS and he was with her... she got sick several times on the way home from the treatment... and they finally got to his house and she was going to lay down for awhile. He came up and got me, we went to the farm, decided to leave the tractor here since he was going to need it and doesn't need to be running it up and down the road. I said fine.
Helped him sort through the heifers at the barn and got 12 more loaded and out of there.
He saw a steer that was supposed to go this morning... of course it was one of mine. Must have jumped over the one gate and got in the other side with the heifers... Oh well...

He dropped off the heifers and went on to the sale. I wanted to go in and see the steers sell. Got there and the first several pens of lighter weight ones were off a good $.20-.40 / lb... and I figured it was going to be a train wreck... DS was pretty discouraged.
But the 450's and over 500's were much better. We hit the jackpot with the lighter group...just over $2.00 /lb.... and the heavier bunch brought $1.90/lb I think. DS said that the lighter ones needed to bring 1.80 and the heavier ones needed to bring 1.70 so he did very well.... Of course... my steer wasn't in there since he had jumped the gate and there is no way he will bring that kind of money as a single so I lost out. He will get sold down the road but I will not get that top dollar. The buyers like to buy in groups....
I had 4 heifers to go today and the guy that took them is the same guy that has bought the last 2 bunches.... they were 1.43 so only a few cents off the last group. That was good.
I did not stay at the sale to watch the heifers there to see what they were doing.
DS also bought a yearling bull before I got to the sale. There is a farm in WVa that sells about 6-10 every year at the stockyards... they advertise... and DS saw one he liked... He looks to have a nice straight back... will be pretty big when he matures. He won't be ready to use this year... just a yearling and we like them 18 months minimum...prefer 20-24 months; it is too hard on them as they aren't mature enough.

So that was the day. He also said they called and he has to go in at midnight because now they are saying 1-3 inches.... so he said he needed to get home and get the bull unloaded and a few bull calves he got for a pretty good price that he can castrate and use to help make up the group for WVa in 6 weeks.... at a lot less than what he got for his calves...
I left to come home too.
Then just a little bit ago, I hear voices and go out and there is DS... it is after 9 p.m. and he is getting the tractor... because he wants to put it in the machine shed... because we are going to get this rain and snow... like it is going to hurt it for one time and to not waste the fuel going all the way back down there since he needs to come back up here to take more hay out on Sunday to the nurse cow pasture because we only got 1 load in there and 2 loads into the other field....and losing more sleep that he should have been home getting so he can work all night.
Whatever... of course, she was "feeling a little better" so had brought him up after they got the bull unloaded... Just set wrong with me.....didn't even call me to say he was coming to get the tractor... been a he// of a note if I had gone out and it was gone.... REALLY....

Oh well, that is my pissy rant for the evening. The best thing of all this is he said we would get together and get all the money straightened out from the last few heifers and check to see if there were any of my steers in this group that went...and get squared away... and I am going to make him stick to it.

I am going in to take a shower and baby this sore leg.... It is miserable to get in and out of the car this evening... It feels just like a pulled muscle. Was maybe going to go get the outback tomorrow... but not with rain and snow. It can stay there til monday.

 

[Ridgetop]

I hope you get good prices on the cattle. Lots of uncertainty on livestock prices right now due to increased hay costs and worry about war.

Hope your leg heals up soon. You need to take it easier - I know, easier said than done when you are a working farmer. At least with most of the cattle gone to market (hopefully) you will have less of a workload.

Radiation is very exhausting. Glad GF is almost done with it. I did half of my radiation at the same time as finishing up my chemo. Doctors advised against it, but kidding season was on top of me, and I couldn't be gone. I had to be home for that so opted to get it over with before the dairy does started kidding. We ended up with over 100 kids that year! Most of them really nice does so I am glad that I did it but it was not easy. When I was not in the barn removing kids as they were born, heat treating and pasteurizing, and bottle feeding newborns during the day I was sleeping! Luckily the boys did the miking and chores and were able to get the bottles and kid buckets ready.