Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

We're supposed to get rain of some amounts... Tue through Thur. Guess we need it. My ground had moisture as I worked the garden prep yesterday. Plan to rake it again today to get as much of the root clumps that I can. Yesterday's I've scooped into piles to remove today. Today I hope to be done with that part but I'm sure there will be more there always are. Nothing to do but do it. I want to plant!! Gotta be today as I work all next week, then there's the rain. . Maybe weekend plant?

I have a couple ground level spots to fix in fence to predator proof garden from chickens. . We know a 50' row of new bean plants are tastier than any 50 acres of grass and bugs!! Need to get that tiller out and replace one cable....the one that makes tines turn....pretty necessary . I'll want to use it soon.

Bay, fence here is outa sight. That goat fence has gone up over $100 per roll since last Spring. Almost a 50% increase. My income didn't get that! . Uncle needs to send me another stimulus check. Those posts you're pricing -- wow! I took some areas of cross fence down, so salvaged posts to relocate. Making a pile! Can't afford but so much new. Even rolled the fence until I see what can be used.

We're all on a budget....time and $$.

 

[farmerjan]

Fencing... as I watched a herd of deer go up through the property yesterday morning and meander across the road and up through the field that we did NOT plant a cover crop in so they didn't get to eat all winter on our DIME !!!! How the HE// am I going to keep them out of the fruit trees???? GRRRR


Can't have a dog either without a fence since the road is close and way too busy... not going to have one get hit and killed.

 

[farmerjan]

Back in for a bit. Been a busy morning.

Hung a load of clothes and had to bring the jeans and stuff in. They were dry and wind blowing them off the line. So, then I did a second load and got them out. They will be dry in 2 hours at this rate. Wonderful. The towels ought to feel "dryer dried soft".. and smell better.
Hey @Baymule ... just realized that you won't have sand anymore... so you will be able to hang clothes out too... PLUS SAVE on ELECTRIC BILL !!
Anyway. Tried the truck and it wasn't cranking fast enough to start. So, I hooked up the battery charger earlier and it ought to be charged up enough... can always use the "start function" on it too. So, I will run the battery from the 4x4 in this truck since it has been sitting; and get a new battery for the 4x4 as soon as they say they are coming to get it.
Got a call that there were some calves out on the dirt road next door. 3 little squirts out, and 2 went back in the same place and the 3rd of course had to go find another place to force himself through... definitely NOT where they got out. The escape hole has a wire all stretched and looks like the deer have been going through there. There's another spot a little bit down further that you can see the deer trail.... the wire is a little bit saggy there but not like this spot. They want GREEN GRASS that is along the road.... anything tastes better when you can escape to get it !!!

Wanted to maybe work outside and pick up some sticks and stuff off the lawn...... but the wind is making it hard for me to breathe and I get to coughing... so decided to not push it. This coughing is driving me nuts...took a "mucinex" generic to help break it up and get it to thin out to make coughing easier. Now my nose is running more like a drippy faucet

Going to fold the clothes I brought in and then see if I can get the truck started and go take the stuff to the dumpster. Get the back emptied. Then move the meters over into the back of the truck and get the rest of the stuff I need for this week out of the forester so I can take it down tomorrow morning; trade for the outback and go get a new battery for the outback. Was going to do that last week but got sick with this cold.... Then load work stuff into it for Tuesday, for the 500 cow herd . Since it takes me a few extra minutes with this cold & congestion... don't want to be rushing around.
Might make some bread pudding this afternoon. Got the crusts and all out of the freezer. It will help keep the chill off the house later too. COMFORT FOOD..... and maybe see if I can get another box emptied.... not making as much progress there as I would like, but haven't had the energy. Still, I'm getting stir crazy sitting around now that I feel a little better.

Making my lists of things to do this week when I am out... no more special trips for anything if I can help it. Gas has actually dropped to 3.97 here from 4.09 and 4.19....but the on road diesel hasn't budged. 5.35 and 5.45 at the couple of different stations.
Time to go try the truck and get that done for the day. 3 miles to the dumpster.... Then it will be time to bring in the clothes off the line so they don't blow away...
Just got to thinking, the battery from the truck might work for the electric netting for the calves/chickens... I have a solar panel for charging it... so if it is kept charging during the daylight for the fence, I might get some more use out of it... I really don't want to run a cord all the way out to the fencing charger... and with the costs of everything... if I can get it to run off solar....Hmm.

 

[Mini Horses]

Yeah, gas is 3.97 ish. One BP I use gives 5cent a gal off for cash. The off Rd diesel is 4.59 & Rd diesel is 4.97-5.15. such a rip off. .

Do you have an old portable radio? Put it in the orchard. ???

 

[Baymule]

@Mini Horses my income didn’t get a hike upward either. Posts and fencing are ridiculous. So is everything else. Son told me today, for the first patch of land I want to fence, to get everything I need for it and call in a crew of 3 guys he knows of, to put it up. He said they hit the ground running and can put up in a couple of days what it would take me a month or longer. I’ll have to clean the fence row across the front and have all the wire and posts. I think I’m gonna do that. I’m crunched for time and that would take a LOT of work off me.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Sounds like a plan!

 

[Mini Horses]

Do it! Gives you something to work with fast.

 

[Baymule]

Yeah, I don’t want to drag my exhausted self to the hospital for surgery. I want to skip in, wheelchair out! LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

We all want to save $$ and that's why so much DIY and reuse until it's dead stuff. But if you can work it out money wise, this initial fence hire may be best option now. House is ready. Enough fence to contain for a while. Your gonna stress enough with everything else. Come Fall you can get back into things slowly. Plus, you will need to have a set up for someone to feed for a while post surgery....so, that's a set up to be able to work out. Never ends, right?

 

[farmerjan]

Best laid plans.... and all that. But this might be for the good...
The silly 3 calves were out AGAIN yesterday afternoon. A different former neighbor (to the stone house) called when he went down the road. I texted DS again... then went down there. Seems they went right back in the spot that I said looked like a deer trail but not too stretched? Well, the ground also dips there and watched the little twirps go right back in. So... got out the fence pliers and carefully got up on the slight bank, and tightened the wire a bit. Then found an old cedar fence post that had rotted off that DS replaced, and stood it up in the low spot, braced inbetween the wires, and tied it up so that it is both blocking the low spot more, and holding the wires all in place, and looking much more "formidable". Then I went up to the other spot that the 2 had gone back in the first time, climbed the slightly steeper bank, and tightened that wire and wove a dead part of a cedar in there to help it to look less like a spot to get out. The fence along the road here is not very good, owner won't replace it, and so we work with what we have. Pain in the ...... the 3 calves came down through the little bit of woods towards the first hole I fixed and saw me checking them out and went scampering back up and away like they weren't really coming to see if they could get out again. You had to laugh even with as aggravating as they get....
So after getting all that done, DS finally called and was heading up to feed... in the process of talking to him, he says a friend of his has asked him to go pick up a truck that they bought, (paid trip), .... of all places, up in Clearbrook... which is where I have to go test the farm (the one 125 miles away). He said that it would be smart if we could make the trip together... but cannot do it Wed.. I said I was sure that I could change my farm, as when I had talked to the farmer he said any day this week would be fine... so DS is going to see what/how he can arrange his schedule this week, and let me know today. He has to get off a half hour early tomorrow to help me go test since we are going to ride together...
I have to be at the other farm at 1 so have to leave here by 11 a.m.... He can go get the truck while I am testing for the hour it takes... then come back and get me....I have to do some computer work that doesn't take very long now... and I do have to a program update for them; was going to go early and do it before, but it can be done after... won't take long...
So might be able to make it work and we can do 2 things in the same trip and then make a little money on the travel that I get paid if the guy is going to pay him to go get the truck (on his trailer). Guess it is for parts or something.

So, things might get changed around. Will know more today. That might mean I have to change the Thursday farm too... Which I will do...Not going to call the owner sampler farmer until I know what/if things will be rearranged this week.

Getting ready to go out and let the chickens out then take a few more things out of the forester and take it down to the garage and get the outback.... they will jump start it, as the battery is bad and won't hold a charge... then I will take it to the place to get the new battery... come home and get the stuff loaded for tomorrow afternoon so that I am not doing it in the rain on Tuesday.

Truck started right up yesterday after the little bit of a charge on that battery so I know it is just getting weak. Went to the dumpsters and got the stuff off the back. Came home and put the meters in the back and got the hoses I need for the owner sampler farm and the other one I plan to do, because they use different length hoses, all ready to be put in the car. Got another bucket of chicken feed to take out to the shelter so I don't have to do it in the rain either. We are now forecast to have some rain, showers, whatever for several days off and on.

It was a chilly 32 this morning. Mostly cloudy out there so won't be as nice a day.

Time to get out there to the chickens and go do the car switch thing. If DS goes to the stockyard sale this afternoon I might go. See how I feel and the energy level.....