Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Bruce]

Do it in private in front of the lawyer. He'd probably swear on a bible that she stepped on her shoelace and smacked her face into a desk.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday night.. got back about 6:30-7... LONG LONG trip... I am reading some posts and if not tonight, will get back on and do some updating... Yes I have the Explorer, no road problems, definitely not in love with it and it doesn't get as good a mileage as the other 2... and it only has 48,000 on it not 70,000... looks like new inside, and outside needs a good thorough car wash at least... thinking it will make a very good resale vehicle.....going to "sit on it awhile" and then make a decision... not make it in haste.
No one killed anyone or put anyone in jail.... but it was not very enjoyable... and the niece that sent the email blamed it on the preg niece in Fl because she was doing what the preg niece wanted her to do... because preg niece said this niece could word it better.... preg niece said it was this niece... and they are tight... like sisters... one tells a "FIB" and the other says the opposite FIB....
We got most everything on our lists... and I am getting a REAL NICE trestle type kitchen table that no one else wanted... I wish I was close enough to go back for some other things... but don't see how that will work with the commitments here for getting that hay made by June 1st... and getting cows all moved to pastures...

 

[Mike CHS]

I didn't think you were going to have a good time but it sounds like you did OK with the vehicle. Used car prices have gone up silly so that works in your favor if you go that way.

 

[Baymule]

I'm glad that it was at least partly civil and nobody was real ugly about things. That's a whole lot better milage on the Explorer! Whoop! If you don't like it, see what Carmax would offer you. I sold my Buick to Carmax and was real happy with what they offered and that I didn't have to fool with Joe Q. Public. LOL

I thought about you at the Livingston auction on Saturday. Prices on cattle were real low. I left before the cow/calf was over. Skinny cows with nice looking calves were bringing low prices.

Auctioneer kept plugging a group of replacement heifers coming in 2 weeks that were real nice. I was thinking that if I was a seller, it would aggravate me. Sell MY cows NOW you dummy! LOL LOL Prices weren't good and here he is yammering about better cows in two weeks!

 

[farmerjan]

Well, it is Monday eve and just got the boxes in the outback to go test tomorrow morning at the 500+ cow herd. Geneva can only help tomorrow, DS can't take off any days this week and he said that it would be good if she could help me this week. So, called the farm and they said okay... so I will be back to the "grind" tomorrow.

Nice day here today. I went to bed about 10 and read for a little while as knees were sore from all the sitting coming home. Slept about 10-11 hours I was so totally worn out.
Went today with the title to the bank and they won't accept it until I get it transferred to Va. But when I got the loan they charged me an extra $25 recording fee, and said that they would take care of the lien and all and get it done... I specifically asked. So, they gave me the lien papers, also, and said that I can get it all done at once and then drop it in the night drop box to make it easier on me. I was REALLY PISSED when I left the bank. I will get the title transferred and drop it with the lien recording paper in the bank night drop box and then they can go do it since there is a stipulation that I cannot get back any prepaid fees. I am just too pissed off about it. What can they do? They can't charge me to record the lien since they already did.... they said they would take care of it. So now they can. I will just say I forgot to take it with me to the DMV.... what can they do about it????
I don't think that 19-20 mpg is very good. I get 22-23 on the outback, 23-26 on the forester and average 24-26 on the little ranger. This vehicle has so much crap on it... all electronic stuff, gotta read the manual to turn the d@#ned thing on just about. Couldn't figure out how to use the "trip mileage" so just wrote down the mileage each time I filled up... I sure don't need the stupid thing telling me I have 75 miles to empty, then 74 then 73 and on and on, constantly blinking on the screen. That was the most annoying thing. The fuel level says it is down to a quarter of a tank... I can figure out that I need gas... I want the old gauges so I can see what the oil levels are and the temp gauge and things to see if it is running hot or something... don't need someone to tell me or a light blinking in my face...

 

[Mini Horses]

This buy isn't going well, right? CarMax is a phone call away.

 

[farmerjan]

Whoops, hit the post button when I went to answer the phone.

Anyway... too much electronics to go bad.... and I don't like the seats in it. If I get the seat upright like I like it, the stupid headrest pushes my head too far forward and it hurts my neck. If I put it back then the head rest is bearable and I am not sitting up straight and it bothers my back. It was a long trip home... and my back was starting to ache from trying to find a comfortable angle.
Well, I have to get the transfer done, and get the tags; it is already on my insurance and I am going to have to make payments for a few months at least...maybe after I get rested up and all I will be able to think about it more clearly.
Took and got the oil changed since that screen was constantly blinking on the thing.... and got Va inspection while I was there; there are no grease fittings to grease underneath... so at least the major maintenance is done... I guess.
Of course this has to have a different size tire than any of my other ones... I now have 14", 15", 16", and 18"... an DS has a vehicle with 17"....It has nearly new tires, snow treads, and 2 extras that are straight treads that are nearly new also.. I will get them changed over and put on to save the winter tires for the summer.

Soaked all my plants when I got home... a few were wilted a little, but they are looking okay. They are out on the table for the day. It is only supposed to get down to mi-50's tonight... I think I am going to leave them out. The small ones that I had started, that got hit with the hail and all, are pretty pathetic... will save a few but not alot. Not going to stress over it now. I can buy some at the greenhouse nursery that are nice and at 2.50 a 4 pack, reasonable enough. Next year will try to do better.

Took a few things out of the Explorer but that is for the next day or 2. Did take the lamps to DS house, and put them there. He was not going to unpack alot today he said... he has to get the air compressor and the tools and boxes of nuts, bolts and all sorts of garage stuff out of the back to be able to get to other stuff.... Most of the boxes are his that I packed for him... most of my "wish list stuff is in the Explorer. It would take another trailer full to clean out the garage fully... and 2 trailers to get out all the rest of the house stuff and where would you put it. Sister and her fiance' are supposed to come up and get what they want and then take other stuff to the big flea market to sell it...
DS will be going up to get the backhoe sometime and the neighbor has the truck so he can fix the brakes and stuff... and probably we bring it home at the same time. GF would not want to ride separate to come home so I know she won't be going....
It cost over 1,000 in fuel to go up and back. Spent over 500 just taking the cattle.... Saw diesel at 2 places for 6.79 gal... we got it mostly for 5.79 or 5.89. Gas was anywhere from 3.89 to 4.29. I put $70 in the car twice... it is outrageous.
Drove straight up... 13+ hours. DS drove, then I drove, then DS, then me, then DS... just kept switching off. Left at 10 p.m. Thursday and got up there about 11:30 a.m. on Friday. Didn't want the calves to have to be in the trailer any longer than absolutely necessary. It was about 12 hours home, left at about 5;30 a.m. on Sunday and got here about 6 I guess. Hit rain for about 3-4 hours and traffic was plentiful but not real bad...
Was nice to hit the Va line... 2 hours left... I may have been born and raised a "Yankee" , but it is not home anymore. It is nice in VT and NH... and there is some pretty open farmland but it is soo much winter... parents place is right along the Conn. River on the NH side... but I like the more openness of the farmland down here. Hated the congestion in lower Mass and CT and NY, NJ, and the slices of MD and all we came down through.
The farmer friend said they have had a long cold WINDY winter... they are literally right on the Canadian line... Derby, VT. How close are you to that @Bruce ? The border crossing and all that goes along with it are right there in the town and the friend's farm is a couple miles from there. It was cold and windy on Friday while we were there. They were done with maple syrup... he said that they start earlier and earlier it seems but then the spring seems to stay cold and windy longer... about the same as here. We just don't get the snow they get. They had had about 4" snow on the Monday before we got there.

Glad to be home... not looking forward to another trip, and it is too sad anyway. DS was pretty tore up, but he spent a fair amount of time up there with them. I never did spend much time in NH because I had moved to Va before they bought it so it was not "home to me"... Still, was hard to not see them there... a closed chapter in the family history...

DS is going up to my brother's in July or Aug to go fishing for salmon with his specialist dr who likes to fish also... that will be a good trip for him... and it is only about 8-9 hours straight shot up I-81 he said.

Guess that's it. got to go to bed early since I didn't get much sleep the whole time we were gone & all that driving... last night I collapsed... but still need more to catch up. Got to be up by 3 and leave 3:15 a.m. to go test in the morning.

 

[Baymule]

I’m glad y’all are back home safe and sound. Too bad that you don’t like the explorer. All new vehicles have fancy-fangled everything on them. I can’t get used to the push button start that “reads” the key fob in your pocket and won’t start without it.

I know you must be exhausted and tired. Doing the 500 cow herd will be a hard day. Hope you can get some more rest tomorrow evening.

 

[Ridgetop]

What a mess! The attorney probably told the 3 grandchildren that they needed to just accept the offers since they wouldn't get any better ones. He also probably told them what it would cost if he did the additional work they wanted him to do. At least it is over. If there is anything else (large pieces of furniture that is) you want that can be stored, maybe the friend that is keeping the backhoe for DS could hold it for you.

Deaths and inheritance is a real problem. Family that before didn't want any of "that junk" suddenly decide everything is valuable and that others are getting more than their "fair share".

When my cousin, Judy, died her husband piled everything in one room for Goodwill. I knew that some of the stuff was supposed to go to Judy's sister but the sister would not go get it so I bought packing materials and packed it up for her, then took it with us to store for her since Goodwill was coming the next day for all the junk that was left. No good deed goes unpunished right?

Judy's sister, my other cousin, called my sister, daughter, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. and told them that I had "stolen' the belongings Judy wanted her to have! What did I steal? A couple open cardboard boxes of dolls that had been stored unwrapped in the attic of the business my cousin ran. Were these rare collectible pieces? No they were not, and they were in very bad condition - rats had chewed and defecated while they were in the attic. They probably eventually got tossed when the cousin got her hands on them! My daughter was going up to visit a friend in San Francisco and took them to Judy's son's house for the cousin to pick up. I had typed out a list of each box and its contents and had the relative sign the receipt! I am still furious about that situation and don't have anything to do with that side of the family anymore.


On the good side though your brothers seem to be finally talking again.
I hope to give all my good stuff to my children and grandchildren before I go so no one will argue about anything.

 

[Baymule]

I’ve seen families fall apart, argue, fight and never speak to each other again. Over what?

It sounds like while this was unpleasant, it wasn’t a knock down drag out hate filled experience. Count yourself fortunate.

I never saw an armored car following a hearse.