Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Baymule]

What a beautiful thing to do for them and I know it will be deeply appreciated.

 

[Ridgetop]

Amazing after all the hassle abut who got what that no one even started to take what they wanted from the house!

 

[farmerjan]

The niece that caused all the BS with the e-mail to the lawyer, got all that the other niece (preg in Fl) that she had on her EXTENSIVE list... and it is mostly all packed in the trailer still parked in the driveway there.... my sister and fiance' have not been there by the looks of it.... he was supposed to get some of his "guys" to come and get the saleable stuff ... and the other china cabinet that is still in there... as well as all sorts of knick knack collectible stuff... full kitchen cabinets full of stuff...
I wish I had the time to go up and work on cleaning it out but was not allowed to do so until the probate stuff and of course, I am not a "favored beneficiary".... it is a crying shame. Deb is going out to her parents place in Ks this summer to work on cleaning out her parents house but her brothers and all are in agreement and there is no time frame to get it cleaned out and sold... like my father stated in his will and left the lawyer as the executor...
It sorta is a sad "serves you right" to my father, because of his way of putting it and all... and it just has created more family division. The 4 of us had pretty much agreed after the funeral until we found out about the will... and we could have gotten things worked out and things divided up and given away and utilized... Now all the things my parents worked for, most of it will be "thrown out with the garbage"... all because he had to be so controlling and spiteful towards us kids.
The waste of things is what gets to me so much.....
And it is costing them all so much in lawyer costs now... so anything that parents (father) wanted to pass on to his grandchildren.... due to his attitude and control everything mentality..... is going to get eaten up by the lawyer fees... and my son is getting hurt by it too. He is pretty P.O.ed by the other 3.... because he and my brother who is also a primary beneficiary, have tried to bend over backwards to make this work..... the costs should come out of those 3's share of the estate but it doesn't work that way....
Just sad....

 

[farmerjan]

Just a note for those of you that remember @greybeard posting on here back awhile... he and his wife have sold the farm and moved further west, closer to family and away from the wetter area he had lived in for 20 or more years. They are going to move into a suburban house and "live out their lives" there... He said he is not able to do as much as he wants to, and they were so tired of the constant wet and flooding near the national forest land where they were. He has had back and hip problems and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure...diabetic also. So he said it is not fair to burden with his wife with farming, fences and all that. He says he needs to find a place to go fishing...he is not in any dire straits at this point, but said it is time to make a change...
I wish him well... he is still on the one cattle forum I frequent... and I think that there are some other Texas members that will make it a point to keep up with him...maybe close enough to get him to come visit when he needs a "cow fix"...

 

[Alaskan]

Just a note for those of you that remember @greybeard posting on here back awhile... he and his wife have sold the farm and moved further west, closer to family and away from the wetter area he had lived in for 20 or more years. They are going to move into a suburban house and "live out their lives" there... He said he is not able to do as much as he wants to, and they were so tired of the constant wet and flooding near the national forest land where they were. He has had back and hip problems and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure...diabetic also. So he said it is not fair to burden with his wife with farming, fences and all that. He says he needs to find a place to go fishing...he is not in any dire straits at this point, but said it is time to make a change...
I wish him well... he is still on the one cattle forum I frequent... and I think that there are some other Texas members that will make it a point to keep up with him...maybe close enough to get him to come visit when he needs a "cow fix"...

Thanks for the update.

 

[farmerjan]

Have had a day that has really turned not so great. DS called and said that we are going to lose the place across the road, the nurse cow pasture... because the son's wife doesn't like to walk out where the cow manure is... he's the one that said cows are "evil".... the mother...who inherited it from her father..... said to just put in the cattle guards so the cows weren't up by the house... because when they put up fence they did it so dumb... a yard out front and then the driveway in front of the house where the cows can go through.. then fenced around the back of the house and garden.... but her husband says no he doesn't want the cattle guards... and they don't want to open gates to drive through...
But we can have it through this winter....gave us a year notice more or less.... but no cows there next summer... maybe get it back next late fall after the stupid DIL doesn't come up there anymore...

DS said fine... he has had it with kissing all the owners a$$ all the time... One thing they haven't thought of... they get ag use taxes with us having the cattle there... if we take them out... we will not sign their ag use tax forms each year... DS pays $250 for 13 acres @ ag use rates.. it was nearly $2,000 for normal taxes.... There is over 25 acres at the nurse cow pasture... Their taxes with the house that they redid will cost over $5-6,000 DS said... I pay nearly $900 for my house on 2 acres....the land is not "hayable"...

Always something.... DS said we will get my property fenced this year so I can at least have a nurse cow or 2 here... yeah will have to feed hay... I guess my milk cows will stay on the dairy instead of coming home when they are ready to go dry... just bring the calves home and raise them...deal with it after the winter..

Finally got the call back from the guy with Miss Utility since I could not find any other marks on the ground... I wanted to be positively sure.. So, maybe get the garden plowed tomorrow??? Some showers called for... Only underground lines are right behind the carport from the pole to the back of the house... so no problems with moving the fruit trees either.

DS moved several of the cows we just rechecked preg, out to grass... called to make sure who could go. He is going to move some around but getting them off the lot there so no hay feeding. Got some more to go out. The biggest thing is getting the equipment ready for the hay we have to get cut before 1st weekend in June......I think this is not going to be a good deal. Just say a prayer that we get 4 dry days in a row, around Memorial day weekend time so we can get this hay done.

He just called and took the 4 heifers up to the guy who buys them and took some more cows to the pasture too so I think they are all out of the barn lot... the grass there is good, and there are not the full number there so they will be good. He wants to try to get some more moved this weekend... he said that he can't do anything on Sat until afternoon... guess he has to do something with her... so I said well, one of my farmers wants to test so I am not available Sat aft... so he said we could get these cows with new calves in, work the calves and get them out to grass too....
He also reminded me that we are going to lose the other pasture where the guy is that lost his wife a year ago... he is going to sell it... so DS said we are going to have to cut 25 or so cows this year... Well, we have been cutting some soooo.... but I run 25 at the nurse cow pasture... and 20 at the other place... we can absorb some of them... guess anything that comes up open this year will not get another chance. We are down about 10-12 or so from the first of the year, not counting the 6 we bought that are offset by the 6 we sold last week... and there are a couple more that I want to ship... That red cow I bought has no milk and her calf is crap... the nutty one that was with DS's crazy bi@#h.....there are one or 2 that he says don't walk real good so as soon as the calves are big enough, they will go.... attrition should take care of most of the ones we want to cut back on...
He said that when GF said, well it is their place (about the nurse cow pasture), he said "I said to her, NOW you know why I bought doug's place... to not have to keep putting up with owners and losing places and all that" ... especially over the stupid stuff like the fences they didn't think out and built, and now don't want cattle guards and family that doesn't like cow manure in the driveway and such. GF just doesn't get it...

So that was a downer for the day. Weather was beautiful, hit 81, light breeze, very nice....it will get better....

 

[Mini Horses]

So. Can't the one across the street move some fence? Is the land and access prohibitive for that? Ya know. Just thinking how it could work to keep using and not have the little dear have to step in a plop pile?

At least you can have something at your house. How about the tree farm? Is it fenced? Would they like free mow and fertilizer service for the summer...a couple cows doing it?

 

[Finnie]

Just a note for those of you that remember @greybeard posting on here back awhile... he and his wife have sold the farm and moved further west, closer to family and away from the wetter area he had lived in for 20 or more years. They are going to move into a suburban house and "live out their lives" there... He said he is not able to do as much as he wants to, and they were so tired of the constant wet and flooding near the national forest land where they were. He has had back and hip problems and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure...diabetic also. So he said it is not fair to burden with his wife with farming, fences and all that. He says he needs to find a place to go fishing...he is not in any dire straits at this point, but said it is time to make a change...
I wish him well... he is still on the one cattle forum I frequent... and I think that there are some other Texas members that will make it a point to keep up with him...maybe close enough to get him to come visit when he needs a "cow fix"...

So sad to hear that Greybeard is having health issues. I imagine it will be hard for him to live in the suburbs. I don’t know why he left BYH, but maybe he will start to have time on his hands and come back and visit us again some time. Thank you for the update.

 

[farmerjan]

Part of greybeard's leaving was the ones that are too "involved emotionally with their animals... you have to understand a "crusty old farmer/rancher" that does it for realistic reality reasons and those that are so "in love with" their animals that they don't take any kind of practical advice well. I get people getting emotionally involved with their animals... but I find that I also have less patience for people that don't get practical with the realities of having "food animals" for a purpose... not for the "feel good" type of stuff. I think it is an "age thing".... although my father was so wound up with their dog that it was like a child... along with the bad manners and all...
But anyway... his health problems are slow culmination of hard years and work and all... he is in his mid 70's... and he said it is only fair that after 28 years of his wife doing things "his way" that he make it easier on her...
Bless him for that consideration...

 

[farmerjan]

The DIL for across the road is a "better than you BIT#H"... The son she is married to is a jerk... and kow tows to her... he is a wimp. Both are DR's.... know it all.... their daughter is a snooty little reincarnation of the mother...
NO, the father says, no, not going to move the fence... don't want cattle guards.... they are just being jerks. DS has offered to run fence so they can drive up to the house, not have any cow manure in the driveway or near the house... let them have the whole area up around there for the summer without having to open a gate anywhere... There is more money than brains there.... the mother has inherited several pieces of property... houses all sit empty... spends money like it was going out of style.... has had 2 bouts with cancer... she's nice but ditzy...

Got the red cow and her calf in this morning plus all the bull calves that needed worked... texted DS and he said he was leaving work early so would come by with the trailer and get them. Then the cow that had the holstein calf grafted on her last year came up and got her and 2 of the other momma cows for the bull calves in. I told DS that they needed to get moved with the ones that had fall calves on them, so that the calves can all come off at the same time and he won't have to go there special to get the them out when it is time to sell them. So I have 3 more cows left to get in there... Moved the calves all to the barn and he and I worked them - castrated and shots - so all I need is the other 2 cows and then they can get run out with the ones with calves the same size and all get brought in for weaning and preg checks at the same time. Also got in a heifer calf that needed weaning, her momma is thin... she is pushing 7 months... and have 2 other heifers that need to be gotten in if I can catch them.
But the best thing is the red cow and her calf as they are nearly impossible to find up near the catch pen and get in without a dozen other cows.
What I told DS is that the 1st calf heifers there can all stay with their spring born calves, the bull there can breed them back, and then there won't be so many there either for this summer. And all the calves will be the same age/size. Several of the babies are already coming in the creep gate into the barn for their "daytime siesta" so that is perfect. They will learn to come in for grain, most are already tagged but the bulls are not banded yet... and it will cut the numbers there... and get all the ones out that have the bigger calves that were born right when I had my knees replaced.

DS is going to run the red cow and her calf up into the back lot and the 2 cows that suck on other cows... after I put the weaning flap in their noses... and see if that breaks them... I can watch them there... and put the others out with the fall cows there at the farm for later this summer when we preg check. If either of these 2 comtinue to suck... and one is real bad with it... then they will get sold. In fact we are talking taking the one in 3 weeks ... with her calf.... to the bred cow sale and taking the red cow as a cull cow...

So we got that done, I came home, and there are 2 cows in my yard.... Called DS he said call if I can't get them in. Got the grain bucket, they followed me to the gate and put them in the front lot next door... Called DS and he came up with some hay as they are reaching through this D@#%ED high tensile wire and just pushed their way out. It is the worst stuff ....I HATE IT. If it is not hot then it is useless... and this was not put up to be electrified.... plus the fence is constantly being run through by the deer.... got them back into the field where they were in, pulled the high tensile a little tighter... spaced it a little better... hope they will stay there for awhile....
Then my allergies kicked in full force, pill wore off... so I came in to eat lunch and took pill and going to go back up to pasture and see if I can get those 2 cows in and maybe one or both of the heifers and then they will go to doug's with the others and we will work the 2 cows through the chute and then see.
DS had to go to court for an accident he was "involved in"... not his doing... so will be back in awhile. He is going to finish unloading the trailer finally at his house and then it has to go back to the guy it belongs to... we borrowed it go to north ....Always something to make life interesting...

Left a note for the guy to come do the garden... so hope that is today or tomorrow... Asked DS what tractor I could put the tiller, he got, on to work the garden up next week... he said he will figure something out... I said I hated to bother him about it... he said not a problem... he would see to it that it got done...

Need a drink and think I can go back out and not have the allergies make me want to die... ...