Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

I used to make lead ropes and tie out ropes with braided baling string. Sold a bunch years ago when things were tight money wise to different people... Back then you could buy a ring, braid it into the end, then add a snap to it and if it got broken, just put a new snap on it. Used to mix the plain colored twine with the green to make them more attractive. Still braid them for different things. Great to make quick halters and lead ropes all in one....
And yep, we tied everything together with them, fixed holes in fences, tie downs across loads on trucks/trailers... tied every gate to a post ... drags for brush or whatever.... you name it, we used it for everything.
As you can see, I still use it for everything. Made the row marker "string" with baling twine... just tie more together til it is long enough.
And I like the green for lead ropes, it just looks nice.

 

[farmerjan]

Monday. We had some showers yesterday, but only .15 inch of rain in the gauge. It stayed mostly cloudy all day too. 68 up to 84.

It was cloudy this morning and we got a small shower. Have not looked to see if it registered in the gauge. I did work out in the garden a little, pulling some weeds down the potato rows and finished weed eating out to the garden. DS hasn't been here to look at the mower yet.
I did the cow and put feed in the barn for the calves but when it is cooler like that they aren't in as much. I did go back up around 2 and most of the feed was gone but there were only 3 calves in there and the rest were out with the cows; just lounging around. So tomorrow I am going to go back up there like around noon to see who is in.
Still have this nagging headache.... and my chiropractor is on vacation this week.

I hope to get out there this afternoon/eve and work around the melons and winter squash plants.

 

[farmerjan]

Went up and did cow and then came home and took the weedeater and did an area around each bunch of squash and melon vining plants this evening. There were 2 deer out in the back yard, near the garden and I made enough noise and chased them off. One was a buck that was sporting a nice set of velvet already.
Sorry S.O.B.'s.....

Weather has shifted and the humidity is gone out of the air. We had sun this afternoon. Supposed to be sun and nice through Friday.... I don't know if he cut any hay this afternoon...

500 cow herd wants to put off testing another week or so. I have 2 that I have to call for this week.

 

[Mike CHS]

We were at 90 degrees today but the humidity was super low so it was nice out. We have had so little rain that I rain the weed eater around the high spots rather than mow.

 

[farmerjan]

Clear crisp NICE 57 to start. Already up to 77 and sun is out. No humidity today. Going to be mid 80's but will be more comfortable without the humidity.
Headed up to the cow, then have a few errands to run. Haven't gone anywhere since last week, and that was with the friends just around to see the cows and crops and stuff. Guess last time anywhere was when I tested last Monday?.
Assuming that DS will be cutting hay today so raking and all will be in the plan the next couple of days. Radar showing 30 % chance on Friday eve....
We have had timely rains so the grass has grown alot. It has been great for the garden. Way too much grass on the lawn that desperately needs mowing. I was looking yesterday and see little tiny squash with flowers real tight so ought to have some flowering in a week or so. Tomatoes are coming along, and there are peppers... several of the "Black Beauty" ones so they are easy to see... dark purple against the green plants. Potatoes are getting some flowers.
Time to get going so I can get home to see if the calves are in around noon.

 

[Ridgetop]

I miss having a garden! Darn ground squirrels! I don't have any geraniums left either, apparently the ground squirrels will eat geraniums - contrary to the online info of plants they don't like. The Rosemary and Society Garlic is still ok though, so I guess that is all I will be planting in the future. I am going to take the scraps and leftover faux grass ("faux" sounds much classier than "fake"! LOL) and cover the narrow planter (that used to have geraniums) then put in fake (sorry "faux) flowers for color. There is a store here that sells nothing but artificial greenery and flowers. They carry a lot of the fake stuff that the movie people use for their sets. I can also get some cheaper stuff at the dollar stores since it will fade. I used to decorate the pool deck (when we had our Doughboy pool and deck) with the hanging fence grain feeders, with pots of artificial flowers. It really looked pretty for parties and BBQs. Then I would store all the flower pots away in a deck box between parties! Lasted for years. No more pool and no more pool deck now, but artificial flower plants in the flower beds might work. Darn ground squirrels!

 

[farmerjan]

Did nurse cow, feed in bunk for calves. Did some errands and came back by the barn and there are about 8 or so calves in there and most are tagged so I shut the gate so they cannot get in and out the creep gate. Will let DS know for after he gets done mowing. Talked to him earlier and I stopped and picked up some parts also when I was out and he said he was going to mow today. Then will just have to get the momma cows in later to match.

Got home, am going to eat some lunch. It is 80 out, sun is hot but it is nice in the shade with no humidity. Got the holiday cactus's all under the table so they don't get scalded from the sun. I need to read up on them but I don't think they should have direct hot sun all day, maybe for a bit. Got to figure out how to kill the poison ivy along the edge of the deck where the lilac bush is.... it is partly shaded there from the lilac and would be a good place to put the cactus plants but I cannot get near it.....and I am afraid of chemicals that could kill the lilac.

 

[farmerjan]

Talked to DS and he said to see if I could get the cows in and matched to the calves. He would be mowing hay and would come get them.
So I went up about 4-4:30 and called cows in. By then some of them were at the pen hollering for their babies and the calves were all just walking around... a few hollered a little, but they were not overly concerned. Got a group of cows in and even had a few more calves go in. They were locked out of the creep gate and couldn't figure out why they could not go in like they were used to. 3 mommas and calves got together right away... several cows did not have calves in there, they just wanted grain. 2 cows were still outside the pen just carrying on... It took me over an hour to get a couple calves out who didn't have mommas in there, got 1 of the 2 cows outside the pen, into the pen. Then there were 2 others in there that the calves were outside and managed to get one calf in. And had 2 in there that did not have calves. All in all there were finally 5 matched pairs in and got everyone else out. The good thing is, no one was riled up or upset much... and the calves that I let back out went to their mommas and started nursing and the cows just stood there and looked at me and no one was upset or anything.

So that is 5 less pairs to work around tomorrow... I will again feed in the bunk for the calves like normal routine, and see what I can get put together.

DS came around 8 to get the 5 pairs, took them to dougs and they will stay in the lot there and the calves will get worked tomorrow. If I get more in then they will also go there and get worked tomorrow. I would have liked to get another 2 pair in that load, but not upsetting anyone will make it easier to work them again tomorrow. Sometimes you just have to do it in stages. 2 of the friendliest calves did not have their mommas there, so they will come right back in tomorrow... Others will follow. And if a few of the cows are a little more shy, less cows will give them a chance to feel less crowded and come in I hope. It is a little bit of a pain but you do what you have to in a rented place... especially if we lose it after this year due to the prima donna DIL stupidity....

After not hearing anything for over 3 weeks, I finally texted my sister who couldn't come help clean out the house since she had to go to FL for the pregnant niece (her daughter)... said I hadn't heard anything and was wondering if she went to FL and if niece had the baby or what the news was.
Seems they were all too busy to tell me that she had to have a c-section due to complications,,, had a 6 lb 2 oz boy, niece then got a uterine infection and wound up back in the hospital, went sepsis , but she is on very strong antibiotics and just came home after a week in there.... and everyone is doing good at this point...

I didn't bother to reply back since they did not even think I was worth the time to tell.... I mean 3 weeks.... really. I have had no real gripes with that niece other than her signing on to the e-mail with her brother and the other niece that sent the original e-mail claiming they were representing "the grandchildren" because my DS refused to sign on to it so they "disclaimed him" as a grandchild... in all the estate BS.... which accused my DS and my brother of removing things from the house with out anyone else knowing.... but they didn't know exactly what had been taken... EXCEPT I was also an accessory because I was also there after they all left after the funeral....

So, that is the sum total of the situation. I am glad that she had the baby and that the problems are seemingly under control now... and that they are doing well... And the other niece is questioning the bills presented by my brother now... and my nephew has refused to agree to their getting paid... now DS is going to contact the lawyer and ask why there needs to be agreement between the beneficiaries since the lawyer is the executor and no where in the will does it say that all parties must be in agreement... and to question why he does not just do as the will states, and pay the bills as it is clearly stated and get the house listed and sold... THEY are NOT CO-EXECUTORS... they are strictly beneficiaries... and this is continuing to cost money with all this BS... DS has about had enough. He wants this done and over with... and he is fast losing all respect for this lawyer as this is just bleeding more money off the estate... Since he and my brother, with some help from me and the others that came and helped... did all the "heavy work"... they have no say so as far as I can see. I re-read the will and in my opinion they are borderline contesting the instructions and the will... it has not been done in the timeline my father set up... and this dragging it out and all is not doing his due diligence as a lawyer to get the estate settled. It is going to get ugly here soon if it does not get settled since there is no provision for 100% agreement between the beneficiaries in the will.

One more level of stress..... and the terminology and hateful statements made by the nephew who has "done nothing and wants nothing"... are really really nasty and not fit for reading... and they are all on paper in an email he sent. If the lawyer had any balls, he would tell them all this is the way it is going to be, there is NOTHING there for them to be able to squabble over...(house is completely empty and everything they did not get has been thrown out); and if they do not like it and they are contesting the way the will is being executed, then they are in contempt of the will and will receive nothing... since they claim they don't want anything....what difference does it make....

No wonder I have headaches all the time.... same for DS.....

I am going to get a shower and hit the bed..... Tomorrow is another day.....

 

[farmerjan]

Up and got the cow in early, fed and back out. The rest of the others were way down in the field along the trees in the shade... looking "oh so stressed and upset"...

So anyway, put the feed in the bunk for the calves. They will come up later on as usual... Need to haul a couple of barrels of water for the 3 calves that go on the nurse cow. They will be getting eartags and bull calves worked... and as soon as I get some more of the others matched up, and out of there, they will get a chance to go out loose. But need to take them some more water since they have drank the water in the tubs from the last couple of rains.

It was a beautifully cool 59 this morning. Sun is out, not humid. Slight possibility of showers, 10%, this afternoon. DS had a dentist appt, he broke a tooth, and said he might take an extra hour or so off and finish mowing at Deb's. I will rake tomorrow I guess.

Had a farm call and wants to test on Friday afternoon. That's fine. I really am thinking retirement, @Mini Horses mentioned that she will be off for like 2 weeks.... and I am thinking that I am ready for not "having to" work. But for now, I will keep on because there just isn't anyone to do it. Don't know if I mentioned it, but they had hired a young lady that was raised on a dairy, looked like she was going to work out good, and I was thinking to be able to retire and give her enough herds to go full time... well after 2 months, seems like she doesn't want to drive an hour to a farm, so is looking for something else and I am going to pick up a registered herd that she said she is not going back to test in July.... It will be about 1 1/2 hours from me... so that idea is out the window....
Registered cows have to be tested by an independent person.. so as to keep the records "fair and honest".... my boss told them that they would have to go on owner sampler because there was no one to do them....and they got very upset... and I get it. That is partly why I keep doing it. For the farmers that have registered cattle, I get that they need to keep their registered cattle official.
I need to call 2 others and get them set up. Since I am going to be up near the owner sampler herd I do also, I am going to see if I can get them all put together for the end of this week.

Hope that DS is going to see about the mower this afternoon....he said that he needed to get it checked out since I got the spark plug. One of the guys that he works with does some small engine stuff on the side and I think that I am just going to get him to do it. If I gotta pay someone, then may as well pay someone I know.

Got a sink full of dishes to do, and then decide what I want to get into today. Nice out, light breeze, 75, at 11 a.m.

 

[Mini Horses]

I recently discovered that a neighbor, maybe 2 yrs moved in, is a trained Kubota mechanic! I've seen the fairly obvious intake of vehicle mechanical work over past year....seemingly a work from home venture. Gonna go talk with him as I do not have a small tractor facility more than 20 miles out. I'd love one just up the street!!

That would be fantastic if he'll be available. Sure could be convenient!

Yeah. This new found time off will be good....maybe a killer in other ways. But I'm not really comfy with quitting with economy blurps going on now. Still able and complaining.

Last year DD was talking "moving"... primarily because of upkeep work in her yard and animal area. That must have changed as she just had a roof put over her deck and added $700 worth of equipment to her yard care stuff. Guess things change.