Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Back at the house for a little bit. Went to pasture and there were 6 calves in the barn. 4 no tags. Got one of the momma's in for a calf with a tag. Talked to DS and he said he would come up and tag them so I can match them. I am pretty sure of the 4 cows, just not which calf on which cow... So, he came up and we got them tagged and they are locked in the barn.
I will go up in a bit and see if I can get the nurse cow in, and then see how many of the other cows and/or calves I can get into the catch pen part. I can open up the side the nurse cow is on once she is in the barn feeding her calves; shut a gate so she has to stay in the barn stall part. He did at least tag her 2 bull calves but did not have any white tags with him... my heifers get white tags to distinguish from his heifers when we know them as babies. Otherwise, they all get green tags if we aren't sure of the momma, and then if one is mine and I decide to keep it, it gets a white tag to replace the green tag.
That is the only problem with not getting them tagged as day olds... not being sure who the momma is when there is a group. But still, any numbered tag lets me match them to a momma and then I can write it down. Since we sell most of the heifers, it is only worth it to change the ones I keep to the white tags. If he keeps a heifer, she has a green tag anyway.
There are at least 10 more tagged calves out with the cows that I know who they are matched to. Don't know how many I might be able to get in. Might be able to get the bull in too... he is not a problem but he is going with them to the pasture down there near GF house. I will have only a half a dozen cows at this nurse cow pasture for the rest of the summer. The nurse cow - 801 - was in heat so I am hoping he caught her... if not I will breed her AI once he is gone. Once I get the cows and calves that are leaving out of here, then I will start letting her calves out loose. The longhorn will stay with her calf, and there is another nut case cow of mine that has a looney tunes nut case heifer calf that will stay there, and maybe 4 not fresh yet cows. The nut case cow and calf of mine are most likely both going to get sold. Nice calf, and the cow raised a real nice bull calf last year... but I am tired of her always going in the opposite direction when I am up there doing stuff. Cattle prices being higher than they were, I won't lose any money on her. Tired of so many acting like jerks... and the fewer I have like that, the fewer that DS can bi#@h and complain about "my cows" being stupid. There are 2 that I already matched and he moved that are HIS that are also stupid acting... he was complaining about them to me... tired of hearing it.

Lost my last 2 chickens here at the house. The red one disappeared last Friday, middle of the day. Then yesterday, I lost the white leghorn that laid so good. Both mid-day... just found a pile of feathers. Either a hawk or a fox I think.... So, now I am going to wait for fall and get the other coops on the trailer that DS can't seem to get moved out for me, and get them here at the house and be done with all the stuff he can't find time to do for me, but has so much time for doing stuff for her. Only been asking him to get the stuff out of the way for the trailer to get moved here, for 2 years....
He came by to do the lawn mower, but he left the key on when he was working on it before, and the battery was stone dead. I had no reason to touch it after he took the spark plug out..... So, it is on charge, but it won't get done today. He has to go somewhere with her and the kids this evening, now.
Sometimes I wonder if he just can't think past doing more than one thing... except when he wants something done... Pretty aggravating when I try to do all he wants done when he wants. Different priorities I guess... but gee whiz.....

I am going to go up to the pasture about 6:30 or so and see about who I can get in or not. Of course, if he is so busy with her then I don't know when he plans to get them moved to doug's barn to get worked in the chute..... I will get in what I can get in... Hopefully the 4 that had the "untagged calves" , and whoever else... get at least another trailer load out of there.

 

[farmerjan]

Sun came out and now only a 20% chance of late day showers tomorrow. So hopefully a nice day for the 4th of July. Then 50% on Tues-Wed-Thurs.... Heading for the pasture again. Got 2 more barrels of water for the nurse cow side. Put 6 barrels in the creep gate side. I realized that the calves used to like to come in and drink then go lay in the barn and the troughs in there were empty. The water trough down over the hill that is spring fed is running fine so they drink down there... but the water was an extra when they ate grain, then got a drink, then went back in the barn to lay down and "relax"...

 

[murphysranch]

You are soooo busy. Do you keep a cell phone strapped to your body? So incase of accident, and if you were alert, you could call someone?

 

[farmerjan]

Have a flip phone that stays in my pocket most of the time. But many places there is no cell service.

Got 7 matched cow calf pairs in and the bull... but now he is with GF and kids watching hot air balloons... why have me try to get them in if he has better things to do? He texted me and asked if they had to be moved tonight... I said guess if they get out then oh well. They have water, sun is down, it isn't hot.

Came home to 2 deer in the yard again... near the garden.... I am going to go on an elimination spree..
2 cars were on the road, one going down and another coming up earlier... and a stupid deer was standing in the middle of the road as the one came up over the little hill.... this was about mid afternoon....
glad they both weren't flying like they do on this road most times.

 

[Baymule]

Whatever you do, don’t get one of those HELP IVE FALLEN AND I CANT GET UP things hanging around your neck, with a sensor. Those will even go off if they sense that you fell down, even bending over can simulate a fall.

So an ambulance comes screaming up and Jan is bent over a newborn calf….. LOL

 

[farmerjan]

Whatever you do, don’t get one of those HELP IVE FALLEN AND I CANT GET UP things hanging around your neck, with a sensor. Those will even go off if they sense that you fell down, even bending over can simulate a fall.

So an ambulance comes screaming up and Jan is bent over a newborn calf….. LOL

 

[murphysranch]

Well, I was kinda serious about it, but that was FUNNY!!

My Mother's best friend fell in her bathroom, quite a few years back. When Mother came over to pick her up for Bridge group, she found Lynn. Two days later.

So I think about it periodically. Clearly you're so close to your DS, that he would notice you not responding. My DD would not even think about it....

 

[Mini Horses]

It is a serious thing. Your DD may think more about this than you think. Mine looks for vehicle movement, truck and tractor....even txt/calls for things that aren't necessary to stealthfully check on me every few days.

Being alone, you develop ways of doing that are less problematic. you try to be more careful, IMO. Doesn't always work!! Things have to get done.

 

[farmerjan]

There are days my DS would not notice me being absent ... when he gets so wound up with the GF that he forgets all else... or purposely does not answer his phone or texts....or can't be bothered.

Another nice but getting warm day. 65, up to 85 already at noon.
DS wanted to move the cattle last night at 11 and I went up there and called him back and said NO, they are laying quietly in the pen, it can wait for morning. I was pretty unhappy with the course of events. We agreed to meet early this morning.
I texted him at 6:45 and he sent me one back that he was just getting up. I went up there to make sure the bull had not torn things up... he was getting a little antsy about wanting out but not critical yet. Finally he got there at 7:30... got them moved to doug's barn and worked the calves through the chute. I stayed at the pasture long enough to put the nurse cow in and then went to help him. Then he decided that he needed to move 2 bulls to other pastures since he thought he put a bull at the one and didn't... so they were not getting bred for the last 30 days.... the other pasture he took 1 open cow, who he wasn't supposed to take there, when he took the rest there so we just put a young bull there to catch her and have him out on grass....
We took the 2 bulls and turned them out and that took over an hour or more, due to being pretty much in opposite directions. Then came back to the farm, he was going to go do his chickens and then said he would come by and check the mower....then was going "home" to her house to "do something today with her and her daughter".... guess it is okay to waste another whole day, that you could be catching up with things at the farm that are way overdue to be done.... after you were out half the night with GF and sister and all the kids.... I left and went up and turned the cow out and came home.
So he called a little bit ago to tell me that he had a ram lamb that he caught up to worm and that he sat on the 5 gal bucket of feed and the ram hit him from the back because he wanted in the bucket... said he did not hit him as hard as he could, but he wasn't expecting it and that it really hurt. He had gotten the cows and bull loaded and was on his way down to the other farm and her house. I said,' I guess you aren't going to try the mower????
I mean, it was only an hour ago you said you would stop on your way down'.... well, he forgot... and I just said forget it. ' And since you are not planning to come back up this way today, there is no reason for me to try to get the calves in and match up the last group this afternoon, right???' Needless to say, I am a little aggravated. He has gotten worse and worse about NOT getting things done that need doing, and again, I am below the bottom of the list to do anything for. But this drop everything for her all the time is really getting to me. He could have gotten the radiator in the other truck that he has had for a month now, then gone down there for the rest of the day.... ,I mean, she is not working anymore... got disability finally... yes she has had some health issues that have caused her some difficulties....
I am going to go out and see if the mower will start since he put the spark plug in and it has been on charge from him leaving the key on.... I really wanted to get the lawn mowed.

Kept one of the cows and her calf at the barn. She is limping and can't find a reason. Nothing in her foot, not swollen or sore when pushing on it or anything. Wondering if maybe the bull tried to breed her and hurt her leg or back a little. She can go down with the next group. Keeping her at the barn lot to watch her and see if anything develops, like maybe a cut we didn't find and it swells or something. She is pretty quiet and calm to work with so that is good.
The bull we bought a month+ ago, when we bought those 3-in-1 females, is the one we took to the one pasture that he forgot to put a bull at. He is a nice looking bull and very calm to work around. The other younger one he bought at the small bull sale at the stockyard 2-3 months ago, is the one he took to the other pasture with the one open cow. Won't hurt him to get a little bit of experience and be out on grass. There is more than enough there.

Just ate a hamburger patty for lunch and watered all the violets in the house since the air has been warm and I haven't done much with them for probably a week. Several of them are flowering again. I see a few that need repotting and splitting a couple that have more than one crown in them. Also watered all the plants under the table on the porch and need to go out and water the big hanging pots of spider plants. I may try to do some potting up of the baby spider plants... being under the tree here in the shade. It is getting too hot to be out in the garden or I would take the weed eater out there and work on the area around the winter squash and melon plants.
I might go get the truck that we move the bales with, he said he put the new alternator in it, and go get a small round bale that I said I wanted for the garden... If I wait for him to go get it, we will be expecting frost..... at least it is not in a difficult place....I asked since it got left at this hayfield and never moved... he said he would get it for me and drop it off, the other day... yeah, pigs will fly too At least, if I get it here, as I weed eat the grass, I can put it right down and smother the stuff. Got a bunch of cardboard to lay down and it will hold it in place too. The place I weeded yesterday, down the row to plant the broccoli seeds.... was inbetween 2 rows with cardboard and old hay mulch on top... and the ground was so easy to pull the weeds because it wasn't hard and dry.

Lots of options of "small things to do" .....

 

[Baymule]

Well, I was kinda serious about it, but that was FUNNY!!

My Mother's best friend fell in her bathroom, quite a few years back. When Mother came over to pick her up for Bridge group, she found Lynn. Two days later.

So I think about it periodically. Clearly you're so close to your DS, that he would notice you not responding. My DD would not even think about it....

My son has 35 acres in Houston county. It’s miles down a red dirt road, nobody around and he’s gone on jobs most of the time. If anything happened to me, my bones would be picked clean by buzzards before anybody found me. @Ridgetop has been there, beautiful, can see for miles, but desolate. I’m much better off where I’m buying!