Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Just a note. DS stopped by on his way home from the barn. Seems that there is water in the gas... he was getting it to crank over and it was spitting it out of the carb and it has water in it.... condensation, who knows. It was gas I got strictly for the mower. Plug is firing good and after getting some of the water out, drained out the bottom, from the hose... it did try to fire... So. he said to let the carb and all dry completely out... draining all the gas out, and will go get new gas.... So maybe not as bad as it seemed.... but why all of a sudden the gas has water in it... I can only guess that it had some condensation... I got a couple jugs back awhile ago, so I would have it...

Got another 10 sprinkles.... then partially clearing. Not what I was hoping for. Maybe tomorrow...????

Picked 2 yellow squash and had for supper.... YAY

 

[murphysranch]

Moving up from Drought area to Washington has been a change of weather for sure. This morning it rained! About an hour of light sprinkles. I wanted to run outside and do a big dance for this wonderful wet stuff. I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune this winter....

 

[Bruce]

but why all of a sudden the gas has water in it... I can only guess that it had some condensation... I got a couple jugs back awhile ago, so I would have it...

Yes, I would guess condensation though I don't seem to have that problem, I buy 15 gallons at a time, the Garden Tractor uses about 1 gallon/hour when blowing snow or mowing.

Maybe the condensation happened when the mower sat since last year? My GT gets used weekly through the year most of the time. I always fill the tank when done blowing or mowing so it is ready for the next time. Shouldn't be any space for condensation in the GT's tank but surely is in the 5 gallon cans when I use some to refill the GT.

 

[farmerjan]

Well, it started out at 69, part sun and clouds, then more sun, and humid up to 92. Radar showed a line coming across but the last 2 days it has dissipated....WOOPS, not today. It turned black and started to rumble some thunder,,, then got blacker, then lightning and it opened up and we got a good soaking. Wind whipping for a little bit but not real bad... couple of good close cracks of thunder and lightning. Stopped for now but shows more coming in later on.

Not sorry we got it.... I had moved the table back over top of the cactus early because after I did the cow, I went to town. Hit Lowe's, Walmart, TSC, Home Depot.... NO wheeled trimmers in any of the stores... I was a little bummed... I am not buying one without looking at it first... So I did get some potting soil for some outside planters, and for some inside potting of the baby spider plants. Went and got $20 worth of new non-ethanol gas for the mower which isn't even 4 gallons now..... Came home and repotted a few plants I have for outside that needed to be put in bigger pots since I don't know where I am going to put them.... put the spreamint into a planter to have near the porch so I can smell it and hopefully contain it somewhat... and then the sky turned black and I decided that I did not need to be out near the lightning.... so came in. I did move the table again... it is a lightweight plastic table that was here, wasn't going to throw it away, so easy to move..... and the cactus and all that were under it to protect them from the sun, all got a good soaking. Don't know how much we had....
I have been trying to find some plant hook extenders... to hang on the branches of the maple so I can hang the spider plants from them as the branch is too big around for those hanging pot hooks... but cannot find any of the metal extender hooks that are very big around either. SO, I decided to use a chain, from one branch to another, and hang the extender hooks and the hanging pots from the chain. Used a couple of quick links on the end of the chain, and just attached it around the branch that way. I only got 10 ft and now want to do another one and hang more on the other side between 2 other branches. They get a little bit of sun, and I lifted them off and put them out on the lawn to get a good rain soaking earlier... but they do get a little bit of water if it is blowing through the branches, and don't get sunburned... ALOT easier to deal with them this way... and I can use the smaller hanging extenders this way too. I bought a bunch last year marked way down when they were getting rid of most of the gardening stuff at Walmart last fall....

Well, the rain has let up and I am going to see about getting some of the small hanging pots ready with soil to get the baby spider plants planted.

This ought to settle the dirt around the broccoli seeds I put in and they ought to come up in a few days if they are going to. If not, then I can just plant the new seeds the first of the week. This ought to make pulling what weeds I need to get out, real easy too.

 

[Mini Horses]

We're getting thunder a clouds....need some rain with this. Humidity feels like 110%

 

[farmerjan]

Done for the night. We wound up getting 9 tenths of an inch (.9).... WOW. Unfortunately DS got called back into work with several trees down from the wind. It must have been a little worse in some areas.

After it stopped, I went out and finished repotting a few last things for outside, some irises I had brought home from my parents house in NH, 2 rose bushes that I got for $1 on sale/closeout awhile ago that I forgot I had in a pail with water... pretty scraggly but they ought to come around with better soil and all now.... also a seedless green grape plant that they had in a 50% off bunch that did have some little green leaves on it. Most were pretty dead looking, and I never would have gotten any of them.... but this one had a small little group of leaves so I got it and got it potted in some decent soil so it ought to come on.

Pulled a bunch of weeds in the iris bed that I have here...came out easily due to the rain... did not go out into the garden. I got the pots out for the small spider plants but did not get them potted yet. Had to go up to the cow and do her, and it was starting to sprinkle again... stopped when I got done but the radar is showing we are going to get some more later on.
Because he got called back into work, DS did not get here to put the mower back together and try it. Tomorrow we have to go test the 500 cow herd, so it won't happen tomorrow either. Will leave here by 3 pm... have to drop off the meters and hoses at the owner sampler farm just a couple miles from the 500 cow herd... they will test Thurs eve/ Fri morning and I will have to make a trip back up to get the samples and all... but at least I will save one trip up there by dropping them off tomorrow. We won't get home until 10 or later... and DS has to be at work on Fri morning at 6; so want to try to get things done as fast as possible, so he can get home to get some sleep. Maybe he will be able to get to it Fri after work...

Forecast is for several afternoons of storms like this. We will see. This rain was perfect for the hay fields that we just got the hay off of last week... and it will be absolutely wonderful for the corn. It has not been hurt much by the drier hotter weather, a couple of spots where it is not as good soil were rolled a little bit this morning, but they sure won't be tomorrow. Sure wish they had gotten the wheat combined though...

Oh well, take it as it comes....Going to make the squash and stuff really come on now....

 

[Mini Horses]

It took a while but it finally dumped on us....heavy. Probably close to an inch. Didn't go out then, 11ish.....now short of 5 and waiting for daylight. Will do chores and head to town -- a job I need to do and it's too wet for much here . I need to get out for a day!! Makes me wonder about full time at home . Guess I could always go "somewhere".

 

[farmerjan]

Thursday morning. Mostly a hazy sun, 69 and already up to 80 at 8:30 so going to be another humid muggy one.

Somehow, the rest of this post got erased and it did not post.

It is now 10:30 pm. Did cow this morning, sample bottles and boxes and meters and hoses all packed and we left at 3 to go to the farm. Stopped by the bank for DS and then dropped him at the 500 cow herd to set up the samplers on the milk line while I ran up the road to drop off the other stuff for the other farm to test their own. They were going to do it thurs eve and fri morning and I will have to go back and pick up the stuff and do his "paperwork " .
Went back to the big farm, and he was set up and they got the cows in and we milked/tested. Got done about 9, I did the computer work, and we were home here by 10... It went pretty good. So, will bring the samples inside in the morning and get packed and drop off when I go to the other farm. Will go up and do cow early as she will be unhappy that she got done so early this aft and had to go more than the 10-12 hours between calf feedings. Oh well, she will survive.

We hit POURING down rain about 20 minutes north of us on the way up to test, and in about 5 miles drove right back out of it. Then coming home it was lightly raining for about 2 miles and drove out of it. Neither looks like it got down to us. In fact, if you didn't know it, you would never think we had any rain yesterday. It all soaked in so good.

I am sticky, dirty and need a shower and everything is going in the dirty clothes basket.

 

[Baymule]

The ethanol in gas attracts water, told to me by someone who works for gasoline companies. Go online and look for ethanol free gas stations, buy your lawn mower gas there. There was a place near Lindale where I used to fill up my car, usually every 3rd tank because it was out of the way.

 

[Mike CHS]

I use a product called Sta-Bil 360 Protection. There are several others out there that advertise as fixing ethanal related issues (including water). I don't know how it works but I've had no issues at all with any of our gas engines tools and mowers even after sitting for long periods. I add it to the vehicles before I fill them up but not every time since my memory is getting older along with the rest of me.