Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[murphysranch]

I hope your headache dissipates soon.

 

[Ridgetop]

I think you are doing great on cars. We don't trade our cars in if they are running well. We let them die after a lifetime of hard labor before trading them in at all!

 

[Baymule]

I think I fell asleep last night talking to you. Sorry about that, I was pretty tired. Still tired and sore this morning. I’m sure getting my pre surgery therapy! LOL

I don’t remember turning the light off. Alarm went off this morning and I didn’t remember saying goodbye, don’t know if I did or not or just conked out during our conversation. LOL

Daylight! Gotta go feed/water sheep and go to the farm.

 

[farmerjan]

I needed to stop talking anyway. It was late and getting home that late was tiring. Thanks for keeping me awake on the drive home!!!!
Getting bottles packed to ship out and the trays full for today's herd. Meters already in the car ready to go.
It cooled off a bit last night but now temps are supposed to get into the upper 90's and hit 100 this weekend. Going to be hot in the barn this afternoon.... OH well......Gotta get some things ready and get going.

 

[Mini Horses]

We were supposed to be wicked hot yesterday but, the front sent some advance clouds and about a15mph breeze. It was actually pretty nice with lower humidity.

Today started that way, so nice milking. Then I took a 5 hr round trip to look at goats. Only ac on way home. Yes, I bought one!

 

[farmerjan]

@Mini Horses ....Good on the goat buying trip. Saw some pics on the coffee thread... NICE !!!! Sounds like a good contact.....

I am home from testing. Yesterday went okay. Interesting parlor... walk through stanchion. Hard to describe... but it works pretty good and you can let out individual ones and they go right forward... then the upright "stanchion" bars swing back for cows to put head in and then when they lean forward a little, it locks. Like a head catch for beef cattle if anyone has seen one. I am too tired to try to explain.

Today's herd went fine. That is where my cows are and 5 of the 6 are milking and doing good. One of the twin heifer calves died and they think it was clostridium although everything was vaccinated... the other is doing good and moved out with their young heifers. I am not real upset because they try to take good care of their animals and I am sure it was not from neglect. We have been so tied up with this estate stuff and all, I hadn't had time to get things ready for them... He said she was fine where she was and we will work it out down the road. They are some of the nicest people. There were about 220 or so going through the parlor today.
Got home about 9:15 or so. Samples in the house and will get packed before monday... but at least they are not out in the car to get hot in the morning with the sun. Got the other ones packed and dropped off today to get shipped out.

Saw tractor across the road where DS was putting hay bales in rows along the edge of the woods where the corn field is. I texted to see if he needed a ride back to the barn or anything, and what was the status with the hay at the other place. He texted back and said it was raked... he must've done it today to get it turned up since it was so hot; after the little bit of a shower it got yesterday, if it was not soaked, by turning it up he didn't have to tedd it out then have to rake it too... It should be ready to bale tomorrow if the heat keeps up. GF was coming to pick him up...

I am beat and am going to get a shower and go to bed. Just ate a 1/2 egg salad sandwich and have a glass of tea. We drank bottles of water in the barn and they had the fans going so it was tolerable. They gave me 3 almost ripe tomatoes so I can have some tomato sandwiches as I wait for mine to come ripe. There are plenty of them.
Since I don't have to rake hay tomorrow, I think I will try to get the lawn mowed and mow around the garden and get the electric netting up. Then plant some more green beans.... and MAYBE go get some of the mulch hay and get the hills of the winter squash and melons and cukes done.

I got 4 doz ears of Peaches and Cream sweet corn that some ladies had for sale along the road, that needs to go in the freezer... and a few to keep out to indulge in....

Didn't someone on here say they just froze it in the husk as is? I think I am going to try that since I have so much to do tomorrow.

I know there will be more squash to be picking... None of the old broccoli seed came up so I am going to get some of a new package planted. The broccoli plants that the neighbor to DS gave me I don't think are going to put up any broccoli heads... they look weird... I was thinking they might be cabbage instead but they don't look like that either... Not sure what the story is.

Since it is supposed to be so hot I am going to try to do some laundry to hang out. Plus, I never did get the gal of tea put out so the gal jar is filled with water on the counter tonight, and will stick the tea bag in it in the morning. Lots of those little things to do. Got to make sure all my planters with flowers are watered too with this heat. Hang all the spider plants in the tree after soaking them again so I don't run over them while I mow.....

And get on unpacking the truck . It has been loaded for 6 weeks so not like I am needing anything in it.... got to find places to put it all though.....

I'm done for the night.

 

[Mini Horses]

Busy as usual for you.....but with DS getting rake done, you can have a day at home! They're always needed. Even though we work hard at "undone things" it's mind relaxing afterward, as in cross off the list! And my garden needs help, again. I swear it's hard to handle farm jobs and work jobs. Having coffee and need to be out milking. Will get to it shortly. Then need to deliver 5 gal this morn to make room for more. that delivery was put off from yesterday to goat shop. Juggle!

I'm the one posted corn in husks. Cut stalk back past a set of dead outers. Cut silk end back to take off some of the unfilled cob end. Put them into a heavy plastic bag and freeze. Really, they clean up and cook up nice. And very little work prep to freezer.

My new guy is like you and a new bull. . You know I've been saying I'm adding meat goats back into mix. Still prefer the traditional colors but he is purty! Biggest thing is he is meat...putting that into kids. Now, the color will sell to all those who don't know the difference. . I'm looking at a few does, only want 6-8. Will buy slowly and that will increase the income from meat sales. Just like difference between your dairy or beef cows....the work load differences. Income differences. Retirement differences. there's "that" word.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@Mini Horses - I like your plan!

 

[farmerjan]

Hot today; up to 94 and then this afternoon had a pop up thunder/lightning storm. Only got about .1 inch here... I went from doing the cow to get gas in the car and it rained so hard at the gas station, it was running down the road... 2 + miles from house. Crazy.

DS got the hay baled... he did cut about 10 acres of the pasture "bottom" and the nearly 9 acre hay field... I had only checked the hay field when I went over there... said there were 56 or 58 bales total. So pretty good. Got to get on the bush hogging now.....

I got some mowing done and now mower quit again... Not flooded... gas is low so that is hopefully it.... It just might be time for a "new(er)" one....

Picked a bunch of squash again... Got to get some more frozen tomorrow.
Ate 3 ears of the corn I bought (4 doz ears) and it is GOOD. Hope the simple freezing method of @Mini Horses works.... I used to blanche and all but they would be tough when you took them out to cook.

Tired and just going to quit for the night.

 

[farmerjan]

Been in for awhile. It is 92 and sun is hot.
Did cow and got all the calves in and 1 of the 2 needed cows to go to pasture. DS said he wanted to try to take the couple cows with late calves, , from doug's barn, down to the pasture near him. The 2 at the nurse cow field had been with the bull before we moved the couple of loads of c/cf pairs and the bull, out., so could be bred, but they need to go with bull to make sure. I need him to help band the 4 bull calves and hoping I can get the other cow in with her calf, so the 2 can go. Also got one with a runny eye, start of pinkeye I am afraid, so needs a shot and all. The little head catch at the nurse cow barn needs 2 people to get the calves in and to lock the "arm" to hold them in. It does not have an alley or anything to run them in....it works for doing a few things, better than nothing there that is for sure.
There is one other cow there that probably should go, she acts stupid and her calf is high strung.... They will come in for grain... and she could very well be bred back anyway... I was thinking that if I kept them at the nurse cow field, I might get the REAL NICE heifer calf to calm down with her coming in with the 3 on the nurse cow for grain. Plus the longhorn's calf is pretty good about coming in and she will stay there. Too much hassle to move her around due to the horns and having to keep her separate in the trailer.

Got all the corn in the freezer. Unpacked a couple of boxes. Ate a 1/2 egg salad sandwich.... got another bunch of squash to do. Maybe later.

Filled the gas 1/2 full on the mower, and it will only crank... not even a "cough" to try to fire. .

DS texted me earlier this morning, and asked if I had tried it and I texted him back and said I had mowed a bunch and then it stalled and I couldn't get it to start again. He said he would stop and check it....I am not going to hold my breath... He had to go in to work this morning for another tree that came down from the t-storm/lightning/wind/rain we had last evening.

Calling for possible storm again this afternoon... all this humidity makes for some fast pop up storms. All the hay is up...we are done with first cutting finally.... but there is some orchard grass looking good and don't know if DS is going to cut soon and then maybe get a 3rd cutting. But overall, 2nd cutting will be a little while. Got to get the 2 places bush hogged that is in the lease agreements....

Going in to pack the samples. Too hot to do the squash and heat up the kitchen... maybe tonight when it cools off.

See where there is a mouse in the kitchen again....I set the traps and put out a couple of sticky traps too.

I cannot get the mouse smell out of the bottom kitchen cabinets. Part of why I haven't gotten more unpacked.... I am thinking that I may just seriously look at doing new ones now. Didn't want to spend the money... although I want to put in a sensible sink with some size rather than these stupid little corner sinks that are kitty corner...and nothing fits in them... But I am getting to the point that these cabinets might be better being taken out and getting put in someone's garage for storage/parts/equipment.....
Does anyone have any suggestions for getting the smell out???? The house was empty for 8 years, and I got about 15 mice in the first few months in the traps.... I have tried washing them down, inside with bleach water... used something I bought, for getting out smells, that was useless.... As soon as you close the cabinet doors and leave it for a couple days, they smell again. I am thinking that it is just too much into the wood.... I HATE that musty/animal uriney smell.... Maybe I ought to just take them out and get new, put in a new sink like I want too.... I need new countertops anyway due to the formica starting to lift....been looking at the different things available, for them, for awhile. Maybe if I liked the kitchen better, I would be more positive about getting things done in there. I love the butcher block top that I got and put on the one cabinet.... but after talking to people, don't think it is the best thing around the sink and all. I get that... but would like to find something I like for the counter tops. It just might make more sense to replace the whole set.... cabinet/countertops at the same time. I am not putting my pots and pans and other things down in them if they continue to smell....

Sure, I may need to get a new(er) mower, so I am looking at new cabinets too????

One thing, mowers will be going on sale as fall gets here...maybe can find a good bargain....

Going in to pack the samples from Friday afternoon. Up to 94 now.