Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Bruce]

I HATE doing carpentry work of any kind. JUST do not want any part of it.

Installing cabinets isn't carpentry, it is general handyman work so you can do it

If you want to buy new cabinets I'm pretty sure places like Lowes & Home Depot and definitely kitchen/bath 'specialty' shops have free design services. You work with them to decide what you want, they put the list of cabinets together and order them.

 

[Baymule]

You definitely have your priorities straight. Wire and fence posts take precedence over kitchen cabinets! LOL LOL

 

[farmerjan]

Friday morning. Been an interesting 24 hours.

I got the samples packed and dropped off yesterday. Got a can of fuel to put in the tractor, took Hydraulic fluid to add... it has a leak in a line(hose) that he has to replace. Skies went from blue and hot/humid... to a dark cloud passing.... Got the bush hogging done that I needed to do. Only took a little over an hour... DS is going to do one little field that he has to cross a small creek and said for me to not go over there... he can get it stuck if it comes to that. He has to do that, then take this tractor and bush hog over to another pasture that we lease from this same owner... since the thistles just got sprayed, we had to wait for them to die back so the spray was absorbed through the leaves and stems down to the roots. So he will do bush hogging there next week. It is pretty steep and some rock too... I don't normally do any there.

Came back and he was working with the skid loader on the flat area he wants to put the concrete pad for the future bunks for the corn silage. He wants to stop with the bags and the mud and all... put the silage on a pad and pack it and cover with some plastic... but no mud under foot and not having to clean up the plastic and all in the spring. He was going to go up and see about getting the cows/calves down out of the field in a little while. So, I came home and got on the mower. I got alot of the lawn mowed... It actually did pretty good. So, I was working around the big pile of wood chips... have to go forward and back up a couple places. Did it a couple times. Then went to do it again... and the lever that goes into drive/neutral/back was sticking. I thought I got it out, and all of a sudden my foot slipped and it went forward... up the pile and flipped over.
NO, I didn't get hurt..... but it was fast. It came straight over and then went to the side and I just wound up on the ground next to it. Broke the little piece on my glasses that sits on your nose on one side. Now I HAVE to get new glasses....
Found out I could kneel on the one knee on the "softer ground"... hurt but was possible...
Got the mower flipped back over... some oil spilled out so I decided that I needed to let it sit, to check it. DS called right then, and wanted me at the farm to call the cows as he was coming down out of the field with them following... to make sure they came to the barn... So I just got in the car, went up and they were just coming down through the field, and to the gate to the lane that we often run them down to go from the barn, out to pasture up there... so they knew when they heard me calling, that they were coming to the barn for feed... and came right on down the lane. Even the 6 bought heifers and their calves ( the 3-in-ones we bought at that sale that we weren't planning on buying) came right down with ours that know the routine. Great.....
Got them all in the barn, got in a couple other calves there, and then after sorting off the 6 and their calves, and a couple that we put up there that had no calves that were pregnant, then got in the 2 cows with the big calves of mine from out in the back. Did not get in one that I wanted but the calf is smaller... and got in 2 others that we kicked back out because we didn't need them. The bred heifer of mine is still totally insane, so she is still going to the bred cow sale next week....along with a couple of cull cows.

DS couldn't get in one steer out of the other field last night that he wanted to sell. But they were not going to get them all riled up more so left it. So then he put a small roll of hay in the lot and a 1/2 roll in the barn and let the cows and calves in the lot last night. They had water and the hay.
We agreed to meet back there this morning at 4:30... to sort the calves off the cows to load. I got there at 4:15 and everyone was quiet which was great... He got there and we got all of them in the barn... then opened the other side and that crazy steer came in with a couple heifers that were out there, came in for feed.... one other crazy heifer out there, and she ran past him back out, but he got the steer so that was PERFECT. That steer will run you down if he feels trapped in the barn... total nut case.
Sorted the cows out of the calves and kicked them out in the small field with the ones from last night. Put all the steer calves in together. The nut case isn't quite as bad in a group. So we made sure there were no heifers in there by accident, and loaded 17 on the one trailer and 10 on the other trailer and we went to town. Unloaded them and they sorted them into a couple groups. 10 weighed 412 and 10 weighed right at 500, a big charolais steer weighed about 600 and the nutcase weighed 560...( put him separate)... and a red steer and a charolais went together that weighed about 530 and 3 more bigger black steers weighed around 650...... Calves looked good.... 5 are mine... 2 in each group of 10 and the char steer that they put with the red calf... which was okay as they often pair reds and charl calves....
Prices are looking good, let's hope that they do good today. After what the ones brought at the specialty sale a week ago, and what prices were reported this past Monday... I hope the trend continues.
Got back home about 7:30.... will go back to the sale later to watch. I am going to leave early and go see about new glasses.... run a few other errands... while in town. Eat a meal at the stockyard's lunchroom....
I am going to go out and check the oil levels in the mower... add some if needed... maybe try to start it and see if it will run. Can't believe I did that.... since it was running better than I thought, with the way DS had talked, I really want to try to keep it going for a bit. I am going to look at some while I am out today too. And go to the Yanmar dealer to look at their small tractors...

Gas has come down here to 3.63.... diesel went down to 4.99 yesterday here for the on road; at the station. That is still 1.50 / gal more for gas and 2.00/gal more for diesel...than before all this insanity started.... but a break we will take.
Told them that if they could not get the pieces off the explorer, that I needed them to go on and get the whole new system and get it done. I want it ready to go as soon as I get the title from DMV whether they approve the correction or they don't. I want it sold....

Seems like the jobs numbers are good... but I am not impressed. I am still thinking that we are going to see a crash.... HOPE I am wrong... but......
Time to get out and get some things done....

 

[frustratedearthmother]

NO, I didn't get hurt..... but it was fast. It came straight over and then went to the side and I just wound up on the ground next to it. Broke the little piece on my glasses that sits on your nose on one side. Now I HAVE to get new glasses....

That's very scary stuff! Really glad you're ok.

 

[Ridgetop]

@Ridgetop ... thank you for all the instructions... but understand that is all way over my head. I HATE doing carpentry work of any kind. JUST do not want any part of it. SORRY... sounds stupid I guess... but I hate it.

If you were more available,,,, like closer.... I would pay you to do it....

PAY?! What is that? Your kitchen redo sounds more like a road trip with built in fun activities!!! I told DH we were like those people you see standing by the road with signs "WORK FOR FOOD"! Don't tell DH but we will even sleep on inflatable mattresses to help our friends. (I can't let him read this post. Not after the time he fell off the air mattress at Baymule's. Thought it was an earthquake. LOL)

Seriously I love doing this type of work. My favorite part is doing it for next to nothing! With paint you can make everything look original without demolishing anything. Well except your corner sink cabinet. However, even that sink relocation can be accomplished without ripping out those cabinets. You simply remove the counter tops, remove the sink, and repurpose a cabinet (30" wide preferably) on one side of the existing sink cabinet by removing the shelves inside that cabinet. Then move the plumbing just a foot or so over and PRESTO! a new sink in a new location. You want to stay as close to the existing sink as possible since moving plumbing is not that much fun. Then the corner cabinet becomes more storage. Just don't take out ant drawer cabinets since they are expensive to replace and kitchens never have enough drawers anyway.

Any woman that can load and preg check cows , wrangle bulls tedd, rake, and bale hay , garden and can , raise, slaughter and dress out poultry trap and shoot chicken killers , and move house alone with 2 really bad knees , then go through surgery and be back on her feet milk testing CAN DO ANYTHING!

Even survive a serious lawn mower accident that might have killed or put you in the hospital! !!!

There should be some sort of triumphant music here but I don't know how to add it to this post. You are my hero!

First get the acreage fenced in for your calves and everything like that done for your money making business. The inside work can wait for bad weather. Let me know when you are ready to tackle the sink and I will bring my tools!

It took me a lot of time to find appropriate emojis so hopefully they are appreciated! I am exhausted now - gotta have coffee.

 

[Baymule]

She’s not kidding! Driving clear across the country to do kitchen cabinets and move a sink for a BYH friend is right up her alley. If you have a REAL bed for them to sleep in, that’s even better. Her DH rolling out of the air mattress and going WHOMP on the floor was funny. In all fairness, I slept in a small recliner and THOUGHT I was giving them the better accommodations. Hahaha! I felt bad about that, now I insist they take my king size adjustable bed (2 extra long twins) with massage. I sleep in a bunk bed. Visions of them rolling off the top bunk are not pretty! Besides, they’d probably get hurt and I wouldn’t get any work out of them! LOL

 

[Mike CHS]

I was more than amazed at that offer. I try to do all I can for people I care for but that one is about as good as it gets. I'm amazed, impressed and love who you guys are.

 

[farmerjan]

First off.... @Ridgetop ... I am VERY IMPRESSED with all the emoji's.... you make me sound like someone who has their sh!t together.... great for my ego... I guess I will continue to let people think I am something special.... no sense in tarnishing that "aura".... .

Yep, outside is the next - first - thing on the list for here. Fences and getting the fruit trees moved and get some more chickens... The chickens part may very well get accomplished in a month or so when the fall poultry swap happens down near Richmond that @Mini Horses and I meet up at. Going to make a big announcement on here also and see if some of the other Va members want to get together... a "meet and greet" kind of thing for maybe that early afternoon.

Naturally I didn't get as much done as I wanted, before the sale. Did not even fool with the mower... tomorrow will be soon enough.
Went by the P.O. and of course NOTHING from DMV for the title...
.
Talked to the guy there, he is transferring to another P.O. ... can't blame him it is a "step up".... better pay, benefits, you name it... EXCEPT he will be driving 10 miles further. No one to take over the position he has now... SAME OLD SAME OLD... they can't find anyone to work either... signs on the doors and everything....

Supposedly employment is back to "pre-pandemic" levels... double the number of jobs "created" last month than they anticipated... yet how was it that things were so much better then and people were working and we were actually getting a little ahead?????
It is getting to where it is beyond me anymore to understand....and there are an awful lot of young people that don't seem to be working when I am looking.... maybe HALF of the previous workforce just retired....and there aren't enough younger ones to take up the slack????

Ran one errand then DS called and he said that he talked to them at the sale and they were going to start on time which is 2 p.m..... so I said I would just go there then. He was going to come as soon as he could get out of work.... He wound up getting there a few minutes before they started. There were only about 500 head and we both were thinking that might not be a good sign.
But it was as good a day to sell as most we have had in the past.
The lighter pen of 412 lb steers brought 2.04.... pretty DA#@ED GOOD !!!!!! the others brought about 1,85 or so, the charolais and red brought in the low 1.60's.... ... the 3 big steers brought like 1.75 or so...I don't have the sheet in front of me... but they did better than we expected overall... so very satisfied. Some of the guys there are talking that it is going to get cheaper.... we will see. There is a cow sale there next Tues night... 50 head of fall calving cows, like the ones we just pulled our calves off of....and some bred heifers and some cows with calves. All one farm consigned for this special sale. I think DS is going.... I plan to even if he is not.... then I want to take some of mine up to the Bred cow sale the next night.... they get alot of buyers up there and there are also cull cows sold there....it is more of a "regular sale" type of deal for that.....lot more diversity and there are more dairy farms up that way and they get more of the dairy/beef cross cows up there and there is a better market for them... that stupid cow of mine that sucks, is a dairy/beef cross and she shows the holstein (dairy) part. She will do better up there as will that stupid acting heifer...
Plus, going to the sale on Tuesday eve will dictate more of how prices are looking for Wed... I have heard that replacement breds are higher than they have been.....so Tuesday night will be a good test....If they are high we won't be buying anything....but never know, doesn't hurt to go look.

So, I left there and went by Walmart to look at available frames for glasses. They did put a new nose piece on my old ones so at least it is not digging in the side of my nose... they were really busy so I said I would be back to look the first of the week. Did a little looking - got a few groceries... boy have things really crept up.... I have been looking closer and cannot believe how much "staples" in general have gone up. Glad I did a lot of stocking up when I first moved in here and before the knee replacements...
Maybe with the cost of fuel dropping, we might see a little bit of prices coming down... but really I doubt it... just see the gas costing less we put in our tank and people will be dumb enough to think that is some big deal...and not look at the bigger picture and compare to "pre-pandemic" costs.
And the thing I notice is even Walmart does not have full to the brim shelves even now... in any department....
Saw an endcap with canning jars... they were $17 for a dozen qts.... did not even go to look and see if there were other canning supplies in stock... very thankful I have more than I can use....
Tomorrow I am going to check the peaches on the trees next to DS house... the ones here are almost ripe. Going to pick mine this weekend and can some. NOT letting the deer beat me to them... Hope that there will be some there on the other trees too.

I am tired and am going to bed. I do ache a little, tonight, so am going to take a couple tylenol or something. Of course it was hot and muggy and some sun early that changed to clouds. Then it started to rain after 5-6 p.m. and we have gotten a fair amount. Temps hit 90 again before it rained... hope this rain cools it off a bit... but I just looked at the extended forecast... 40-70% chance for the next 7 days... WOW . You don't want to complain about rain but I think we are in pretty good shape and I would be more than glad to share some with some of the less fortunate areas....
I also am going to start moving some round bales as GF is "too busy" to do any right now.... Just "banking" time towards any future "discussions" as to how many head of cattle I have or anything like that... to make sure I do enough to "pay for their upkeep" for the year.... another reason to cut back a little bit too... and "do more than my fair share" of work. It is costing in the neighborhood of $600/ yr to pay for a cow to be on the farm... nearly $2.00 per day... that is getting expensive. Even with the increased return on the calves... selling a 450 lb calf at say 1.90... that is about $850 return... so only $250 or so for a whole "years work".... takes 100 to make 25,000 year... that's not alot of "pay".... I know that DS is looking at how many he needs to make the farm payment at "doug's farm".... not counting all the other things there are.... So, it is better if he has more of the cattle than me at this point... lot of things to take into consideration... and with GF in the picture, better that I slide off into the shadows a bit more...

I'm done and NOT setting an alarm for the morning...

 

[Bruce]

Gas has come down here to 3.63

We are down to $4.39 at some stations. You are lucky!

 

[farmerjan]

Yes, @Bruce we are fortunate that things are finally getting a little bit better....actually saw gas at 3.59 last evening and diesel has come down to 4.89 at one place. BUT is that part of this "tax relief" thing? Is it in anticipation of the up coming elections???? Don't know.

It is cloudy and damp and dreary this morning. To be expected with the forecast. "Heavy thunderstorms" expected this afternoon...
We had .8 inch rain yesterday aft/eve. Everything is pretty wet out there. I took down my big pots of hanging spider plants and laid them over on their side. Seems that a few of the pots do not have any holes or "saucers" for the water overflow and they were a bit waterlogged. I will leave them down and laid over for the next day or 2. All the little hanging pots I planted are looking good... but they had holes that I covered and/or saucers attached for overflow water. Some of the long planters that I have on the deck with the begonias in, do not have holes in the bottoms either and I am going to take a nail and put a couple of small holes in each. I have managed to lay them over and let the excess drain off. Will leave them over for the next day or two while we get this excessive amount of rain, or until I get the holes in them.

Slept til after 7... been goofing off since then. Time to get in and do dishes and maybe move some things around in the kitchen and get this new spray-on odor killer/disinfect done in the cabinets and see if it helps. Probably won't dry very fast due to the humidity and dampness in the air. Hardly ever see it this wet this time of year for this length of time, without a hurricane causing it. The corn is staying green with all this water. But DS isn't getting much done with the area he is cleaning out and leveling for the concrete pad for the future silage bunk.

@Ridgetop .... the thing about the kitchen cabinets. They were custom made and are not in "cabinet sections"... they are all one piece, there are no shelves in the bottom ones... the doors are all different sizes to "fit the space". Once the formica countertops get taken off, and I decide which of the windows I want to look out more, and sink to be facing so it is in there square and flat, not in the V of the corner, there will be some serious cutting since it is not like pulling out a "base unit" for the sink or something like that. It is one continuous piece across the whole front and the corners are built into it... hard to explain but picture a 10 ft long wall with a solid sheet of "plywood" 30 inches high, across the whole length, on the front... then cutting out all the doors and drawers to suit someone's thoughts of "I want this one to be here and be wider and then we can fit a smaller door here, and there's 10 inches here so we will put in another door there and make the drawer to match above it"...I don't think there are 2 doors and drawers above them, that are the same size (width) in the whole thing.
Yes, I do want to keep the sink in the same spot more or less... so no plumbing to change... Just hate that it is stuck right in the V of the corner... literally.
Maybe if I get a smart phone. But, I am just not seeing the way I want it yet in my mind so not going to rush into it. Even though I hate the way it is... Still going through different possibilities in my mind....
Time to get productive I guess.