Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

Scary with tractor incident! That could have been way, way bad. Glad all you "lost" was time...not equipment.

Good deal with free hens. Probably will give you enough eggs for next few weeks or more . I see some of my older gals starting with molt. I really need to scale back the aged. Would-be a good time to get a few POL pullets....then there's the cull process to make room and way too hot for that right now! hate that part even with good weather. Some are too old for more than broth and dog food

They were tedding hay across the street yesterday. Guess I'll ask prices. I'm buying within next 30 days....squares and some rolls this year. Usually no rolls but this year yes. Price and feed chores to consider.

 

[Baymule]

I’m glad the tractor didn’t come all the way off the trailer! What a headache to have to deal with.

The road to my farm has “ tree tunnels” and son really got a good look at them when he brought his tractor here to unload round bales. I asked one of his cousins about hay and he sold me 10 bales. It’s decent hay, not great, but ok. Anyway, the tractor barely cleared the tree branches and he said no way his RV will make it to the farm. It’s not like there’s one or two that can be cut, it’s one after another, after another…… No use calling the county to trim them, it isn’t a high priority until a tree falls blocking the road. And even then, most of the time somebody with a chain saw is already on it. LOL He’s thinking moving those two 40’ shipping containers to his land in Houston county, actually not too far from here, maybe 30 miles, and put in a power pole, drill a well, putting a high roof over the containers and parking his RV there. It sure isn’t going to make it down the road here.

 

[farmerjan]

Oh @Baymule that is awful that the trailer won't be able to come to the farm. It seems the tree trimming that used to get done regularly and all just doesn't make the "list" for the crews to do... until something comes down like you said. Even my DS has said that they have so much and not enough help or money so things get prioritized... and with all our ash trees dying from that emerald ash borer, they are constantly working on trying to get some of them down BEFORE they fall on the road or a vehicle or something... but every storm we have had, there is usually at least one or 2 trees that are coming down across a road and all....

Didn't know your DS had another piece of property.... maybe that will work, but then it will be very inconvenient for you for storage... just because if it isn't "right there" , anything you want is always at the "other place"....isn't that further away than the the place with the house you just moved out of????
I know that you guys have moved them yourselves... but if you had someone move them, then it is their responsibility to worry about the trees and the local TXDOT to worry about it. And maybe it is not worth the cost... I don't have any magic solutions....

Yeah, a real relief that there was not a disaster with the tractor on the trailer last night. Thing of this is, there was NO WAY to get around it either... it is an old railroad bed that is the road out to the back fields... drops down the sides at least 5-10 feet with trees and brush all along it.... it is a great road... the rr line was abandoned years and years ago..... but like everything else, it was not kept as open as it needs to be while doug was alive, and DS never takes the time to do stuff like that because he always has more important things.... he used to do more things like this when he spent time at the farm doing necessary things... but with her, he is always having to "go home" and things just aren't getting done even that really are necessary... he constantly is "quitting" when there are 2-3 more hours of daylight to get work done and caught up. Okay... have a life but this is supposed to be your "future for retirement".... it needs tending to.... It actually makes me sick that he kowtows to her so much.

So, my morning has gotten totally changed around already. Farmer texted me and his son wants to keep 2 of the chickens that came with the coop.... I said I was not going to make a trip for just one and they think it is a rooster.... let them deal with it.
Then he said he wants to test... he is one of the 2 farms I needed to call... so now have picked tomorrow, Tuesday, to test. I will go test and see what the deal with the chicken is while I am there.
Didn't hear anything from the other guy about the hens he was supposed to get from that friend of his. He has my number so can call me... not chasing after him either.
So, I will NOT be "going out" today... and I will just leave early tomorrow for testing, go by about the glasses and see if they are in yet.... getting a little P.O.ed about it....and make a few other stops on the way..... I should be done with any/all hay raking today anyway.... there is a good chance of showers tomorrow afternoon, like 60% now. So any baling he does had better be done this afternoon.
I can't go rake for a little bit yet as there is a fair amount of dew on the grass. Needs some sun to dry it off... figured I would go up around 10.

Gotta make some breakfast, not a bit of cereal in the house. Gotta take some bread out of the freezer too, used up the last yesterday.... The yogurt I ate is just not cutting it this morning.... . Well, I will go figure out something to eat so that I can go out and see about trying to get the walk behind trimmer out of the box and put together this morning.

On top of all that, there is a farm about 10 miles or so away, that is milking and bottling their own milk... that now wants to start testing.... he started up a couple of years ago... does like the cow/herd share stuff... not sure of all the details, but he called the farmer that I get my milk from (with the couple cows that I pick up the samples when I go to another farm)... and he gave him my number.... ..... NOOOOO I want to slow down, not get more farms...... REALLY......

Got to find something else to eat, stomach is protesting... don't want to cook this morning....
IT'S MONDAY

 

[Baymule]

Just as you want to slack off, you win the popularity contest! Hahaha! At this rate, you will never retire. When you die, they will send your body to be preserved so they can prop you in a corner and keep you working! My question is, who gets your paycheck?

 

[Baymule]

Son has 35 acres in Houston county. He wanted me to build a home there, but there is no one for miles. He took @Ridgetop and her husband to see it. Beautiful property with a hill that has a gorgeous view, but rather desolate and lonely. Then him being gone for months……. If something happened to me, he’d come home to my bones picked clean by buzzards. If he already lived there, yeah, I’d be all over it. But he doesn’t.

I prayed for God to put me in the right place and He did.

 

[Ridgetop]

Pretty as that Houston County property is, getting ready with a house and everything would have taken so long and like you said, with no neighbors around it would be dangerous for you to be there alone. You have the right place for you.

 

[farmerjan]

@Baymule , I had forgotten about that place. Yeah, if it is that secluded, and no house or anything, you are in the better place for you. Sounds like the type place I would like to be. But I am getting more of a hermit attitude lately. Would be nice to have a partner of some sort... but I am not liking the road traffic here. Too much noise and too many people/neighbors.
And with things not going along so terrible well with DS and GF, I think that there might be a better place/situation for me. Would be nice to find someone younger starting out, or a young couple wanting to "homestead" ... that would appreciate an "adopted" elder on the fringes....or even someone "older" (younger than me) that needs a start over place... especially a man that has some of the strength and skills that I don't .....
OH WELL.....

Went and raked some of the hay. Told DS that the other piece needed tedding. He said I could go get the truck and go get the tedder or he would get it after work. I opted for him to go get it. I went back to the hayfield at 3 and he got there with the tedder a few minutes after... unhooked the rake, hooked up the tedder. I spent about 45 min tedding it out. It had dried quite a bit as the sun was HOT today. He was going to get the tractor and sq baler and I said I would be back around 5-5:30 to rake it as I thought it would probably be about dry. They are calling for rain on Tuesday to come in by 1 p.m. .. He gets off work at 2:30. Sun in the morning but 60% chance of rain after noon time.
I had unhooked the tedder and hooked up the rake for later. Went back at 5:30 and raked it. There were a few green spots down under the tree line along one side where it always takes longer to dry. But for the most part it was pretty good.

He sq baled most of the good orchard grass but it was short... then had to get the fuel filter in the other tractor changed; which I ran to the local parts store to pick up for him; as it is the only one that he can run the net wrap baler with and the tractor has been missing terrible and when he changed it there was all sorts of water in the filter. Got the tractor started finally... I went and did the cow and calves at the nurse cow field...unloaded the loose hay I had on the truck, also, from off the wagon he had told me to go get, into the barn feed bunk for the calves; then went back. He took the tractor and square baler back to deb's where he has been parking it in the covered arena that isn't used since she no longer has a horse there... her husband was the one who was the more serious rider.... and then went back with him and got the tractor with the round baler back to the barn, and then took his truck and got the wagon with the sq bales and took it to his barn and I helped guide him as he backed it in... it is pitch dark at this point and I had the car on the road with the flashers on so no one ran into the truck and wagon as he backed it in off the road...
I had picked up 2 sq bales that had fallen off the wagon out in the field and was going to leave them at the barn for when he had some cows in there... he usually keeps a couple near the head catch... and he got all pissy with me and asked what I was doing, and I told him... and he said I am not putting $9.00 sq bales in there for the cows....OOOKKKAAAYYYY.... pardon me for living....

So after we got the wagon in the barn he made the "exasperated" comment that he was supposed to be home to help GF daughter with her math homework at 8:30 and it was already 8:40 and he was just leaving... and I said, well, this needed doing and since this is what helps to pay all the bills.... and he got mad.....
So that tells me where his priorities are anymore. It just clinched it for me. GF knew we were going to try to get this hay in this evening. I get it that it is her daughter and certain things need to take priority with her... she was not anywhere around today.... she gets to go help deliver hay, and do the visiting thing that I used to go with him for; and take rides and get to do all the "good parts" but then she expects him to be there to do things like the math homework when he HAS to get this done or it will get ruined????
He only needs me when it doesn't suit her.... some things will be different from now on, for me. Especially after the comment about the $9 bales of hay when I only had 2 bales that I was going to stick in the barn in case he needed some at last minute to feed someone in the barn....
There were a couple spots he went around out there at the field that were near rocks...I raked away from the rocks to not tear up the sq baler... I will take the pitchfork and pick some of it up and load in the truck in the morning, for the calves at the nurse cow barn and he will never know the difference. Might only be 1 or 2 bales worth if that... I have to leave by noon or so to go to work and test... bottles will be in the rack tonight before I go to bed.

It was really hot and got muggy this afternoon. Great for the hay drying though.

Other than that there isn't much else going on. He was going to go look at some cow/calf pairs for sale... I had thought maybe to add a couple to my "herd".... not going to now. Leave my numbers where they are, and maybe sell down a few more.... or might wait for things to shake out with this economy and sell more next year if lower cow numbers dictates an increase in prices.

The volatile stock market is going to control some of what the prices do also. It dropped again today but nothing like the 1,000+ pt drop last Friday.... it will bounce some more but does anyone notice that it drops off bounces up a little, drops again... and it is steadily working it's way DOWN..... NOT GOOD.....

Talked to the friend who was going to get the boards for my ceilings 2 years ago... and asked what the deal was... if he doesn't do something pretty soon, I am just going to see about getting the ceilings down and then insulate and sheetrock ... I want to get things going here. Tired of living in limbo.....

Speaking of which, STILL NO answer from the DMV on the explorer title.... .

I did tell DS the other day, I would be interested in my father's truck... that although I do not like the short bed, it would be better for me than the explorer....and it is a '99 so less "crap" on it than the explorer also.... he was a little surprised but said oh, okay.... so we'll see.... I want to go by and see if they got the explorer AC done yet.... I may as well drive it some while I am paying ins and all on it even while waiting on the stupid title.... since it has to be licensed and insured while a loan against it. Want to get it cleaned out and detailed and ready to go...... ASAP......

Time to quit for the night.

 

[Mini Horses]

But I am getting more of a hermit attitude lately. Would be nice to have a partner of some sort... but

It's actually wanting to escape from "what's happening"....and what you'd like to be doing,like before. As to manpower, there's the part time hired hand route. . You've got more options with a knowledgeable person in your area, with your contacts, than I have here.

There's no denying we both have the younger mind, older body limitations. Takes a little longer for chores, we like a touch slower mode, still have grand plans. muscle is what we most need and find in short supply, plus time for everything.

Have you considered leasing just a few acres for your own cows? Does Debs place have something you could use/lease? Sounds like it's close, unused and on the smaller side...fenced and maybe a barn of some type already there. Of course you and DS have some "together" equipment you could use. Not saying dissolve the things you've got but, have an alternate and obvious show of BOTH of us can isolate if need be. The dairy cows could then be off his radar, also.

GF having own house, he's not living on his farm, it's a different situation for him also. He obviously wants a family -- as in wife and kids. A lot of territory to cover. GF wants him to make her #1 and sees you as competition, not a business partner. A can of worms.

 

[Baymule]

I agree with @Mini Horses that makes a whole lot of sense.

As far as being a hermit, I want quiet and not to be crowded, but a few neighbors is a nice thing. There are only 2 places between me and the paved farm road for 2 miles. Haven’t really gone to the dead end, but I think there may be 3-4 places past me, and that’s just enough.

 

[Mini Horses]

Haven’t really gone to the dead end, but I think there may be 3-4 places past me, and that’s just enough.

I feel pretty sure you'll make this trip pretty soon. always nice to know whats there and happening. Could be more homesteaders.