Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Well, I am about fed up with this computer... hit a shift key and the side of it, and it erased everything I had typed...


So, I went to feed the cow and calves and just got back and am going to try again. I may post in segments so I don't lose everything AGAIN..

Cloudy all day with some light showers . 68 up to 77. I checked a little bit ago and we had a total .2 so far.
The weather mostly stayed to the west, we were on the fringes. That's okay.
It is such a good thing that we got those steers out of WV yesterday as it looks like they got some pretty good rain.
It was a good trip out and back. Met DS at 5:15 a.m. and went out and met his buddy and gf at about 6 or so. Went from there further west and up and down all the windy hilly roads... got to the pasture that "doc's family" owns. There is about 100+/- acres left of about 1100 that his family owned and has been sold off after the father passed away and there was no one to farm it full time. I would love to have been able to buy it and ensconce myself out there as a younger person and just grazed it... they used to have quite a nice beef operation... it would be a good place to hunker down and be independent and secluded and "safe" from the craziness in this world.
Anyway... they had the steers in the small pasture next to the house, and we got all the trucks and trailers in and then they moved the steers into the small lot and into the barn. Visited a little bit. Loaded the 3 trailers (doc's wife Deb has an 18 ft one, Tim's was 20 ft and we had a 24 ft) and then we left about 9-9:30.... stopped and got some fuel, and sandwiches at the subway and headed home. It was part sunny part clouds out there. Temps are about 10 degrees cooler out there. Longer trip home since had to take it easier with the cattle and the hills. Got to doc's around 12:30, got deb's unloaded and then Tim's then ours. Time and gf left and we visited with Deb and doc for a few more minutes, then Deb wanted to wash out her trailer... she has a couple of horses and boards a few there, and keeps the trailer "spotless" .... it sounds like this might be the last year she wants to trailer the cattle in her trailer.... and doc is talking about not doing a partnership thing next year and maybe DS just doing it all himself. Doc is late 70's and has had hip and shoulder replacements and is feeling it all.
Anyway, we left and came by TSC as DS needed some chicken feed and I guess it was about 2 when he dropped me at my car.... He was going to the farm to see about getting some of the litter spread and hopefully drilling some of the rye seed.

 

[farmerjan]

Got up to some wet ground this morning but mostly has been only cloudy.
The steers looked pretty good, but the pastures were eaten down there. They had a lot of rain this year but I think that it was more "washy grass" than real good grazing. Might want to only put 30 out there next year... There are alot of weeds and DS is going to talk to doc about possibly spraying. You lose alot of grazing when the weeds get too thick. That is DS's deal.

I have not talked to him today so don't know, but sure hope he got the rye all in by this afternoon. We are supposed to get more rain tonight by the looks of the radar and it is lightly raining out there right now.

Had a farm text me and now I am testing Thurs - 500 cow herd, thurs night/fri morning at 125 cow herd and 110 cow herd on Sat morning. PT on Wed so will be getting up at 6, 3:30, 4:30 and 3:30... like I said, all or nothing it seems like.

Went last evening and got milk and talked to Lee for a little bit. Had put out tea when I got home so made that up last night also.

DS is making a trip to CT... meeting the friend from northern VT to trade a truck DS brought home from my brother's when he went fishing a month ago... for a hay wrapper that D wants to sell. they did some "dealing" and so DS will get a bale wrapper and get rid of the truck he really didn't need but brother talked him into... it is in decent shape but some salt/rust... but then D is in northern VT so that is a way of life up there anyway. The truck is on the trailer 2 hrs north of here at my jersey farm... one of the bearings was overheating and he was working this deal on the phone on the way home from the fishing trip... so he left it at the dairy, my farmer said no problem at all... this is the farm that is trying to sell out.... they pulled the wheel and the bearing so he could get a new one... he will go put a new bearing on it... and go up to another friend's in CT and they will meet there and do trading....
You know guys and their "deals".....
This is happening on Friday this week...
Then the concrete pad is supposed to be poured on Monday 12th...

DS just texted me and the litter is spread and the seed drilled. Let it rain on it.... there is volunteer wheat coming up anyway.. this is on the wheat ground that he finally just cut and rolled...a month ago.... alot of grain lost... but could be worse. No income from it though so that was bad. This rye might make a cutting late this fall, it grows better in the cool weather... it will go dormant and then re-grow in the spring and ought to make a good spring crop....then he will probably plant it back to orchard grass for hay or maybe corn in this field again. Still alot of johnson grass to try to get killed off if we plant orchard grass.... will deal with it in the spring. The horse people do not want the johnson grass in their hay; and that pays alot of the bills when he sells the OG hay. Corn or Sorghum-sudan would be my guess for another year....

So, I am going to go by and get some of the Kilz that @Baymule has been talking about. To seal off the inside of the lower cabinets and then paint with something that will also seal it more... I am hoping that it will solve the odor thing. The spray stuff seemed to help some. Kilz both seals and primes it she said... I have never used it. Look for a paint to use too... but I do have some here that I used that they suggested that covers good... have to look at the can and see if it will stand up to "traffic" of pots and pans etc... although I am seriously considering some of those pull out trays for the bottoms since I cannot get down on the knees real well.
I did find that a nice thick gardening "kneeling pad" helps alot though... maybe they will toughen up with time. Knee pads are too awkward to wear around much... but the kneeling pad is a pain to remember... might have to get a couple and keep them in strategic spots.

Phone calls to make in the morning.... if it is raining a good day to get some of this done. Hate to make a special trip but I want to start getting some things accomplished here. Oh yeah, got that slide to see about getting a replacement for....

Have to take out the meters and hoses so I have room for all the 12 boxes for Thursday a.m. test, then have to load 12 meters and hoses back in to go set up... might just put them in the forester to take to that farm.. it is only 8+ miles away... that's a smarter idea... DUH . Need to clean out the vehicles anyway... been just putting stuff in them and it is piling up.

 

[farmerjan]

It is raining more now and looks like we will get rain most of the evening/night. As long as it comes down like this it will be great....

 

[Mike CHS]

Jan, If you lose what you have typed and you catch it quick enough, hit CTRL Z and it will bring it back up. That is if you see it happening and it doesn't always work for me since I'm usually looking somewhere other than the monitor while I'm typing.

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks @Mike CHS , I will try it the next time. Anything would be good to try.

Fog and cloudy then some sun today. We got another .7 inch of rain... it rained lightly most of the night. Soft and easy. Then it all of a sudden got some dark clouds and we got a 10 minute shower around 3:30-4 p.m. and the sun is out again.

Got some of the errands done. Got the Kilz to use in the cabinets, and found a gal of Behr paint, that @Baymule said is the best, on the "oops shelf" mis-mixed color that is a tannish/brown color... for $9 as opposed to the $25 or 30 a gallon it costs... so I got it. So we will see how it goes. I went to Sharp Shopper and got some groc and drinks for DS, on my list. Bread is in the freezer since there were several loaves today... I try to stay ahead because there are lots of times there isn't any of the discounted bread... Got some more sole filets they had for a good price too.

Called the lawn mower guy and left a message.

Tomorrow I have PT so will go from there to do a few more things on the list. But I did get some crossed off !!!!!
Will check on my re-ordered glasses tomorrow. They couldn't understand why they hadn't gotten to the store. Called the place that makes them and they were mailed out 2 days after the last order... LOST in TRANSIT somewhere.... she was going to track them but in the meantime, just did a re-order since she said who knows where they might be and tracking them could be a PITA...She says it is unlikely they will show up but she did have one pair show up nearly 3 months later.... If they would give me a real good deal on them I might buy them to have a 2nd pair. Since I have been very patient, and they have been very apologetic, they might cut me a deal...

The sun has come out again... I am going out to put the meters in the forester, and probably have to jump it because I hadn't shut the door tight and the battery was dead... so I will jump it and let it run a bit. Then it will be ready for me to take the meters to the farm Thursday after I get home from testing the big herd.... without having to unload all the boxes of samples first.

Okay, break is over...

 

[farmerjan]

Well, not the battery in the forester. Lights all work, everything... put the battery cables on it and no change... turn key and not even a click. Don't know if there is some sort of fuse that could be just for the starter... probably the starter its self. Tried to call DS and of course he is not answering.
I went down to the farm thinking he might be working and not there... so I unloaded the gatorade I got him and an assortment box of chips and stuff for lunches... to get them out of my car. I need the back of it.
I will unload the meters I need on the back of the 2wd ranger; to take to set up on Thursday when I get home from testing the 500 cow herd. What I don't need will go in the storage chest in the carport so they are out of the car tomorrow. Then I can load the 12 boxes I take there for testing... 2 empty and 10 with bottles. It makes it easier to sort and put bottles into them by numbers if I start out with a few empty... I only need 9 boxes worth of bottles (540) at most. But if they have calved out a bunch of heifers then I am covered.

I will have to see about getting the forester to start. Will ask the mechanic if DS doesn't get back to me... might have to get that put ahead of the 4x4 ranger. If it is the starter, then it can be replaced. Seems strange that I pulled it in and parked it and now it won't even click to start.
Always something.....

Had another 2 minute shower, and we are looking at some more tonight. Sun comes out inbetween. Almost funny. But thankfully we are not getting what they have recently gotten down in Ga and now I hear they are getting flooding in Conn....
Stock market is down again today....

 

[Mini Horses]

Any chance it's still in gear? Like not fully in park? Yes, there's a fuse.....but

 

[farmerjan]

@Mini Horses ... I did the whole, "check in gear thing"... It is an automatic... So, I got it out of park... put it back in... Nope.... Took it out of park and put in neutral as I had a jeep that had a neutral safety switch that screwed up and you had to start it in neutral as it would not start in Park.... Nope... tried rocking it a little to make sure it was in gear and then fully in neutral.... tried everything I knew of. When you turn the key to on, all the dash lights come on and it goes in and out of park and neutral and even into gears, easily. Even got under the hood and tried tapping on the alternator and what I think is the starter... we have a truck that the starter gets hung and if you get under it, tap it with the hammer, it will "unstick" and usually start... that is the truck the new starter is sitting inside the cab, waiting......Thought if I could catch DS he could stop on his way home and just see if I am tapping on the right thing to see if it is hung.... guess if I text him he might call me in the morning..... even tried saying a little "please"........
Thanks for the suggestion though... If it is a fuse, I cannot find which one is bad. Going to look in the glove box tomorrow, get the manual out, and see if I can figure out which one......most of the fuses are marked for the lights, ac, heater, you name it.... but they all look intact to me; no burnt spots or anything. They are the newer ones, not the old round ones... but you can usually see where they are "burnt"....

 

[Mini Horses]

I've tapped some starters, actually had the park/in gear myself once -- why I mentioned that. . Sure its some simple, smack yourself issue. Why now!?!

 

[farmerjan]

DS stopped and did some stuff and finally found a loose wire plug thing that goes into the starter. Showed me it and had me reach in there so I can try that if it does that again. Thank goodness he was in a good mood about that... we got into a few words about the lawn mower...
THIS TOO WILL PASS.......

Got the outback back, cleaned out and the boxes for testing in there except for the 2 I have to empty. Will put those bottles into racks to use tomorrow night. Need to do 2 more racks for Saturday's herd also...

GOT MY GLASSES... they feel just like I have been wearing them forever... fit good and see fine out of them... sometimes new ones need some adjustments... but so far these are just like natural...
Went in the garden center and got a couple of plants on clearance... $1 each... I bought them for the POTS....
Stopped at TSC first and they also had plants on a rack for $1... I bought all of the hanging plants and several smaller nice square pots of gerbera daisies that were in okay shape... 20 in all. that made me look at Wal-mart when I went to get my glasses.
You can't buy nice pots like that for $1.... so I will dump them when the plants die, store in the shed, and then have nice planters to use in the spring. Either start some plants or buy 4 packs of flowers for a couple bucks, get some new soil, and have $20 hanging pots for about $5-6 bucks.

Lowes had some heavier duty storage "totes" on sale ... bought one to see if the meters would fit and for storing the hoses... the cheap ones I have keep cracking... and both the meters fit and they are pretty sturdy so I will go buy a couple more..organize things a little better. Got a load of stuff on the truck to take to the dumpsters. Then go do the cow and calves .... Looking like some more showers later...