Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Quitting for the night. Went to co-op and got some washers for some nuts and bolts I needed forever... went to the dumpsters right up the road and emptied the truck. Went to the pasture and did the cow and the calves all came right in. Let the cow back out when she was done. We got a 2 minute quick hard "sprinkle".. sky was 'black" north and east... came home and got another 10 sprinkles...
Got the bottles out of the boxes, into the trays, and the empty boxes in the car ready to go. It is lightly raining now so glad all that is in car and ready to go. Last I had looked this was supposed to stay east of here...Oh well. It has been an unusual pattern... coming from the north... almost directly south... like SSSE... It has skirted us a couple times when it looked like we were going to get more... and now we are getting it and it doesn't look like it is close enough. But it is coming down pretty good right this minute.

Ate some ravioli that was in the freezer, spinach and something in it... It was pretty good with just a little butter.

Got all the plants out of the car and on the lawn and they are getting nicely watered right now. A couple will probably get trashed as there were no leaves on the stems.. just pitiful... but nice hanging pots...

Looks like we will be a little sunny Thursday aft and Friday with more coming in Sat eve... and now the forecast is for RAIN, like real 70% chance of pouring down rain on Sunday... don't know how that is going to affect the concrete pad pouring for Monday.

I am going in to take a shower, set the alarm real LOUD so I don't oversleep and get up to go to work in the morning.

 

[farmerjan]

Thursday eve.
We got 1 whole inch last night !!!!! Like where did it all come from?
It was cloudy today, and then some sun would come out. Then there would be real dark, black threatening looking clouds... but they never settled over us this afternoon. The temps hit 80 in the sunny parts and mid 70's when the clouds were covering it up. Comfortable.
I went to work this morning...was there at 4 to set up the samplers and we got done about 9:30. Right about 500 cows... I came on home and then went and set up at the farm up the road for this afternoon. Came on back., brought all the samples in and got them all packed. Took them with me around 3:30 when I left to go to test, and dropped them off. We started milking at 4:45 and got done about 7:30.... will go back in the morning @ 5:30 and won't get home until after 10-10:30 with doing the computer entries and then getting the meters off the milk lines to bring home. I did not take samples this evening so will have to do that in the morning... I had a real persistent nagging headache this afternoon/eve. Don't know why I am getting so many except I think I am not sleeping in the right position.

Been letting the 2 chickens I got out loose and they are not very adventurous which is good. Locking them up at night in the crate. Still don't have things the way I want for them. But they are very nice and calm and I am glad that I have them. They are Light Brahma's... I think they are supposed to be standard size so they have some growing to do. I think they were TSC chicks originally.

I just ate the rest of the package of the ravioli's since it was easy. I am going in to get a shower and see if I can get some "extra sleep " tonight. The rain kept waking me up last night.... at least I was not late.
Geneva and her boyfriend and sister and her boyfriend and a couple other family members all went on vacation for 4 days to the beach... AND HE PROPOSED...... so she said to me today, I hope you don't have any plans for JULY 1st next year... she was smiling and then I realized what she was referring to... she was totally NOT expecting it yet... figured he would take her out to eat one night and do it that way... family were all in on it... she looks very happy... So... I am really very happy for her, but I will lose my testing help as he lives in Pa and of course they will be living up there because of his family's farm operation and job of contract spreading poultry litter...Bless them both.

Well, the headache is not getting any less, so I am going to quit for the night.

Hope @Baymule is having a great visit with @Ridgetop and her DH ... they are in TX for a wedding I think and to bring stuff to the farm they bought, and visiting... Can't wait to hear of their escapdes... I understand they are going to do a little traveling to a couple of other members on here... but I will let them tell you since I only know of what is "planned"... I want to know what "actually happens".....

 

[Mike CHS]

Hope @Baymule is having a great visit with @Ridgetop and her DH ... they are in TX for a wedding I think and to bring stuff to the farm they bought, and visiting... Can't wait to hear of their escapdes... I understand they are going to do a little traveling to a couple of other members on here... but I will let them tell you since I only know of what is "planned"... I want to know what "actually happens".....

They are actually here at the moment. We have the trailer in position and Cooper is in the chute waiting to get loaded in the morning. I hate to pen him up the night before but if he had seen the trailer backed up to the chute before I brought him in he would not have come in. That is from personal experience, and he is that aware of what is going on around him. I'll let @Baymule add the details but Cooper likes her and she was also the only person other than me and Teresa that Maisy let herself be petted.

 

[farmerjan]

Just a quick note as I am headed to get a shower and hit the sack for another "early morning" ... Have to leave by 4-4:15 the latest to go test in the morning....
Got up and went and tested and all this morning. It was foggy for several hours but finally burnt off and was mostly sunny today. A bit cooler, no humidity... it hit 80 but was not a "hot 80" if that makes sense. Got the meters and came home and unloaded them out of the car. Got the samples packed and went and did some of the other errands in the opposite direction of yesterday...

Actually got alot accomplished. Anything left to do will be done tomorrow on the way home from that herd and I will be done for a couple days. Have made a couple of calls and texts for next weeks testing and will try very hard to get them spread out...
I am not testing next Fri or Sat.... Fri is my birthday... and I have to get together the meat and a few chickens (frozen kind) that @Mini is getting and Sat I will leave early to go to the poultry swap. That is my day OFF for ME.... and our ( @Mini Horses ) visiting....

Got the battery charger on the truck battery that I drove home with all the stuff from NH.... going to back it up to the carport and get the rest of the stuff that has been covered, unloaded... hopefully tomorrow before it rains. SOOO much to go through.... so it needs to be under cover. Supposed to get 1-2 inches between Sat eve and Monday they say. We have had 2.1 inches this week...
Way more rain than we get this time of year unless there is hurricane moisture coming in this direction. And now to get more from that tropical weather that is coming up from Fla direction...

Oh well, can't control the weather... if we could I sure would have sent some of this wet to the drought areas, and I am sure some of the places that have had all the flooding like in KY and just recently in GA would have sent quite a bit of it to TX and the western states and all....

 

[murphysranch]

Its so smoky here in Vancouver WA, I'm shocked. I left Southern Oregon due to drought and constant summer smoke. I guess I brought it with me.

 

[farmerjan]

Sat night. Just got back from supper with Deb. She is out this weekend but since it is already raining, she won't be able to do any mowing and such...

Got the truck started and barely squeaked it into the carport... Backed in so the stuff on the bed will not get any more rain on it til Iget it unloaded. Planned to get to it today, but plans got changed. DS had called and asked if I could go to Lowes and get some rebar ties. They look like the twist ties from bread without the paper. They were working on the rebar and were running out. So, I went right down and got 3 pkgs of 100 for him. Came back, and he and 2 other guys were working on getting the rebar set and stuff. I said that I could come back if he needed help and he said that I could come back and do the ties if I wanted. So, I ran back home, got the truck backed in the carport, and went back down. Spent time getting all the rebar "tied together" at all the joints where they touch to give it more stability and strength. Alot of bending over at the waist. Got that done and they were going to do a little more then quit. The rain was very light and shirts did not get wet with a very light breeze whispering through there. Got it done and they were going to help him a little bit more but it was starting to rain a little bit more also.

I came home, cleaned out the crate for the 2 chickens as it had gotten wet from the rain... took the feed up and did the cow and calves before it got too wet. Came back, got the chickens in for the night and came in, got a shower and washed my hair and then we went out to eat around 6 or so.
Now home, it is raining a little more and the radar looks like we might get some real serious rain later.
I am tired and going to bed in a few minutes. NOT SETTING ANY ALARMS either !!!!!
Already tipped over the planters so they don't get too much water in them . This is great for ALL the plants I got for $1 each the last couple days. It will perk the ones that were "halfway" there still. Nice to look at . The Gerbera Daisies all are putting up more flower stems.

Looks like we might get another 24-36 hours of wet stuff, then clearing off by Tuesday and nice for about a week!!! Ought to be a great day for the Poultry Swap next Saturday. I am sure DS will cut hay as soon as he gets the concrete poured and the rain quits....
I hope to get some vacuuming done tomorrow and get the samples packed from this morning, so they can go out on Monday.

They called and the Explorer AC is done. Will go down to see about it on Monday....

 

[Mini Horses]

Are your chickens laying for you? I believe you said these were light brahmas you were given, good winter layers but, young birds. Maybe not at lay yet.

Hope you get a day to "relax" today .... Which is different for everyone. Sometime it's just not having a schedule for work. I'm cleaning cages and the horse trailer today and not a whole lot more....a lot of bird poop to hose out and off! The auction had a lot of birds and bunnies yesterday. More than usual! Plus a lot of not great goats/sheep. If it needed to be fed, it was being sold, type. Birds sold very well, others way off. Glad I didn't have room for my goats in my trailer. Ya know the feeling!

Some oldsters at auction yesterday were talking about the swap at Glen Allen yesterday . Yeap, one guy sets a booth up there, couple others just go. Walking terrain was a topic for a couple of them who use canes.

Sounds like the concrete pour for DS might have to delay -- rain? Poo...it needs to happen, to cure for use. Hope it can happen

 

[farmerjan]

These 2 Lt Brahma pullets are about 1/2 grown... won't be laying for awhile. But they are looking good and I am being careful with them when out so nothing happens to them. They like to go under a couple of shrubs here so not a problem with any flying hawks or anything. I could use some eggs if you have extras when we meet next Sat.

Neat to hear that there were people at the auction talking about Glen Allen... The weather is looking absolutely great....

Good for you making some money on the poultry purchase. Amazing what the turkeys can/will sell for. But this was exactly the right time of year for them... someone can feed them and wait a bit or just kill now and freeze for holiday dinners. Yeah, hard to kill when they are pets.... and you didn't have them for more than a day or 2.... Turkeys have much more personality than most chickens as a rule anyway... I used to get more attached to the ones I raised.

This time of year, like you said, people are looking to get rid of stuff that will take some feed to get them through... it is a good time to buy if you have some pasture or grass or wanting to start getting together a group for future sale... but you have to be careful this time of year too; many are culling the less thrifty ones and you can wind up with hard keepers ...

Cloudy, had rain during the night and still some out there today. Down to 62 and only up to 70... Looks like more later. Let's hope that it will blow its self out and we can get the concrete done so it can cure and we can chop corn in a couple of weeks.

 

[Mini Horses]

I could use some eggs if you have extras when we meet next Sat.

Thrilled to bring some!! A few dozen.

but you have to be careful this time of year too; many are culling the less thrifty ones and you can wind up with hard keepers ...

Yep. Bought nothing that eats yesterday. Only 2 feed pans for $5. Matches about 6 others and I use them on some goats, on milk stand or to feed shy ones. They're about $15 each otherwise. So my deal of the day. . Almost bought 2 piglets, missed the bid and next group was 5. Uh, no thanks. . Not this week. But eventually.

Watching CL for meat does. Some breeders do well by you with honesty....like selling some bloodlines to keep new, etc, switching gears and goals. I can use a good producing doe for a couple yrs if she's getting beyond their numbers or aging out and they don't want to do the extra handling -- time, facilities, numbers, help, etc. If bred and good lines it would be a win. Like some of those older cows you might buy, you know what to do. One good calf is often worth it. Then there's health and moving buys (like the one I just did). I'm in the scan and buy mode.

I'm cooking a gorgeous chuck roast right now, from last meat I got. You can't even get these nice thick ones anymore in a store! Certainly not as tasty, even skinnied down. I'm spoiled, again, from years back when DH was around and we'd raise our beef.

 

[farmerjan]

Just a short post... we wound up with another .4 inch in the rain gauge. It was misty , cloudy, rainy earlier but did clear off and a little sun this afternoon.

DS called to see if I can go pick up some sort of machine tomorrow for finishing the concrete. (This font size keeps changing on me) Like a floor polisher. So I will do that around 9... he says they are going to start pouring at around 8... 50 yards for the pad and a base for a water trough and some skirting at the barn where there is a bunch of broken off concrete from where the previous owner had put in the barn floors and then didn't keep the fill dirt and all up outside the gates, and it got to be a drop off and then part of it broke. He figured that when he had the concrete trucks there that they could do all the stuff he wanted and use up whatever is left for the "fill in" stuff. That was all news to me today... seems I am not being kept too much in the loop...
GF sister had invited me to the house for a birthday thing for her daughter... DS remembered to ask me today at 11... for lunch at 12:30 .... I wasn't going to but decided to go anyway... that is where I find out things that he neglects to tell me. Sister said she will just call me herself since he can't remember to tell me....
We are supposed to get some real nice and dry weather starting Tuesday for a week... BUT GF wants to go away for a few days to "do something" with her daughter and him on like Thurs through Sun.... so we will see if he stays home and gets some of the farming stuff done... he said something about it to me when he asked if I could go to get that concrete machine tomorrow... and he said, "GF said she understands that we are supposed to have nice weather and if I HAVE to stay home to make hay..... but she will be disappointed" ......... I said nothing to him one way or another...

Then he asked me to go pick up a "rake thing" at a neighbors that is for concrete use, when he and GF were going to move cows.....oh, really......

I'm quitting now so I can get some clothes folded from the other day and the samples packed so they can go out tomorrow .