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farmerjan
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Been a busy day. 66 up to 83... mostly sun and some clouds mixed which kept it from getting too hot in the sun working that concrete....It was pretty near perfect for doing it though...We were worried that it would rain and we wouldn't be able to do it but it went pretty good. Got that one quick 2 minute shower of big PLOPPY drops.... The third load was a little "dry" and started to set up faster than the first 2 so it was a little bit of a push... there are a few spots that are not quite as smooth as they could be, but overall the floor is amazing...
The total size that got poured is 26x93 feet... he had 30 x100 leveled and all then used the concrete "blocks" as the sides instead of forming it out 30x100, and setting the blocks on top.... and with the number of blocks @ 6 ft long =15 plus a 3 ft one at the end...5 at the end =30 and they are about 2 ft wide, so on each end the blocks "sat inside" to make it 26 ft inside.
48.75 yards total... about 45+ in the concrete pad... about 2 1/2 in the base for the waterer, and the rest at the barn for the apron going into the one side and for the other spot where there was the broken piece and the big hole it made.... Somewhere in the neighborhood of $9,000 dollars of concrete....
. Holy cow.... The only saving grace is the bags are in the neighborhood of $700 now for a 9x150 ft... and we put in 3 last year but normally do 2. With the way the corn looks we would probably have to do 3 again... So if you figure 1500 average a year...plus the bagger cost it's over $2000 a year..... that makes the pad more sensible... it will take about 5 years to pay for the "pit".... but there will not be the mud or the lost silage to rain and spoilage as much, as long as he feeds out a certain amount at a time to keep it fresh... he was thinking to accommodate 2+ bags worth. It will need a cover on top, but it can be rolled back and reused for a few years before the sun degrades the plastic also...
So now it will "cure and harden" for about 2 weeks... The rain on it this evening is fine... it will actually help to smooth it out a smidgen as it sets up they tell me.
So, I went and got the "floater" that is like a floor polisher thing to use on the top of the concrete to smooth it out... pretty interesting to watch the guy run it. DS got 4 guys to come and help today ...not counting the other guy who did the concrete base for the waterer in the "bull lot" field that required excavation for the existing water lines and all..... and they really worked... as that concrete comes out of the chute, you have to spread it and then it is "screed" to make it level and smoothish... thank god DS had an extension that made it so that they did not have to shovel it all....because they could only unload from one side and the chute on the concrete truck is only about 12-15 ft; so it only reached about halfway across; with the rebar and all in there you could not use a wheelbarrow even.... I had to run another errand for DS and even helped one time pulling the concrete as it came out the chute when 2 of the guys were doing the leveling on an earlier piece.... that stuff is "HEAVY" even though it "flows" . They were all tired tonight.
The one guy is a little younger than DS I guess, and he can really work. He ran the floater some of the time, shoveled and "pushed" concrete and him and another guy screed; and then did the last load once it was "dry enough" to start to set up and you can walk on it....he is real good with the floater... when they got done him and DS loaded it on my truck and I will return it in the morning.
I took back the "rake" thing to the friend that I went and picked up last evening while waiting for them to finish floating the final load the truck brought.
Then that was it. I came home and then went out in the garden for a bit. Started on the far end, digging potatoes... filled a "garden basket" that I got at the "clearance aisle" in Wal-mart the other day... it has holes so you can wash off garden produce... since it was half price I figured it would be worth it... got the last 2 they had. So I dug enough potatoes to fill one and picked peppers to fill the other one. I will take the hose to the potatoes tomorrow to wash off most of the dirt. Garden is wet and they are more muddy than I like. I won't get in there for a couple days with testing tomorrow .... Got quite a few more to do but it is a start. That has been on my list... The potatoes are bigger coming towards the house... the soil is better there...I maybe got 1/3 of the way... I imagine it is a half bushel at least... I think I will get 3-4 bushels of potatoes... not bad for the first time here, just sprouted potatoes from the ones I had to eat, and my not doing it as well as I had wanted to do. I maybe got halfway up the pepper row, so might get another full basket. There will be a few smaller ones I am leaving to see if they grow a little more...
It was starting to thunder and lightning so with 2 full baskets, it was time to quit. I went out and put a tarp over the back of the truck to keep the floater dry as it has a gas engine. I came in and it started to sprinkle, then we got a good shower for a few minutes. Radar looked like we might get more but it passed by pretty quickly. That is supposed to be it for a week or so.
I would have liked to have gotten green beans and tomatoes, but the deer did not allow it... next year.... there are butternut squash out there that I am leaving until we get closer to frost since the vines are still green...nothing seems to be bothering them.
Talked to the guy who tilled the garden, the other day, he is the one I told to PLEASE come hunt... told him to pleasssseee get some of them this year... bow season comes in soon...
Got a call back from one of the farmers I texted... he said Tues or Thurs and I said Tues (tomorrow) in case we are in the hay fields, the end of the week.....DS hasn't said anything yet...
After I go to PT in the early morning, and then take the floater back to the rental place, I will stop and see about the explorer... maybe try to pick it up on Wed... and then come home and get ready to go test. I already put the meters and hoses in the car... got to get the bottles ready in the trays.
Guess that is pretty caught up. I'm going to get a shower and set the alarm for 6 to be at PT @ 7:30.... got a busy day tomorrow.
The total size that got poured is 26x93 feet... he had 30 x100 leveled and all then used the concrete "blocks" as the sides instead of forming it out 30x100, and setting the blocks on top.... and with the number of blocks @ 6 ft long =15 plus a 3 ft one at the end...5 at the end =30 and they are about 2 ft wide, so on each end the blocks "sat inside" to make it 26 ft inside.
48.75 yards total... about 45+ in the concrete pad... about 2 1/2 in the base for the waterer, and the rest at the barn for the apron going into the one side and for the other spot where there was the broken piece and the big hole it made.... Somewhere in the neighborhood of $9,000 dollars of concrete....
. Holy cow.... The only saving grace is the bags are in the neighborhood of $700 now for a 9x150 ft... and we put in 3 last year but normally do 2. With the way the corn looks we would probably have to do 3 again... So if you figure 1500 average a year...plus the bagger cost it's over $2000 a year..... that makes the pad more sensible... it will take about 5 years to pay for the "pit".... but there will not be the mud or the lost silage to rain and spoilage as much, as long as he feeds out a certain amount at a time to keep it fresh... he was thinking to accommodate 2+ bags worth. It will need a cover on top, but it can be rolled back and reused for a few years before the sun degrades the plastic also...So now it will "cure and harden" for about 2 weeks... The rain on it this evening is fine... it will actually help to smooth it out a smidgen as it sets up they tell me.
So, I went and got the "floater" that is like a floor polisher thing to use on the top of the concrete to smooth it out... pretty interesting to watch the guy run it. DS got 4 guys to come and help today ...not counting the other guy who did the concrete base for the waterer in the "bull lot" field that required excavation for the existing water lines and all..... and they really worked... as that concrete comes out of the chute, you have to spread it and then it is "screed" to make it level and smoothish... thank god DS had an extension that made it so that they did not have to shovel it all....because they could only unload from one side and the chute on the concrete truck is only about 12-15 ft; so it only reached about halfway across; with the rebar and all in there you could not use a wheelbarrow even.... I had to run another errand for DS and even helped one time pulling the concrete as it came out the chute when 2 of the guys were doing the leveling on an earlier piece.... that stuff is "HEAVY" even though it "flows" . They were all tired tonight.
The one guy is a little younger than DS I guess, and he can really work. He ran the floater some of the time, shoveled and "pushed" concrete and him and another guy screed; and then did the last load once it was "dry enough" to start to set up and you can walk on it....he is real good with the floater... when they got done him and DS loaded it on my truck and I will return it in the morning.
I took back the "rake" thing to the friend that I went and picked up last evening while waiting for them to finish floating the final load the truck brought.
Then that was it. I came home and then went out in the garden for a bit. Started on the far end, digging potatoes... filled a "garden basket" that I got at the "clearance aisle" in Wal-mart the other day... it has holes so you can wash off garden produce... since it was half price I figured it would be worth it... got the last 2 they had. So I dug enough potatoes to fill one and picked peppers to fill the other one. I will take the hose to the potatoes tomorrow to wash off most of the dirt. Garden is wet and they are more muddy than I like. I won't get in there for a couple days with testing tomorrow .... Got quite a few more to do but it is a start. That has been on my list... The potatoes are bigger coming towards the house... the soil is better there...I maybe got 1/3 of the way... I imagine it is a half bushel at least... I think I will get 3-4 bushels of potatoes... not bad for the first time here, just sprouted potatoes from the ones I had to eat, and my not doing it as well as I had wanted to do. I maybe got halfway up the pepper row, so might get another full basket. There will be a few smaller ones I am leaving to see if they grow a little more...
It was starting to thunder and lightning so with 2 full baskets, it was time to quit. I went out and put a tarp over the back of the truck to keep the floater dry as it has a gas engine. I came in and it started to sprinkle, then we got a good shower for a few minutes. Radar looked like we might get more but it passed by pretty quickly. That is supposed to be it for a week or so.
I would have liked to have gotten green beans and tomatoes, but the deer did not allow it... next year.... there are butternut squash out there that I am leaving until we get closer to frost since the vines are still green...nothing seems to be bothering them.
Talked to the guy who tilled the garden, the other day, he is the one I told to PLEASE come hunt... told him to pleasssseee get some of them this year... bow season comes in soon...
Got a call back from one of the farmers I texted... he said Tues or Thurs and I said Tues (tomorrow) in case we are in the hay fields, the end of the week.....DS hasn't said anything yet...
After I go to PT in the early morning, and then take the floater back to the rental place, I will stop and see about the explorer... maybe try to pick it up on Wed... and then come home and get ready to go test. I already put the meters and hoses in the car... got to get the bottles ready in the trays.
Guess that is pretty caught up. I'm going to get a shower and set the alarm for 6 to be at PT @ 7:30.... got a busy day tomorrow.
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happy birthday!!! 
