Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

I heard on the Sean Hannity talk show that gas in Calf has gone up to an average 6.26 / gallon... up 16 cents in 2 days. Other places too like Oregon and Wash state. Ours will probably go up too after the stock market took another nose dive today.
D@#N I wish I was wrong when I said about 6-8 months or so ago that we were headed for a real bad time....

Got the samples packed and dropped off, went and got my 2 - 2 gal buckets of milk so I can do some baking. Dropped mail at P.O. . Came home, put all the spider planters on the ground as they are saying winds in the 20-35 mph range tonight. Better they don't go flying off the hanging hooks and chain.

Started a new list since there were only 3 things left that I didn't get to today....Put them at the top but they are not essential.
The one thing I didn't get to that would have been nice was getting the potatoes dug. Oh well, after the rain we are supposed to have temps back into the 70's so ought to be comfortable. They can wait a few more days...

Going in to make some supper, and probably will not do alot more tonight. Lots more I could be doing, but I am running out of steam.
Propane fill up today... up to 3.69/gallon. Sure wish I could put in the big tank... but that is a project for the winter yard cleanup..... move the forsythia and the 2 bushes out of where the garden area is, clean up the spot where the boxwoods were behind the house that is weeds and such and then put the propane tank there...

We have had some rain, not hard, but the wind did pick up. Oh, and I knew the muffler was "loose", well it must've disappeared in all that tall grass/weeds I was driving around in to look for the cow... so I had to run down to the co-op and get the pipe "jury-rigged" and wired up to hold the pipe...turns out there are several holes in the pipe so it was just a matter of time... but one more thing to add to the fixit list. It is louder now... but I will get it fixed before too long... have to get a price... there is a place 15 miles south, and a place 15 miles north so will compare them and get it done...I can drive the forester or the ranger so not the end of the world....

I'm hungry... past time to eat.

 

[farmerjan]

I just accidentally erased a whole paragraph and could not get it back.... So here goes AGAIN....

We had quite a bit of wind and rain in bands during the night. Not pouring but it was blowing and whipping around a bit. Temps have hovered in the 48-50 degrees most all the time. It looks like the spider plants "weathered" the storm okay, all look to be upright so got a good soaking. Perfect. What is left of Tropical Storm Ian is supposed to wrap back around and we will get more rain tonight and tomorrow as it winds down. It is supposed to be light rain today and the wind is supposed to slow a bit too.
Got to go out and check the rain gauge and the chickens to see if they managed okay. They are not out running around so that is a plus....

Had a cup of the mocha/hot choc pkgs that I got. It is decent considering, and added some choc milk for the "cool down" instead of just milk.
Trying to decide if I want to make the custard first, and put it in the oven for an hour, then make stuffing for the chicken and bake it after, which will really warm the house for awhile. Then start the favorite job of vacuuming and cleaning that is WAY OVERDUE....

We are fortunate that this is all we got/are getting from this storm. I feel bad for all the ones that got hit so much worse.

 

[Mike CHS]

If you are looking at the screen when your text disappears, you can hit CTRL Z and it will come back. Doesn't work if you kept typing after it disappeared though. That doesn't do me much good since I'm rarely looking at the screen or keyboard when I type.

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks @Mike CHS . Unfortunately I also do not look at the screen while I am typing, so have already typed more before I notice it is gone... I tried that ctrl Z that you suggested the last time I did it, and it was already gone.

Went out and the 4 chickens seem to be getting along. The Buff leghorn pullet is wilder than anything. Reminds me of a wild turkey or something that explodes out of the woods if you come on it suddenly... like a pheasant that will suddenly fly up ..... The rooster is way too long in the back... much more like a minorca rather than a leghorn. Might not keep them very long. Female has pretty nice color though. The 2 lt brahma pullets are just going along pretty calmly.... They seemed pretty content so I zippered the door shut again and that was it.

Started cleaning up some stuff in the kitchen... took the bread out of the freezer to make the stuffing which I will do in a little bit. Had a box mix of some brownies so that is in the oven. Can't find my recipe for the custard so am going to go on the site of the egg farm I got it off and write it down so I can make it. Made some plain vanilla pudding just to have it. Can't find my recipe box anywhere... probably still packed and I have not looked for it before now.

It is a cold raw wet day out there. Dark and dreary and real chilly. Don't feel like doing a whole lot of anything.... Checked all the spider plants and they all look okay. I know they don't love the colder temps but they will be okay as long as it doesn't get too close to freezing. Probably going to have to think about where they are going to go when I bring them in. I am thinking about putting some heavy plant hangers on the DR windows where the winter sun will come in, and putting a chain across like I have outside, and hanging them all there. Also some hanging brackets on the windows in the corner in the room where the washing machine is too. Could put a few in the kitchen windows where the corner sink is.
Needless to say, I did not get things put together for the yard sale this fall. Maybe I will be able to get through more of the boxes of stuff I brought home from my parents house as well as things here, and have it in the spring... If I can get the upstairs ceilings redone, then maybe I can get more organized here.

We had about an inch of rain so far. One gauge says 8/10ths inch the other was right at 1 inch. It blew so much last night that it is a good approximation.

 

[farmerjan]

Cold wet dreary morning. 52 was the lowest temp and it has gotten to 54. We have a drizzly type rain out there... but as the remnants of the storm swing around from the west to come back over us we are supposed to get more of a light rain later on. It is breezy and just damp.

Ate bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast.

I kicked the propane heater on yesterday in the LR to take the chill off and the oven helped to warm up the house and drive off the damp chill.
I got the chicken stuffed and ate roast chicken and stuffing last night. The brownie mix was an old one and they taste musty? Just an 8x8 pan so will dump them. Got the recipe for the custard so will make that today. That will have the oven on for awhile again.
I sat and watched a couple of dvd movies last night. Then went to bed and read for a bit. Quiet night.
DS is home... talked to him when he was about an hour from home yesterday.... so I assume he made it the rest of the way. So, I don't even have to go do the chickens at his house as I had told him that I fed extra and put extra water etc in the pens on Friday afternoon, so that they would be fine for the wet miserable day Saturday. It is his deal today. I am going up to check on the cow and new calf today when I go out to check on the chickens here.

Got the basket of clothes I brought in and sorta folded the other day, as I took them off the line, so will get them folded "right" today. Probably put another movie in the dvd, for "noise" in the house. Did a few more dishes; things I had unpacked out of a box. Might get ambitious and get the inside of the cabinets painted since it will be warmer in there today. I got the paint and stuff and just got busy outside and did not get to them... Then again, would rather have the windows opened... and it is going to clear off and be in the 70's this week so that might be a better idea... got all the stuff sitting there.... Yeah, don't think I want to smell it today.

Haven't got a single farm set up... but I know they are going to hit me all at once..... All 13 should probably be testing this month... . On top of the corn chopping as soon as the field is dry enough to not make ruts from the rain... this week I am sure... doubt I will make the pasture walk on Wed now... Oh well, it was a "maybe" for me anyway....
Potatoes to be dug are on the top of the "garden" list too...ground ought to be real easy to dig with the rain soaking it then letting it dry a couple days to not be muddy....

Time to get on the custard.

 

[Baymule]

A custard sounds good. I like to make crème brûlée every so often. Full of calories we don’t need, but isn’t it yummy!

 

[farmerjan]

Well, cow and calf have "disappeared " again... and it is cold, wet, and miserable out there so hope she is down in the trees along the gully where I think she came out of the other day. Can't see it from up on the little bit of hill where I can drive along. I am not going walking through all that brush and stuff, to try to find her in this rain. NOT going to take the chance on slipping with these knees... Chickens are quiet... no blood or anything so think they are doing okay. Next will be to put up the electric netting for them to be able to come out of the greenhouse/shelter and stay together over there. Grass is so high but will use the trimmer to cut a decent path. That ought to keep most of the predators out except for the backside of the shelter... and I will just make sure they go in the crates at night. Maybe keeping them together in here will work out better.
Did see a very forlorn, wet, bedraggled hawk yesterday sitting on the clothesline post. He wasn't there long but will be a concern in the future again....after dealing with the one that was getting the meat birds.... hope he just disappears one day...

Custard is done and cooling. Going to warm up some more chicken later. Ate some yogurt a bit ago. Did up all the dishes; making a little progress.
Rearranged the fridge so I can find things on the shelves and cleaned out a few "questionable" things.

Was glad to come back in and not have to be out in this chilly crappy weather... supposedly this is going to mostly all pass through tonight then part clouds and some sun tomorrow???
Not a bit sorry we got the rain, but it is really dreary with it hanging on for 3 days....especially after those nice fall, breezy, sunny, no humidity days we had last week....

Might get the clothes finished folded too !!!

 

[SageHill]

Rearranged the fridge so I can find things on the shelves and cleaned out a few "questionable" things.

HA -- just did similar - but I call them "experiments" DS and DIL are coming for dinner tonight -- just finished part one on potatoes, flank steak is marinating.

 

[Mini Horses]

Chilly, drizzling rain now. Supposedly most of tomorrow the same. Got feeding done earlier as I knew this was coming. Everyone is full and sheltered, including me!

 

[Baymule]

Sunny and beautiful here, wish I could go outside and play. Our winters are rainy, cold (to me) and gray. I just hope I have enough shelter for the sheep and dogs. I'm pretty sure they will be ok.