Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Ridgetop]

Rain in Yantis last week. Hopefully breaking the drought. Rain promised for Wednesday and Thursday here. Believe THAT when I see (and feel) it!

 

[Baymule]

It rained all day Friday. Yesterday my sister observed in shocked tones, that my new car was dirty! (Ya’ think?) I told her I live down a dirt/gravel road. Yep, it’s dirty. Dusty when dry, muddy when wet. Muddy where I park, with puddles. I backed into the driveway so the girls could walk around the worst of the mud and puddles, to get in the car. Thanks kids, car inside is icky too. A couple of belly dumps of road base are in my future.

 

[farmerjan]

Monday night. Lost the internet yesterday. It just stopped working in early afternoon and could not get any service/server here at house. I thought the computer had just given up. I have another one here that is the same as the one that the screen has gone bad, to use as a backup... but nothing.
So this morning when the service light was red, I called. Seems that they did some updating and it caused a whole lot of problems with a whole bunch of accounts. They thought it had been fixed, got a call, did the reboot and all, and nothing. Finally late this afternoon, they called and came to the house and replaced both the boxes I had here and now I have internet again. Need it for work so it was making me antsy.... plus no weather, no access to BYH, no NOTHING......
It rained/misted/sprinkled off and on all day. Got a couple of showers but don't think we will wind up with much more than a couple tenths when it is all said and done. Supposed to clear out over night. Temp actually has gone up a little... 55 now.....

Now for the MIRACLE of the DAY.... when I went out to put the chickens in the crate, the BUFF HEN was IN the shelter. She got real nervous when I went in, but I moved slow and when the rooster ran into the crate, she followed him right in so I shut those 2 in together and then put the 2 lt brahma pullets in the other crate. I had been shutting the 3 in together... BUT I was not about to upset her by trying to get the 2 other ones in the same crate. Got 2 crates...so gonna use them....
HOLY MOLEY.... NEVER expected that yet.... so in the morning I will go out and put out feed and I just took water out yesterday, so I will let them out after I let the 2 brahma pullets out, and just leave the flaps open like it was today... maybe she will like coming in to eat and then will feel safer in there with the rooster..... I thought it would be after it started getting cold and nothing much out there to eat....
So it has been a PITA day waiting around for the internet people to get this fixed. OH well, it is working, this computer is more or less working, and the other one is set up for the new internet boxes with the password and all. Got to get the work program loaded on it. Then I will at least be able to use it for work. I am still going to see about a new one with the latest in spyware and all that type of protection; as windows 7 does not qualify for more updates and I do much of my banking and paying bills and CC's etc., on line. That will be something I can leave at home, on the desk and keep it clean and not smelling like cowsh!t and iodine from the barns. I worry more and more about the safety of things with online access. I do like the 17" big square flat screen monitor that I have, so going to see if it will plug into a new one and then mostly use it.

So that's my day.

Happy HALLOWEEN to everyone !!!!

 

[Baymule]

Be sure to transfer what you use for work to the new one so if the old one goes up on smoke, you already have work covered.

Congratulations on the buff hen coming in the crate! Awesome, so glad she decided that was a good thing. Feed usually wins out over anything else with animals.

I couldn’t call out or receive calls yesterday. Chemtrail planes streaked the sky yesterday morning, then it got overcast and phone calls were a pipe dream. But at least I had internet and could text. FD called this morning and it dropped her call, but only once.

 

[farmerjan]

@Baymule I am in the process of getting things into the "new" used computer that is identical to this one with all the grinding noises.... Tomorrow I will call down to our computer center and get the testing program installed... I have an upgrade jump drive that just came from them and am not sure if the original program has to be installed or if I can just use this to put it all on the computer. So will call the experts down there and see. The new one is working pretty good now that I got my firefox to load on it and it is going online just fine also.
It is also much faster without some of the junk that this old one has on it. The noises it makes would make you think of grinding gears or something along those lines...

Got up this morning and it was very damp out there. We had a heavy mist/dew/fog overnight after the rainy stuff moved out. Wound up with 1/4 inch (.25) total in the rain gauge. It was a good one and soaked completely in. The sun came out and it started to dry off.

I went out and let the brahma's out of the crate then the buffs. They both went and ate a little out of the feeders and I walked away to not upset her. They came out of the shelter a little while later as there were no chickens in there when I checked them.
Unfortunately, this evening I had our cattleman's annual dinner to go to at 6 so too early for them to be in and when I got home at 9:30 and went out there were the usual 3 in there and not the hen. So, I locked the 3 in as usual and will let them out tomorrow as usual. I have to test tomorrow aft and it will be after dark when I get home so whoever is in is who will get locked in. But at least she knows where there is feed and water, so might get more comfortable about staying in after some time. And if I ever get the smaller coop together and all, and get her in the crate, she will go with the rooster in the chicken coop and that will be done. She will hate it and I will have to be vigilant to keep her in, but if I am going to get any purebred chicks out of the pair, she is going to have to be contained.

Dinner was good. Had a good vet there that runs cattle with his family, and the talk was about the way to get more for the stocker cattle through proper vacs and weaning and conditioning... which I have told my DS he is better at than the cow/calf pairs....

Tomorrow morning GF sister - J - is going to get the explorer... I took it today and ran it through the car wash and was going to use the vacuum but it wasn't working right. Then I saw J this evening and she said she was sorry and that she was really tied up with the kids a few days with the little boy feeling sick.... then getting ready for Halloween and she has started her own house cleaning service and it is all of a sudden getting busy... She and her mom did 2 houses in a resort area... and made $500 for the 2 houses... WOW... so I get it. But she said she was off tomorrow, and if I could bring the explorer, she would give me a ride home and she would get it cleaned and pictures and get it on some social media sites as this is the time to get it sold.
So, we will see tomorrow... I had pulled the vacuum out to work on it tomorrow before I went to work....
Therefore, tomorrow morning the explorer should go to get ready for selling, then I do a small farm, then Thursday morning I do the 500+ cow herd with Geneva... I mentioned it to DS this evening, and he said, he forgot to call me about it... fact is, I was not going to wait on him to get back to me, after asking him about it over the weekend, because he just doesn't think about it, or remember, or care enough, to give me the consideration of giving me an answer in a "timely" manner, anymore. So that is why I contacted her and she said Thursday a.m. would work... so I said okay.... and now I am scheduled for Thursday morning. Talked to the farm and it is set. I got my PT appt rescheduled for 11:40 ; I should be out of the farm by 10 or so ; I should be able to make it without a problem and then come home and pack all the samples from both farms.

So that is the plans for the next couple of days. Of course, we all know about making plans.....

 

[Baymule]

If I was closer to you, I’d put that coop together for you. I’m good at things that come in pieces with obscure directions. I worked at a discount furniture store where everything came in a box. I was a sales person but I got better at the thousand pieces of what-the-heck-is-this than the warehouse guys. LOL

I hope J can get the explorer sold ASAP!

 

[farmerjan]

Thursday eve. Been 2 interesting days. Today was nice out, very foggy until about 10 then sun and warmer... hit 71 and no real breeze even.
Wed; J called and said she would come by after dropping her daughter at school (she goes to a "private" Christian school which is real good for learning and not for BS crap). So around 9 she comes by and I drive to her house and we went over all the papers from parents and she kept saying how it was like new inside. So, to take me home, I said you drive it and if there are any other questions, then you can ask.
We get to my house and I was telling her about the cabinets and what would she suggest to get the stink out... and she said that if I wanted, she would be glad to try some stuff to clean them. So, I am going to get some boxes, box up all the stuff I had been taking out and washing up... and get it to where she can get into them. So, the phone rings... it is DS there are some cows at one pasture on the guys lawn... so she said I'll help if you want so we took a ride over there... Couldn't get to the yard from the pasture side as there is a good sized tree across the one "pathway" that you can usually drive through. So went down, up the drive to the house... it is very fancy, he has lots of money and VERY ANAL about his lawn and all that... turns out there were only 2 in the yard... AND he had gone through the gate and left it open, they weren't around then, ..... so this was on him. I took a bucket and they followed me right in and J kept the others from coming back out as I put down feed for them all... Left there and headed back to my house ; AND going by DS house... there are 4 sheep out in the grass on the next door neighbors yard.
So, down the driveway... and they came right to the car and they just went back in the yard with a little "shoo-ing" and I closed and tied the gate across the driveway...
FINALLY got back to the house... texted DS and he said he had just fixed a couple spots in the fence the afternoon before, after they had been out.... Not my problem... they are locked in the yard again....
By now it is after noon... J left to go home in the explorer... I got on the computer with the computer support for work and we got the program and update installed. Then I had to leave to get to work.
Got set up, we milked , everything went pretty good... owner came up with the check and then we got talking about other farm stuff. Meters were finally run through the system.... and I loaded everything while the owner and the guy who manages the farm, standing there talking....REALLY ????
I got home at 8, unloaded the meters and hoses and loaded the boxes of bottles that we were going to need at the herd this morning.
Then I couldn't sleep very good... mostly because I think I was "afraid" I wouldn't hear the alarm....Got up at 3 this morning. Got to farm, Geneva had just gotten there... we got the samplers on the line and they started milking and at 9:30 we had finished with 525 cows. I did the computer work, left and got home and took a shower and washed the iodine and cow sh!t out of my hair.... and went to PT... they were running way behind... since they were going to fit me inand there were 2 people there for their already scheduled appts.....so I just told them that I wasn't in any "extra pain" or anything....that it wasn't fair that they were fitting me in with them being "behind" , so that I would just skip it and if they had a cancellation before my next appt, to call me...

Wasted trip but it wasn't that far...and he has fit me in before.....so I came home and started putting the samples in the boxes... get things together...
Got them done, took to the UPS pickup place... and am home.

I went out and the chickens were in but the hen sneaked out the back where I didn't know the fabric had been torn and she sneaked out the hole... The other 3 went into the crate, I put feed in the feeders and they are ready for the morning. I will have to get some "tape" to fix the couple of torn spots. I just put the 3 in the crate and am done for the night.

I am tired and don't feel very good. When I get tired, I get a headache and feel like I was run over by a Mack truck . So, I am going to bed in a little while... and hope I sleep long and hard to make up for last night.

Just a little bit ago, my farmer called me from the farm that is scheduled Sat morning. He said they changed the feed, the cows are having some serious diarrhea and off feed and the milk has dropped off. So rather than try to reschedule in a week or so, they want to just skip this month. That's fine, I well understand... but I had scheduled to go get milk on my way home... so I will just make a trip to the farm instead. I didn't want to make a special trip tomorrow...so planned to do it "on the way home" Sat.... Oh well, it happens. Not like it is that far...

So, maybe I will get some things done tomorrow. Things that don't include cattle and sheep out loose.

I'm done for the night.

 

[Baymule]

That’s a lot, it will durn sure make you tired. Hope you are already asleep and sleep late tomorrow.

 

[farmerjan]

Yep, I had already turned off the computer and crashed last night. Needed it. Forgot to turn off alarm so woke up at 3, hit the off button, went back to sleep and didn't get up until nearly 8. I was tired. which was good to get that good of a night's sleep.
Friday morning. Foggy again but not quite as thick as yesterday. Only down to 51, and already up to 60. Sun coming out but they are saying that we will be getting some clouds tomorrow and possible some showers around. Warmer than normal though. 70's. Then cooling back off to normal next week.

DS texted and asked if I could take a couple of odd steers into the stockyard later around noon today. There are 2 that are total nuts that he has been going to sell, and a heifer that is a nut case too. So he said that he needs them to go. There's a couple of payments coming up, and with all the smaller bull calves he has bought lately, I think he needs some cash. They will turn into money but not yet. PITA to have to juggle this around but I think he is trying to do it without borrowing any money with the interest rates going up. Plus we need to free up the couple acre field where they are currently.
Since it is supposed to be so nice I am going to try to get a few things done outside this weekend.
Yes, I am hoping the Explorer will sell fairly fast and be done with that. Be nice to get back money on the insurance too.
Trying to print out the screen on the old computer of all my herds so I can keep a list of the ones that have sold out. Since every once in awhile someone wants to go back on test.....I can reference their old herd number and all to make it easier for putting them back on test..... The little button at the top that says "print screen " under the F11 key... anyone know how to do it? I tried holding down the little button on the bottom left of the keyboard that says "Fn" next to the "Ctrl" button, but it doesn't seem to do anything. Might be a trick I don't know. I am trying to capture all that I can from this old computer before it does it's last "grinding noise" and dies.

I am going to see if I can get some "repair tape" for the shelter/greenhouse.... I see some spots along the metal pipes that support the top that are worn. The problem is the wind here really causes them to get alot of friction. We used the foam that they use around pipes to cushion them, but the wind sometimes really gets it constantly moving. There is alot of wind here on this ridge. Would like to reinforce them now. Need something that will withstand the elements....hot-cold-rain and snow.....I realize there is a "life expectancy" but why not try to extend it a bit.

Time to get going. I want to go down to the cardboard dumpster and see if I can get some boxes so I can get the kitchen stuff "packed up again" and get it all out of the way to get into the bottom cabinets again. It's funny but J said that the way that corner sink is, is really "stupid" also... She agrees that it needs to be changed so there is a practical sink there... So glad that I am not the only one that looked at it and said "what is the purpose of that"..... Also she was telling me about where the Lowes keeps their "seconds" that are not out on the floor as "seconds".... might tap into her time one day and get her to go "shopping" - looking - with me and show me some of these little "tricks"....
I don't like stainless steel appliances, but might give in and go with a stainless sink in the kitchen because it makes it more "saleable". Plus there are so many other options in stainless available. I am really thinking that I won't be staying here forever... so getting the house done is important so I have options.... thinking renting is going to be a way to go and tap into the equity to buy something else....I just don't like the road here...

Time to get out there and do something practical.

 

[Baymule]

A new stainless steel sink with one of those fish hook shaped faucets with the nozzle that comes out for a sprayer would really dress up the kitchen.

If you can get some real duct tape, the actual kind the AC guys use on duct work, that would probably stick for as long as you want it to. It’s good stuff. Got any HVAC friends?


Glad you got some rest,