Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

I was going to say it was noon... but it is 2 p.m. Oh well....
I went out and the tire was totally flat this morning which I expected so I took the red forester back to the farm this morning to test.
Of course, the owner's did not do the updates on the computer, so after trying for 20 minutes, and the son not being able to get it staightened up, I went back to the barn to pull the meters off the lines as the washing cycles were done. The son comes down and said he finally got it working... shut down the internet system also and then it all worked on restart.... so he helped pull the rest of the meters and then I went back to the house to do the test day info. Got it all updated and info sent, so that now I can pack the samples.
Then came by and got the air tank full at the compressor at DS's barn.... came home, got the tire blown up and went directly to the co-op. They did not have anything waiting, so got right in. Seems there was a slice inbetween the treads.... that had to have happened on the road somewhere, since it was going flat when I got to the farm to check the bred cows... I had not been off road in any pastures before that... when I was looking for the heifer, I was driving the roads, along there looking for her out in a field she wasn't supposed to be in.

So, they did a patch inside the tire.... hopefully it will hold for a bit because the tires are decent... not ready to replace them very soon. Then I went down the road to the garage that I want to do the heater fan and fix the cig plug, and a couple other little things. Left it there and the neighbor picked me up on his way home from work and dropped me off at the house.

I moved the spider plants all out, it is in the mid-upper 60's this afternoon. Mostly cloudy with a little sun peeking out. Going to cloud up more, and then rain starting tonight and most of the day tomorrow. It will be good for the plants to get another good "rain watering"..... I will take all the smaller pots out of the plastic totes I have them in so they don't get waterlogged... just a good soaking... then I will be able to put them back in to carry them in the house. It is supposed to stay "warm" through Sat and then temps start to drop.... So they will be coming back in; and by the looks of it, they will be in for the winter... Weekdays next week are only supposed to be in the 40's and lows in the 20"s.....BRRRRR

Just ate a sandwich for lunch, and am going in to go in and get the samples packed.

When I got home earlier and let the chickens out... found a pile of feathers and figured the buff hen was gone... But I saw her when I turned out the others. It looks like she got away under some thick brush... I am thinking it is a hawk... the others are being very cautious when they go out... that is also why I think it is a hawk... maybe the hen will start going in and staying in the shelter at night...She saw me and took off like a shot so she has gotten more spooky... I won't close up the one spot in the back of the shelter since it opens out behind it, right at the big pine trees and the brush back there where they seem to feel safer..... if it were a fox or a coon or something, they would be more incline to stay in the shelter or right around the front where there is alot of "human activity".... but staying in brushy, tree limb and closed in quarters makes me think that they know a hawk can't fly down to get them, like in the more open areas.
Don't know how this is going to work with the turkeys... they are alot bigger than the chickens... might help to protect the chickens if they can stay together... the hawk will never be able to attack and carry off a turkey. If it attacks one, I will be able to take care of the hawk.

Got some stuff on the truck to go to the dumpsters again so want to do that before it rains. Going to swing by the cardboard dumpster on the way back too....

 

[farmerjan]

Not turning into a good day. Packed the samples and took to the place where UPS picks up late down the road. Forester sounded a little funny when I tried to start it... but seemed to run fine. The other day, I had checked the antifreeze and oil and washer fluid in both the outback and the forester since they were sitting there. Power steering on the outback had a little whine and the fluid was down a little... Added to the overflow tank on the antifreeze on both....
So, when I came home from dropping off the samples. I shut forester off and took all the meters and hoses out and got them in the storage totes. Put all the bags of garbage in the car to go to the dumpster, and then would go get feed at the co-op and wouldn't have to move it from the truck to the car. Car started a little funny again, but then seemed to run fine so I just figured I would stop and have them check it...at the co-op it also sounded a little funny and I thought maybe there was something like a branch in the fan belt making noise but nothing. It was nearly 6 so I just figured to come on home and go down there tomorrow... stopped on the road to back into the driveway and it stalled ..... almost didn't restart and it sounded awful when it did... got it backed into the driveway and that is where it will sit until they come look at it or come get it... there is a warranty on the motor and if anything is going wrong with it, I am not going to drive it.... I was going to have them look at it since it also wasn't putting out any heat, but I thought it was probably the thermostat.....Temp gauge inside was reading right about in the middle which is perfectly safe. . I want to cry...

So. of course I went to get in the truck... haven't driven it in a couple days... battery was stone dead.... Put charger on it... got it charged a bit, and used start function to get it started, to go to Deb's for taco supper... I know it needs a battery, was planning to do it soon, but wanted to get the outback straightened up... figuring I had the forester to drive too... TOMORROW the truck gets a battery.... let it run at deb's for a bit , and then it started okay... but if it gets as cold as they say, I DO NOT want to deal with it...

Going to help DS load the cattle at the friend's place, bring the bull back to doug's farm to go in the bull lot with our other bulls ( they rent the bull from us)... and I guess DS will go to town with the cattle and I will go get a new battery.....It is supposed to be raining.....not going to deal with a battery charger in the miserable weather...

I come out from Deb's and truck starts... start up the driveway... it's up a hill... and I see "eye's"; thinking a deer, then shorter so maybe a fox or coyote... then see white... and it is a sheep... thinking OH SH!T... DS's sheep are out... then realize there is one white and one black... NOT HIS..... so I get to the top of the driveway, shut the gate so they can't get out on the road... call deb at house... she comes out and shuts a couple gates and then I come back down and she calls them and they finally follow her into the 2 fields and shuts the gates... They are fairly friendly... so are used to people... and they are wooled lambs.... 50-60 lbs. Called DS and he has no idea of who might have some sheep... thinking they might be someone that got a couple 4-H lambs or something. So, we will make some calls tomorrow I guess, since we know many more people than deb does....
Came on home finally after we got the gates shut and hopefully they will stay in the field... It is board fence and I don't think they can get through it. There is a shelter in there where the tractor is, so can get in out of the rain if they want... and there is a waterer but don't know if they will know how to drink out of it... but it is supposed to rain so they won't die of thirst if they have to eat some wet grass.... It will hopefully hold them until an owner can be found....

What next???? I did shut the gate at the top of her driveway to deter them from going out on the road if they do happen to get out of the fence... it was built to contain horses... 4 boards .... so not real close but not too far apart....

I am ready for a shower and bed...

 

[Baymule]

I hate vehicle problems. That sucks about the Forester and I hope it can get fixed soon. My fear is getting stranded somewhere.

The fuel gauge on my truck quit a few days ago, shows empty, red light on and it sounds the warning. Yeah, I watch miles and will fill it more frequently, but it’s a pain. I’ll get it fixed, but not right now.

 

[Mini Horses]

I had an ol truck once that had a bad gauge. Every fill, I'd calculate the miles, reset trip gauge to zero and put a post it note on there to know when to get worried. even carried a couple gallons in a can sometimes...in case. Oh, what we do! But ran good and with over 350k on it, not taking it apart for a gauge.

 

[farmerjan]

@Mini Horses . Same for us with the gauge thing. I did the same, reset the mileage counter and always kept a 2 gal can of gas in the back... Poured that in the truck and then refilled nearly every time, to keep it fresh. I think I put over another 100,000 on it when it finally just quietly quit. I think we calculated it had over 475,000 on it because the odometer did not go that high. But I had a piece of paper in the glove box and kept track once it tripped the 99,999 and started over. I bought it used for little or nothing at the time... Toyota with the old 22R engine that never quit...

 

[farmerjan]

The new vehicles with the electronic fuel gauges and all the warning stuff are just a pain in the butt....The thing is they have made vehicles for any total idiot to drive and they don't have to even know how to do simple things like CHECK the oil or anything... BUT.... now if something registers a little bit OFF, they will shut everything down and leave you stranded... like that stupid temp sensor on the dually truck on our trip to NH this past spring...
Speaking of that; DS had the hoses checked and tightened on the radiator by the mechanic and he said that they were good but that the minute "seep" of the plastic/metal radiator where they are "melded" together would have to be replaced. It is a MAJOR JOB.... and it started to leak really bad just the other day... so truck is totally out of commision now.... until it gets done... and with all the electronic crap I am not sure if DS is going to try to do it himself or not.... not as simple as taking the radiator out and putting in a new one... and to get to it is a total NIGHTMARE..... and he wonders why I don't want the explorer.....even the other truck that was my father's is a 1999 and has alot of that crap on it....

Except to get the new battery in my little ranger, not going to deal with vehicles today....
IT IS POURING RAIN..... keep getting "squalls" of straight downpours... then lets up a bit... . Going to be a wet one getting the cattle sorted and loaded.... They should have shipped them sooner... there will not be many at the stockyards which might be good... but there won't be hardly any buyers there either due to it being hunting season.... NOT the time to sell....But people don't ask us and they decide what they want with no experience in the subtle ins and outs of livestock....
It has let up just this minute... maybe it will be a lull again when we go there.

Going out to let the chickens out just before I leave to go meet DS... going out to start the truck first... so I can put the charger on it if I need to, before opening up the chickens.

It is a decent 57 out there... never dropped below 55 and supposed to get up in the mid 60's and stay there even through the night only down to 58-60... sun tomorrow then DROPPING....

Good day to stay in and curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book.

At least I have my nice new "Dry Shod" boots to keep my feet dry... unfortunately they are not real tall... but I am going to try the next taller size and see if I can get them on and off the ankle.... will be worth it to have these for just wet ground and a taller pair for "mucky wet stuff" if I can get them on... Going to look at the kind with zippers too to see if that will work since I am getting more "active" with the animals again...

Time to get things going... SURE... it is pouring down again. We have had at least a half inch or more by the looks of it in the bucket on the deck.....One good thing, at least it has a chance to settle in some, inbetween the downpours so not running off in rivers.... and the wind is not blowing much so not like "hurricane" weather even though it is the remnants of that tropical storm... ? Nicole ? ...

Did you get much of it @Mike CHS ??? I bet that @Mini Horses is getting her fair share of it too. @secuono also in the central part of Va....

How about the other Va members? Don't hear from many of you..... how are you all faring this year?????

 

[Ridgetop]

The fuel gauge on my truck quit a few days ago, shows empty, red light on and it sounds the warning. Yeah, I watch miles and will fill it more frequently, but it’s a pain. I’ll get it fixed, but not right now.

Better carry a 5 gallon can of diesel just in case.

 

[Baymule]

Better carry a 5 gallon can of diesel just in case.

Most of the time, it will go close to 400 miles per tank. I’ll just top it off at 200, that way I’ll never run out. But I still don’t like it.

 

[secuono]

The new vehicles with the electronic fuel gauges and all the warning stuff are just a pain in the butt....The thing is they have made vehicles for any total idiot to drive and they don't have to even know how to do simple things like CHECK the oil or anything... BUT.... now if something registers a little bit OFF, they will shut everything down and leave you stranded... like that stupid temp sensor on the dually truck on our trip to NH this past spring...
Speaking of that; DS had the hoses checked and tightened on the radiator by the mechanic and he said that they were good but that the minute "seep" of the plastic/metal radiator where they are "melded" together would have to be replaced. It is a MAJOR JOB.... and it started to leak really bad just the other day... so truck is totally out of commision now.... until it gets done... and with all the electronic crap I am not sure if DS is going to try to do it himself or not.... not as simple as taking the radiator out and putting in a new one... and to get to it is a total NIGHTMARE..... and he wonders why I don't want the explorer.....even the other truck that was my father's is a 1999 and has alot of that crap on it....

Except to get the new battery in my little ranger, not going to deal with vehicles today....
IT IS POURING RAIN..... keep getting "squalls" of straight downpours... then lets up a bit... . Going to be a wet one getting the cattle sorted and loaded.... They should have shipped them sooner... there will not be many at the stockyards which might be good... but there won't be hardly any buyers there either due to it being hunting season.... NOT the time to sell....But people don't ask us and they decide what they want with no experience in the subtle ins and outs of livestock....
It has let up just this minute... maybe it will be a lull again when we go there.

Going out to let the chickens out just before I leave to go meet DS... going out to start the truck first... so I can put the charger on it if I need to, before opening up the chickens.

It is a decent 57 out there... never dropped below 55 and supposed to get up in the mid 60's and stay there even through the night only down to 58-60... sun tomorrow then DROPPING....

Good day to stay in and curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book.

At least I have my nice new "Dry Shod" boots to keep my feet dry... unfortunately they are not real tall... but I am going to try the next taller size and see if I can get them on and off the ankle.... will be worth it to have these for just wet ground and a taller pair for "mucky wet stuff" if I can get them on... Going to look at the kind with zippers too to see if that will work since I am getting more "active" with the animals again...

Time to get things going... SURE... it is pouring down again. We have had at least a half inch or more by the looks of it in the bucket on the deck.....One good thing, at least it has a chance to settle in some, inbetween the downpours so not running off in rivers.... and the wind is not blowing much so not like "hurricane" weather even though it is the remnants of that tropical storm... ? Nicole ? ...

Did you get much of it @Mike CHS ??? I bet that @Mini Horses is getting her fair share of it too. @secuono also in the central part of Va....

How about the other Va members? Don't hear from many of you..... how are you all faring this year?????

It was almost 80 the other day. Cold and raining today. VA can never decide what season it is.

 

[Ridgetop]

That is when we all get colds. One day 80-90 the next 50.