Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Ridgetop]

Closing in part of the front porch wiith acess from the window opening sounds like a good plan. Since the window is already there you will not have to do major construction for a doorway. The header should already be there. You can either use a retrofit French window that you can step through or replace the window with a double paned garden door (not a slider). Then put in screens around the porch area, and glass it in with removable windows for winter. Instant greenhouse in winter and screened porch in summer with LR access. Using a glass door you can have the view of your flowers and plants.

 

[secuono]

40s today. Lined pants, puffy coat, lips are still blue...

 

[Baymule]

I have flannel lined blue jeans, don’t wear them that often and that’s ok. That sure are nice when I need them.

 

[farmerjan]

40s today. Lined pants, puffy coat, lips are still blue...

Didn't really want to put a "like"... mainly wanted to "agree" with you.... Cold here today too.... enough breeze to make it just plain colder out.

 

[farmerjan]

I think your idea of a hanging pole or chain across your dining room windows is a great idea for your spider plants.

My south facing window does not have any blinds to protect the violets from direct sun, so I can’t put them there. I’m trying to think of a way to use white paper to make some kind of screen to protect them from the intense sun. But if it blocks too much light, I’d have to make it moveable.

I guess we are in the same boat with our African violets outgrowing their space. I am giving you partial blame for my new hobby of ordering violets on line!

I have ordered from Violet Barn twice, as well as a few other places. So far I don’t have good luck keeping the Violet Barn ones alive. 4 out of 8 have died from root rot. Then I discovered Lyndon Lyons. The 4 I got from them were much much bigger, and so robust looking. I would like to order more from them, but I have no room for more.

And I have discovered Streptocarpus plants. Since I can’t find those in stores or garden centers, they are the reason I have placed so many on line orders. I’m up to 7 Streps now!

@Finnie ; the ones I got from the Violet Barn have not done as well either. Lost a couple of them to what I think was also root and crown rot. I got a couple from Lyndon Lyons. I also got a couple from someone on Ebay that have done well but cannot find the order slip. And I got a couple once from someone on Etsy....

I will have to look up these Streptocarpus plants...
What about using a sheer curtain to diffuse the light on the window ???

 

[farmerjan]

It was a CHILLY day... some sun and clouds and a lt breeze but it was down right plain cold out there. Went and got the lower radiator hose for the forester... Then I went by TSC as DS said he didn't think he had enough backs for the yellow ear tags... They don't carry the All Flex ones so I got a package of Y-Tex that have both tags and backs. But when I got back they were using the older backs that have a tag, not just the button, that I had ordered back awhile ago for next to nothing on Ebay.
Friend of DS's had come to help do the calves and so they were working on them when I got back here.
DO NOT go shopping on a Sunday around here... too many dumb people out there, don't know what they want, not enough help in the stores... everything took forever...

So, they ran 30 calves through the chute, castrated the bulls, tagged and gave blackleg shots to both heifers and bulls. Then we tried to match up the calves with the cows and think we got all but about 3 correct. DS wanted to move some to the pasture behind my house and then others out back of where they were, but that would have meant he had to be positive about the pairing.... I said to just take the ones, from one of the other places, that are due to start calving anytime, to the place behind me... there are 14 at one place and I think 12 at the other place. That will give him a better chance at a target number there, and take all from one place or the other, and not have to deal with matching so much. He only wants to put 20-25 at the place behind me and there are 4 there already he moved in a week ago... this way he could move all 30 out back and not worry if there was someone mismatched... because the calves could go through the fence (just barbed wire) right there if someone didn't get with the right momma... we put 8 back that we were pretty sure had not calved yet although 2 looked like they were bagged up good. Plus, if we got the wrong calf matched to a cow, the right cow is in that group anyway.... I will go up in the truck one day to check them out and see if the 3 we're not sure of, go on a cow and who they finally went on... There was the right number of cows and calves so unless someone has twins, and some one hasn't calved they are pretty much right. Plus if a calf turns up without a tag then we know it didn't go through the chute yet...

We used to put bull calves mostly all together at one place and heifer calves at another... but we no longer pull the calves and sell like we used to. That made it easier to just go one place to get a load of the same sex calves. Now he brings them home to doug's farm, and we wean the calves, and preg check the cows and the calves are kept there with a couple cows for a week or 2 until they get over missing momma, and those few cows have taught the calves to come in for grain when called to the bunk.... then we move those few cows out with the others.... So, it doesn't matter if there are 50/50 males and females or all of one sex at the pastures, like it used to.
It was getting really cold there at the barn too... Moved them across the driveway and up the alley to the pasture behind the calving one. They will stay there a day or 2 and then get moved through to the back pasture there... that we call the autumn olive field as there are alot of them that have grown up.... from the previous owner and then us renting it... DS wants to get it forestry mulched, but can't get anyone to do it as they are all so far behind..... Really open it up and get it all chopped up to add back mulch/organic matter in the soil.... get more grass growing again. Nothing has been back there for 3-4 months at least.

His friend went on home after we got done with the chute work... and then DS said they were going to eat (DS & GF) in a little bit, so I could meet them... so I went to the pasture and fed the calves and the nurse cow... the heifers he has moved there are a pain to work around as they are all trying to come through the gate with the nurse cow...and with this chilly weather they are all feeling their cheerios... and I barely made it down the driveway and got the gate shut before they came running down the hill..... and then I stopped at the house to crate the chickens, and change out of the barn boots, and met them at the little local rest. to eat. Then came home.

It's down to 32 already, colder than last night... and supposed to drop to mid 20's... BRRRR

Turkey day coming soon.....

 

[Finnie]

What about using a sheer curtain to diffuse the light on the window ???

Thanks for the good idea! That would work better than paper. I might be able to get a small pressure rod, and then I could put the sheers low enough to shield the plants but not block my view out.

 

[Baymule]

Sorting cows. No stupid crazy cows at your pastures! It’s hard enough work without crazy cows making it harder.

My ex and I had cows. There was a mean crazy cow that he wouldn’t get rid of because she was a good momma. Prevailing thoughts in this area is mean cows will fight off predators to protect their calves. Yeah, and they will stomp a mud hole in your face too. I griped so much that he finally took her to auction. I was glad to see her go.

 

[farmerjan]

I want my cows to be protective... I want them to be willing to fight off a predator... I INSIST that they get the fact that I AM NOT a predator...
Have a couple that I don't mess with for the first 24 hours of the calf being born. If they are having trouble, then they get brought/driven to the barn.... some have even let us pull calves in the field, but we have pulled maybe a half dozen in 15-20 years... mostly all backwards or just one front foot showing. Just doesn't happen often, thankfully. One was hiplocked and just twisting it sideways a bit and it plopped out. Let the cow turn right around and do her job and left her quietly so she didn't think I was trying to hurt her baby. She was naturally a little upset but not mean... I think she was just feeling relief, didn't want me that close and then when I backed off about 15 feet she went to taking care of the licking off etc....and by the next day she was back to normal.
Most of our "crazy" cows are ones that won't come in the pen, get their heads up looking for a way out... more high strung than crazy... skittish..... and we don't tolerate many of them. Got 3 now, all were heifers I raised... out of my cows... that are just stupid acting when in the barn to be sorted and worked. Wanting to go over the gates if crowded.... They are on strike 2... if any come up open, or raise a crappy calf, or decide to be problems and getting out of pastures, they are gone. DS has a "family" of cows that none of them like to come in the catch pens... raise hellacious good calves... calves learn from their mothers... but he has kept several and they raise some of the best weaning weight calves. I rejoice when they have bull calves though; means not in a quandary to keep their calves as replacements!!

Those 6 heifers we bought at the sale last year.... with calves and bred back... are calving again... 2 have real dinky calves again. First calf was nothing special on 3 and the other 3 had decent calves. One NICE heifer calf was totally BONKERS and got shipped. We'll see how they do this time around... May be culling 2 or 3 of them. They have just calved again, and I think that there are 3 or 4 that we worked through yesterday. They went out with the rest of the cows to the back field... A bull will be going in with them in a couple weeks, and if the calves are not at least average, and they breed back, they will get sold as bred at one of the bred cow sales next year. But that is not until next summer/fall. Lots can change in that time.

Got to get on the computer with work, through Team Viewer so they can hopefully get a few things transferred over to this new one from the old one before it breathes its last...

 

[SageHill]

@Finnie and @farmerjan - you're bad. Dang it, I used to have tons of African Violets, heck I had a membership in the American African Violet Society -- they had a great newsletter. Now I'm feeling that urge again. Ohhhhh nooo. I'll have to check the stores next time I'm down the hill, might be able to get a quick cheap fix