Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

@Mini Horses ... the D-I-L and Son are stuck up ( noses in the air) Doctors....and it is something to be able to say they went out to the "farm" for a day or two. They only come out when there is a family get together... she is a regular B***H.......and he is a totally henpecked puss* whipped wimp....
No there is no written lease, we have had it forever when the fences were falling down and worked off rent for building new fence and other things.... DS has been friends with the daughter forever.... thought once he might get together with her... but..... she likes living "better" and doesn't have to work... her husband is a nice guy... but his job working in the lumber sales/grading of high end lumber... like for fancy furniture making and such... he goes overseas to other countries and all sorts of stuff... I don't fully understand it but he makes money......and they live WELL....... anyway, they have moved a couple times and now are in PA... so they only come down once or twice a year...
The daughter and son have inherited it from the deceased grandfather.... it's a pain but for years we just did what we needed and got along fine. Now the son and d-i-l are making waves.... he wanted to plant a vineyard, to say they grew their own grapes to make wine..... NO CLUE as to the work involved... You know.. the ones that have to brag they have this and do that and go here and there.... get some "underling" to do the work.... but the mother has control until she passes I guess....
DS is going to get with the father and see what he is thinking about the fence.... he doesn't want to give it up because it is good grazing... but we will see. The fact that it is across the road from me is very convenient.... but in the summer if it is dry, I have to haul water, if the spring gets low, because we cannot use the well there.... might run up the electric bill.... OMG..... the mother "inherited" this place, then another place from an aunt that died that she took care of there towards the end... no kids.... the father is a real estate agent... still works... I think it is to get out of the house..... plus the mother just spends money all the time... and the father takes care of all the places.... mows, etc... just the last couple years have they redone this house .... it was literally gutted to the walls inside and they almost dozed it.... but now they can come to the farm for the weekend... They literally live 1/2 hour away......"country gentleman " type BS.....

Okay, off that soapbox.....

It was 37 this morning, got up to 41 (wow) and back down to 38... rainy/sprinkly wet enough to be cold and damp and yucky out. Did the chickens and that is all outside.

I went to do some shopping yesterday. had to go to the farm I tested because I LEFT the check on the desk... we were talking about their poultry houses and this and that and plain forgot it. So, I packed the samples, took them with me, got the check and all and then dropped them at UPS and did some grocery shopping... got some of the gatorade or whatever it is for DS and some other stuff... it is going to be part of his Christmas, because money is a little tight until I get this explorer sold and he is really feeling the financial pinch and this way he won't feel bad about what I give him and him not able to give as much back. Besides, he can use this stuff... GF spends way too much on the kids and DS just gets a little bummed out with it all... So this is going to be my "contribution " to him and I know he will appreciate it and use it....
So today I stayed here....

Oh well....
Just made myself some liver and sauteed onions... I like liver..... from our own beef of course.
Have had on the local "Christmas music station" (for the month of Dec).... worked on a jigsaw puzzle a little when the knees were hurting. Weather....
I have been trying to completely empty things out of the kitchen.... got tired of the mouse situation... Got some new "glue boards" yesterday while shopping and it was really "profitable".... I had 2 yesterday morning, and then got 2 last night again... and for once I do not hear or see any signs of any mice. Got one in the bathroom and hopefully it is the only one that was in the bathroom/bedroom area.... been hearing it and could not find it anywhere. Well, I had put out 6 more sticky traps along the walls/edges of bureaus and such... and got that one. Maybe I will get to the point where they are gone .... for awhile....

So, I am going to quit doing anything practical and maybe watch a movie.... I could not get to sleep last night so am tired and hopefully will go to bed and sleep through tonight.

Possible snow flurries/ wintry mix tomorrow but no accumulations they say... it sure is raw chilly out there.... Then maybe some sun Mon-Tues ????

 

[farmerjan]

Trying to be a NICE Sunday morning... the sun is trying to come through the thick clouds and it is actually kinda "bright" out there. SOOOO nice for a change of pace. 36 low, up to 42 at 10 so not going to warm up alot.
Ate a bowl of Cream of Wheat cereal.... with some maple syrup.

2 weeks to Christmas .....going to take everything off the kitchen counters and do a thorough scrubbing.... too wet to do anything outside. It was muddy when I came home Friday aft and squishy when I did the chickens. Need a couple days to dry the soil on top.

 

[Mini Horses]

We have similar weather here. I'm a touch warmer. But water isn't soaking as fast or deep as I'd like. Clean up inside day here, also. Need a week of it!! But slow work for jobs this coming week, so looking hopeful. Definitely see week between Christmas and new year as pretty much "at home". Would be great if weather stays like it is now I'd love that..

Normally Jan/Feb are dead with this job. This year it looks like they are picking up some of the jobs into earlier schedule cycles. (Certain resets are both seasonal and repetitive at certain sequences) That's good and bad. A few is ok but, heavy all at once isn't. Right now a good amount of my jobs are at stores unassigned to reps -- they quit, not enough hired for area, etc. A little extra $ in slow time. At least I can refuse jobs in stores not "my assigned."

Hope they're hiring for 2023!!

 

[Mini Horses]

Hearing weather....y'all getting some messy stuff between tue and thur? We're getting rain wed night, most all day thur. Not as cold as you. So thinking it's prob gonna be frozen there part of the day.

 

[farmerjan]

Monday eve.... chilly day, but some sun. Not alot, but no rain. I got up to the cows/calves at the nurse cow pasture but could not get in the ones I wanted with their calves for DS to move any. He called me at 2 and said he could move some if I could get them in. Like I had much notice..... .

But I went up, and alot of the bigger calves went in and I fed the rest some grain... then put a partial bale of hay inside in the bunk for the calves to come in and maybe eat a bit. The rolls were gone so told DS they would need hay outside... hoping that the little calves that had started going in will go in for some hay or grain... I will have to lock them in and then bring the cows in and sort them out to stay in with the calves. I can lock them in the barn and open the pen to get the cows and all in... then sort out from there.... It will take a few days of working with them. Got 3 cows, that need to go with the bull to get bred back have fall calves on them now........ several calves need tags, and several bull calves that need to get worked also. So if I can get in at least 2 pairs he will come get them. There are also about 4-5 that need preg checking...and if they are as far as I think, the calves need to be weaned off anyway. They will have to be pushing 6 months, or more.... the bull went out of there July 4th weekend....The cows will get moved out of there since they should be due again in spring, and the calves can stay with the rest that they are familiar with, and with the heifers that are there now. No bull is going in there this fall/winter, this year.

It is down to freezing and is supposed to be only partly sunny tomorrow and temps in the 40's. I think it hit 50 today but was a cold feeling with not much sun.

Yes, @Mini Horses they are calling for some freezing rain/sleet/and just plain cold and wet and miserable. I have a farm to test Tuesday aft... then Thurs, Fri, and Sat afternoons, but Thursday is dependent on the weather... Will see how things are Thurs morning. They have said that Thurs would suit them but they were a bit concerned about the weather.... play it by ear. Got 2 scheduled for next week too... it's that all or nothing syndrome.... .

Going in to bed. Need to get the bottles in the racks tomorrow morning... don't need meters for tomorrow's herd... but will need them all (24)for the Thursday herd, 16 for Friday, 12 for Sat, 16 for next Monday, 12 for next Wed.... might put off Thursday's herd, for next Tuesday anyway.... since the Mon herd and this 24 meter herd need the brackets in the same position and it will save me alot of time changing them back and forth....

 

[farmerjan]

Cold and cloudy with little relief in sight. 31 and looking like snow out there. Forecast is for some of these clouds to pass to the east and some sun this afternoon; ahead of the wet and cold coming. The local weather is now calling for this to come in Wed night, sleet/freezing rain and a not very good commute on Thursday morning.
There is forecast for significant snow accumulation out in the western and upper mid western areas....
All according to the temps could be some less than ideal weather for a good part of the day. I think that I am going to just put the farm scheduled for Thursday, off until next Tuesday..... I would have to leave here by 10:30 or 11 to get there by 1... not worth going out in the mess if it is slick. I will talk to DS to see what he might be hearing at VDOT.... but.... I am getting to be anti-work in crappy weather.
I am going to get sample bottles in the trays for this afternoon... make some breakfast.... let the chickens out.

 

[Mini Horses]

... I am getting to be anti-work in crappy weather.

Agree....me too!!! Hard enough to do chores.

 

[Baymule]

Sounds like y’all need a month or two off in the winter.

 

[farmerjan]

OH BOY, what a YO-YO messed up day.....

Chickens out bottles in the trays and I get a text. They had a major water problem at the farm, free stall barn soaking wet, cows a mess and had 7 with mastitis flakes and in the buckets this morning... Could I reschedule... OF COURSE... these are legitimate problems.
I text the farm that is only sending a tank sample every week, that I will not be sending in any samples on Wed due to farm cancelling... so won't come get his single tank sample.... I will let him know the next farm to be sending in samples.....
BUT.... I am fast filling up my days.... So, I texted the farm set for Friday... he had originally wanted early this week, but couldn't do Wed or Thurs due to vet check and his having a dentist appt...... but I was already scheduled... and said, hey, farm cancelled due to water problems, would you want today instead of Friday ???.... Sure, that would work for him.... So instead of 150 bottles, I need 200 in trays... AND I need 16 meters and hoses.... Go out and get all that in the car to go.
In the meantime, watched the weather and texted the farm that was scheduled for Thursday, and said how would next Tues aft work instead????.... that worked good for them.... and this way I will have most of the meter brackets already changed for the Monday herd..... save me extra work..
..
So, then called the farm with the single tank sample and said change of plans, I switched another farm and would be sending samples after all, on Wed, so I would come get a tank sample Wed morning after all....
I am going to get milk for the house, anyway right down the road from the farmer I get my milk from.....

So texted the farm with the water problem late this aft.... they got the spring diverted and things were calming down there... I asked if Friday would be too soon as I was all booked for next week, so it would have to be after Christmas otherwise and I still had 2 or 3 farms to fit in that week.... she texted back and said Friday would be great....they were going to finish cleaning the wet out and rebed the cows before this weather comes in.

So, in essence I switched the farm today with the farm Friday and put off the Thurs farm til next Tuesday....

But... it gets even more interesting (funny if you realize there is nothing you can do about it and don't get upset).... the farmer that said today would work, had a previous lunch meeting.... he is also a minister in their Mennonite Church.... and his brother would start milking... okay, that works. They had 6 fresh cows come into the barn today... okay, just more bucket cows.... BUT..... as the machine came off one cow, it hit the curb just wrong... and snapped off the plastic piece that the milking inflation attaches to... OKAY.... just get another one... BUT... can't find one... they have all these parts EXCEPT the one we need... and the farmer hasn't gotten back yet. Now the brother is younger... and he gets real worried about doing things right... and he is in a panic.... and I said, hey, lets get this milk sample and you can use the same machine back on to the cow that it got broken... and get this side finished.... The girl that helps me some, Geneva, works here full-time... she is the calf feeder now.... as well as whatever else needs doing .... and she calls her dad who works full-time on the farmers' father's farm just across the road a mile away.... they trade back and forth and use workers back and forth on the farms... like a co-operative somewhat..... so he comes to look thinking maybe he knew where there was a new "claw" and then goes to the father's farm and gets one of theirs... They are a different brand... but it gives us something to milk with so we don't have to try switching the milker from one cow to the other....
In the meantime, when this got broken, there were 3 fresh cows in the parlor.... on the other side, and poor Tony was getting all worried that he was going to mess up.... and I finally said,,, hey, we will get through this, it could be alot worse.... and he stopped for a second.. and said, yeah, you're right, the barn isn't burning down... and I laughed and said yep, and it isn't full of water like the farm that cancelled on me this morning.....
I know he was worried he would milk a fresh cow in the tank... or not get me the numbers on the cows coming in... or something.... finally the farmer came home.... and was milking, and then he had to leave because there had been an "accident" between a UPS driver... they are using people and their private cars to make deliveries... and the bucket on the skid loader at another farm... the car/UPS driver parked in the middle of the Y in the driveway and the skid loader bucket caught the back quarter panel because the bucket was up just at the wrong angle to see the car..... and because it was on the farm property, one he rents... he had to have the farm insurance deal with it because the car owner's insurance wouldn't handle it since it was on "work property"... and no one ever "parks" in that spot because it is actually the driveway where the trucks and farm equipment all go in and out.... they should have parked over near the house to deliver the package...

Just another day in "Paradise".... .

We got done milking, I was doing some of the paperwork the farmer hadn't gotten done because I wasn't supposed to be there until FRIDAY.... and then I come up with 2 different calving dates for the SAME COW... in the farmer's paperwork..... I got all the milk weights in, left a note that I put in the cow's calving date as the first date he had written, I was not missing any other calving dates... and when he figured it out, we could fix it..... Meters got washed, loaded in the car, and I finally left there about 6:15.... came home and went out and locked up the chickens and am in the house.

OIY VAY.....
Gotta love my farmers......

Just went on the local area weather forecast... looks like Wed evening about 6-8 p.m. it is coming in as rain... some sleet/freezing stuff before midnight... and freezing stuff into mid day Thursday...
DS will be working Wed night so he will get off at noon.... to go back in at 8... and be off Thursday too... and Thurs night will depend on the temps.....

 

[Baymule]

What a day! You think fast and changed things around and got it done! Way to go!