Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

We were lucky in that the bull didn't look bad and didn't limp.... he was just walking very slow and deliberate....and yeah, it was sad but the guys that bought this sale barn a couple years ago have really done alot to be more "small farmer friendly" and still work to keep the larger farmers taken care of.
I have known them for as long as I have lived down here.

Used to be just one sale a week, on Saturday.... I worked there every Sat for a year or 2....for the previous owner about 20 yrs ago I guess..... now they have a sale on wednesday....Just baby calves and cull pound cows and bulls... doesn't start til 6 p.m. This is to accommodate the farmers... mostly dairy, that have cows they want to ship and it was to undercut another sale barn on Thursday where the dairy farmers used to frequent.... but the monopoly of the Thursday sale also led to some lower prices on the cull cows and the baby calves.... There are many many dairies in Rockingham county, north of me... so now a choice of sales.
And the cattle that get sold for culls, to go to slaughter, will be on the truck right after the sale headed for a slaughter plant so it works real well on a Wed all around.... They still have their normal Saturday sale here too. Plus, they added a beef sale the first wednesday.... cow/calf pairs and bred cows.... this is the sale we were at... they still sell the cull cows and baby calves... then at 7:30 they stop the cull cows and sell the bred cow sale... then they will go back to cull cows after the "beef sale" is done.... They still had at least 75 or 100 cull cows to sell after the beef sale was done.
.They also added a "dairy sale" on the 3rd Wednesday... for farmers looking to sell a few dairy animals or others to buy some replacements.... They also will do dairy dispersals there....
And they added the "exotic" animal sale on the 4th Thursday eve.....and that has become sssssssoooooooo popular... They sell chickens, ducks, turkeys, all types of fowl..... rabbits..... parrots and other types of "birds", sheep and goats for take home breeding...pigs/hogs..... and some for slaughter especially in the season.... horses, and every kind of "odd ball" breed of cattle and all the miniatures... and they have one he// of a bunch of people at them...
They sell alot of sheep on at the regular Saturday sale... mostly the slaughter and feeder type lambs... and do a big business in the spring for Easter and for the ethnic holidays....they also sell hogs and such on Sat but the exotic sale is where they have a following for the odd ball stuff and it brings mostly absurd prices...

Yeah, the bull brought like 1300 or so... don't have the check stub in front of me.... but DS was hoping for .40-.50/lb so did alot better. And he will be in a plant today or at latest tomorrow, so not spending alot of time standing around or getting beat up by other bulls... alot of the buyers of the cull cows, also buy the kill bulls and they will run them in with groups of cows so they don't get to fighting on the trucks. It is in their best interests to keep the animals up on their feet and walking and not all beat up or down in the trailer because they HAVE to walk into the kill plant.....
There were 2 bulls that were in ALOT worse shape than our bull... one was barely walking he was so crippled up....
I will miss 24B for his disposition, and for his consistency in getting heifers bred and for decent calves. He was an "easy " breeder and never had a heifer get down because he was rough.....

Today was a cloudy day with some misty stuff late this afternoon. I went down with the car to the muffler place and it had a sign that it was "closed today".... starting to really pi$$ me off....called twice too and just rings, doesn't even go to an answering machine or forwarded to a cell phone or anything.... I will stop tomorrow on my way through town going north at a muffler place there and get an estimate as I am not going to wait forever for this guy to decide to work.... at least I will have a general idea... and if this one doesn't at least leave a note about when he is going to be off, I might just say tough.....
I went to Walmart after stopping there, and then by lowe's since I was right there. I got myself 2 "hard rolls" - kaiser rolls - for .84 and the 6 pack was still 3.99... so 42 cents each if you buy 2 at a time.... equals 2.52? So a real rip off to buy it by the 6 pack. I can barely believe it... So, I treated myself to 2 for sandwiches.

At Lowe's I got a couple of Norfolk Island Pines that were 1/2 off the yellow sticker... so they were 3.49 each.... Really..... they were about 24.99 before the holiday.... Don't know if I can keep them alive here but I will see... they have to come inside in the winter... I think they are native to Hawaii maybe??? but they looked nice. And 2 variegated leaved holly shrubs that are really pretty.....3.00 each and that was 70% percent off the yellow sale sticker that I think was 50% off already... They are supposed to get 4-6 ft tall and be a bushy shrub...
I went in to get some sticky traps since Walmart was out... and to look at the African violets... but they just got some in so they were all in bloom so no discount there.
They were already getting out the racks with seeds for planting this year... I mean it is only the 10th of January or so.... for here that is really early. Usually they get serious with them in early Feb.... we still have 3 months of freezing temps to contend with.... and the little greenhouse flat things to start seeds in. I am so glad that I got the seed starting soil last fall when they had it on clearance because I don't think it is going to be cheap this year. I picked up 2 or 3 bags for less than 1/2 price on the clearance racks... when they were getting things wound down... like when I got all the hanging baskets of stuff for $1.00 a pot...

Didn't hear from DS so don't know if he called the guy about getting the bulls, or if he worked the cow through the chute. I will text him tomorrow and see what is what.
The guy that helped with all the concrete is going to help him with getting the poles in for the hay shed that DS got the metal for a year or maybe 2 years ago.... is going to come by and look at the upstairs ceilings. He isn't the most reliable... but he had truck trouble and no wheels for a bit... now is back and they are going to start on the holes for the poles for the hay shed. He said one day when he is working for DS he could stop on the way home... so I will have everything off the stairs so he can go up. Really want something to get started here. With the shoulders and not being able to do stuff way above my head for more than a minute... I am not going to even attempt it on ceilings that are 8 ft high.

 

[farmerjan]

Hit the post button but just wanted to say we are getting some more serious rain now... I am not complaining about rain, but it would sure be nice if we could save this for around the middle of July or August....it is so muddy out there right now... BUT we are not anywhere in the mess that California is in so......

Making a list of things to do on the way to the farm tomorrow afternoon.....
Guess I will head to bed in a little bit.

 

[Ridgetop]

It is sad having to sell the old ones when they have been good producers for so long, but it is a business and it is better to sell him now than shoot him in the field when he can't get up anymore.

 

[Mini Horses]

Sad but true about bull. Plus a large animal to deal with, not like a sheep or goat.

 

[Baymule]

I wish you could find someone reliable that would fix the darn ceilings for you. What a bummer.

Glad the sale went good for the old bull. That sale barn sounds like a real nice place. Bennet and Peggy went to the Crockett sale yesterday, invited me, but I had to do something to lock my bratty sheep out from under the porch, so declined. Boy, am I glad I did! They left right before daylight and came back after dark. No telling what they are up to now. Bennett was selling out, now he’s roaring back. Cows. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.

 

[Mini Horses]

Over past month or so, it seems DS is seeing the error of his ways....and the need to review priorities. The relationship with GF is leaving the honeymoon phase and beginning to open into reality. This will mellow more. Appears to becoming more of the "tolerate oddities" to have a person at home for companionship life. Glad to hear he's putting together his farm -- silage containment, hay barn, more consideration for cattle work. While still not back to " pre GF" I do see changes "back to" are happening slowly. Better than a yr ago!

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, DS is seeing somethings a little better. And he wants a "tolerable companionship" rather than being alone... but alot of guys are like that. My father was one and I think that is part of why he gave up after my mom passed. He couldn't/wouldn't accept she was gone and he had "nothing" to live for... they had been together for nearly 70 years. Better for him in the long run I think. It is what it is... and I want to get things done here that he says he will do and never does so accepting it for what it is and going ahead to do what I can. But that is sometimes not very pleasant since I was not raised to do for a GF and not for your own family... how he kow-tows to her makes me ........

Oh well, on a nicer note. It only went down to 37, up in the 40's and mostly sun. Supposed to not be much warmer, even drop some during the day and tonight in the 20's. A few snow flurries to the west but not supposed to come across the mountain. Sun for a few days, then partly cloudy but no precip in the forecast. It will help to get the ground to dry out a bit.
Laundry in the washer; will hang before I go so it will have a day or 2 to dry.... Already got a few phone calls out of the way, stairs to the upstairs will be cleaned off and ready for him to look at this weekend... Dishes done in the sink. Going to take everything off the countertops in the kitchen this weekend... I think - PRAY - the last mouse I caught on the kitchen counter was the one digging in the plant since it has been 2 weeks today and no more in traps and no digging in the plant. I did pick up a few more sticky traps yesterday... but I hope to NOT have to use them anytime soon.

So time to get at it...

 

[farmerjan]

Sat morning. Not as productive yesterday as I hoped, but not too terrible.
Got the app for the fitness place down the road since the lady was again not in her office at the truck stop.
Called the eye dr and they are off on Friday....and on holidays, so will just wait for Tuesday to call to reschedule appt.
Windshield place is also closed on Fridays.....
Did stop and get an estimate at the muffler place on the way north to the farm. It is going to need most all of the pipe and all replaced... I am not surprised as it has over 200,000 on it. Muffler is gone and there are some "holey" places..... I was thinking 2-300. They came up with a price of 350 ; Lifetime warranty on it... And I know prices have gone up. I can wait for it... less than 2 hours they say... have to make an appt. Since my annual inspection is due in April, it has to get done by then so not a big push. Gives me some time and wiggle room. They do inspections there also, even though I do mine down here close usually. So the guy who had it up on the lift, said the tires were okay, but getting down in tread and the brakes were getting down a little... yes they will still pass right now.... and I said that the plans are to run the tires for the summer and then put 4 new on in the fall anyway.... and would do the brakes when I got new tires so all good to go into winter.
At least something to consider, might get the inspection done there when I get the muffler......

Got to farm and set up and tested. You sure get splattered in that barn.... oh well, pants needed washing anyway. Finally got done and home by 10:30....
Made myself another pina colada (2 in 2 weeks)..... and finally went to bed.

Colder this morning... 30 for a low but not warming up much. Partly cloudy. Didn't get the clothes hung yesterday so will get them out a little later. Sun for the next couple of days and warmer Sun and Monday.

 

[farmerjan]

....... BRRRRRR down to 19 last night... there was a pretty stiff breeze last night and when the sun dropped, so did the temperature.....like a ROCK !!!!! But, the sun is out and it is looking nice... and right now no wind...
Going out to let the chickens out of the crate and take a 1/2 gallon of warm water to help thaw the waterer.... I only take them out 1/2 gallon on cold days like yesterday... it will thaw it enough to work and the temps are supposed to warm up into the 50's this week and only down in the 30's so actually warmer than normal so it will stay thawed out for a bit.
Found out from DS that my brother, the one who was parents caretaker, is going to FL to visit a friend of his and is coming through here next weekend so going to get some of the mess I let go, straightened up and things picked up some. Of course everything in the kitchen has been going back into boxes to CLEAN from all the mice again..... oh well, he can like it or not... he is going to stay at DS's house since DS is living at GF's house... I think he will be here just 2 days... DS is going to show him around the farms, animals etc... he has never been here to Va.
Supper tonight at Deb's... going to take all the fixings for another Taco night.... OOPs, got to go get the chopped meat out of the freezer to thaw right now before I forget.
Also hang the "dirty jeans" that I put in the washer yesterday, from the farm the other night. May as well take advantage of the sun.... The weather is saying warmer than normal this week, temps in the 50's and only down to the 30's at night but some possible rain on Tues and again on Thursday.....it ought to be good and hard this morning for him to get around, but is warming fast... and will be an even muddier mess this week if we do get that rain.... UGH.....

Well, we can't change the weather....

 

[Ridgetop]

But that is sometimes not very pleasant since I was not raised to do for a GF and not for your own family... how he kow-tows to her makes me ........

You know the old proverb - "Your son is your son till he gets him a wife, your daughter's your daughter all of her life".
I guess it applies to long time girlfriends too. Hopefully he will become better as he gets older.

If he is living with GF maybe he should think about renting his house out. Of course, that would mean that when they have a fight, and he leaves (temporarily) he would have to come home to mom! So maybe not. LOL