Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Baymule]

Would a cattle guard be overkill? Could the car manufactured from plastic bags even move with one attached on the front? Would there be any money in designing a squirrel guard and trying to sell it to a manufacturer? LOL

If I could strap on a Ranch Hand bumper, I durn sure would! The weight would stand my car on its headlights.
If I could crochet, I’d crochet a squirrel guard out of grocery bags!

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday evening. Got a call that the 2 bulls were in with the neighbors' bull... guess all the cows are bred and they decided they needed to fight through the fence and ours got over into their field. Got one back out into the fenced off "riparian" area where it is wet... will get him back into our field eventually... let him eat the grass.... but the other went up over the hill with some of his cows... but they should all be bred so not a concern for ours breeding his and him not happy about it...He got his bull into the catch lot and is taking his out... said it was time to get the bulls out anyway... which ours should be out but the bull lot fence is still not finished...
DS was setting the trusses on the hay barn so asked if I could go deal with the bulls. The short stretch of fence that we share with the neighbor is in almost the same shape as the fence along the road... although it is woven wire; but the posts are all rotted off and the T-posts are along the hill and it just laid over some... bulls pushing on it.. bent a T-post... and over they came. Could be worse... will have to get the bull back as this guy is a little bit short about things that are not just "right"....maybe they will be down along the fence by the gate to the riparian area tomorrow.. it is near the water trough... they want green grass as much as anything... at least if I can get him in there he is out of their pasture. DS didn't move the bull the other day with the cow/calf that was getting out... and now they got across the fence...

Got the path to the chickens all weed eated down... weed eated all along the house and the deck and all. Next needs to be some sort of mower purchased.....

Got the pepper seeds in the starter thing and in the greenhouse outside.

Moved the spider plants outside to get the rain coming to get a good soaking... temps are supposed to stay mid-50's so they will be okay. Plus I can get the cardboard down on the deck boards since they are out. Tomorrow night supposed to drop back into the low 40's so they will be back in. Since it is supposed to rain most of the day tomorrow, I will get the other rack put together as I can work on it inside the greenhouse with the plants out, then move them all back in later.

Called the lady about the chickens after I got the bull situation under control.... and she said she had promised them to someone she met at the farmers market this morning... LIKE REALLY????.... so I said well, I didn't call last night because it was too late, and then had to deal with the bull situation and that W had said for me to call on Sat ..... Whatever.....

Sorted clothes and put the whites in to soak, like to soak all the socks to get them cleaner... Sun supposed to come out on Monday so they will be ready to hang. Going to do the barn clothes and get them out next week after I test Monday eve...

Made some spaghetti for supper since I didn't have anything out of the freezer... ate all the hamburger I had thawed; might take out a steak and saute some onions tomorrow eve.

Eyes are itchy as all get out... Need to get a shower and wash any/all pollen off....

 

[Baymule]

Any time you have a little time, cows or bulls get out and you have to go deal with it.

My son found a deal on trusses, used, and bought 2 sets of 5. One for me, one for him. He came up with the idea of me getting two 40’ shipping containers, set them 40 feet apart, put up trusses and a roof. It’s what he’s always wanted to do with his containers. Instant (almost) barn for hay, tractors, storage, and a lean to off one side for sheep barn. He wants to move his containers to his land in Houston County, set them up, put the trusses and a roof up, he’ll be able to park his RV trailer under it when he’s in. So, that’s coming up, lots of prep work first.

 

[Ridgetop]

Now all you need is the storage containers! Once you have them you will have an almost instant barn. Getting closer all the time!

 

[CLSranch]

I replaced my ac compressor and belt in my 2011 truck last week. Final cost was about $650 doing it myself after I bring the wrong belt back. After the clutch locked up snapped the belt.
The foreman made a big deal about me taking time to find out what was wrong with my truck Wed morn. Not knowing what locked up and not knowing how long it would take to order parts I wanted to find out since I new the job would be over Fri and not knowing were/when the next job would be. This company pays 7 days per diem if you work the scheduled work week. So for me taking an hour he took the 2 days per diem.
Had to get a ride 45 mins from the job and 35 from the camper Wed and Thur because apparently some of these trucks have 2 alternators, therefore 2 different belts available.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday aft. Had some rain last night but it was less than I had thought... barely .15 inches in the rain gauge.

I went out and got the 2nd plant stand put together finally and all set up in the 1/2 greenhouse on the deck. Opened it up because it was actually getting too warm in there.

Came in and ate a pbj sandwich for lunch and took the steak out of the freezer.

Wanted to leave the plants out in case we got more rain but it started cooling off and just as we got about 20 sprinkles, the temp was dropping so I just moved them in the greenhouse and turned the heater on so it can kick on when it gets cooler. It is down to 57 outside, from 69 earlier, so enough of a drop to feel it. Watered the 2 trays of pepper seeds I started as they were still dry even after putting quite a bit of water in the bottom for them to soak up. Came in and have been puttering in the house.
The clouds pass then the sun tries to come out for a few minutes, then it clouds up again. We got that 10 minute shower and now the sun is out again. Totally crazy. Warmed back up to 62... sun on the greenhouse warmed it up to 73 inside.... Temps are going to be 50's and low 60's and nights in the 30's and 40's the next several days.

Got the boxes with bottles in the house, to put in the trays for tomorrow. Need to pack the samples from Fri eve into boxes to ship on Monday. Get everything ready for work tomorrow. I am going to put the meters and hoses away in their containers in the carport. Won't need them for a week or so I don't think. Have to call the owner sampler farm and see if he has ever tested, again... left the bottles 2 weeks ago.... no communication. I told him when I was up that way twice... but it didn't suit him those days...

 

[Mini Horses]

HEAVY rain here, lots of thunder, couple different times today, as well as a softer rain for a while. They reported a light, short lived tornado in VA Beach (60 miles away), the system is moving toward Eastern Shore...still a section of heavy rotation but they have dropped tornado threat there. . Mostly the heaviest has passed out area now. And boy did we get water!!! Easy 2-2.5" here. Got almost 2 Friday. Sunshine for a couple days.

 

[farmerjan]

CHILLY.... and hard gusty winds last night. Down to 41 overnight and the wind blew all night and still quite gusty out there. Supposed to be like this most all day.
But some WV counties are looking at accumulating snow ..... Pendleton county, north and west of here, says up to 6 inches.... Radar not showing it making it's way anywhere close here... It's cloudy and blustery feeling out there. But, the wind is supposed to possibly cause some power outages with trees and branches coming down.

Gotta get out the lined jeans again for testing this afternoon. Supposed to be chillier than normal temps for several days and nights.

Going out to get the stuff in the car and will probably leave early and go by the goodwill store down near the farm since it is the only time I get there. Nothing much I am going to do here today outside.

 

[farmerjan]

Monday night. Another half-a$$ed day.... got the samples packed and everything in the car to go. Left and headed to the vineyard to drop off the samples since the other place just got bought out and they do not have a UPS account yet so the mgr has to take stuff to UPS after he gets off work... PITA.... so right now they don't have pickup... but the vineyard up the road does... and I know the owners for years so not a problem.... BUT.... the road was blocked and there was a state cop and it was going to be closed due to some sort of accident with a truck/trailer... right near the vineyard entrance... so I just said THWith it... and left for the farm.

Stopped at TSC to look at the push mower... they had the one I was interested in comparing... self propelled.... but of course no one has the riding one I am interested in... Also went to Lowe's and looked... and met and talked to a nice guy there about the battery mowers... and I said I didn't give a tinker's d#@m, on the battery ones for the ecology end of it... I didn't want to deal with the engines and spark plugs, and gas and belts and all that.... because I had to get someone to work on them.... that was why I was looking at the battery powered ones... we discussed the different ones and his thoughts on their power etc.... and then about a tiller they had... it is electric but needs a cord... and I said, just my luck to turn it and run over the cord and cut it up.... and he asked about the garden and I said it was pretty good sized as I canned alot of my food for the winter as well as stuff in the freezer and got into the cost of things and he is a big hunter and said that he was also afraid that things were going to get bad and that he would be thankful to have this food put back.....they also garden.... Makes you realize that there are alot of people with those thoughts, just quietly going about getting things set back to take care of themselves...

Went to the goodwill store down near the farm; no jeans but did get a couple of books and dvd's to be able to watch.... went to the farm and they finally were ready to start about 3:45.... didn't get done 'til 7:15 or so... but of course all the paperwork was still not done... and so it all had to get caught up before I could do the final closeout.... get all the dried off and sold cows entered and the dozen new heifers added, that were in the barn milking.... went to do the final closeout... AND the heifer's needed their ID'S entered... so I told her to go on and enter them at home and then do the upload of the herd herself.... I figured she would be more comfortable doing it at home where it was warmer.... and so I printed the "racking list" to get the numbers in the right order and left to come home... I should be able to get out of there within a half an hour after milking just entering in the milk weights into the computer and maybe an occasional missing cow's information.... I should have been out of there 15 minutes after milking and home by 8-8:15 easy..... if they started on time and then got done on time and all I had to do is the milk weights.... stopped for gas since it is .10 -.15 cents cheaper down there... and came home... 45 minutes after leaving the farm at 8:30 or so.... Typical... but a pain.

Wind is still blowing and it looks like we will get some rain from 11-2 or so by the looks of the radar. We have had a few little spits of 2 minute's worth of drops off and on... not amounting to anything but annoying... Samples are in the house so I can pack in the morning...

Greenhouse staying around 58-60.... temp is down to 45. It only got to 55 today and didn't feel that warm, with this wind. Heard on the news that the Tornado that dropped down on the VA Beach area that @Mini Horses mentioned was an F3 or however they rate them... quite a bit of damage but no loss of life... Not common in Va that's for sure. Hurricanes are much more likely here.... this wind sure has been relentless for the last 24 hours or so.

Going to quit for the night.

 

[Mini Horses]

Chilly here, too. 60s all week. We're getting winds, not heavy but still too much. The storm through here ended with about 5" rain her over couple days.

Still planning to go to chicken swap this Saturday?