Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Wed eve. Had considered going up to the monthly beef cow sale but decided I didn't want to drive up there. So stayed home this eve.
Went to the farm to get the forester where it is still, since I went and got the tractor to tedd, last week, and it was gone. Jim was there and said DS took it to work this morning.... he had his one truck hooked to the flat bed trailer where they loaded some hay on at the his green barn... I was surprised... I don't care that he used it... but he never bothered to tell me.... I had the elec fence stuff in it... DS happened to come in when I was there and he had a part he picked up for Jim for the truck he is redoing the rear seals or something... and I said I came to get the red car so I could try to figure out where the fence had a problem and I needed to get a few insulators in case there were some that were cracked and causing it to arc or something... and no car... I said I don't care that you used it but you could have said hey mom I need to take the car to work in the morning... and so he sorta laughed and said, hey mom, forgot to call you that I needed to take the car in the morning... and laughed it off... but then I said something about how all the stuff was in that one, and he got a little bent out of shape... then something else and he got another phone call, and then was a little p.o.'ed.... it was work by the sounds of it... so I just went and looked for some insulators and all, and he said he was going to get the other truck at Deb's and it would be there....
I went up and found that the insulator had pulled out of the post again, so I went up unplugged the charger, and I had the porcelain one, and used the wire around the post and put in the corner like it should be done... then I went up and checked the wire and found where it was touching the barbed wire along the top of the woven wire fence around the back of the yard fence... got that undone and then plugged it in it checked out all the way down the driveway on both sides. Hopefully now if they touch it, they will get a shock and not go through it. I figure it was grounded so they were reaching across and the insulator popped out of the wood post again since the nails weren't very long. Will have to keep an eye out on it along the woven wire/barbed wire that goes around the yard and garden up behind the house... I am thinking the deer are jumping into there and caught it just enough to get the barbs caught with the smooth electric wire and it grounded out since the barbed wire is not on insulators up there.

Replaced 2 insulators that looked like they might not be real good... and the tester showed it was working.

My allergies kicked into overdrive for some reason this afternoon so I came on home and took another allergy pill and it finally kicked in. Then I took and did some weed eating around here until I ran the 2 batteries down to be recharged. Zipped the greenhouse shut and set the heater for the low setting so it will stay above 55, and put the chickens in their crates and came in. Just ate some cottage cheese with apple butter... and drank some iced tea and I am done for this evening.

Got a call and am going to test on Sat a.m. for a farm. Nothing else planned... they wanted to test Sunday eve but I had just found out I will have to go to the funeral home. Geneva, who helps me test at the 500 cow herd and is getting married in July... her mom has been fighting cancer and she passed away... they were so hoping she could hold on for a couple more months for the wedding... she wanted that very much. She was at the bridal shower and was looking pretty good considering, but she had a relapse and came down with respirational pneumonia... every time she ate or drank, if she didn't take little tiny bites or sips, it seemed that it would go into her windpipe and lungs and not all down into her stomach... and it caused it to be worse... she was unable to cough as people do, to clear her lungs... she was in the hospital and it was not looking good but they had hopes she could bounce back from this and she was in good spirits and seemed to rally a little, but I guess it wasn't to be... I will go to the visiting hours and the funeral on Monday....
It is going to be tough on them... her sister got married a couple months ago, and Geneva is getting married July 1st... and the younger sister has some issues and moved out about 6 months or a year ago.... so her dad will be all alone... her mom was about 5-7 years older than her dad, he's about 50-55... and with both the married sister and Geneva both being in Pa... I look for her dad to move up there in the future... they have a bunch of family up there too, his side with sisters and brothers and all.... they are really nice people....very much into their Mennonite faith and that is what is giving her the strength I think... I feel bad for her that she was so close to being married and wanted her mom to be able to be here for that. She did alot of taking care of her these last 6-8 months when she had a relapse and things were looking worse....

So, that is that. I will see what I can get done here tomorrow with these allergies acting up so much. Eyes itching, watering and nose running like a faucet and throat so raw feeling ....GRRRR....
Need to get inspired to do something here... now I want to get in the garden since it looks like nights are going to stay in the 40's and better...
I need to spend some time on the piles of fence post mess again too....while it is not so da#@ed hot out.

 

[Baymule]

That’s so sad that Geneva’s mom passed away before the wedding.

 

[Ridgetop]

So sorry for Geneva about her mom.

 

[farmerjan]

Thursday eve. Found out today that DS was leaving this evening to go to VT to take the spayed heifers... I called him to find out what his thoughts were for this weekend as I was planning to go to the hours for Geneva's mom... that's when he calmly said I won't be here I'm taking the heifers to VT... guess that was another secret I wasn't supposed to know just like taking the steers to WV on Sunday and his using my car. I said oh, okay.... he said he would be at the farm around 5 after he went and got Danny's trailer to take them in... it is licensed (ours has only farm use and not supposed to go those kind of distances... his has normal trailer plates)... so I could come up and help him get them in... then he got there, had Colt with him again... and barely spoke to me... The heifers all came in and then we got in one of the steers still there that is still sick, and he had to go so 'I needed to get him in the chute and give him some shots'... he had to go to Lexington... I guess to a ball game... he refused to divulge his destination... and he took Colt and left.... Things are not very good between us lately. This breakup with the GF is not positive for his moods either... he is not wanting to try to let it go and I am not going to discuss it with him anymore. His attitude is getting worse and Jim said he has tried to talk to him when he gets to talking about it and how messed up he got with his ex-wife and how he was so much better off away from her as she ran around on him and he nearly went off the deep end...
Jim took me down earlier to get the Explorer when he got the call that his new tire was on the rim... and I brought it home. He is going to come and look at the mower tractor here that I flipped last year and DS said he would not work on again, sometime this weekend. I said I would pay him to do it, not to do it on the time he was committed to DS. At least see if it is worth trying to put the air cleaner on and getting started again.

Sam came and ran the tiller (on the back of the tractor) through the garden this afternoon while I was gone so it is ready to plant. That's good. I can work on it the next couple of days inbetween some farms etc. .

I went out to shut the chickens in the crates and looked across the field and saw something black and thought a cow was out... then realized it was not shaped right and then next thing there are 2 more smaller black shapes coming along behind... It was a black bear and 2 cubs going across the field we just got done baling, and into the woods into the property where the sawmill used to be... I didn't have my phone with me or would have tried to get a few pictures. Came out of the Christmas tree lot next door, across the road and across the field just above where the tractor and rake are sitting and right into the woods... headed in the direction of the nurse cow pasture and DS's house and all. There are alot of patches of woods all along there so plenty of places for her to be "out of sight".... Have seen a bear at least once a year around here but never one with cubs right near here. Quite a sight.

Called DS's next door neighbor, Rodney, to let him know about it and called the former owner of this place also just to give them a heads up because of them having bird feeders and such.... I would say these cubs were 50 + lbs and were following along quite well behind her. They don't bother the cattle much so not overly worried about that, but they might try to get into feed cans and such... Just would not want them to get between a sow and her cubs so if they see one to be especially careful that there might be cubs closeby.

Going to get stuff moved around in here so that I can get the table and chairs from my parents that are stored at the friend's in NH as I am assuming that DS is going to stop and pick them up on the way back from taking the cattle. Do not want any reason for him to complain about having to find a place to put them... I will have the hallway completely empty so it can come right in the hallway and then I can decide what/where it is going to go. I don't think there is much else I am getting... some equipment of father's that DS is getting...
Time for me to get more stuff done here and get the stuff together for a yard sale too...

Electric fence was still up at the nurse cow pasture, so maybe got it figured out and the end attached to the post properly this time. Hope the bear doesn't go through there and get things torn up...

DS said he would call me later, but haven't heard a thing... I really don't expect him to. I'm getting tired of all of it anymore.

 

[Mike CHS]

I won't offer anything on your son but I have a good idea about what your thoughts are.

 

[Mini Horses]

I know the frustration with DS. I'll say only, hope he has a safe trip.

Bears no thanks.

Garden tilled I'm hoping to get last couple hours of mowing done tomorrow. Had to quit as dark came today. Worked at stores half a day, so finish in morning. Then switch bush hog off and tiller on. Hit that garden! Expecting rain Sat night, hopefully not heavy. I did find some plants at an Ace hardware...not the expensive Bonnie ones. So bought 18 pepper and 18 tomato to get started with those, I'll use seed I have for all else. 12 tri-paks were $1.79 each. Decent price and healthy plants. Wanted a few varieties not there but can check next week when I'm in that area again. I've got potatoes sprouting that need to get in the ground...seed gabatch for every veg I can think of.

Want my garden in, even with all the work. It's a paid for food source and home gym, all in one. Then the canning sessions.. At least all those jars, lids and stuff is already here. Sat is goat auction and thinking a couple bucklings need to go. It'll be some tight juggling to work that all in.

Pull kids, start milking more moms reschedule life. More milk, make cheese...why do we keep doing this? it's a lovely life.

We can think about each other as we're planting! And as we're resting those sore arms and back afterward.

 

[Ridgetop]

Mama bear with cubs! Cute - from a distance or on TV. Not so cute in the garden, hayfield, cattle pasture, or chicken coop!

 

[Baymule]

Bears like chicken. And chicken feed. Hope they stay away.
Buy your own truck and trailer, get your own lease and move your cows. Easier said than done but you wouldn’t have to put up with a load of crap.

 

[farmerjan]

Friday night. Warm last night, only down to 58... sun and clouds all day... we were supposed to get some showers this afternoon/eve but it is breaking up and going more north... hope we get some overnight.

Went out this evening, and weed eated along the grass where the fence panels are for the tomatoes... hope to get them planted in the next couple of days. Plus want to get all the potatoes in this next week. And the onion plants. Then I will work on things like green beans and squash and stuff... Garden looks good but it is really a little dry. I need to look at the long term forecast and see what it is looking like for the next week. Need to take the weedeater on wheels all around the garden so I can get the electric netting up to keep the chickens out and hopefully the deer will be cautious and stay out too.... I will probably run a few taller t-posts and put a strand of wire around the top too... now the bear might be a problem too....

Watered all the plants that I have out; hopefully will get watered by some rain...too....

Went to the nurse cow pasture as I saw a heifer off by herself... she has a new black white faced bull calf... YAY...not my heifer but glad to see it healthy on the ground, she is talking to it and it got up and went off with her and she is taking good care of it.... She does not have a very nice udder,, but it looks like the calf has nursed so I left well enough alone. There are at least 2 more there that I am sure are bred... and the bull had been in with them after they came home from the summer pasture, at the barn so who knows when they might calve. There will be a bull put in there in about a month... there are a couple with calves already, and some heifers that need to be bred for their first time....

Started moving stuff around in the "dining room?/storage room" , and have to get the vacuum out and do some cleaning before I move these boxes out of the hallway. Went through, put a few things in the sink to wash, and then put a couple of things in a box for the yard sale.... Got some stuff for the dumpster..... still more to do tomorrow on that.
Got another little mouse yesterday and a big deer mouse got partially stuck on a trap and was trying desperately to get off and I managed to pick it up by the other end and when it turned to try to get to me/get off, got stuck better and out the door and in the tub of water. DA@# these things.

Went up to clean up a sq bale( maybe more) that fell apart when they were loading them and found out he took a load across the mountain to some regular customers Wed night. He told me after we had gotten the heifers in the barn, and so I said I would go clean it up and feed it to someone since it is nice 2nd cutting orchard grass... I fed some to the 2 blind yearlings at the barn that will be beef next year... Mine was born blind and the other has never had much sight at all... think she got pinkeye as a calf and never could get it straightened out right..... anyway... gave them some and some to the other cattle in the lot at the barn. No one was overly excited so only fed out half of it and covered the other part in the back of my little truck to feed out tomorrow. Want to take some to the calf in the barn that I treated... and get it in and give it some more penicillin since nothing else has touched it.... sometimes Pen G is underrated because you have to use it daily for several days. I probably should have done it today but it just wasn't convenient. I will feed the hay and get him in when I get home from testing and all and give him another shot and see how he is doing.

Got the sample bottles in the trays and in the car. Printer too, and will load this computer in a little bit too.... the owner sampler farm finally called and said they finally got to doing a test on Thursday.. samples would be taken Thurs night and then be ready to go on Friday..... I said I would be up there on Saturday morning, so would come by then and do the paper work and all that after I get done at the other farm. I wasn't going to make a special trip on Friday (today) since I was going to be within 10 miles of them on Sat morning and he said that was fine. So tomorrow I will test, no set up there at least, should be done about 8-8:30, then go to the owner sampler farm and do the computer work and pick up the samples, and then come home.

So I just ate the rest of the cottage cheese and some apple butter... wanted to wait to wash my hair but it is so icky it is getting washed tonight and I will see about wearing a hat and putting it all up under it; to keep it clean. It had hay in it from cleaning up that hay, then dust and stuff from the weedeating this evening and some of the dust I was kicking up.

Need to get going as I have to leave around 3:45 to go to work....

 

[farmerjan]

Oh yeah, also went to co-op and got another "gate handle" for the electric fence since DS said he was going to get one and didn't and I realized I couldn't go through the gate way with the 2nd strand of wire there... and I got ZAPPED when I must've accidently hit the top wire... YOOWHEEE... it is plug in electric... and it was working JUST FINE.... I went and turned it off and put the new handle on and then went in and checked the cows and then came out and then went and turned it back on..... that was my "THRILL" for the day....