Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

When my son begins the aggressive attitude -- waaay too often -- I call him out about it!! Then sometimes I walk away. Of course, when you herding & working animals it's harder to do. But we don't have that farm owner/ sharing here!!!! All mine.

Life is a trial too often!!

There are times he's not "my son" just someone I birthed.

 

[Baymule]

If he goes back to the GF, at some point, it’s all gonna blow up in his face-and yours too. Cattle in your retirement is Plan A, better have Plan B and maybe Plan C.

 

[farmerjan]

Considering future options...

We were supposed to POSSIBLY get some severe storms, but it got windy, and a light shower...about 3 or so in the afternoon... enough to get it a little wet but I doubt got more than a trace in the rain gauge. That is fine... we have that hay on the ground. I had gone up to see if it was dry enough for me to rake right ahead of him baling after he got off work, but it showered before that. It was not dry enough...needs to be raked and left a couple hours to dry out the underneath little bit of green... will see how things look after we get home from testing..... Hoping maybe he cut the rest of the field I picked him up from yesterday evening... only 20 % chance for next 2-3 days... then more for the weekend.
Scheduled to go test in the morning at the 500+ cow herd... leaving here at 3... got everything in the car to go except a couple bottles of water and will take some cranberry juice... got some fig newtons that are not too sicky sweet to eat that early...

Didn't do alot today... just not in the mood I guess... It was humid and sticky out there until later.... folded some clothes... did some scheduling for bill paying and such.

Going to bed to get some sleep.....

 

[farmerjan]

Got up early... left at 3:15... got to farm, set up, they started milking by 4:15... done and out of there before 10... went well... DS slept going up and took a nap coming home... He said he didn't sleep well since he was afraid he would over sleep.... I also did not sleep well since I was afraid of oversleeping... but it is done.
Got one scheduled for Fri afternoon... One Mon aft... and one Wed a.m.... have to leave again by 3:30 ish...A.M..... but it gets hot in the parlor and they want a morning... so I will do it.... Got 3 more to schedule... this is the month that more of the "every other month ones" seem to be on the schedule...

DS took the ford 4600 up and hooked to the rake so I could do the field on the hill... and then brought back the Deutz... then took the tedder down to the other field where he got 4 rounds around it mowed... tedded it out... and we left my forester there so I would have a ride after I rake it. SOOOO glad to have my "raking tractor back"....
Raked the side hill, but tractor seems to be "missing"...I stopped here at my house on the way to the other field... figured it was easier and closer to have it looked at here than all the way over at the hay field.... so they are going to change the fuel filter tomorrow... it is like it isn't getting enough fuel going up hills and is running a little rough... I only have to rake the small little section and then the 4 rounds around the bigger field at the other place... so if they (jim) does that tomorrow morning... because no one is open (for parts), closeby here... for 4th of July except to go to town... and I was going to rake in the morning anyway....Hope it is not the fuel pump...... so I will wait and take it down there in the morning... DS might cut the rest of the field... but the weather is looking more "iffy" for Friday... so might just bale the little bit I get raked and then mow and make the rest after we get the "weather" they are calling for over the weekend....
That place is tedded out so will dry more... and the other one is raked so it is drying. They got a little more rain there as the hay was damp underneath... not soaking wet, but just damp... so raking and turning it up will dry it out and the few green spots will cure/dry also... there is a breeze so it ought to dry nice. There is a 20% chance of pop up showers, and there are some clouds, but the radar is showing them falling apart before they get very close to us here.
Texted Deb, and she said just doing something on the grill is fine... so took out some ground beef... and I hard boiled some eggs yesterday... so will make some deviled eggs and go down there later... she is mowing and doing outside stuff she said...said she has everything else....

Also we are going to drop off her truck down at the farm bureau co-op... and they will do an oil change and grease it tomorrow... She may have to drive it back to northern Va as her little car has not been running right and she wants to get the guys at my mechanic's place to look at that... so she can take that down tomorrow afternoon and leave it and get the truck (it is close and they can run her over to get the truck or I will go with her)....
She has to go back, to work in the office... they are requiring at least 2 days, in office, a week now... so she worked remote Mon, and will work remote Wed... and then go back and go in on Thurs and Friday... If it rains she won't come out for another week.... she needs to drive the truck some anyway... it sat for over a year... and she only drives it a few miles to the co-op or something when she is out here.... needs a good "run"...

It is cloudy but I sure hope we DO NOT get any of the pop ups this afternoon...not with the hay raked in windrows...to bale tomorrow... I shut the windows on the forester so it won't rain... if I left them open, it would rain for sure...
I do have to go out and water the hanging plants though since we did not get any significant rain.

 

[farmerjan]

Forgot to post the previous message earlier. Been to Deb's, had nice hamburgers on the grill with gr onions, mushrooms, cheese... baked beans, pot salad and deviled eggs... opted for popsicles for desert as I ate too much!!!!!
Took truck down to be there for oil change in the morning... dropped her off home, chickens in crates and I am done. I will sleep tonight.
Car backed up so I can take samples out to bring in and pack tomorrow morning... it has been under the tree in the shade with the windows down... Will have to go rake that little bit of hay tomorrow once the tractor is fl
) hopefully running better...

DS helped to finally get the rolls of wire off the truck and on the other rolls where they are off the ground earlier so now I can drive the truck some again. It will need the oil changed here soon too.... and the battery needs to be charged some by running the truck. plus I am going to go pick up some hay he left where he went around a rock at one place... cover over more of the thin spots in the garden....

 

[CLSranch]

Got up early... left at 3:15... got to farm, set up, they started milking by 4:15... done and out of there before 10... went well... DS slept going up and took a nap coming home... He said he didn't sleep well since he was afraid he would over sleep.... I also did not sleep well since I was afraid of oversleeping... but it is done.
Got one scheduled for Fri afternoon... One Mon aft... and one Wed a.m.... have to leave again by 3:30 ish...A.M..... but it gets hot in the parlor and they want a morning

You could get used to that schedule if it was consistent. Doing that some days and getting home after 11p.m. other days is awful.

 

[farmerjan]

When I milked cows I would get up at 3:45 every morning to be at the barn by 4-4:15... and then all the years I tested full time... I didn't have trouble going to sleep... Rules were NO INCOMING PHONE CALLS after 9 P.M. when my son was with me... long before we had cell phones and all that.... and I could get up at 2 or 3 or 4 or whatever... Testing has never been consistent morning hours but I got used to going to bed early and then getting up.... after 40 plus years of it, I just am tired of having to get up and "going".... out the door. I rather like staying up a little later at night and relaxing.... not pushing to get things done to go to bed to get up early. You're right, it is easier with a routine... and I honestly am afraid to oversleep the alarm on the few times I test mornings, now.... Plus, it was hot and sticky... so not easy to just go to sleep. Add to that the responsibility of having another person (DS) to account to.... The deal is with all the farms that if I am not there... and have not called... most will wait 10-15 minutes maybe and then start milking.... that I may have overslept... we usually will call and check in... sometimes if I am running late I will call and make sure they know... even if it is going to be "late for me" but still there in time for normal milking.... especially lately with the traffic being awful.....

But, I just wanted to make sure we were both able to get up and get going... so subconsciously I didn't get into a good deep sleep...

 

[farmerjan]

Got up and had to go pick Deb up as she also took her car down to my mechanic's to have the check engine light checked out, and a couple little things also looked at... they were going to keep it as she had arranged to possibly leave it... Brought her home, let the chickens out... Then did a few things, ate, and then went out to the tractor. DS said he had put a new fuel filter on it... I got on and started down the road to go to the field I was heading to when it wasn't running right... It ran great... like it should. He said there was junk in the filter...
Got down to the field and had to do alot of maneuvering around in the small piece near the house, lots of backing up and stuff....then the other Pie shaped piece where there is a definite ridge and it gets cut separate from the rest of the field.... then got the 4 rounds he had mowed around the outside of the field... raked. There is a steep hill there and I am very careful because you cannot rake going up the hill on the one part... the wheels will spin on the hay trying to get traction going up and the V rake puts alot of weight pull on the tractor... so I rake going down the hill in low gear and it is okay. Just extra thinking of where to start the row and all that... Got that done and got in the car and headed home... then packed the samples and went to the vineyard... and they weren't getting a pickup today....
. Then I went and got Deb and took her back down to get her truck that they changed the oil and all... then took the samples to the truck stop where they have a UPS pick up box for the truckers... but the boxes do not fit in the door of the drop box.... they pick up there by 5:30... but of course, they were late today. I sat there waiting on the driver.... and then DS calls and he needed baling twine for the baler... and he called the co-op and of course they were closed already... earlier hours closing..... so I had to go to the other baler and get the extra he carries in the bale chamber... because he didn't have any more at the barn. I mean... REALLY......so the UPS guy got there just as I was going to just leave the boxes because I didn't want to miss him... luckily..... as he didn't seem to get the idea that he could just take the shipment... with labels and all on them already... Where do all these people come from???? SOOOO, went and got the baling twine, took to DS and he was going to go to the field where I had raked this morning....
Didn't cut anymore... Friday they are calling for some serious storms to come in.... wished he had cut the rest of this place the other afternoon and yes, it got a little wet, but it would have been done... Oh well, not my call.
Didn't have good hot water, and DS said that one of the heating elements probably burnt out.... hard water with lime/calcium deposits... it was lukewarm... so he said he would see about getting another element for it. Last night after I got home from Deb's and put the load of clothes in to soak... I noticed the breaker didn't look like it was all the way "on" ... so I flipped it off and then back on.... and I have hot water today. He said that if it trips again, then the element is going bad. We did have some thunder and lightning the other day and then I noticed it wasn't real hot that evening (Monday)... so maybe something hit somewhere that made it kick off.... So for now I have hot water again.

The lady at the house that I raked hay at yesterday has a peach tree that the deer were eating the peaches while I was raking... I asked DS if they were there or came out on weekends or something... I have never seen anyone there... and he texted her today and she said they weren't ready but if I wanted them I was welcome... so I will go up and get all I can salvage. Of course they weren't ready yet.... and there won't be any left there when they get ripe... DA@N DEER were taking 1 bite, dropping them and going after another. Tree was loaded... I ate one and it was a little hard but almost ready.... I will go get them tomorrow morning before it gets too hot...

Going out to the garden for a little bit, then a good hot shower.

 

[farmerjan]

Thursday, noon ish.

Let the chickens out early... nothing in the trap... I reset it with cherries last evening... a few of the sunflowers got hit again yesterday....

Went and picked all the peaches I could reach... got about 2-3 bushels ... They are still a little firm... but between the birds in the top of the tree and the deer stripping them off the lower branches, they wouldn't be there in a few more days. I will bet they have already gotten 2-3 bushels by the number of pits everywhere. The lady came out to bring in the trash container.... and I introduced myself... she is elderly and frail... turns out she had a stroke and her speech is a little hesitant.. she apologized, and in the course of the conversation, she said it has been about a month... I told her she was doing fabulous for it only being a month, that my dad took at least 6 months to get most of his speech back... she wanted to make sure I got as many as I could... I told her about using Irish Spring soap next year when the peaches were getting close to getting ripe.... she was very nice...
I plan to make some jam if I can, and will do some up as slices... and I will take her a jar or 2 as a thank you.

It is sticky humid... I was soaking wet with sweat in less than 2 hours getting them.

Put a load of clothes on the line last evening... they are probably already dry.

DS got all the hay baled that was raked... the forecast has been "upped" to 30-50% chance of rain... pop-up showers and such, this afternoon....

I left the key on in the outback...when I closed the windows up most of the way for the night.... so dead battery this morning... took the explorer to get the peaches and will go out and jump the outback to get it started... DUMB...

Did a sink full of dishes, put some more clothes in the washer... cuz they "stink" from sweating the last few days... Once I get the car started, need to get meters and hoses in it for tomorrow's testing... I am going to take the peaches out of the buckets and spread out in "flats" so they won't bruise as they ripen... I didn't drop but a few on the ground... placed them into the buckets so they wouldn't be bruised.

Going out to check the trap too... the early purple beans are starting to flower and there were a few leaves missing... so a stupid VARMINT is at it again... probably another young groundhog...

......they are out in the daytime...

 

[farmerjan]

Thursday night. Still 76 out... was up to 91 in the shade so probably close to 95 in the sun anyway.

Had to go take reports to the farm I tested Fri. I was supposed to drop them off Sat after the wedding... only a couple miles away... and I forgot them. So, with the heat, I decided I would make the trip with the AC (yep, I use it in the hot car) and drop them off......
AND..... came home with 3 kittens. I am real concerned about the road... BUT.... their mother got killed on the road at the farm, and they wound up down in the parlor 2 days later.... looking for food I think. They are eating canned food and he is giving them milk but they are eating on their own.... tonight they will stay in the box and I have the freezer box that I kept in the carport, that I cut off about 2-2 1/2 ft high so they can be contained for a few weeks maybe... I will let them out loose around the house, when I am out here... they are very friendly and they were starting to follow him out of the barn and office area, and he was afraid they would get run over by a vehicle...... hopefully they will do okay. They are pretty little still. I will probably try to make them in/out cats so don't have to deal with a litter box in the house... and when they get older, let them out the back door to the deck on the side of the house. They do use the litter box he provided for them and I will do the same for now....

So on the way home I stopped at Walmart, got some kitty litter, some dry kitten food and some canned food, like what he was feeding them... plus a few misc groceries..and they had lemonade so got another flat of 12 cans..... and came home. They are in the box I brought them home in, has small air slits along the sides... so they stay put for the night. Then I will put them in the bigger box tomorrow.... give them a little cardboard "flat" with some kitty litter... and some food so they associate it with food and safety/home... until they get more used to things. Plus, I have to work tomorrow afternoon, so want them where they will be contained and "safe". I will take them out as much as I can when I am here. Gotta watch the chickens too... they might pick on them since they are so little right now. Then, as they get a little more "mobile" and used to me.... and hopefully will come when I call "kitty"... they will have extended time out loose. PLUS... it won't be long that they will be climbing out of this "containment"... but by then this ought to be home...

Brought the groc in... have to get the peaches out of the car in the morning as I didn't have any flats to put them on... but got a couple, so will spread them out tomorrow morning in the hallway here so the varmints stay out of them. Then I can monitor them for ripeness and maybe can some next week .

No rain here, but there were some pop ups north of where I was... radar shows some yellow and oranges now... so t-storms... maybe will fire up again tomorrow afternoon... so I will be able to get in the clothes and hang out the "drip dry" shirts and all I wear for work... They will dry in 2 hours in the morning....
More serious rain/storms for Sunday, with Sat looking drier than they thought. Then maybe drying out next week...

Glad I turned down testing today... it was just humid/muggy/miserable...
NOPE, nothing like y'all in Texas...

Going to put the dishes away, and do a few of the gallon jars that are sitting there to be washed..

Trap was tripped in the garden, but nothing in it and the cherries still in it... might have been the wind? I had it set with a "hair trigger" ... right on the edge.. so set it a little more "firmly" so when they go in and hit the plate they should trigger it. Was planning to do around the inside more of the garden... I ran out of battery last evening and it was getting dark anyway... but the kittens and the detour to the store got me home a little later. I should get home from the farm well before dark tomorrow night, so if it isn't raining, I may try to get a little more weed eated around the inside.

I need a shower and a cold drink and early bed as I want to get out and going pretty early with getting the kittens situated.