Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[SageHill]

Thursday eve. Got up and let chickens out and got into the garden, ran a battery down in the weed eater since I didn't know if I would get to it tonight and they were calling for rain later on; then picked about a 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket of green beans. Of course it started to sprinkle, then lightly rain... so my shirt was wet. I quit then.
We have gotten some off and on, I did not check the rain gauge this eve. By looking at the radar, we are at the northern edge of it, it is heading more east and staying mostly to the mid part and southern part of the state. Still if we get a couple tenths that iwll be good with the cooler temps it will soak in better.

There are lots of flowers so I think these green beans are from the first seeds that came up, as I went through and replanted inbetween where they didn't come up about 10 days later...
The wax beans will need picking again after the next 2 days of rain/showers we are supposed to have.

Nothing in traps in garden or chicken shelter...

Went to the chiropractor and don't know what he did to the neck but the shoulder is feeling A WHOLE LOT BETTER..... talked about the weakness in the legs still and how frustrating it is... he said the neck was very stiff, and it sure feels quite a bit better which helps the shoulder too...going to get back with using that small cycling machine that I used with the ankle and somewhat with the knees... try to build up some stamina/strength...

It was 64 and only up to 69 on the thermometer. Feels almost chilly....

Tomorrow is dentist appt and since I will be half way, will take the bottles to the owner sampler farm, for them to use on the Mon/Tues test. That saves me a special trip up there this weekend.

Everything else quiet. I will not get on the tractor for bush hogging until the weekend at the soonest if he has gotten the rough/dangerous spots bush hogged around.

Need to see about a cat door for the kittens since they are going to be as much inside as outside... Going to close the back door to the deck and just keep the front one cracked to the front porch. NOT doing that this winter!!!!!

They are really starting to play and getting up on the couch... jumping on each other and such. They were sooo young when I got them. They are eating good and want to be petted all the time....

Going to figure out something for supper tonight... then sit and fold clothes and watch a dvd movie I think; and get the bottles in the rack for tomorrow's drop off...

Now that sounds like a gooood day! So cool that the kittens are working out and the added bonus of them being entertainment too!

 

[Baymule]

64 and up to 69, feels almost chilly?? Sounds wonderful to me!!

 

[farmerjan]

The one kitten is exploring into the cabinets that are open on the bottom.... I keep telling him that it will be his job to get all those interesting smells he is finding and catching them for me..... make me proud of him....
Please.......

 

[farmerjan]

Rainy damp again... 64. Got to eat and take the premeds for the dentist and then get bottles ready to take to farm.
Didn't do anything last eve but checking on bill payments on line, reading some more stuff on forums and went to bed. Slept 7 straight hours.... NICE.
It is supposed to mostly be cloudy, most of the precip is sitting at @Mini Horses house... 80 today and back into the low 90's and humid for the weekend. Typical summer weather with the warm temps and humidity. Possible severe T-storms on Monday...

 

[Ridgetop]

Summer is the busiest time for farmers. DH's relatives on his mom's side all farmed in Kansas. They used tp coe visit i the winter. I asked once why they came when the weather was so bad, and they said thei were too busy during the spring through fall. Winter was their down time for vacations. If you look at the traditional vacation times in rural public schools around the country, you can see that school vacations used to be timed for planting, and harvesting cycles.

 

[farmerjan]

Friday eve.... nice day 64 to 88... mostly sunny, few clouds, then a quick pop up shower at the farm where I was back on the bush hog, late this eve.... Looks like it wasn't going to do more than get the roads wet. The showers most all day yesterday, gave us right at another .3 inch....

Ate a bowl of cereal so I could take the premeds.... no more sick to the stomach by taking them on an empty stomach.....Went out to let chickens out and there was a bird in the live trap... went after the bread I guess... I let it out....
Got the bottles in the tray and got changed and went to dentist. Then went to the farm to drop off the bottles for them to test on Mon/Tues (he says that is when they plan to test). Then DS called and asked if I was still in town and could I go by the one tractor parts place to see if the pulley they ordered was in yet... He was closed, and don't know if he took an extra day off for a long weekend or what... no note on door... he is a small independent parts place, known his grandfather when he had it, and he is a friend and knows the older tractors like we have very thoroughly.... we try to get as much from him as we can and his prices are usually decent too....

Then on the way home, DS asked could I do some bush hogging if he put fuel in it and and all that for me, got the gates open to field 3 and did around the rough places and the sinkholes.... I said yes, I would be home in half an hour and he said, he was not ready for me so he would let me know. I said okay, I would be at the house. I had thought to go to the stockyard to watch prices a bit, but not a big deal.
Came home and sat and worked on the beans; got quite a bit done ready to blanche then Jim came by and said DS needed the hydraulic fluid and a pliers and he would be ready for me by 5. It was a little after 4 so I stopped the beans, put them in an ice water pan, and headed to the pasture.
He had to add fluid and do a couple other things... and the gear shift BROKE OFF in his hand... so he put the locking pliers on it... but he put it in gear for me and then I could start it with the clutch in and when I let off the clutch it would go... just could not change gears and can not back up until he gets it apart to try to weld it.... really not what he needed... but at least it happened when he was using it not me.... .
So it was not hard to deal with it, just had to be careful that I didn't get myself into a spot that I would have to back up.... put the pto lever in gear, for the bush hog, and let out clutch, and away it went... just could not change speeds so I had him put it in the next lower speed than I used the other day... there is a high/low floor shifter so that was okay... just went along at a little slower speed but kept at it for 2 1/2 hours... Got more done then he was saying the parts I could do.... but then I usually do more than he thinks I can.... another 2-3 hours should pretty much do it... there are a few spots he still needs to do that I am not sure of the rocks and one more sinkhole I think.... but I got alot done. He is going to see if he can get the little part loose at the top of the shifter that goes in the transmission... like for the whole gear shift lever to attach to the transmission... and then see if he can get it welded... it snapped off clean just above the floor.... must've been a shock to him...

By the time I got off the tractor at 8 I came home and got the chickens in and not much daylight to do anything in the garden. Did reset the trap... whatever was eating on the butternut squash ate at least half of it today... I am sure it is a ground hog... so I moved the trap over near it and used some cherries again... I need to be able to sit out there with the .22 and see if I can get it, if it still doesn't go in the trap...

Came in and am going to try to finish up prepping the beans so I can blanche and freeze them tomorrow. I don't know, I am really beat... might have to wait to finish them tomorrow. Maybe I will get out a movie and see if I can work on them and watch a dvd....

 

[Mike CHS]

I would try and cut off a few pieces of the squash that it is already eating to lure it in the trap.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday morning. Warmer than it has been, 68 up to 80 already. Sunny earlier but a few clouds now, still sun... and they are calling for some pop up showers then more storms and rain into tomorrow.,
Going to go out and see what needs picking since all the rest of the beans are either in the freezer or a few batches are ready to be processed. I put them in ice water over night to keep them cool and crisp.

Deb came in, yesterday, and we went down and picked up her car that had been getting some wiring issues worked on. Since fuel/gas has climbed $.30 or more the last 2 weeks she is glad to have it back and not be driving her truck back and forth to the DC area where she works, and lives full time. The Jetta is diesel and gets 40+ mpg... truck is getting 20+. She needed to drive the truck some since it sat for the better part of last year... but I don't blame her for wanting to get back to the car even though she likes the truck too.

We went to the little farmers market next door then went to a BBQ place for lunch. Then home.

DS got the piece of the shift lever off , in the tractor, where it attaches to the piece that goes into the transmission so he does not have to take the transmission out... which he was afraid might happen. Going to get it fixed/welded and then will be able to use the tractor again, and shift it and all.

Brought home a bucket of feed for the chickens from the big feed bin of mine. I keep a 5 gal bucket with lid in the shelter and only feed out enough for them to have for a day or 2 since there are mice and other critters constantly in there. With only 3 chickens right now, no sense in wasting it.

Tomorrow starts the work/testing marathon for a couple days...

 

[Ridgetop]

Glad not to have been there when the shifter broke off! Bet the air was BLUE! LOL Also glad you were not using it at the time! Get blamed for enough things! LOL

 

[farmerjan]

Well, the air might have been blue except he had Colt with him riding in the tractor... 3 yr old.... Nope, no swearing there... under his breath maybe.....

Said he got it fixed so tractor is functional but there will be very little I normally use it for anyway except to change forward gears which I don't do alot of, because I like to just go along steady... low/high shift but seldom change the actual gear once I get in a rhythm. Anyway. He called yesterday and wondered if I was coming up... said he texted me... didn't get the text until after he called me... and I said no, I wasn't planning on going there at that point.. it was after 4:30... It had rained again yesterday for awhile and I was finishing up the beans and really didn't feel like going back out anywhere.
So today I am headed to set up at the farm for this evening, then will go to the pasture and hopefully spend a couple hours and get it pretty much finished. He did around the rest of the rocky spots he said. Then he can move it to the other farm to get it done.
Of course had a farm have to change his test this week. Normally not a big deal since he is a good one to test... BUT of course it is the Tues eve one that I planned to go by the owner sampler farm to pick up the samples and do his stuff on the way.... . So I will probably have to make a special trip up there now....Got to go in that direction on Wed so might just call that owner sampler farm and tell him that I won"t be up that way until Wed..... instead of Tuesday. We rescheduled the farm for next Monday....
Another farm just texted me and wants Friday... was hoping they would take Tuesday since I had the opening... and could just go a little farther north and pick up the samples as planned...

Always something.

So got another 20 qts or so of beans in the freezer... And I picked over the purple beans and the wax beans yesterday morning after doing the chickens. Got about a 2 gal bucket full. There were alot of smaller wax beans so there will be at least one more picking. Not any green ones to pick again... But then we got a good soaking rain yesterday afternoon and so that will really perk them up and get them to grow and fill out pretty fast. I checked the rain gauges and there is right at .6 inches. Good rain, not too hard, and every bit soaked in.
The forecast is calling for some more storms to come in later this afternoon. and get some stronger winds and possible more severe heavy rain. Right now it is sunny with a nice breeze.

Guess I need to go get that farm's meters set up, and then head to bush hog. Have to be back in their barn at 4:30 this eve and back at 5:30 in the morning.