Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

OOps. hit the wrong button.
So lunch and then getting the kitchen cleaned up a bit to see about getting all of them into the lime water for soaking part. I am going to cut up some of them into chunks I think, as well as rings. The rings will look nicer, but the smaller chunks will make it easier to put into smaller jars so I can open just a small jar at a time. These cukes are really big around.... not like store bought size... these are 4-5 inches around and don't fit in the jars very good. Will see when they are ready to pack... might have to make them 1/2 rings to fit right.
Beans will go in the fridge to chill... they cut better through the little frencher thing when they are crisper.... I need to go pick the rest so can do them all at once. Maybe this evening... the sun is getting hot even though it really is a nice day and there is a light breeze.
Probably head for the tractor and raking after a bit. DS isn't going to get to any baling today and he has to finish the bush hogging to meet the terms of the "notice" and has to bring it back to the farm to run it over the sorghum to chop it up a bit so I can tedd it easier...
Oh... forgot to hang the towels... heading there right now...then lunch...

 

[farmerjan]

Just about ready to quit for the night.

Clothes got hung and a nice breeze so the towels ought to be soft tomorrow... Didn't get back from farm in time to get them in....
Ate and then got beans in cooler chest with ice water around the bag, to chill since there is not enough room in fridge. Better than nothing...
Didn't get to cukes as I wound up heading for the farm. DS was finishing up bush hogging over top of the one field of sorghum so they aren't so long stalks, and hopefully I will be able to tedd much easier tomorrow. Still alot of green in that 14 acres. He says the field across from my house was shorter so hopes it will tedd out easier. I got on the tractor and rake and it went real well. As much trouble I had with it tedding, it raked right along with no problem. Much easier when it is dry like that. I did the bigger of the 2 fields and will do the other tomorrow. He should be able to bale the one I got done this afternoon/eve... took a bit over 2 hours.... about normal.
Came home and put chickens in the crates . Then got the chicken stuffed and in the oven so it could bake; and then got the yellow squash cut up while watching a dvd... Crossfire Trail... with Tom Selleck.... just got done with blanching it and it is draining... I will probably stick it in fridge and let it sit in colander over a bowl for the night to drain as much as possible, then vacuum seal in the morning.
Chicken is done and have to find a place for that too... UGH....
Cukes will get done in the morning before I go to rake the other field... raking should only take another 2 hours or so....
I want to finish picking the 2 1/2 rows of green beans in the morning before it gets too hot. Then I can french them all at the same time and do all the blanching at the same time instead of in bunches.

Deb is out for a week with a friend to help work on some stuff... going to supper tomorrow night. In between things I also hard boiled a dozen eggs to make deviled eggs to take with me and some tomatoes and some eggs for "breakfast meals for them. I have about 4 dozen... well 3 since I hard boiled those... the chickens are laying pretty good so 3 a day nearly every day... I go through spells and eat them, and then don't for a bit. I will get them peeled and made in the morning...

Was a gorgeous day... 55 up to 85, nice breeze, no humidity, and not too hot overall. Tomorrow supposed to be over 90 and in the 90's for pretty much all week...

 

[Mini Horses]

Similar temps here yesterday but, some humidity with it. So outside and sweaty. Day before had been drier, enjoyed that. Weather station says humidity 93 today and basically no breeze, temp to 90. Might as well be raining! . 63 this morn but grasses are WET. At least it will be cooler to milk gonna be a miserable day out there.

Chickens have pretty much gone on laying strike with this weeks weather...they just hide in the shade. Don't blame them! I'm thinking work inside in AC today. Probably won't.

 

[farmerjan]

Nice 59 overnight. Already up to 70 and low 90's expected. Humidity in the 50-55 % range so humid enough but not too bad.
Sunny out, heading out to pick the rest of the beans... squash is vacuum packed and done and all dishes washed up already. After I get the beans picked, I will come in and make the deviled eggs so they are done and then probably head for the hayfield and get that raked so it has a good part of the day to dry. Then DS can change tractor back to the tedder and I can go do the 14 acre section there at the farm and come up and do the 10 acres across from my house.
Eating a bowl of cereal....
Really notice the change in the angle of the sun with the trees across the road... don't get alot of sun on the porch for very long before it winds up being behind the maple tree here in the yard and it shades the yard longer since the sun doesn't get so high in the sky. Kinda nice this time of year...

 

[farmerjan]

Long days...
Yesterday I also made a bowl of custard before I went out to pick the beans, and it was nearly finished cooking when I got in so that was good timing. Got the eggs made and in fridge for later.
Went to field and got the one raked. DS ran the bush hog over the 14 acre one so I didn't tedd it. But did change out the rake and hook up the tedder. Then came home and the heat had gotten to me a bit... so I took a couple hours, then went back down and got the tractor and tedder and headed up here, to the field across from my house. It was another slow motion take forever tedding... this sorghum-sudan grass was also too tall.... and I was frustrated with it. Did 2 rounds around the outside and quit. Got a shower, washed my hair since it was so sweaty and then went to Deb's.

Had a nice supper, met Deb's friend... she was also in the military with Deb's deceased husband and they all knew each other ... her husband is also passed away now... so good company for Deb for the week and she likes to "do stuff" so they will get some things done around the farm. They are both working remote this week from out here.

Came home and fell into bed.

This morning it was warmer and muggier... 67... up to 91... and the sun was more hazy... they are saying more smoke from wildfires out west and in Canada again... air was stifling.
Tried tedding one more round and got pi$$ed and went back to the farm and got the tedder unhooked and hooked back up to the rake... and raked the 14 acres.... it went fairly well but was just hot out there. Took about 3 hrs... then brought tractor and rake here and parked it and took a "cool off break" again... Then I went out and raked the 10 acres across the road... again took about 3 hours... but I spent at least a half hour getting the long pieces of sorghum-sudan grass "unwound" from around the big wheels that pick up the hay/grass and roll it over into the windrows. It was still hot out there at 4 when I got started getting the wheels cleaned out... and it was in full sun the whole time... But it is done and the raking went a whole lot better than the tedding ever did. There are a few green spots at the ends of the rows where the cut stuff overlapped and so was thicker... but all in all it is in good shape and he can bale it.

Done for the night. Put some of the chicken I stuffed and roasted in the oven while I was over there to heat on low... it is hot and I will eat in a little bit.

I'm beat tonight. Don't know if I am going to have much umph to do much.
Tomorrow I have to take the tractor and rake back to doug's and DS wants me to turn over a few rows that he says are still pretty green. He baled a good part of it, but said some is just not dry enough yet... so I will flip them so put "bottoms up" to the sun.... He said there wasn't that much and shouldn't take me an hour tops... My forester is there so I will have a way to get home.
Chiropractor appt tomorrow afternoon. I can use it.

Took a heifer to the processor this morning too for DS. He has 2 halves sold... but the person taking the half of the one next month has backed out so now nothing is spoken for. People just do not have the money now... We have one more appt next month... so will take the other heifer... these 2 were 90% plus blind... so we have just fed them in a small 1 acre field.....and they will make beef...We don't want to give up these dates since they have been so "un accomodating" this year... and will not hold dates for us for next year if we cancel this year. We have the upright freezer from my parents house that he can put it in... and make it "available" to friends.

I need to quit and go to bed...

 

[Baymule]

What a day! You have worked your tail off the past few days. Let me correct myself, you work your tail off EVERY DAY. Get some rest.

 

[Mike CHS]

We quit selling sheep for processing because of the hassle getting them processed. With the prices being up for the last couple of years, it's more profitable taking them to the sale.

 

[Baymule]

We quit selling sheep for processing because of the hassle getting them processed. With the prices being up for the last couple of years, it's more profitable taking them to the sale.

Not to mention SO much easier!

 

[farmerjan]

If this keeps up with the beef, we might cut back... but will keep a couple dates... right now we have 4... 2 for June, 1 in July, 1 in Aug and 1 in Sept.... right here at our local place 10 minutes away... We also did 3 at another place through a friend that gets 4 scheduled and he didn't need all 4 spots this year,,, so we took 3...back in Feb... but it is an hour away.... sold 2 1/2 of them I think.... DS canceled the July date and we might not be able to get it again next year... but maybe that won't hurt. If the prices stay up it is definitely easier, faster, less hassle, and guaranteed check when we leave the sale..... Like with you guys and the lambs.... sometimes it is not worth the hassle.
One of my dairymen texted me... he just sold some holstein steers (he keeps all his holstein bull calves and raises them to sell... helps pay the taxes and such and he feeds the angus calves out (they run 100 angus cows also, as well as milk right around 90-100)..... so says it is worth just raising the holstein bull calves up as steers with the angus... He got 1.79 for 1050 lb avg HOLSTEIN steers.... like REALLY REALLY good.

Going to bed....

 

[Mini Horses]

I remember....30 yrs back .....getting a few hundred for 1/2 a steer. Yeah, back when you could get a roast for $1.99 a pound. . Tallow costs more than that now! Those were the days long gone.

Eat more veggies glad I'm not feeding a big family.