Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[SageHill]

Seems like summer just started and it is already getting into winter weather! Well, for everybody except those of us in southern California where our winter weather is pleasant. If only we had plenty of water, good government, low gas prices, lower property costs and taxes, this would be a nice place to live.

If we could get rid of the hot air I think all the rest would fall inline. yeah I know - don't hold my breath

 

[farmerjan]

Seems like summer just started and it is already getting into winter weather! Well, for everybody except those of us in southern California where our winter weather is pleasant. If only we had plenty of water, good government, low gas prices, lower property costs and taxes, this would be a nice place to live.

He//, this would be a nice place to live if we had more water, lower gas prices, lower property costs and taxes. s.. the gov't in Va is not so bad as out there... and we do have lower (than you) gas prices... lower property costs and taxes (especially if you research which county you wind up in) , and a decent overall gov't... so right now we need more water... and at least the cold will kill off some of the bugs....
Yeah, it's NOT BAD here on second thought....!!!

 

[farmerjan]

Speaking of weather... it did get all the way up to 51 today, but still a breeze so felt chilly. Supposed to be warmer tomorrow. Tonight is supposed to be another freeze.....down to 35 already.

The cover I ordered that has the frame and all, to replace the shelter logic cover, the 10x20 one.... was delivered this afternoon... was not expecting it until next week.... WOW.... So tomorrow I will go out to the chickens and see about getting things cleaned up... and I wanted to move it over to the "poorer part" of the garden for a year or 2.... have not even taken down that piece of electric netting yet... I will have to get behind it at least and see about getting the brush/overgrowth cut back. I had plans to work on that the next few days... now there is no excuse to not get on it.... Right now....At least the weather ought to be good to work out there.... not too hot or too cold... Want to have everything as ready as possible before I ask for help to get it on... Deb is not going to be back out here to her farm until Thanksgiving... So it will be DS ( I did ask if he would help when it came in a week or so, that I had ordered it, and he said "sure"... but we know how he is not always "available") and probably jim..... so I want to see if I can get everything cleaned off/out, old straw bales moved out of the way that are on the inside... and then hopefully can get them to move the 2x4's on the ground (to give it a more solid place for the "feet" of the frame to sit on), and then the frame... really need a 4th person... one on each "corner"... and would be good to have 6 so a couple in the middle of the 20 ft stretch...
Tomorrow the electric netting first... then the straw bales, and then cut off the rest of the current "cover" that is mostly off anyway... then see if it could be moved to the current garden on the one end.. about 20 ft from where it is, and it could stay in the same "position" that it is now... and then where it is now could become garden... have to get someone with a chain saw to help with the branches of the pine trees along that side and all that, to get that mess cut back. Would like to get the whole fenceline cut back, so that maybe I will be able to get at least that stretch of fence done this winter????

Went to the nurse cow pasture and fed the calves and the cows... 3 of the 4 bull calves went in so maybe tomorrow... then I would have to try to get in the cow and calf that need to get moved... would lock the bull calves in the barn on the one side, then open the big gate to convince the bigger heifers and few odd cows to come in...got a couple of days to do it. Want to get them done by this weekend to be just done with it. Plus, I went down and the continued dry/no rain weather is starting to tell in the water trough. They have water, but it is low. I don't know if they had just gone and drank before I got there... and they did not act like they were going crazy for water or anything... but even just getting that one cow out will help since she is fresh about a month... so drinking a good amount to make milk. I want to take the water tank up and fill the troughs in the lot at the barn.... the calves were going in to drink when they were full from the rain back a month or so ago... it would entice them in... might haul water tomorrow to give them some outside and see how interested the cows are, and then put some in the troughs in the barn lot for the calves to come in for. If the big trough down the hill, gets too low, the calves can't reach in it so they like the lower troughs in the barn lot where the cows can't get it and can't shove them out...and they can reach. No rain to speak of so nothing off the roof to put water in them.

Another farm contacted me and we will test them next wed/thurs... the only one I go to 2x now... 6-8 miles away... so not bad... set up wed morning, test wed eve and thurs morning...
Nothing from either of the other farms I had expected... or the owner sampler one...

 

[Ridgetop]

Getting the new greenhouse early is so much better than getting everything ready to go and getting a notice that the order is delayed, cancelled, etc.! LOL Hopefully it will be what you wanted, and DS will be available to help you get it on.

 

[farmerjan]

Been a nice day. Temps hit 62 there was a breeze so wore a sweatshirt all day. Sunny and tomorrow is going to be nicer.
Spent time out getting some of the electric netting taken down, laid down accordion style so that it will hopefully go back up easier. The ground is HARD... I pity @secuono putting in those t-posts for her fence... just getting these step in posts took a little wiggling to get them out. Will get the rest of it done tomorrow. Had a couple of phone calls, one from the "girl", that just retired with all the BS about testing... spent some time on the phone.
Had a good long chat about things and filled her in on what all transpired with the one that took the job then quit before she started....

Then got a text about testing a herd... but I cannot go test them since they are in arrears... and there is a hold in place on testing them... Had to come in the house, get on the computer with the computer support office and get them to "unlock" the herd so I could get a current bill... texted back the milker and explained why I could not come test... said I would text the farmer(owner) ... did that and he texted back and said that he mailed a check a month ago... so I sent him the amount on the current bill from the invoice.. I will stop at his house Sunday after testing the other herd and get a check to send in with the samples from that herd.... it will get there Tues and then I can set them up to test after it processes... Since I am already scheduled for wed/thurs it will be after that.
But that went and messed up my progress. Anyway... I went back out, and got some "junk" picked up, and will take out some tin snips or wire cutters to take apart the big metal dog crate that DS backed into with the tractor tire... bent on side and mashed part of it but I think I can salvage 2 or 3 of the wire panels and never know when I might need them to separate chickens or something in a small pen. Then I will see about what I can do for getting the straw bales moved... so I can maybe get the frame moved so I can utilize it from 2 ends... and talked to jim and he is going to stop and see if a guy who sometimes helps at DS's when they are cutting trees off the fence, wants to come and see what I want cleaned up along the fence line so that MAYBE I can get the one stretch of fence put up this year if nothing else. I will pile it in the garden area and burn it if we ever get some wet weather.. Put all the soaker hoses and garden equipment together in one spot to load in the truck to take over to the storage building for the winter... I will put the regular hose back together so I can run it to the garden for water.... safety thing.... and then pick it up after.

Got the 1/2 greenhouse and the mangled frame all taken apart on the deck... Going to decide what to do with it... might try putting weather seal tape on the torn spots and see if I can salvage it... might not with all the broken plastic connectors... Need to measure the part of the deck, and might go ahead and invest in a polycarbonate one to fit that section of the deck... would be cheaper than having it "closed in" from what I am hearing... got a general round figure from one guy....he would have to figure up a lumber list... there is no roof on this deck so some major "building".... and $7-10,000 is more than I want to spend at this point... Give me a "sun room" of sorts...and place to keep the plants over the winter. I don't know... just thinking out loud, still looking at possibilities. Lumber is still high.... and carpenter wages are too.... I guess if McD's can pay $15 to $20 an hour for people that know nothing, a carpenter is entitled to make more... but gee whiz.....

Decided not to get the one that is 7x8, but is wood framed. It is 4mm polycarbonate panels ... would consider it if it was bigger...and would definitely consider it if the panels were at least 6mm..... maybe just see how I like this cover and get through the winter and then go from there. But not ruling out anything at this point. I really want to go with thicker 8mm polycarbonate for strength and better insulating qualities.....

DS called, he wanted some info on the few cows that were left down at the farm near her place... a couple of calves had gotten across the fence when he brought the cows home so the calves could be weaned..he needed numbers on them..... and wanted to know where a certain cow was... she had lost her ear tag and when we were putting them through the chute, he was in a rush as usual, so when I asked if he saw such and such a number and he said she wasn't there... she got that number and come to find out there were 2 that lost numbers and they got switched... anyway... he said again he had a list for me who he moved where.... so I asked about using the truck because I said I had to haul water and he said it would be at doug's farm tomorrow. So, tomorrow I will go haul at least one and maybe 2 loads to the nurse cow pasture and get the water troughs in the barn lot filled for the calves... and put one 100 gal trough outside the barn lot and see if the cows are needing it too... Their actions will determine if I have to haul water to them very often.... Hoping that we can get through with maybe a couple of tanks hauled.....

Ate a bowl of soup. Didn't feel like doing the chicken this evening and waiting for it to cook since it didn't get done earlier when I was interrupted, twice... might try to get the stuffing made tomorrow and then stick it in the oven , later in the afternoon so it will get done when I get in house.
Kinda out of sorts with things this evening...
Tomorrow is the bull sale here close, but I might not go if I get busy doing things here. It is supposed to be nice and we sure do not need any bulls... not worth a free meal to just go kill time. One guy that is on another forum was going to come and asked about the couple of people that had the bulls for sale... said we could meet up... but he is now going to a different sale because a neighbor is wanting a bull from that other sale.... and I don't blame him... could maybe find one for himself too and make one trip hauling....

Oh well...

 

[Ridgetop]

Put all the soaker hoses and garden equipment together in one spot to load in the truck to take over to the storage building for the winter...

That is one thing we are going to have to do in Texas for winter - winterize water faucets and put hoses, etc. away. Here it freezes so rarely that we don't have to do any of that stuff. You can even grow stuff year-round here - unless you have ground squirrels! But I just found the gassers I bought in Texas! I thought I had left them behind again, but I brought them with me. Tomorrow I will go out and try to exterminate some ground squirrel burrows.

 

[Mini Horses]

What type gas is in them?

Maybe a hose from a car exhaust would have worked.

 

[farmerjan]

Starting out to be a nice morning. Sun's coming up across the road over the hill...38 and supposed to be upper 60's or even low 70's today.

Got a list started of a few "need to pick up" things when I go test tomorrow, on my way home, coming through town. Make the trips count.

Got a load of laundry in the washer... had a couple of shirts in the car that need washing so enough to make up a medium load with a couple pairs of jeans. Then I should be good for a couple weeks with the new jeans I got. 2 pair going back but the rest fit decent. Got one pair that doesn't fit, bought back awhile, but had pulled the tag... since I have some tags from these that fit, I will take them back also with one of these current pulled tags and return them too. They came from Goodwill, and just didn't fit. All the same size too... Was going to put them in the yard sale, but never got that far. I don't feel like it is wrong to take them back now as long as I have a tag... just switching out one pair for another. This pair is like brand new too... but it is a "skinny jean" and that, I am NOT.

Time to get out the door and do something productive.

 

[Ridgetop]

What type gas is in them?

Maybe a hose from a car exhaust would have worked.

Or dynamite?
Have a friend that was having trouble with gophers in his garden. He had tried traps, poison, etc. but nothing worked. He couldn't dig them out since their burrow was under a ginormous tree in his back yard near the patio. He and his neighbor were knocking back a few(?) beers one day discussing their anger at the gopher infestation and decided to eliminate them for good. The friend had some explosives (he worked in construction or maybe he liked to fish) and the two fellows came up with a great plan! They decided to stuff the explosives into the burrow under the tree and "light those #*!>#** critters up"!

Just as they were starting to light the fuse our friend realized that the tree was within 20' of his house and that blowing up a gopher burrow in town might not be a good idea!

Needless to say, their wives were not home.

The gassers are AMDRO Gopher Gassers. 45% Potassium Nitrate, 45% Sulphur, 8% Carbon and 2% "Other Ingredients". They are labeled to kill pocket gophers, moles, ground squirrels, Norway rats, skunks, and woodchucks. Says not legal to kill woodchucks in California and only can be used for Norway rats in No. Carolina.

When they were available in California (before the animal activists decided all pest control was cruel and inhumane) we used them on gophers. They worked great. They look like tiny dynamite sticks with a string fuse. You stop all the escape holes except for one, then stick the tube in the hole and cover it with dirt so the fuse is just exposed. Light the fuse and the smoke goes into the burrow. I think the gas must be heavier than air and it goes into the burrow trails. If you have missed any escape holes, the smoke comes out of the ground and you can run over and stomp dirt into the burrow to stop up the hole or stick anther tube in and light it. Years ago, when my sweet Weimie bitch was alive she would watch carefully and if any gophers escaped from their holes, she was on them quick and killed them. When our barn cats disappeared, and the rats invaded the barn they would run along on the overhead water lines. I would take Lady into the barn with me and knock the rats off the lines with a broom handle for Lady to catch and kill. Best vermin killer ever!

 

[farmerjan]

Home, done and in for the evening. Got a few things done.

Chickens out but then came in as the sky clouded up and it was chilly out there. Not my idea of doing much outside at the time. Hoped it would warm up a little.

Got the bottles in the rack for tomorrow. Did the dishes and put away the clean ones. Made sure there were no other clothes that needed in the machine... actually did find another shirt to toss in.

Around noon, stuffed the chicken, and then had some cans of beans bought a long time ago... so I opened them and they were fine, so put them in the bean crock and doctored them (Boston baked beans style) the way I do, and set both in the oven at 200 to slow cook today.

Went to the farm to get truck to haul water and of course, it wasn't there. But jim said DS just went to get Colt for a bit and would be right back. So I told him I would text DS and get him to come to my house to help load the water tank... WEEELLLL, the water tank had a crack in it before, near the top, but it has been sitting for 2 years... and it cracked way down... so I texted DS and said that we couldn't use my tank. It is one of the 275/300 gallon square "tote" kinds....and they degrade out in the sun and weather after a few years.... so he said to meet him at his green barn, to help load the one there. Went down, and we realized that this one is too tall to fit under the pipe at the spring where I go to get water... so DS went back to the barn, got the little trailer and came back and we put it on the trailer... The one he had there at the barn is 330 + gal and is a different type ''plastic"... heavier, thicker, and is rigid, and on it's own base. Don't know where he got it.
So, I went to the spring and pulled alongside, but harder to judge with this smaller trailer. Plus, no side of the bed of the truck for me to stand on like with the pickup (used one of the farm trucks... all have bale beds for moving round bales so no "sides" . I managed to get into the trailer and got my pipe on the pipe coming out of the spring, Use one of those black rubber connectors for pvc pipes that reduce from like 3 to 2 inches or whatever... made all that up years ago when we had that derrechio in July, and had no electric for days and had to haul all that water from the spring for the cows; got half soaked til I got it on the top of the tank... but oh well....Put about 175-200 gal in it because DS said he didn't want me to overload it with the tires on this little utility trailer... they squatted a little but not much. Got another "splashing" getting the pipe undone.
Went to the pasture and realized the trailer is lower than the little ranger... so lower than the water troughs...
So, I drug the 2 100 gallon water troughs out and put in a low spot in the ground there and pulled the truck and trailer up past it on a higher spot... and got the water unloaded into the 2 troughs. Not perfect, but it worked. Spilled some but not alot... and the cows came and drank a little but they were obviously not thirsty which is good. The bigger calves that are drinking water will be able to get into them and drink and that is good. It should take a little pressure off the spring also, since they were not real thirsty... let it maybe fill a little more in the water trough down over the hill.
Saw a little black calf when I left way over in the other side of the field... so I dropped off truck and trailer and told DS and then went back up to see if I could figure out who it was. No contest... all the cows were on one side of the driveway near where I go in, and my nurse cow was way over right where the calf was standing. I knew the other day she would not be long as her udder was filling out... expected next week... oh well... will get her in tomorrow at the barn, and bring calf in. Already texted the one farm that is close, about getting one or 2 calves... if they don't have any, got 2 more to contact....
So the grafting/nurse cow situation is back in business. I will lock her calf in the smaller side of the barn and pen, and bring her in to them until I get them well situated on her... a couple weeks of twice a day... feeding and all that. Sure wish the fence was up here at the house to do this here... but it is only just down the road a tenth or so to go in the gate...

So that was my day. Did not work out at the garden at all... maybe tomorrow after I get home from testing and running the errands on the way home.
Came in and took the top off the roasting pan so the chicken could brown a bit, and the top off the beans as they are more liquid than I like... but they will cook some of it off. Turned the oven up to 350 for a half hour or so. Just ate and it was good. Several more meals to eat.

Does anyone cook beef tongue? Have several in the freezer from halves that no one wanted the tongues... figured they would be good for the cats if nothing else. Have no idea cooking protocol for them... and maybe I would like it since I love liver....

Oh, also one of the guys that will help DS on occasion came by, jim had left him a note, and I showed him what I want to get cleaned up around the holly tree, some vines growing in it and saplings coming up from all the stupid squirrels and the walnuts they "plant everywhere"........ brush and stuff behind the "greenhouse shelter" .... and the property line there.. and some other stuff... he is coming Monday to do some... he doesn't work a regular job... and his girlfriend broke her wrist and then injured her knee so has been off work...she hopes to go back after dr appt in 3 or 4 weeks... I told him that I would pay him cash.. that it might be a day or so of cleanup stuff... he asked if $12 /hr was okay and I said yes. He has a hedge trimmer and is going to trim the forsythia bushes way back... I said to SCALP them...might take them out but at least it will get them to a more manageable size and we could see down the road from the driveway.... there is more stuff I might get him to do also... then when all that is cleaned up behind the shelter along the property line, we will see about getting the shelter frame turned 90 degrees instead of just moving it down 20 ft towards the "poor" end of the garden... and then when I can get DS and jim... hopefully we can get the new cover up and over it.... I told him we would just drag all the brush and stuff into the garden area there and I would burn it this winter when the weather allowed... it will save time and money to not haul it off somewhere... and the ashes will be good for the garden too.

SOOOO... making progress I think... HOPE.... and we will see how things go... might talk to him about the ceilings upstairs too... but one step at a time.

Didn't get the clothes hung today... so that is in the plans for tomorrow after I get home...

So glad the time is falling back so it won't be so hard to get up and got to test...