Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Sat night. It is warm and rather humid... Temps hit 86 on the recording thermometer... and we got a couple spells of dark clouds passing overhead... It poured down at the farm where I was testing for about 5-10 minutes... the farmer and the girl that helps on Sat afternoons, both ran out to shut their car windows, and got WET in the 5 minutes they were out there. I had shut mine because I knew if it started to rain, I would not be able to run out there and get them shut very fast... So glad I had mine shut. But it didn't last and by the time were were done milking about an hour or more later, all you saw were some big drops on my car and the grass was a little wet... Doesn't look like there was any down here at the house.

They ran 262 cows through the parlor... 1:30 -6:35 p.m. testing. Then I did the computer work, and it was better than some months... only a few cows needed to be added in that had come fresh, and a couple they did not get recorded as "sold".... Got home at 8:30 after getting the meters loaded and got the bottles and went up to feed the calves... had a 1/3 of a bucket of grain left so that is what the calves all got... enough for the twin bull calves to get enough to eat and the rest to the ones that come in through the creep gate. Tomorrow I will see about getting the cows in and maybe be able to get in the 2 with the calves that I need so they can be moved out... and then he can bring a couple more heifers he wants to go with the bull to get bred in June... and then when the rest come back from WV, there are a few that we are probably going to breed in Sept/Oct so they will have early fall calves... like July/Aug calves... I doubt there will be very many to sell, although there will be all the calves out to pastures that are coming off the cows in July...maybe 20-30? So will have some weaned stuff to sell this fall.... or hold over and feed although I see no reason to do that.....not with the current prices.
Looks like we will have some partly sunny weather for a good part of the day tomorrow. I hope to get into the garden, at least some..... Want to mow around it again so I can get the netting up to keep the chickens out so I can plant some green beans and get the tomato plants in ... then start on the potatoes. At least make a dent in it, in the next week. The forecast is some possible Thunderstorms Sun and Monday.....then the weather is supposed to clear out some and get back into the 70's . That will be good work in the garden temps. I am going to be testing several days unfortunately. But I will try to work out there some in the cooler mornings, take a break mid day and then go test. Tuesday I am testing morning, and if we do get any of the rain, it will be good to be off in the afternoon and hopefully it will dry up some.

Set the traps again, hoping that I don't have any catches which means the dead possum was the one being the problem. At least for now.

Did get all but 2 buckets washed this morning and put them in the xlg cooler chest to soak . Also put a bunch of lids in there....so will have them to wash. I meant to stop at Dunkin on the way to work but got out of here later than I expected with washing the buckets here; so I will have to go by there and check again. Although I got 2 / 5 gal buckets the last time and it usually takes them a week before they have more of them.

Ate a sandwich for supper, drinking some tea I had made yesterday, and will take a shower and wash the "cow sheet" and iodine teat dip smells off, and dump clothes to be washed. Still got the basket full from off the line the other day, to see about getting folded. And with the continued warmer weather, it is time to get the blankets and all off the bed and mattress pads and all, washed, hung in the air, and things put away for the summer and flannel sheets put away, and regular sheets back on . Spring cleaning the bedding so to speak. If it is nice and sunny and not humid next week would be a good time to do it. They will all smell so good.

I'm done... tomorrow is another day...

 

[farmerjan]

Had a headache this morning and it was pretty rough for a bit. Tired too because I did not sleep good last night. Usually sleep good when I am tired like that, but I ached and forgot to take a tylenol like I usually do... 1 will just calm the shoulder and all and I can sleep good... but was up several times so that didn't help.

It was sunny with some clouds, more humid. 61 to 87.

I did not get much done with the headache. Brought the samples in the house early, traps still empty. YAY.
The power went out about 9 or so this morning. It was out for about 3 hours and finally came back on about 12-12:30. Don't know why. Deb had called to see if I had power then DS called.... that was about 10 or so... I had called and recording said it was a known outage and there was no approximate time for restoring it. But it came back on and was okay.

DS called to find out a calf number, as he was going to move the 3 cull cows and their calves to a small pasture... I asked if he wanted some help, and he said "no, I'm fine." I thought that we were going to move them, we had talked about it Friday..... BUT.... then I heard her in the background, so of course he doesn't want me around to do things with my/our cows. He also called back and wanted to know the bulls we had. There was a bull with no tags and he kept trying to tell me that it wasn't one on the list...he knew who each one was... like I didn't know what I was talking about.... but there were 10 bulls there and that is what we have. Finally after repeating it to him 3 times he said well, it must be the CS bull... I don't see that number... soooo, he doesn't know the bulls as well as he thinks, and I am not stupid...
So later on he texted me and said he moved this bull to this place and that bull to another place.

Clouds got thicker in the afternoon. I got a bunch of paper feed bags that do not have any plastic liners inbetween the paper, into the cart behind the mower tractor. Then with them calling for rain/t-storms, I covered it and tarped for the afternoon/eve... Made sure I put the windows back up on the cars. Deb had asked if I wanted to come over for some supper, she was going to do some more mowing at her house and then wanted to take a shower. I said I needed to go get feed for the calves and cows up there and feed the bottles so it worked out good. I went to the farm, got the feed and there is that heifer that we took off my cow, that was supposed to be weaneed, sucking my cow that that has a month old calf... This heifer is going to be a problem I think. I could not get her separated in the lot and put her over on the other side with the weaned heifers. So I texted DS since he was no where around there... and said she had to get put over there since she was sucking the cow with the month old calf and the little calf needed the milk not her. I was P.O.ed as he was supposed to put her over with the weaned heifers so she will be able to go to WV....

I got a text from the stockyard with the results of the sale on Friday. Prices on these cull cows are up more... I texted him and said I think we needed to take my old #83 cow at the nurse cow pasture , and his old 1226 and the 2 calves in with her, to the sale next Friday. 83's heifer calf comes in and eats grain good, and the cow is not making much milk. It is time for her to go.... It won't hurt the heifer to get weaned off even though she is not real big... There is that other orphaned heifer there that I raised with the holstein twins, and they all kinda hang around together. The three he just took to the pasture can stay there and eat and the calves should grow some and the cows put on some weight. Those calves are not real big and can use some more time on the cows. And he has that one bull that is the "pet" that they have decided can get sold... and I think he ought to go while he is fat and sassy looking.

It got cloudier when I was up at the calves. I fed some grain to the cows outside in the bunks but did not try to get them in since DS was nowhere around at the barn and I figured he was gone for the day.

Got to Deb's and we were eating and all of a sudden the wind started to BLOW HARD..... It rained and the wind blew and bent trees nearly half over for about a half an hour. While I was at Deb's, we lost power again. It was still out at her house when I left at 8:30 or so, we had a kerosene lamp, but the power was on at my house. Must have affected a transformer near her I guess. I called her from the top of her driveway and said that the power was on in the houses up there , and I came home and texted her and said I had power at my house. She called the power co and they said they had no more reported outages at that time, so she reported hers. Hope she gets it back on . But she said, she had taken her shower after coming in from mowing and we ate, so she was good for the night.

I didn't look at the rain gauges, there were some plants blown over and alot of tree leaves and little branches in the yard. Wind took down the little greenhouse on the deck and blew over some of the plants on the deck. I will assess the damage in the morning. That's it for that type greenhouse for me . The next one is going to be a rigid polycarbonate one.... either the deck closed in as an extension of the house, or a free standing one like @SageHill 's type. Too much wind blowing and gusting up here. It was good for the winter for the plants but no more.
Luckily I had not moved the plants out on the chains under the maple tree. They are sitting on the deck floor and it only looks like it turned over the couple of Norfolk Island Pines I got after Christmas for a pittance this winter, and a few of the Christmas/Easter cactus plants. They were under the table against the house so don't think it hurt them much. I will check things out better in the morning. Blew the tarp a little on the mower tractor and trailer but not off...

We are supposed to get some more tomorrow morning, looks like another band coming through after 7-8 a.m. Might try to get some things in the garden tomorrow. Should have today, but head was not cooperating... Feel some better tonight, tomorrow is another day !!!!

 

[SageHill]

Our greenhouse is on a redwood frame on the grounds that has been anchored into the ground. We do get strong winds - so far so good now a year old.

 

[Mini Horses]

We got that storm here late day. I saw really black clouds to the SE....so stopped mowing & came in. Got a wind, a few sprinkles -- not much -- clouds moved on. Saw on news that 30-40 miles from me they got hail, winds, heavy rains that flooded in some low areas with those clouds . Morning weather news says we may get shower this morning in about an hr -- light & moving fast. Then, expect a front with heavy all that stuff, late today. Sooo, wetness is all over the place no hail here, please.

 

[Baymule]

You are finally getting the rain you need so badly. It just comes in the form of a blowing storm. It’s been sunny here, it’s dry enough that I can start mowing.

 

[farmerjan]

Getting some rain, after the horrendous winds last night. It is misty/showery out there , even though the radar shows it all well to the east. Looks like @Mini Horses is going to get some rough weather for awhile. And for the rest of the day. Forecast here is actually for it to be partly sunny later. Does not look like we are going to get much later either... going to stay south and east of us.

Got to go out and walk the tall grass in the back to find the calf blankets that were hanging on the line. But it can wait for the grass to dry some or I will get soaked. Need to go out and check the rain gauges. I don't think we got all that much after all.

Made some deviled eggs for later at Deb's... she is going to cook burgers on the grill...so that's fine ...... BUT... she still has no power. I told her to go and check the main breakers and she said they are okay... nothing showing on the meter so no power to house. She called and did actually talk to a person this morning... so have no idea why there is no power there... Maybe a transformer blew at the pole to the house??? So might not do much for eating... The grill we can do. I put some beans in the oven to cook...so we can have them too. Brought her milk and a couple things home this morning when I took her a car charger for her cell phone since it was down to 20%....
I got the chicken in to bake also... It took 2 days to thaw in the fridge and then I was busy... one nice thing about the vacuum pack stuff... it keeps longer in the fridge in good condition. So, it is baking so I will have that to eat off this week. May as well use the oven with making the beans too...

Sun is trying to come out and there are some clouds. Probably be like this the rest of the day.

I am getting out the vacuum while the cats are outside and trying to get a few things cleaned in here. Time to take the living room apart and do a real cleaning... Going to wash out the last 2 buckets soaking in the big cooler chest where I can immerse them totally in the water... then wash the cooler chest, out in case she needs to use it at her house.... As long as she keeps the freezers closed they should be fine for at least 24 hours... I think that they are pretty full with meat that DS stores there... she wasn't using much space and told him he was welcome to use them... they hold better when full... he can always bring his small generator and run it to keep them good if needed.

Makes you think again about the whole house generator like @Ridgetop is putting in at her house... I have been seriously considering one for the last year or so... with all these freezers, it would be a disaster to have them go bad...
Breeze is up some...

 

[Mini Horses]

I'm looking at another one, dual fuel....so I can use propane. Just easier to store that than gas, plus not steady doing refills when in use. Considered solar but well pump pulls a lot! So... A dual costs less than one of the Generacs.... $ investment. Honestly, my power outages are so seldom, $10k for a Generac vs $3 for this, is a consideration. I have a device at meter to plug into already to service whole house. I'll give DD the big gas one.

 

[Ridgetop]

She called and did actually talk to a person this morning... so have no idea why there is no power there... Maybe a transformer blew at the pole to the house???

If her house is the last one on the service she may be the only one without power. Years ago when we had first moved to Shadow Hills, we had a bad storm and lost our power. No lights, no heat, no stove or oven and 4 kids. DH was working 24/7 with all the other DWP guys to restore power to the city so he reported it when he went in to work. After a day or so everybody had power again except us. He reported it 3 or 4 more times but it never came on. He was working and we were sitting home in the dark, freezing in sleeping bags, burning wood in the fireplace to keep warm, running lanterns. Finally I raised a stink about us having power for a week and he made a couple calls to one of the yards near us. A crew came out and that is when we found out that we were the last one in the relay and had our own transformer. They had fixed the problems on the wires, but our transformer at the end of the lines had blown out. They spent half a day replacing it and we finally had heat and light again. This was before we had a camper or trailer, so we were really toughing it out. DS3 was only 2 1/2 years old.

 

[farmerjan]

I have looked at the dual fuel ones also. Should have invested 2 years ago when they were 1500. Are they really up to $3000? WOW. Would have to research how much they can run.... we lose our power some, but my bigger concern down the road is with the drain on the electric grid....what if we go to things like the rolling brownouts, even blackouts, with so much more stuff using electric. And yep, my battery mower is one more thing to use the electricity too... Luckily it is not a constant power user... but when they need to be charged.... I thought about that when I decided to go with it... weighed the pros and cons of care and maintenance and all against the just charge it and run it... plus having a local dealer to do work... and not having to store the gas or oil changes and belts and stuff... and it is definitely quieter... silent if you are not engaging the mower... rather eerie until you get used to it... Would like to see if there is a way for them to be recharged with solar.....

We have had sun and then some pretty dark clouds... now is mostly hazy type sun out there. Going out to wash out the last 2 buckets and the cooler.

Going to go up to Deb's about 4:30... she still does not have any power... going to have to talk to DS about a generator to plug in the freezers if they don't get it fixed. A friend of hers said they were out about 2+ hours east of here in Charlottesville, just got theirs back, and @Mini Horses said hers was out about 3... so it's all around the state.

 

[farmerjan]

If her house is the last one on the service she may be the only one without power. Years ago when we had first moved to Shadow Hills, we had a bad storm and lost our power. No lights, no heat, no stove or oven and 4 kids. DH was working 24/7 with all the other DWP guys to restore power to the city so he reported it when he went in to work. After a day or so everybody had power again except us. He reported it 3 or 4 more times but it never came on. He was working and we were sitting home in the dark, freezing in sleeping bags, burning wood in the fireplace to keep warm, running lanterns. Finally I raised a stink about us having power for a week and he made a couple calls to one of the yards near us. A crew came out and that is when we found out that we were the last one in the relay and had our own transformer. They had fixed the problems on the wires, but our transformer at the end of the lines had blown out. They spent half a day replacing it and we finally had heat and light again. This was before we had a camper or trailer, so we were really toughing it out. DS3 was only 2 1/2 years old.

No, she is down off the road, and houses in both directions, including me a half mile away, had power last night when I came up the hill to the top of her driveway. It is strictly her, and must be the transformer on the pole that goes down to her house.
At one time, I lived in a house at the end of the service line, so I know what you are talking about...