Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Baymule]

My mom peeled, sliced , peaches and froze them in jars. She used a simple syrup of 2 cup water to 1 cup sugar. Tasted like they just came off the tree.

 

[farmerjan]

If I were closer, I'd be "helping" with those peaches . Started digging potatoes yesterday. Today & tomorrow looong work days.

Yeah, one nice thing about potatoes... once they get some growth, the weeds don't seem to be that big a deal... they do their thing and then there are plenty to dig most times.
I get the long work days... mine aren't usually as long as yours all in one day..... but having so many in a row is a pain for both/either of us. ESPECIALLY on NICE DAYS like the last couple....

 

[farmerjan]

My mom peeled, sliced , peaches and froze them in jars. She used a simple syrup of 2 cup water to 1 cup sugar. Tasted like they just came off the tree.

My problem is there is not enough freezer space.... I am thinking since the ones I just got are not quite ripe, I might be able to go through and work the "riper" ones as they get that way and not get inundated all at once, now that I got some and could see what is what. I thought they were ripe, splitting, and needing to be worked "right now".... that's why I was wondering if they could just be frozen as it because otherwise they would be spoiling before I could get to them. They are mostly all quite firm... so not a crisis... "I need to get them all done right now" type of thing.
She said last year they only had peaches on 2 trees, they have about 6 peach trees, some plums and the pears, that they planted when they bought this place before they renovated the house and then moved out here.... been probably 15-20 years now, so trees are in the peak of production... and this year is a bumper crop by the looks of it. .
I use a very light syrup when I can them, like 1c sugar to 4 c water maybe?

Got to get the reports printed and these samples packed and go see if I can find some boxes to spread them out in so they aren't piled up. I woke up late, I was tired and slept solid... shoulder hurts this morning though.

 

[Ridgetop]

Can you freeze them with skins on and then slip skins after thawing????

I think so. That is what I do with tomatoes. Freeze them as they come ripe then you can work them in small batches from the freezer. I put them in the sink in water and let the skins thaw so they slip off. Then you can slice them or crush them while partially frozen, make up the peach butter mix in a pot on the stove and once it comes to boil, pout itinto pans in theoven at 300 degrees. It can bake all day at that temp with occasional stirring until it thickens, then pour into jars and water bath. Easier than trying to do them all at once. I used to can at least 14 hours a day in the summer, then I found out that I could freeze the tomatoes in bags and do them up in the fall or winter. Same with peaches and other fruit that is destined for jam or jelly.

 

[Ridgetop]

You can also do fruit for pie filling that way.

 

[Mini Horses]

but having so many in a row is a pain for both/either of us. ESPECIALLY on NICE DAYS like the last couple....

even bad days...too many in a row is annoying!

 

[Ridgetop]

When O was yong, putting up mega amounts of canned food was exciting. Completely blanced the exhausting days. Now, in my Prime, the idea of 14 hour days on my feet growing and canning all those jars is LOL. Forst I thought I might put up my stuff in pints - lots of jars, but less food. Now think I will still use quarts because less prep time for the canner. A quart of fruit makes a nice pie or cobbler, and gives you leftovers on vegetables for the next day.

 

[farmerjan]

Can't believe it is 5 already, on FRIDAY. I got things done yesterday, dropped samples and went to test. Then went to the other farm and dropped off the reports, and talked to the farmer again for a few minutes. Left and got home about dark again.
Brought the samples in the house, took a shower and washed my hair, then packed the samples while it was drying . Finally got into bed . It was late.

Up this morning around 7 or so since I had the samples done. DS called and wanted to know what I was doing and I said I was headed out the door for my chiropractor appt. He said okay, no problem... he got the cows in off the hill with the "surprise" calves and was going to work them... I said I could do them this afternoon , and he said not a problem, they were all just right there so he opened the gate into the long alley and they came right out with their calves... jim was at the farm so he said he could help him... Jim is NOT a cow person, but there were only 5 calves to do...
I had a message from my massage therapist about how my week had gone, and she had an opening today at 11:30 if I was able and wanted... So, I quickly said HE// yes, I had a chiropractor appt at 10:30 and could come after... PERFECT.... went to the chiropractor, he did some more on my neck and shoulder... then went to her and we did a craniosacral therapy appt instead of a massage, which was good... pressure points and some light manipulation to get the "energy flow" from the brain waves... it is very calming..... and she worked on me for 1 1/2 hrs... said she was glad to get the practice since she is still sorta "new" to this... and didn't cost any extra for the extra time... so a win/win.
Came back through town and dropped the packed samples off to go out. Then came home. It has been cloudy all day and there was a forecast of some showers/rain for the afternoon and more humid. Good thing is it is not as hot although they were predicting 90.... .... according to my recording thermometer, it only hit 82. It is more humid out there. Had a few sprinkles and looked like we might get something more definite.... I got the push mower hosed off and in the carport. Put the riding mower back in the carport as I had moved it out for the Select Sires guy to come and do the routine nitrogen fill on the semen tank Wednesday. Brought the weed eater back to the house from the garden.... Went out to the garden and picked a few "cherry sized" tomatoes and checked and none of the seeds have come up... if they don't do something after this weekend, then I will replant with newer seeds I got. I also see a hole in one row where the moles have come up and out... cats are slacking a bit.

The butternut squash and striped crenshaw plants grew another 5 ft I think.... they are just going crazy out there.... hope we don't get an early frost so that the "fruits" that I see everywhere will all develop and grow out good... There will be a pile of them.

Got the sample bottles in the trays and in the car for tomorrow morning. I am going to go up and feed at the nurse cow pasture before we get any rain... radar shows some should have gotten here, and more later on. I also brought some peaches that are already getting bad spots, in the house, and will get them peeled and cut up and start cooking some down for peach butter or peach sauce (like apple sauce) ... got a tarp on the rest of the buckets and flat pans that the peaches and the pears are in, on the back of the ranger for now.

Tomorrow, I have to test in the morning, but will be home by 9. We are supposed to get the cows from the friend DS bought them from... and get the calves worked before turning them out to pasture. 2 trips... and then that will be it for them. He is planning on getting all cows in the first trailer load, taking them and turning them out and then getting the calves and taking them to the barn, working them, then taking them down to the pasture where the cows are already. I know I will be tired but am planning to go to bed early this evening.

So, I am going to get started on these half way bad peaches, they are the ones that had bruises and some have splits etc...

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday afternoon. 2 pm.. Was down to 67 and it's 87 on the recording thermometer, but the sun has come out so wouldn't be surprised if it hits 90. It is muggy out though. Clouds and sun, more clouds earlier but radar shows it clearing off some and then maybe some "weather" this evening after 7-8 pm.

Tested and then DS texted as I was getting ready to leave, that he was going to get the first load of cows... they took those cows to the pasture, put them in the catch lot there... and then brought the second load of 16 calves and 4 cows to the barn. One calf is not feeling good so he got a good shot of antibiotics and he and his momma are at the barn for monitoring...he will get banded in a week or so once he is feeling better... worked the rest of calves through the chute... there are 2 bigger bull calves and 2 bigger heifers that we kept at the barn to wean them... and 2 smaller bull calves and the rest are heifer calves that we worked. Not counting the little bwf that does not feel great. One cow died at pasture.... no idea why.... no signs of a reason.... so we wound up with 15 cows and 16 calves... Hoping that one of the bigger calves was on the cow that died... this is one of the reasons that you get them tagged and matched to their momma... so you know who is who...
Unfortunately, DS did not get the one cow with the new calf that wouldn't come in, or the other 3 (or4) that he "missed" that do not have calves... so those couple will be calving there... hoping they will do okay... and this fall/winter, that cow that won't come in will probably come in once her calf gets a little bigger... and grass gets short and she gets hungry and he can start feeding the hay in the area near the catch pen... once we get her in, she will not go there again....
So, because he took the first load of just cows there to the pasture... none have tags... except 1, so can't match calves to cows since I have no clue who the cows are without having a tag to match. All the calves are tagged, and I really would like to know who has who, there are a couple of heifers that are pretty decent and might make good replacements... plus they are totally unrelated to anything we have... But there a couple months to see what's what.
We did tag 4 cows that were in the 2nd load, and will tag the BWF cow when we get her calf in to be worked in a week or so after he is feeling better. They will go down to this pasture also.... when DS is making a trip in that direction he can take her in the trailer... So, I can match the 4 cows with new tags to calves.... IF they aren't the momma's of the 4 calves we kept at the barn... which with my luck they will be.
I really wish he had brought them all to the barn and gotten tags in the cow's ears so could identify cow/calf pairs... OH WELL..... did see a calf go on the one cow that did have a tag... so at least they are paired...

The grass has grown back some but it is not super lush.... These cows will get brought to the barn in a few months, when it gets time to start pulling cows off pastures. Then they will all go through the chute and get preg checked... see the status since his bull had been in there all along. I hope/expect that the ones with the 4 calves we weaned are bred back... and several others that have some calves that are in the 250-300+ pound range might be bred back too. Our bulls will not go back out now until November... so will be able to distinguish who they are bred to. That means that probably a third to half of these may be spring calving and some may be late this fall calving... which is fine.....
One has a bad hip DS said; says she creaks as she walks so this will be her last calf... he thinks she has a smaller calf... One thing, will have to spend a little time looking at them and watching to get an idea of who has what even if I can't match exactly....

So, I went with him to take the calves down and see the cows since I had never seen them.... it was never "convenient" for me to go when he went to look at them...this was when she was still in the picture.....he bought them all so not like I am getting a few of them. I guess I will be satisfied with having several heifers being bred that are mine, to replace the rather large percentage of my cows that have been sold. Or maybe I will buy a few odd ones, one and done older ones or something, if the opportunity comes up. But there are at least 4 or 5 heifers at the nurse cow pasture that are mine getting bred now... and several out to different pastures at this time too. More than I realized before. I am okay with the numbers right now... might find a few odd ones here and there that can be bought fairly reasonable..I am not paying this $2-3,000 prices...

Deb had called earlier, when I was on my way home from testing, and she came out Friday morning early, to work and had to go see about something on the truck... she had some work done on her tractor and DS had picked it up and brought it back 2 weeks ago... There was a piece that the belly mower attached to that was bent... she took the mower off when they took it in to work on it... and she got it straightened out... and promptly FORGOT it at her house that is 2 1/2 hrs away. So, she wanted to know if she could maybe borrow my riding mower... so I said sure... that we were going to work some cattle and she said she was out and could come help us... so I told her I expected DS to get to the barn with the 2nd load around 9:30... she could call... or I said just stop at the barn when you get done with your errands and if we are there, then great. So, she got there a few minutes after I did, and I was right behind DS.... so she helped with the calves... got the eartags ready for the calves, helped fill a few syringes with blackleg shots... she has never done this before so was not very adapted... but she could open a few gates and such... sometimes an extra hand is better than none... So as soon as we got done, she left to go home and I said I would call her as soon as I was home.... I did, and she came up and got the mower and I followed her up the road so no one ran into her... then I came back here and made some late lunch for me.

I am tired from going and testing early, but okay.... I pulled the car on the front lawn to be under the shade of the maple tree after following her up the road... she drove her truck down here and will leave it until she brings the mower back... I told her that she was welcome to keep it til tomorrow if she needed it... she has 6 fully charged 8 amp batteries and 2 extras, fully charged 4 amp batteries. We will talk sometime, and if she wants to do more and the batteries are low, I will take her a charger to use to recharge some of them if need be. I did not plan to mow again this weekend. As fast as it has been growing it will need it again though.

Got to get the samples packed to drop off when I go to the shoulder dr appt on Monday. I don't know how much I will get done outside today... it just hit 90 and is muggy. Maybe later, I will go out and do something.
I have a load of jeans in the wash that I will hang. The forecast has gone from 50-60% down to 30% chance and more "spotty" rain showers. So I put the jeans in to soak and will hang them and if they get rain water rinsed.... oh well... Not counting on much. We got about 10 sprinkles yesterday a couple different times...
I did see puddles on the road about 30 miles north this morning, but not 5 miles north of there, the farm I went to did not get anything... crazy...

I'm going out to get the samples and bring in the house. DS is going to the county fair north of here, with the 3 kids.... and I asked if he needed help with them and he said no he was fine as the daughter and the sisters girl are good to do things together, and the little boy, Colt, listens to DS well... so they will be fine.
Unless Deb wants to go out to supper, which I honestly don't need to go out after eating this late of lunch...; I am planning to stay home. Go to bed EARLY, as I am tired.

 

[Ridgetop]

Got a lot done - looks like the cow deal was good in spite of the dead cow. Too bad the cows are not ear tagged but it will get done eventually.