Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Wed night. It was mostly cloudy and COLD all day. Yesterday (Tues) it got down to 16 overnight and day temp said 46 in the sun but there was a rough wind...it was cold. Went with DS to a "new" dr appt... specializing in head trauma, headaches, and some other stuff. Referred by the brain trauma dr he saw a month or so ago. Seems it is in the same complex that the dr he saw back when he first had the accident... back in '17.... that dr left several years ago, he saw a different one then got referred to the ones he has been seeing at Va tech sports medicine... and this "new" dr is one that is in the "group" of specialists that his old one had been in.
Going to try some other medicine, wants him off some of what he is taking... The workman's comp lady was there and will facilitate the "approval" of this new drug. We'll see... should take a week to get it approved she said. Dr said it has the hallmarks of typical migraine... but is stumped that there is no history of migraines in the family... he said migraines are hereditary... but DS said he never had these headaches until after the accident...
The appt after DS had cancelled, so the dr spent extra time with DS....

It was cold, we stopped and ate on the way home... it is getting too expensive to eat out much.

This morning it was down to 15.... and never got over 35 all day... There was sun for about an hour but it quickly clouded over and was cloudy, COLD and raw feeling all day.

The jersey must be/have been in heat. The bull followed her around yesterday, and after letting her in to eat, I wound up kicking her back out so the bull didn't try to tear down the gate... She came back in this afternoon, and he was following her but not as "diligent" so I wound up leaving her in for the night.

I put calf coats on the 2 little calves... they are not real thrilled but I think once they get used to them, they will be good. It will at least keep the core of their body warmer...

@Baymule..... I actually feel better and breathe better when I am outside.... it is the wind that does not help but the cold air is not that bad... clears my head out. Just don't like the wind as it goes right through you.

Temp had dropped to 33 for most of the day... it is back up to 35 and overnight temps look to hold... but then it is supposed to drop tomorrow and be real cold Thurs eve, into Fri. Hopefully it is going to warm up more after that....

Just ate half of the T-day dinner DS brought home for me from the friends place... was a BIG platter type plate. Will eat the rest probably tomorrow.

Working on shredding some more "junk mail" and such.... Hope to maybe get out and see about working on a box of the chicken coops... in another day or 2.

Battery on truck is dead... it has been weak...been needing to replace it. The cold is hard on a weak battery. I have been trying to start everything every other day to make sure they are okay... Tomorrow, I will try to jump it, haul some water to the pasture.... and then see about getting a battery that I bought for the car, and didn't need since I left key on and ran it all the way down, and then put it on slow charge for 2 days and got it back up and it has been starting fine.... battery is at the barn, I told DS to just take it there... and I would get it when I needed it or he needed it for something...so I will go get it since I paid for it... and I will give him the one out of the truck, and he can keep it on the charger there so it will be usable if he needs one "right now" for something. It would be good on a fence charger with a solar panel to help keep it up.... maybe I need to keep it here to use on the electric netting charger... but I am going to have to put the new one in the truck so I can use it regularly.

Temp is up to 38... that's fine with me....

 

[Mike CHS]

I have been worrying about this bug you have since it seems to have lasted so long.

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks @Mike CHS ... when I get one of these, it usually lasts 10 days or more... luckily I don't get them often... so I am not overly worried about it.
There has been a bug going around here I have heard and it has been pretty rough... but it sounds more like a flu thing with weakness, and temps, and such... I am just worn down with the coughing... and constant nasal drip and nose blowing. As long as it doesn't get to a hard dry congestion, I'm not too worried... just aggravating to cough and blow my nose a million times a day...

 

[farmerjan]

Friday night. Been another cold day... Started at 17 got up to 40 on the recording thermometer in the sun... but we had enough of a "breeze" that it was cold out there.
Yesterday started at 31 and quickly got windier and temps dropped all day. Other than doing the cow and calves, I stayed in with the wind... it was biting. I took a bucket of water up since I did not try to start the truck in the cold. Cow got put out so the only thing that needed the water was the weaned holstein and the 2 little calves... they are starting to drink some water too.

Today, DS called and wanted to know if I wanted to come down and look over the calves as he wanted to sell some heifers. He had been talking about it, but you never know with him.
So, I went down about 10:30.... after watering and feeding the little NH cockerel since the water freezes every night.
He had gotten in the calves... there were 28 in this group of heifers. That crazy nut case he sold a couple weeks ago had been in with this group and there were a couple more that were pretty high headed... We wound up sorting off 12 ... a couple of high headed jerks... 2 were real nice but NOT going to deal with idiots. Then there were a couple others that were so-so compared to others... they were not a bad group all together... but not the "better ones"...
He had decided to sell direct to a buyer close to us about 20 minutes south... they move thousands of cattle a month... and have cattle on consignment/lease out in Kansas and other places on wheat ground... I am talking BIG TIME.... after looking at prices at the stockyards, talking to a couple of guys, and this buyer, he decided to go with this buyer this time. Sometimes it pays to "spread it around" with some of what you sell.
5-600 wt heifers have been bringing in the $2.25-2.45 range ... for the last few stockyard results. You figure that it costs you about .05 cents a lb for the commission that they take off... so a 600 lb heifer commission is worth about $30.... The buyer offered DS 2.40 up to 585 lbs and then a sliding scale over that... in other words, if they weighed over 585, they would be worth a little less... like 2% sliding scale... I am not totally understanding of it... BUT.... no commission there... just the beef check off and the va state beef checkoff...which is 1.50 per head. You pay that on top of the commission at the stockyard...
So we took 12 to him... these are weaned "hardened" heifers, weaned over 45 days, no "bawlers", on feed , know what a bunk is.. etc and so forth... Not fat but in good flesh... they won't be dropping "fat" when they go to a stocker feeder but will start eating and go right to work and gain weight for the buyer. Plus they have had some vacc so have some built up immunities..

DS said he would be happy with $1250 a piece.... Well they averaged 620 lbs... and we got paid an average price of 2.37 ... so they were worth over $1470.

Makes me want to go back and get another, bigger load... 1 of the heifers was mine... I had planned to keep her, but she had gotten an attitude and tried running over/through the gate a couple times... so she went out with the rest and got sold. I have a couple that are bred, and a couple in the group getting bred now... and they are just worth too much to keep anything that isn't "real good".... with a GOOD attitude. Several were easy to sort, and move around, and didn't get too bent out of shape even though they got sorted around a couple times... and those are the kind we keep.

Got back about 3:30-3:45. DS was going to get changed and go to the Christmas parade cuz all the kids were going to be in it with their school classes... I got a couple buckets and the bottle and went up the hill to the cow and calves. Put her in, fed grain, fed the bottle, put hay in the bunk and left her in for the night.
Then came home and stayed in. It is down to 19 already... hoping that after tomorrow temps will be moderating a bit. Plus I need to see about getting the ranger started and haul a couple barrels of water...

Possible precip next week. We need some rain, the ground is like concrete and that is not from the cold... It is hard and dry.
Looks like I will have a bunch of herds to test next week too... Got Wed and Thursday already scheduled and possible 500 cow herd on Tuesday and another maybe on Monday...

 

[fuzzi]

I don't have anything to add, just that I am enjoying the thread.

 

[farmerjan]

Heading to bed, been doing some stuff that needs doing... Just wanted to add that I feel a WHOLE LOT better... just a little coughing,will cough a bunch then not for hours... little runny nose.... getting back some energy... still got laryngitis but that is expected... it comes and goes. 2 weeks which is about normal for me... so, hopefully getting back to "normal" .... whatever that is...
COLD out... 19 now...

 

[canesisters]

Heading to bed, been doing some stuff that needs doing... Just wanted to add that I feel a WHOLE LOT better... just a little coughing,will cough a bunch then not for hours... little runny nose.... getting back some energy... still got laryngitis but that is expected... it comes and goes. 2 weeks which is about normal for me... so, hopefully getting back to "normal" .... whatever that is...
COLD out... 19 now...

I'm really glad you're finally getting to the other side of that mess.
It took me about 2 weeks, & the off-and-on runny nose still lingers a bit.

 

[farmerjan]

Another cold one... 18 to start. But sun is out, today is supposed to be up in the 40's with the temps into the 50's + Sunday. AHHHHH.
Heated mattress pad not working... so maybe some of my having trouble going to sleep is the cold feet thing... Ordered a new one since no one seems to keep them in stock in stores... Be here Monday... just in time for couple days warm up.. but then I will be ready for midweek cool down again. Plus will be able to turn it on, and have a nice warm bed to go to sleep after testing evenings.
I am sure the animals will be glad for the warm up. Might be able to get a few more things done outside that didn't get finished when I caught this cold...

Also having problems with the heater in the LR... ventless propane fireplace thing...won't stay lit sometimes... can restart but then it just all of a sudden won't light back after pilot is lit. Since I use propane in the kitchen stove, I know that there is propane.... not running out or low in tank... checked that.... I have considered having someone look at it... but it is old, and not sure it is worth it. I would like one that has a flat top that actually would get warm so that I could put gloves on it to warm/dry, and to keep a pan of water for moisture.. Looking more like a small stove rather than something that sits tighter to the wall. So, guess that is next on the list.

We have gone into moderate drought status again... There is rain in the forecast for Monday/Tuesday... and it will be warmer... so that will be good... but the condition of the ground is not good.

Ought to be at least halfway decent to haul a couple barrels of water to the pen for the cow today...

Think hot cereal is in the plans right now...

 

[farmerjan]

I don't have anything to add, just that I am enjoying the thread.

thank you... I ramble... It's like a diary for me....

 

[farmerjan]

Site has been weird... double posting and then when you do write a reply, and it posts, it does not "clear" off and shows the next time you try to write something.

HOLY COW
It was only down to 31 last night and the sun is out and temps are already at 60.... Laundry in the washer ready to go out in a few... doing the flannel jeans and sweatshirts so they will be able to dry today.

Going to go out and maybe see about uncovering the trailer and look to see if I can figure out anything with the top box?????

Warm forecast the next couple days, but rain Monday and Tues... we are needing it very bad... Moderate drought conditions again. NOT GOOD for this time of year...

Time to get out there...