Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Monday night. 47 to start, sunny and real nice... up to 80... Breezy so not too hot...

Yesterday I went to the farm and pulled staples out of the posts where the 2 fields were separate up back. LOOOONG stretch... DS and GF with the sister's kids, were down working on the fence I had pulled staples from the day before... to take the old wire down and put up the brace posts... Colt (little boy) had a big dump truck and was "hauling" dirt around and all that. Then they got some lunch from Mc D's and then GF and sister's daughter came up and started at the other end of the fence where I was... I had 2/3 done already... and worked towards me... and in another 1/2 hour we had it done. DS said that was all that he had hoped to get done, and wanted to go visit a friend in the hospital... had surgery... and was not coming along as fast as they had hoped. Was going to meet another friend to go over to the hospital (hr away)..
So they all left, and I said I was going to work on the 3 posts he had untangled out. I was aching... hey, not used to that kind of work.... but I got the wire off and the staples all pulled out of 2 of the posts... but the 3rd post I could not get any of them out... but I got the wire cut off and all that... Told DS if he untangles more with the skid steer loader I would work on them.

So, today started out nice... and DS called early because he could not remember the combination for the lower gate for the pasture "behind me"... Grants pasture... where the cows with the calves from late fall are... They are rebuilding the fence between that pasture and the neighbor... neighbor is a WITCH and the owner finally said he would get it rebuilt and she had better not have any animals against it or he will take her to court and sue her... because she said she was not spending money on it when nothing from her side can get against the property line fence... she rents it out... Anyway... he went down to see what all needs to be done... the guy with the forestry mulcher did not finish the job... what else is new... and that he was going to get the older guy and his son to come and work on cleaning it out more... then I called him and said if he hadn't left to stop at the house... he wanted to see what I wanted done here for them to put in posts.... so he was just up the road... and came back... and we walked the property line... looked at everything... I asked his opinion on a couple places, he made a suggestion or 2... we pretty much agreed on where the fence should go... where I wanted the gates...
Not putting any interior fencing... just want the posts in for the perimeter... have the 5 rolls of fence wire here for 2 years... I will use the electric netting for interior fencing until I figure out exactly what I want... where I want it. Not going to go across the front of the house or yard, or around the back of the house, and shed yet... It will use a whole lot LESS electric netting if the perimeter fence is up so I can come off it to utilize the grass...fence off the garden, all that.... Then I will see about how to best utilize the space... It will be a start... DS said he has been putting the wood posts 12 ft on his fences... except at the barn lots, they are 8 ft on center.... I suggested that they ought to be 16 ft and then I can put a T-Post inbetween... it is not like there is going to be alot of "pressure" against the fence like with alot of cattle or anything... and the wire will be in the "inside" so will take more pushing against anyway... that will save on wood post costs... T-posts aren't cheap but they are cheaper than wood posts... and won't take as long for them to drive them if there are fewer to drive. So, looks like it may finally happen... Posts will get in... wire might not be up real soon... but it's a step in the right direction...

Then I took the sample bottles to the farm 45 miles north of here...

Came back home, got the batteries for the pole saw on the charger as they are going to use it tomorrow... got to cut/trim some serious branches off the couple of pine trees and we are going to take down a couple trees where the fence is going to go between them along the dirt road ... because of some of the rock ledge there, We are not going to include that ledge section in the fenced in "yard"... I want to include it eventually if I can buy the acre or so next door from the neighbors, where it is too wet to have the Christmas trees and they cannot park on it... it is grass... if I can buy it, then it will make a straight line down to the corner of the property: that is a short "L" at the end of the property along the curve in the dirt road... and I could come up along the road there and tie into the fence that is we will have in there... Been thinking of that for awhile.... I am hoping the neighbor (previous owner of this house too) will be willing to sell off an acre or so to make this a little better shape...just get the property "squared up"... actually it will make it a much better pie shape with no L at the end there... They aren't using it for anything for the Christmas tree farm.....

So, I went up to do the bottle later... Had a new calf yesterday up there and DS did get it tagged... Jess the longhorn is getting closer.. she is making an udder now . There is one more heifer at snyder's left to calve. DS also had a calf from a heifer at the other field where we put the other 8 there... so they are starting there...

The sky was getting dark and the forecast chance of some serious t-storms coming through... got a few sprinkles as I left there. It started to pour after I got in the house. Radar looks like we will get a couple more hard showers. Just south of here they got nickle sized hail... covered the ground in some places... very narrow band of it went through...

Tomorrow I will get bottles in the racks for testing... there are some scrubby bushes/branches, I need to take the lopping shears to for DS to be able to put in a post at the property line..... Something I can do in the morning... and remark the spot where there is still some old surveyor's tape on the woven wire fence there along the road...

Ached some when I got up but then it worked it's self out today... DS said he would try to get some more of the old fence with the posts "unwound" so I can get some more of the posts out and the wire off and the staples pulled. Not that I am looking to put in a 10 hr day, but I wasn't near as sore once I got warmed up a little bit.

Just had another shower go through... lots of thunder... we can use the rain and this stop and go is the best way for it to soak into the ground good.

 

[fuzzi]

Monday night. 47 to start, sunny and real nice... up to 80... Breezy so not too hot...

Yesterday I went to the farm and pulled staples out of the posts where the 2 fields were separate up back. LOOOONG stretch... DS and GF with the sister's kids, were down working on the fence I had pulled staples from the day before... to take the old wire down and put up the brace posts... Colt (little boy) had a big dump truck and was "hauling" dirt around and all that. Then they got some lunch from Mc D's and then GF and sister's daughter came up and started at the other end of the fence where I was... I had 2/3 done already... and worked towards me... and in another 1/2 hour we had it done. DS said that was all that he had hoped to get done, and wanted to go visit a friend in the hospital... had surgery... and was not coming along as fast as they had hoped. Was going to meet another friend to go over to the hospital (hr away)..
So they all left, and I said I was going to work on the 3 posts he had untangled out. I was aching... hey, not used to that kind of work.... but I got the wire off and the staples all pulled out of 2 of the posts... but the 3rd post I could not get any of them out... but I got the wire cut off and all that... Told DS if he untangles more with the skid steer loader I would work on them.

So, today started out nice... and DS called early because he could not remember the combination for the lower gate for the pasture "behind me"... Grants pasture... where the cows with the calves from late fall are... They are rebuilding the fence between that pasture and the neighbor... neighbor is a WITCH and the owner finally said he would get it rebuilt and she had better not have any animals against it or he will take her to court and sue her... because she said she was not spending money on it when nothing from her side can get against the property line fence... she rents it out... Anyway... he went down to see what all needs to be done... the guy with the forestry mulcher did not finish the job... what else is new... and that he was going to get the older guy and his son to come and work on cleaning it out more... then I called him and said if he hadn't left to stop at the house... he wanted to see what I wanted done here for them to put in posts.... so he was just up the road... and came back... and we walked the property line... looked at everything... I asked his opinion on a couple places, he made a suggestion or 2... we pretty much agreed on where the fence should go... where I wanted the gates...
Not putting any interior fencing... just want the posts in for the perimeter... have the 5 rolls of fence wire here for 2 years... I will use the electric netting for interior fencing until I figure out exactly what I want... where I want it. Not going to go across the front of the house or yard, or around the back of the house, and shed yet... It will use a whole lot LESS electric netting if the perimeter fence is up so I can come off it to utilize the grass...fence off the garden, all that.... Then I will see about how to best utilize the space... It will be a start... DS said he has been putting the wood posts 12 ft on his fences... except at the barn lots, they are 8 ft on center.... I suggested that they ought to be 16 ft and then I can put a T-Post inbetween... it is not like there is going to be alot of "pressure" against the fence like with alot of cattle or anything... and the wire will be in the "inside" so will take more pushing against anyway... that will save on wood post costs... T-posts aren't cheap but they are cheaper than wood posts... and won't take as long for them to drive them if there are fewer to drive. So, looks like it may finally happen... Posts will get in... wire might not be up real soon... but it's a step in the right direction...

Then I took the sample bottles to the farm 45 miles north of here...

Came back home, got the batteries for the pole saw on the charger as they are going to use it tomorrow... got to cut/trim some serious branches off the couple of pine trees and we are going to take down a couple trees where the fence is going to go between them along the dirt road ... because of some of the rock ledge there, We are not going to include that ledge section in the fenced in "yard"... I want to include it eventually if I can buy the acre or so next door from the neighbors, where it is too wet to have the Christmas trees and they cannot park on it... it is grass... if I can buy it, then it will make a straight line down to the corner of the property: that is a short "L" at the end of the property along the curve in the dirt road... and I could come up along the road there and tie into the fence that is we will have in there... Been thinking of that for awhile.... I am hoping the neighbor (previous owner of this house too) will be willing to sell off an acre or so to make this a little better shape...just get the property "squared up"... actually it will make it a much better pie shape with no L at the end there... They aren't using it for anything for the Christmas tree farm.....

So, I went up to do the bottle later... Had a new calf yesterday up there and DS did get it tagged... Jess the longhorn is getting closer.. she is making an udder now . There is one more heifer at snyder's left to calve. DS also had a calf from a heifer at the other field where we put the other 8 there... so they are starting there...

The sky was getting dark and the forecast chance of some serious t-storms coming through... got a few sprinkles as I left there. It started to pour after I got in the house. Radar looks like we will get a couple more hard showers. Just south of here they got nickle sized hail... covered the ground in some places... very narrow band of it went through...

Tomorrow I will get bottles in the racks for testing... there are some scrubby bushes/branches, I need to take the lopping shears to for DS to be able to put in a post at the property line..... Something I can do in the morning... and remark the spot where there is still some old surveyor's tape on the woven wire fence there along the road...

Ached some when I got up but then it worked it's self out today... DS said he would try to get some more of the old fence with the posts "unwound" so I can get some more of the posts out and the wire off and the staples pulled. Not that I am looking to put in a 10 hr day, but I wasn't near as sore once I got warmed up a little bit.

Just had another shower go through... lots of thunder... we can use the rain and this stop and go is the best way for it to soak into the ground good.

Sounds like a productive day for you! Hope you aren't hurting a lot.

 

[farmerjan]

Well, Wed night. couple mixed up days again... Tuesday it was mostly cloudy... after a rainy Mon night... Got 9/10ths inch (.9) from the off and on rain Monday night. Temps did not get very warm... about 60 BUT the wind blew like the dickens so felt colder than all get out.
Went and tested Tues aft/eve... I didn't leave there until after 7 so not home until dark... went okay, but I sure wish I had scheduled them a different day as I would have liked to go to that bred cow sale... OH WELL... don't know what they brought yet... but I suspect they were high.
Because of all the rain, DS did not get the 2 guys to come work Tues but they were due to come today (wed.).

Got up this morning... 7:30 DS had the guys here... they cut some of the pine tree limbs off where the fence is going to go through and along the road... Then he had them clear up that corner that DS is going to make 2 / 45 degree angles instead of the 90 degree angle where the trucks keep taking out the corner... he is going to offset it back off the road a few feet and put the biggest boulders he can find on the OUTSIDE of the angled corner so if a big truck that comes up that road, which they have no business on, they will tear up their trailer instead of tearing down our (landlord owner's) fence all the time... there are several fence panels we have had to keep there since they have taken down the corner posts several times...
Then DS took them down to the fenceline down through the overgrown crap.... briars, autumn olive, scrub trees, downed trees and limbs... that runs along the "witches" fenceline/pasture... They did a real bang up job of getting it cleared out really really good... a long stretch with some serious tree limbs and all. DS is going to get the guys doing the posts. to put in posts all down along there, on our landlords' side of the existing fence... so there is no question from her about "messing up" and not getting it on the proper property line... This is going to give our cows more land and some more grazing.. although it is getting quite grown up... but going to get more of it forestry mulched "open" again.... owner has said he will make good with DS on it... he wants it down... we might get reduced rent as well as materials paid for or something... DS is good with things with them... they have been great to deal with for over 15-20 years... They are the ones that owned my house too.... he has been more than fair about stuff all along.
I filled the bird feeder, picked up some fallen sticks/branches... loaded all the stuff for the dumpster in the back of the truck and took it down there... got the samples packed and the bottles in the trays and all in the car to go....
I get a text at 10... can't go test because that farmer is going to be chopping rye.... . I was supposed to go pick up the samples and stuff at the other farm on the way... so had to make a special trip to get the samples since they had finished their testing on Tues morning and I did not want them to sit any longer... Needless to say that did not set too well, but this farmer has always been accommodating and doesn't cancel unless a good reason... and he sells me calves when I need one for a cow at less than market price... sooooo....
I had checked on the 2 guys for DS at about 10 or so, he doesn't have a cell phone...(DS worked with them until about 9 a.m.) then took them some lunch at 12:30 or so... and then went to get the samples. About 3, DS called to see where I was... because they had d finished what he wanted them to do... and the father is 69 and has a bad back so a 6hr or longer day is hard on him... and they did a good job... so I said I had just gotten back. We had discussed my maybe taking them home if he was busy at the farm...
So I took the explorer down to doug's barn, where he was with them... and got them to unload the salt blocks and oil and such, there, then took them home... 1/2 hour or so... Came back by Walmart, and stopped, got a few plants, and a few groceries, and them came on back home... Made up the bottle and went up and did the calf, fed the other calves grain... and then came home. Unloaded the feed from the explorer into the back of the ranger p.u. to take up the hill tomorrow. I have to try to get the heifers in tomorrow so he can move them to the barn for the preg check... might have to get in one load and then the 2nd load Friday morning...
The last of the heifers calved... she had a bull calf... so only waiting on Jess, the longhorn, and she is not more than a couple days off at most... There are still a couple heifers at the field there next to doug's farm... I have 2 heifers and 4 bulls at snyder's pasture...
We seem to be running 2 to 1; bull calves to heifer calves which is fine... we had maybe 60-70% heifers last year... I rather hope Jess has a heifer calf this time...

Vet is at 2 -2:30 on Friday afternoon... and of course had a farm text me, wanting to see if I could do Friday... which I cannot... and have to reschedule the one that cancelled today... Maybe get some done next week... or even maybe this Sat aft... But it will be feast or famine again... I will wind up working 3-4-5 days in a row by the looks of it... and have had to put off the 500 cow herd because DS has been too busy with the fence situation this week... he will be gone M-W next week for that Cattleman's Assoc trip... and then the bulls get their breeding soundness exams ...BSE... on Thursday... got 6 scheduled... and we have to move 5 heifers as soon as the vet gets them done on Friday, to that pasture as the guy has called twice already.... so they will get moved Friday aft I think, or early Sat morning...
Time to start getting them moved out to pastures... there is picking, and after this last rain, and it is supposed to warm up a bit this weekend... the grass will start really coming on...

But first, it is supposed to frost again tonight... 30.... but wind is supposed to finally quiet down so the cold will settle....

Past time to go to bed... already down to 42.....

 

[fuzzi]

Well, Wed night. couple mixed up days again... Tuesday it was mostly cloudy... after a rainy Mon night... Got 9/10ths inch (.9) from the off and on rain Monday night. Temps did not get very warm... about 60 BUT the wind blew like the dickens so felt colder than all get out.
Went and tested Tues aft/eve... I didn't leave there until after 7 so not home until dark... went okay, but I sure wish I had scheduled them a different day as I would have liked to go to that bred cow sale... OH WELL... don't know what they brought yet... but I suspect they were high.
Because of all the rain, DS did not get the 2 guys to come work Tues but they were due to come today (wed.).

Got up this morning... 7:30 DS had the guys here... they cut some of the pine tree limbs off where the fence is going to go through and along the road... Then he had them clear up that corner that DS is going to make 2 / 45 degree angles instead of the 90 degree angle where the trucks keep taking out the corner... he is going to offset it back off the road a few feet and put the biggest boulders he can find on the OUTSIDE of the angled corner so if a big truck that comes up that road, which they have no business on, they will tear up their trailer instead of tearing down our (landlord owner's) fence all the time... there are several fence panels we have had to keep there since they have taken down the corner posts several times...
Then DS took them down to the fenceline down through the overgrown crap.... briars, autumn olive, scrub trees, downed trees and limbs... that runs along the "witches" fenceline/pasture... They did a real bang up job of getting it cleared out really really good... a long stretch with some serious tree limbs and all. DS is going to get the guys doing the posts. to put in posts all down along there, on our landlords' side of the existing fence... so there is no question from her about "messing up" and not getting it on the proper property line... This is going to give our cows more land and some more grazing.. although it is getting quite grown up... but going to get more of it forestry mulched "open" again.... owner has said he will make good with DS on it... he wants it down... we might get reduced rent as well as materials paid for or something... DS is good with things with them... they have been great to deal with for over 15-20 years... They are the ones that owned my house too.... he has been more than fair about stuff all along.
I filled the bird feeder, picked up some fallen sticks/branches... loaded all the stuff for the dumpster in the back of the truck and took it down there... got the samples packed and the bottles in the trays and all in the car to go....
I get a text at 10... can't go test because that farmer is going to be chopping rye.... . I was supposed to go pick up the samples and stuff at the other farm on the way... so had to make a special trip to get the samples since they had finished their testing on Tues morning and I did not want them to sit any longer... Needless to say that did not set too well, but this farmer has always been accommodating and doesn't cancel unless a good reason... and he sells me calves when I need one for a cow at less than market price... sooooo....
I had checked on the 2 guys for DS at about 10 or so, he doesn't have a cell phone...(DS worked with them until about 9 a.m.) then took them some lunch at 12:30 or so... and then went to get the samples. About 3, DS called to see where I was... because they had d finished what he wanted them to do... and the father is 69 and has a bad back so a 6hr or longer day is hard on him... and they did a good job... so I said I had just gotten back. We had discussed my maybe taking them home if he was busy at the farm...
So I took the explorer down to doug's barn, where he was with them... and got them to unload the salt blocks and oil and such, there, then took them home... 1/2 hour or so... Came back by Walmart, and stopped, got a few plants, and a few groceries, and them came on back home... Made up the bottle and went up and did the calf, fed the other calves grain... and then came home. Unloaded the feed from the explorer into the back of the ranger p.u. to take up the hill tomorrow. I have to try to get the heifers in tomorrow so he can move them to the barn for the preg check... might have to get in one load and then the 2nd load Friday morning...
The last of the heifers calved... she had a bull calf... so only waiting on Jess, the longhorn, and she is not more than a couple days off at most... There are still a couple heifers at the field there next to doug's farm... I have 2 heifers and 4 bulls at snyder's pasture...
We seem to be running 2 to 1; bull calves to heifer calves which is fine... we had maybe 60-70% heifers last year... I rather hope Jess has a heifer calf this time...

Vet is at 2 -2:30 on Friday afternoon... and of course had a farm text me, wanting to see if I could do Friday... which I cannot... and have to reschedule the one that cancelled today... Maybe get some done next week... or even maybe this Sat aft... But it will be feast or famine again... I will wind up working 3-4-5 days in a row by the looks of it... and have had to put off the 500 cow herd because DS has been too busy with the fence situation this week... he will be gone M-W next week for that Cattleman's Assoc trip... and then the bulls get their breeding soundness exams ...BSE... on Thursday... got 6 scheduled... and we have to move 5 heifers as soon as the vet gets them done on Friday, to that pasture as the guy has called twice already.... so they will get moved Friday aft I think, or early Sat morning...
Time to start getting them moved out to pastures... there is picking, and after this last rain, and it is supposed to warm up a bit this weekend... the grass will start really coming on...

But first, it is supposed to frost again tonight... 30.... but wind is supposed to finally quiet down so the cold will settle....

Past time to go to bed... already down to 42.....

I enjoy reading your journal. It's good to find people who still know how and are able to work without constant supervision. I just had a section of fence replaced and I am very pleased with the work.

 

[Mini Horses]

They cut hay yesterday across from me....about 10 acres. There's another 15-20 there plus, I see a 30 acre field he does about 1/2 mile up Rd that's about ready. Looking like a good hay year around here. Rains have made a lot of growth early on.

 

[farmerjan]

We are nowhere near hay making, but chopping rye early to get the crop off so that farmers can get ready for corn planting... most plant rye or barley for winter cover crops that also give them an early crop to cut and chop for "haylage" .... many feed that to heifers and mixed in with corn silage for dairy cows, balancing the protein levels and such...

It was down to 35 here last night, and the sun is out but there is still quite a chill to the air...only 58 at this time. I have several loads of clothes washed, going out to hang them in a few minutes. The washing machine seems to be leaking a little...already checked to make sure the discharge hose is in the pipe and all that.... so doing the laundry when I am here to watch it... keeping something in front of it to soak it up; when I have time I will get it looked at. Got all the laundry caught up, so not a priority worry right now...

Samples packed to drop off later, and all the printouts for the farm done and ready to take back whenever I go that way. Several texts and calls out to farms to test next week... once I get the clothes hung, I guess I will go up to see if any of the heifers are near the barn... maybe get some in now if they are... I have sq bales of hay that I can feed and there is water in the troughs from the rain... Sometimes they are up around the barn in the middle of the day...
Will take the truck with the feed on it to unload up there too...