Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Baymule]

@HomeOnTheRange those are good looking calves. Nice pasture too!

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday morning... Home from testing and went to barn and got the radiator for the tractor unloaded there for them to get it put back into the tractor.

I didn't get much done last night as DS texted and wanted to know what I was doing for supper... nothing special, so we went down to the local little rest/pizza place and ate. Then got home and did go out in the garden for a few minutes...... The butternut squash and the striped crenshaw plants have gone CRAZY.... taking over everything.... I am going to redirect them around to the edges of the area so the poor cantaloupes can have space to grow..... Next time they will not get put next to the cantaloupes...They are growing like the jokes about Kudzu growing several feet at a time.... Literally they are just growing like gang busters....

Came in, and it started to rain about 9:30.... Radar showed it going north of here....with us just on the very edge/fringe of it..... guess Mother nature didn't get the memo.... It rained good... steady not downpour.... It was wet this morning when I went to work at 3:30.
Checked the rain gauge a little bit ago, and almost fell over .... we got .7 inch of rain. HOLY MOLEY
That is like soooo perfect... Never expected that and am very very thankful for it. It will give a boost to the corn that we could not have begun to hope for... and the hayfields all look soooo good.
Now I have to get out and get mowing as everything is growing like crazy.

SO, I am going in to take a shower and wash my hair since it is soo splattered/sweaty/barn smelling.... and put some clothes in the washer. Mostly partly to mostly sunny for 2 days it says... so can get some things hung out I think. And get on the weed eating and lawn mowing detail.

 

[farmerjan]

Must've cricked neck wrong while washing hair and have had a miserable headache since... Da#@... so have pretty much tried to stretch neck out some and take it easy all afternoon...
This getting old and all crickety just plain stinks....

Got one load of clothes washed. 2nd load in to soak for a bit. Will hang both tomorrow since it is supposed to be nice and 60% chance of rain to come back in on Monday...

Going to go in and go to bed early and try some of the things I used to do when the chiropractor worked on it years ago... might be able to get it "uncricked".... Wanted to work outside this afternoon but it just didn't happen. Have to get going on the weed eating and mowing.....
Haven't had this kind of a headache in longer than I can remember...

 

[Mini Horses]

Hope your headache is better. Yeah, I need to mow here...like everywhere, not just the yard. Between rain everyday this past week and this heavy dew, won't happen for several hrs of dry time. Not complaining, just saying. Better than drought

 

[farmerjan]

Slept better, neck/head much better... not 100% but I'll take it. Got 2nd load washing so I can hang them both out in a bit. Going to take some stuff to keep head from getting to pounding stage and maybe I will be able to work out some more kinks with stretching etc.

Somehow it does not feel like Sunday, I keep thinking it is Monday.... Going to head out to garden in a few and take the weedeater to do around inside edges that I didn't get finished. Too wet to actually mow yet. Nearly done with the mulch, will do more where weeds coming up through. Going to make some rows to start the broccoli and a few more short rows of green beans since I am not getting very far, very fast.
Need to get my calendar and see who else needs testing... one has not gotten back to me yet... not going to worry about it. I will send a 2nd test and then it's up to them. Getting to be a pita ....

 

[farmerjan]

WHY I HATE SHORTS..... seems I have the most "attractive to every known insect in the world" legs... I put on shorts today, which I seldom ever wear... besides that my legs are fat and ugly..... many times I have had a call to go to work or something and I never wear shorts in the parlors... or sorting our cows or anything...
So, I went out and hung the first load of jeans since they will take longer to dry, and then went into the garden. Found and picked another 5-6 yellow squash and tried "redirecting" some of the butternut and crenshaw vines that I swear grew 5 ft last night !!!!!. My legs are itching so bad I want to tear the skin up... got a couple bites and just the leaves of the plants in the garden against them have got them itchy and some red blotches.
GRRRRRR

The second load of clothes is about done, so will go hang it shortly. It is lightweight summer shirts and stuff that will dry fast. Came in and had to take and use wash cloth and wash off all the leg skin showing... and it is calming down.

So; I am going to eat some lunch since I didn't eat any "breakfast".... that intermittent thing that I am trying to stick to 11/13.... on/off.... or 10/14... to see if I see any benefit like everyone says... doesn't happen on days I go to the barn early to test cows though....luckily they are not that common.... so not so consistent this past week. Going to do some dishes and then put the 6 fully charged batteries in the mower and put the 2 smaller ones on charge so I can take the "push mower" inside the netting and do some spots in there... then can move fence in a little, and be able to get around the outside with the rider mower. Need to pick up the hoses and soakers since I am hoping that we might be done with that. That's okay, they did what I needed there for awhile...
I have some bare spots/sections in the garden with the later planting of the potatoes, going to use them for a few "starter rows" of the broccoli and cabbage I think...

See some of the replanted watermelons are up... might get some late ones from them.... Nothing from the replanted green beans though. Guess it is only been a couple days... need to give them a week....see several of the spiney weeds again so need to take the gloves when I go, to get them out... don't need them to reseed.
Garden is not as good as I wanted this year, but with the better tilled section that has convinced me that, that is what HAS to be done next year....and I need to retill it as I am ready and able to get things planted... not have it sit for a couple weeks because I could not get to it... and then fight weeds... but the tilling has made it a MILLION times better seed bed to plant. Got to take the cart out behind the mower so I can dump all the rocks into it out of the buckets... too heavy to carry them much more than half full with this shoulder hurting. At least the headache/neck is alot better... just a little stiff and sore. Boy, that was a real B#@%H yesterday....

It is a nice 80 out there after 63 to start...no humidity, but there is rain coming in from the west and south for 60% chance tomorrow. Looks like @Mike CHS and Teresa are getting it today.

Okay, stomach is saying feed me... then hang the clothes....

 

[Ridgetop]

"attractive to every known insect in the world" legs.

Avon's Skin So Soft" is supposed to be great bug repellant. I still have a couple bottles that I bought for beach camping trips years ago. Also used it to rub on horses faces back then. DD1's pony was allergic to petroleum based fly sprays. We also used to ter laundry softener dryer sheets into strips and attach to the forehead bridle straps. They seemed to keep flies and gnats away from the horses eyes. A lot of bug reppellents now are made with Piperazole and other natural ingredients.

 

[SageHill]

My legs are itching so bad I want to tear the skin up

I know how you feel! Down to the bone wouldn't be good enough. Get some of this stuff .........CeraVe Itch Relief...........
............... it really works...........

https://www.amazon.com/CeraVe-Moisturizing-Pramoxine-Hydrochloride-Fragrance/dp/B017610BFO/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=3WDID&content-id=amzn1.sym.f8fbf489-893c-481c-b7fa-18e0b0ecaa0c%3Aamzn1.symc.a68f4ca3-28dc-4388-a2cf-24672c480d8f&pf_rd_p=f8fbf489-893c-481c-b7fa-18e0b0ecaa0c&pf_rd_r=B0PP0Q8NEB8PKFHVHNYA&pd_rd_wg=WVdTP&pd_rd_r=0a9b39d2-9211-46f3-af05-faf01f77ffb4&ref_=pd_hp_d_atf_ci_mcx_mr_ca_hp_atf_d

 

[farmerjan]

Ate a saucepan full of yellow squash for supper...chunks, boiled with a little butter... tasted good....

Didn't get as much done as I wanted but making a little progress. Couldn't get too motivated this afternoon.
Laundry all got hung, and is now in the basket in the house.

Samples packed to go out tomorrow....

Car windows shut in case... looks like we will get some "weather " tomorrow. I need to go to the pasture and get some of the bush hogging done. Forgot about it today, I should have done some today. I will make it a priority tomorrow to get some of it done... my turn to do some. DS has done a good bit.

DS has a dr appt on Tuesday and asked me to go... so that will take up a good part of that day. They are supposed to read the results of the milogram test from 10 days ago...

Thursday is the meter calibration so I have to get them cleaned up some for that....got a couple that need fixing/replacing. If I stick it out a few more years, in 2026 I will have 35 years... started Aug 12 in 1991.

 

[farmerjan]

Monday afternoon... Got up and was at the farm to get on the bush hog before 8 a.m. Turns out DS had done a bunch more yesterday, so there wasn't a huge amount left to do... I put in about 5 hours all together and the place is done... he had done alot since it usually takes about 4 / 6-8 hour days to do it all... Guess that's what being off work helps to get done....
When I drove down to the tractor way down in the field... I sat and watched a BEAR go across the field, climb up over the fence at a corner post... he sat on the horizontal brace post for a minute, watching the car, then swung his butt over and held the upright corner post with his big paw and let himself down and went down through the scrub brush there...it is fenced off part because of some water/creek or something. It only took about 3-5 minutes I guess... but I was kinda caught off guard... So, I waited a few more minutes, then opened the gate to go into the tractor and as I turned around I see a couple of cows just standing looking... in the field I was in but a ways back along some trees in the center... and here comes another bear... heading across and up the hill... he was further away, but it looked kinda weird... and I realized he did not have a nice black glossy coat like the other one... looks like he had mange or something... like you could see his skin through very "wispy" looking hair... Did not look healthy. He loped up the hill and out of sight pretty quick.
Interesting way to start your morning.....

Bush hogged that field (#3) and came back to the gate.. called DS since he had talked about moving the cows the other day.... but he said they still have to get the tree cut off the new fence where it fell on it a couple weeks ago... so I said okay... I was trying to save myself from getting off the tractor, open gates, go through, shut gates, go to field #1 , open gates, drive through, etc. and so on. Plus, I wanted to get car from middle field (#2) over to field #1 so that I didn't have to go back and forth...He said he was not too far away and would come and help do gates....
The cows had gone up to the top of the hill and over the other side.... didn't see a one.... so I got off tractor, opened gate, drove car to gate in field #1, opened gate and drove through and parked car... The I walked back to tractor (all flat "bottom land" so to speak) and drove tractor through... got off, shut gate, then drove across field #2 to gates at field #1, drove through, got off and shut gate.... At least this got everything closer to the driveway and the gate out to the driveway is open since he had been in and out so much. So just as I got off tractor to shut gates he came down field... He said, I said I would come help... and I said, well, the cows were no where to be seen so I hoped I could get the car here and go back for the tractor and get it here before they showed up... and they never did show up until I was nearly done and I saw them at the top of the hill....
He brought me some lunch... which was nice... I ate part since I had brought a pbj sandwich with me and plenty of drinks... talked a few minutes and he left and I went to bush hogging it...

So, got done and it was later than I thought, so I had to take samples to UPS since the vineyard wasn't open early and they were calling for some showers so didn't want to leave them outside at vineyard... and I didn't get done as pasture until about 2:30 or so...
I parked the tractor up near some trees as DS had broken a side window the other day, so wanted it to be on the "off side" from the prevailing direction the showers were coming from... and the trees should have even given it a little more protection from rain... Luckily, the rain has been very light showers, no wind, so tractor should stay dry inside. It was misty sprinkles, walked back a little ways to the car, and came out.... I had samples in the car, so went directly to UPS so they would go out.

Went by and fed the calf at the barn, he still has quite a bit of hay and water from the rain has filled the tubs in the last week. Put feed in the inside bunk for the other ones..... might try to get him moved to the house this weekend. He is doing okay there, but the grass here on top of feed and hay, would be a benefit I am sure.

Came home and it is just damp and muggy out, so nothing getting done outside. I moved a few things out of the car so DS can sit in the front seat when we go tomorrow morning to the dr appt.... I had work stuff in there. Went and filled car up so that gas is not an issue... it is cheaper here than down that way.... Got to pick him up at 5:15 a.m. Since he is at his house now, that is like less than a half mile up the road.

I think I am going to go in and make another pan of squash... it was good yesterday... and I really like it plain like that... besides it is fresh....

Might get out the vacuum and do something constructive inside.... cats are not inside and they hate it... so good time to run it a little...