Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Sunday afternoon... 62 to start and got up to 90.... no wonder I got hot. Went and got 10 TM red salt blocks because DS was out... met Ryan at the farm at 10 and we got the heifers in again... got all of them including the CRAZY IDIOT NUTCASE, and got them worked through the chute. Kept in 2 others, one definitely had the beginnings of pinkeye, and the other had a little weeping... Also separated out the cow that needs to go up with the ones that are going to calve, but then she wanted to be stupid and go across to the other side of the barn, and so she got left there. We took salt blocks and mineral out to the heifer lot and then put them back out there after checking eyes and fly spraying.... then took salt and mineral up to the pregnant cows and checked for more calves after the 2 had them this past week... but they were "odd cows" , from some late breeding ones .,... not the ones that were preg checked for calving in the next month or so.... but no new calves.... Then went and took salt and mineral out to the big group and Ryan and I both had sprayers and sprayed most all that were around the mineral feeder and we put the block of salt on the ground so they weren't fighting right off and I sprayed most of them... then put the salt block in the mineral feeder and came back. He had something he had to do at 2 so it worked out. I have salt and mineral to take to the nurse cow pasture and a sprayer of fly spray made up to take up with me later... I am trying to get those calves to come in so we can get them worked as soon as he feels better.

I have to go to the other pasture and see if they will come back down into section 1 so I can close the gates... a couple got by him when he was coming through the gate the other day when they set up the panels. They need to come back to the barn to calve them out .... they are due in Oct I think, so another week or 2 won't hurt. They don't have any calves on them so we just want them at the barn so we can catch and at least tag the calves... then they will get vacc for blackleg and whatever when we move them out to winter pastures...

It is hot and dry after that cool spell. I am going to take the hoses back out to the garden and get them set and run water on the green beans, so they will bloom and make some beans, and the just planted squash and broccoli and lettuce seeds I think they haven't sprouted due to the dry ground... maybe the seeds too... ... and water the butternut and crenshaw squash plants too... Cannot believe how dry it got so fast... Been 2 full weeks since we got that 2.7 inches that was soo nice... some rain around, but none here that you could measure..... couple 2 minute sprinkles the other day....

Ate a sandwich for lunch and letting it cool off a little before I go back out. It is still 88 at 5 pm....

 

[farmerjan]

In for the night. It is getting pretty dark by 8 now... big change... seems sudden but I know it's not... still; seems like last week it was light 'til 9:30....

Deb texted to see what time co-op opened as she needs to get her car inspected... I texted back and said 8, but did she want to take it down tonight and drop it off so they could get on it first thing and she wouldn't have to sit down there, or take time out of work. She is staying at the farm and working remote tomorrow... So she called, and I said I would be glad to pick her up if she wanted to drop it off this evening... they have a "lockbox" and this way if there is anything that doesn't inspect, they can call her.... plus, this way she wouldn't have to wait, and lose work time or anything. So, she took it down, I picked her up and dropped her back home. She said she was not feeling 100% today, has a half a headache and just really tired out. She looked tired. We were going to get an ice cream at McD since we both ate late lunches... but their ice cream machine is not working. Oh well... I dropped her off, and came home.

Got out there and pulled the hoses out to the garden, got all the soaker hoses all together and all the Y's in places, and put a sprinkler in the butternut squash patch, a soaker down the one cantaloupe section, zigzagged a soaker down through the crenshaw squash, ran soakers inbetween all the rows of beans... 3 rows just starting to blossom and 3 rows that are a bit further behind, managed to run down the "row" of just planted yellow squash seeds and a piece in the other cantaloupe section. It's not going to cover everything, but it will get the soils mostly wet.... I did not have enough to do the short rows of broccoli and lettuce I had planted... will try to switch some over there tomorrow.
There is a 20% chance of some showers the early part of the week but they are saying hit or miss... and near RECORD HIGH temps by Wed... 90's early then 95-99 or possible higher by Wed/Thurs... absolutely crazy.... The one good thing is the rain chances go up into the 40%+ by later in the week. I imagine in part triggered by the heat.

It was dark when I finally finished... so will go to the nurse cow pasture with the mineral and salt in the morning and go the the other pasture and see if the cows will be down in section 1 so I can close the gate, and give them a salt block.

I am going to let the soakers stay on for 3 hours... then will shut them off and then take a shower after that as I won't have much for water pressure now.
A little bit hungry, so will go in and see what I can find... Don't want much...

 

[farmerjan]

Turned off the water at 11 as I was tired and wound up just going to bed. Got up and took shower and washed hair this morning. Turned on soakers for an hour or 2 to keep trying to get the ground good and wet, and soaking in more, before the sun gets up too high. Peaches to finish and things to get ready for tomorrow with the new herd and gotta get some things done here before it gets too hot.
Have had all kinds of texts this morning to get caught up with... when it rains it pours... except not much from the sky...

 

[farmerjan]

Well, we got some rain from the sky... about 5 pm, and really was not expecting it, so ran out to shut car windows on 3 vehicles... got a good little shower and then another quick harder 2 minute type rain. Probably not .1 in the gauge... but it helps.
I had put the water on for the garden again, and finally turned it off as the sun came up over the trees and it hit the section where the squash vines were running. Found a leak and it had soaked the ground so hopefully that will have permeated a bit too.

Been on the phone with insurance companies as house just came due and the vehicles are due next month. Trying to see what some of the increases were, and how to better the insurance stuff on the vehicles. That is soooo time consuming... and a PITA.

Then spent time on the phone with the computer support from the processing center with testing, trying to get things set up with this herd tomorrow. Then had to call the gen mgr about the herd that hasn't tested in 4 yrs that needs cell count stuff... and get that set up and she has to text me back in the morning to get the codes and all sent to me... grrrr....
The guy that screwed up at the herd I took over a couple months ago, has quit, just stopped showing up at farms, and it seems they had a terrible time getting the meters back from him.... well, there is one herd he had that she asked if I would want to take... I said, send the info to me... I will ask Sandra, who used to test them, what they are like... thinking.....NO NO NO..... but DS might want the income if he goes on long term disability and starts going to help me on a few more that I really don't want to keep doing.... I have to stay the official tester, but I can get him to do some of the "grunt work" of setting up and such... I don't know... we'll see.

I got a little wet when I went out to shut windows real quick... am getting ready to go to the pasture with the salt and mineral... sky is dark again... so might get some more.

I have a headache from all the hours on the phone for the different stuff...

Deb called and her car was inspected and so I went up and got her and ran her down to get it so she could leave and go back to he other house up near the office since she has to be in office T-W-Th....

Got another interesting text today. The grist mill where I used to work, and did the one day thing for the Apple Butter Festival last year... texted me and wanted to know if I would be interested in working this year again...It is OCT 19th.... I mean way in advance.... Long day but the pay was very good... and I liked being back there... so I said yes... Was shocked to get that text....

And spent over an hour on the phone with Medicare plan stuff since the open enrollment is coming up and they are launching some new plans... ....Feel like a zombie from all this stuff...

Did not get much done with the peaches.... Hoping to do some this evening for a bit. Some are getting pretty ripe now...

Headed to the pasture with salt and mineral...

 

[Baymule]

Lucky you, wading through Medicare plans, none of which make sense. The gobbletygook wording is confusing at best. Good luck to you on that.

If your DS is on disability, can he still work? At anything?

 

[Mini Horses]

Every year you look at your Medicare advantage plans -- what's offered, what you need, what you used....what's planned, if you have known health concerns, then cost. I do a lot of no, no, no.....then decide between what's left. . What to cull or keep.

 

[murphysranch]

I'm lazy due to how confusing it all is. I just keep my Advantage plan year after year. Its cheap insurance.

 

[SageHill]

Every year you look at your Medicare advantage plans -- what's offered, what you need, what you used....what's planned, if you have known health concerns, then cost. I do a lot of no, no, no.....then decide between what's left. . What to cull or keep.

That's a full time job in itself. Glad DH is on top of it here, but I swear it's days of staring at the computer, talking on the phone, waiting on the phone, etc. I have no patience for that.

 

[farmerjan]

@Baymule ... no legally he cannot get a paycheck if he is on disability... the farm income is being looked into, by the lawyer..... but he can "help me"..... and I am the "tester" on record for the farms.... I have paid whoever helps me on the 500+ cow herd, out of my pay, so will continue to do that....

Just got a text from the gen mgr... my "boss"... and there are 3 herds on the text... not the 1 she told me about on the phone.... and one of them is over 240 cows in a double 10 so needs 20 meters... I actually test their cousin...

As soon as DS gets moving around, guess I will see if he is interested in helping.... I don't know if I want to even consider it.

Got to get my butt in gear and get going.......

 

[Mini Horses]

don't know if I want to even consider it

Yep! Obligations.....I don't want more perm ones. Those farms depend on you. Can you agree to take on a temp basis? Hoping they find another rep. We both know some people are repulsed by the cow manures, early hours, barn weather and all those "niceties" you endure for your job. It's not for everyone . Shame the decision must be made before DS disability finalizes. And before you know if he'll need the work

I'm lucky that there are stores that "need" work done & I can do a couple extra jobs now & then when I choose but, short term Unlike cows, store jobs fluctuate seasonally. So when winter jobs are very slow, some reps just quit -- they need a steady paycheck. I usually work a couple extra stores then, while my DM hires. Hay bill money.