Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

DS was up and at it early. He pulled into the field across from my house at about 9 am and is mowing. I am assuming he got the smaller piece across from his house done first. I think this will probably be all that he will do today, but who knows. I think his knee will ache after this though.

It is cloudy, rather dreary looking. Was 60 for a low, only up to 64 now. These clouds may drop a little bit of rain but not looking like much. Sun is predicted to come back out later this afternoon, after this front passes through, then more sun for the rest of the week until later on Thurs or Fri but who knows that far in advance.

I am going out to move feed from explorer to forester. Got the bags of stuff out of the cabinet that was made for that, to go to the recycling and dumpster later. Doing some inside stuff while it is so cloudy out there. If the sun comes out it will be a nice afternoon to be outside.

Will go to the pastures to check on them in a little bit and do the feeding etc. Need to check with him to see if he attempted to do the feeding at the barn, before I wind up duplicating. Want to get the calves in to check eyes again today anyway. We'll see how he feels and what else he wants to attempt to do. No sense in overdoing it all in one day.

 

[farmerjan]

Skipped a "chapter" that was posted in the "coffee" thread...

It got sunnier this afternoon, and hit 80 but is already lower than it was overnight last night.

Went to the barn, and fed the 2 groups that come into the bunk in the barn. One heifer that I retreated would not come in... and I was not about to go out and try to chase her. She ought to be in there during the day tomorrow... and I will lock them in if I have to, so I can look at her again...

DS did not shut any gates when he went and got the discbine to mow with... so I shut all the gates. Got feed and went to the pasture and all the cows and there are still 3 calves there, came in to the area we will catch them in and were not as spooky this evening. DS had called me and said he didn't think there were but 13 cows there...had been 16 cow/cf pairs to start.... but there were supposed to still be 14 after the one died earlier this spring, and the one we brought home with her nut case heifer... so he was all bothered. Well, I counted 14 cows and the 3 calves still there...I thought he had taken the last few calves when we got the cow and her nutty calf in... They need to come off... but one is the one that was on the cow that died so only 2 are on their momma's... and don't know how much they are/are not nursing anyway.

I then filled the car up with gas and then went to the nurse cow pasture. All the calves were not up there at the barn, but the hol bull was and 2 others... so I only fed one bucket in the outside troughs, and he was eating and one other went in... the other was on his mother (one of the smaller ones) so he might or might not go in... The holstein will be able to get his share even if the others came up after I left...

It was getting dark so I came on home. Ate a fat tomato sandwich and am going to get a shower and go to bed fairly soon. I got a couple pictures of some of the sunflowers, but the sun was at the wrong angle, hard to see, so going to try in the morning when it is coming from the other direction.

 

[farmerjan]

Up to a CHILLY 47 this morning.. Sun is out and I will go out and get the feed transferred... I only filled the 3 buckets because I had feed buckets full, for the pasture cattle too. So emptied 1 and 1/2 bags yesterday... will refill the buckets and move the rest of the bags.
Would maybe like to get some grass mowing done later after the heavy dew dries off... did not get to that yesterday.
Trying to catch up on some sorting of junk mail and good stuff, got a couple cc that came in the mail, since old ones had expiring dates, got them activated... all that sort of time consuming stuff... had a text then a call about some possible fraudulent activity on one card... got that taken care of and cancelled the card... I barely used it, just don't need it and trying to cut down to just the ones that offer rewards of some sort... Just got the Rural King one in the mail and their incentives are pretty good and interest rates are lower than any others I have except my credit union credit card. I mostly use my debit card, to meet the requirements in order to kick in the 5% interest on the checking account every month. But I use other cards to get the discounts on the gas... RK offers the same 3% discount on gas, groc, and all dining/restaurants... some are just fast food, or just "restaurants"... so that is great because some of the others are pretty restrictive. Got 2 others I am going to drop since they don't offer any incentives... I keep a close eye on who offers what and when... Walmart is stopping their association with Capital One... so they are going to issue a straight Capital One card with just 1.5% discount... well I already have had the Capital One card for years so don't want another one.... going to cancel the new one and cut out another one.

Need to pick the yellow beans today... I checked them last night and they are ready for a picking... The yellow squash seeds that have come up are looking good but they will be slow to do much in these cold nights... Might try a short "tunnel" for them for nights... to keep them going. The butternut squash plants are at their end... lots of withering leaves out there... but the crenshaws still look pretty good. There are some BIG crenshaws out there. Need to get into the tomatoes too... Lots of "large cherry sized ones" ....

Got to talk to DS and see how he is feeling after the mowing yesterday, and if he is thinking about moving those cows or anything...

Almost 60 out there... today is supposed to be cooler, tonight even chillier, then a warming trend for the week... But sun everyday through til Friday they say.

 

[Mini Horses]

We're on similar weather temps, I'm about 5* warmer currently but, you have mountain influences & I have ocean ones.

 

[farmerjan]

Eating tomato sandwiches and then heading back out. Beautiful 68 out and sun...

 

[farmerjan]

In for the night. Boy it is getting dark quicker... High hit 73 today, and a little breeze but not alot.

Picked the yellow beans, pulled some of the plants as there are not hardly any flowers on them with the chilly temps, they are a one crop and done. There are some that must be the ones I filled in the empty spots a week or so later as they have little beans on them... If we don't get any rain they won't do anything. Not worth watering at this point. The green bean rows are looking good but not many flowers... might not do much with the dry conditions. I am not watering them either...
Picked the silver queen corn. I should have picked it last week. Tried some and it is tough. So the cows will get it. I will cut the stalks off and feed them to the cows also.
Picked a bunch of peppers that I will do up and stick in the freezer. Or maybe just fry up with some onions.,; not alot of them this year.
The tomatoes are starting to come ripe better. The large cherry ones, are really coming on and the yellow pear are ripening some. There are not as many of the bigger sized ones as I thought. They have not done all that good this year either...
I dug around a little on one potato plant and there are some fair sized potatoes. I imagine they will be smaller this year due to the drought conditions.
And no, I forgot to take my phone and so no pictures yet...

I got the feed transferred to the forester... Barely fit with mixing it in the buckets... There are 2 kinds I get.... started with the one kind it is 12%... sweet feed type... then saw a commodity mix that was 15% so tried one bag and the calves like it... smells like burnt coffee almost... so I am mixing it for them. About half and half. I mixed 5 buckets and the rest of the bags are in the back of the forester... It is so much easier to go in there with it already mixed and not have to fight off the nosy cows while trying to mix it. It is $3+ a bag cheaper than I can get around here for 12% so I am getting it when I am there. Need to put a few metal garbage cans in the "hay section" to keep it in up there... but the ground hogs have gotten into it before and they will push hay bales off the tops to get them open so it is a PITA. Not that big a deal to just have it in the car for now and take that car up there . Water trough was full again last night so it should be okay ....

Got the papers together to take to the ins guy in the morning that I am having go over everything and see if he can get me some better rates.
Then have to leave at noon to take DS to the dr that is an hour south of here... I think he wants me to go for the company and to hear what they have to say.
Then the plans are for me to go get in the cows at the pasture and he can drive the truck and trailer and we can move them. Got to get the one cow out of the barn to move across the driveway with these cows, and the 3 calves will stay in the barn lot to get completely weaned off.

Farm texted me so will test them on Tuesday afternoon. DS is going out to WV to check on the heifers with Doc (his farm) I think... he will stay over Tues night and come back on Wed...3 1/2 hr ride out there... Haven't seen them in a month... got a neighbor/friend that goes and checks them and feeds some grain to keep them coming in the catch area... They will be coming home before too long... Last year we had to have them out by the first of Sept so they could cut timber..... but it gets colder out there in the mountains, and they get snow earlier... and the driveway/road in there is NOT good when the weather gets iffy. I expect they will be coming home in the next month or sooner.
Everything will be happening all at once... animals coming home, late hay, corn chopping will be here before you know it. Preg checks...

I don't want winter yet.... but if we get snow it will go a long way to replenishing the water table and ease the drought status. Fall is coming on fast.

 

[Mini Horses]

47 here this morn that's winter temps in Dec normally! Brrrrrr

 

[Baymule]

It’s 56F here this morning!

 

[SageHill]

85 this morning -- one more day in the 100s (hope just one more) after 5 days of 100+ highs I don't know how you all do it in TX, and esp the peeps in Vegas and Phoenix.

 

[Baymule]

85 this morning -- one more day in the 100s (hope just one more) after 5 days of 100+ highs I don't know how you all do it in TX, and esp the peeps in Vegas and Phoenix.

AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!!!!!