Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Thursday. 32 to start and up to 56 but it was a chilly temp. Sun to start through mid day, then clouds coming in... Tomorrow is supposed to be more clouds, then possible showers OR some snow??? Looks like it will stay mostly west and the ski areas of WV will be getting some snow out of it... but the air is dry and it will mostly break up coming across the mountains.

Tested last night and got done and home finally about 10:30....

Slept a little later this morning... Got the samples packed.
Did a load of white clothes that were soaking, and got them hung today. Mostly socks and some long sleeved t-shirts. They will mostly dry and if I have to, tomorrow I will bring them in and hang them around to warm-up/dry any dampness. We'll see what the morning brings. It is clear out there now... was looking at the stars.

Farm down the road that borrows the meters on occasion, wanted to borrow 2 to spot check some cows... I said I could drop them late this aft when I took the samples to UPS... so she said if I had them all in the car, maybe she would do the whole herd so I just took the car with them all in it... and dropped them on the way home from the UPS store. I will get some cheeses this time since I haven't the last few times...when I pick them up...

Went up and did the nurse cow... she came out the gate when I got there... there were no other cows around... so I fed her some grain outside and the 2 calves had come out with her and ran all around... I fed some in the barn for the ones that come in the other side in the creep gate... then she came back in as a couple other cows came up around there... so I fed her the rest of her grain in the barn... her calves came back in... I went out back a ways, and checked the hay. I had told DS they needed some yesterday and he had fed them so that was good.
The younger heifer that calved young, and is doing a good job with the calf, that comes in for grain some too, to eat..... was in heat and the bull bred her. So, she is hopefully going to settle... Will wean her calf off early in the spring so she has a couple months break. She is the one I try to sneak a little grain to when no one else is around there when I do the jersey.
So, I am going to think about letting the calves out with the jersey now... maybe after we have the real cold snap this weekend...

Had put a gal of tea out earlier, and it steeped pretty good. So, got that in the fridge now. Took some bread crusts and stuff out of the freezer... going to make a bowl of bread pudding, maybe tomorrow or Sat when it is cold out.

Time to work on some more junk mail, shredding it... going through some old bills/statements too.. getting rid of stuff I don't need.

 

[farmerjan]

Temps down to 34... now up to 41... We have had mostly clouds but a few peeks of sun trying to come through.
I am going to bring in the clothes in a bit. Radar showing more clouds and then showers later on. They are as dry as they are going to get, and I suspect they are pretty dry.
Flannel lined jeans again... will be for the next several days with temps only getting in the 30's most days.

Mixed 6 more buckets of the feed I give the jersey... will get the rest of the bags out of the explorer and into the red forester in the next day or 2.

Not feeling very productive... need to get some more things done.

I did go by the stove/fireplace store on the way to test Wednesday. Found one that should work and it is one of the lesser expensive ones. Been researching it online also... can find it cheaper ... but then again, maybe we should support the stores that actually have the product in stock to go look at... Plus, they have it in stock... maybe see about going to get it with this predicted cold coming and get it in here and working. Means a trip about 45 min north again... but better than waiting til after the holidays.

 

[ChickenManwithDogs]

Is the farmer almanacs weather predictions accurate?

 

[fuzzi]

Is the farmer almanacs weather predictions accurate?

Usually.

 

[farmerjan]

Sometimes.... I read it, but don't count on it... but some things do work like they say... especially things like planting by the moon, and working with livestock and such depending on stages of the moon... affects blood flow and such... but as far as the weather.... eh........

 

[farmerjan]

Chilly morning. Recording thermometer says 30 but the outside temps feel like 20-25. There is a breeze so naturally cold... But the sun is out so that helps...

DS called, he had a flat tire last night on truck...a guy that was a little behind him and saw the whole tire tread peel off, stopped and then brought him home... he needed me to take him up with tire and jack to replace it. The VERY GOOD tread peeled right off the tire.... and of course it went flat. It was a tire that had come from my father's... there is alot of dry rot on these tires... he was going to use them until they gave him problems but sure did not expect them to do this... Oh well.. not the end of the world.

So the spare he took was low... and the air compressor at the barn is down... motor went bad... so didn't even think about checking the air or anything anyway... he got it on the truck, and was hoping that it would get him to the service station.... and I said here... try this... He said what is it and I said a little air compressor that is supposed to blow up tires... I saw it advertised and decided to get one to try...
WOW... IT WORKS pretty good. Takes a few minutes... but the tire went from less than 12 lbs to over 25... and it was still working.... SO... we agreed that it was a real handy gadget to have... it is called an AIRMOTO Smart Air Pump... they plug into your phone charger...(charge cord included) and then when charged, will blow up your tire... has an adapter thing to blow up a basket ball etc......
SO... I am going to order a few more to keep in some of the glove boxes..... how many times have I had to deal with a low tire on the rake and such.... They are not cheap... but like when I had the tire that was slow leaking... I had to go to the barn to get the air tank... fill it, come home, blow up the tire, then go get it fixed and then take the air tank back to the barn... This will take less time to get the tire blown back up to get it to the co-op to get fixed... that sort of thing...
Or when the mower tire is soft... or a trailer tire.... or anything like that. It is not as fast as being at the compressor but it did what we needed it to do... Then you just plug it back into the charger cord...once charge, stick in the glove box.... supposed to hold a charge for quite a bit of time... REALLY a good thing to have.

So back home, time for lunch since I didn't eat any breakfast... Pretty much going to work in the house due to the chilly temps...

 

[farmerjan]

Happy Winter Solstice.... Shortest day of the year... It will start getting lighter earlier and staying lighter later... and will be a little noticeable in a couple weeks... OF COURSE.... it is going to get colder for a bit....

 

[Baymule]

Yay for longer days!

I’ve got a gadget that plugs into the cigarette lighter to air up tires. And IF I would plug it into a wall plug and keep it charged, it would jump off a dead battery.

Those handy gadgets can be a life saver!

 

[Ridgetop]

WOW... IT WORKS pretty good. Takes a few minutes... but the tire went from less than 12 lbs to over 25... and it was still working.... SO... we agreed that it was a real handy gadget to have... it is called an AIRMOTO Smart Air Pump... they plug into your phone charger...(charge cord included) and then when charged, will blow up your tire...

DS1 wanted to get one of those (don't remember the brand) for DH. The reviews on the one he was looking at were not good so decided not to. I will tell him about the Airmoto brand since you like it.

 

[farmerjan]

The thing is I like about the ones that work off the cig lighter/battery...like @Baymule has..... is they will last longer on the charge and can be used while it is plugged in, where as the Airmoto cannot be used while plugged in.... but this Airmoto is a little bigger than some of the cell phones... thicker and heavier but about the same size... so will fit easily in the glove compartment or center console.... I just ordered a couple more to put in a couple of the vehicles.... will get them charged up and then can at least have something like that to take on the tractor out to the field in the tool box, so that if I have a flat tire on the rake, or something... can use it without needing the plug in..... I have read some not so great reviews, and don't know how good the "1 yr warranty" is... but a couple of uses will pay for it in saved time and aggravation... Supposedly the "chinese knockoffs" are not near as well made... At least, this one was worth it today alone.... Takes a few minutes... says it takes 8 minutes to pump up a truck tire... and don't forget... it was cold out there this morning too...
One nice thing... the little air hose screws into the airmoto and then screws on the tire stem... and like this morning, we left it and sat in the car for a few minutes out of the wind, and it kept right on "pumping"... it just hangs there.
I have NO COMPLAINTS first time trying it.

Temps got up to 50 on the recording thermometer...it was mostly sunny, but there was a good breeze, so, rather chilly.

It is now after 8 and already down to 24... going to be a cold night...

Decided to order the stove since it is over $200 cheaper... from TSC of all places...only available online... at least that way if it is damaged or anything... it can go back to the store. Getting it shipped to the store for no extra charge... plus if there is damage or anything.... I will be right there at the store when I get it...... have to see about getting the blower separately... can't find it on their website... so that I can use it or not... at least if the power goes out, it will work without the blower and has a larger surface that is steel to radiate the heat off also. It is a little cheaper on a few other websites... but there are some saying "no returns"... some saying buyer pays return shipping... so at the odd chance I would want to do that... it would not be saving me any money at all...
Won't get it until after Christmas... but that is okay... got to find something to go under it so it doesn't scratch the wood floors... I actually have a piece of cardboard under the one in here now... would like something a little more "finished"... maybe something that looks like a piece of slate or bricks???? BUT, has to have a non-abrasive backing, so it doesn't damage the refinished pine floor.

Neighbor wants me to go to church with her tomorrow... guess I might... it will be "Christmassy" music and such.... she said many wear pants so will see if the tan jeans I have, that look dressier, will fit... when I go in to get ready for bed... find a warm Christmas sweater to go over a pullover since it will be soooooo cold in the morning... early service... have to leave by 8 for 9 a.m. service since the choir will practice a little before the service she said... said I would text her to let her know for sure...