Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[fuzzi]

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.

How about ceramic floor tiles placed underneath?

 

[Mini Horses]

Most hardware, big box, etc, have large fireproof panels for that...under heater floor things. Most are brick or stone patterned. Worth the price for the fire safety. Floor and walls can get pretty hot from those stoves.

The tire inflators are excellent in middle of "nowhere" when you need them. I carry a can of fix a flat in both vehicles but, can be messy. The inflators & jumpers can be your saving grace sometimes. Especially with the smaller portability.
Amazing what they're doing now!!!!!! Better & smaller solar panels are coming along now, too. Geesh, what I've seen happen in my lifetime so far.

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, @Mini Horses ... going to look at Lowe's and/or Home Depot for a floor "mat".... since this is propane, it will not get as hot "underneath" as an actual wood stove... so it is as much protection for the wood floor as "fire/heat protection.... Actual info on stove does not require it due to the height off the floor... legs are more than 8 inches..... but I want a "mat" anyway...

Was 14 this morning at 7 when I got up to get dressed to go with Beth to her church.... it was okay... singing was nice... her choir did a nice number with the congregation coming in on the third verse... they were singing one song, congregation came in with Silent Night and the 2 songs were very complimentary to each other... I am just not overly into "Latter Day Saints"..... some churches you get very good feelings from... this one was just "a church".... you either connect or you don't. But she seemed real happy for me to go, and thanked me for coming with her... so...........

It stayed cold all day... Hit 34 when thermometer was NOT in the direct sun.... hit 48 when the sun was on it...yes it was nice when the sun was out but NOT comfortable to work out much... at least there was not much wind.

DS opened the silage pit, and fed some today... will feed a little to each group for a week or so to get them used to it... said it looks good.

He came down and parked the dump truck across from my house and needed a ride back to the barn... he lost his phone... and needed me to come and "call it".... well it had slid down in the skid loader almost under the seat... so that was a relief... then he took the big tractor and "forks" on the front to take down to the pasture. I followed him and then brought him back to the dump truck so he could take that down there to load it... He will deliver this and then come back to get the rest of the big oak that is down loaded before he takes the tractor back to the barn. This is the pasture they have been doing some of the "forestry mulching" at, "behind/across" from me... there are a couple of trees down; one is a big oak and he wanted to get it to load on the dump truck and have to add to some of the ash to sell... he has been selling a couple loads of wood and delivering them... all long lengths that the buyers cut up themselves... we have all this downed stuff so might as well make some money off it... and clean up some fence rows and such...

Went up to the jersey cow and after letting her in to eat, and checking the roll of hay and everything, I finally let her out and the calves went with her... Yes it is cold out... but not wet and no real wind... and they ought to be able to nurse her during the night too.... guess I will see how it goes when I go up tomorrow.

Asked DS if he wanted to go get some supper... he said okay, came by when he was done at the barn, and we went down to Frank's, a couple miles south.... he wasn't in a very talkative mood and got on the phone texting so I could have just as well gone by myself... but that is the way he is anymore.... came back and he got in his truck here at my house... and went home. Said he was tired and cold... it got cold real fast after about 4.....

I sat and went through a pile of mail and old papers and did 2 shredder "cans" of stuff... and am going in to bed here in just a little bit.

Got to go pick up the meters tomorrow, she said she was done and could bring them back... but I will just load them in the car. No sense in her bringing them here, and handling them 2-3 times.... or putting them in the carport since I have got 3 farms to get to... probably next week after Christmas... New Years is not as big a deal to farmers....will put out a couple texts and see who wants to do what after Christmas...

After tomorrow, it is supposed to warm up more into the 40-50's days, and 25-30 nights... As soon as it warms up a bit more, I will go out and see about trying to get this chicken "run" area put together... going to try to either figure out a temp fix for the rotten piece or see if I can steal that section from another box for now...
Want to go to the dumpster with the trash on the truck... the battery did not crank again in the cold... it is just getting weak... Time to replace... and I will run the outback tomorrow when I go get the meters...

Haven't heard a thing from Deb, thought she was coming out last weekend (14th) ... I have gone by and checked the heater in the tack room so the water doesn't freeze.... Texted her and have not heard back... I am thinking she was going to visit family for Christmas... but cannot remember... it has been too cold to do much of anything here outside for very long.....so I guess that is why she did not come out this weekend , unless she is gone...

It is down to 19 so far... time to go to bed...

 

[Baymule]

I’m glad that temperatures like that never stick around for long here. Twenties is considered a big deal. Teens almost unheard of, possible, but seldom. Single digits and we are in trouble. We may have a few weeks of real cold and that’s ok with me!

 

[Mini Horses]

@Baymule it's about the same here...Jan is colder in the mountain area of VA than here, coastal. Jan/Feb are colder & iffy here. She'll get snow that I won't -- thankful I don't!!

 

[farmerjan]

Another really chilly one... got down to 16 on the recording thermometer... right now the sun is hitting it, so up to 27 but it will move off it in a few and it will drop back down. I am going to move the recorder so it is in mostly all "shaded" area so it doesn't have the spikes from the sun hitting it... Looks good when you can say... "OH it's up to 40", when the actual air temp is more like 30-32......
Sun is out and so far I see very little movement in the holly tree.... so no wind. That helps alot when it gets this cold.
Temps should be moderating with 20's up to 40's the next few days. It's winter... got to expect this... much as I don't want winter as much as I used to when a little younger... it will help to kill some of the germs hopefully... we had a mild one last year overall... maybe kill some of the dang-blasted ticks and bugs out there?????
Going to get the truck battery changed over so I can take the stuff to the dumpster as there will be a crazy rush the day after Christmas... want to get this stuff off the truck. And see if it warms up to where my hands won't freeze so I can work on the poultry "enclosure"..... in a little bit...
Need to make a trip up to check on the cow and calves... but I suspect they will be up near the barn and doing okay. Once they got the "zoomies" of running around out of their system again.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunny but breezy so not working outside.... Temps barely hitting the 32 mark. Feels like about 20. Supposed to warm up some tomorrow though so that's good.
Heading to pasture to do cow/calves...

 

[farmerjan]

Been a few days since I've posted... have commented on some others though.
Mon night/tues morning was cold...24 and day time was up to 46. Some sun... Got the load of flannel jeans and some other shirts done and hung. Expected to get them in today (thursday) but wound up at the barn helping DS with cattle stuff.
Christmas was okay. Weather was cloudy and then some sun later in the afternoon.... I made bread pudding in 2 smaller bowls as I was invited to 2 different places for Christmas eating. First to next door neighbor to DS .... and they had a bunch and it was pretty good... TONS of food... but several liked the bread pudding. Turkey, ham, all sorts of vegs... tons of food. Ate a fair amount but not too much as I knew I was going to another place later.

Left there went to the pasture and did the jersey cow... left her out with the calves. They are eating grain good... and I fed the other cows/heifers, so I did not have to lock her in... she ate before the rest got back over there... Came home and got gifts for the 2 girls... DS picked me up and went to the GF of the ex-husband....she was cooking as his family usually has Christmas but Drew's older brother has been pretty sick... He is severely retarded and has some other health issues... and his kidney is failing... he was born with only 1 kidney and he cannot do dialysis... it is a matter of time.... never expected to live this long and it has been difficult for the family for all these years but they have kept him at home and cared for him.
Anyway, so it was a small dinner at the GF's.... and she cooked a PERFECT Prime Rib roast... and she had told DS to make sure to ask me to come... His daughter by the XGF that DS is close to, and the younger one that he got custody of, opened gifts and all... we sat around and had some bread pudding and/or coconut cream pie for dessert... and then came home about 9 or so...
DS said we will do "our Christmas" soon.... It will be small since he is putting so much into the farm and the fencing project... he was not really in a holiday mood with the XGF pulling her stunts this year... I have quit fighting it with him...
Also, the XGF sister said we would do Christmas with her 2 kids in a couple days.... that's the little boy DS has helped to raise... and I like the daughter too....

Be more like Christmas used to be up north in some ways... we would go visit and "celebrate" Christmas with different family and friends during the whole week between Christmas and New Years day... no one took down their decorations until after New Years when I was a kid....

We had moved home the one set of cows that had some bigger calves on them, already checked preg.... on Tuesday....I stayed at the pasture to make sure they did not get out of the catch pen inbetween trips...it took 3 trips because no sense in crowding them..... so that he could then move the portable panels to another pasture where the cows have to come home from there....to be checked. Vet appt was for Monday 30th... at 8 a.m. since he was going to be close here for another farm at 10.... BUT.... DS forgot he had an eye dr appt on Monday at 8:30... and he called today and they could not change it, so cancelled the vet preg ck appt... will reschedule it soon...Took him nearly 4 months to get this appt... vet is much more "flexible" to schedule....they said they understood and will check with the vet when his next trip down this way might be to try to combine trips when possible for him... and save us some travel... but we will get the panels moved... and as soon as he can get them in then they will get moved even if they have to stay at the barn for a week. There is one idiot cow there that heads to the woods every time we feed there... she is getting sold whenever we can get her in and to the barn... she is really bad with getting other cows to follow her... don't need this BS anymore...

In the meantime, DS wanted to get these cows moved around at the barn.... and so we went up to get the 6 with new calves to the barn, get them worked, so we could move them to pasture next to me with the others. Got them in but not enough blackleg vacc....so I had to go to get more blackleg vaccine as we were out, and had forgotten... While I did that, DS got the cows he had brought home in the barn on the other side... I got back, worked the 6 calves and put them in a pen, and I decided to keep one of my cows that is fairly young and very friendly... but was open.... and put her back with the bull....she will get one more chance... she raised a nice calf... just was surprisingly open.... So then we sorted off the bigger calves on the cows we just moved to the barn Tuesday...... and 1 had calved about 2 weeks ago that we had already pulled her big calf a couple months ago... put the 1 with the newer calf, in the pen with the others... and put one other cow that was open with the bigger calves we sorted off... and put them out in one lot... moved the other cows across the driveway and up the hill on grass along with 4 that were in the calving field that did not calve yet... they will now all be "spring calvers"... as it is getting too late to have them calve and get bred back again before we pull the bulls by the 1st of March...
2 cows with small calves are also ROYAL Bit@#es and he called a friend of his and asked if he was interested in them... they are OLD and we are tired of the attitudes... and if he can sell them now... at a pretty good price... then they can go be someone else's problem... we are culling out the ones that won't "work" and cooperate.... it would be the last calf for these 2 anyway, and if we can get as much out of them now, as pairs, as we can get out of them in the spring as cull cow and calf split off... then they need to go now... They will bring 2-3 x what we would have paid for them 5 years ago.... with the prices being really so crazy... Time to cash in on some that won't get with the program... and it seems like they have just gotten more ornery as they have gotten older...

Anyway...DS got the 5 cows with calves and my open cow, moved to the pasture next to me... I went up to feed the jersey cow and the calves... got her and the calves in and also got the one young first calf heifer that has the calf, in, so she could get grain also... left them in to eat, and DS dropped off the cows next to me... I called him and said did he go back to the barn already... and he said yes, he was going to get a bull to bring up to the pasture and I said, I got the bigger calves in to go to the barn so could he swing in and get them so they will be there for the vet check... twin holstein heifers need dehorning and bangs vacc.... and was going to take the steer off the longhorn... BUT.... he tried everything he could to get out of the barn, and was trying to tear things up..... and I figured if he went to the farm, he would get out of one of the fields... and go looking for the cow and I did not want to deal with that... SO... DS only moved the twins... When we decide to sell anything... I will get the steer in and he will come get it and take it directly to the stockyard... not going to deal with him getting out somewhere here....he comes in for grain, so no sense in making him mad now... just get him in and load him up and ship him out at the same time...
Got the heifers loaded and I let the jersey and the other cow and the 2 calves out and came to the house.

It was getting dark, so did not get the clothes brought in... they would have been damp. It is supposed to be partly cloudy in the morning, then possible showers late aft... so I will get them off the line and in the house in the morning... drape them on chairs if I have to....

Wet this weekend... the system that @Baymule and all down that way got supposed to be heading this way... plus some other from more west of here... maybe going to get 1-2 inches... we will see.

Need to get some new "lists" written up on who is where at the barn now.... easier to do while it is still fresh in my mind.

 

[fuzzi]

Been a few days since I've posted... have commented on some others though.
Mon night/tues morning was cold...24 and day time was up to 46. Some sun... Got the load of flannel jeans and some other shirts done and hung. Expected to get them in today (thursday) but wound up at the barn helping DS with cattle stuff.
Christmas was okay. Weather was cloudy and then some sun later in the afternoon.... I made bread pudding in 2 smaller bowls as I was invited to 2 different places for Christmas eating. First to next door neighbor to DS .... and they had a bunch and it was pretty good... TONS of food... but several liked the bread pudding. Turkey, ham, all sorts of vegs... tons of food. Ate a fair amount but not too much as I knew I was going to another place later.

Left there went to the pasture and did the jersey cow... left her out with the calves. They are eating grain good... and I fed the other cows/heifers, so I did not have to lock her in... she ate before the rest got back over there... Came home and got gifts for the 2 girls... DS picked me up and went to the GF of the ex-husband....she was cooking as his family usually has Christmas but Drew's older brother has been pretty sick... He is severely retarded and has some other health issues... and his kidney is failing... he was born with only 1 kidney and he cannot do dialysis... it is a matter of time.... never expected to live this long and it has been difficult for the family for all these years but they have kept him at home and cared for him.
Anyway, so it was a small dinner at the GF's.... and she cooked a PERFECT Prime Rib roast... and she had told DS to make sure to ask me to come... His daughter by the XGF that DS is close to, and the younger one that he got custody of, opened gifts and all... we sat around and had some bread pudding and/or coconut cream pie for dessert... and then came home about 9 or so...
DS said we will do "our Christmas" soon.... It will be small since he is putting so much into the farm and the fencing project... he was not really in a holiday mood with the XGF pulling her stunts this year... I have quit fighting it with him...
Also, the XGF sister said we would do Christmas with her 2 kids in a couple days.... that's the little boy DS has helped to raise... and I like the daughter too....

Be more like Christmas used to be up north in some ways... we would go visit and "celebrate" Christmas with different family and friends during the whole week between Christmas and New Years day... no one took down their decorations until after New Years when I was a kid....

We had moved home the one set of cows that had some bigger calves on them, already checked preg.... on Tuesday....I stayed at the pasture to make sure they did not get out of the catch pen inbetween trips...it took 3 trips because no sense in crowding them..... so that he could then move the portable panels to another pasture where the cows have to come home from there....to be checked. Vet appt was for Monday 30th... at 8 a.m. since he was going to be close here for another farm at 10.... BUT.... DS forgot he had an eye dr appt on Monday at 8:30... and he called today and they could not change it, so cancelled the vet preg ck appt... will reschedule it soon...Took him nearly 4 months to get this appt... vet is much more "flexible" to schedule....they said they understood and will check with the vet when his next trip down this way might be to try to combine trips when possible for him... and save us some travel... but we will get the panels moved... and as soon as he can get them in then they will get moved even if they have to stay at the barn for a week. There is one idiot cow there that heads to the woods every time we feed there... she is getting sold whenever we can get her in and to the barn... she is really bad with getting other cows to follow her... don't need this BS anymore...

In the meantime, DS wanted to get these cows moved around at the barn.... and so we went up to get the 6 with new calves to the barn, get them worked, so we could move them to pasture next to me with the others. Got them in but not enough blackleg vacc....so I had to go to get more blackleg vaccine as we were out, and had forgotten... While I did that, DS got the cows he had brought home in the barn on the other side... I got back, worked the 6 calves and put them in a pen, and I decided to keep one of my cows that is fairly young and very friendly... but was open.... and put her back with the bull....she will get one more chance... she raised a nice calf... just was surprisingly open.... So then we sorted off the bigger calves on the cows we just moved to the barn Tuesday...... and 1 had calved about 2 weeks ago that we had already pulled her big calf a couple months ago... put the 1 with the newer calf, in the pen with the others... and put one other cow that was open with the bigger calves we sorted off... and put them out in one lot... moved the other cows across the driveway and up the hill on grass along with 4 that were in the calving field that did not calve yet... they will now all be "spring calvers"... as it is getting too late to have them calve and get bred back again before we pull the bulls by the 1st of March...
2 cows with small calves are also ROYAL Bit@#es and he called a friend of his and asked if he was interested in them... they are OLD and we are tired of the attitudes... and if he can sell them now... at a pretty good price... then they can go be someone else's problem... we are culling out the ones that won't "work" and cooperate.... it would be the last calf for these 2 anyway, and if we can get as much out of them now, as pairs, as we can get out of them in the spring as cull cow and calf split off... then they need to go now... They will bring 2-3 x what we would have paid for them 5 years ago.... with the prices being really so crazy... Time to cash in on some that won't get with the program... and it seems like they have just gotten more ornery as they have gotten older...

Anyway...DS got the 5 cows with calves and my open cow, moved to the pasture next to me... I went up to feed the jersey cow and the calves... got her and the calves in and also got the one young first calf heifer that has the calf, in, so she could get grain also... left them in to eat, and DS dropped off the cows next to me... I called him and said did he go back to the barn already... and he said yes, he was going to get a bull to bring up to the pasture and I said, I got the bigger calves in to go to the barn so could he swing in and get them so they will be there for the vet check... twin holstein heifers need dehorning and bangs vacc.... and was going to take the steer off the longhorn... BUT.... he tried everything he could to get out of the barn, and was trying to tear things up..... and I figured if he went to the farm, he would get out of one of the fields... and go looking for the cow and I did not want to deal with that... SO... DS only moved the twins... When we decide to sell anything... I will get the steer in and he will come get it and take it directly to the stockyard... not going to deal with him getting out somewhere here....he comes in for grain, so no sense in making him mad now... just get him in and load him up and ship him out at the same time...
Got the heifers loaded and I let the jersey and the other cow and the 2 calves out and came to the house.

It was getting dark, so did not get the clothes brought in... they would have been damp. It is supposed to be partly cloudy in the morning, then possible showers late aft... so I will get them off the line and in the house in the morning... drape them on chairs if I have to....

Wet this weekend... the system that @Baymule and all down that way got supposed to be heading this way... plus some other from more west of here... maybe going to get 1-2 inches... we will see.

Need to get some new "lists" written up on who is where at the barn now.... easier to do while it is still fresh in my mind.

I think I need a scorecard to keep up with your herds!

 

[farmerjan]

I think I need a scorecard to keep up with your herds!

That is why I have a clipboard, with a page for each place they are..... keep all the papers from vet checks, where they were, calves weaned. or sold. or whatever... all the ones that are checked preg I will note who the sire of the calf is... to keep up with sire and dam so as to not breed back too "close"...
Believe me... I would be lost without my clipboard and piles of papers to reference back to.....