Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Hey, @fuzzi .... sorry, thought you knew my job. I am sure somewhere I explained it but short answer.... I am a milk tester. I work for a private co., not state or fed.... I go to dairy farms and take a milk sample from every cow that goes through the milking parlor... record pertinent information about every cow including her production in the parlor, and the samples go to a lab to analyze for butterfat, protein, somatic cell count. This gets compiled into a report, goes back to the farmer and he uses this info to make decisions. It is a management tool for the farmer. Been doing this for 30+ years, among several other jobs inbetween...

 

[fuzzi]

Hey, @fuzzi .... sorry, thought you knew my job. I am sure somewhere I explained it but short answer.... I am a milk tester. I work for a private co., not state or fed.... I go to dairy farms and take a milk sample from every cow that goes through the milking parlor... record pertinent information about every cow including her production in the parlor, and the samples go to a lab to analyze for butterfat, protein, somatic cell count. This gets compiled into a report, goes back to the farmer and he uses this info to make decisions. It is a management tool for the farmer. Been doing this for 30+ years, among several other jobs inbetween...

I figured something like that from reading about it.

Didn't even realize that was a job!

 

[farmerjan]

Cold day... 27 to start, up to about 42 and then hit 50 in the sun late this afternoon (was 39 at noon). Still quite breezy out there... mostly sunny but some clouds.
Got bottles in the trays and everything in the car. Left about 1:30 to go to feed the cow, and calves in the other side... so I could turn her out... DS had put in 2 rolls of hay so they had plenty to eat. Some of the beef heifers had eaten their fill and were back out scrounging in the pasture for some grass... so the jersey should have plenty of opportunity to get hay from the roll.

Went and tested, and it went okay... only 2 in the barn and it went very smooth.... sometimes "fewer" in the barn is better... Got all the milk weights in their computer, got some ID's entered and some other stuff... and left there a few minutes after 6. Stopped and picked up 2 gal bucket of milk, from my other farmer friend, and came on home. Samples are in the house to pack, and will leave early to drop them off tomorrow and go test another herd.
It is down to 30 at 9pm... supposed to drop more to mid 20's...

I dropped my flip smart phone, a RAZR, a several weeks or maybe a month plus, ago, and it hit the concrete just wrong on the edge and cracked it... and it has been "splintering more" across the back... It has been okay but now is not wanting to work right... can't swipe across the screen sometimes... can't answer it and can't always check the messages... have to hold down on one corner and sometimes it works okay... just the last 3 days.... so tomorrow I am leaving pretty early and going to Best Buy where I originally got it... and see if the insurance I had gotten and have automatically renewed, is good.... I cannot find the paperwork, but they should have it all there... See about getting a new one I guess... Not happy but it happens... my fault it got dropped....
The farm I am going to tomorrow is closer to that area... so can come from the store back down to the farm to test... I will wear clean work clothes so don't smell like the barn... I have to put the long hoses in the car in the morning for this farm. I am going in to pack the samples from this afternoon and have them ready to go in the morning to drop off UPS.

So, I am heading in to pack the samples, go to bed early so I can get up and get going in the morning... It will be a long day and then I have to be back in the barn Sat morning at 5... so leave here by 4:10...

There is a rumor of some snow Friday eve, night... might put off Sat morning, to Sat aft if it does snow much... Then more possible snow on Sunday night....

 

[Mini Horses]

Here it's a toss up Sun night -- snow or freezing rain. With wind & cold temps roads will be a challenge. I'm planning to stay off of them

 

[Baymule]

At least people in y’all’s area know a little better how to drive on snow and ice. Here, it’s take your life and give it to some idiot playing high speed bumper cars with a one ton 4WD truck with Ranch Hand bumpers front and back. No thank you.

 

[fuzzi]

At least people in y’all’s area know a little better how to drive on snow and ice. Here, it’s take your life and give it to some idiot playing high speed bumper cars with a one ton 4WD truck with Ranch Hand bumpers front and back. No thank you.

Similar here. People who know how to drive in ice and snow STAY HOME. The yahoos that think a truck or SUV makes them experts at winter weather driving are the ones sitting in the deep ditches by the side of the roads...

 

[fuzzi]

Roads will probably be slick on Tuesday. I've run out of PTO (vacation/sick time) but will stay home anyway if the roads are icy.

 

[farmerjan]

Sat night... Went and tested yesterday aft... AFTER I went to see about the phone. That was a nightmare... and I am tea totally pi$$ed off. Short version.... seems that the automatic renewal was cancelled in Oct...because ???? maybe a change in the expiration on the card...??? So, don't contact me about it???? It automatically renewed last year... So phone not covered.
Decided to go with the 2024 version of the Razr... a tiny bit more "squared off " on the sides, but not the end of the world... not as easy to open one handed... I really had gotten used to the one I cracked. Okay, they decide to transfer all the stuff... and then due to the crack and screen having lifted a little bit.. there is no real salvage value... so they said I could take it home or they could recycle it... they will set it to revert to original factory settings... Okay.... BUT..... they never bothered to check and see if the stuff all transferred over... Guess what... CONTACTS did not transfer... Of all the things NOT to... then the apps looked like they transferred... but..... they did not install and all disappeared too....
Okay... see if they can restore it back to settings before the reset to factory settings... NOPE..... and here I am all the contacts GONE.... I was livid... talked to several other store people... tried to use the e-mail address... kept going back to the one I had that got locked after being compromised... tried all sorts of passwords.... and nothing. I finally had to get going to go test... and they wound up telling me that maybe I could contact google customer support... and maybe they could help me... I was practically in tears.... the text messages transferred over... but many of the ones I talk to do not text....
I was fit to be tied... Decided to go to the Verizon store here that fixed some other things for me awhile ago... today... to see if they could help somehow... to retrieve the stuff from the "clouds".... he did all sorts of things... and then when he used that same e-mail as the other guy had "programmed it in as my e-mail".... and I explained to him about the gmail e-mail that I had to set up when I got the phone... we went in to that... and after playing around with a few passwords... got one that was right (I had tried the one I had written down but it wouldn't work....) and WAH LAH... he got in... retrieved everything and got it in the phone... I was nearly in tears after having it all found and saved...
GOD BLESS the guys here in this Verizon store.... I told him I was so unhappy with what they said to me after spending a beaucoop amount of money on the replacement... and the fiasco with the whole non-renewal etc... on top of them not being able to get it transferred and then basically telling me they can't help me...like Tough S*****, even though they were the ones that caused it...
So, I am thinking to take it back... have them refund the money... and buy one like the one I cracked...the guy at Verizon said I could probably find one like it...go on ebay.... and spend alot less if I really prefer it... and get my sim card back when I return it since it is "unlocked".....get them to just reactivate the one that does not always want to work.... and then the guy at Verizon said they could easily put it all on a new one (new to me) through the same way he restored it.

Then we got to looking at the bill, which I am on DS's plan... and I dropped the hotspot on mine since I never use it for that... it will save $14/month... and then he said there were 2 things DS could do to cut his costs on his... and NOT change his service... and save another $30-40 a month... I have to have him go there to do it, and I get it, the guy said he would need to talk to him and explain it and show him the benefits... since it is in his name.... but if he does that... it will save DS around $50/month.... that's alot. They do not do a "pay in advance" and get a discount or anything... like with my vehicle insurance... pay for a year and get a better rate... but that I could pay it for 3 months in advance... and since he has paid it for years... and "my phone" went up when I went to a smart phone from the regular flip phone... I figure I ought to pay it for awhile... So, I will have to get DS to go with me... so he can see the benefits, get it switched... then I will quietly just go on and do the 3 month pay ahead thing for awhile... and save him some money since he is not working and the reduced benefits he is getting from the long term disability are making things tight since he now has to pay his own medical insurance...but due to the situation, he is not going to change it at this time....

Needless to say, I am pretty happy with the way it finally turned out... but boy oh boy, I was SOOOO mad and upset by the way they just said they couldn't help me and would not listen to my telling them about the one e-mail address not being good anymore...

I am going to weigh out the facts that this phone is on a 24 month, NO INTEREST, payment schedule... and the insurance is paid for.... so maybe should keep it... I do not like it quite as much, since it is more squared on the sides than the smoother tapered... BUT... then again... it is the newest technology and the guy at the Verizon store said that he has heard good things about this newest Razr...he said that Motorola used to be one of the best phones there was, then they got bought out so not near as good as they were, but still a middle of the road quality... he did say that the Razr was better than the Samsung foldable smart phone that I had also looked at... BUT.... the android was more "accessible" for fixing some things than an I-phone... I got it on sale... but still it was a CHUNK of money... but on payment plan with no interest is not so bad... I planned to pay it all at once...but this way it is not a big deal.... I can just set it up for automatic payments on the card... they qualified me for a Visa card for it... with a big limit... surprised me... guess my credit is getting better and better... even with a "low income" because all my cards/bills get paid off every month and I guess it is showing now with the regular current payment status on the credit report....
I still would like to go in there and shove it in their face... after getting it fixed... and cause the company to "lose the sale".... but that might be cutting off my nose to spite my face... Going to think about it now that I have calmed down some....

Anyway, got the farm tested, finally got home about 8-8:30 I guess. Of course it was cold and wind blowing... and of course I couldn't go to sleep... knowing I had to get up early to leave by 4 a.m.

It was cold this morning... 18 when I went out... and didn't get above 30 except in the direct sun for awhile this afternoon.
I came home from testing... Deb had called, due to the forecast, she was debating coming out for only a day and a half... and it was cold today with the wind, so I told her what all we were expecting... and all that... and she opted to not come out which I think was smart. She has to be in the office T-W-TH... so might come out this coming Thurs after work... then work from home Fri... have the weekend to be here... and then make a decision to go back late Sunday or work from here Mon and go back later after that. I told her I would go by and check the little heater in the tack room because of the water/sink in there... and check inside the house to make sure there was heat... everything is fine.

I came home... got the samples in the house and got them all packed... decided to run them down to UPS and see about a floor type mat... First I went to the pasture and put the cow in to eat some grain... and fed the calves in the other side.... the 2 little ones went in the creep gate just as nice as can be... along with the other 2... and I separated the cow so she could not get over on their side and they could eat grain in piece. I did not realize but the UPS store is open 7 days a week... even 5 hrs on Sunday... I was surprised... but that is great... I dropped off the samples and they will go out on Monday and I do not have to go out in the snow to get them there... Then went to Lowe's and they did not have anything. Went from there to TSC and checked on the propane stove/heater... Told the mgr that I hadn't gotten a notice yet but since I was right in town thought I would check... She looked it up... it is supposed to be at the UPS place and SHOULD be there on Monday aft... and found a "mat" that will work... only one in the smaller size so got it...it's black... but it will be okay.
Came on home, went and let the cow back out... and the calves both went right on her... I mean, they had been separated for all of 3 hours.....wow... so she is out with them for the night. I think that I will leave her in with them tomorrow eve... with the crummy weather forecast... and not even let them on the creep gate side so they don't go out and then if it is nasty, won't go around the barn or something to come back in... Better they stay in and the other side I will leave so the other calves can come in out of the weather... I will give them extra grain and some hay as well as give the cow a sq bale plus inside. Another reason to put her back out tonight... let her eat the round bale hay out there...

Then I came home and brought the mat in the house... I am going to clean in here so that it will be all set up for the stove when it does come. With the possible ice/sleet/snow it might not get to the store until Tuesday... so I plan to be ready.
Had to order the blower elsewhere... but it was only $75 instead of the $200 the store wanted... I would have gotten the stove and blower at that store... but at $1100 that is a far cry from the $800 total it is going to cost me... I'd have paid an extra $100-150 to get it at the store and support them, but $300 is just too much difference.

I am going in to go to bed early. I plan to make a bowl of bread pudding again tomorrow... use the stove to heat the house a bit... and probably put a chicken or a ham in to cook also...

DS already cancelled his dr appt so that he did not get penalized... they said they would make a decision by 7 a.m. but we would already have to be gone and he would get charged if he cancelled less than 24 hours...and if the roads were crummy, we don't need to be on them anyway. Will have to reschedule it....

This whole next week is supposed to be brutally cold... DS is feeding hay at the pasture right near the catch pen... and as soon as he gets them in he will bring them to the barn. Thurs and Fri the temps are supposed to be 5* overnight. I am going to call the vet, and see if he still has the opening on Monday... temps are supposed to moderate some on Sunday and be in the low 40's during the day on Monday... that barn is a cold place to start... and this will give us the little better temps on Sunday to kind of make sure of what we are going to get done... and give us the couple extra days to get the cows moved to the barn... he said there are a couple that won't go in the pen so he is going to feed the hay in there... not just give them some grain... and then see if he can just get them in.... going to sent that hereford witch to town as soon as we get her caught and moved to the barn... get her preg checked and see if she gets sold as bred or as cull/open...there is a bred cow sale on Tues 1/14.... a 70 cow herd selling out and a few other consignments.. if she is bred far enough along, she could easily go in that... might even sell her with her calf by her side... I don't know how big it is... but I am thinking it is ready to wean, though...
It is no fun to try to do preg checks when it is so darned cold there with the wind. So maybe put it off for 3 more days, 'til Monday.... I'll see when I call on Monday morning...

So, I am heading in to bed.... maybe make an adult beverage and put me to sleep.... like a nice cup of hot cocoa with amaretto....

I am naturally not going to test anyone on Monday or probably Tues... will see how the weather conditions play out...