Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[ragdollcatlady]

Glad to hear you and the "kids" are safe!

Hope things stay that way!

I hope everyone on the receiving end of these storms is safe as well!

 

[Mini Horses]

LS --I feel you will be fine. I've had buildings come down in a bad storm hit! Your goats are well loved & cared for. Get a barn when you can. Until then, hunker down...use temp measures if needed, as I suggested from self preservation.

I can assure you that I did not get 15 acres fenced, sheltered and facilities installed in the first year!! I bought farm land & built a house while living in a tiny camper.

It appears that those living on the coast will be hoping they have trailers to evacuate AND a place to go !! I have offered a fenced pasture & camper location to evacuees in the past. In some cases that is live saving -- if not perfect.

Anyone outside the storm area with a spare pasture might consider this for those who need a place "to go". Often there are event locations with huge barns, etc. that open the venue for such weather hazards.

 

[greybeard]

I'm staying, but if this one was on the same path as Ike I probably would not stay.

Now, come Tuesday, if all the rainfall predictions come true, I may have to leave or wish I had due to rain on the upriver watershed making it's way down here. I don't think floodwater will ever get inside our house, but it can certainly get all over the yard and can easily trap us in here if localized rain comes at a time when the river is way out of it's banks.
Last week of May 2016, we got 7-9" of rain in 2 hrs and our exit road washed out with 2' of water running over that road. River was already up & within 50 yards of my shop and 75 yards from back steps of the house. That May flood was within 1' of the record level for this river.

I do have a boat & trolling motor. Might have to drag it up to the back steps early next week.........

 

[Mike CHS]

I'm probably too late to be of much help but we have a 2 acre secure pen with shelter with nothing using it accept chickens. Folks are welcome to use that if you don't mind the distance.

 

[Bruce]

you just crack a window on a non wind side and aim.

Unless you are female. Then you need a "Shewee" or similar

If all else fails and torrential rains ever dump on @Latestarter, I'm sure Mel would be willing to share Joe's house with the goats.

 

[Mini Horses]

greybeard -- I know you said you moved cattle to another field. If the flooding you mention above comes to pass, are they in an area that is safe?

How's the adorable early arrival?? Should I come get the pair?

 

[Latestarter]

Can't sleep... sucks. I'm tired. Just lay in bed tossing and turning... I still have the A/C on but it's not coming on very often as the outside temp is about the same as the inside temp. That doesn't bother me in the least! Can hardly wait until the outside temp is lower than inside (some) so I can open the house up. Still a bit too humid to do so, even with the lower temps.

So the Hoop shelter got a new tarp added over the top of the old one this afternoon. Bought the same size/brand heavy duty tarp as before but for some reason the grommets didn't line up the same So I had to pull the screws and re-position them. Of course the goats had to help in any way they thought might interfere... like dumping out all the zip ties and trying to eat them and the bag they were in. Grabbing the edges of the tarp and trying to eat it while pulling it off the shelter. Chewing/ripping a hole in the bottom of the trash bag I brought out. They also had to peer over my shoulder to see what I was doing while I was down on my knees moving the screws. They even tasted my battery powered DeWalt drill... I also refreshed the hay inside the shelter (the ground was dry), & emptied, cleaned and refilled the water trough/tub as well.

I've developed an ant problem in that they are climbing up the side of the grain barrel and entering through the tiny holes created where they attach the lifting handles. My latest attempt to thwart them is I taped over the handle attachment point thoroughly inside the barrel and up the seam. That seems to have thwarted them for the moment. I wish now that I had bought the solid cast plastic barrels instead of the galvanized as there would not be this issue. I also had "a" rat that had taken up residence under the stored hay. It was leaving telltale poops on top of the feed barrel lids under the tarp. It wasn't getting into the feed, but I didn't want it contaminating the hay with its poop and pee, so had to eliminate it. Put out some bait and haven't seen any signs now for almost a week.

Did some back pasture mowing, I hope to finish it tomorrow. Also want to finish the T-posts. The property boundary edge clearing will have to wait. Oh, BTW, that reminds me

I just got a sales flyer from Atwoods in Tyler that has the non climb horse wire, 2"x4", 48" tall x 200' long for $199.99 with another $20 off with rebate. Sale is from August 23 through September 4. The best price we ever found on it when we were fencing was $205 a roll!

That's a different fence than what I'm using, and even with the sale & discount it's more expensive per foot $180/200' = .90/ft... The fence I'm using is sheep & goat from TSC and is $235/330' = .71/ft Thanks for having me in mind though, I appreciate it.

Just checked the radar. Hope you're doing OK there FEM... Appears the 2nd heavy band out from center has been training over the top of you. The eye is completely over land now, a good 10-20 miles inland and has not disintegrated at all that I can see. Looks to be just as strong as it was prior to landfall. Also seems to be continuing NW for the moment. Well... almost 2:30am, guess I better go try and get some sleep.

 

[Mini Horses]

Issues sleeping here but, stayed off the net. Went to bed & slept about 4 hrs. Out to feed earlier this AM and watch a grey FOX take one of my 3 mo old hens!!!!!! Had found feathers 2 days ago from a white......now I am gonna have to be up early and carrying.

Heard roos start raising hell as I was nearing barn, turned and headed back when I saw it jump and catch the hen who was in flight. Apparently it has decided I'm the local buffet. Gonna stop that. At dawn tomorrow, i'll be out there.......will pull out gun & ammo tonight. Most are cooped at night but, a few roost in a shed and are up. Today @ 7:00 I had just opened all up 7:20 it was "breakfast served"....it was here and waiting to pounce.

Glad you were able to get more cutting done.

Yep, goats love to "help". Donkeys do this, too. They love you!!

 

[greybeard]

ust checked the radar. Hope you're doing OK there FEM... Appears the 2nd heavy band out from center has been training over the top of you. The eye is completely over land now, a good 10-20 miles inland and has not disintegrated at all that I can see. Looks to be just as strong as it was prior to landfall. Also seems to be continuing NW for the moment. Well... almost 2:30am, guess I better go try and get some sleep.

It's downgraded to Cat 1 or Cat 2 this morning (depending what weather prognosticator you listen to)

Hill country looks to be getting some rain.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Sometimes I accuse the Boys of conapiring against me, cause while one distracts, the other steps in and picks up where the other one left off.........I was smiling the whole time I was reading that post.