Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Ridgetop]

Certainly worth the initial pain and suffering during surgery and physical therapy to have full use again and no pain in joint. Just have to work through the first 6 months after surgery. Then a full year after for all swelling to recede and be back in shape. After that, full speed ahead!

DS1 called this am and said that a lot of the ewesgot marked yesterday. He is not sure whether Patton (Z164) was actually settling them, or mounting them for kicks. He will know when he changes out the crayon in two weeks. He said that Patton seemed to be taking it slow this morning, possibly worn out by a night of passion! LOL

DSIL2 will be back tonight or tomorrow from his delivery run. DS1 is going to pick him up in Dallas and then take him back since he will need the car. The new turbo just installed in the truck has failed so it had to go back to the shop for another round. No charge on it though. The shop is thinking that somethiing was done causing the turbo to run non stop and burn out instead of coming on when needed and shutting off when not. Maybe when the new engine was put in Galpin screwed up? Anyway the truck goes back into the shop Monday. I think we will have to buy a second truck when we get back to Texas. Maybe at the end-of-the-year sale?

DS1 has decided that putting the corral covers on the Priefert gate panels he is using as portable fence panels will work to make rain and shade shelters for the rams and ewe lambs. He is worried about strong winds but says that the winds experienced so far from the hurricanes are not as strong as the ones we had on top of our ridge. However, he wants to figure out what direction the winds come from usually during big storms. I told him he can get tarps and tie them to the gate paels on the panels that make up the 2 sides of the shelter. My suggestion was to make a 3 sided shelter and use 2 panels on top but he said that even using all the panels we have he is running low on panels. I think when we get back there we should just use the creosoted cross arm posts for uprights. Use the tractor auger to dig the posts, put the posts in, fill the hole with gravel halfway, then top off with dirt. Hopefully that will slow any rotting. We could also use the stuff we used for our barn uprights. When you mix the 2 parts together There is a chemical reaction. Once it dries it becomes a super strong styrofoam type stuff. No water can leach into it and it doesn't allow the posts to rot. Not sure what it is but will do some investigation on line to see if we can buy it commercially. Once the posts are in then we can use 2x6's to connect them and attach the corral covers to them. Then use tarps on the sides over cattle panels or something in the winter to keep ut the rain. He said that the ranchers are expecting at least one more rain before the end of August. They told hm that they usuallay get one more before dove season - September 1. Cody said they only got about 40 bales on this second cutting which was ok but not great. We may need to lime the fields. I will check with Cody about that.

DS1 has been working a lot on the ranch and is moving all the corral panels by hand. He is already strong like his daddy and grandaddy, and said that it is easier to move the panels by hand than use the tractor. He did load 10 of the Red River 10' rodeo panels in the truck to transport them each time from where he dropped them behind the barn to the pasture where he set them up. He said that all the panels are a different weight depending on what ones they are. Have decided to put him on my flock name with ADSBA, and eventually on the ranch title with DH and I. Probably should start registering all new lambs jointly with to him and myself. DS1 says that Oncor will be out either Monday or Tuesday to install the new meter for the barn and well electric. Then after the truck is fixed he will rent the trencher to install the electric and water lines.

DS1 seems to be enjoying the ranch a bit more. He said that next week he is going to take the car and drive around a bit to explore the area. His best friend from college is going on a cruise out of New Orleans the end of September and he plans to drive down to sightsee New Orleans with Leen and his girlfriend when they return. He also said that he has been checking mileages to various points in the middle and parts east of the US for future possible trips.

 

[Ridgetop]

Water is running rust red again from the well. D1 is getting a test kit to check it tomorrow. He thinks that when the tank gets to the bottom it might kick up rust. He is checking into filters. If we have to choose between a new well and a tractor I am leaning towards the well. We can drill a new well and use the pump from the existing well since it is not that old apparently. DS1 will test the water and check out stuff.

2 more ewes came in marked today. DS1 says we only have 41 ewes out there instead of the 42 he counted before. I have gone through my registration papers and ony find 41 living ewes - not counting the lambs too young to breed. I wll send him a photo of the list. We have 8 registered ewe lambs and several more that have scrapie and flock numbers but he hasn't given those numbers to me yet so I can't register them. I have the scrapie numbers on some but need the flock number that goes with those numbers. I need to get them registered before October 1, or the registration fee goes up. DS1 can get the numbers for me when he has some help - either DSIL2, DH, or DD2 when they are at the ranch.

DD2 and I went to the new Ross today. I found a birthday present for Maisie, a Christmas present for Elizabeth, and a birthday present for DS2. I will do more Christmas shopping later in the year before I go back to Texas. DD2 got a set of Libbey glass casseroles and 2 of the X-large Rubbermaid containers. I wanted to buy a really nice pair of Ariat cowboy boots, but they were not my size since I take a wide. I have 2 pair of Ariat lace up riding boots though so not necessary to spend the money. DD2 said that she has a Ross close to her apartment, as well as a Costco and a lot of other good stores, so we will plan our visits to her to go shopping as well.

 

[Ridgetop]

Got the new ewe count from DS1 today. He said we had 42 and he was missing one. Went back through my registratin papers and counted 41. Then counted the list agai and got 43. Sent him the ist and I sent him the list of adult ewes to be bred and this am he let me know that the count was correct at 41. So that is taken care of. Tomorrow he will send me the scrapie and flock numbers of the ewe lambs and ram lambs. We have 3 ram lambs left and tagged, and 17 ewe lambs tagged. I need to make a slaughter appointment for several lambs since he says some of the ewe lambs are kind of scrawny. We don't have any lamb left in the freezer. We will sort them out and feed them up on corn before slaughter. Some might be offered for sale or go to the auction. I will check conformation against pedigrees. 3 more ewes marked last night. Due dtes re mid-January. Then we will breed the 2024 lambs.

DS2, DDIL2, and Nicholas got home last night. Robert stayed with his Lola (Tagalog for grandma) for the night. We got some cute pix of the babies riding on tubes behind the boat with a relative. Robert is grinning hugely, Nicholas has a death grip on the handles. Apparently Robert wanted to stay on the tube all day. LOL

After a rigorous workout and lengthy DMV license visit on Thursday, restaurant on Friday, and 2 hours at Ross yesterday, my knee bothered me all night and now I know why. It is swollen up like a melon! Going back to bed with the wedge cushion and an ice pack. Too much walking too soon I guess.

 

[Margali]

@Ridgetop Wind data for airport south of you near Quitman / Mineola. Looks like it's pretty much due south and north.
https://www.windfinder.com/windstatistics/mineola_quitman

 

[Ridgetop]

DS1 said Oncar came out to do the electric for the new meter. The internet people had come out and flagged their underground feed but the electric company said they knew where their lines were. So naturally while digging they cut through their own electric feed from the pole to the house. It was 105 degrees in Yantis today. Luckily we have the generator. Unluckily it did not go on. DS1 called Bryan who told him there was a breaker in the inside generator panel and hemght have forgotten to flip it on. DS1 checked and flipped it on. Generator worked great. DS1 said it was good to find out that the generator panel breaker was not on before we actually needed the generator during a storm or something! He also said that if yo were outside, the generator was noisy but once inside the house not audible.

Having torn up the electric feed from the pole, Oncar sent 6 trucks and crews to deal with it. 1 general foreman, 2 electric linemen, 2 helpers, and 2 grunts. The general foreman got there first to inspect the damage. The 2 men digging were the only guys on the ground at the time. He decided they needed to enlarge the hole to repair the electric line they had cut but apparently didnt trust them to dig the hole properly. He climbed into the digger, turned on the ignition and accidentally flipped the switch controlling the quick connect which caused the digger bucket to fall off the arm onto the ground! DS1 said he nearly fell over laughing.

The rest of the electric linemen and helpers arrived - half to put in the new meter line and half to repair the old line they severed. While one crew repaired the old electric feed, the other group proceeded to find and chop in half the old water line from the pond. DS1 called to find out what it was for. I said I thought it was the old water line from the pond back when the MacDonalds pumped water from the pond to flush the toilets. That was in the old house that burned down in 1971, The MacDonalds built the current house in 1972. DS1 was pleased that that line was no longer in use. The Oncar crew located and "carefully" dug down to the new sewer line that runs from the cess pit to the aerobic sprinkers. Although they assured DS1 that they had not damaged it, DS1 had them leave that hole open so he could check that the line was not damaged. Good thinking on his part since when he turned on the breaker to the aerobic sewer sprinklers he discovered that the Oncar team while "carefully" digging around the sewer line had "carefully" cracked it. He has the repair parts and will replace the broken part of the PVC line tomorrow.

Then after repairing the severed electric line, and installing the new electric line, the foreman told DS1 that he didn't like the wiring and meter on the house. They are pretty old - 1972 probably. The foreman said they would come back out to replace the meter and wiring. DS1 was left with a time period of 2 weeks to possibly 2 years for this to occur.

In the meantime, DS1 bought a water test kit and checked the well water against the city water from the tap, and the water from his Britta filtered pitcher. Surprisingly all 3 samples tested almost identically on the initial test. He will do a more in depth test tomorrow. Not sure why the water in the animal tubs from the well occasionally runs rusty and gets an oily film on top.

The truck is in the shop at Tolliver in Suphur springs for the new turbo and the check engine light which kept coming back on. The shop called DS1 and told him that they had found the problem. The new turbo did not need to be replaced again (it was only a week old) - instead they had found a tiny hole in the "Y pipe" in the exhaust. They had ordered this pipe, the turbo was fine, and the truck should be finished by the end of the week. They also said that this tiny hole mght have been why the other turbo went bad after only 2 years and that the "Y pipe" hole should have been found by Galpin when the entire engine was replaced or when the old turbo was replaced 2 years ago. DH has been taking the truck in for the past several years every few months about the "check engine" light. Galpin kept "fixing" stuff, charging us, and sending it back. In another month the light would come on again. Tolliver also sad that the truck should not have passed the smog check but it has always passed so . . . ? Hopefully this will be the problem and we will not have any more trouble.

PT again today, then to Costco to look at leather recliner sofa. Great color in light tan and comfortable - but DH said he saw a smaller sectional in a circular shape at the Texas Costco. It was a fabric cover though which will not be as durable. Came in 2 colors he thought - ivory or gray. I liked the leather sofa which was a more streamlined shape than the sofas with the wide rolled arms. The cleaner lines of the sofa will help the room look larger. DS1 will go to the Texas Costco and tke a picture of the sofa that DS1 liked.

While picking up our trash barrels, DH met a woman riding past. She trains horses and was interested when she heard that we might be selling. DH gave her a large price and she said she could meet that. She wants to come up to see the property the end of the week. We are not sure that DS2 actually wants this place since it is a lot of work and animal keeping is on its way out here. We would sell "As Is". The house is liveable, but needs paint inside. Since she wants to put in a horse facility, the open acreage would be appealing since there is enough flat area to put in an arena with some stabling and hillside turnouts. The perimeter fences are welded oil pipe with no-climb with gate access off the back to trails. It is an option.

 

[Mini Horses]

DH gave her a large price and she said she could meet that. She wants to come up to see the property the end of the week.

This is the house you just moved out of ??

Well, still occupy kinda . GO FOR IT !!! Sell while you have a buyer -- be done. Buy that tractor go live in TX. ENJOY.

 

[Baymule]

Just when things start getting a little boring, Oncor shows up and puts on a great show! Hahaha!
And maybe in 2 years you will have a new breaker box! What efficiency!

If you have a buyer for the house, that ought to get DS2 off high center and make a decision. Sell the house, shake the California dust off your shoes and make tracks for Texas. You wont ever move back there anyway, you keep talking about retiring to Palm Springs. Sell it yourself and no big commission to a real estate agent. That lady riding by says that it is meant to be.

 

[murphysranch]

My mouth fell open like an old man, reading about the idiots from the electric company!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SecretHavenFarm]

Andy HAS always complained about the linemen that come to CA from Texas

 

[farmerjan]

Circumstances being what they are, I would sell it in a heartbeat. It is too much upkeep for the family there without animals... get the money and have a life in TX... get the tractor, fencing done, whatever... even paying some outlandish taxes on it... IF this administration gets in and we lose, which I don't see happening... we will see Venezuela happen on "speed" here... and ownership of land like that will be at the whim of the ruling class in power... CA is known for it's STUPID elected officials...
(God forbid, the family all may wind up in TX if things get too bad)
At least it will be paid for and everything done, that you want done. It is not your DUTY, nor an obligation, to LEAVE an inheritance to the next generation.... ENJOY what you worked for and GIVE what you can to the one(s) that truly appreciate it. Not to be a downer... but I think you may need every penny you get out of it to be able to carry on and have a decent life.