Senile Texas Aggie - comic relief for the rest of you

[Mike CHS]

He is one of the first names mentioned on the topic. Another farmer that I know more about since I have met him several times and gone on Pasture Walks that he participates in. He farms in Kentucky using similar methods as Mr. Judy and he works for NACD which has some good publications for reference. They also have a weekly eResource that you can subscribe to.

Greg Brann - NACD

Greg Brann Trousdale County Soil Conservation District Greeneville, Tennessee Greg Brann, a second-generation farmer, owns and operates Big Spring Farm. His operation consists of 220 acres in Allen County, Ky., […]

www.nacdnet.org

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Another farmer that I know more about since I have met him several times and gone on Pasture Walks that he participates in.

Thanks, Mr. @Mike CHS, I'll have to look him up.

We had a bit of weather excitement late yesterday afternoon and early evening -- three tornado warnings! The first one turned out to be near Forth Smith, so not affecting us directly. The other two warnings were for our area. One of them was reported to be only a few miles away. When we tried to find out more, our internet connections (namely our cell phones) were incredibly slow. It was only after the danger had passed that we found out it was near us. To make it even more fun, our house really has no safe place to hide in, as it is built on a pier (sp?) and beam foundation. Our shop is a steel framed barn with no place to hide, either. So we just hunkered down and hoped it would not hit our house. The wind blew hard for just a brief period but that was it. So we survived unscathed.

I have been sitting here watching YouTube videos for a while now, going out on occasion. I hate to drive the tractor anywhere to speak of, as it tears up the pastures and makes even deeper ruts around the bridges. So maybe I can learn something useful while sitting on my behind!

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Can you build a storm shelter or a safe room ?

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Can you build a storm shelter or a safe room ?

Yes. There is a place in town that sells them (and presumably installs them). I have yet to price them. I doubt our house would be where we could install the safe room, but we may could install it in the shop or perhaps dig an underground shelter. Has anyone on the forum had one installed, and if so, what kind of shelter and at what cost?

 

[Bruce]

I believe had an underground shelter put it. I know you can buy prefab ones that you just stick in a prepared hole. I'd sure have one if I lived where tornadoes are common.

 

[Ridgetop]

Finally found my way back to STA's journal! I don't get notices from the journals I have tagged as "follow" for some reason.

I was dying with laughter reading about your doings with the trailer and then the plumbing disasters. I dragged DH in from the TV to read it to him. We were both laughing hard. Are you sure you are not a long lost relative of the Ridgetop clan?

You have done so much on your place I am amazed. You have come a long way from the fellow and his Beautiful Gal who retired to the farm with a string Weed Whacker and a manual Hedge Trimmer! LOL We have sure enjoyed the learning experiences with you.

Going back I saw some names I have been missing. Latestarter being one, and also Greybeard. Has anyone heard from Greybeard on the cattle forums? He was cranky but I liked him. He was very knowledgeable and shared his knowledge with everyone. Remember the whole tractor lesson with everyone on STA's journal? I learned a lot. I am no longer allowed to drive the little tractor since it spooked and threw me as it ran away into the fence! LOL

Can't wait to see what else you do to the place. Maybe you could channel the runoff water into a tank for summer use?

 

[farmerjan]

Greybeard is doing okay. Normal worries as his sister has health concerns and his wife also. They are pretty much "laying low" for the duration. He posts on CATTLE TODAY and cattleforumtoday. As so many on both of them are also "older folks" there is concern for each other as to how things are going, but so far no one is reporting any real problems. One member lost his wife, she got the flu, then he got the flu and he has a compromised immune system, was barred from going to the hospital to visit her, after she wound up in the hospital and had pneumonia and passed away but it was not corona..... Again, very sad, but also in the over 70 age range.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Are you allowed to make a pond? You could dig down to make the base of where you want the pond and then put trenches with French drains leading from the wet areas to the pond. If you make the pond deep I bet you could stock it with fish and then you'd have a fishing spot too.

For ducks!!!

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

I know you can buy prefab ones that you just stick in a prepared hole.

I have considered it but never have bothered to look into installing one. For almost our entire adult lives, we have resided in the Southern US, where tornadoes are just a fact of life. I guess I have developed the mindset that tornadoes are what happens to other people. So far I have been right, but it may only be a matter of time. For one year we resided in Oceanside, CA. It was funny to listen to native CAers say they could not understand why anyone would reside where tornadoes happen, such as Texas. In Texas and the other southern states, people would shake their heads at CAers, living with wild fires, earthquakes, mudslides, etc. So I guess it is the case of better the devil you do know than the devil you don't.

We were both laughing hard.

Glad you both got a good laugh! I post on my journal as much to show people how not to do something as anything!

Greybeard is doing okay.

I'm glad to hear he's OK. I've been wondering how he is doing. I miss him.

For ducks!!!❤

We've considered it. But the ducks we would get would need to fend for themselves, as both of the two ponds are not close to the house, and we would not be able to protect them from predators. We have some wild ducks currently visiting the pond closer to our house. But they left in mid-May last year and didn't return until early January. We have yet to figure out how to attract them to stay year round.

Yesterday I drove around the farm on the Gator to see how it held up from all of the rain we got shortly after the tornado warnings. The road to the picnic area got washed over with some erosion. I am going to have to build up that road a good bit higher and dig a trench along the upside slope to handle the runoff we get from a heavy rain. One of the culverts on the deer stand road stopped up with sediment and so the water ran over the path. I am going to have to build up that road as well as possibly put in a second or larger culvert. The dam I built in the creek to divert the water into the trench got washed out. I feared it might, since it was a bit low on one side. I will have to build the dam taller next time. The ground is so waterlogged at the moment that I would tear up the pastures with my tractor, so I am hoping it will stop raining long enough to dry out the pastures soon. I have about run out of YouTube videos to watch!

Now a request from everyone. We just finished reading a book about Greta Thunberg and her family. I am now considering reading about climate change. I am asking for recommendations from you folks. I want to read books from climate change advocates as well as climate change skeptics. The only stipulation I make is that the books I read must stick to the facts. I refuse to read a book that spends its time using name-calling toward those who disagree. I don't want to read about "ignorant rednecks" from those supporting climate change, or "libtards" from those who are skeptical of climate change. I refuse to have a discussion with someone who uses those tactics, so I don't want to read a book that uses those tactics. I have better ways to spend my time than to read those hateful comments. So please make any suggestions of books you think would enlighten me.

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[B&B Happy goats]

I don't have any recommendations,... but I love your attitude about what you read