Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

Problem -- many are recorded msgs that play -- they don't listen.

 

[farmerjan]

Thursday evening. Well, good and mediocre day. First off, left early and went to the appliance and furniture store before PT. Boy, I should have gone there last week. But the good thing is.... they have a couple of 29 1/2 inch wide refridges ... had dozens that came out of a remodel/refurbish at one of the colleges.... so I will know tomorrow exactly what/if the one at the house is salvageable for a reasonable price... If not, I will head directly up to Lotts's and get one. They are $325.... didn't get specific about what ever guarantee, but expect something like 30 days. He has 2 left.... so I said that I would know one way or another tomorrow morning, Friday, since I had someone looking at the one I was given to see if it was something simple...
Also tried out a couple of new mattresses..... and then a nice "lazy-boy" type chair.... I have never had one. I have been told that it would be a big help for recovery of the knee replacement(s).... the motorized ones are REAL nice.... don't especially want a "lift" one, but I found one that wasn't too big. Most are so cotton picking big.... and I don't have that big of a LR.... and I have always thought that I would like one. And I like this one, it is "faux leather" so feels real nice to touch. But I wasn't really looking for one, and had a limited amount of time... I do want to go back and look more.

The repair guy did come to the house for the fridge... it was unplugged after he was done; so will call the co in the morning and see what they say.

PT was in the pool today... it felt so much better on the knees due to the water "taking away" the gravity pressure on them. It is more resistance but doesn't hurt the knee joints hardly at all. Will be doing PT with the guys one day a week and the PT in the pool the other day.... I think this is going to really help.
I was tired though when I got out....

Went from PT directly to the tractor at the hay field, and tedded out the hay again. There were some wet spots, especially along the trees and in the lower "bottom" that was wetter to start with. The hay was drier overall than what I expected though. So got it all done, then called my son and said what was the plan. He said that they were now calling for a 60% chance of showers coming in around 5.... he would meet me there at 3 when he got off work... and it was getting raked and baled.
So I did the rest of the green paint in the LR around the ceiling, and the window and all the spots left.... then washed the brush and went to the hayfield. He had unhooked the tedder, hooked up the rake, and came down the driveway just as I got out of the truck. Had to tighten a couple of nuts on the hitch, where the drawbar comes out from under the tractor, and then I got started. He went back up the drive to the machine shed there, and got the tractor and baler.... and I barely stayed 2 rows ahead of him. It started to sprinkle a little, and as we got to the last couple rows and I was going around doing a "cleanup" of loose stuff, it started to sprinkle enough to see it on the hood of the tractor. It is up. The last roll will probably be garbage/moldy, but it is off the field. We can roll it out this winter where there are cows with baby calves and they can lay on it instead of cold or wet ground. Minor in the scheme of things.

I left and went back to the house but the repair guy was gone, and it rained pretty steady for awhile. Everything got good and wet. Coming out of WVa so not any of Marcos.... but Hurricane Laura is scheduled to hit here with rain and some wind as a trop storm or less; on Saturday.
SOOOOO GLAD it is done and up. Not the best hay, but it really didn't look all that bad and smelt pretty decent... not like some that gets wet and never gets as dry as it should and smells musty. The good thing was that there was a good breeze blowing while I was tedding and that helped to get most all the dampness dried out.

So the less than good news is the guy (friend of power washing guy) called and was called into work due to a main water pipe break.... he works maintenance.... and was on his way to work and didn't know what he was going to run into time wise. I can understand that his "real" job has to come first. So we have "rescheduled " , again, for Sunday morning. I have to work, said I would be back about 9-9:30... so plans are 9:30 a.m.. So far the BIL is still on for tomorrow at 10 a.m......

As soon as I meet with him, I will have found out about the fridge, and then I suspect I will be going to the store to buy one of the used ones. I just have a bad feeling.... and maybe it will just be a small thing, like recharge the freon....
but I am not usually that lucky. Whatever.... I hope to know something positive by tomorrow noon time. Will get it next week when it isn't raining, calling on rain, and maybe have some help to get it into the house. If they will load it at the appliance place, we can get it off at the house and I will have the spot completely cleaned out to be able to roll it in.... then will be able to have cold drinks there without the cooler.

Saturday I still plan to paint the LR.... I did not see any missed spots today in the BR so I must've gotten them all when I redid the paint yesterday. Problem is, I can't do much in the bedroom, as the door we are going to enlarge is on the bedroom side because there is a baseboard heater on the other wall next to the door on that side.... So that means that all the bathroom work will have to go in and out the bedroom side. Oh well....

Progress is being made.... can't see alot but I do see it.... what'll happen is everything will all of a sudden be ready at the same time.....
If I get the kitchen cabinets cleaned out and shelf paper put down, I can start moving that stuff.... Can't do anything in the LR once the painting is done, because of the floor.... maybe I will concentrate on the kitchen once I get the LR painted. I wanted that done so that they could get to the floor whenever.... and there wouldn't be any "waiting" like for the painting....

I think once the power washing gets done, I will feel better. Especially the deck, so that it can get a good chance to dry out then stain and/or seal it. And I want to get the doors fixed on the shed and it needs a good sweeping out and start moving some of that type of odd stuff. And the washing machine.... so I can start washing clothes as I pull them out of the bureaus.... and go through some... make a pile for a yard sale and then for goodwill or something. I would like to get back into some of these clothes; and if the knees get done and better, then I ought to be able to work some of the "fat" off with walking and such again. I am going to make a definite effort to lose some of the weight because I know I will feel better too.
PT guy's mom goes in for the "Maako" replacements 3 weeks from today I think. Hope she gets along well, for her sake; but also to see if the procedure looks like a good possibility....

Raining again.... supposed to clear out by midnight, but then back up to 40-50% chance tomorrow afternoon.... Clearing out by Sunday???? We want to get on the sorghum/sudan asap... it is going to get baled and wrapped, but we still need at least 2 days for it to dry down some. It is growing a foot a day it seems.... If we can get it done this coming week, we should get enough of a second growth for a second cutting.... that would be awesome.

 

[Mike CHS]

We had a 90% chance of rain all day today and got a light shower that lasted maybe 5 minutes this evening.

 

[Mini Horses]

Things are moving right along. Good. Looks like you'll have a frig one way or the other, very soon. LOL

I like your plan to work the cabinets while waiting one everyone and everything else! Now you need the washer -- at least you can get the laundry done while your working those other things on the list.

Did you bring a chair yet? I mean you do deserve to sit sometime.

 

[farmerjan]

Okay, Friday night. Lot's of little things, good bad and indifferent. First off, called about the fridge; it is not repairable for any reasonable price.... so I will gut the inside shelves and veg bins and the shelf in the freezer if I can figure out how to get it out as it sticks directly into the sides.... I am sure there is a trick. I then called the other place and asked them to hold one until I got up there at noontime today. So, they agreed since I had just been in there yesterday.

Then the BIL of the ins lady came at exactly 10 a.m.. Talked about all the things I was wanting done, what he could do, what he had a friend that he worked with could do, priority of things getting done..... and said he would get back to me with some prices and who else to get to do like the boxwoods if the cell tower guys don't call me soon. I happen to know several of the other guys he works with, and some are friends of my son's also. First priority, repairing the 2 doors on the existing shed so I can start moving some stuff and it won't get rain inside while it is being stored in there.... and the LR floor and hallway. Then some of the other outside stuff like cutting down the saplings, clearing around the maple tree and other stuff. Of course, the carport will be cleaned after next week so some stuff can go under there too, but there are no ends on it....
Gave me an idea on the kitchen with the small refridgerator space. Right next to the fridge they built a tall cabinet that slides out from the wall.... with shelves on the one side.... kinda like those small rolling racks that you see that fit between a washer and dryer, and pull straight out.... well this one was made to look like the kitchen cabinets on the front and it is like 7 ft tall.... Well the way it is made, with like 2 upright pieces of plywood and rolls inbetween.... he said that I could take out the one piece of plywood, next to the fridge, and do away with the rolling rack.... and then a wider fridge would fit..... WOW, brilliant idea.
But I committed to the smaller one and I want a fridge in there now.... so I did go up and pay for it and will get it loaded on my truck next week on a day when my son can come help unload it and get into the house. Supposed to be raining in the morning, so I can wait until next week. It can always be a 2nd fridge in the future.... and I am going to take my time and find one that I like, with a bottom freezer which I have had and much prefer....and I can take the "front board" off, have it cut down to fit the top where the part of the rolling rack goes into the space that is above the space where the fridge would fit under.... and then just use the rack somewhere else as a narrow shelf anyway. But it would give me like 4-6 more inches width....

Leave it to a stranger to see something in a different way.

Now if the other guy shows up on Sunday morning, I will have prices to compare....

So I did a few other errands and went to the stockyards to the sale. Prices were down 10-20 cents per pound on the steer calves.... and so it is good we sold the steers already. Heifers are holding their own.

Then watched the cow sale. They were higher than I liked for many of them. Pairs were 1300-1800 so no chance to buy any of them, as that is beyond what we want to pay for cows that you don't know much about. Some had some "ear" in them.... meaning they had brangus/brahma influence.... I am not opposed but many of these came off a farm here near us that he doesn't do anything with them except gather the calves up and the cows were very high-headed.... looking like they wanted to go over some fences and very nervous in the ring. Some were actually aggressive to the guys.... and not the ones with the calves but mostly the bred ones. Talked to a couple of the guys I know and they said they were a real nightmare to get in and worked around. There were a few that I bid on.... but only got one bought that seemed fairly calm in the ring. Older cow, but 8 months preg so should calve in with the fall group. She is short mouthed, meaning her teeth are short so an older cow.... see how she does with the calf. I paid cull/pound cow price for her at .55..... $710. Most all brought 750 to 1000 for the other older cows, and a couple that I might have brought home just weren't good enough for my price.... and a couple that did sell cheaper were just too high strung. It wasn't all off one farm, it was off 3 places plus a few odd ones.... a "put together" cow sale.... we have bought from sales like this before; gotten some good ones and gotten some that stayed for 1 calf and left... like one of the 2 cows that got sold last week. Nutty from the get go, next to impossible to get in, and we don't need that kind.

So will go back and get her tomorrow morning. There were trailers lined up to get their stuff, and I didn't take the trailer and didn't want to go back since it was starting to rain again. Hit a couple spots on the way home of showers, then "drove out of them" then some wet spots on the road here. Nothing right now. Looks like we will get the "laura" rain in the early morning then maybe cleared out by mid-afternoon. Not looking like all that much now.

So plans are to go get the cow in the morning if son isn't going to go, then work at the house, painting in the LR... so that then the floor can get done next.... And got the space vacuumed out for the fridge and the floor and wall cleaned... next are the cabinets vacuumed and then shelf paper and I can start moving stuff into them. When I make some space here, then can clean out all the spices from my special made spice cabinet, with all the adjustable shelves, and box all that stuff and then move it up there against the one wall and then start to put everything back and get it organized. Of course I can't cook until I get the stove up there and the propane put in.... but it will be progress. Plus if I get the cabinets done, and start moving the pots and pans and baking dishes and stuff, then I will be able to empty things here.... I have boxes of stuff already to be taken up there.... and things like paper towels and dish soap and all kinds of stuff that are just in bags and boxes now....

Want to get the china cabinet inside back painted so I can start moving the dishes for that, and vacuum and wash the kitchen and DR floors.... then decide where I am going to put all my bookcases of books. Thinking some may go in the DR and be a library/DR..... I am one room "short" at the new house for putting things.... another reason to have the original downstairs room that is the bedroom, as a den and the sleeping rooms upstairs. But I will adjust/ get creative. I don't know where the desk, and my sewing center, is going to go yet..... If there was eat in space in the kitchen for a table and chairs it would be different but there isn't. Maybe the "new kitchen" was the den type room and the utility room, which was the old kitchen, and the table in the DR makes more sense.... Because they made the "old kitchen" into the utility room and cut out part of it for the bathroom.... used to be an outside privy..... and then she wanted a bigger kitchen and remodeled it in the 70's into a big kitchen and took out all the stuff from the now utility room except the sink and put in the washer and dryer at some point.
I do hate coming into the house directly into the front hall or in the kitchen door directly into the kitchen and not into a "mud room".... but for now it is what it is. The deck is a perfect place to close in and make a big entry/mudroom/etc.... but it is on the opposite side of the house from the carport and driveway..... maybe when the boxwoods are gone it would be accessible from the back more....
So the saga continues.....

 

[farmerjan]

Saturday evening. Realized a little bit ago, I have to test in the morning, then "meet the friend of the power wash guy" at 9:30 a.m., after I get home. We will see. Got all the bottles into the trays for testing to go out in the truck in the morning.


So, I never heard from DS so I went up to the farm at 9:30 and got the truck and trailer and headed for town to get the cow. Talked to one of the guys who works there who used to sometimes help us (actually still does on occasion) .... he did get his hay tedded out and finally baled yesterday afternoon.... then we got some more rain from the remnants of Laura, so that was good for him too. Also saw another guy who used to work at a farm up the road, and is back to doing fitting and clipping and showing for other people, doing some AI breeding, and he has his own cows.... anyway, in conversation, mentioned that a guy he knew was looking for some older angus bulls.... and that they might be in ampules. That was the way they packed semen before they went to the french straws that are in use today.... So I mentioned that I had bought out a guys' semen inventory of angus and some jersey I wanted a year or so ago; and there were some in ampules..... the father was a tech for a bull stud and had passed away and the son wanted to disperse with it and quit paying the storage fees.... and made me a fantastic price as it costs the same to ship the nitrogen shipping tank whether there is 10 straws or 100 straws in it.... So he wants me to see what I have, that maybe this guy might be interested in some of these older bulls.... Might be able to get back some of the investment. It is just sitting for the most part. We don't breed much AI because my son is not willing to keep any of the cows close to the barn to watch for heats, so that I can get them in to breed. I breed my jersey nurse cows AI when I can, but this past year they got bred to the bull because of my knees/ankle hurting and the surgery. Next year I hope to breed some AI again.

So got home with the cow, and put her in the lot after talking to DS.... he said oh, you went to get her? and I said "yeah, they wanted her picked up this morning"..... he makes me sooooo mad sometimes

So, I went up to the house and wanted to get on the painting of the LR. I ached, it was cloudy with a couple of little sprinkles but not the rain they said. The forecast was to mostly clear off by mid afternoon.
I redid all the edging with the little mini roller to take away from any of the brush strokes, then did the small sections above the windows and below above the doors, and the corners. I was aching so went down and grabbed a veg plate at the deli inside our local convenience store/gas/fuel station. Came back and ate, took some more ibuprofen, and went in and did all the walls. I will have to look at it good tomorrow to see if I missed any spots as the sun kept coming in the windows, then clouds passing..... BUT, it shouldn't take much if I did miss any or didn't cover it good. Then I said, well, I will see about starting the kitchen drawers... and vacuumed out and lined about 5; and did the tall narrow selves next to the fridge space. Had enough and went to do the nurse cow and fed the calves in the barn too. Then went down to the farm to see if he had ever come up to do the cow since he never bothered to call me.

I HAVE A NEW BABY...... Yep, she went into the barn and had a calf. Didn't want to upset her so left her alone and will see what it is tomorrow. WOW..... talk about timing..... the calf was on it's feet so I am not worried because she was talking to it and she was fairly well uddered up. So I call DS and said, well, I didn't hear from you so I came up to see if you had gone to do the cow and now, don't do anything tonight because she has just calved.... he said he and gf were up there earlier, she was laying flat out in the barn and he was concerned but thought she was just a little shook up from being sold and trailered, and all the upset to her life, and she "laid up" and looked at him so he decided to leave her alone..... and he was sorry, he forgot to call me.... YEAH too da#@ busy worrying about the gf all the time to even let me know that he had been there. If I hadn't gone and checked her, I never would have known.....
Tomorrow, will get the calf tagged and then if it is getting around okay, will go out to the field where there are 2 more new ones in the past week. Early fall calves but they will have some decent growth by the time we get any cold weather. It will be better out on the green grass and the cow will be better off too. I guess I made a good decision to buy her. She just looked at me when I went in the barn and halfway down the one side and could see her and the calf standing..... so glad that she wasn't real upset, didn't come after me or snort at me or anything. Good time to let her be and let the calf get some colostrum and all with them undisturbed.

So, I am going to get a shower and go to bed.... have to leave about 4 to be at the barn at 5.... no set up other than just taking my samples bottles in the barn; nice farm to do.

Skies cleared off, no more rain but some passing clouds for awhile, and sun in and out. Then it got a little breezy but there is NO HUMIDITY.... it is beautiful out. Clear, clean air tonight. Rain coming back in Sunday night, but mostly sun all day Sunday..... I will gladly take this clear air.....

 

[Mini Horses]

Weeeellll...you just got some of your money back with her!

So is this "your" cow/calf or is she a "farm" cow/calf? Just wondering how you all work those things. LOL I know if dairy your DS doesn't want them. You never said what she is...or thought to be.


Congrats on a quick calf and easy birthing. That is always a plus!!

When we were raising the mini horses & donks, they were bought as farm animals, no matter who bid, or was there or making the deal.....I chose 95% of them. All were "for sale" if price right but, not advertised as actively looking to sell the base producers. I'm sure you all maintain a base herd that is in that category. Good producers, no trouble, bloodlines, etc.

Hey, hope you have some semen that guy wants to buy. If you're not using, might as well get $$ from it.

I used to do some AI with our mares & stallions....not frozen but, collected and used right then if needed more than one serviced right then, etc., Have collection devices. You know the drill. We kept ultrasound equipment, vaporizer, oxygen tanks and all things for emergency surgery work by vet -- had a little building set up for it. An on farm clinic. I sold US but still have most other.

Farming fun.

 

[Baymule]

Yes, you did good on the cow and were promptly rewarded with a calf. Glad that mother and calf are ok and seem to be healthy.

And you got more painting done. Little at a time and you will soon look around and it will be done. Hope you get good prices on the remodel work that needs done.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Congrats on the calf!

 

[farmerjan]

@Mini Horses ; this cow is "mine" since I paid for her. If there had been more, we would have probably split the costs and owned jointly. Son could have offered to pay for her and for her to be his, but often he won't "butt in" if I only buy one or two at a sale unless I say that I got them for the "farm." We have his cows, probably 75% that he has bought and paid for... one time he invested in a group of 40 that a former gf talked him into getting..... overall it wasn't a terrible investment.... kept some heifers out of them that we raised up and he kept as replacements....a few were duds, but that happens, when buying and selling like we do.... Then we have my cows, of which there are about 20%.... some are dairy, some are 1/2 dairy - 1/2 beef that I use to breed back beef and then the resulting calves are worth more. I can sell the 1/2 beef calves out of my dairy cows ( like the 2 jerseys that are bred angus) more easily now as people are learning more about dairy/beef crosses and finding that they make good beef and marble well for tasty beef. The demand is growing.... at least for now. Then there are about 1-5% that are "joint" cattle that we have both kicked in 50/50 to buy. Often that happens at a sale where I cannot afford to drop 5-6,000 on some decent cattle.. and vice versa.... like a group of 4 that come in together that we like and are sold "per head" and take all 4 in the ring.... or whatever. There was a group of 4 that came through the other night that I bid on a couple times, older cows, not crazy or high headed acting, 8 mos., bred.... but with no other info, quit and they brought over 1250/head.
Might have gone on but with the house purchase and work needing done.... just don't have that kind of cash to drop right now.
The "joint cattle" that produce calves that get sold.... the calves go into the farm money towards rents, or whatever.... so I don't see the financial return so to speak. Any heifers we like and retain, become joint , and when ever one of the adult cows gets culled and sold then that money is split. So a joint cow, has 4 calves, 3 are steers sold for farm expenses, the 4th is a nice heifer so she is kept as a future breeder. Cow goes on to have another heifer, that gets kept, then a steer that is sold, then doesn't breed so gets sold. I get half back from the cull cow ( I paid half for her)... whatever she brings, plus there are now 2 more that are "joint" owned in the heifers that will have calves. There are actually about 3 generations on 2 cows we bought joint years ago, still on the farm. There is a potential to grow the joint group.... but often we wind up selling a calf or 2 and then the joint cow goes for a variety of reasons.... Usually stay around 10-15 joint cows.... between culling and keeping heifers. I have about 25-30 head, mature or yearlings kept for breeding, not counting calves from this past year..... and he has about 125 mature or yearling age, not counting the calves. I help to "pay for my cattle's room and board" costs with my work, that I don't get paid for.... sometimes I feel like he is getting the better end of the deal, but then when I start to add up what mine will eat in a year, I figure I might be getting a better deal.... I kept more heifers 2 years ago, and sold fewer.... so it "cost more" for them to grow up.... so I got a better deal that year because except for the grain I feed up at the nurse cow pasture, I don't pay for any of the hay or silage or anything. I do buy the grain for up there, most are my cows there anyway... but like this group of 5 calves, on the first calf heifers, that I have taught to come in the creep gate... only 2 calves are mine in that group.

Now that I have let the 3 others out with the nurse cow, all 8 (plus one older one that is on a lame cow that has bad back legs and is only being kept because she is bred back for a calf in late fall.... her current heifer is going to be weaned here in a couple weeks...) so there are 9 that are actually coming in the creep gate.... 5 are mine. I will feed them about 2/3 to 3/4 a bucket of feed every other day, keeping them coming in, so that we can catch them up and move out to another pasture for late fall grazing. This calms down the calves there and makes it easier to deal with them. I figure that feeding any he has there like that, is not that great a drain since mine are also getting fed and I am the one who has to catch them up so it is worth it. Usually I will go through 2 ton with feeding my dairy cows and their calves plus the extras on the first calf beef heifers. Normally I figure that I feed 3/4 of the load of feed to my animals (dairy cows and calves combined) and maybe 1/4 th to any of his calves. But it turns around because he will feed at the "main barn" and if I have any calves there that are weaned, then they get advantage of the feed he has delivered there. I try to stay under 1/4 of the calves kept..... to not take too much advantage of the feed situation. He will feed silage with a top dressing of grain through the winter so that is worth some money.... and my calves will gain just like his and any of mine I will reap the profits when they are sold as it is my money.

Complicated in a way, but it seems to work. Some days we get into it, but lately he has been less likely to criticize my animals except the dairy ones.... he will never really like dairy cattle since they don't bring the return that the beef calves do....They are "my thing" and I am not going to apologize for liking them.

So this latest cow is mine.... If all goes well, and she raises the calf, then he will bring what she cost and she will be "free money"; not withstanding that I am not paying for her "room and board" directly out of pocket. If she does good, and she looks and acts okay, she might get put back with the bull. If she breeds, then that's good, if not then she gets culled. She is very cow hocked and walks a little stiff.... but partly it could be because of the concrete, just calving, all that. If she continues to have leg problems, then she can go for cull.
The calf is a bull calf, and was doing pretty well, so she got kicked out to pasture with a couple others that have new calves. In a month or so, there are a bunch of bred for fall calving cows out there, they will all get brought in, the calves worked, and they will go out to fall/winter pasture and then bulls will get put in the first of Nov to breed back....That will give us a group that will be early fall calving.... and although it is often better to sell calves in groups.... this gives us some flexibility with some different "small groups" when it comes selling times.... And I am liking these early fall calves as they have some decent growth going into winter and they will be able to eat and better utilize any silage fed and not pull the cow's condition down even if she is milking good.

So that's the LONGGGGGG explanation of the his, mine, ours.....