Farmerjan's journal - Weather

farmerjan

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Saturday eve. Got the peonies dug this morning and broke off some of the tubers... They went deep. Oh well, maybe they will grow and there will be some for a new person there. Have to figure out where to put them here, the one place I wanted to put them, there are rocks down not very far so have to change. Might put them along the front porch for the winter/next year until I get more of the yard work done. Still have not gotten the irises or the daylily's in that I dug yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow. :idunno It is hard on the knees, I can't really push down on the shovel very hard to get the holes dug.....
Also HAVE to go up and check out the rest of the fruit trees so that I have a count and can start marking the holes.....

Still haven't gotten a price on the boxwood removal/yard cleanup stuff. Got another guy I am going to call and see what he has to say. I really want to get this done... get the oil tank reset and all so I can get the furnace guy here too. It was down to 43 last night.... I want heat in this house when I am here...🥶

Wound up raking hay this afternoon for about 3 1/2 hours. It was sunny and not quite as breezy. DS tedded out the one field that I had started raking and that I texted him that it was too green. It was a lot better late this afternoon. The other 3 smaller fields I did, one was okay, the other 2 were quite green. They should have been tedded out too. I thought he was going to do all them. So tomorrow I will go and turn over the 2 smaller fields and hope that they will dry more. I think he is going to roll it but there is quite a bit of hay.
He did come by and get the washing machine faucet cutoffs on and I do have water.....

Didn't do anything with the heater panels, today. It is supposed to warm up more after the front comes through on Sunday eve/Monday morning....down to less than 20% passing shower, I expect that he will mow more hay tomorrow as it is supposed to be nice through Thursday. Really want to get done with hay for the year. Still have 2 big fields of orchard grass to do.... 10 ac and 13 ac.....They will be mostly sq bales for sale.... and our use. Good late cuttings. I wish I was closer to @rachels.haven , to be able to sell her some. Even some of this grass hay looks real nice. Got to get some into the barn for the calves this winter, up at the nurse cow field.
Still haven't taken the heifers up to the dairy.....
Corn chopping is coming up soon. I am ready for the fall work to get wrapped up.

I saw the neatest thing this eve at the place I was raking hay. The woman who owns it, her husband was killed in that freak jousting accident a year ago.... was using something called a nut roller or nut gatherer.... it is like a sphere made out of metal ... lots of springy like wires so to speak... and as you roll it across it picks up the walnuts.... It is really neat. Reminds me of a bingo thing that they turn and then get the number out of, sorta..... Going to see if our Lowe's has them in stock.... says they carry them... I can get them off the internet cheaper... but shipping won't get them here before mid Nov.... from china.... and I want to be able to pick up the walnuts now.... Really really neat.....Made short work of gathering them, just pull the wires apart a bit to empty into a bucket or whatever....There are 2 large walnut trees here, plus some across the road just falling all over.... be a good winter project to do (in my spare time):gig:lol: Sure don't want to try to pick them up by hand.... Was considering the sweeper, don't know if it would get them; ; but this is so simple to use....I am going to go down there in the morning to see if they have them.

So tomorrow I will rake the hay in the lots in the big subdivision that we still make... use the tractor with the big wheel rake.... I used the Farmall H today for the little fields as it is so much easier to maneuver.... sure hope that he cuts some of the good orchard grass so that we can get that done while the equipment is here close.... then move the stuff 5 miles down the road to the other orchard grass field....

Past time to head down the hill.... want a shower and a bowl of soup....
 

Baymule

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It is a shame that 600+ miles separates you and @rachels.haven she sure could use the hay! I have been onto my hay guy, Russell about hay. I ran out, bought 5 bales from his Dad, ran out, bought 4 bales from last year, got one left that needs to go to the sheep in the next day or two. I told him I had my money in the sock drawer, all saved up and I was getting nervous! So today he was sending me pictures of the fields he and his Dad were cutting. Beautiful fields and will make some very nice hay. I feel better now. LOL LOL

You have water!! :weee:weee:weee
That is nice! Now to get the boxwoods cut and out of there so you can reset the tank and get some heat.

My sister has one of those roller things that she uses to pick up pecans. She really likes it. Do you have black walnuts?
 

rachels.haven

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I would totally buy hay from you-round bales, square bales, doesn't matter now. Cost to make+cost to transport+labor and time would make no sense though...although it sounds like you could make a killing if you waited long enough then came up here with a load assuming you want to brave that snow and ice. Horse people are already willing to pay $37/100lbs bale+tax for just decent hay. What will they do when the "ranch" that trucks in that hay runs low?
 

farmerjan

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I am giving some thought to the hay situation @rachels.haven because....... we have family in NH....right off the interstate...I-91 that runs up along the Conn river in VT. Need to pm you maybe.... might help pay for a trip to visit family in NH..... something to think about. Might talk to ds about it.....sq bales would be the best to transport on the flat bed trailer.....

@Baymule yes they are black walnuts. They line the back roads here and are all over. There is a place that actually buys them from people; they hull them out of the big green husk into the nut and pay by the pound.... you can pick up lots and lots of them around here.... If I get one of the basket things to get them, I will just put them in some tubs or something for now til I can get to doing something.... most here just put them on like a driveway and run over them with a car to get the outside husks off, then do the nut cracking over the winter time. Sometimes they have worms.... this year they are very prolofic..... tons of them everywhere.

The neighbor where we are raking the hay now came by to see the new house, I invited her yesterday when I stopped to talk after raking. She said that maybe I could consider a double door into the bathroom so that it wouldn't stick out so far into the room.... they did one in the house here on the farm when she and her husband were remodeling and adding on an addition.... they got it done and less than a year later he died in that jousting accident.... and he's been gone 2 years next month already.... I thought it was only a year... Anyway, showed her some of the things that I was thinking of doing, we looked at the bathroom, talked about how the utility room really was in an odd place since it should have a door into it from the outside so that you didn't have to come in with dirty barn clothes in the "clean part of the house".... But that when they made the "new kitchen" all those years ago, they just turned this into a laundry/utility room with no thought of someone like me coming in and out... they were not "farmers" like we are although they owned quite a bit of land....
Anyway, I said how I thought that maybe a door could be put in where the dryer goes, and it could have a couple of steps up from the carport and make coming in with things like groceries and all easier than going in the front door, and she said that it would be a very good idea....
Then I showed her the kitchen , and my thoughts on changing the fridge space, the butcher block top for the cabinet tops and changing that little island space, taking it out.... she helped alot with the remodeling at their house and said, shoot, we can do this.... and I said really, I am not a carpenter... and she said sure, we can do this. So how about we do it next weekend??????:ep:ep:ep She is 100% serious..... so I said okay, you really think we can do this.... and she said that this was well within what she thought she was capable of doing......We pulled the fridge out, looked at the plywood that was put in for that narrow sliding "pantry" that doesn't slide very good.....how I wanted to save as much as possible to replace those other door and drawer fronts that don't match since it is the same color and "aged" the same as all the rest. Looked at how the little island is attached and that it was definitely added later as there is a cut out in that cabinet for a drawer to have gone there.... Deb said that it wouldn't take alot to redo..... so "do we have a date for next weekend?" I said sure if she thought that she really wanted to and she said sure..... I realized that she might want to do somethings that they used to do and to have other ways to occupy her time.... although there is plenty to do at her place....She said she has a 3 day weekend next week from work....
I was floored.... and now am very excited..... Like WOW:celebrate:celebrate:yesss::yesss::yesss::highfive::jumpy:jumpy

I was figuring that it was a "future" project, like in Nov or even after I got moved in.....She also agreed that the sink was not very practical.... and that I might want to put in a bigger one on one side and then a smaller one on the other side instead of this kitty corner one that is not big enough to do much in it.... but that it was a future project; for me to get a feel of things before I did too much else unless I was going to tear everything out and start from scratch. She said that she didn't know if doing all butcher block countertops would be good around the sink.... might want something "waterproof" next to the sink.... something to think about. But getting this smaller one in will definitely give me something to live with, use and get used to....

So then, we were outside and I was telling her about the problems with the mower and grass catcher and that I just went and bought a lawn sweeper to use, and showed her and all and said if she ever needed it that she was welcome to use it.... and she said seriously, and I said yes, and she mentioned that she would like to borrow it as she is helping to mow at her BIL place since they moved and house is on the market, and it would save alot of hand raking since the grass was high when she mowed there.... and so we loaded it on her truck, I showed her how to take it apart, into 2 pieces to handle easier, and how to set the brushes and she was so thrilled.... she will take care of it, she is very careful and meticulous on how she takes care of stuff at her house.... and I feel like that is the least I can do for a thank you for next weekend....

You never know about things......I have seen what they did when they were fixing up the house, so I know that she is much more knowledgeable with the carpentry stuff.... and she won't make fun of me when I try to explain what I want.... and it might save me a lot of money to have her help..... she and her husband owned a couple of places and they did alot of the stuff themselves.... he was anal about some things..... I am sure that she can afford to retire and just stay at the farm, but she is not going to just sit, she is 50 or so....he was about 5-7 yrs older.... she just recently sold her house in NC that she had before they got married...they were married about 8-10 years when he died...he has 2 daughters from a previous marriage and she is still close to the one daughter who has an older boy and just had twin boys........ and I am sure that he had life ins..... although I do know that they have/had a mtg on the farm, and the house they have up near DC where they worked (he was military intel and she does something else like that but no longer in the military) and they also owned another place... so I am sure that she still has bills but selling the NC place and life ins has helped to ease any financial burden.... It's funny, we are different but like some of the same things....she is nearly 15-20 years younger, and has traveled and lived in Germany and other places, but still a decent down to earth type person.... they had planned to retire to the farm, and he was already working remote somewhat for work, and now since all this covid crap, she is also doing some "telecomuting" work so is going to be out here more this winter she says....

So a little later, I am going up to rake the hay and turn it over and rake the other piece....DS is going to deliver another trailer load of sq bales then he is going to cut some more since they have all but erased the chance of possible passing showers to 10% for tonight, then dry and sunny and a bit warmer through at least Thursday and then only 10% for Friday and Sat next weekend.... Had a farm want to test the first of the week and I won't have any hay to rake again, until Tuesday now, so I will tell them I will do Monday/Tues.... they are a 2 time test, just down the road. That will work out good. In fact I might just take the stuff down there later today and leave it.....I am going to go to Lowe's and see if they have that nut gatherer thing....she said I was welcome to use hers when she was back at work this week..... make the bank deposit to cover the mtg payment while I am in that direction....get a 5 gal can of fuel for the tractor... and take the meters and hoses to the farm for tomorrow afternoon, since I will go right by there...

Come back, go rake the hay around 3 pm after it is as warm and dry as it will get today. Want to try to get the second coat on the baseboard panels if I can.... and see about getting the plants in the ground. Plants are the more important priority than the painting. could do that tomorrow.
Sounds like a plan.... need to get on it!!!!
 
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Bruce

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Good deal on the kitchen rehab!

it is like a sphere made out of metal ... lots of springy like wires so to speak... and as you roll it across it picks up the walnuts
Lumnah Acres was given one of those for apples from one of their followers. Looks like a little kids push toy.
 

farmerjan

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Well, nearly 8 pm. Deb texted me said the sweeper was perfect, worked really great and thank you very much.... it is back in the carport where it was... And literally, it is EXACTLY where it was when we got it out and loaded it.... I told her I was glad that it made it easier on her and she was quite welcome, anytime. Then I told her that Lowe's doesn't have any nut roller things in stock and I would like to borrow hers while she is at work this week... she said no problem and when did I want to come get it and I said probably Monday when I came to rake the hay, and she said that was fine. Didn't want to take away from her using it while she was out here this weekend.
Obviously, in the meantime I had gone to Lowe's.... the one guy pulled it up on the computer, said that he has never seen it in the store, but that it is on their "online store" but it is out of stock in the warehouse... They are $26 + change.... not bad. I will still try to get one but will use hers for now. I want to get these walnuts picked up before they come with any machinery to do the boxwoods/all that and grind them into the dirt.... and have more SPROUTS next year.
Now I am thinking that maybe I will leave the one younger walnut in the middle of the boxwoods.... there are no lower branches on it because it has grown up through the boxwoods so has been "reaching" for the sun.... and I am a little concerned as the "owners" said that the septic pipe runs out of the house in that general direction to the septic tank and "fields"..... I need to research how deep the roots are on walnuts and boxwoods and such.
Deb said, when she looked at them, and agreed that it would open up the backyard really nice, to get them gone, that we could cut them down and clean them out and then only have to have the guy take the stumps/roots out.... or cut them down to ground level and then they ought to die off..... hmmmmmmm.
I am thinking that she really wants to "do stuff" with someone to not be alone all the time.....

Got 2 sheets of the sheathing that matches what they used on the shed that is nearly the color of the carport also; to put a "closed in " side of the carport.... to keep the rain out of the end where the mower goes, and in the front to keep everyone from looking in at everything too.... They will have to be cut down a little, and framed to make them stiff like they did for the shed doors.... then they can fit under the roof inside the metal frame and be moveable when I want to move them out of the way....

So got all the rest of the hay that was not raked; raked with the tractor with the wheel rake... had a guy stop to ask if I knew so & so......my ds.... and I said yes, I am his mom..... he wants ds to come and mow the "lot" he just bought down over the hill.... ds has had 2 or 3 ask him if he could possible mow their lots for hay,,, or to bush hog them. These "lots" in this subdivision are like 2 1/2 to as much as 12 acres.... It is in the property owners agreement for this subdivision, that they have to mow it at least once a year.... Like why couldn't they ask this when the equipment was right there..... since he moved the tractor and mower down to another place to get that mowed; did some today and will get to the rest tomorrow.... the 10 acre orchard grass plus 3 other smaller fields down there that we do.... supposed to be nice through thursday/friday at least so will have a bunch to rake come tues/wed.....
The guy that came and asked me, about mowing his hay, has a tree trimming business.....gave me his card.... I asked if he did stuff in this area and he said yes.... he is going to call me when he is down this way and come look at what I want and give me a price on the tree stuff.... AND he is always looking for places to dump "chips" and did I know of anywhere they could dump wood... like maple and pine and stuff.... anyone have an outside wood stove???? I said not off hand but I was thinking of putting in one next year.... and he added me to his "contacts list for wood chips" whenever they are in this area....need a load or 2 up at the nurse cow field where they lay under a couple of trees that gets all mucky in the wet....and they would be able to chip my stuff right there and then just dump the chips right out of the truck.... probably get it done cheaper than the other guy who still hasn't gotten me a price.... but if nothing else, it would be a source of ships in the future... even if I had to make a pile somewhere here.... Thinking that I will want to use chips around the fruit trees so they don't have to be mowed right up to the trunks anyway....
I will go to Deb's tomorrow to turn over that hay there that was pretty green... It ought to have dried a good bit on top, so will flip it tomorrow and he can get it baled by tuesday.... most of that will all be rolled....the stuff that was pretty dry and looked good yesterday will get some sq baled and the rest rolled.... all that I raked today will get rolled, it has alot of johnson grass in it and all.... mixed grass and some trashy stuff.... cows will pick through it when we feed it.

Got a call about testing and I said that I would be there tomorrow... Monday.... he never bothered to check his text msgs... I mean like why do I bother to let them know if they don't read the messages:idunno:he:he:barnie.... and he sends me messages so it's not like he doesn't text or anything.....

But that is decided and I did not take the meters on my way to Lowe's since I was pushing for time; wanted to get back to get on the tractor & rake. Will do that in the morning after I get back from PT since that is 8 a.m. tomorrow.... normally not until 9 or 10 but just the way they scheduled it. Got to go from there and get feed, then come home. Unload it, , load the meters and go to the farm.... then come back and go roll that hay over... pick up the walnut collector.... and maybe get the rest of the plants planted then go to the farm to test..... Have to be back there Tuesday morning by 4:45 a.m. they never get started til after 5:15-5:30 but it would be my luck to get there at 5 and have them ready..... It will be a long day on Tuesday if there is hay ready to rake down the hill.....Mostly I expect that it will all be ready to rake on Wed and even Thursday....Not scheduling any farms after tuesday..... do have an owner sampler that might want the meters to test.... I will be near them when at another farm but am going to put it off for another week if we are tied up with all this good orchard grass, to get made.

Found a plain wooden chair, like a kitchen table chair at the dumpster when I went by... so swung around and got it. Needed one rung glued back in the hole.... Make a good extra odd chair for here... can put my "lawn chair" outside now if I want....Why won't people take usable stuff to the goodwill store???? Too D#@NED lazy.... at least they put it outside the dumpster for someone to maybe pick up...

Time to head down the hill & get stuff together for tomorrow... need to make my list.....
 
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