Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Explorer was run through 2 different used car .... KBB and JB something ?... and the difference in 48 and 78,000 is quite a bit., better than 4,000.... I asked the guy at the used car part of the Ford dealership. And the low end is 11,000.... average condition, at 78,000 miles..... I think that they were priced low so that the family members could buy them if wanted... yeah, maybe, just desserts for the niece being so ridiculous.... but the thing is this vehicle is almost showroom condition... inside... Let's face it, how much could they do to "wear and tear" it... at 75 yrs old, buying it...and not driving it hardly at all because the town isn't that far... and then in less than 5 years, my mom wasn't capable of doing any driving with the Alzheimers...
It's like one of those "barn finds" where someone bought a vehicle and went to war and 20 years later the family decides to sell it because it is just sitting there...
I drove it today, and still don't have that "thrill" with driving a nearly new vehicle... OH WELL.....

@Bruce ......HA HA on the speeding scenario... all I am going to do is see if it will stop accelerating at 80... there is no mistaking it, you can feel the accelerating just quits.... so if it hits a couple over 80... then I know that one key is the administrator key.... won't be hard to do it on the interstate here with the traffic that cruises at 75-80 now... and yep, speed limit is 70..
Speaking of that, and there is talk around that we might be going back to even/odd gas rationing... or limits on # of gallons allowed...sure couldn't limit it to $10 since that won't buy enough to get back home from the gas station.... also, heard a rumor they are talking imposing the 55 mph limit again to cut back on gas usage...

 

[Mike CHS]

I got one of those barn finds in 1993. I got a 1982 Lincoln that had 4,000 miles on it for $3000. I had to replace a lot of hoses and belts because of it sitting in a hot barn for 10 years but I drove that car for 10 years. I loved that car but the AC went out and it was going to cost more than the value of the car to get it replaced.

 

[farmerjan]

@Mike, just think what a cream puff car like that would be worth today... and I will bet it got better gas mileage than alot of these electronic nightmares they call cars too... I had an eagle Talon... considered a sports car. Got it from a friend whose daughter parked it and left it at the father's house and just finally said get rid of it...paid like $300 for it because scrap wasn't worth much at the time, and there was just some stuff like hoses and minor things to replace.... It ran like a scared rabbit... not all the electronic garbage on it... and it got an AVERAGE 34 mpg.....low to the ground and finally started needing some work and my knees were starting to get sore getting in and out of it..... so I sold it...

 

[farmerjan]

Friday. 59 up to 75... Clouds, a few peeks of sun and lots of light sprinkly showers inbetween... Poured down rain about 10-12 miles north but we have just had real light gentle stuff. Comfortable temps too and NO WIND for a NICE change...

Got the 2 new calves and 801's own calf on her this morning and they did pretty good. They won't get too much to eat for a few days and as she comes into her milk with the grain feeding it will work out real good. She knows the routine and was waiting at the gate. And when she was done, she came out and then went right back out again. As soon as the new calves get it figured out how to go on the teats a little better, it will be great. I had to turn them around a couple times when the would go towards her front legs and stuff.
Then the cow I want to sell came up and I got her to come in that gate too and she went right in and started eating in the bunk. Her heifer calf had gone in the other side through the creep gate, so I left both in today. That was pure luck that there weren't a bunch of cows around when she came up there.
I am waiting on DS to call me back so he can come up and get her and the calf to take to the barn. He was getting the calves in at the barn and said they were meandering their way up so would call me when he had them in. I will go and see which ones he wants to keep...
Went to the DMV and talked to them about the Explorer and was told what I needed to do. So I made copies of all the inspection papers from NH, that were in the Explorer, and the new one I had done plus copies of all the paper work I thought they might need. Then took it to the P.O. and sent it certified... along with a hand written letter explaining the basics of the situation... and had to have it notarized. HOPEFULLY it will satisfy them and they will redo the title with the correct mileage.
Then I went to the ford place because I had taken the explorer up on the interstate and was fortunate to be in a group of "fast cars" and had the other key and WAA LAH.... no govenor on the 2nd key... and the guy at the used car dept took both keys and said he'd be back in a few minutes and then came back and said it should be good to go..... and so I tried that key on the way home and IT WORKED !!!!! So that is done.
Now if they will accept the letter and copies of the inspections and fix the title....
DS said for that kind of money to SELL IT if I am not in love with it....
That's the plan now. But I want the title odometer reading to be right. And who knows when that will be.

I am heading up to the nurse cow pasture to put her in with the calves and to wait for DS to call and come get the cow and calf... she was open the last preg check and has very little milk and not going to raise another calf on her... one less in the pasture and the calf is a little nutty so glad it is going too.

I have tried to post this twice and it is not working. I tried another web site and that is working fine so must be something with BYH. So I will continue with this.
DS called me and I met him at the nurse cow pasture and we got the cow and calf loaded. Followed him to the barn and we looked over the calves he had in, to maybe sell. We are pretty much in agreement with all of them. Several small kinda not so great calves off a couple of cows that didn't milk much... a couple of steers he did not take to Wva because they are nuts or won't come in the barn and he did not want hard to catch ones out there.... a couple of oddball didn't match anything else calves... There will be 14 total going counting the cow and calf. They will be sold separately probably...she was a too young heifer that turned out to be bred and had a tiny calf. She did raise it and the calf finally looks pretty decent, but she was open 2 months ago at the preg check and I am not breeding her back... she is small and won't bring alot but she is eating grass and we don't need her. There are about 6 of them that are mine... a couple of just not very good calves... his steers that are nutty are pretty nice and ought to do decent ... There are 4 heifers he is not going to keep for breeding and wants to take them to that other guy... I would have just put them in this group and sold them, instead of making a special trip for 4.... then he said we have all the late fall calves that need to come off the cows and they will need preg checking so he might just hold these 4 over for a little bit longer... There are about 8 real nice heifers that are being kept for replacements... but they won't be ready for breeding until next summer...they are just barely yearlings. Since I don't like heifers calving for the first time in the fall as it is too hard for them to make milk for a new baby, get condition back on going into winter, get bred back and continue to grow on just hay in the winter, I prefer to calve first calf heifers in the spring when they can be out on grass and get much better growth... they aren't trying to stay warm on top of everything else...

So, here's to hoping that tomorrow is a good day.
We have had some good rain, more to the north, but ours has been soft and soaking in. More rain tomorrow they say.

After we got done with them at the barn, got them sorted so I don't have to go out in the field to get them in with the idiots not wanting to come in... we left and I went back up to do the cow and the calves. She came right in, and was pretty good. Had to get one calf around on the back so he didn't keep butting her so much, and she ate her grain and did fine. They are figuring it out real fast. Another couple of days and she will be as good as gold with "her babies"... They will settle down and not butt her so much and know exactly where to go and not be annoying by trying to suck behind her front legs and all that. Bless her heart, she really is a peach.

Now I am home, trying to figure out something for supper... and then I am going to just quit early.

My electric netting came today... box was on the porch when I got back a little bit ago... Can't get my twins tomorrow, they aren't going to be home... so will have to make another trip... oh well, could be worse. I will get it all set up and then be ready... that's the way we are supposed to do things right... have a place for things BEFORE we bring them home???!!!!.

Been a pretty decent day overall...

 

[Mini Horses]

What are these young heifers cross? Assume weaned? The ones you're bringing home soon. Glad the nurse cow and those babes are doing well. It's golden to have a nurse cow -- even if DS doesn't always see it.

My bottle babe goat made sure he was getting his share from the doe he adopted as "mom", much to her dismay. . But she's feeding all three nicely, judging from their growth. I give her separate feedings in appreciation! I'm planning to milk her but, she's not aware. There will be some resistance but, with feed bucket she'll adapt! Need to start milking several -- just getting routine going is kinda tough. She gets a collar tomorrow and will learn to be tied to get feed.

Great deal on the explorer keys!! You lucked out there. . I think we deserve a lucky day once in a while. maybe even closer together would help.

 

[murphysranch]

I really like your thread. Soooo interesting and I'm learning so much. Thanks.

 

[Bruce]

just think what a cream puff car like that would be worth today... and I will bet it got better gas mileage than alot of these electronic nightmares they call cars too..

I'll take that bet People weren't all that concerned with MPG in '82 and Lincolns weren't small cars like the Talon

 

[Mike CHS]

I'll take that bet People weren't all that concerned with MPG in '82 and Lincolns weren't small cars like the Talon

I got 20 mpg in that Lincoln which is great considering how big that car was and is better than my Tacoma.

 

[farmerjan]

Okay, to try to answer a few.... @Mini Horses , the twins are out of my hol/jer and the sire is a red holstein I think... so will be all dairy... Yes they are weaned... and yes I want to get them here asap just so that they are not on his feed bill... they are in with about 10 other of his heifers... but also because I have the grass too...

Thank you @murphysranch ... I do tend to ramble... I appreciate that you feel it is worthwhile to read... mostly just alot of years of learning the hard way.....

Considering that the latest "report" on the Explorer... you know you hit this button and that button and it tells you your current mpg.... was 16.9........YEP, @Mike CHS even your Lincoln was better. MY 1979 ford supercab truck got about 20 mpg.... it was only 2wd.... and it didn't have all the electronic stuff, or all the anti-pollution stuff...

It rained last night and off and on all day today... showers, stop, downpours, stop... that sort of thing. Will look at the rain gauge in the morning because there is a chance of showers again Sunday aft/eve...

I am too tired to go into all the "take the cattle" to the sale so will try to work on that tomorrow... some did good, some okay... sold all but 1 steer and DS said I should have sold him since he is being a real nut case... charging you in the barn... he is going to put him back out with some quiet heifers... maybe since he will be away from the other nut case he will get better. But it was about $.30 / lb less than what I thought he was worth as far as quality of calf....and I see him going to a sale when we pull these other fall calves off and make up some groups to go, probably in August... he will be bigger so won't match anything... but can go on a truck then and will have some weight gain and if he brings what I bought him back for, then the weight gain will be a plus.
Eyes are saying.... SLEEP REQUIRED.

 

[farmerjan]

Taking a 10 min break... been mowing the lawn. Had to make a "pit stop" and get a drink and move the truck and car so I can finish a little bit around them. Then heading to get milk and drop off reports for that farmer... I have one that wants to test tomorrow, so I will get the meters and hoses loaded tonight or in the morning. 200 cows....
I will go to do the nurse cow on my way home from getting milk after I finish the mowing and put the mower in the carport. They were calling on some showers/storms this afternoon... but it looks like they stayed north and then sprung up again east of the Blue Ridge Mtns... so we did not get anything but some dark threatening clouds that quickly passed over...
Got on here and made a few posts, and now am going to head back out the door. Be back later...
Hoping that "Miss Utility" comes tomorrow and gets it checked out so I can get garden plowed.... It is all mowed off. I am hoping they come in the morning so I can talk to them about the future fruit tree area on the other side of the house. They haven't been here as they said there would be an e-mail as soon as they checked it out... and no marks anywhere here either even in the back by where the elec co. put the high speed internet cable underground from the pole to the house.

We did get just a smidgen less than 1.1 inches in the rain gauge from the last 2 days... got several quick showers yesterday that got you soaked and then passed. Perfect rain actually.
Going to go across the road and see if the corn is coming up yet...