Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Talked to DS and he said to see if I could get the cows in and matched to the calves. He would be mowing hay and would come get them.
So I went up about 4-4:30 and called cows in. By then some of them were at the pen hollering for their babies and the calves were all just walking around... a few hollered a little, but they were not overly concerned. Got a group of cows in and even had a few more calves go in. They were locked out of the creep gate and couldn't figure out why they could not go in like they were used to. 3 mommas and calves got together right away... several cows did not have calves in there, they just wanted grain. 2 cows were still outside the pen just carrying on... It took me over an hour to get a couple calves out who didn't have mommas in there, got 1 of the 2 cows outside the pen, into the pen. Then there were 2 others in there that the calves were outside and managed to get one calf in. And had 2 in there that did not have calves. All in all there were finally 5 matched pairs in and got everyone else out. The good thing is, no one was riled up or upset much... and the calves that I let back out went to their mommas and started nursing and the cows just stood there and looked at me and no one was upset or anything.

So that is 5 less pairs to work around tomorrow... I will again feed in the bunk for the calves like normal routine, and see what I can get put together.

DS came around 8 to get the 5 pairs, took them to dougs and they will stay in the lot there and the calves will get worked tomorrow. If I get more in then they will also go there and get worked tomorrow. I would have liked to get another 2 pair in that load, but not upsetting anyone will make it easier to work them again tomorrow. Sometimes you just have to do it in stages. 2 of the friendliest calves did not have their mommas there, so they will come right back in tomorrow... Others will follow. And if a few of the cows are a little more shy, less cows will give them a chance to feel less crowded and come in I hope. It is a little bit of a pain but you do what you have to in a rented place... especially if we lose it after this year due to the prima donna DIL stupidity....

After not hearing anything for over 3 weeks, I finally texted my sister who couldn't come help clean out the house since she had to go to FL for the pregnant niece (her daughter)... said I hadn't heard anything and was wondering if she went to FL and if niece had the baby or what the news was.
Seems they were all too busy to tell me that she had to have a c-section due to complications,,, had a 6 lb 2 oz boy, niece then got a uterine infection and wound up back in the hospital, went sepsis , but she is on very strong antibiotics and just came home after a week in there.... and everyone is doing good at this point...

I didn't bother to reply back since they did not even think I was worth the time to tell.... I mean 3 weeks.... really. I have had no real gripes with that niece other than her signing on to the e-mail with her brother and the other niece that sent the original e-mail claiming they were representing "the grandchildren" because my DS refused to sign on to it so they "disclaimed him" as a grandchild... in all the estate BS.... which accused my DS and my brother of removing things from the house with out anyone else knowing.... but they didn't know exactly what had been taken... EXCEPT I was also an accessory because I was also there after they all left after the funeral....

So, that is the sum total of the situation. I am glad that she had the baby and that the problems are seemingly under control now... and that they are doing well... And the other niece is questioning the bills presented by my brother now... and my nephew has refused to agree to their getting paid... now DS is going to contact the lawyer and ask why there needs to be agreement between the beneficiaries since the lawyer is the executor and no where in the will does it say that all parties must be in agreement... and to question why he does not just do as the will states, and pay the bills as it is clearly stated and get the house listed and sold... THEY are NOT CO-EXECUTORS... they are strictly beneficiaries... and this is continuing to cost money with all this BS... DS has about had enough. He wants this done and over with... and he is fast losing all respect for this lawyer as this is just bleeding more money off the estate... Since he and my brother, with some help from me and the others that came and helped... did all the "heavy work"... they have no say so as far as I can see. I re-read the will and in my opinion they are borderline contesting the instructions and the will... it has not been done in the timeline my father set up... and this dragging it out and all is not doing his due diligence as a lawyer to get the estate settled. It is going to get ugly here soon if it does not get settled since there is no provision for 100% agreement between the beneficiaries in the will.

One more level of stress..... and the terminology and hateful statements made by the nephew who has "done nothing and wants nothing"... are really really nasty and not fit for reading... and they are all on paper in an email he sent. If the lawyer had any balls, he would tell them all this is the way it is going to be, there is NOTHING there for them to be able to squabble over...(house is completely empty and everything they did not get has been thrown out); and if they do not like it and they are contesting the way the will is being executed, then they are in contempt of the will and will receive nothing... since they claim they don't want anything....what difference does it make....

No wonder I have headaches all the time.... same for DS.....

I am going to get a shower and hit the bed..... Tomorrow is another day.....

 

[farmerjan]

Up and got the cow in early, fed and back out. The rest of the others were way down in the field along the trees in the shade... looking "oh so stressed and upset"...

So anyway, put the feed in the bunk for the calves. They will come up later on as usual... Need to haul a couple of barrels of water for the 3 calves that go on the nurse cow. They will be getting eartags and bull calves worked... and as soon as I get some more of the others matched up, and out of there, they will get a chance to go out loose. But need to take them some more water since they have drank the water in the tubs from the last couple of rains.

It was a beautifully cool 59 this morning. Sun is out, not humid. Slight possibility of showers, 10%, this afternoon. DS had a dentist appt, he broke a tooth, and said he might take an extra hour or so off and finish mowing at Deb's. I will rake tomorrow I guess.

Had a farm call and wants to test on Friday afternoon. That's fine. I really am thinking retirement, @Mini Horses mentioned that she will be off for like 2 weeks.... and I am thinking that I am ready for not "having to" work. But for now, I will keep on because there just isn't anyone to do it. Don't know if I mentioned it, but they had hired a young lady that was raised on a dairy, looked like she was going to work out good, and I was thinking to be able to retire and give her enough herds to go full time... well after 2 months, seems like she doesn't want to drive an hour to a farm, so is looking for something else and I am going to pick up a registered herd that she said she is not going back to test in July.... It will be about 1 1/2 hours from me... so that idea is out the window....
Registered cows have to be tested by an independent person.. so as to keep the records "fair and honest".... my boss told them that they would have to go on owner sampler because there was no one to do them....and they got very upset... and I get it. That is partly why I keep doing it. For the farmers that have registered cattle, I get that they need to keep their registered cattle official.
I need to call 2 others and get them set up. Since I am going to be up near the owner sampler herd I do also, I am going to see if I can get them all put together for the end of this week.

Hope that DS is going to see about the mower this afternoon....he said that he needed to get it checked out since I got the spark plug. One of the guys that he works with does some small engine stuff on the side and I think that I am just going to get him to do it. If I gotta pay someone, then may as well pay someone I know.

Got a sink full of dishes to do, and then decide what I want to get into today. Nice out, light breeze, 75, at 11 a.m.

 

[Mini Horses]

I recently discovered that a neighbor, maybe 2 yrs moved in, is a trained Kubota mechanic! I've seen the fairly obvious intake of vehicle mechanical work over past year....seemingly a work from home venture. Gonna go talk with him as I do not have a small tractor facility more than 20 miles out. I'd love one just up the street!!🙏😁

That would be fantastic if he'll be available. Sure could be convenient! 👍

Yeah. This new found time off will be good....maybe a killer in other ways. But I'm not really comfy with quitting with economy blurps going on now. Still able and complaining.

Last year DD was talking "moving"... primarily because of upkeep work in her yard and animal area. 🤔 That must have changed as she just had a roof put over her deck and added $700 worth of equipment to her yard care stuff.🤷 Guess things change.

 

[farmerjan]

@Mini Horses , I remember that DD was talking moving and you were considering downsizing to her place and renting your house... or renting hers.... yeah, things change... and maybe just being closer to family and feeling safer with the insanity going on out there....

Having a CLOSEBY tractor fixer would be absolutely wonderful.... and could probably make "house calls"....

I really would like to just not be obligated to a job anymore... but like you, don't want to just not have that extra income with things being what they are. And mine is somewhat flexible just like yours, mine might be more flexible.... but it still a nice extra in the bank account. So, I might grump a bit but probably won't get completely out. Just having one of those days that I would like to hibernate away from EVERYONE....
DS called, done with the dentist, finished mowing Deb's, will mow mine after work and contemplating the other 16 acres down the road since now the rain for Friday is down to 10% also. I think that he ought to get it done. But he said he will look at the weather when he is getting off work and make a decision. I may have to do a little tedding so it dries enough. But that would get us done in this area.... and get the hay baled at the 2 places that like it done by 4th of July....
Of course I have to test Friday afternoon, so will have to work my butt off tomorrow and Friday morning to get it all ready for him to bale. But, that would be about the schedule for having it ready anyway.
Going to go out and take the weedeater around the well casing and the stone marker near the clothesline so he doesn't hit it with the discbine. There is a "driveway marker" at each one so he can mow around them. The one at the clothes line I mowed around with the mower but that is getting grown up. The other I hadn't mowed around. It is easy to see with the marker there.
If I get the place fenced next year he won't be mowing it. I hope to have the rest of the fruit trees here... and will graze calves amongst them to keep the grass down... as well as have it fenced for the garden and the calves on the other side of the property. And to have some chickens in the orchard area too and maybe keep down some of the bugs that plague the fruit trees. Years ago, keeping turkeys in orchards to take care of pests was a popular thing to do...they cleaned up the fruit that fell, ate the larvae of fruit tree pests too. Kinda do a "mini" rotational grazing here. It's only a total of 2 acres with the house and all, so he only mows about an acre of it.

I may have to "upgrade" my mower if it can't get up and running soon. I need something to keep this grass mowed.

Going out to do the weed eating before it gets too hot. It is still a nice 77 out there.

 

[Baymule]

77 and too hot. I just can’t feel sorry for you!

 

[farmerjan]

10:30 p.m. Had a busier day than I planned but then I would be bored if things didn't unexpectedly pop up that needed doing.

Went out and did the weed eating around the well casing and the concrete marker near the clothesline. At least he could see where they are so wouldn't hit them. Then, had a farm with computer problems... had to go there for a bit. Then came home and wound up on the tractor raking hay for about 3 1/2 hours.
DS called and said he was going to go on and mow the rest of the hay at the other "subdivision" so we would be done in this area. Chances for showers keep changing from 0 to 30%.... Now there is a very slight chance of a pop up shower in the area on Thursday, but they say it is very spotty... who knows.
So I started raking the stuff he mowed Tuesday aft/eve. Then moved to the other place and the fields there are very cut up and difficult to maneuver in, so I only used the big rake for some of the "straight rows" and left the outsides and the tight turns to use the old Farmall H and the side delivery rake which I can easily swing in and out and around trees and into and out of tight corners without getting the rake in a bind or anything. I completely raked one field that is pretty "squared up and only a few spots that are a pain.

Then I went into the bigger field that he had just finished mowing this morning after he got out of the dentist... did the straight "runs... it was a little green but it will be turned up for the sun to hit it early tomorrow. I will go in and do the outside rows with the H and flip the other rows over a turn if they still look green.

DS got the H ready this evening after he came back with the tractor and mower... Called me about 10 and said it was gassed up and ready... just have to check one tire that seems to be going flat. They are old tires, and he said that it is going to have to be replaced. I think he has a "newer" one to go on it. But we don't use this tractor and rake as much since more of the fields are bigger, straighter than all the smaller ones we used to do. Anyway, if I get all that done then I will take the other tractor and rake to the 2 bigger fields that he finished cutting this evening... Either to rake, or to tedd out to dry more then rake Friday morning. It will all depend on how they look by early afternoon. It is supposed to be hotter tomorrow, 90 or so, and that will help to dry it out faster. Humidity is supposed to be up some too... just have to wait and see.

I am getting ready to quit for the night. Ate a tuna fish sandwich for supper... just don't eat much in this heat. Got to stop and get some feed for the cow tomorrow too...
Calves did not come in the barn today, but it wasn't as hot out and they might have been a little wary. Still, they most all came up around the car so they aren't really upset. Give 'em a day or 2 and they will be back to normal.

 

[farmerjan]

77 and too hot. I just can’t feel sorry for you!

No, I said it was a "nice 77" out there and I wanted to do the weed eating BEFORE it got too hot !!!!

And no, 77 isn't too hot.... until the humidity is 90% and then 60 is too hot!!!.
I don't envy you down there in TX @Baymule . I could not do those kind of temps. Just couldn't . Bless any and all of you that live with those kind of temps.
I don't like all the winter that they get in the "north" and especially in the upper midwest and all... I will gladly deal with the cold and winter we get here to get the break in the summer temps. Another reason to live here near the mountains rather than the eastern seaboard where @Mini Horses lives... we run 10-20 degrees cooler on average, and we don't get the oppressive heat and humidity she gets either. Trade offs, shorter growing season most times, later spring frost and earlier fall frost..... but I like less heat in the summer on average and less humidity most times too. I will take more snow and cold because it doesn't last for weeks on end like up north.... We get winter, but less of it than up north. And we don't normally bake to the dried out stage during the summer.

 

[Baymule]

We are getting a break this week. Temperatures will stay under 100. Its 94% humidity right now and it’s not raining.

 

[Mini Horses]

Your right about the weather! Gets hot & humid here. Almost bought a farm outside of Staunton many, many years back. Now. Couldn't afford most of them. But I do love the area. There are some advantages here for me, as I continue with life. I'm good.

The 15 acres of corn right next to me will be tasseling real soon. Touch of curling leaf last week but the rain fixed that for them. 😁. Not sure what's on other side of me...soybeans or cotton? Haven't looked hard. The hayfields across the street are green.

I did get my yard mowed!! Ahead of you...used DD mower. Gas was cheaper than a new mower, or mine in the shop. It's old but was running fine. Now not. 🤷 Haven't given it much thought. I've used the tractor a couple times to mow, just can't get to some spots. Trying to get those things under control this next week...weather permitting. Some order back into my life? Maybe. Things look good from the porch. 🤣

 

[Bruce]

It's old but was running fine. Now not.

DD2 said the garden tractor kicked off a couple of times when she was mowing the other day. It was fine the time before. I'm thinking maybe it is time for a new fuel filter, I'm not real good about changing it on any schedule.