Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[murphysranch]

You and your son sure butt heads. I couldn't ever have a blow out with my DD anymore. The few times that happened, I didn't see nor hear from her for a year or so each time. I'm hoping that she's grown out of that at 36.

 

[Ridgetop]

Butting head is normal with adult children but having them throw a tantrum and not speak to their parent for a year or so each time is not. Maybe just as well she doesn't come around.

 

[murphysranch]

I know...Now that I'm moving within 10 min of her, she's really been more attentive. Realizes that sometimes you need your Mom, and vise versa.

 

[farmerjan]

Just a little catchup ... we got to NH around 6 p.m. with the portable band saw that Alan had picked up for his friend in Alabama. 30+ ft long on the "trailer" it is on. Pulled very good behind.
Sun nice all the way up. Got the truck with the stuff on the back, out of the storage space he had it... brought it to his house and got the tarp and the cargo nets on it to try to hold it all down/together.
They had to both go to work early... I left about 7. Went to my parents house one last time, snitched a few more iris's and a couple other plants that were flowering now... went to the cemetery as the stone had been put in place. Said my goodbyes and left.
Hit sprinkles and a few showers coming down until I hit the CT line from Mass and then it poured. Deluge, toad strangler type downpours. Some of the stuff has gotten wet but I am not going to get overly upset about it anymore.
Went to my friends near where I lived in CT for 10 years before moving to Va. Ate lunch and visited for about 3 hours. Had 2 downpours while I was there.
Then I left to come home and I didn't get tired or anything so decided to come on home. The last hour in VA, I was getting tired, but not sleepy. Got home about midnight. My legs are stiffer than anything after so many hours of sitting and driving and all that... But they are a little better this afternoon after using them. FELL INTO BED.... and slept like a log.....
I had to go to the farm and reinstall that jump drive this morning. I had thought to do it on the way home but didn't figure they wanted me pulling in there in the middle of the night as the dog would have gone to barking and woken them all up. So I went back up this morning but it is done now.
I went and did some errands, on the way back from the farm (45 min from home; and I hadn't gotten a very early start either)....that I hadn't gotten done before I left, went to the grocery store, bank etc.. Then I had a tire that was low and so I stopped at the co-op and had to wait a bit but they got it in and there is a little piece of metal... probably old fence, that had created 2 small holes. They patched it, from the inside and so far, so good. It is in the tread right alongside the sidewall... and this tire has pretty good tread so I am no wheres wanting to replace the tire yet.
It started to pour while at the co-op... so came home and got wet covering with a bigger tarp over the top of the complete back of the truck. Tomorrow is soon enough to see about starting to take stuff off of it. Truck is not going anywhere as DS doesn't have the title yet to get it changed over... I had a 3 day transport tag to get it here....
The truck is alot nicer to drive than the explorer... have had a few thoughts of selling the explorer and buying this truck. 1999, so not too much stupid electronic stuff on it yet... but it is a F-250 and gas mileage is terrible..YEP, worse than the explorer..... but the price would be right... DS said he would probably not keep it since it is too nice a truck to turn into a farm truck, and it is gas and everything else is diesel. The price was right from the estate so that is why he went on and bought it. I do not like the automatic trans.... and that hurts the mileage...but, I think I am going to want my own "big truck" if things keep getting difficult between DS and I.... I had one until a rather large tree fell and smashed into the cab and it is not driveable... but everything in it is still workable... just smashed the windshield and part of the cab...
It is a supercab.... with the 1/2 door that opens to make getting in and out the smaller bench "back seat" easier....
Something to consider....

I wanted to go out into the garden as there must be squash the size of baseball bats in the 4 days I have not been out there, (sat-tues).... but it is so wet.... There will be tons of tomatoes to tie up again.... peppers to probably pick, and squash out the ying yang.... and I am sure the "vining" plants are probably starting to really run....I am going to find out where the r&w truck is tomorrow and if it is at the farm, I am going to go get the 1/2 rolls of mulch hay I found at the 2 different hay fields that are not feed quality anymore... Not waiting for him to do it anymore. If I have to I will take the little truck with a pitchfork and get some of it but it would be nice if the "bale truck arms" will squeeze it together and lift it on the back of the truck... Then if it falls apart coming off here I don't care.

Got the "new to me" farm scheduled for Thurs aft and the bigger 250 cow one, where my cows are, on Friday....

Time to go up to the cow..... and then see about getting back into my life here....

 

[Baymule]

You have been busy the last few days, in a good way. If I were you, I’d sell the Explorer and buy the truck. You do need your own truck, then you don’t have to ask DS and wait on him yo get around to it. Or not. Super cab is nice, will keep your stuff dry and not get rained on.

 

[Ridgetop]

Welcome back! I agree about truck. Since you are not ferrying around a lot of kids and their junk, the extended cab trunk would carry everything for testing, farm shopping and groceries.

Our truck is a 1999 diesel and I know that 1999 gas trucks did not get the miles per gallon then that the diesels did. They have improved mpg in the newer trucks. What is the mpg in your Explorer compared to the truck?

I would balance the mpg in both vehicles against the miles you travel and the use you would get from the truck before making a decision. With the truck you could take your own cows and calves to the sale when you want to without waiting for DS to do it.

On the other hand if the amount of use you would put on the truck in gas $$ vs the Explorer is a lot more $$ no use to buy it.

 

[Mini Horses]

I have an older gas engine truck. Sometimes the difference in MPG costs are not hard to cover if you have to consider payment/cost and repair cost issues for electronic crap on a newer unit. For ME I don't need bigger engine as I don't haul loads that heavy.
5 cows and larger trailer are way beyond my small horse trailer and goats. We each have to consider need and use. Always a toss up.

 

[farmerjan]

The big thing is I DON'T like the explorer. Not a question of keeping it... just how fast the stupid DMV gets the title situation corrected so it can get sold. And the AC gets fixed.... I have no intention of keeping the explorer...
Mileage in explorer is about 16. Truck is 12... yeah, sucks. But cannot pull a gooseneck with the explorer either... cannot tote the cargo in the explorer I could in the truck. Can take "agile" people in the truck back bench seat although not full size.
Explorer is 2012, 48,000 miles. Truck is 1999, 145,000 miles. Truck actually taken better care of as far as keeping the salt etc washed off the undercarriage. Alan mentioned that father used to drive the explorer to the P.O. and store and all, up there in the winter etc, when he was still able to drive, and it got put in the garage and not cleaned/washed like he used to do with the truck.
I would not carry the meters and such for work in a "pristine" clean inside vehicle like the explorer etc... cowsh!t, smells, iodine, hoses... me in and out with splattered cowsh!t clothes and such.... NOPE. One thing to put equipment in the back of the outback with the rubber fitted mat that is in there. In and out of vinyl seats that won't get stained or "dirty" from my splattered dirty clothes.

But it was/is good to have the 2 to compare. Not all the electronic crap on the truck. There is no thoughts to keep the explorer... just want to get the things straightened out and then get rid of it. Let someone else deal with the electronics.
I like my older small ranger too... it can be worked on. Like the cars. Putting in the engines and the one transmission, gives me 2 paid for cars for less than 10K.... that ought to go a good while. Better than the car payment and electronic crap to go bad. That's 3 years WORTH of $300/ month car payment... I think it is worth it. I only have 3,000 total purchase price in BOTH... one bought 6-7 years ago, the other about 4-5 years ago. Nothing else in them except normal maintenance, oil, tires, etc.... what I would put in any vehicle. Some would not agree, but I think I am way ahead. You have to figure that I have put an average 20,000 miles or more a year on each vehicle, with work demands even with the reducing work load every year.

Going to eat a sandwich or something for lunch. Need to figure out a "menu" for some meals and take some meat out of the freezer....
Got to work on unloading the truck today too.

 

[farmerjan]

About dark and in the house. It was hot for here, but muggy so not the kind of weather to be outside.
Didn't do as much as I should have because back to another nagging headache. Thinking this may be a trip to the dr if it doesn't let up. But I am also thinking it might be from the let down after the trip north and back. Maybe the stress levels will drop now.

Got out in the garden and there were a bunch of BIG yellow squash.... some to probably be cut up and fed to chickens. Also picked some peppers as there were a few that were partly rotten...want to get some onions at the grocery store and make sauteed onions and peppers to have with some hamburger I took out to thaw. I have to go through town tomorrow to go to the "new to me" farm so will just leave a little early and stop.

Got the iris and all that I took from parents yard, planted. Got out all the pots and things I need to start getting the spider plants planted...finally. Also have to start repotting some of the african violets. A few aren't doing as well as I think they should and it is mostly the newer ones that are in small pots. Also have a couple with some leaves starting to rot at the crown... going to pull a couple of the leaves that are still looking good and put them in to root and repot the main plants. See what I can salvage; but I think there are a few that will not make it. I do have a bunch of baby plants finally growing from other leaves I had stuck in potting soil...

Going to go to bed earlier tonight and see if I can sleep off the headache. Need to load all the hoses in the car tomorrow for the new farm and get the sample bottles in the rack too.
No mulch hay today... don't know where the truck is with the bale bed..... he did get the spark plug and all in the mower. Maybe tomorrow morning I can do some of that.

 

[farmerjan]

Up and going. It is muggy and cloudy, we had a little bit of a shower come through early this morning, doesn't look like we got very much. There is a chance all day so we will see. Looks to me it will stay mostly stay south and east of here.
Got all the spider plants into hanging pots. Got them watered and under the maple tree so they don't get sunburned if it comes out today.
I am going to go out and see if the mower will run and try to get some of this done. It is so far past needing mowing.
Have to get the rest of the hoses in the car and the bottles in there too. Then I have got to start seeing about how I am going to get the stuff off the truck and into the carport. Don't want to bury the stuff I want to put in the yard sale. I am thinking the 13th or 20th of August. We have got to finish the hay and get several pastures bush hogged by the first of August per that lease.
Think I will put a gal of tea out to steep for a few hours while I am here busy. Then can make it before I have to leave for work.