Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

Well, you need to make the hay -- no rain may be a blessing. Then it can rain and rain some more 🤣

Easier to water a garden than a hay field or pasture

You are gonna be digging potatoes for weeks!😳 Those rascals can produce a lot!

 

[farmerjan]

In for a break. First off, rabbit babies are gone... and they were not big enough to leave the nest... so she either ate them last night when I saw her there or something got them. It looked like she was eating something last night but I was too far away to really tell. Do they eat their own young? Oh well, doesn't matter. nest is empty and I moved car and will finish mowing that small area I had left. If she wants to have another nest she will have to find another spot.

Put down some newspaper and carried over some mulch hay to weigh it down. Got to take water out there for some of the plants.

Watered everything on the deck thoroughly. Soaked and then soaked again. Need to get the stuff mowed down around the tree so I can get the chain up on the tree limbs then I can hang them as I am hoping/thinking we are done with frost.... They will be protected under the tree limbs and leaves there; and easier to water there.

DS finished spreading the poultry litter across the road and talked to him... he is going to plant sorghum/sudan grass back there, not corn. It will come up fast between the sparse wheat that is regrowing so that is fine. No kill off of the field. He was going down to work on the trusses for the hay barn.... then wants to cut some hay. Also said we need to get the cows in and calves tagged and moved out to pasture... yeah, like a month ago???? We (he) are so far behind on doing the cows...

Going to grab something for some lunch, and go out and at least water the tomatoes. I seem to be missing some hose, think I may have taken it down when we were doing the corn silage last year... but who knows. I have a couple more places to go look.

No peaches on the peach trees from that cold snap that we had after the blossoms opened up.

Going to gas up the walk behind weed eater and see if I can get some of this ridiculously high stuff knocked down so then I can mow it with the mower. Don't have to worry about working around the rabbit. I really hate lawn mowing... wanted to have the calves here to eat it... but need the fence first...

Yep, I will have potatoes coming out my ears... didn't my mother say something about washing behind my ears so there wouldn't be potatoes growing in them???

 

[Ridgetop]

It looked like she was eating something last night but I was too far away to really tell. Do they eat their own young?

No that is an old wives' tale. The baby bunnies that get eaten by the mothers are usually dead and eaten to clean the nest. Sometimes a young other will be too vigorous cleaning up the babies and might accidently nip off a foot. They probably got eaten by something else - raccoon, snake, skunk, etc.

Too bad about no peaches this year. Weather is a problem for farmers and sadly grocery shoppers don't appreciate how a freeze can destroy a whole year's crop. Crop insurance is the only thing keeping farmers from bankruptcy sometimes.

I love the way DS tells you that "WE" have to get on to tagging, vaxing, moving, weaning, etc. after you have been telling him that for weeks! I wonder if that is a testosterone thing. LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

Copied & posted this as you requested. But you have to go erase from ridgetops thread...I can't edit your post.😁,🤣......

DS spread the poutry litter today as he wants me to plant the sorghum/sudan grass as soon as he gets the seed. I think they are supposed to have it Monday or Tuesday. It comes up fast and grows fast so not worried about the sparse regrowth of the wheat.... just add a little more to the total....and we will not get any rain on it anytime soon.

Did a load of jeans and hung on the line too.

DS called me and he got into some of that plastic from the wrapped round bales and got it wound up under the discbine and wanted a sharp knife (sheet rock knife type) to cut it out. We worked on it for about 20 minutes to get it all out of it... so he was going to finish the field he was mowing because if he stopped then, and then tried to get the cows in, he would be late for the ballgame.... 2 more days of it and they are done. Then he will not be running every other night at 5 and 6 to do that and not get things done. Maybe we will get in the cows tomorrow night? Better to finish off that field and not be in a "hurry up impatient mood" to do the cows.... So, after helping get the plastic out ...laying on the ground and then the pollen from the orchard grass totally stopping me up... I came home and spent 15 minutes with a cold wet wash cloth trying to wash the pollen out of my eyes and and my face, and cooling the swollen itchy eyes... It was brutal, but I wasn't expecting to be under a piece of equipment in the middle of a hay field today either...

After they calmed down some, I went out and weed eated a path to the storage shed here so I could get to where I need to hook the hose up to a hydrant for the garden and chickens. Used up the 2 batteries on the hand held one... I didn't want to fool with the walk behind when my eyes were so bad... need to see what I am doing with it. I did not get out the mower either to finish the yard... I am not a total glutton for punishment..

So I did the next thing... went out to the garden... got 4 more varieties of potatoes in... they were big ones with not alot of eyes so some I didn't even cut... 1 1/3 rows. Got 3 more to do, not counting the sprouted ones... I might just take them and put them down a long row along the edge, cover with mulch hay. I did that once and there were some nice potatoes... not alot and some didn't make it but the ones that did grow were clean and easy to fork the hay aside and get them. Then I won't feel guilty about not "planting the well sprouted leftover potatoes"....
I need a bigger garden....
The plans were to get the rose-a-sharon bush/tree and some other flowering bush out of there and make it bigger this year.... more squared up instead of the L shape it is.... maybe next year....I also wanted to get some asparagus in this year... on the one side of the dogwood tree that is there....maybe this fall or next year...

Took and moved about 3 pitchfork full of mulch hay to the pepper plants and over some of the newspaper around the tomatoes. Want to do more of that tomorrow, maybe in the morning before it gets too warm in the sun. Really would like to get the last 3 packages of weed potatoes in the garden. I am not going to cut any of the fingerling ones that are duplicates in this row.... see if there is a difference. Getting water/rain would have helped them get settled in... might put the sprinkler thing on it to get them watered in.

Locked in the chickens and quit... my nose is so stuffed up.... A nice steamy shower will open it up for a little bit.

 

[Baymule]

You are going to have a lot of potatoes! All the different varieties will be attractive at farmers market.
At least with no rain, the hay can get made. Then maybe it will rain. Ball games ending soon, your son might be able to pay attention to the cows. Hope so anyway. He’s had his head up his a$$ for so long, it’s time. Reminds me of an argument I had with a boss man one time. In the middle of our disagreement, I stopped, cocked my head sorta sideways, said real serious, “What’s that popping noise?” He said, “What popping noise?” I said, “That popping noise you make when you pull your head out of your a$$.” That ended the argument and wonder of wonders, he didn’t fire me.

 

[farmerjan]

Monday morning.

First off, THANK YOU @Mini Horses ... I am just not much good with all the computer stuff. Need to take a class and learn to do the simple things. I can type and do stuff for work, but not much else. Got it erased off @Ridgetop 's thread.

52, partly sun/hazy sun out. 72 and comfortable at 10... Might see if I can finish the potato planting and then get the walk behind weed whacker going. Oh, I have a flat on the outback... need to take another vehicle to get the air tank at the barn, come blow it up and go to the co-op and see what that is all about. Brand new tires a month ago.... must've picked up something. . I am like the biggest Murphy's law when it comes to flat tires.

Have no idea what his plans are for mowing/planting/working cows today.

 

[Ridgetop]

@farmerjan - you are welcome on my thread any time!

Although DS is really spending to much of his time with the ex-GF's kids and her sister's kids, he would make an awesome dad, and a real asset to one of the "Big Brother" programs. Too bad neither of them appreciated him. Also too bad that the new BF doesn't take DS's place with the kids allowing DS to get back to his own jobs that need to be done. However, the kids probably love DS and would miss the time he gives them. It is really heartbreaking to see such a good guy getting screwed over by GF.

Can't you get shots or something for the allergies? Seems like they could test for whatever it is you are allergic to and do something to desensitize you. Otherwise, you will be back in a face mask to avoid all this.

 

[farmerjan]

X-GF 's daughter dislikes the x-new-old BF she is involved with again. And the sisters kids will never spend time with him because sister hates him. Plus, the little boy will be 3 and he adores DS... DS gets him from preschool/babysitter in the afternoon if sister is working, and he hangs around on the tractors and feeding in the truck or whatever.

I have allergies to locust and orchard grass... lasts about 3 weeks or so, once the pollen is gone it stops. They tried something a few years ago and I broke out in a rash... worse than the itchy eyes...
If I take stuff first thing in the morning, and keep it up during the day... it isn't so bad... but some days I just don't remember to take them. 24 hr one like Zyrtec doesn't last 12 hours...with limited effect.... the 4-6 hr ones seem to work better... but one that worked last year doesn't always work this year. WEIRD... but then, I am not normal.

 

[Baymule]

If you were normal you wouldn’t be a farmer.

That little boy is filling a void in your DS life and it’s good for the child too. The best parents are not always the ones you are born to.

 

[farmerjan]

Sister's husband passed away so DS is more of a father/favorite uncle figure to her kids... the girl remembers her father some, but the little boy never knew him.... died when he was 6 mos old. She has a boyfriend and the kids get on with him okay, but DS is "IT" for the little boy. And at this point DS will never have his own so it does fill a big void for him.

Got up to mid 70's today... sun and hazy clouds.

Went and got the air tank, came back and filled the tire and went to co-op. It looks like it must've gotten a nail or something but there was nothing in it but definitely a puncture. They patched the tire inside and good to go again.

Eyes still sore from being so bad yesterday. But at least they are not itching like they were.

Put the last 3 pkgs of the potatoes in the garden. One more row and the last few stuck at the end of 2 other rows that had a couple feet left in them... All there are left, are the ones that are from here, sprouted. I will figure out something to do with them. I did not do any grass mowing/weed eating so that I could get the head a little clearer. I did put some mulch hay around the rest of the pepper plants... not too thick yet but at least there is some. Need to get more on the newspapers along the tomato plants....Wasn't totally in the mood for the garden today...

Haven't heard from DS.... figure he will call me tomorrow and need me to hurry up and get the sorghum/sudan planted.... Yesterday......

Now they say the rain going up the coast may come more in a straight north direction, than out to sea, so there is now a 40% chance of rain on Sat. Very slight chance of a spotty shower on Thurs.... but Sat is looking more like a real chance. So, whatever he got cut should be it I guess...so we can get it made....

Found a place in the kitchen behind the one cabinet that the mice have been getting in.... chewed up the insulation that is along the floor where the baseboard should be and getting in in the space inbetween the sheetrock and the floor. Going to put some of that foam that hardens in there next to the other I put in to fill the hole when we took it apart, and then have to install the baseboard... maybe that will stop it. I just happened to pull out the 50# feed bag I keep there between the stove and the cabinet, for the paper and cardboard boxes like from cereal and stuff, to go to the recycling... and there was fluffy stuff that wasn't there before... insulation.... maybe I can stop this. That was where we took out the dividing island thing that I hated, and have never finished putting it all back together since I was deciding how close I wanted the cabinet to the stove... or have a space wide enough to have a garbage can or like the paper recycling stuff.. They started getting into the bread drawer too... ....
Caught another one on the sticky trap in the LR..... There won't be any mice in the county at the rate I am going.