Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Ridgetop]

You can also use steel wool to stuff holes where mice get in (available in the paint department of Lowes). I would consider stuffing some rat poison in there too before sealing it up since you don't have any cats or dogs around.

DS is good for those kids, but it's sad that he does not get the respect and love he deserves from their mothers. Also makes it hard on you when he pushes himself so thin trying to do for them to the detriment of the farm work. You raised a kind man and those children will not forget what he does for them.

 

[SageHill]

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.

The mice will chew through the foam stuff that hardens. The key to it working is to stuff steel wool in with the foam, shove steel wool in and then follow it with the foam stuff.

 

[SageHill]

@Ridgetop - HA great minds think alike - steel wool. We’ve used it with the foam stuff. I did my reply then I read yours. 👍🏼😊

 

[Baymule]

Get some Just One Bite rat and mouse poison. It comes in bars, you break it into chunks. That stuff works.

 

[Baymule]

Just One Bite II Rodent Control - Jeffers Pet | Pet Supplies, Horse Supplies, Farm Supplies & Pharmacy

Just One Bite II contains 0.005% bromadiolone. For use in and around agricultural buildings only. Do not place in areas where there is a possibility of contaminating food or surfaces that come in contact with food.

www.jefferspet.com

 

[farmerjan]

There is a feral cat I have seen around so have been hesitant to use bait for the mice. But may put it under the deck as there is lattice all the way around and don't think anything can get in through it... and will get the spots closed up in the kitchen behind the cabinet with the baseboard after I put the foam & stuff in there... planning on this weekend....

DS is going to be back around noon from Dr appt and will get the seed drill hooked up and show me how to use it ... which hydraulics for up and down etc... and then may rake some hay later... trying to not have to tedd it... have a couple days to dry without tedding ... saves money/fuel making less trips across the field... with the rain that is a pretty sure thing coming in on Sat now.... not sure how much but chances are getting more as the front coming up from Ga is looking to head more inland...

Taking a bucket of water out each time, when I do the chickens to give the pepper and tomato plants a drink.... at least until we maybe get some actual rain. Might work on the lawn a little before DS gets back too.

Hazy cloudy out there today... they say it is high smoke clouding the skies from those fires out in western Canada... way up in the air currents....more sun tomorrow maybe....

Down to 54,overnight and only 67 at 10:30... Took my allergy pills a bit ago so I should be okay except for some nose blowing...

 

[Ridgetop]

There is a feral cat I have seen around so have been hesitant to use bait for the mice. But may put it under the deck as there is lattice all the way around and don't think anything can get in through it... and will get the spots closed up in the kitchen behind the cabinet with the baseboard after I put the foam & stuff in there...

I would stuff rat poison into the area behind the baseboard, then stuff in the steel wool, then foam it and reattach baseboard. The rats in the walls will eat the poison. You can also out poison behind the lattice too. That feral cat isn't doing you much good if you keep getting mice in the house! LOL

 

[farmerjan]

It was a mostly hazy, cloudy day until later this afternoon. Hit 74 but we had a breeze all day so wasn't hot. I wound up on the tractor for nearly 4 1/2 hours... raking hay down at doug's farm where DS had mowed Sunday night then again yesterday before going to the ball field. He had another Dr appt in Blacksburg today... and got home about 11 and I was at dougs farm by noon... had a little problem, seems that there was next no no hydraulic fluid in it, and wouldn't raise the rake up and down, and it needed oil too... jim was supposed to have it ready to go.... but DS went and got fluids at the barn, came back out back and got it working again.... he finished mowing the upper section of the field, and the small 6 acre field across the little creek and then went to "his green barn" field of about 10 acres and mowed it. I raked all but the part he mowed today... it will be ready to rake on Thursday as well as the field at his barn...

There is still an outside chance of some spotty showers on Thurs and Fri but 20% or less. Now they are calling for rain Sat aft/eve and through the rest of the weekend for Memorial Day. I hope that we get it. He should have it all baled by Fri eve or Sat morning if some is not quite dry enough. The one good thing is there is NO HUMIDITY in the air so even though it was not hot sun out there, with the breeze it was drying nicely.

He then came to the field across from me, and started drilling the sorghum/sudan grass... and then wanted me to come over and I did one pass up and back... but I cannot see where the coulters cut into the grass very well, and he said to just leave it and he would, do it... I was either overlapping or leaving a space... he was pretty unhappy with it and said he would do it. Since Colt was with him, he didn't blow up like he normally does... and so for that I am glad. I never had trouble when we were seeding into bare ground, but this wheat is up 4-6 " and I obviously wasn't seeing the cut in the ground from the previous trip. That's fine with me... I won't get blamed for messing it up, if I don't do it.

I raked the sections at doug's field separately ... orchard grass in one section, then did the rye that was starting to head out... and then the upper grass field that has OG and other grasses... I suffered through the OG section... had NO reactions in the rye section... and then had some reactions in the mixed grass section. It was SOOOO obvious how the OG gets to me when it had headed out... By rights, it should be made before it heads out, for best quality, and it would affect me alot less... but we never get to it at optimal time...

He had to go to the ball game... LAST ONE.... and said he would finish the drill seeding.... Said he wanted to get it in before the weekend so that will get done. Will take him about 2 hours to do it I guess.... There is nothing to do tomorrow... and I am testing now so if he wants to work the cows/calves, he will have to do it alone or get Chad to help him or something. I imagine he will want to do some baling Thurs aft; might have some ready tomorrow aft if the sun comes out like they are saying....

Got some more hay down on the newspapers and so all the area around the tomatoes and peppers are mulched lightly. Once we get some rain, and it gets settled down better... then I will add more. I will use papers and cardboard inbetween any green beans and hills I plant with hay on top to hold them in place. I will use straw between the potato rows... will get some from my one farmer that has a bunch to sell... It will be worth it to me and will add organic matter back into the soil.

@Mini Horses and @Baymule .... talking about the potatoes... the catalog I got them out of has tips and all that... and says to expect an AVERAGE of 10# for every 1# of planted seed potatoes.... fingerlings a little less... and in real good crop years, you can expect to get 15# or more per 1# planted... OMG.... planted 46 # total... fingerlings and all... So maybe 500 # of potatoes... if they do average... I will have a good amount to sell and make some money back off of them. I have no idea what potatoes are bringing in the store; I will have to look just for curiosity....

Going to get a shower and head to bed. Have to go set up in the morning for the farm... just 6-7 miles away... it is the only 2x herd I have anymore... have to be in the barn at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. then will spend a good part of the rest of the day Thurs on the tractor and rake...

 

[Baymule]

You are going to have a LOT of potatoes! At farmer’s market maybe you could make up baskets of all the different varieties.

 

[Ridgetop]

Everything has gone up, but most stores don't carry the special varieties you have so I think you will get good prices on them since they are unusual.

I like Baymule's idea of making "introduction baskets" with a few of each variety. The baskets would also look really pretty and catch the eye with the different colors and shapes. Check out the thrift stores and dollar stores for cheap containers and line them with a piece of red and white gingham. You can charge a lot more for those specialty baskets. Also print out some favorite recipe ideas for the different varieties and hand them out.