Farmerjan's journal - Weather

Baymule

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I hate it when vehicles break down. I hate the big repair bills even more. I hope this doesn't cost you an arm and a leg.

Our son just bought a new Ford F350 4WD dually. He lives in a 40' RV and his old truck was straining to pull it, not to mention that it was quitting at inopportune moments, leaving him on the side of the road miles from anywhere. He is a crane operator and just started a job at the Exxon plant that blew up this past summer in Baytown. He'll be working 13/12 hour days with the 14th day off. His previous truck was single cab, vinyl seats, stripped model. he got diddly squat for trade in. He bought a King Ranch that is nicer than my house. LOL His reasoning is that it will hold trade in value and he will trade every two years. He says that all the sensors and electronics break and cause problems, which makes sense. All this is to say that you are better off to fix what you got than to buy new, when all the gadgets wear out long before the motor will. But the motor wont run if the sensors don't work. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
 

farmerjan

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Not only is the King Rancher nicer than your house, it costs more than your house and land too!!!!!!! And it will never accrue in value like your land will nor will it feed you if the economy goes south. Yep, the electronics will do you in and it is never an easy fix. Plus, they can't fix anything til they do a "diagnostic" test that they will charge for just to find out what is wrong. I am certainly going to fix this, The engine sounded fine when I started it up after adding the water, I don't think that I hurt anything there as it wasn't "hot " for more than a couple minutes. That's why I called for the truck to come get me. Replacing a water pump, or other stuff like it is certainly cheaper than an engine. I paid $1200 ( I think) for this truck about 4-5 years ago.... had to put a replacement door on it, the recent brake work, normal maintenance, like tires, and oil changes, maybe $1,000 a year that would have cost me more in a newer vehicle..... plus, if the cows dent it or I hit another deer, it's not a big deal. NOPE, no new ones unless I win the lottery......
 

Senile_Texas_Aggie

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Miss @farmerjan,

I am so much looking forward to when you get your ankle fixed, and then retire shortly thereafter. Then maybe you will be able to enjoy life more. I know how hard you work, and how much trouble you have it seems. Yet you are so stoic about it. (Unlike Miss @B&B Happy goats, who seems to enjoy making fun of the trouble she has.) In either approach, each of you shows just how strong you are, to take the bad with the good, and still enjoy life. I bow down to you both: :bow

Senile Texas Aggie
 

farmerjan

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Truck update........ drum roll...... It turned out to be a split in the lower radiator hose !!!!!:bow:weee:weee:clap:yesss::yesss::yesss::yesss::yesss: So even though I had to pay for the truck to come get me, it was not near as expensive as it could have been. It is fixed, and I drove it this eve and it seems fine. Wish they had seen the new thermostat because it still doesn't have the heat it should, but the one guy told me a trick to get the heater core cleaned out better. He said to take the hoses off, then use "The Works"... it is a bathroom, toilet bowl cleaner. Says it works wonders for removing things like lime build up and stuff in the heater core. Said to squirt it in, fill with some water and try to not let too much out and let it "soak" for at least 10 minutes then try using a hose to flush it out. He said the water/antifreeze may not be traveling through the heater core as well as it should. So that is a fix I will have to try. Plus he said to watch the water level in the radiator, as it may still be getting some of the air out and I may need to add some more. So that's good for now.

Left the 4x4 there and they said they will get to it in the next couple of days. Got to take a list down of the few little things I want done. Tail gate cables, the "squeak" when it is moving that I thought could be the u-joints, maybe fix the tailpipe/muffler..... I hate to replace it when it will just get shaken off in the rough pastures. See if they can turn the idle down as it seems to run too fast. I didn't think to leave a list, so want to get it down there tomorrow. Also, will be right near the co-op so might get the tire changed back on the 2wd ranger. Needless to say, that didn't get done with the little "overheating steam explosion" haha.

Was cold today again, breezy and felt colder than the 48 it got up to. I went and tested the big herd this morning, had help, and all went well. Then went to the other smaller owner sampler herd, got everything done there and got a few new reports set up for him.
Did my son's chickens on the way home.
Went to our newly formed cattle assoc meeting, this eve, that we joined; to see if we can maybe get more for our cattle. But they follow a protocol that I don't subscribe to..... Modified Live Vaccines. I use all killed Virus vaccines. And if I change to MLV then I have to be very careful about not exposing cows to it that are bred because it can cause them to abort. I mean, they are not even supposed to share a fence line because the mlv can be spread through the nose touching etc..... We vaccinate when we work the cattle through the chute and I can't be worrying if some are bred or some are not when I get the help to do them. I am not big on Vaccines, but KV are okay in my book for the most part. MLV are not. It does not make me very popular either. So don't know if this is going to be a very good "fit" for us. Honestly.... sometimes I wonder if it is worth it anymore.

Did not get the samples packed to send off so that is tomorrow morning's project. Got the 250+ cow herd to do on Thursday aft. Want a hot shower, wash my hair, and snuggle under a warm pile of blankets, and read a book for a bit then crash.
 

Baymule

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Someone(s) will be very happy every two years to let him eat the depreciation on new trucks.
I know I would, but even that is above my pay grade. LOL LOL After being left on the side of the road a few times, he can't miss a job because he can't get there due to a broke down truck. The engines, transmissions are good, it's all the electronics that sideline a truck these days.

We are still driving our 2004 F250 Lariat I bought for BJ when I sold cars at the Ford dealership. Got the employee discount, invoice price and no interest.
 

farmerjan

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It has to do with the bodies response to the vaccine, mlv is supposed to get a better immune response, faster, and makes them more resistant afterwards. So it has been preached to me. The "drug companies" have done studies and tested the titers in the blood etc., The vaccine is supposed to be rendered safe...... that is the "modified" part of the live, and the live part is for the body to have a better response.... but I just don't like them and do not use them. Our retired vet that does the preg checks for us is a BIG proponent of modified live vaccines. But I think some of that is from the "schooling" they all have received.
What about the CDT and stuff you all use on the goats? Are they all killed virus vaccines? I know that all Lepto is killed, and that the clostridials (blackleg) are killed.
 
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