Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

It will go since this is a couple of days into it I am on the "downhill side". I knew Friday that when I went up to help with the sorting that I wasn't feeling up to par and tried to "over ride" it, but I knew that night I was going to feel it for a few days. Really thought that it was more a cold but I never get headaches with a cold and can shake them off pretty easily. So I have been staying in and really fighting it so I can get back to things faster. Usually when it gets to the headache, it is on the way out. A little sleeping off the headache.........

 

[B&B Happy goats]

It will go since this is a couple of days into it I am on the "downhill side". I knew Friday that when I went up to help with the sorting that I wasn't feeling up to par and tried to "over ride" it, but I knew that night I was going to feel it for a few days. Really thought that it was more a cold but I never get headaches with a cold and can shake them off pretty easily. So I have been staying in and really fighting it so I can get back to things faster. Usually when it gets to the headache, it is on the way out. A little sleeping off the headache.........

I hope so, you sure don't want to be sick for a long time...we have been fighting some kinda recycling bug that keeps hanging out here since Febuary 16th..it's gotten old. Take care of yourself and get better

 

[farmerjan]

We went to test a farm this afternoon. 150+ cows, they milk pretty decent. I am not feeling super but it's liveable. The headache is mostly gone, and the generic brand of mucinex has a cough suppressant so that was good. I will still feel it for a few more but hope this is the downhill side. Intend to get a good HOT shower and get the nose running some more. I was tired when we got done but that's okay. Glad that I didn't schedule one for tomorrow (wed) as I am not sure I have the energy to do a 2 day in a row yet. I have a couple I need to talk to and see what I can get set up in the next week or two.
Am going to do the one that has to test 2 consecutive milkings that is less than 6-7 miles from me. He was pushing for it and I talked it over with Michael and we decided that Sun eve/Mon morn will work best. I have accommodated this farmer more times than I can count over the years, so I am not giving him a choice, just telling him when I can do it. Otherwise he can just call the gen mgr and see how far he gets with that. I honestly don't care. It is one farm I would gladly give up if I could find someone to take it. I doubt they will still be milking in 5 years, both are over 60....61 and 64 I think, no kids, and no one to leave it to. There has been talk of going out "one day" ...... The guys are really nice people, but they seem to think that people should do things around "their" schedules. The one has degrees from both Penn State and Va Tech; very smart. But they are demanding.

Since I was feeling under the weather I didn't call a couple of other ones that I need to do, and one that I was going to do said if I had a cold they would rather wait a week and I am fine with that. They are easy to get along with and if no one is sick there, don't want to take it to them.

Been walking a little in the parlor getting milk samples from the 2-3 cows closest to "my end". The boot is awkward but I need to start getting more used to it. That is one good thing at least, the parlor floors are flat and even, not like hills and dips and ridges out in the beef cow fields. I still am mostly using the crutches ( or just 1 crutch) but figured that it would be better to work on my balance and all with someone around in case I was having problems. Went fine except that not feeling 100% , tired me out more. But this is practice and trying to start building up the muscles a little too. I expect that I will be in the boot for at least another month after the dr checkup.
Which leads me to think that it is very likely that will be canceled on April 9th. Va just shut down more businesses.... and canceled school for the rest of the year. I think the rampant rate of new cases in NY has everyone a little more leery now. My son's therapy sessions have been reduced by half so he is not progressing with the hip as well as he was. Trying to do his exercises at home. I haven't even started any real PT except for the few strength exercises and since I am getting around more, some of it is more than being done during the walking and such.

Well, time to get that relaxing hot shower. I just realized that I don't have a humidifier... which would help this congestion a little.... oh well. I do keep the heat at 60-61 at night so that helps to not dry me out so much in a hot room.

 

[farmerjan]

Was 39 this morning and up to 64 according to the recording thermometer. We had some rain yesterday/last eve, but I forgot to look at the rain gauge today. It was partly sunny, decent but then clouded over and got cool this eve. Started with some showers on the way home and now I hear it on the porch tin roof. Expect rain this eve and tomorrow. Soft and slow will be good. Maybe some sun by thurs and friday....

 

[Mike CHS]

If you get what we did today, there is a whole lot of rain heading your way tomorrow.

 

[farmerjan]

Thanks @Mike CHS .... yes we started getting some very light sprinkles when I got home about 8. Then I could hear it on the roof, and it looks like we got some serious rain last night. It was just sprinkles first thing, but has settled down to some pretty steady rain here for the last hour or 2. Local forecast shows rain through 11 or noon, then intermittent showers. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunnier and warmer. It is only 46 and not supposed to top 50.

Farm texted me and said that sun/mon doesn't work for them but another time. I texted my son and he said we could do this aft/tomorrow morning.... I texted back the farm and said they could do tonight tomorrow, but that I am trying to get over a cold so wasn't planning on having to go out; and that I would not have any help after Monday. And said that I had changed my schedule to accommodate them last test. I am really tired of this whole BS with them. They can call the mgr at this point. They change things on me at least every third month.

Going to pack the samples from yesterday in just a little bit.

I made oatmeal this morning and just got done eating it. Figured I could use something warm and "stick to the ribs" with this crappy wet out there. Put a little maple syrup over it, no milk even. Guess that would be more like a "porridge" . It was good.

 

[farmerjan]

Remembered to dump the rain gauge.... we had about .6 inches total for the 2 days worth of showers/rain off and on.

So today started at 46, cloudy early then cleared off to mostly sunny. Up to 65 but there was a breeze.... Still nicer than the chilly rainy days we had before. Tomorrow and into Saturday up into the upper 70's or 80's?????? TOTALLY NUTS.

The grass needs cutting. I am seriously thinking about putting a temp fence of sorts around the garden so the chickens can have the grass before it gets tilled. Will have to get some electrified poultry netting because I cannot deal with any coyote possibilities. Then I can use it up at my son's property where I have had the meat birds. Can't get into working the ground yet, it is just too early for the garden plus, I can't maneuver well with the boot yet. Hopefully, I will get more mobile, but it is just too early.... we can get some pretty cold weather in normal years into the end of APRIL.... it is still only the end of March..... Plus, I am not able to put down a total covering of mulch if I got it tilled now anyway. Again, not able to get around that well yet. I only till once.... then get most everything planted and mulch heavy. So I need to be able to get around better. And I might wind up getting someone to help get it totally mulched once it is tilled.... I lay out the rows then mulch right up to the string that lays out the rows. Then plant and use the cut and bagged grass right up to the newly emerging seedlings. Then just keep adding mulch. Guess it is time to keep all the junk mail and shred for mulch too. Just put it down, then cover with some hay to hold it in place; or use cardboard on top of it & some hay on top of that. Worms love it.

Went to Wal-mart today, got some things I wanted....picked up a prescription for pain pills from a couple of weeks ago.... haven't been taking but once in awhile... but they won't go bad and in case something happens, I like to have it "on hand".... needed cat food and their outdoor cat food is in 44 lb bags and the best price even over the feed store. These outside cats get fed but they also have to catch their own and keep the mouse population down. Didn't bother to look at TP since I have plenty, got 2 rolls of paper towels but I don't use many so that was fine. Did get a 3 pk of generic "kleenex" that I needed. I needed to go to the bank so made the trip but it really tired me out because there were no "riding carts" available and my ankle and knees were really aching.... forgot some stuff too.

There are rumors that Va might go on lockdown... and my son mentioned that he also was going to get some cash out to have on hand so when I went to the bank, I did also take out some cash from the cattle check from the first 2 that got sold (of mine). I need to talk to him tomorrow and see if he is going to town as I would like some ice cream and some fish from a grocery store, Wal-mart doesn't have near as good a selection as I like... and some other stuff that I didn't get today. Could use another 44 lb bag of cat food to fill their bin up, next trip to Wal-mart.
I also need to get some chicken feed for the house here.... and really want to get the bin cleaned out so that I can get a load as soon as the I can manage getting the "left-behinds" again, I will have the feed ready to feed them. But got to get DS or someone to get up on the ladder on the bin , take a chain or long handled "something" to use inside and clean off the stuff stuck to the sides and see if we can figure out where the leak is on top. Might just need a good "painting" or sealing around the seam. Plus then I have to be able to "catch" the left behinds and I am not that agile yet..... I get tired of chicken, but can give some to some friends and trade some with some others for some pork.... which I don't eat alot of but I like pork chops and bacon and want some lard....

Going to talk to my friends that have their parents house for sale.... see about the possibility of putting in a driveway if this other friend that we rent pasture from isn't going to do anything with their parents empty house.... I definitely want out of here before the winter one way or another. Can't fix this place, and I am just tired of dealing with it. I will get through the spring and garden time, but I am ACTIVELY looking.

 

[farmerjan]

Talk about crazy weather..... this is what we call pneumonia weather... was 45 overnight..... sun out nice and it hit 81 today. Clouds came in late this afternoon and we are supposed to get a possible shower/storm this aft/eve.... it just looks threatening so far.

The refridgerator is working again. I can't trust it and I did get a couple of bags of ice yesterday and put stuff in the cooler chest and was going to start moving all the stuff from the fridge part and now it is working, the freezer is frozen again. I had taken some stuff out, and was waiting for more to "thaw" enough to get loose and now it is all frozen again. The fridge part had seemed to be staying pretty cool, not as cold as I liked, but definitely cold enough for the water and cranberry juice in there to taste cold to drink. Might just try to get it emptied out and a good cleaning. Then see how it goes. Not keep too much in the freezer so can't ruin a bunch of stuff.

Not much else new. Too soon to do garden, still got the "drip drip" from the cold that makes me cough some, ankle is still swollen today from the store trip yesterday so babying it a bit.

Saw an article about how COPPER, and to a lessor extent BRONZE and BRASS, and other copper alloys, are superior to killing viruses upon contact surfaces. Something to research some more....

 

[Baymule]

I am sorry that you got a cold or flu, it makes one miserable. BJ caught a bug a couple of months ago and while it is mostly gone, he still has to take it easy. I believe it was pneumonia, but the doctor didn't have an X-ray tech that day, so could not confirm. He has had a deep chest cough and felt blah, weak and miserable. He is feeling better but can't get out, work and break a sweat. Heck, he might have had the corona virus, our daughter had it too but bounced back quicker. The two little girls were mildly sickish too and of course we kept them, so got the joy of their germy little snotty noses. LOL Me? Still trucking along, feeling fine.

I know you will be glad to ditch the boot, just a while longer and maybe you can. At least your lifestyle lends itself to exercise, a sort of therapy in and of itself. I really hope you can find a house to buy or rent. The house you live in now is not working for you. It's time for a change. I believe in the power of prayer, something will come along when you least expect it. I pray that God cup you in his hands in love and protection and lead you to where you are supposed to be.

 

[farmerjan]

Sunday afternoon. The last 2 days it has been 56 up to 85 both days. Like summer weather. Mostly sunny after about 9-10 in the morning. Much the same for tomorrow then rain/showers on Tuesday. Going to do the 500+ cow herd on Tuesday afternoon with Michael and Geneva. One of my other farmers wants to test and his daughter would like to maybe help do some testing. Might be a a good thing. I will talk to them this week. Am going to call my herd 125 miles away to see if they want to test on Wednesday... and the PITA one that tests 2 times, that put me off again, maybe the end of the week with the farmers' daughter. She's college age but of course there is no school for the rest of this year.... It is close enough she could come help and my son wouldn't have to do both milkings.

Took a shower and washed my hair since the "salons" are closed since they are "non-essential" businesses.... It takes alot of energy and effort to do that with weight balancing and all in the shower. But with the warm weather it was dumb not to get it done and feel better.

Still got a little bit of "drip" and subsequent annoying cough but mostly gone.

Nothing much else happening here. Don't have the ability to even walk around the yard to pick up sticks, or do much with this ankle and all. I am doing a little without the crutches, but balance is tough on uneven ground and I sure don't need to be on the ground.....Not really hurting just tiring still. Don't feel like I am ever going to get my energy back... very annoying.

Ever try to run the vacuum when you cannot comfortably stand up for more than a few minutes????? You just don't think of stuff like that until you try to do it and it is a pain...

Son got the new orchard grass field seeded yesterday so that is really good. 1st cutting will be very light and probably will only do one cutting later in the season so it gets established. I think this is the field that they sprayed last year for a weed and wound up killing the orchard grass as well.... was only a year old seeding so they had to pay for the seed for us to reseed it. Lost several hundred sq bales of second cutting because of it.

Deer are eating the wheat cover crop as fast as it can grow. I'd give my eye teeth to have had someone go up there and shoot a bunch this past winter. They are really causing a problem and the owner just never seems to "get around" to hunting them like he says he is going to yet we cannot hunt there. GRRRR

Time to eat a little something for supper.....