Farmerjan's journal - Weather

farmerjan

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Thursday. Was 28 when I looked at the thermometer.
We had about 2 inches of snow, then it started coming down as a sleety mix. Got quite a crust on the top which actually is pretty good.
Last night I loaded the boxes in the car that I had all packed up. Figured it was better to do that when it was dry. I had gotten the car back to the door so not a problem.
So this morning, I got dressed and all, and had to scrape/brush the ice and snow crusted on the car, let it run a bit to warm up the windshield after I got the bulk of the ice crusted snow off. It was thick, and required some good thumps to get it to break into pieces that I could push off. The dirt road has not been touched so I decided to come up the paved road, and it had been plowed at one time, but was still covered and a bit slick. Slow and careful and no problems. I went to do the horses first thing, hoping that with the underlying snow that I could get down ... and mostly hoping I could get back up the driveway..... There was about a 1/2 inch ice on the latches for the gate into the field... had a wrench in the car that I used to bang on it and break it up so that I could get it open. Gave them some extra grain and the one had gotten 2 of her straps undone for the blanket, but she is a sweetheart so no problem to get them reattached.
Had a little bit of slick coming up the hill, could feel it losing traction and then it would go down through the ice to the snow so got out okay. Came to the house, backed right up to the porch and got the boxes unloaded and into the house with the dolly.... put the car over in the driveway part so that part of it is under the carport. Then came in and have been doing a few little things. Got to get the samples packed to go out.... don't know if UPS is running here today. I tried to call my bank to straighten out a change of address, and the recording said that due to the weather they were closed today.

It has pretty much stopped any precip right now. Radar looks like it is pretty much gone but more possible coming in tonight. Temps tomorrow are supposed to be in the upper 30's near 40, then teens for Fri & Sat nights, low 30's Sat during the day.... but then WARMING up to the 40's and low 50's for next week.... YAY :bow :bow :bow :bow :yesss::highfive::weee:weee:weee:weee:fl:fl:fl Please.

I am sure that no one will be more glad to see that than those in Texas.....and the ones way up north will be glad to see temps increase too. They are having colder temps than Texas, even though they are more equipped to handle it. I will be glad to see the ice gone... but it will get muddy with temps raising that much and that fast.
DS was feeding out 10-12 rolls to EACH field at a time when he could get in the fields with the harder ground. And with the cold and wet the cattle are eating hay like it was going out of style........We normally figure that one roll to 15-20 head per day.... and they are going through 1 1/2 times that.... He is feeding 10 rolls every 3 days to many of the places....like the "nurse cow field" where there are 20+ cows, 5 adult heifers, and 15 calves... and they are going through 10 rolls in 3 days. Normally they would go through 2 rolls a day.

He also caught a young cow with her first calf on her, when he went in the field to feed..........SUCKING..... on another young cow with her first calf. So I have a sucker in a full grown cow. I may try to put a nose flap on her to try to break her... but she is on the short list. Out of one of my favorite cows that is no longer here..... STUPID DUMB B%$#H....... He said that the calf was sucking the cow on her side like normal, and the adult cow was sucking her from the back.:somad:somad:rant:rant:duc:duc:barnie:barnie:he:he:duc:duc:duc:duc:duc:somad:somad:somad:somad:th:th:th:th:th🤬🤬🤬 Haven't had that in several years.....

Thought that I had PT today but it is tomorrow.... calling for more ice tonight so will see how things look in the morning.... whether they call to cancel.... appt is at 8 a.m......

The 225 + cow herd closeby that tests 2x wants to test next week....the one that my meters are filthy when they get pulled out of the parlor...... and another one called. So I have the 2x herd on Tues eve/Wed morn, and the other on Wed afternoon......The one on Wed aft., doesn't need meters so I won't have to rush to get them from that farm.

Okay, got to get the samples packed.
 

farmerjan

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Was going to head down the hill then got on another forum and lost track of time. So I am going out to start the car since it has been parked since before noon. Don't even know if it has been doing anything out there.

Got my schedule already changed for next week.... will test the one time herd on Tuesday A.M. instead of Wed pm...:barnie:th:th:thnot wanting to do all these mornings this time of year. I don't mind in the summer when it is cooler early in the morning.... then still have to go to the other herd Tues aft/Wed morn.....
Did not take the samples up to send out UPS.... next to no traffic on the road. They can wait for tomorrow. So, I haven't been out of the house all day except for when I came up.. Got to get some sleep so I can go to PT in the morning... maybe they will call and cancel if we get any of the rain it is still showing. Got this one "band" of weather supposed to go through and then clear off some.
Nothing out there today but the ice covered snow is like concrete.... Oh well...
 

farmerjan

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Ahhhh @Baymule that "snow/ice thing" is the pits. But a normal part of life up in the mountains and the more northern states..... "NORMAL" and this year has been anything but normal for you down in "the South"..... sorry you had to learn all about it the hard way. I am just thankful that you did not lose your power through this like so many of the other Texas cities and towns and countryside.

We didn't get any more weather last night. I got home and washed my hair so I don't smell like a cow barn for a day or 2.....Went to bed. Got up at 6:30 this morning, still clear out there so got dressed and came up to the new house and got all the tubs of clothes to take to the laundromat after PT. I ached but he said that I had better "straightening" of the knees today.....but I really ached after....
Went to the laundromat, and got all the big blocky clothes done and the down vests and jackets. Put the down stuff in the dryer while some of the other clothes were finishing up. Only waited an extra 10 minutes after the last load finished washing, and most of the stuff was done and the down stuff mostly dry. Brought everything home and hung all but a small amount on the line to dry. Hung the down stuff, hope it will get better fluffed with a breeze blowing through. Have about a 1/2 tub that didn't fit on the line so they are draped in the house. I also did a couple of big bulky bathrobes, all sort of stuff like that. The forecast was for some sun today, and tomorrow.... it was warming up really fast and the sun did mostly come out this afternoon. I imagine it has gotten up into the upper 40's - low 50's, today. Really so NICE to see after the snow/ice and the warm up felt like spring. Now the forecast winds has moderated to breezes, a little colder tomorrow but sun again.... and Sunday again. Then some rain for Monday. So, I should have plenty of time to get the clothes in between Sat and Sunday..... I will be really glad to get all that stuff cleared up; put away and put into totes etc.....

I also did all the barn jeans, long sleeved shirts, etc.... so will have clean clothes to start back testing next week. All except the overalls, they can wait......

I also went and dropped off a couple of buckets at the farm where I get milk, for him to fill one for me in the next day or 2. This way I can just trade off buckets now, instead of having to take one and meet him to get milk... he can leave it in the fridge there....

Then I went to the coop and got the back windshield washer blade, and the bulb in the back replaced. I can get the washer blade replaced there cheaper than I can just buy one and they put it on.... noticed the bulb was blown and don't want to get stopped as they will be looking for stuff since they need the income.....
Then I dropped the samples off.... and I am here....Going in to wash some stuff in the sink.... got some boxes I can unpack. I will put the dolly back in the car to take back down the hill.....I want to take the vacuum with me so I can start to work on cleaning some stuff. I need to get some other boxes too.... don't have many left. I think there are a few here that are emptied.... gotta look.

I feel more like doing stuff here today. Guess that PT helped with the attitude today.... the hurt is more of a good ache.... some days it just makes me want to sit and never get up. I also think that the sun coming out has really helped today. Warming up and blue skies and warm feeling sun really helps.

Just realized I did not eat but one meal today... no wonder my stomach is growling:idunno. I think I will go in and see what I can make to eat, and do the dishes. The sun is coming in the windows by the sink.... can't wait for the boxwoods to be gone..... they are running behind due to the weather... but I expected that... so not the end of the world....
Hate to say it but I will have to pay another month rent... so that I can get everything cleaned up and the big stuff moved. The snow/ice the last 3 weeks has just made it impossible to get it all done. But I am basically okay with that now.... I know how much I can/can't do.... it could be worse. It was not bad getting back to the house the last 2 nights... but I doubt I will get close unless it is late this evening when it gets cold since it warmed up and is soooo wet and muddy again. It is what it is. With DS working for the last 10+ nights in a row, and the problems feeding, I would not even think of asking him to help as he has had to get some sleep. So, I will try to go back to getting stuff loaded and moved a car load at a time... and then he can help with the big stuff one dry day.... if not then I will try to get a mover... the guys I wanted to use cancelled on me... so that has put me off my hoped for time line. :th:hit😞😞😞..... It will get better.... I have to believe that there is a plan somewhere here....

Stomach is very unhappy... gotta go get something to shut it up....:D:lol::lol::lol::ya:ya:ya
 

Baymule

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I’m sorry that you have to stay another month in the old house, but I certainly see the reasons why. You will have all but the biggest pieces moved by moving OUT day. You are also putting things away when you move them and that is much better than a pile of boxes moved all at one time. You are adapting to situations as you go and in the end, this will be a much more satisfying move for you.
My husband has seen that we are disadvantaged in this mobile home and is actually in agreement in moving. And now he thinks it a good idea to move onto our sons land. This storm and the threat of no water or electricity has done me a huge favor.
Now he is seeing that this place in the over priced area we live in can pave the way for us building a much more sustainable home. We are at the mercy of the elements in this mobile home.
We took my mom to Franklin Louisiana for her 83rd birthday. A couple had bought the ancestral plantation home, Hickory Hill and were going to restore it. Long story for another time. But we were struck how, in 1810, they used what they knew to make a comfortable home. Walls were 18” thick, made of brick. House was 6’ off the ground for cooling breezes. Front door lined up with back door, each room’s door lined up with the room across the hall, windows in each room lined up with windows across the hall. No matter which way the wind blew, there was a breeze in the house. It was 3 stories high. We marveled at the construction.

We don’t need a 3 story high house, but we can sure build better than what we are currently living in. I have ideas rolling around in my head...... Y’all can feel sorry for BJ now cause I’m gonna drag him off on another adventure in another couple years. LOL
 

farmerjan

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,@Baymule somewhere along the line, I am thinking that we are doing this backwards....More and bigger projects at older and older ages..... Aren't we supposed to do this when we are younger so that all the hard work is done by the time we get older so we can ENJOY it and not work so hard???? I mean, I like to do things, but the "have to" work all this hard to just get things decent????
I think that @Mini Horses did it right... she has projects and all, but all the basic "real hard stuff" was done when she was younger so she can now do the "putter" projects as she sees fit.
Talking about your mom's ancestral home makes me think about the stone house I am moving out of. 18" thick granite block walls, 4 chimneys/fireplaces for heat.....tall ceilings for summertime heat relief ..... the house has so much potential.... I hate going off and leaving it in some ways because I can see what it could be. But the current owner, bought from his uncle years ago, won't do anything more than he absolutely has to and neglects that even. His kids will just sell it off and I only hope that someday, when that happens, that someone will want to restore it. If it is not given some care soon, it will be needing some major stuff.... It is still very salvageable at this point.
 

farmerjan

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So, Saturday near noon time. It got cold last night, ground froze hard after the wam spell and, and considerable melting yesterday. It is colder today, as they said, with a good breeze out there. All the clothes were still on the line when I came up so that is good. The partial cloudy/partial sunny skies are supposed to clear out to mostly sunny this afternoon. Not near as nice as yesterday, but still is nice to see "bright" out there rather than the cloudy, darker, dreary snowy rainy stuff.
I forgot to hang one tub/basket of clothes yesterday.... It has several pairs of jeans and other stuff.... I had pulled the car out next to the clothesline in the snow yesterday, and i shoved this around in the car when I was taking the others out. Guess it is okay since I ran out of room on the lines anyway. So later on, if the sun gets a little brighter and it warms up a bit, I will take these out and after taking down other stuff, hang these to dry tonight and tomorrow.
The "tubs" are big plastic totes with handles, like they use for cleaning out barn stalls and such.... got them cheap last year and they are stackable and if I use them for something else, it is not the end of the world. But the nice thing is I am not worrying about a wicker basket breaking and the plastic laundry baskets are just crappy. Granted these are rigid, but they don't take up much space when I stack them.

So I am trying to organize things a little more.... I have to get the "spice cabinet" moved, so that as I wash things and just generally clean/dust/wipe down etc., I can put them back in there. Thinking I might see about taking the truck down the hill this evening. I have to go out and start it, it has been sitting for over a week.... but all the snow melted off it yesterday and if it will start, then using it to bring up a cupboard or 2 would be good. There are 3 that are completely emptied out. If I get up here before the ground gets too soft then I can back right up to the porch and unload. Then do a thorough cleaning job before it gets put in the kitchen. Have to see how I get along today. There are boxes of stuff from the cupboards that there is no sense in unpacking until I have the place to put the stuff the way I want.

House is chilly today. Getting down in the teens will do that with only the space heaters to keep it warm. Electric bill is really showing it.... I will be so glad to get the propane heater in the LR so that I can use it to direct a little heat into the rest of the house and cut back on the electric. And to get my kitchen stove in here...... It will help to
heat" the house if I cook/bake some things too.

So, time to get to work here for a bit.
 

Baymule

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I guess you are right, we are supposed to have our nest built by now and only have to feather it up once in awhile. But that ain’t how it is. You and me just keep on tackling stuff like we’re football players or something. Sometimes I think I’m ADDHD always looking for a new project. Now I’m thinking I want to build a house. BJ is resigned to his fate. LOL LOL LOL
 
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