Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Hey.... to all disbelievers, they actually do freeze dry!!!!! Really, they will get stiff if the temps are really that cold... but they really do dry. If there is no humidity in the air, they will dry fairly well. It was in the mid 30's when I hung them after PT on Friday, but the sun was out melting the snow so got up in the 40's I think.... then it was colder Sat but sunny, and much breezier. And today it started at 14 or so, and the sun was out early. Clouded up by early afternoon, but a little breezy. They are dry and the jeans are really pretty "soft" as are the t-shirts, and sweatshirts.

When I was in CT when my son was born. I hung all his cloth diapers on the clothesline several times a week.... they would get stiff and then by late afternoon they would be softer and usually dry or just a little damp.... I could finish drying them inside if I had to.
Gets a little cold for the fingers... but I still prefer them outside, to out of a dryer.

I came up the hill awhile ago. Dropped off a couple coupons that came in the mail for my son. Scrap metal here has gone way up and the coupons were for another 1.00 per 100 on top of that. He has taken 3 loads of scrap metal in the last 2 weeks and has another old truck loaded on the trailer, and says that he has maybe one more load to go. He has taken over 5,000 lbs each trailer the last 2 trips. He has taken a couple of old trucks off "Doug's" farm and alot of scrap metal junk laying around. Scrap metal was down to $2-3 /100 lbs... and now is up over $6./100... so each load has brought in the neighborhood of $400+ per load with the coupon for the extra 1.00/100 lbs. Makes it worth the time and fuel to haul it down there and cleans up things. Also dropped off his birthday card since I haven't seen him all week. Then went and got milk from my farmer that he had in the bucket ready for me, then came to the new house. I went out and took all the clothes off the line, it had gone from sunny early to mostly all cloudy and getting colder and damper.
Came in, got a sandwich and am going to fold the clothes and get them all put away and a bunch in the totes for future sale. Got that tote that didn't have a lid (that I bought a couple weeks ago for $1.00) and I have 2 lids from other totes, that the bottom part has cracked and split... so just have to wash one and then will be able to use this tote. The handles are the same so I am sure it will work. Then I am going to go in and do some stuff in the DR... have some more paint and supplies to go in the "understairs" pantry/storage for the time being. Til I get it opened up into a complete under stairs storage area and then I can change it around a bit. But at least the paint won't get frozen or anything.
I also am going to make enough room to get the little kitchen bar we took out, that is just in there for now, moved out to the porch and then into the storage building until I decide what to do with it or take it apart or something. That will give me a 6' wall on one side, to put more stuff from the other house and make it easier to get into that storage pantry door too.
So time to go do some of this and then I will have to take a break for the knees. They were sore yesterday, and now with the colder dampness they are starting to ache. If nothing else, I will be glad of warmer weather for them to not ache so much.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Heading down the hill. I have been watching a movie on the computer because of course I only have the dvd's and not a tv or anything up here....

Getting cold out, looks like 18 on the thermometer already. Think that tonight will be the coldest this week, then sun tomorrow and a little warmer tomorrow night.... in time for some more "wintry mix"....

One of the clotheslines broke, but the ground was still hard and some snow, so I took down half of the dry clothes, 2 big baskets full, and rehung the ones off the down line and hung the ones I had left and they will be good and dry tomorrow. I probably could have brought in more but 2 was about all I could take with the cold. Even with the sun out I don't think it got over 40 at best and there was a breeze. Didn't see hardly any melting anywhere.
Got most of these clothes folded and put away. House has been cold too, I feel a slight draft near the floor and cannot find anywhere it is coming in. Not alot, but enough to just feel cold.

Car is warming up, there was frost on the windshield.... a hot shower is going to feel good.

Do you have any incense? You could watch the smoke plume and use it to pinpoint the draft.

 

[farmerjan]

@Larsen Poultry Ranch Got a candle here at the house. Might take that and see if I can see the flame bending... no incense but that wouldn't be hard to get maybe tomorrow.... It just feels like a colder air along the floor... no real breeze... just colder air. Have that at the rental house in the bathroom and finally found it along the windows. I suspect it might be these windows. Even though they are new(er) windows... they don't have storms... just double paned. I grew up with storms and am a big believer in them. Might see about storms down the road to help with the heat loss.... Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Bruce]

Hey.... to all disbelievers, they actually do freeze dry!!!!! Really, they will get stiff if the temps are really that cold... but they really do dry.

Yep! It isn't just heat that dries things. The clothes will dry from desiccation and any breeze that might be blowing. If it were just heat you could dry wood in an enclosed shed. But it won't dry in there very well, a nice breeze blowing between the pieces is what dries them.

Has anyone seen this form of stacking wood to dry? There is a hole in the middle and the pile creates its own draft through the sides and out the middle.

 

[Baymule]

I’ve never seen wood stacked like that. Sure makes sense, the chimney effect.

 

[farmerjan]

Interesting @Bruce . I have never seen that. Makes sense but looks like alot of work. Still it looks nice. I guess that just putting it in stacks between 2 trees, or some sort of uprights, will be my thing though.

Monday.... it was 28 and we started getting snow/sleet around 6 a.m.. It was really snowing at 8 when I left to go to PT. Roads were slick and had really accumulated. I came out of PT to mostly rain and the roads had been scraped in some places. But then got down here nearer to the new house and with the elevation, was back into sleety stuff. Then I get to the house and there is my mailbox knocked completely off the post.... REALLY.... they just fixed the dented part so that it would close again from hitting it last week. The arm (4x4) that the box sits on is knocked completely out of the post.....This mailbox has been here for over 15 years.... 8 years with no one living here even... and twice in a week it gets smacked......
We were getting all snow/sleet mix for a bit, then it changed to a real snow "downpour" for a bit. Now it is a little rain and foggy as it warms up. This is supposed to be out of here by this afternoon, some more rain.... then maybe some changing over to snow???? They don't really know.

DS just called... so P.O.'ed.... they are sending half the crew home at noon to come back in tonight at 8... So he got his 8 hours but the day crew is staying til 8 so they are getting 8 plus 4 overtime.... and if they go in tonight at 8 and it clears, they are to go home at 4 so only get 8 again and totally break up his sleep again. He has had it out with the boss a couple of times over this inequality lately.... and working when they really don't need to be there at night a couple times....and because they did not have the contract help come in at 4 , and the roads got so bad, that they had to call them in at 6:30... and the boss had the nerve to say well, they really didn't need them,.... but the state police had called because of the road conditions and the vdot guys could not cover all the roads that the contractors covered, with it coming down so fast all at once, and the roads being cold enough that it was sticking and slick...
He just was fit to be tied.... and I don't blame him.... that the boss was basically reading him the riot act for calling in the contract trucks, then the boss came in early and called the rest of the contract trucks in..... because he had gotten a call at home about the condition of the roads.... . He said, 'I did the feeding I needed to yesterday, I am going home to sleep. I will be back at 8 and I am not answering the phone to anyone from work once I leave here today'.

This boss is one of the ones that gets promoted to the next level because no one else wanted the job and he just is not "boss" material.... he has a few more years til retirement.... DS does not want the job.... he is looking around... he is tired of the bureaucratic bs....it's been coming.... I am surprised he has lasted this long. I think that he is trying to stick with it for a bit because of trying to buy "Doug's farm" ..... if that ever gets done, then he is going to do something different I think. He has 7 more years to being eligible for early retirement.... he said that he was going to stick it out 2 years ago when he had 9 years, but lately I don't think he cares..... he can wait to take his retirement money and do something else in the meantime. He has had other offers.... and has had the one doctor pushing him to take disability due to the headaches and such from the work accident a couple years ago. Well, he needs to just get through this trying to buy the farm.

So, it is just crappy out. I loaded several bags of junk and took it to the dumpsters on my way to PT. I have to get together my bottles for tomorrow morning. I am going to assume that the roads will be okay by morning to go test. Then I will have to load all the meters and stuff for the afternoon 2x herd tues aft and wed morning. I got all the clothes off the line yesterday and got them folded yesterday eve. Will get them all put away and that will get the totes packed so I can get them out of the way until yard sale time. Then I am going in the kitchen and see about getting some more stuff washed.

Talked to the propane guys and have rescheduled for Thursday to try to let it clear and dry a little here. There is snow and wet behind the house where they have to go in underneath and it will be a mess to try to get the tank behind the house and all that. If we have a couple days for it to dry up a little it will be easier and might not tear up the yard as much. A couple more days will not make or break things. It is supposed to be sunny for the next 4-5 days, and warm up into the 50's, so hopefully will be alot better for them to get in here. They would have trouble today and even tomorrow with the wet. It will take a day or 2 for the snow in the yard to melt and the drive in from the road is all ice right now. Don't need the propane truck getting stuck either.

 

[Baymule]

I'm sorry that your son has to deal with an idiot boss. Hope he can hang in there long enough to buy the farm. Changing jobs upsets the credit report and lowers the score.

 

[farmerjan]

Okay..... like you @Baymule , we have had a weather turn around.... but not as drastic as yours was. It is sunny, and melting out there. Going to be in the 50's and maybe hit 60 tomorrow????? But then the forecast is for some heavy wet snow on Friday night....

You can't make this crazy weather up.


Yesterday I worked here a bit. Went down the hill and it was just cold enough to get the ground firm and the snow on the back road hard and rutted and crusty. 28 when I left this morning and in the mid 40's already. Sun is out and things getting muddy. It'll be a real mess in a little while as the ground under the top mud softens up. I imagine that the majority of the snow will be gone between today and tomorrow.

Tested this morning and have to get the samples packed and the bottles in the trays for this afternoon. I already put the meters and the hoses in the car.
Went down the hill and got some of the "scrap metal" together as DS is going to get the old freezer that is outside and can get the rest of the metal so he can take another load. He did work last night so is off today. He will go home this evening and sleep "normal hours" tonight and maybe the next couple of nights, but will most likely have to go in to work on Friday night.

So not much happening today. I will not get anything done here today and then tomorrow I will try to do something after I get out of the barn tomorrow morning. I have to be in the barn around 2 this afternoon to set up, and won't get done until after 7..... then have to be back there @ 5 in the morning. At least I will have tomorrow afternoon to enjoy the sun.
I have to get the battery charged on the little truck. It is dead, so I know that it really does need to be replaced. When I expected it to not start, it did. But it sat and it went dead. So I will run the cord out to it and put the charger on it and maybe tomorrow I can take it down the hill. I would like to maybe get the cupboard out of the kitchen and into the truck. I can take it out the front porch door and back the truck up on the lawn to the front porch steps. I will not get it back to the back door with the mud that will be there today as it all thaws out.
DS will have the 4x4 I think... he said he is going to try to put a chain around it, and pick up the freezer onto the back of the bale bed of the truck... with the "arms" that pick up the big rolls of hay; then put it on the trailer with some other stuff he was going to load. Better to do it today when he is off and it is not so cold and miserable out there. Since he will not have to work tonight, he will be good and tired tonight and be able to get a good nights' sleep.

So, time to get samples packed and bottle s ready.

 

[farmerjan]

Tuesday eve. Got done testing and came by here so I could eat the half bowl of soup left from last night. I ache.... milking went a bit better than normal, tonight... they were more focused on getting the cows in and getting them done. The 2 "girls" (early 20's) didn't stand around and yak like they usually do. Still, I was there on my feet from 2:15 to nearly 7, from set up to leaving. I will be back in the morning....5 a.m. and mornings always take longer because the cows have 14 hrs of milk . They milk at 3 pm and 5a.m. instead of what most call "12 and 12 "..... they are a 10 and 14. That's the time between milkings. Many farms I have are an 11 and 13.... 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. or something similar. But when you do something like 10 and 14, the milking after the 14 hr interval is always slower because they make more milk.
Regardless. it will be a long morning..... Oh well, that's part of it.

I am going to head down the hill in a few minutes so I can get a little more sleep than last night.

Did see the landlord this morning for a minute and told him about things not getting as far along as planned, due in part to weather and such. He said that was not a problem, that He didn't mind how long I stayed..... of course not, as long as he is getting more money... but regardless, I am renting it so he is entitled to his rent. I hope to get the one cupboard moved.... maybe tomorrow or Thursday so I can work on getting it really scrubbed out and cleaned and then I can get several of the boxes of stuff emptied and put in there. Get some of the other stuff I have, like rice and other stuff, put into the vacuum canisters and put on the shelves too. Might try to get a few more "bulky things" moved too if they aren't too hard to get out the front door.... gotta remember to take the one old blanket with me too. It is in the car.

Samples were sent off earlier when I left to go test too. Tomorrow I will have to spend some time and get the computer work done and then pack all those samples and get them sent out. At least I will be sitting to do that.

Okay, I am done with the soup and ready to go down the hill. I am beat, and have another one of those stress/tension headaches again. Tomorrow is another day.

 

[farmerjan]

Wed morning...I went to the farm and tested and got done out of there about 9 or so. Stopped at the station that had gas still at 2.39.... used my rewards card and got $.20 off a gallon up to 20 gallons..... Didn't need much but was still glad to save that much. Came here to the house.
Then got a call from Deb and she is not coming out to her farm until late tomorrow instead of today. Wanted to check on the conditions, and told her that we had that crappy icy stuff Monday but it is getting alot better, but will be MUDDY with the snow melting, and the possibility of some wintry mix for Friday night and then we might get 3-5 days of RAIN.... So, I will go up in a little bit to feed the horses today; probably when I go take the samples.

Like @Mini Horses , we need more wet/rain/precip right now like we need a hole in the head......The snow still on the ground should mostly all melt today. It is sunny now and up to at least 45 or 50.... going to 60's.......It is wonderful..... but it is soggy underfoot.

I just hooked up the cord to the little truck with the battery charger so it can charge for awhile. Then maybe I can use it later and go to the stone house and get one of the cupboards moved later.

So I am going to start working on the computer and entering all the milk weights from the farm I did and then get the samples packed so they can go out today. Then I want to try to get a few things done here today. I need to enjoy the sunlight today. I got a good night's sleep, not long enough, but I never moved a muscle last night I don't think. I need another night like that. Tomorrow is pool PT but I don't have to be there until 10:30.....and they are supposed to come do the propane lines and hookup tomorrow afternoon....

Gotta eat something.... stomach is growling!!!! PBJ will be fast and easy so I can get on the computer for work.