Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Mini Horses]

Stuffy head...Vicks under nose? Breathe in steam from hot water? Both seem to help me.

Sounds like you've got the garden going! I need to grab more cardboard from the stores today. It's some extra work to put down but worth it to help with grass kill! Plus it'll rot during winter. . We're both working with established grass kill. Not easy. I'm hoping next year will be easier. There's still a lot of area to plant here....a day at a time. I need more string for row marking. Add to list! . Great rain yesterday.

At least your rain delayed hay and the testing farms are coordinated! That helps. So much less juggling and stress. Hopefully, after only 25 hr this week, I'll be down to only 2 short days a week for work! Cuts paycheck but gives time for farm.

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah @Mini Horses, juggling not so bad this week now with the hay on hold due to possible weather/rain. And at least most of the farms have fans because it is going to be hotter this week.
Meters and hoses in car, sample bottles in racks to go out. Have to take the computer to this farm, so will shut it down in a little bit and get going.

Went up and did cow and she was wanting to go back out after she ate. Headed straight for the woods. The calves were all laying around after they nursed. Works for me. I will be home from testing around 7 or so; not a problem to do chores this evening.

I made myself go out and put in a short row of cucumbers, the old watermelon seeds and the butternut squash. If the watermelons don't sprout then the cukes and squash can fill in the space. Sun is out and getting hotter. More humid than it was. But I really wanted to get them in. Did not get the corn in... maybe tomorrow morning early? Thinking of just feeding it to the chickens since none of the other germinated.
Came in and am sweating up a storm. Got a big glass of tea with ice and sitting here because I need a couple of re-coup minutes. Got the fan on too.
The stuffy nose is more like a drippy faucet with taking the guafenesin. Just tires me out. But it is getting better I guess. Not the sore throat like I had.

DS moved some heifers to pasture yesterday... and took 2 beef to get butchered. Guess he has them sold... we didn't talk much... GF decided to go help him yesterday so he "didn't need me" help sort or anything....not getting into it. She has not been able to "help" for the last week or 2..... he had a neighbor do his chickens when we were gone...she wasn't able to do them. He wants me to call the vet to set up an appt to do the preg check on the last group of cows.

So, time for me to get bottles in the car and get going so I can set up without being in a rush.

 

[Mike CHS]

It sounds like you have a big part of your garden in. I have gotten where I will do a germination test on any seeds over two years old since it only takes a few days.

 

[Ridgetop]

hot spells during the winter (not unDoesn't your broccoli and lettuce bolt in the heat? I can't grow any of the winter veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, or lettuce in the summer. They grow, bloom and immediately bolt. I have to plant them in the fall to grow and when we get our normal couple weeks of 90 to 100 degree winter weather they bolt anyway! What's your secret?

 

[farmerjan]

They will bolt here too, but we don't usually get alot of 90+ days except in late July.... of course, today it hit 93... and the rest of this week will be in the 90's they say. One of the perks being near the mountains... we get some tempered temps in the summer.... at least we used to. I also plant the "cool season stuff" where it will get some shade if the garden has a "shadier side" and in the shade of things like the sunflowers or to the off side of the tomatoes or something. Doesn't always work.... going to plant some along the side where the big white pines are along the property line... see if they help to keep it cooler over there. Haven't spent enough time to see if there is more shade over there.... don't think so...

@Mike CHS , I probably should've done a germination test on the watermelon seeds but it was a small package, and if they don't come up then not a big deal since I put it inbetween the new cucumber seeds and the new butternut squash seeds. I did some germination tests on some of these old bean seeds and they were a flop.... the row of zucchini was short and the row of cucumber seeds were 2021 so have no idea why they didn't sprout. But when everything else planted before I went north, was up that should have been up, and the old butternut and the cucumber seeds weren't, I figured they weren't going to come up. The striped crenshaws and the cantaloupe were up and they will spread anyway. I just have to get the spaces between the "spreading melons and squash" covered with cardboard and mulch before the grass gets too well "re-established".... I will want to put another row of green beans along the edge of where the vining plants will be reaching out, in about 2-3 weeks.... for a later harvest of them. And then hopefully when I get the earlier green beans harvested and in the freezer, I can pull the plants and put in broccoli and maybe some cabbage for later....
Yes, I have gotten most of the garden planted and about 1/2 to 2/3 of it mulched. Weeded down along the broccoli that the friend insisted I take.... and weeded a few spots in the peppers but it was just getting too hot for me and I did have to go to work.

After coming in and having the iced tea, I put the sample bottles in the car and left. It was sooo muggy and hot today. Just didn't feel like stopping for any shopping/errands.... and I really didn't leave much time... so got to the farm and took my time setting up. Tested, we had trouble with their computer in the exchange and I had to call computer support and they had to talk me through getting the program "re- established"... no internet at the barn so they couldn't go on and do it.... that is why I do a jump drive exchange there; so I can come home and do the upload instead of the farmer taking the computer in the house or using his phone for a hotspot.... Got it all working and entered all the info and then exported it to the jump drive and back in his and all fixed...
Got the meters off the milking lines after the wash cycles were complete and then stopped at Walmart and got the couple of driveway reflectors I wanted to put around the well casing so DS doesn't hit it with the discbine this year. Walked around a little but nothing caught my fancy so I grabbed a couple little things I needed and came home.
Did the cow, and back in here. It is still 80 at 10 p.m. . Forecast is saying a chance of a severe T-storm later tonight and radar is showing a storm cell coming in from WVa....
I made the pudding at 6:30 this morning so had some of that and a glass of iced tea and debating if I really am very hungry. Samples are in here to pack in the morning to go out.
Have a headache, might be from blowing my brains out with this cold..... might just quit for the night.....

 

[farmerjan]

Tuesday afternoon. I had a rough night with the stuffy/runny nose.... but that's life.
We got some rain overnight, and then got more "serious" rain today. It even tried to clear off a little and got real muggy, but is cloudy again. I checked the rain gauge and we got a 1/2 inch before 2 p.m.

There is alot of hay on the ground around here... So glad that DS decided that he wasn't going to cut hay even when I was thinking we should on Sunday eve.. It looks like it will be Friday before we get out of this wet pattern.

So, I should be glad that another farm wants to test this week. I go south tomorrow an hour for a 140+ cow herd... morning test. Have to leave here about 3:45 a.m. . Then I go to the "now" small herd 125 miles north on Thursday. Have to be there by 1 so will have to leave here by 10 a.m., to be on the safe side with the way the traffic has been. The only good thing about that is that I will go by the small feed & supply store right near there and see if I can get a few things we can't find here lately. Then, DS is pushing to do the final preg checks so vet can come on Friday, by 1 p.m. and then I have to go test that afternoon.... I am going to have to leave a little early, but I can make it work.... Vet should only take about an hour and DS and GF are supposed to be there, so if I have to go, they can finish up. That is the farm that I normally go by the farm where I get my milk, and pick up his 4-5 samples and info. So, I am going to see if I can go by and get it early in the morning, then have to come back to be there for the vet. That's 4 farms this week.... and one scheduled for Monday afternoon too....

I need to go in and get something to eat. I know this headache is partly due to not eating.

I am going to put the cow in this evening and leave her in since there is plenty of water and I can let her out when I get home tomorrow... it will be noon before I get home from testing. So, tonight she will come in and stay in for tomorrow. I will p;ut some hay in the bunk and she will be fine.

It has gotten very cloudy out so expect that we will be getting more rain.
This ought to really get the seeds, that I got in the other day, sprouted and up pretty quick. That's great. Of course the grass is growing like gang busters around where the "hills" are... oh well, maybe find time tomorrow afternoon to go get some more of the old mulch hay.... got some cardboard pieces to take out but the soil will be soft... it can wait another day or 2.
Going in to figure out what to eat, and then will go up to the cow in a bit.

 

[Mini Horses]

@B&B Happy goats glad to see you're reading....hope all is well!!

@farmerjan I'm hoping to get more cardboard, mulch and seed out today! It helps. Between chores and work, you draw straws on "what's first, or next". I have a day at home. Rain tomorrow....I'll work stores...then home a few days. Garden today before rain

I have visions of getting up a new stretch of fence next week...we'll see! . Have doeling's to wean, also. . More does to milk? Maybe, maybe not.

We are blessed to be able to stay busy. . Although aggravating sometimes.

 

[farmerjan]

Got home about a half hour ago.... Left at 3:45 this morning, got to the farm and took a little nap til they got there and got things ready. Traffic was good and got there faster than some trips. I was tired still. I was in bed pretty early but it was hot and sticky and I didn't sleep real good.
It got real sticky when the sun came up. There was some fog this morning going to the farm. I was so happy to get out of the parlour. Then there was computer work, small office room and no fan or anything in there.... went to Sheetz gas and made a trip to the bathroom and filled up. Gas was 4.44/gal which is the cheapest around. The thing is, tomorrow I leave to go 125 miles north, one way, and hope I find "cheaper gas" up that way too.... so won't get to take advantage of this fill up over a week or so....

Recording temp gauge says it got down to 68, but it is up to 88 already.... It is very muggy out there. I am just wrung out from the humidity and only getting a few hours sleep with the stickiness.... The sun comes and goes with some clouds... showing some stray pop up stuff this afternoon. Take it as it comes.
I let the cow out as soon as I got here. Then came to house and samples are in the house to get packed. Would like to go get some of the old hay but it is too hot/muggy for me to do it now. Maybe this evening???? Got a stack of some cardboard out in the front to put on truck to take to garden... it can sit there for awhile too. Got a glass of iced tea and going to put a gallon out in the sun to steep. I might even take a nap because I feel so wiped out.

 

[Bruce]

@B&B Happy goats glad to see you're reading....hope all is well!!

We could use an update Barb, starting to get worried with no communication

 

[farmerjan]

Wednesday. The farm I was supposed to go to called me last night, and had to change today's testing. He wanted to put it off til next week but I explained that I cannot test until the end of next week... I have a farm on Monday, and friends coming in from CT (on Wed) and was going to be tied up on Tuesday through Thursday.
Honestly, I felt so weak and sick yesterday, that I was not sorry he wanted to put it off...this cold that finally caught up with me after the trip north, hit me pretty hard. More just pure exhaustion from the stress and all that went along with the trip up, truck and trailer and tire problems, little sleep and working so many hours to tear apart the house and the waste and upset over throwing away a lifetime into a dumpster.
There is also some problems at DS work and the underhanded situation there has him really upset and we have discussed it alot and I am fit to be tied with the underhanded BS.
So I was not sorry about not testing but now it looks like we will do it on Saturday. I agreed because I figured it would give me another day to "rest and recuperate" today. I do feel a little better today except that the temps are going up. It is HOT for here, for this time of year.

In fact, I did a load of clothes this morning and hung out because of the hot forecast. They were out an hour or so, then all of a sudden I heard thunder, and the sky was black to the west and south. I went out and it had just started to rain big flat drops... The clothes were getting too wet already, in 2 minutes, that I only grabbed the first shirt and put the clothespins under the basket and came in. It lasted about 15 minutes, and the sun is out and it is hot and humid out there. I will bet that these clothes will be dry in short order anyway.

I will get the sample bottles ready for tomorrow. The meters and the hoses are still in the car. I will have to go get the information and samples from the other farmer in the morning, and then get back here to do the vet preg check which will be hot and miserable if this heat continues tomorrow. We are looking at a drop once the weather moves off tomorrow. Then 4-6 days of no moisture.... I am sure DS is going to be cutting hay as soon as the front finally goes through. We are so far behind but no sense in letting it lay on the ground, and not making any sense to have to run over it several times to tedd out... more wasted fuel and time in the tractors too.

I cannot imagine those of you that live with this kind of heat in the south. We aren't even getting much of a breeze which makes it worse. The heat index on our local station is up to about 102. Temp is actual 94.

Haven't been out to the garden in 2 days.... it ought to be growing in this heat and watering..... so should the weeds. Oh well, they can be dealt with.

Going to eat some late lunch. I had no appetite earlier.