Farmerjan's journal - Weather

Ridgetop

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Actually, once you take off the counter tops you can see inside the cabinets and in the spot where there are no drawers just cabinets you can plan for the sink. Might need a bit of beefing up, but not a problem. If there is a drawer/drawers over the cabinet door(s) you simply remove the drawer front and attach it onto the open drawer area to form the sink front of the cabinet. Easy peasy even with solid front cabinets. Remember you are not cutting holes in the cabinet FRONTS, the sink will go in on top (or undermounted) on the counter top. The existing cabinet doors will be the doors under the sink.

But no rush. Yuo have a lot of stuf to do first. :hugs NOTE: another emoji!
 

Baymule

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Driving through West Texas yesterday made me sad. The only green was the prickly pear cactus and mesquite. EVERYTHING is brown. Dry creek beds. Ponds a mere puddle or dry. Very few cattle in fields that normally are full of cows and calves. I had to look hard to see the few that I saw. I’ve never seen it so dry. I prayed for the ranchers and livestock as I drove. I prayed for rain for them. I prayed for rain to replenish the earth.

I saw new neighborhoods carved out of what used to be sprawling ranches. New neighborhoods going up, a few acres of “ranchettes” and it made me sad to see the lands misused by people who are innocent and ignorant of what they are really getting. Well, they are finding out. As long as water comes out when they turn on the tap, they will be happy. One day, there may not be enough to go around. And we know who wins that, and it’s not the farmers and ranchers who raise our food.

West Texas has always been the bastion of the tough, hardy ranchers who carved out a living in a hard land. Now it is covered with ranchettes of people who love “the view”. I’ve seen it transform over my lifetime. Land once considered worthless except for cattle and rattlesnakes is now home to million dollar estates. They know not what they do.

I was glad to get back to East Texas where there are patches of green. Even my own place is brown and dry, but has patches of green. The 2 ponds are real low but have released water in the surrounding soil to have some green grass. The smaller pond is about dry. It’s a green puddle. We’ve gotten 2 pop up showers in recent weeks that has helped. Not much, but every drop of rain is appreciated.

The neighborhoods are going up in east Texas at breakneck speed but at least we have more water. Ranches and farms are being carved up here too.

I could better wrap my brain around it if people grew a garden, had a few chickens, goats or sheep. But the majority do nothing with their piece of land, just look at it as they leave for work.

Rant over. Gheesh people! If you are going to buy your piece of the land at least do SOMETHING with it to feed yourselves.
 

farmerjan

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Oh @Baymule , you are so right. AT LEAST do something to feed yourself BESIDES the green grass that you have to mow at least once weekly... then complain about the diversity of some weeds interspersed in that grass, and put all sorts of chemical fertilizers to make it grow more and herbicides to get rid of the "weeds" and the insecticides that kill off all the bugs... good and bad...
I have not the experience with the dryness of west Tx... but have many contacts in the cattle world and it amazes me that they get the production out of the cattle they do with little or no moisture. I cannot imagine that type of dryness. We have on average over 40 inches of rain a year in Va. That is between 3 and 4 inches a month and USUALLY spread out fairly evenly over each month... Not like @Ridgetop with their "rainy season and dry season" different times of the year. Our vegetation has developed to suit our climate and rainfall. The vegetation in Texas has developed to suit that climate... east being different than west. When they start building these huge houses and start splitting the land up into small parcels and putting the demand on for more water that is just not there in any abundance, there is going to be some serious consequences down the road.
Yes, it is sad. And going to be a big come-uppence to so many people that come from other places and do not adapt to their environment. Seems that so many try to impose their requirements on the environment instead of adapting to what is...
As you said, they are happy as long as water comes out the tap... and the farmers are the ones that pay the price when it gets rationed.
Does anyone remember back only 10-15 years ago when they cut all that irrigation water and the almond tree farms did not get water for irrigation and there were ACRES of trees that died??? Can anyone on here wrap their mind around putting in ACRES of almond trees, 20 ft apart, waiting 3 years for the first crop. and hoping for a good 20-25 years of production??? Now, after say 10 years, when the trees are hitting their peak production... someone decides that water is more necessary for the city "downstream" and cuts the water for irrigation for the trees in half or cuts it off altogether???? If you have fields of trees which ones do you try to save? The older better producing ones... the younger up and coming ones....the seedling trees you just spent $50 each and planted 100-150 per acre.... and won't produce for at least 3-5 years....and will produce for 25 years ...Or the trees producing now for another 10-15 years... ????
So, you make a decision to allocate your alloted water and watch perfectly healthy, producing trees stand and wither under the sun until their roots have no more water to draw out of the soil and they die...
Many farmers here in this area that irrigate their corn and some even their soybean crops because they HAVE to get the maximum production EVERY YEAR out of their crops to maintain the numbers of dairy cattle they have. Everyone is carrying the max number of animals they can, and need the max amount of crops produced to feed these animals. This spreads the cost out over the numbers so that they can manage to pay their bills and be able to continue on their farming venture.
Everytime a son or daughter wants to return to the farm, the parent must figure out a way to pay that addition to their farming venture... you have to make a living wage... so either you buy more acreage and incur more debt, but you will get more income to service that debt and pay the person doing the work... or you add to what you have, stretch your resources to make more money on what you have....
We have pushed the farmers to their limits by this country wanting and needing more and more food and at the "CHEAPEST" price that it can be gotten. Farmers have gotten as efficient as they can, to spread the costs out over more land or better yields... there will be a limit to this in the very near future. With the limiting of fertilizers... and the cost being a big factor, production will decrease, and there will be shortages. With the limiting of water, all the fertilizer in the world WILL NOT help produce a crop. There is a segment of our population that is waking up to this... like minded people that are on here and other sites that will be able to adapt some and become more self sufficient and produce more for their own needs. But the growing masses that want everything handed to them, or the ones that want their "lifestyles" to be maintained at levels that never were sustainable... are in for a very rude awakening.

Money, for the most part, CANNOT BUY water or the rain.... if it could, all the oil "barons" would be paying a monthly payment for XX amount of rain.... and be happy to do it...

My heart goes out to the ones in the drought stricken areas... Especially since the climate and evolution has geared these plants and animals and even the people on the land, to endure the dryness and still manage to be productive. But when the water dries up... they can do nothing but try to survive. The added demands of people on an arid region will just push this to happen sooner.

We don't have less water on this planet... it is just changing in the distribution... and the intensity of how/when it is being distributed. This whole green new deal garbage is going to push the limits of crop and food production, in areas that should be picking up the slack from the areas that cannot produce as much anymore...and limit the very areas that might be able to "up their game" even a little bit.. with unwieldy rules and regulations that will curb or prohibit the needed food production.

There may be some validation in "climate change or global warming".... but it has gone on, on this planet several times over the tens of thousands of years.... and it will go on again. We are not going to change it any more than the dinosaurs could change it... but there is nothing wrong with trying to take a little better care of the planet along the way... and working WITH mother nature to do so.
 

murphysranch

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Don't get me started on Almond and Walnut tree plantings that exploded 10 - 15 years ago in the Central Valley of Calif. They planted grazing fields, alfalfa fields, hay fields to be able to "cash in" on the popularity of Almonds and Walnut. Crazy it was..............
 

Ridgetop

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When they start building these huge houses and start splitting the land up into small parcels and putting the demand on for more water that is just not there in any abundance, there is going to be some serious consequences down the road.
Here in So CA some small towns tried to prevent builders from putting in mega neighborhoods due to lack of water and sewer facilities. The builders sued the cities and won! They were allowed to jam in as many homes as possible and the farm wells dried up.
And going to be a big come-uppence to so many people that come from other places and do not adapt to their environment. Seems that so many try to impose their requirements on the environment instead of adapting to what is...
People that buy into these communities are not knowledgeable about the long term weather patterns and all they see is the huge houses with automatic sprinklers on their shrubbery and lawns. Then they are angry when the city runs out of water and rations it. Of course, water is never rationed to people like Pelosi, she just arranges to take it from the farmers in the San Joaquin Valley which used to feed half the US!

Farmerjan you are right on target with your post!
 

Bruce

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actually saw gas at 3.59 last evening and diesel has come down to 4.89 at one place. BUT is that part of this "tax relief" thing?
I don't think the federal "gas tax holiday" thing ever got traction.

West Texas has always been the bastion of the tough, hardy ranchers who carved out a living in a hard land.
Do you suppose there is a reason the stocking rate there is calculated as "many acres per animal unit" rather than the other way around? ;)

Keep putting houses on that and after a while nothing will come out of their taps. Bet they want lush green lawns too.

Crazy it was..............
Yep and now they have no water to give the water loving trees.
 
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Baymule

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@Bruce west Texas has always been many acres per cow, 50 to 30 acres. I can remember droughts where ranchers used flame throwers to burn the spines off prickly pear cactus, for the cattle to eat.

I see ads on Craigslist for cornstalk hay for cattle. Rolls are $85! We are in a bad drought, cornstalks and a protein lick tub will at least get cows through the winter.
 

farmerjan

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Monday night. Been some humid, muggy hot days. (90's mostly, with some spotty showers popping up here and there. It rained in Fairfield, 3 miles south of me today at VDOT DS said and we did not get a drop... just a few dark clouds but they were mostly south of here...

Went to Geneva's for lunch with the family yesterday and got to meet and talk to her boyfriend. Seems nice, and so does her sister's boyfriend. They are both farmers... layers for the sister's boyfriend family, beef cattle for Geneva's bf and they have trucks and contracts to haul poultry litter from a couple of BIG poultry farms around there... They are a couple hours apart but it works for the guys to ride together to come down and the girls to ride together to go up to their respective BF's.... there will be a couple weddings in the next year or 2 I am pretty sure.
Came home and didn't do alot here. Too hot and humid and I am still having these nagging headaches some days.
Stopped at the farm to see if the truck was there to move hay and no one was around. 2 trucks are hooked up to the trailers from Friday, and the bale truck was not there. Called DS last eve while up at the cow waiting for her to get done eating and no answer.
DS finally texted me today, and asked if I wanted to move round bales. I said I could and then told him about not being able to get with him yesterday and maybe do some and that I did not see the truck anywhere.
So, I went to the farm and got the truck and went out and moved about 24 or so at the one place, all down to the front area so he can load them on the trailer to bring them home. They were scattered all up through the field where he made them and this way he can just load them and not go gallivanting all over the field to collect them with the tractor and spear one at a time. There will be 2 loads and maybe a couple left to get with the truck. I did bring 2 home with me on the truck when I came back. There are 2 old bales there, along the fence in the trees that I am going to go back and try to lift and put on the truck to bring home for the garden. Probably won't use them til next year but there will still be usable stuff, and I plan to put them along the side of the garden that doesn't seem to grow stuff very good. Not sure what was there before but it is very poor growth on the striped crenshaw winter squash....
Neighbor texted me did I want any yellow squash... I saw them out in the yard when I came home from doing the hay and stopped. I really don't need them, but it was only about 6-8 squash, so I said I would take them. They will go in the freezer. I have to get out in the garden to see what is out there... haven't been out since I flipped the mower. Got to check the oil and see if it will start too. Just haven't gotten to it. Took the truck back and DS wanted to get in the last few cows to wean off the calves and get them run out to pasture... asked me to come back after I did my cow. So I left the truck, brought the car and went and did the cow... then went back. DS has been scraping, and leveling the place he is going to put the concrete pad for the silage pit.... and got about 1/2 to 2/3 of the stone down. He has done a pretty good job... he eyed it and then this evening took the transit and had a few places to cut down a little but it was within 16 inches difference from one side and end to end when he started. By the time he got done with the little smoothing.. he has an 10 inch fall from one end to the other....100 ft long... and he said barely 3-4 inches from side to side of 30 ft. That should be about perfect to not collect water.....but not too much difference from one end to another.

He called the cows in but not all of them came up and he did not want to chase after them. He was tired and the skid loader is not the smoothest riding thing so alot of jouncing around. Said that it would be better to not try to get after the cows in the heat. These are the 6 we bought as 3-in-1's at the sale several months ago. Going to wean off their calves... they were out with the ones that we pulled all the steer calves off of... and he wasn't sure about whether they needed to be weaned yet. There are a couple of cows that had heifer calves that we weaned off and kept in the small lot below the barn. Also another cow that has a calf that somehow did not get weaned in another lot there... so we just decided to make coming in to get the grain in the bunk in the barn a "good thing" and not bother them tonight. We will get all the calves and cows together and kick out all the cows and keep the calves there in the small field to wean them.
We talked about the bred cow sale this Wed that we were going to take the couple of cows to... and said it might not be worth making the trip for just 2-3 cows this month... plus he is pushing to get the "pad " grading done so they can form and then pour concrete asap.... he also said that if he could get the one big fat bull in that won't stay at pastures that we are going to sell, then he could also go... but there is grass there and they could wait for next month with all he has to do. I don't care one way or another. We'll play it by ear. I mentioned that I want to go to the sale tomorrow night that is at the local livestock market... that they advertised... he said he was not going to go but that would be good. I am not planning to buy any if the prices are as high as they seem to be trending. And the talk is that these bred cows and cow/calf pairs are going to get higher... so waiting til next month when mine are closer to calving might be better. He has one that has a crummy calf that he is wanting to sell also....might be less "push" with the concrete slab already poured by next month. Plus it will be a little cooler.... We'll see how tomorrow night goes and decide from there.

DS is going to my brother's in NY fishing on Monday and Tuesday with one of his Dr's that loves to fish. I think a few days away will be good for him. I plan to get a bunch of the hay moved when he is gone as the truck will be there and there will be no pressure. Might do some tomorrow, but I need to get new glasses and I did not go to town today. Wed I am testing and then might be getting cows in in the afternoon and going to the sale. Thursday morning I have a dentist checkup appt.... then will be going to the farm 125 miles away... he called today and asked if Th-Fr-Sat would work. Since I will be already 25 miles north of the house at the dentist... just makes sense to keep heading north. Called him back and he said Th would be great. I will be able to stop and do any errands, if I want to, and be there by 1 p.m. to test. It will be an all day thing by the time I do the dentist and drive to the farm, then test and then drive home... but I will get home by around 5-6 p.m. and can do the cow and then just "collapse" for the evening.
So we will play tomorrow by ear and then go from there.
DS said one of the guys at work wants to sell 2 cow/cf pairs... said he just has too many and needs to cut a few... he buys hay from us and is looking at the hay and the cow numbers..... They have been running with the bull so may very well be bred back... DS is going to look at them. Priced them at 1500 each, if he takes both... supposed to be younger cows... with prices they would be a decent buy... I will know more tomorrow after the sale...

Got in the shower and washed my hair a little bit ago when I got home... I was so sweaty from "doing nothing" it seems...got the fans on and it is not all that cool now. Got to eat something, stomach started to growl...
 
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Baymule

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All the things you do with trailers and tractors, do you travel and give lessons? Texas is nice in the spring…….

I have a learning curve, but I’m learning. Son has 2 old Massey’s one has a front end loader, but wasn’t born with the proper attachment, it’s just rigged up. I’m considering an 80 horse old Ford with proper gear for attachment for front end loader. It’s a 70’s ? Model and only $3500.
 
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