Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Ridgetop]

Great on the technical explanations Baymule!

Glad I wasn't drinking my coffee or I would have spewed over the keyboard!

 

[farmerjan]

What kind of walk behind weed eater do you have??

Contrary to all the comedians on here....
it is called a Legend Force... have had it a year and it was not as maneuverable for me with the knees not being where I wanted them last year... It still takes a little umph to go over rough ground, but it does a real good job of cutting off the tall stuff. It has 2 places to put the heavy duty strings on the bottom so no automatic feed or anything to break... and they have lasted fine so far that I have used it. I think it is the same one that @Mike CHS has... I had asked him about which one they had.. He says that Teresa likes to use it.... I will continue to use it to get some of this tall stuff cut down and cut off and then use the mower to keep it down.

 

[Mike CHS]

That is the same one we bought.

 

[farmerjan]

8 p.m. and I am in for the night.
It was cloudy all day, and we finally started getting some precip about 3.... Unfortunately, it was very little, and has stopped again. Skies got dark and we thought finally....BUT.... less than 1/10th of an inch in the rain gauge. It is staying more south, going west of us and some is staying east of the blue ridge mtns and then breaking up. I went up and was using the truck and moving round bales off the field... there were 25 round bales of rye hay off a small field across the creek... I thought is was 6 acres but DS says it is more like 4.... the rye made a real good amount. DS moved all the bales off the orchard grass, and I moved the mixed grass at doug's, 15 bales, and the 7 acres of rye (didn't count) but there were probably 35+, and the 4 acre field across the creek. Still have to get it off the 14 acres of rye in the back along the interstate, and then DS's green barn 10 acre field, of OG ; that was the last field I tedded and raked and he baled. There are a ton of bales in the 14 acre rye field.

He also got in the one group of cows behind the barn with newer calves, and we got them tagged and banded and will get moved tomorrow to pasture...then he left to go to a friend's, who works for VDOT so they could do some practicing for the annual Roadeo which is in 3 weeks. At least there will be no BS that will keep him out of it, this year.

When I got home from the bale moving, I went out in the garden and put down some more newspaper and got all that covered with some mulch hay so it will not blow away and if we do get any more rain it will get it wet; and maybe help hold some moisture. If we do not get a decent amount tonight, I will be watering all the porch plants tomorrow....
The first row of potatoes are starting to come through the surface... see green sprouts all down through the row.
I need to take the weedeater around the garden again. do a 3rd pass around to make it wider, and scalp the ground and get the fence up.
One thing I have not seen is many earthworms this year... wondering if it is because it is still kinda cold out... and dry so they are not near the surface...

Thermometer said it hit 74 but that must've been when the sun was out for 20 minutes... it is back down to 58 and damp and chilly out.

 

[farmerjan]

Oh, wanted to add that the Legend Force is easy to pull to start... even with my achey shoulder, it usually takes just 2 pulls to start it...

 

[farmerjan]

Monday ....Happy Memorial Day.... I hope that some of the TV stations at least try to show a little respect for the reason for Memorial Day.

It got down to 56 and only 58 now. Cloudy, wet... MISTY wet, no real rain... Checked the rain gauge and was just over the 1/10th inch... so we got next to nothing last night again; I hadn't dumped it yet. Radar is showing some bands coming through today... I hope at least one of them parks on top of us and gives us a good rain for a bit.
Glad I at least got more of the paper down in the garden as it will soak up this misty sprinkles and at least add a little back to the soil I hope.
What little is settling will help the plants leaves to "rejuvinate" a little too. It will settle on the rows of potatoes and I expect to see a bunch of little green sprouts in a few days. At least it is not pouring down and running off... and now that the ground has gotten a little damp, a nice rain would really soak in. I would not believe how dry and hard the ground had gotten. Almost wish I had gotten more beans and all planted, but if we don't get a decent watering out of this, then it would be too much to have to try to water.

I checked our TSC and the sheep and goat wire is down to $365... so about $50 off. I think I might take the little truck and go get the 2 rolls showing on the local store ad/inventory......our ad said stock on hand only, so don't know if they will allow rainchecks/prepaid. They don't always do like everyone else... often have "store only " sales here...

Just ate bacon and eggs and going out to turn the chickens out.

 

[farmerjan]

Went out to the chickens and let them out of their crates. walked in the garden a little... a few spots there were some potatoes uncovered... looks like a possible skunk as they make those little holes in the ground looking for grubs and stuff they eat... covered them back over... and there is a definite "line" of green in the first potatoe row where they are sprouting into little plants coming up. YAY.
Have been getting some misty little light rain... but radar is showing maybe some more after 1 or so... the sky is bright but more clouds to the east where this rain is coming from... HOPING for a good shower or more this afternoon.

Going to go in the kitchen and put something together to cook... house is just a little cool/chilly from this cloudy cooler weather we have had and now the little bit of dampness from the front going through. Have all the clothes to fold and might work on that and watch a DVD or something....

 

[farmerjan]

Well, done for the night about 8... chickens followed me to the shelter so I tossed a little scratch in the crates and they went in....
Day didn't go as expected but was okay. I puttered in the house a little, and then went outside as the sun was trying to come out. It was cloudy, sprinkles, then sun, crazy as these bands go by. As of 5 we had about .2 inch total so far... but they were calling for some more this aft and eve...
I decided to bite the bullet and went to TSC and got the 2 rolls of the sheep and goat fence... it was $386 not 365... but reg price is $429....so, $43 off per roll; and I got a raincheck for 2 more rolls... they said it could be a couple weeks before it comes in and I said that was fine. I don't have to get them... it gives me the option...figured it wouldn't hurt... Now, all I have to do is wait for, @Mini Horses to run across some more of the $200/roll deals at the auction... I can sure drive down there to save $150-200 a roll if she magically comes up with more than she needs....LOL

So, I went by Walmart on the way home, have to drive right past there, to check for the reduced sliced lunch meat they have sometimes, got 2 pkgs of roast beef that is nice looking... and picked up a few odds and ends....

DS called when I was on the way back, and he was going to move the cows/calf pairs, and had found the calf we were missing... we were sure there should have been 9 calves and only tagged/banded 8 .... it was hiding in the grass where momma left it... why she hadn't been hollering who knows... she is not seeming to be a very attentive momma but calf looks fine and as soon as he got it headed towards the lot, it hollered and then all the cows hollered... he said it was very glad to get fed (24 hrs since we worked them and left them in the barn lot)..... not day old so not a disaster...
So we took the 11 cows and 9 calves from that lot, plus a cow he was going to sell and never got her sold, and one of the new young bulls, to one of the pastures. total 12 cows, 9 calves and a bull... the grass is up past their bellies.
Going to get the next group in and get them worked and get them moved around hopefully this week. The forecast is for 20-30% chance of showers all week so no hay cutting...

The sun was trying to peek through this evening and I was getting pretty discouraged by what I was seeing on the radar... but just about 10 minutes ago, I heard some noise and it is actually RAINING.... like can hear it on the roof.... I had just put a rain gauge in the garden on a post... so it will be nice to see some actual water in it.... Oh how wonderful... it rains then lets up then rains a bit more... and the radar doesn't show us getting this... it is very light pale green which usually means sprinkles if we are lucky... don't know where these couple of bursts of rain showers are coming from but I am very thankful. The good thing is that the ground has actually been primed for this with the scant .2 we have had total, and it soft and it will soak it up like a sponge...

It got up to 73 it says on the recording thermometer... and is at 63 now at 9:30.... comfortable....
The potatoes will grow 3 inches overnight!!!!! with this glorious drink of water...

I put the ribs in to cook after marinating them, and it smells good.

And it got quiet, so thought we were past it, but it just started to rain pretty hard again... so guess we are going to get a good soaking. Boy, the field of sorghum/sudan he planted across the road ought to really sprout and grow.... and all the hayfields will start to regrow which is great....

DS is ticked that the guy who was promising to be there and all to get the hay barn done is still not showing up half the time.,...he talks about needing money but then won't come to work... he is a good worker when he works but is so unreliable... he is the one that said he would take the ceilings down upstairs, wanted the work, but has not seemed very interested in it now...
What is it about people who are good workers, but lack any incentive to do a job once they take it or say they want to do it?????? He is the one that helped with the concrete and he did real good... but they have been talking about that hay barn since last year, when we got the silage bunk done for the corn silage.... and he never would get his butt in gear and finally DS said he was starting on it and if he couldn't help that was fine. DS pays him cash and it's not like he has quibbled over anything ...... so he shows up sometimes... DS has had jim go to his house and usually gets him out of bed at 8-9 a.m. on a Sat when they were supposed to start at 7....
It will get done but he wanted it done before first cutting orchard grass... he wants to put all the "grass hay" in under cover that he can fit...

Well, I am thankful for the rain and for the many who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms... hope we can hold on to those freedoms with the way things are changing...

 

[SageHill]

Contrary to all the comedians on here....
it is called a Legend Force... have had it a year and it was not as maneuverable for me with the knees not being where I wanted them last year... It still takes a little umph to go over rough ground, but it does a real good job of cutting off the tall stuff. It has 2 places to put the heavy duty strings on the bottom so no automatic feed or anything to break... and they have lasted fine so far that I have used it. I think it is the same one that @Mike CHS has... I had asked him about which one they had.. He says that Teresa likes to use it.... I will continue to use it to get some of this tall stuff cut down and cut off and then use the mower to keep it down.

WOAH - that thing looks like a beast!!! I should start saving. We've got a lot of slopes here and tight "roads" to get to where things are more level. So much so that we sold the brush cutter we had for the tractor a few years ago because the slopes are too steep.

 

[Mini Horses]

Yeah, the goat fence was $386 here, too. I would like 2 more rolls but didn't buy any. 😞. Can't even get this last roll up it seems. Enough rain to make it slick, too wet to work and ruin your day. I'm working tomorrow, more light rain.

Wed/thu might be fence days 🤞 need it done. I have meat goats kidding late next month, separation time. Plus garden. Must go in!!! 😡 AND more rain Fri????

Is DS new hay barn wood or metal frame? I'm thinking tall & metal.