Farmerjan's journal - Weather

In the house, after dark... the afternoon was not what I really planned. but it was okay. I got the mower and cart out, and got the "roll" that was shipped moved over near to the chicken run. It was heavier than the last shipment since there were a couple more pieces in this order... But there was alot of overgrown dead grass and such that I hadn't gotten cut... so decided to mow some of it to give me some "elbow room" to roll out some of the vinyl and all.
Naturally that became a bit of a "got sidetracked job"... but after I got a section mowed, I decided to get out the lawn sweeper and get all that dead grass and such, gathered up for the chickens. So spent time running the sweeper around and gathered up a couple big sweepers full and dumped them near the chicken run... Of course, I cannot find the lawn/leaf rake... and I think I may have broken the handle a year ago???? so gathered several arms full and put them in the run for the NH & Langshans. It was getting later at that point, so I got a tarp and covered the rest of the sweeper dumps so that the pile does not get wet...in case it should rain.... who knows since trusting the weather forecast is sorta IFFY..... I would like to try to bag some of this tomorrow maybe...
I do want to take some over to the leghorns too....

I then went and put the sweeper back in the carport, and put the mower in for the night after taking out 5 of the 6 batteries to bring in and charge... I forgot I had left them in it, and they were out in those several COLD nights... The charge showed 98% when I got on it, mowing takes alot of electricity when it is high and thick and you are going slow... but there was still 50% when I took the 5 batteries out and went and parked it. I will charge them up over night and then put them in and use them and then take back out when I park it...

Then I went to snyder's and no new baby yet...she's waiting for a 10 degree night with the wind blowing like the dickens...... and then took a ride to the farm to see if DS was around anywhere. I did see the 6 calves that are there, including my "little one" on L15 (jess the longhorn's daughter) It may be small, but it was out running and playing with 3 other ones, and the other 2 were up on the hill away from them... dropped off the 2 buckets ( feed he had put in my car when we had to go in and fix where the tree came down on the fence... in case I had to feed the cows while he was calling the rest in...)... kept the feed for the next time I feed at snyder's; but left his buckets there at the feed bin for him. DS not around there... came home. Was getting out of the car and here he comes up the road with one of the silage wagons he had taken down to the guy to get fixed and painted.... He pulls in over at Grants, and comes walking across my field here, towards me. Says, can I take your car, I was supposed to be home already to do something and I am late..been trying to get this wagon fixed and done...... so I said okay......
Here we go again, she keeps planning stuff, and he keeps kow-towing to her when he needs to be getting things accomplished here on the farm on nice weather days... and he keeps complaining that he never seems to get things done and how did he have a job and still have the farm... well, I am not going to say anything to him... but if he would put half the effort into doing things that need doing at the farm, and quit running home every time she thinks he should... he would have twice as much done.
He said, thanks, mom, I'll bring it back later... and left...

I came in as it was almost dark. Got the clean dishes put away. So, I am going to see about eating something.... the salad I ate earlier is going through me.... too much water I think.... haha....then probably work on some more paper shredding... can only do that so fast with this small type shredder I have... see what my back will put up with; it aches. Might even see about watching a dvd or something.
 
fuzzi said:
Sounds like you got a fair amount of work done.
:thumbsup
Click to expand...
Yes, I got some stuff done. Not pushing, just sorta slow and steady. Not what was actually "on the list"... getting another "sheet" of the irregular vinyl with the grommets put in, was what I probably should have concentrated more on, but wanted a decent place to roll it out, in the sun; so that pushed the mowing and sweeping... they were on the list, but waaaaay down in importance. Oh well,... tomorrow is supposed to be 50's but more clouds so probably not as good a day... Monday starting out warmer and then dropping. I have a farm tentatively scheduled for Mon eve/Tues morning... teens overnight mon night... Not sure I want to go there... but maybe need to get it out of the way.... It's one of those "get distracted" things everyone else seems to be doing these past few days.... Had to laugh at myself, thinking, this is what everyone else is doing, going out with an idea of doing xyz... and getting off into something else...

Okay, going to eat and work on some thing else for a bit...
 
Sunday... started out cold 30 overnight... cloudy, grey, dreary, and a little damp and raw feeling. It was not a very nice day early on.
I did go out after noontime... Got the cut dried grass stuff stuffed into bags... 6 / 50 lb feed bags and I stuffed them... there is some green from some green grass ... and there was at least 1-2 bags worth left. Loaded that into the cart and took it over to the leghorns... then I had to take some bricks that were left here, and put the waterer up on them to keep it out of the grass stuff that the chickens were scratching around. So got them situated... Put the 6 bags into the car port to stay dry....

Funny thing, the leghorn hens are not friendly, but they are actually getting a bit more calm being in the smaller pen... They run right out of the house if I open the back door part... BUT.... if they are out in the run part, they do not dive into the door like they are scared to death, like they were doing. The cock bird is much less concerned about my being out there ... not like the NH's and the langshans where they just move out of my way when I am in the bigger run....and right there when I put feed in the feeder.... but at least the leghorns are not trying to fly through the roof every time I am out there... 2 of the 3 females have pretty good type, one does not hold her tail up as much as she should. But, I still plan to try to hatch a bunch of them... and hopefully maybe have a few nicer young ones to keep....

Refilled the feeder in the big pen with the NH's and langshans...emptied the bucket, this way I can get another 5 gal bucket of feed the next time I head in the direction of the barn where my feed bin is. then I moved the crate that the langshan is laying in and loosened up the place where they are doing alot of manure while roosting... they do alot of scratching around so ought to mix it up a bit. So they are situated for the night. I had thought about maybe getting some of the vinyl unrolled, but it requires me to do alot of bending over and my back is not agreeing so I left it for now... Maybe be able to catch another "warmer" sunny day when it will unroll and be more workable. I do want to get a piece up on one side of the leghorn run to cut the wind a bit... but they can go inside so not critical... I need to be able to bend over enough to measure it and then get the grommets in it. I am going to go to 1 every foot instead of every 6 inches though... I think that was a bit of "overkill" but I just wasn't sure of how closer together/far apart, I wanted them. Not that the grommets are expensive because they aren't . If I was doing thousands then maybe.... but with doing these pieces it is not going to break the bank. Still, if I do not need them but 1 ft apart, why do them 6 inches. I can always put in some extras, if I have to work around something.....

So, I had come in, ate a BLT without the T since I had bacon cooked from breakfast, and lettuce... gave my back a short break... Then went out, and picked up some dead branches stuff that had come out of the tree in the front, got them in the cart... got more to do, but dropped the cart and got the mower back in the carport for the night. Brought in the single battery, and left the 2, that I took out earlier...tomorrow I want to try to put more of the branches & stuff into the cart and have to leave the mower out side the carport as the Select Sires guy needs to get in past it to fill the tank with nitrogen Tuesday.... he is usually here pretty early in the morning... if I do go on and test, I won't be here to move it out... So, I will park it outside with the tarp over it (that I have for covering it)...Monday evening.... and make it easy for him to get to the tank.

The sun peeked through a little, late this aft, and it actually felt a little warmer... not supposed to drop any tonight from the 41 it is now.... but after 12 noon tomorrow supposed to drop like a rock.

So, finally in for the night... been coughing alot, maybe from being out in the air and the nose running? Just aggravating.
 
Monday morning... 42 overnight and kept getting warmer.. 51 at 9. Temps should start dropping after noon time. Cold with winds in the 20-40 mph range with higher gusts, wind chill down to the single digits.
I texted the farm, and asked their thoughts on testing... said I would still bring meters if they wanted. They called me back. Said we could do a single (1x) test this eve so not there in the cold... or do a 2x test next week. We discussed it, and opted for a 2x test end of next week. I said I would come for this aft if they wanted but they said next week would be fine and would rather do a 2x so I was very fine with that.

Had another farm text asking my schedule this week. I looked at the weather, and said Thurs or Fri... it's a 1x test... afternoon. I said I did not want to be on the roads Wed for New Years eve if possible...

Have to make up the 2 that I cancelled when I was down with the flu bug the week before Christmas week....aside from the one that is rescheduled to NEXT Thurs/Fri, I will maybe try to get the one in the end of this week, and maybe one other if they want to test.

It is presently cloudy and had a light sprinkle which they had said was possible. Supposed to clear off, to more sunny skies, then temps drop as wind gets up. I will be going out to see about getting the rest of the sticks picked up into the cart in a bit...just the one section there where I had been kinda throwing them all together over the several times we have had windy days and some of the dead stuff came down out of the tree... and then get things put away , for the wind/cold coming.
If the sun comes out before it gets too cold, might try rolling out one of the vinyls to mark and put grommets in... just going to play that by ear. Would be nice to get one side on the leghorns run... but not life or death. I may wind up getting side tracked inbetween also... never know. Got to go to snyder's and check the preg cow and see if she is going to be stupid and have it in the bitter cold tonight. Sure hope not.

Glad I can just stay in the house later this aft/tonight/tomorrow morning... Made a little progress with some more paper shredding... but didn't do much last night. Got more papers I need to sort through... trying to get rid of stuff that I don't need for anything... plus sorting for bills etc for the farm for taxes and such.

Farm just called and we are going to do Friday aft... seems they also got a bug and 3 of the family were pretty sick the week of Christmas. Glad it is not just me... I ought to feel even "more better" by this Friday.

So, some breakfast and some regular vit pills and then out the door to do a few things, go check at snyder's.... Then see what the weather is doing... sun is trying to break through the clouds across the hill so guess the few showers will be done... Think I will take the diesel up to snyder's and take the couple of pallets I have for the pen up there, that are on the back of the flatbed... another one of those little things on the list to do.... Need to run the truck anyway....
 
Been out and back in... going to head to snyder's in a few minutes.

Definitely NOT going to do any vinyl, wind is already picking up. Not terrible cold yet, but cooling down. Going back out to get mower out and pull this cart of sticks/branches over to the small pile I have near the garden... will get burned one day when it is misty raining and no wind...
Temp is starting to drop a bit. down to 46 from 51...
 
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