First the good news: It is raining. The cold front arrived yesterday evening and the light rains began this morning around 4 AM. Not heavy, but 1/2 in here so far. We had feed delivered today from a town north of us, Bolivar,Mo. and he said they had 3 inches; for once a system that was north, and not south of I-44!
It is also 58°.....I may have to use my Sun Twin heater in the morning.
Speaking of feed, this is the first bulk feed we have had delivered since last November. Then 3 tons of feed was $885 this time it was $ll00. I figured it would be higher than that. I told you farming was not a free life...... My milk cow calved so I have to have feed for her and various other animals now and then. We like to keep feed on hand. Bulk is cheaper and certainly easier for DH to handle. It is loaded in the top of the milk parlor and has a drop down pipe that he can open and fill buckets in the feed room.
We finally got Willow up yesterday with her new baby and have them confined in the calf lot. I will begin milking her tomorrow. This is the first time we haven't had an extra calf to put on her so I may be looking for a baby calf to buy shortly.
Yesterday was one of those typical farm (and maybe any where you live and have property) kind of days.
It was nice and sunny (the front came in later that evening) and I decided to mow again. I did the front yard and had to stop and pick up lots of small limbs from the last heavy winds. I noticed DH was wandering around the sheds in the east side of the yard....thought I better see what was happening. There was no power in part of those buildings.....after locating the fuse and getting it going again, I mentioned that the cow (Willow) was nearby and should I go lock up that field to keep her close to the barn......couldn't do that he said. The storm had taken off the gate in that field. He lets these things go on indefinitely........so I said lets load up and go rehang it. It is a two-person job. We got the gate hung and I noticed the dividing fence was missing lots of wire clips from the barbed wire. He had supplies on the ATV, so I put on the clips and he tightened them with the pliers. I told him if I had my new loppers I would cut the poke out of the fence row.....he went and got it and I did. It took a couple of hours but now that lot is nice and tight again.
I didn't get the rest of the yard mowed but priorities, priorities! There is always so much to do that you must operate on that principal or have a nervous breakdown.
No pictures of the new calf yet.
One last comment: I hear they are lowering interest rates again.......what interest rates? It is supposed to help the economy and create new jobs when all us poor people quit saving all that money and start spending it......just like it has been doing. Egads!
It is also 58°.....I may have to use my Sun Twin heater in the morning.
Speaking of feed, this is the first bulk feed we have had delivered since last November. Then 3 tons of feed was $885 this time it was $ll00. I figured it would be higher than that. I told you farming was not a free life...... My milk cow calved so I have to have feed for her and various other animals now and then. We like to keep feed on hand. Bulk is cheaper and certainly easier for DH to handle. It is loaded in the top of the milk parlor and has a drop down pipe that he can open and fill buckets in the feed room.
We finally got Willow up yesterday with her new baby and have them confined in the calf lot. I will begin milking her tomorrow. This is the first time we haven't had an extra calf to put on her so I may be looking for a baby calf to buy shortly.
Yesterday was one of those typical farm (and maybe any where you live and have property) kind of days.
It was nice and sunny (the front came in later that evening) and I decided to mow again. I did the front yard and had to stop and pick up lots of small limbs from the last heavy winds. I noticed DH was wandering around the sheds in the east side of the yard....thought I better see what was happening. There was no power in part of those buildings.....after locating the fuse and getting it going again, I mentioned that the cow (Willow) was nearby and should I go lock up that field to keep her close to the barn......couldn't do that he said. The storm had taken off the gate in that field. He lets these things go on indefinitely........so I said lets load up and go rehang it. It is a two-person job. We got the gate hung and I noticed the dividing fence was missing lots of wire clips from the barbed wire. He had supplies on the ATV, so I put on the clips and he tightened them with the pliers. I told him if I had my new loppers I would cut the poke out of the fence row.....he went and got it and I did. It took a couple of hours but now that lot is nice and tight again.
I didn't get the rest of the yard mowed but priorities, priorities! There is always so much to do that you must operate on that principal or have a nervous breakdown.
No pictures of the new calf yet.
One last comment: I hear they are lowering interest rates again.......what interest rates? It is supposed to help the economy and create new jobs when all us poor people quit saving all that money and start spending it......just like it has been doing. Egads!
I know what you mean about working along all day but not accomplishing what was foremost on your list of the day. Hubby had a go-go day today and sat down right before dinner to look at the list he had made this morning. He got this strange look on his face and said, "I didn't get one thing done on my list today!" Sometimes I think we'd have to put blinders on as we walk around in order to not get sidetracked and do all we see that needs to be done!
ReplyDeletei have made lists and found them a month later only to see I had done maybe 1 or 2 things! I just figure the interlopers needed doing too.
DeleteGlad you got rain, us too! But we don't have anything to mow. Sounds like quite a work-day at your place. I agree with Mama Pea about needing to wear blinders. And I thought it was just me and my distractable personality.
ReplyDeleteDays don't always go as planned that's for sure. But, you get things accomplished and that feels GREAT.
ReplyDeleteWe're just living each day, doing the best we can. Thinking about the economy is scary.
Have a nice weekend ~ FlowerLady
We do the same but I always feel for the young families with children when these financial disasters happen. We are grateful we aren't too badly affected.
DeleteGlenda, you might want to 'unfollow' Country Bumpkin. Looks like the blog has been hijacked by an advertiser.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Will do.
DeleteWe have gotten some rain, too, and cooler temperatures. I see you are still finding lots to keep you busy. I didn't understand what you were saying about Willow having a calf, and finding another one for her.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard that the interest rate was going down again. That certainly is bad for those of us who do not borrow money, and are trying to save for retirement. I don't like the idea of encouraging people to live above their means. You know, it is rewarding people for borrowing money, and punishing those who save. Not right!
I like your header photo.
Sue, Willow is my milk cow. She calves yearly and since I just milk 3 times a week she needs another calf to keep her 'emptied' out. If you don't milk a cow, she will resorb that leftover milk and finally just dry off those quarters (teats). She just replaces what you take from her, either by hand or by calves. For the last three years we have had an orphan calf to put on with her baby, but not this year.
DeleteHope that explains it.
Wow! $1,100 for 3 tons of feed? How long will that last you?
ReplyDeleteMike, it should last almost a year.....but it still makes it darned high for anything. If you keep cattle, you have to feed them and we aren't ready to give up on them. We don't routinely grain beef cattle ever, but must have feed on hand when we need to.
DeletePriority jobs are the only ones that gets done these days! I really never know what the next week holds. We invested Mom's low interest CD's into bonds, they are earning at a rate of 6%. No way to ever know this info without a financial advisor, of course that takes some of the "cream" off the top... have a good week and hopefully more RAIN!
ReplyDeleteSo far, no more rain for us. I didn't realize bonds were that much better. DH's Mom is ready to start using her principal monthly so she can do as she pleases. A good idea at 93! She has engaged a financial planner.
ReplyDeleteYes, Glenda, That did explain it well. It reminds me of the woman who was recently in the news for expressing more milk than she needed for her baby, and was able to donate the extra to a baby with a condition that needed it to grow. The more you nurse/pump/express, the more you produce, person or cow.
ReplyDelete