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Post by genebo on Jul 28, 2015 20:42:46 GMT
It was raining. My slicker wasn't helping. The grass was above my knees, and my pants legs were soaking wet. My clothes felt so heavy.
If I got out of the grass, the current of the flowing rainwater filled my shoes and moved my feet. Lord, it was raining.
I remembered wanting it to rain, a long time ago. Before it started, I dreaded the summer drought. But that was before it started raining.
I've emptied the rain gauge faithfully every day, and written the amounts down in my purple Legacy notebook. It only makes the rain seem drearier, adding it up.
If I could just get back to the house and go inside, where it is dry, I would be happy. It's hard, because the rainwater keeps rushing by, holding me back.
If only it would stop raining.
I'm going to name the next bull calf Noah.
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Post by Blessings Farms on Jul 28, 2015 22:56:53 GMT
I will help you build the Arch.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2015 2:39:53 GMT
no hay this week 5 + inches of rain today and still raining. I just got back from checking on cows all accounted for but not all where they belong. creak took out an electric fence and I think when the creak went down they crosses and now they are on the other side. they are up on a hill in the trees still on my property. I will have to round them up when the water reseeds. I walked out in the neighbors field so I could check on them.
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Post by jamshundred on Jul 29, 2015 3:04:34 GMT
HOT and dry here.
Weather forecast said rain ......
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Post by lakeportfarms on Jul 29, 2015 12:57:22 GMT
We'll take a bit of that rain since the ground is starting to crack now and it takes some effort to stick in the temporary posts. However, it's been a pretty nice summer here. Yesterday the temperature was climbing during the afternoon with blazing sun. I thought we'd get to 90 degrees, but right around 3 pm the wind picked up with a cool breeze off the lake. That's one of the nice things about being near the lake. Sometimes when it starts getting really hot, the lake breeze kicks in (hot air rises, and the cooler air over the lake blows in to replace it). It's been over 800 days since we've hit 90 degrees here. Of course if you take into account the months we could hit 90 degrees it hasn't been that long. I think the cows would like a little rain, and it seems like we haven't had the puffy white clouds like we usually do to break up the constant sunshine. The skies have been quite clear.
Forget I wrote this when January comes :-)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2015 19:38:05 GMT
So rain totals this week
Sunday 1'
Monday 3.25
Tuesday 5.75
thats 10" in 3 days and it came down in burst.
the high water marks on my farms were the highest I have ever seen. In the spring I will have to burn part of my hay field in order to find all of the debree that was deposited there. I have 2 stream crossings that are 4' concrete tubes and will have to repair both of those crossings the concrete is still there. On one of them the water is currently flowing around/under the concrete. On the other a lot of dirt was washed out so it is now only half as wide. Not able to cross ether one of them.
Last night when I checked there was a tree deposited on top of one of them. This morning that tree was gone as in no where to be found and was replaced by a different larger tree. All the animals are good. Not all where they belong but secured behind electric for now until I can move them. I think the cows are pretty smart when it comes to staying away from rushing water.
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Post by genebo on Jul 29, 2015 22:13:29 GMT
What tough times to have to endure. Here's hoping you all the best.
It would be nice to sit with Hans in January and discover we had something better to talk about.
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Post by Blessings Farms on Jul 29, 2015 23:12:35 GMT
Sorry to hear this Mike. Hope things repair well. We had 2" again today
1.7 of it in 15 min. One storm earlier this moth did 23,000 of damage to our
commercial building we have it tarped and waiting for repairs. A fellow could
just about scream some days but it never helps I have even tried kicking things
and all I do is hurt myself. There are just some things out of our control.
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Post by wvdexters on Jul 30, 2015 1:32:01 GMT
You all are really having a tough time of it. I am so sorry to hear of all the damage.
It has been a season of extremes here. Starting off with a very dry spring, then crazy wet (but so green and beautiful) and now we are back to dry, dry HOT. We have the cows in the shadiest areas, hoping for this +90 every day to move out and bring some cool breezes. I heard thunder a few hours ago.
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Post by genebo on Jul 31, 2015 3:03:21 GMT
It has been raining a lot, lately, but today the sun was out and I took advantage of it to bush-hog the pasture.
The grass was so tall and damp it took all the power my tractor had to turn the bush-hog.
I noticed small animals darting away as I covered the fields. A young calf cavorted all around me, darting toward me then scooting away. She ran full tilt.
I stopped the tractor to get down and hug her. As I passed my arm around her neck, I felt something that didn't seem right. Peering closely, I could see that she was developing gills.
Not only that, but the small animals turned out to be minnows!
Did I tell you that it has rained a lot here?
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Post by Blessings Farms on Jul 31, 2015 9:01:53 GMT
Gene you may have been mowing the pond and did not even know!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2015 15:01:27 GMT
instead of mowing the pond I mowed about 8 acres of hay yesterday. I was afraid to do anymore than that. I am waiting for it to dry now so I can rake it later. It has to be baled by tomorrow. rain starting tomorrow evening and then everyday in the forecast.
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Post by jamshundred on Jul 31, 2015 16:55:29 GMT
mowing the pond! Funny. I may have to board my cows with some of you that have the bountiful hay harvests this winter.
i am getting really nervous about supply and demanD
inhate to get gouged on hay ..but not quite as much as the way we are being cheated on the price of gas. Remember when the price per barrel would inch up Esh day and immediAtely they would raise the gas prices. I mean within minutes! They do not bring it down quite as rapidly. When gas was selling for Round $99 barrels, in our area regular gas was just shy of $4.00 a gallon. Well, yesterday I think the barrel price was less than 44.00 and we are paying, I think on average $2.55 -$2.60 per gallon. Even if I take off the 15 cents in tax that MD added last year ther is still something wrong with the picture. Gas should be at least a couple dimes less than $2.00. We are so excitedly to have the lower prices no one is recognizing how much we are being drubbed. Wait till the barrel prices start rising,
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Post by otf on Jul 31, 2015 18:50:45 GMT
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Post by Blessings Farms on Jul 31, 2015 20:46:22 GMT
Gene you need to rename this to IT IS STILL RAINING !! Started mowing 0%
chance of rain even checked accu weather and black clouds came and a down
pour. At least it is not white. I can not even grow a zucchini plant this
year that is horable.
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Post by genebo on Sept 2, 2015 22:05:14 GMT
I started this thread by writing about how much it has rained here.
Well I guess I ought to be happier with the way things are and don't worry about how they could be.
Our annual drought is underway. It hasn't rained in a long time. Crispy crunches when walking through the pasture. I borrowed the "crispy" phrase from Gale. Apparently her area is ahead of mine in drying out.
One good thing is that the broadleaf weeds are drying out first. A lot of them look like they are dead.
Another good thing is that my pastures are seeded with crabgrass. Crabgrass doesn't grow well in the shade, and all that tall, lush growth has been shading the ground beneath it. I should see a big jump in the amount of crabgrass in the next week. I depend upon the crabgrass to carry me through January. The Dexters don't like it when it is green, so it gets to grow tall. Then, when cold weather hits it, it dies and cures "on the stem". I have a pasture full of hay that will be harvested by the cows. I don't have to lift a finger. Yipee!
I got two good cuttings of hay, enough to overfill every storage space, plus some to sell and some to give away. I'm not even sure I'll have to feed any hay this winter, but if I do, I'm ready. I still have 3 farms to cut and bale. I'll have to sell or give all of it away, so if you need some small square bales and can come get it, let me know and I'll bale it for you. Otherwise I'll just bush hog them and let the cuttings rot over the winter. That's good for the land.
Oh, this afternoon I was in the pasture when a sudden wind came howling up. Trees swaying and dust blowing and the chickens heading for shelter. It was a pretty stiff wind. Immediately following the wind was lightning and thunder. Lots of it. Then it did its rain thing. I must have gotten hit in the face with four or five drops. Then it was over. Lots of action, no payoff.
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Post by genebo on Sept 4, 2015 22:13:26 GMT
It pays to have a sense of humor.
Last night we were locking up the chickens when it started raining. A real downpour. We rushed to the Mule and ran for home, getting home just as it quit raining.
This afternoon we had a lot of lightning and thunder, but just a few sprinkles. The sky looks awfully dark on the horizon. I think the weather is waiting for me to go lock up the chickens again.
I need someone to come wash my truck so we'll get some serious rain. Don't suggest that I wash it myself. If I was the kind of guy that would waste part of a working day washing his truck, my truck would be clean and wouldn't need washing.
Maybe I'll go outside and do a rain dance.
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Post by otf on Sept 4, 2015 22:43:06 GMT
No rain....no comment!
Gale
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Post by Blessings Farms on Sept 5, 2015 8:38:22 GMT
I pray the rain will come to you guys. Sorry but wish I could ship
some to your areas had up to 4" last night. Our grasses and crops are
starting fall drying even with rain due to 90's.
Its interesting the way lifes cycles run but overal it will happen.
How are you guys out west doing? Anyone contending with the fires?
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Post by otf on Sept 12, 2015 12:26:17 GMT
Got some rain yesterday and the day before (just a bit) and woke up to a great t'storm this morning! Yay! Pastures already show some green again and I am very happy about it. Now getting ready for calving and feeling better about that!
Gale
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Post by genebo on Sept 16, 2015 3:42:41 GMT
Gale, you are lucky to have gotten enough rain to green up your pastures. Did the rain have anything to do with the earthquake you had?
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Post by otf on Sept 16, 2015 11:21:30 GMT
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Post by lakeportfarms on Sept 16, 2015 13:37:59 GMT
Gene, you and Gale can count on some rain on the day of the cycling World's men's road race, most likely :-) I wish I could come visit and watch but I've got way too many projects and the clock is ticking toward winter up here. Though it's been absolutely beautiful weather this week. Sunny and highs near 80 degrees, almost too warm for fall chores. Of course last weekend it was in the 50's for highs, and we were in the upper 30's for low temps one night. Our apple trees are loaded, and we decided to stop with the managed grazing earlier than normal and just turn them loose in small groups in each of the pastures to munch on the grass and eat the apples. We still have a lot of branches that have never been picked up from trimming trees that the shorter grass will allow us to find them all.
If the El Nino thing is at all accurate, they predict a warmer than normal winter for us and considerably less precipitation. From what I've seen in the forecast it doesn't seem to change your winters all that much. Hope you guys do get some more rain soon.
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Post by genebo on Sept 16, 2015 22:23:46 GMT
If you get the Universal Sports Network you'll get 100 hours of coverage of the Worlds. If you change your mind about coming, you can sleep here. We're about an hour from the race courses and there is a group ride for us civilians every day that ends up at the start/finish line, ready to watch.
If you come, save me a minute or two to show you Paradise Farm.
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Post by otf on Sept 17, 2015 1:39:23 GMT
If you get to Gene's, then you must also save a little time for the OTF's Good, Bad, and Ugly Tour!
Gale
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Post by lakeportfarms on Sept 26, 2015 11:16:37 GMT
See...I told you it was going to rain in VA for the cycling world championships! Gene, I hope you have fun, I sure wish I could have come to visit! Our weather has been absolutely beautiful here with sunshine and highs in the low 70's. Our fall colors seem to be a bit behind their usual schedule though.
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Post by Blessings Farms on Sept 26, 2015 14:42:50 GMT
Are you racing too Gene ?
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Post by genebo on Sept 26, 2015 17:48:51 GMT
I'm afraid my racing days are over, Dave. I was an excellent specimen of mankind when I was racing, suitable to be a herd sire (not in the same class as Hans) But things have changed a lot since then. Now, when I go for a bike ride, it is pitiful! My heart-rate monitor can't find a signal.
My gas bill for traveling to Richmond won't break me, since I paid $181.9/gallon for yesterday's tankful. Today, I'm staying home and watching on TV. It's raining.
Tomorrow is the Elite Men's Championship. I guess I'll get wet for that!
I was standing next to Cathy, my 9 month old heifer, and the rainy mist was beading up on her and running off. I don't think she was getting wet! She must be part duck.
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Post by genebo on Sept 27, 2015 15:44:43 GMT
Hans, Here's a link to live streaming coverage: richmond2015.com/live/We had an incident with hunting dogs this morning and couldn't get away in time to see much by the time we got there, so we are staying home, watching on internet and TV. |
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Post by lakeportfarms on Sept 29, 2015 10:06:00 GMT
Gene, sorry you couldn't make it there to watch it in person. At least they had the streaming coverage. We had too nice of a day here, and there are too many things on my list before winter. Though the one day races like that are almost always a crap shoot, I thought Sagan was the favorite to take it if he could make it in the front group to the end with little team support.
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