What's everybody doing today?

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Went to town today and ordered the hitches for both our towing trucks. Also got an updated price on the stock trailer we’ve been debating for quite some time on buying. As expected it’s about $9,000 more than it was not long ago. I truly believe it’s a good investment anyways and certainly don’t see it getting any cheaper anytime soon. I’ve been looking for a year or two for a used one and you just don’t see them. Especially in this state. My suspicions are true. They hold their value unbelievably.
The thought of finally pulling the trigger on the purchase is 1- it will help bump out credit even more which I’m sure will help with financing. We took a hit when we paid the tractor off. Still don’t understand how being out of debt can hurt our credit.
2- we will not have someone haul the livestock we will be taking so that will mean far less trips with this trailer vs our very old small stock trailer. I’m not sure if the old trailer has it in him anymore. Local is one thing. If the new trailer ends up to be bigger than makes sense long term (don’t see that being an issue) they hold their value and then some. People don’t sell used very often. Are usually snagged up before they can be listed. The few (out of state) I’ve seen are selling for new prices. So we could get the majority of our money back out of it if we want to.
3- it will serve as a uhaul for us. Money saved there too.
So time to talk to hubby and see what he thinks. If we order now we can have it the 2nd week in February since they already have the one we would order coming for the world ag fair. It would spend 3 days being looked at by fair goers then they would add the 1 loading light we want and it would be ours after that. Otherwise it would be may before we can get it.
Hitch should be put In my truck next week and the other truck has 5th wheel rails so it can get an adapter instead of a ball in the bed.
Time to go break the news to hubby. 🤣
 
Double R said:
Went to town today and ordered the hitches for both our towing trucks. Also got an updated price on the stock trailer we’ve been debating for quite some time on buying. As expected it’s about $9,000 more than it was not long ago. I truly believe it’s a good investment anyways and certainly don’t see it getting any cheaper anytime soon. I’ve been looking for a year or two for a used one and you just don’t see them. Especially in this state. My suspicions are true. They hold their value unbelievably.
The thought of finally pulling the trigger on the purchase is 1- it will help bump out credit even more which I’m sure will help with financing. We took a hit when we paid the tractor off. Still don’t understand how being out of debt can hurt our credit.
2- we will not have someone haul the livestock we will be taking so that will mean far less trips with this trailer vs our very old small stock trailer. I’m not sure if the old trailer has it in him anymore. Local is one thing. If the new trailer ends up to be bigger than makes sense long term (don’t see that being an issue) they hold their value and then some. People don’t sell used very often. Are usually snagged up before they can be listed. The few (out of state) I’ve seen are selling for new prices. So we could get the majority of our money back out of it if we want to.
3- it will serve as a uhaul for us. Money saved there too.
So time to talk to hubby and see what he thinks. If we order now we can have it the 2nd week in February since they already have the one we would order coming for the world ag fair. It would spend 3 days being looked at by fair goers then they would add the 1 loading light we want and it would be ours after that. Otherwise it would be may before we can get it.
Hitch should be put In my truck next week and the other truck has 5th wheel rails so it can get an adapter instead of a ball in the bed.
Time to go break the news to hubby. 🤣
Click to expand...
Could you sell critters and buy new after?
I agree that what gear you buy will hold it's value. May actually go up...

In the current environment, better early than later.

Moving is I believe is rated 3rd behind death and divorce for being stressful. Gird up your loins (figuratively speaking).

Ben
 
Neb said:
Could you sell critters and buy new after?
I agree that what gear you buy will hold it's value. May actually go up...

In the current environment, better early than later.

Moving is I believe is rated 3rd behind death and divorce for being stressful. Gird up your loins (figuratively speaking).

Ben
Click to expand...

We have already sold what we’re willing to sell. The rest go with us. We may buy more cattle once we get settled in depending on land size we end up with but the cows we currently have left will go with us.
I’m a bit worried about the stress but we survive working cattle together so we should be able to survive a move 🤪.
Think we’ve now agreed on a bit bigger than I was expecting (but what I actually was wanting before) and the step up from what I got a price on today. I look at the $ only sometimes and he looks at the practical side of it. We have never bought a new stock trailer so I hope this will be a good investment for our last trailer. He is wondering if ordering from the dealer in Missouri near the manufacturer would save a lot of money. Maybe go out and look at places with an empty truck and come home with a new trailer. I love this man and the way he thinks (most of the time 🤣)
 
Curmudgeon said:
10 fer, I was just curious. I'm about an hour west of there in Jackson County, Waterloo Rec Area.
Click to expand...
My cousins grew up in Jackson. When I was a cop in Nevada and would meet Michiganders I would say I was from SCS and they would say "Oh, the rich area." and I would correct them and say we were over 1/2 mile from the water in the common folk area. :ghostly: I have no idea ow many times I said that over the years. I was born in Gross Pointe Farms but we didn't have that kind of money.
 
What i need to do today and what I want to do are two different things. I need to work on both snow blowers, if the parts show up today. I need to clean up after last night's storm. I need to weld up some broken gussets on both snow blades. I need to change oil in the tractor, my welder and the well pump generator. For now I'm enjoying the warmth of the wood stove. Sometimes its hard to go out in the cold and work.
 
Double R said:
We have already sold what we’re willing to sell. The rest go with us. We may buy more cattle once we get settled in depending on land size we end up with but the cows we currently have left will go with us.
I’m a bit worried about the stress but we survive working cattle together so we should be able to survive a move 🤪.
Think we’ve now agreed on a bit bigger than I was expecting (but what I actually was wanting before) and the step up from what I got a price on today. I look at the $ only sometimes and he looks at the practical side of it. We have never bought a new stock trailer so I hope this will be a good investment for our last trailer. He is wondering if ordering from the dealer in Missouri near the manufacturer would save a lot of money. Maybe go out and look at places with an empty truck and come home with a new trailer. I love this man and the way he thinks (most of the time 🤣)
Click to expand...

I doubt you will regret buying the larger trailer. It will most likely make up the value in saved moving costs alone. If you have to do any overnight stops, look to truck stops. The rooms won't be top notch, but they have big parking lots and won't complain about the animals.

The nicer option is horse bed and breakfasts. It's possible they don't operate during covid as they are private farms. They can be anything from a room in the barn to a fancy set up in the house. They include a corral or stall for a horse. Many could also accommodate a trailer full of critters and you would have access to water for them. They are bring your own feed and clean up before you leave.
 
Yesterday I woke up crazy early but knew I needed more sleep so I had a few shots of a distilled beverage and went back to bed for a 6 hour nap. Woke up feeling decent but was told we needed to go to town to run a couple errands. Got home in time for the community meeting at the firehouse. It is supposed to be an emergency response group to encourage preparedness and make plans on how we can come together for emergency purposes in our small community but so far the meetings have been focused on trying to figure out what is going on in the county related to our area and what the county wants to do with our little volunteer fire department. Supposedly the state of Utah passed some law that requires "an acceptable minimum level of service" for emergency response and the county is trying to reorganize all the volunteer fire departments in the outlying areas. Could be good, could be bad, but if the government is involved most of us think it will be bad.
Got another good night sleep last night, woke up about 7am and feeling decent again. A tumbler full of bourbon on the rocks really helps quiet my brain at night so I can fall asleep. I probably need to do that more often.
I am hoping to work on the last bit of Drywall tape and mud today. If I am lucky I will finish the kitchen/living room today, if I get a little help.
The weather morons changed up their sunny forecast for today and now it is an overcast ugly grey outside with a chance of snow flurries. Why didn't they just leave it alone? :dunno: :ghostly:
 
Ben, thanks for the cable management links!

DoubleR, ugh, sorry the trailer prices went up so high. I hope you can still get a good one.

Inresponse, glad you slept better and felt better.

I'm shivering a little because it's still cold here (for what I'm used to) and I had an allergic reaction to something yesterday. I think the antibiotics I was prescribed. It's weird bc it is not listed as a sulfa drug. Called my doctor and left a message. Waiting for a callback. Can't get through to the pharmacy about it. Gonna need different meds I think. Allergy meds helped a little, but my skin still itches and I feel crappy. My brother is trying in vain to get through to the courthouse about his case (that when he called about last year they told him they had no record of it and suddenly sent him notice of a trial date). He made me a cup of tea to warm me up. Helped a little but I'm still feeling bleh. Need to go to the post office still and pick up more red beans and salted pork.
 
zannej said:
I'm shivering a little because it's still cold here (for what I'm used to)
Click to expand...
Me too! 34 when I went out to the shed. Too cool for me these days!

No walk this morning. Or video--I think I'm getting lazy. Went to rummage sale at 7 and found out it is changed to tomorrow.
Did some errands, Went to local grocery for sales. Our Kroger will be closed permanently in less than a week. Sad. They had some good deals!
Came home and put a turkey in the oven--just came out. Cleaning out freezers as my friend got a deer for us. That will be such a big help to us!
Put groceries away and took eBay photos for DH.
Tonight is the last Prayer night at 5:30.
 
Froze this morning doing animals, but they all fared well. Went into the bigger town for game food and game food starter for the guineas and turkeys. They don't carry it in our small town feedstore. Went to Lowes while we were there and got floor paint for all the upstairs floors, and trim for the bathroom I just did, a small saw that no one else is allowed to touch to cut the trim, and some tack nails. Granddaughter just left for work, and grandson is helping little granddaughter empty her room entirely so I can paint the floor in the morning. Then Sunday we can put it all back. The plan is to do a room a weekend. And it'll help them clean out their junk, too. Grandson is grumpy about all of it, but oh well. I painted the floors maybe 4 years ago upstairs, and they really do need it. The bathroom floor just looks so awesome in comparison. So the guest room will get a workout, and I'll do that one last. Colder than bleech, never got above freezing today, but a fire has heated up the place nicely, and it's about time to get dinner on.
 
Not a good day for me and my wife.
A really good friend I go to church with , died in his sleep this morning.

Later in the day a good friend that lost his house to the tornado, was living in an RV , a propane heater caused a fire then an explosion , he made it out, his dear wife and 18 year old grandughter did not.
The girl always called me papa , she was like my own , and so beautiful and so smart.
I'm devastated.
Heart broke.

Got 3 funerals in next few days.
Please pray for the Culp family and the Mays family.

Jim
 
zannej said:
Inresponse, glad you slept better and felt better.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I actually did a little work today until the others started wanting to eat their late lunch early dinner and got in the way. That was fine i was ready for a break and decided tomorrow with my GF away for 3 days of work and the older kids sleeping in I will be able to move stuff out of the way and get stuff done without interruption.

There were a couple occasions during the day where I felt kinda off but for the most part today was a good day and i didn't have the anxiety or high blood pressure feeling I have felt for far too long. Between diet change to KETO and the variety of supplements I switched to, coupled with a few good nights of sleep thanks to Doctor Bourbon I am hoping I am past the crappy feeling I had far too long.

We got maybe a half inch of snow this afternoon but it melted as soon as the snow stopped. Kind of a micro blizzard for about an hour which was cool but because the ground is warm nothing stayed. Still a grey gloomy day but not bad at all.

I needed to add water to my 100 gallon fish pond in the greenhouse and as I was carrying a bucket of warm water from the bathtub out the back door I saw the bad of rock salt and got the idea to add salt to the fish pond to kill the damn snails. Looked it up, sure enough salt will kill the snails that came in with the aquatic plants the kid put in the pond but I know the guppies can live in salt water (I had them in my salt water tank years ago) and research showed the Cory Catfish and the Plecostomus can both handle a little salt in the water. I will add the salt gradually until the snails go away then gradually change out the water to reduce the salt. I can finally get rid of the damn snails. dancing chicken
 
Prayers going up for both families, and for yours as well. That is devastating.

Found out yesterday one of my techs probably had been expoused to covid Wed. Per company policy now, he moved to a seperate building where he has a second shop area and is isolated. Has to use an N95 mask for now. He'll get tested Monday morning. If negative continue working with the mask. If positive he'll go on short term disability until he test negative. He has an outside vendor coming in to do some training with him next week. UGH. My other techs hadn't had close contact with him, so should be fine.
Been working on several projects this week, one we hope to finish Monday, weather permitting. Others getting material ordered and projects lined up. I took off an hour early today to try and beat traffic. Dropped off a couple old chain saws to get tuned up and checked out. I feel like they could be very important in the near future and want them in tip top shape. Also got some dormant oil to spray the fruit trees and hopefully get a decent harvest this year. Also got a few other items including a 1 1/2" drill bit for an upcoming project I will need to cut a couple of mortices for. That bit and a chisel will do a good job, as long as I get the layout right. Left there and went by the fun store to drool a bit.
Sitting at home now with a nice glass of brandy talking to you fine folks.
 
phideaux said:
Not a good day for me and my wife.
A really good friend I go to church with , died in his sleep this morning.

Later in the day a good friend that lost his house to the tornado, was living in an RV , a propane heater caused a fire then an explosion , he made it out, his dear wife and 18 year old grandughter did not.
The girl always called me papa , she was like my own , and so beautiful and so smart.
I'm devastated.
Heart broke.

Got 3 funerals in next few days.
Please pray for the Culp family and the Mays family.

Jim
Click to expand...

Sorry for your loss. May they Rest In Peace.
 
It got just above freezing here today. The water tank for the chickens was only part ice. I'd purposely let the tank almost run out of water knowing this would happen. I took a couple gallons of hot water for the tank. Hot to melt the ice and stay liquid long enough for the chickens to get plenty to drink... repeat tomorrow.

It was just too cold to do anything substantive out side. I made sure the critters had extra food and called it a day. Got laundry going...

Bout killed myself earlier, tripped over a dog. They've been inside most of the day. I forgot for a moment, now my neck hurts. :( Oh well, if that's all I have to complain about it was a good day...
 
phideaux said:
Not a good day for me and my wife.
A really good friend I go to church with , died in his sleep this morning.

Later in the day a good friend that lost his house to the tornado, was living in an RV , a propane heater caused a fire then an explosion , he made it out, his dear wife and 18 year old grandughter did not.
The girl always called me papa , she was like my own , and so beautiful and so smart.
I'm devastated.
Heart broke.

Got 3 funerals in next few days.
Please pray for the Culp family and the Mays family.

Jim
Click to expand...
I cannot think of a worse way to lose someone, let alone two family members. They do say deaths come in 3's. So sorry for your loss.

Cold and wet day here. Two dogs and two dog parks this morning and then the snow started. I was going to get my third dog and the owner texted. It has been a cold week, and I decided to go home, which she was encouraging me to do.

One client whose wonderful dog I hadn't seen this week until this morning has a fairly steep driveway. One of the reasons I hadn't seen him was because of how icy everything was. Their driveway was icy, and I worked to not slip and fall, one of my concerns. I stayed on my feet, but their dog was slipping and sliding. After we got to the dog park, I texted and asked them if it was okay if I put down some de-icer at their place because it was icy. He apologized and said he would do so. They hadn't been out and didn't realize that it was icy. I understand that. When the weather is not good, I stay in, except to put out de-icer or to shovel. We have had temps hovering around 32, give or take, and it can rain and snow on the same day, like it did today. Right now it is 32, and it rained and snowed today. My walks have de-icer on them for the foot traffic that goes by.
 
Last edited:
Had some errands to run in Des Moines today. Went out to fire up the Equinox and the battery was dead. It turned over once and went "click". It was parked nose to tail with my truck so I couldn't jump it. I got my jump pack out and it was dead too. So I shoveled snow for a half hour to make enough of a path through the grass for me to back the truck out around the Equinox. Then I added buying a battery to my list of errands since the current one is five years old.

Got my errands done, found out car batteries went up a lot. It was almost $150 for a good battery... After that I had a sort of a date with feisty redhead. We agreed to meet again when I get back from New Mexico. That should be interesting. 😎 Last of all I picked my daughter up on my way home. She is out of her Covid quarantine now. Hope she's not still contagious. I made her favorite, burgers and tater tots for supper. Now I'm farting around on the forum and she's doing online homework.
 
Spikedriver said:
Had some errands to run in Des Moines today. Went out to fire up the Equinox and the battery was dead. It turned over once and went "click". It was parked nose to tail with my truck so I couldn't jump it. I got my jump pack out and it was dead too. So I shoveled snow for a half hour to make enough of a path through the grass for me to back the truck out around the Equinox. Then I added buying a battery to my list of errands since the current one is five years old.

Got my errands done, found out car batteries went up a lot. It was almost $150 for a good battery... After that I had a sort of a date with feisty redhead. We agreed to meet again when I get back from New Mexico. That should be interesting. 😎 Last of all I picked my daughter up on my way home. She is out of her Covid quarantine now. Hope she's not still contagious. I made her favorite, burgers and tater tots for supper. Now I'm farting around on the forum and she's doing online homework.
Click to expand...
So you brought little miss short shorts home? :ghostly:
 
Bacpacker said:
So you brought little miss short shorts home? :ghostly:
Click to expand...
No, lil miss short shorts is chilling her bare buns somewhere in Chicago. Lil miss redhead is my age, manages a store, is originally from Texas and still talks like it. And you never know what will come out of her mouth. I'm a railroader, we talk like sailors, but she can make me blush...
 
Thanks @Spikedriver I need a battery for my 02 silverado. I forgot when I took dad to the doctor. I looked at my battery on a cold day last week. It was dragging during start. Dad used to play musical batteries here on the farm. I think this battery came out of one of the tractors. In fact I know it did. The warranty ended in 2017, I think it's time for a new one.

I don't play around. When something needs replaced on my primary vehicle I get a new replacement. Dad will swap batteries around for a month until he finds one that sort of works. :rolleyes: Drives me nuts sometimes!!!
 
Finally had a good test for one of my experiments today, heated waterers for my quail. I was using trough waterers that were freezing up almost instantly, so I was going out 1-2 times a day to knock out the ice and refill. I ended up getting a couple of 2 gal nipple style chicken waterers: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0756P9KN5 and put an aquarium heater in each one. The water is staying a balmy 40 degrees, and the nipples aren't freezing up even when it dips into the teens. The added bonus is that the quail lay their eggs next to the waterers where the temp is warm enough to keep them from freezing too. I love it when a plan comes together!
 
Peanut said:
I don't play around. When something needs replaced on my primary vehicle I get a new replacement.
Click to expand...
I'm with you. If my car won't start without being jumped, my next stop is to get it figured out. Of course, those batteries are not light and it is a pain to take them out. I'm like this with all thing related to my car. Flat tire, next stop is getting it repaired or replaced. I worked with a woman who didn't do this. Day after day I would see her getting her car jumped.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top