Cold

[1982vett]

Internet and phones have been real spotty here as well.
I don't know if the towers are overloaded or ice is impacting them.
They are all on generator backup.

Same here. Internet comes and goes. A little strange, seems we can alternate between the internet provider and cell hotspot, one goes down and the other come up. But for some reason I can't get the tv to see the cell hotspot. Wife is handling the tv being out ok, but don't mess with her texting!

 

[greybeard]

Apparently everyone elses has as well.
Not one to be found for sale anywhere.
I did pick up a handy lil hatchet tho!

A man should always keep a backup axe. or 2 or 3..


The racket thing I was going to make a dip net with but my wife uses it to swat bumble bees with. She hates 'em like I do trees

 

[gcreekrch]

Same here. Internet comes and goes. A little strange, seems we can alternate between the internet provider and cell hotspot, one goes down and the other come up. But for some reason I can't get the tv to see the cell hotspot. Wife is handling the tv being out ok, but don't mess with her texting!

Wait until it gets cold enough to freeze the radio waves......

 

[Lee VanRoss]

You guys that are not use to running a tractor on ice be sure to keep the bale low to the ground until you are ready to
put it in the feeder. It can get squirelly in a heartbeat if you aren't careful BE SAFE

 

[ees2guns]

Seriously, it is a mass of birds. I could not guess how many are in a flock like that. You see them out in the fields mostly rice fields. The way they rise and fall, moving in unison. Seems like millions.

There will be a flock fly over and it might take five minuets before it stops going over. I am on a ridge with flat fields a few miles away east and west of me. Sometimes they stop in the big oaks in my yard and then they really make a racket chirping, talking that jive bird talk.

I've thought about taking a shot gun out when they buzz over and see how many fall with a single blast.

I lived in rural Missouri many years ago, Had a Ash tree close to the house that was always full of sparrows. Fired a twelve gauge into the canopy and 12 sparrows fell to the ground.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Minnesota shelters are bringing up dogs and cats from Texas. Looked like a lot of pit bulls in the mix. I am full up on those, but I would be willing to rescue a couple bred heifers.

 

[HDRider]

So birds are eating out of your bird feeders?

Ugly ones. I need a bouncer bird. I only what the beautiful birds at my feeder

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Ugly ones. I need a bouncer bird. I only what the beautiful birds at my feeder

Blue Jays will do that.

 

[Dusty Britches]

I am so glad I looked ahead on the forecast last week and put out extra hay to carry them through the week. And, I have some areas of heavy brush that shields the stock from the wind and provides a little cover from rain and snow yet is not under the trees. This is one of the several reasons I like the cedars. They provide a lot of weather breaks. The cedar oils that the cows pick up when rubbing on the trees helps reduce bug populations, too.

I think we are starting to climb out of this mess. I actually have been 12+ hours with electricity.

 

[callmefence]

I am so glad I looked ahead on the forecast last week and put out extra hay to carry them through the week. And, I have some areas of heavy brush that shields the stock from the wind and provides a little cover from rain and snow yet is not under the trees. This is one of the several reasons I like the cedars. They provide a lot of weather breaks. The cedar oils that the cows pick up when rubbing on the trees helps reduce bug populations, too.

I think we are starting to climb out of this mess. I actually have been 12+ hours with electricity.

Had power all night last night. Getting a little warmer and I hear the got that big nuclear plant back up.
I'm wondering how our grasses are going to take this. 0 degrees could wipe out years of work I've spent on improving grasses. .......I wonder how cold does it have to get to kill californians????

 

[gooberland]

I too have been wondering about the grasses.. concerned about the coastal, more concerned about the Tifton.

 

[Little Joe]

It quit snowing here some time in the early morning hours,I haven't measured today but we ended up over a foot between the two rounds. I have one well house I drain when it's going to get below freezing because it's not insulated well and no heat lamp. I was watering out of my other well house that is insulated and has heat lamp, I was using 300' of water hose that I'm keeping in the garage with the wood stove going. Pipes froze and busted in that well house a few days ago so I've had to resort to watering out of hydrant on side of house that is on rural water. Putting out hay with 2wd tractor was fun yesterday, didn't want to get traction when you got to an incline. I've got a 4 wheel drive truck so we've been out a few times, Tuesday had to go into work because I had a heater go down and it was an area with bathrooms and it had gotten down to 38. Luckily all our HVAC units are on smart thermostats or controls so I can see them on my computer at home and see what they're set on and what the room temp is. Yesterday we got out and delivered groceries to my daughter-in-law's sister, her parents live about 30 miles away and only own 2wd vehicles, she was out of stuff and has a little car only and couldn't get out.

 

[alacowman1]

You guys that are not use to running a tractor on ice be sure to keep the bale low to the ground until you are ready to
put it in the feeder. It can get squirelly in a heartbeat if you aren't careful BE SAFE

Knew a guy that got killed in that situation..tractor slide backward and came to a quick stop..the bale flipped off the loader right on top of him..

 

[callmefence]

I too have been wondering about the grasses.. concerned about the coastal, more concerned about the Tifton.

Yes I'd be worried about Tifton. I overseeded my coastal with giant over the past few years. It was already greening up before this front.
At least with the seeded grass I should have seed in the bank.

 

[SmokinM]

Can't speak on the Tiff but bermudas and wire grasses should be fine. Unfortunately Californians are like weeds and near impossible to kill and very invasive.

 

[Brute 23]

There are people down here who had already disked or ran pasture renovators thru their bermuda. It's like once one person does it they all just blindly jump out there and do it. They are going to take a beating. Plus, it's still supposed to be dry next year.

 

[callmefence]

There are people down here who had already disked or ran pasture renovators thru their bermuda. It's like once one person does it they all just blindly jump out there and do it. They are going to take a beating. Plus, it's still supposed to be dry next year.

I left a job site early last week to go get a spreader and a few tons of urea to put on oats and ryegrass I planned to bale. Had a problem come up and had to put it off... I don't usually get that lucky.

 

[4hfarms]

.

I've thought about taking a shot gun out when they buzz over and see how many fall with a single blast.

I hunted at my father's cousins farm in southern Illinois a few decades back. It was surrounded by university land crop production. ALOT of birds to say the least. Her husband would shoot a 20ga into the trees around his drive every morning and breast the birds that fell. Into the freezer they went. His bag was about 1/3 full when I saw him add to it. He told me thatthat when his bag was full he made pasta sauce with meat...... yeah the pasta he made when we arrived two nights prior was delicious.

 

[gooberland]

Yes I'd be worried about Tifton. I overseeded my coastal with giant over the past few years. It was already greening up before this front.
At least with the seeded grass I should have seed in the bank.

I guess we will all have learned a lot this week... some expensive lessons though I pray I forget it all before I need to draw on them.

Definitely an advantage to the seeded grasses though.

 

[Mrcopier]

Seriously, it is a mass of birds. I could not guess how many are in a flock like that. You see them out in the fields mostly rice fields. The way they rise and fall, moving in unison. Seems like millions.

There will be a flock fly over and it might take five minuets before it stops going over. I am on a ridge with flat fields a few miles away east and west of me. Sometimes they stop in the big oaks in my yard and then they really make a racket chirping, talking that jive bird talk.

I've thought about taking a shot gun out when they buzz over and see how many fall with a single blast.

I shot at them many years ago in a rice field after it had been harvested and 2 shots netted 75 birds couldn't believe that. Filled 2 paper grocery sacks. Talked my mom into making black bird gumbo. I NEVER asked her to do that again