Life on a family farm
in the wilds of
Upstate New York
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Weather woes
I guess a good part of the nation has 'em. We were "blessed" with around three inches of rain yesterday, most of it all at once. (We are thinking of applying to become a national park as the driveways resemble canyons.) Up by Vernon, on Sunday, we were traveling just behind a serious hail storm (Liz only went around 45 mph so we could stay behind it. People, of course, were passing her, and in a couple miles we would find them sitting beside the road waiting for it to go away). Corn fields were almost completely stripped of leaves by the hail and pastured heifers were running in circles, probably frightened by the bombardment. The boss just came in from talking to our milk truck driver and he said that he nearly slid through an intersection south of here because there was hail piled so high in the road.
On the plus side we stayed home from Altamont Fair this year for various reasons. Yesterday was truck in. We sat in the living room waiting for the downpour to let up and sent good thoughts to the poor souls who were trying to get animals hauled in to the fair and made comfortable. Altamont is a nice fair, but the fair grounds sits in a little hollow surrounded by mountains. Storms tend to get stuck in there and wreak havoc.
Anyhow, here are a couple of videos from the rodeo Liz took me to Sunday. One is Reese Cates, who eventually won the whole thing and the other is Kody Lostroh, who made some nice rides and is a really nice guy. (Liz has corresponded with him on line for a while and finally got up nerve enough to introduce herself...he was very pleasant.)
Tipper, we have had so much it is just ridiculous. Even big farmers with lots of help, no cows and top of the line equipment can't make hay. I wish we could send it to you.
Not sure when the rainy weather is going to end but it won't be soon enough for any of us for sure! We all need a solid week of hot, dry weather to dry out our hay fields. Will you be able to make hay if things do dry out?
3C, sorry about the rain and it's attending nastiness. Does tend to make one worry a bit, doesn't it? On the other end of the country, nothing but blue skies and great boating weather.... (check pics on my clikety linky thing on AIM)
Nita, well, we got one good day...so naturally the diskbine broke....thanks
FC, what a summer!
Paints, it was still pretty nice
Aussie O, yeah we did, but they just chopped it up for the bag. We don't have a singe bale yet and most valley farmers aren't much better off. As to the rodeo, thanks ...I can barely watch it except from behind the camera. Those guys are tough...but kind of crazy too...ouch!
deb, one disaster after another this summer. Besides the weather they were mowing yesterday and the disk bine broke...looks like major gear box repair. It's a great life if you don't weaken. There are still a few weeks left where baling will be possible if we get some weather. We could survive with just bags of haylage, but we can't even get the good fields there. Too wet. thanks
Steve, thanks, it sounds lovely. I love your pics. mmmmm went and checked them out, sunny and blue and lovely indeed! And yes, you should indeed start a blog....a photo blog. You have a lot of talent and should share.
Morning, So sad you won't be at the Altamont Fair - I was going to look for you specifically tomorrow!!! I understand though, and I was thinking of those hauing in as well. It's not fun at all, I've done it with the llamas in MA. Yuck. Oddly, although we've gotten TONS of rain too, the hail and biggest storms like last Thursday have missed us by about 1/2 a mile. Odd indeed. Rodeo videos were great-thanks for sharing!
Sorry Teri, I was really looking forward to getting to talk to you again. However, many circumstances have combined to make us glad Liz stayed home. Her best cow has a swollen leg, which hopefully will heal in time for Fonda Fair. We think she got stung, but, wow, she sure isn't ready for the show ring. I know you don't travel if you don't have to (me neither) but if you get to Fonda, we are planning on being there.
I'm tired of the rain but feeling really lucky that we missed out on the hail. The apple crop here in Oswego Co really took a beating. I hope things are drying out down your way today too!
I love to watch Rodeos!! And I still wish you could send some raind down here.
ReplyDeleteTipper, we have had so much it is just ridiculous. Even big farmers with lots of help, no cows and top of the line equipment can't make hay. I wish we could send it to you.
ReplyDeleteSorry you're still getting rain - ouch!
ReplyDeleteRain all day here too!
ReplyDeleteAhh Kody and Reese. Only way it could have been better is if we could have added a "Cord" to the mix!
ReplyDeleteThree inches - that's alot! Did you have any hay down when it rained?
ReplyDeleteNice videos....That must have hurt, getting slammed into the side of the arena.
Not sure when the rainy weather is going to end but it won't be soon enough for any of us for sure!
ReplyDeleteWe all need a solid week of hot, dry weather to dry out our hay fields. Will you be able to make hay if things do dry out?
3C, sorry about the rain and it's attending nastiness. Does tend to make one worry a bit, doesn't it? On the other end of the country, nothing but blue skies and great boating weather.... (check pics on my clikety linky thing on AIM)
ReplyDelete(Really should start a blog some day, huh?)
Nita, well, we got one good day...so naturally the diskbine broke....thanks
ReplyDeleteFC, what a summer!
Paints, it was still pretty nice
Aussie O, yeah we did, but they just chopped it up for the bag. We don't have a singe bale yet and most valley farmers aren't much better off.
As to the rodeo, thanks ...I can barely watch it except from behind the camera. Those guys are tough...but kind of crazy too...ouch!
deb, one disaster after another this summer. Besides the weather they were mowing yesterday and the disk bine broke...looks like major gear box repair. It's a great life if you don't weaken. There are still a few weeks left where baling will be possible if we get some weather. We could survive with just bags of haylage, but we can't even get the good fields there. Too wet. thanks
Steve, thanks, it sounds lovely. I love your pics. mmmmm went and checked them out, sunny and blue and lovely indeed!
And yes, you should indeed start a blog....a photo blog. You have a lot of talent and should share.
Morning,
ReplyDeleteSo sad you won't be at the Altamont Fair - I was going to look for you specifically tomorrow!!! I understand though, and I was thinking of those hauing in as well. It's not fun at all, I've done it with the llamas in MA. Yuck.
Oddly, although we've gotten TONS of rain too, the hail and biggest storms like last Thursday have missed us by about 1/2 a mile. Odd indeed.
Rodeo videos were great-thanks for sharing!
Sorry Teri, I was really looking forward to getting to talk to you again. However, many circumstances have combined to make us glad Liz stayed home. Her best cow has a swollen leg, which hopefully will heal in time for Fonda Fair. We think she got stung, but, wow, she sure isn't ready for the show ring. I know you don't travel if you don't have to (me neither) but if you get to Fonda, we are planning on being there.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of the rain but feeling really lucky that we missed out on the hail. The apple crop here in Oswego Co really took a beating. I hope things are drying out down your way today too!
ReplyDeleteThe state of NY broke all kinds of records with the number of hail events this year. And the record was broken by a lot.
ReplyDeleteApple, we have missed the hail too and we are praying that we continue to do so. Damage is awful where it has hit
ReplyDeleteWR, I can't believe we are having another year like this. It is beginning to feel like 2006 and that was a bad one. Very bad.