Foggy's Deertopia Proving Grounds - Happenings

[Bowsnbucks]

We've had crappy plots of some things the last 2 years because of no rain. We do all the recommended steps to get good plots - then they dry up. It's not all of our plots - but some suffer with drought.
I hope your experiments prove out for you, SD.

 

[Foggy47]

As long as we are drifting afar from FOGGY'S DEERTOPIA PROVING GROUNDS HAPPENINGS.......I had a colonoscopy today and had a great outcome. Grin. (edit.....no offense.....I do the same thing)

 

[Skeeter]

Did you use the pre-procedure byproducts to enhance any food plots?

As long as we are drifting afar from FOGGY'S DEERTOPIA PROVING GROUNDS HAPPENINGS.......I had a colonoscopy today and had a great outcome. Grin. (edit.....no offense.....I do the same thing)

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Did you use the pre-procedure byproducts to enhance any food plots?

Just have someone else drive - and have Foggy sit on the back rack of a 4-wheeler. Live "manure spreader" !!

 

[Foggy47]

Had a short list of projects to complete in order to prepare for fall. I got the correct bolt replaced in the chain idler on my drill and got the foam marker drops completed. Then I welded a reciever to my bucket so that I could mount my Herd seeder up front. This will allow me to overseed brassica into tall standing crops and to reseed some bare spots without doing allot of walking. I have the small seed blocker plate installed and can broadcast as little as 3 lbs / acre with this set up. I had to rig the pull cords to open / close the gate and get an extension wire to operate the spinner. Check.

Also changed the settings on the 3 point cone spreader so that it will sling seed more evenly across my plots. Was surprised those bolts were not frozen....but they came loose really nice. Easy peasy.

As I was doing this......we got one heck of a downpour. I suppose it rained for an hour and I picked up a MUCH NEEDED 3/4" of rain. That is the first meaningful rain in all of July. It may be a bit late for some of my brassica......I'll know more in a week. Grateful for this rain is an understatement. As it was raining.....I decided to give the tractor a quick wash.....so I parked it outside and had lunch in my truck. Gotta take advantage of free tractor washes when they come along. Grin.

I was considering that it could work pretty slick to seed at a low width (I can control the width by the speed of my spinner) and follow the seed with a cultipacker on the three point. This could work good for trails and such. Or for some spot seeding in plots. In late August....I do plan to seed my clover into brassica plots and have the cyclone spreader on the back throwing rye. Not sure if I can do them both at the same time......but I may give it a whirl (pardon the pun).

 

[Bill]

As long as we are drifting afar from FOGGY'S DEERTOPIA PROVING GROUNDS HAPPENINGS.......I had a colonoscopy today and had a great outcome. Grin. (edit.....no offense.....I do the same thing)

It's the only Tattoo I have.

If you don't get that.....
sometimes the Doc tattoo's a small spot in there to look at it close next time he's in there

 

[Foggy47]

It's the only Tattoo I have.

If you don't get that.....
sometimes the Doc tattoo's a small spot in there to look at it close next time he's in there

^ Yep.....I got to see my tattoo while having this procedure. LOL. Hardly remembered it....until you said. Strange thing how you are half awake thru that proceedure.....but cannot recall much. I had a pretty big pallup removed on my last "inspection". This one was a non-event. Glad that is done for a few years......or maybe forever? At this point I guess it's optional for me.....depending on other circumstances.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

As I was doing this......we got one heck of a downpour. I suppose it rained for an hour and I picked up a MUCH NEEDED 3/4" of rain. That is the first meaningful rain in all of July.

Especially considering it’s August!

Hope your brassicas hang in there!

 

[Foggy47]

Especially considering it’s August!

Hope your brassicas hang in there!

Yeah....well me too. I have huge concerns that my brassica is toast in some areas. I considered trying to seed some more today.......but decided to wait a week and see what happens after this rain. Maybe I can get a good surprise?? Too toon to tell. Some low areas will pull through I'm sure.....just 80% of the rest of my ground is a concern. AND....it looks like the clover is coming back on now.

It's a crap shoot. Lots to consider.

 

[Foggy47]

I posted my welding in #125 above......and later felt how insensitive I was toward those that are on solar power......like SD. In light of my insensativity toward those less inlined to be on the grid....... I thought I would post a pic of a solar welding set up that may (or may not) have gotten the job done today. Here is one such (suspect) set up. Myself?.....I prefer plug and play. I also used a sawzall and an offset grinder.....as well as a grinding wheel in my efforts to produce my end result. I suppose it all can be done with solar.....given enough batteries, solar and time. Whatever. Have I mentioned that I am pro-grid? Grin.

 

[SD51555]

I posted my welding in #125 above......and later felt how insensitive I was toward those that are on solar power......like SD. In light of my insensativity toward those less inlined to be on the grid....... I thought I would post a pic of a solar welding set up that may (or may not) have gotten the job done today. Here is one such (suspect) set up. Myself?.....I prefer plug and play. I also used a sawzall and an offset grinder.....as well as a grinding wheel in my efforts to produce my end result. I suppose it all can be done with solar.....given enough batteries, solar and time. Whatever. Have I mentioned that I am pro-grid? Grin.

Grid is vulnerable. Dogwood Power Inc has had zero outages since it's inception. Even when there were hiccups, there were no power outages. Next summer, the solar will have paid for itself for the third time. This year, I've only logged 4 days where I wish I had more power to run AC.

Side note, I'm likely taking the weekend off from the big dig. Because I got at least 3/4" of rain today, I'm gonna take saturday to mow and get the grow going for fall. I'm really excited to get my sweet clover plot down and restarted. Lots to see in the weeks ahead.

 

[Foggy47]

Grid is vulnerable. Dogwood Power Inc has had zero outages since it's inception. Even when there were hiccups, there were no power outages. Next summer, the solar will have paid for itself for the third time. This year, I've only logged 4 days where I wish I had more power to run AC.

Side note, I'm likely taking the weekend off from the big dig. Because I got at least 3/4" of rain today, I'm gonna take saturday to mow and get the grow going for fall. I'm really excited to get my sweet clover plot down and restarted. Lots to see in the weeks ahead.

You don't need to justify your solar issues to me. Go for it. Enjoy what you got......as will I. Diesel, Gas, Grid, Fibre Optic, Cable TV, HVAC, well pump, electric heat, refrigeration.....it's all good. Grin. Did I mention welding and power tools? Wink.

Last year I think I averaged about $15 / month in electric costs. Less than $200 / year.....and no maintenance. What am I missing?

EDIT: Annual cost turns out to be about $500 for me. I guess I am remembering the old days.

 

[SD51555]

You don't need to justify your solar issues to me. Go for it. Enjoy what you got......as will I. Diesel, Gas, Grid, Fibre Optic, Cable TV, HVAC, well pump, electric heat, refrigeration.....it's all good. Grin. Did I mention welding and power tools? Wink.

Last year I think I averaged about $15 / month in electric costs. Less than $200 / year.....and no maintenance. What am I missing?

We're on a different co-op in my area. You cannot have a meter for less than $50/mo just for the base charge. And that hasn't changed in probably 7 years. I'd expect they're going to need to raise that because there are a lot of places that are going to be abandoned in our area because the people living there won't be able to keep up their homes any longer. All those little towns up by me are falling apart.

 

[Foggy47]

We're on a different co-op in my area. You cannot have a meter for less than $50/mo just for the base charge. And that hasn't changed in probably 7 years. I'd expect they're going to need to raise that because there are a lot of places that are going to be abandoned in our area because the people living there won't be able to keep up their homes any longer. All those little towns up by me are falling apart.

'Ya-see that is the difference in our thought process.........

1. Progressives feel that they need to increase the monthly rates as too many will not connect at the $50 / month plan and they need more money.
2. Supply siders think that if they reduce the monthly rate more folks will sign on and it will reduce the per user fees.
3. Socialists feel that we are all entitled to power and government should provide for us regardless of the costs.
4. Solar guys think "screw 'em all"........who needs to pay anything (if I buy enough storage batteries and solar gear...lol).
5. Wind power guys are just goofy.

 

[TenPoint]

We're on a different co-op in my area. You cannot have a meter for less than $50/mo just for the base charge. And that hasn't changed in probably 7 years. I'd expect they're going to need to raise that because there are a lot of places that are going to be abandoned in our area because the people living there won't be able to keep up their homes any longer. All those little towns up by me are falling apart.

Yea I don't get that. Unless Foggy is just saying what amount of electricity he's using and not including the base cost. Because everything I've seen has a minimum charge just for the service in the range you stated.

 

[Brian662]

Electric bill last month at my camp was $58, with a base charge of ~$40, SW WI.

 

[Tree Spud]

Electric bill last month at my camp was $58, with a base charge of ~$40, SW WI.

I never look at our electric bill ... it is what it is.

 

[goatman]

Yep Foggy. I'm a retired and tired rural electric lineman. Could you better explain your light bill? My Coop is one of the smallest in the state. Our facility charge is at $50/month. Our meters per mile of line was less than 3. Always remember that Coops are owned by the members.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

My monthly service fee just to have grid power (which I use less than 10 times/year) is in that $50/month neighborhood too.

 

[Foggy47]

My wife and I were just talking. At one point our bill was about $20 / month.....but, she tells me that it's now from $30 to $40 / month. It does get higher in November when I heat our cabin.

Edit. Here is Crow Wing Power Company's rates:

View our electric rates below:​

Residential Energy Rates
First 2500 kWh/month: 10.9 cents/kWh (includes PCA)
Excess: 10.5 cents/kWh (includes PCA)
*Service Availability Charge: $24 per month
Summer (June, July, August): Additional PCA increase of 1.5 cents/kWh.