Happy Holidays

From the denizens of Stratheden Farm, two and four legged, come wishes to our dear friends for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Bye-bye, Biddy

Yet another foster dog has found a permanent home. Lil' Bit (aka Biddy) came to us in the summer. She had been left in a backyard when her owners moved to New England.  She was in line for euthanasia at the animal pound so we (OK, Mr. Fuzzy) took her in...

Oh boy, talk about issues. She didn't even know how to play with other dogs, which puzzled Rufus and Rocky mightily. Having never seen a cat, she pretty much ignored them. It didn't take very long to learn she wasn't housebroken... She was very affectionate and pretty smart to after Mrs. Fuzzy worked with her for many hours, she became a pretty good dog - good enough to put up for adoption at last.

Now she lives in luxury in Radford, with a retired couple who are doting and experienced dog owners. May they enjoy many happy years together.

Here she is, on the right, with Rufus on the left, the day before her adoption.

Boarders

First, devoted reader, Mr. Fuzzy wishes to apologize for the paucity of posts of recent. He spent eight days with an upper respiratory infection, including pneumonia in one lung, that really laid him out like a Turkish rug. The Doctor has recently pronounced him free of contagion but he is also free of any energy.

The farm's production was not plentiful this year, the summer's drought diminished all growth, even the worst of the weeds. Spring was wet, warm and full of promise but the tap to the sky was closed the first week of June and not reopened until September. Gardens were fair at best and the remainder of the farm yielded but little compared to a normal year.

The Fuzzys shall not complain of pecuniary deficiencies but suffice it to say that Mrs. Fuzzy has taken in boarders for the winter. Find below an image of the foul foursome now dwelling on Stratheden Farm..

An anniversary

In many ways it seems much longer ago, but three years ago today, almost at this exact hour, Mr. Fuzzy, Miss Lily, Penske and Flora came to a halt after a 1,650 mile epic journey across the heartland of America. The sun would be illuminating Stratheden Farm for less than an hour but the sight was glorious: our new home.

The planets waltzing

A simple image for your viewing pleasure, devoted reader: the Moon & Venus about November 26th. This is a remarkable challenge for the digital camera - this image was shot at 6:58 p.m. and the sun had sat at 5:18 p.m., or an hour and three quarters before this photo was made. Mr. Fuzzy's eye could barely perceive any colour in the sky and absolutely did not see the moon's ring. The camera was functioning at an equivalent ISO of 6,400 and this was shot hand-held. Yes, there is a lot of 'noise' in the image but with film, this simply would not have been possible. Hopefully, good reader, you have been more edified by the image of Nature in Her Grandeur than bored by Mr. Fuzzy's ramblings.

Remember that you may click on the image to view it in a larger format...

all the changes...

In the last ten days, the weather has swung from unseasonably cold to unseasonably warm and as of today, back to winter. In fact, it spit snow much of Tuesday and some parts of the county had an accumulation.This new front brought about 2 and a half inches of lashing rains rains last night, enough to fill the new pond about 50% (hurray). More on the pond in a subsequent post, oh impatient reader!

The water heater finally arrived Monday afternoon and the installers came on Wednesday morning. After removing the old boiler (in order to get the dead water heater out and the new one in), they hooked up the Rheem and off it flew - HOT WATER in the house after 15 long days. This photo of the new Rheem unit will probably serve as proof that beauty is in the eye of the beholder - Mr. & Mrs. Fuzzy probably find it far more fetching and beautiful than you, our dear reader.