Stratheden Farm: The Blog

Floyd County Values

2012-02-04T14:54:00.000-05:00

The Fuzzies attended the Friday night music at The Floyd County Store last eve. As usual, three bands play about an hour each, all for a $5.00 admission. The sequencing of the musicians is ordinarily (and so it was last night): Gospel, Old Time for dancing and Country Dance. Although the main draw for the Fuzzies was Janet Turner, a 70-something sliver haired local woman with the voice of an angel, the final band, The Jugbusters, was a wild romp of of a string band who sure knew how to lure folks on to the dance floor and keep them there.

But this is a digression from the topic at hand... Mr. Fuzzy is so very bad about that.

As the music & merriment was about to commence last night, before all else, a benediction was invoked. As best recalled: "Lord, thank you for bringing us together in brotherly love and affection to share our music, bless the Crenshaws for providing us this place, and we ask you deliver everyone here safely back to their homes. Amen." That's Floyd County - humble, thankful, succinct, inclusive, sincere.

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to Mrs. Crenshaw (who I believe is English) - she and her husband own The Country Store. She related that an English couple in attendance one Friday night had told her about their eight week motorcycle tour of the United States. The tour was nearly over, they were headed tot he East Coast and thence back to Great Britain. She told Mrs.Crenshaw, "We spent eight weeks looking for America and didn't find it until we came to Floyd." Mr. Fuzzy says "amen" to that, and hopes he does not live long enough to see it ruined.

More kudos for Floyd County. You recall the recent link to the Smithsonian article? Lonely Planet, publishers of the Fuzzies' favourite travel guides, in their new release, 5 of the USA's Best Trips, begins with Virginia's Crooked Road. The Floyd Country store is one of the landmark stops on that road. Y'all come dancing, you hear?

the word is: Green

2012-02-02T17:26:00.000-05:00

Blessed readers, my apologies for slacking off so severely. You may both flog me at CLA in August...

Let it be clear that Mr. Fuzzy is not complaining in this post. Nor is he bragging. But he is content with the near total absence of winter this season. Yes, indeed, the mercury has kissed the 15F degree mark several times but never has it lounged about but instead sought to rise to higher goals. There were also few prolonged periods of lingering gray clouds. The Creator brought regular precipitation and the soil is thoroughly dampened at least a foot deep. The wee springs on the farm seem to have totally recovered from the severe stresses of the summer drought. For once, there may have been enough wood in the woodpile to last the cold nights (the new woodpile has just begun for next winter, all locust thus far). Several days have been in the high 50s recently although a moderation is due tomorrow (but still not freezing night temperatures).

The chicken have shown us in the last several days that insects are beginning to emerge from the ground. They have wandered further afield and are pursuing delectable dining with a cocky passion.

The flora of Stratheden are also breaking their winter sleep. Wild onions emerged a month ago and are now nearly to full size. The wild roses, always the first forest floor plant to leaf, is doing so. Cool season grasses, which barely entered dormancy, are not only green but growing rapidly. The iris in a sheltered position near a warm wall are half grown already!

This leaves Mr. Fuzzy in quite a dilemma given that today's date is February 2nd. The bulbs and rhizomes need to be fed very, very soon if the available nutrition is to arrive at the proper time of growth. Nonetheless, the odds of snow and a killing hard freeze are nearly certain. If the application is held for a fortnight, it will be too late. Is it better for the plants to be underfed and bloom poorly or receive good support and have their new growth all freeze dead? Regardless, it is safe to apply lime to balance the acid soil of the farm... and Mr. Fuzzy purchased bags of a new pelleted form today for immediate use.

Any sage advice regarding the Salvia?

You shall be receive prompt notification of any new weather conditions, fear not.

Fog and freezing fog

2012-01-23T18:11:00.001-05:00

The unusual weather continues this winter. For about 36 hours, a freezing fog enveloped much of Floyd county, showering Stratheden's flora with her icy kisses. Mr. Fuzzy finds great visual pleasure in such atmospheric phenomena and took his camera for an ambulation about the grounds mid-day on Sunday.

The presence, or lack thereof, of icy crystals on trees, weeds and wires demonstrated the fickle nature of freezing condensation. The air nearest the ground was warmed by heat emanating from it, thus, no icy attachments near to the surface. A few feet above, however, the conditions were quite different; ice formed on anything hanging on this barbed wire fence (in the case of the image above, a Black Angus hair) but not the fence - yet barely one hundred feet away and slightly lower in elevation, ice formed on the east side of the wire.

Further back on the farm, towards Long Man creek, the moisture in the air was far greater and ice was forming madly - but only up in the clouds, about twenty feet above the ground. It demonstrated clearly that the grey veil which hung over the farm was a cloud descending from the heavens rather than ground fog attempting to rise above its station.

Mr. Fuzzy has all of his life been attracted to such days, which he attributes to his Scottish genes. Except for the plethora of trees, Stratheden Farm could have been anywhere in Fife yesterday.

Real winter

2012-01-15T18:30:00.000-05:00

How should winter be defined? Is it simply a date on a calendar, a state of mind, a meteorological event? What say you, good reader?
Mr. Fuzzy would hazard that below freezing temperatures and snow constitutes a useful definition... and at long last, we have real snow (i.e., not a dusting). Last night a light powder snow fell heavily for several hours, accumulating nearly an inch in the first hour. The total accumulation was less than two inches but the visual effect this morning was "cold" (it was just 22F). Here is a photograph taken shortly after daybreak...

And yet, despite being positioned squarely in the depths of winter, already the hope for the joy of spring is nearby; Mr. Fuzzy's aunt sent a Williamsburg teacup planted with miniature daffodils which are in the midst of their showy display of that most spring-like colour, yellow. They emanate cheer personified, a proven tonic for the winter blues.

Passing the Torch

2012-01-08T23:45:00.001-05:00

New Year and new beginnings may also mean old endings. Such is the case here. If you will, rewind to the year 2001; the Fuzzies were living in Scotland and our dear friend Jim Robertson suggested that we might enjoy attending a nearby antique car show at Scone Palace near Perth. Jim never steered us wrong on anything, so off we went, not anticipating the path we would follow subsequently.

Mind you, these were all classic cars and all from United Kingdom manufacturers. The Fuzzies were overwhelmed, having never seen most of these types of cars or so much as heard their names: British Small Arms, Riley, Hillman, Humber, Reliant Robin, Wolseley, Morris Minor and other marques . There were relatively few MGs (except for some pre-war models that were to die for), Minis, Triumphs, Spitfires, Sprites, Jags, Austin Healeys or other familiar names. My goodness, there were some real beauties there on those ancient grounds. Mrs. Fuzzy realized that Mr. Magoo's car had been an English Austin Six. Mr. Fuzzy was obsessed with the Morgan Super Sport, a three wheeled car from 1932... and he still dreams of them. We stayed until nearly closing, seeking to educate our ignorant selves about these venerable automobiles.

As we drove home, our heads were swimming with the formerly unfamiliar and beautiful shapes and colours of those cars. It was striking how many were markedly smaller than American cars but nonetheless had comfortable interiors, were very petrol efficient and reportedly were very responsive on the road. Oh, and they were gorgeous... at least some of them. Probably the Austin Six was leading the pack in our minds.

This may seem like a digression but it is not: On fair weather Sundays, the Fuzzies often hiked the old drove road between their toon and the village of Ceres, working off the calories they expected to acquire at their favourite pub, the 1721 Ceres Inn (Ceres has the oldest Scottish Games in Scotland, dating to 1314). Often on a seat at the end of the bar was a distinguished older gentleman, Andrew, always of good cheer but parsimonious. He heard us discussing the Austin Six one Sunday and in the typical, gentle, indirect Scottish manner, saved us from making a terrible decision - purchasing one. He had owned one and his hair-raising tales of motoring in one (especially regarding the braking system - the pedal worked only the front wheels - to engage the rear wheels, you had to pull on the parking brake). Thank you Andrew (he died of cancer within a few months of dispensing his sage advice, bless him).

Our ignorance was revealed and we know not where to turn, given its depth. Divine providence brought us Harry Topping, a braw Geordie brother Mason with more experience in the mechanical arts than most could acquire in two life times. Harry had recently restored a Morris Minor shooting brake to a glory greater than the factory could have dreamt. He took Mr. Fuzzy for a drive in the hills of Fife and, well, the rest is history. The Fuzzies began a quest for a Morris and as there are so many still road-worthy, soon found one in marginal condition but within their budget. Morag had probably lived all of her life in Dundee, beginning with her delivery in 1968 and had not been treated kindly of recent. She needed some serious surgery but came through with flying colours.

Morag delighted the Fuzzies in her straightforward simplicity and service. She motored them about Fife with ease and dignity and great petrol economy. They loved her so much, that a couple of years later, they discovered her sister, Flora, in Canterbury - but that's another tale. Both came back to the states in the same container as the household goods; as antique vehicles, there were no import issues whatsoever.

Flora was towed to Stratheden Farm behind the Penske truck driven by Mr. Fuzzy and Miss Lily (alright, technically, Miss Lily cannot drive as she can neither reach the pedals nor see over the dashboard...) but poor Morag was stranded in a friend's garage for three years whilst Mr. Fuzzy sought an inexpensive option to transport her to Stratheden. In the end, time ran out and a rather expensive professional auto transport delivered her here - but a month ago. Ah, it was good to have Morag and Flora back together again.

If history was linear and straightforward, there would be little need to study it. For better or worse, the interactions and seeming chance coincidences, weave and warp events into complex and unpredictable mats which may never be totally understandable. Even in one human life in one year, the realized events are almost impossible to even list, no less analyze. Such is the case here. ever since our friend Bluebird directed us to the Blue Ridge Folk Life Festival at Ferrum College, Mr. Fuzzy has been smitten by the aesthetics of American automobiles between c. 1927-1940 (once the war began, the availability of material and labor dictated car design, not beauty and function. 1941 was the end of much the was wonderful in the world, including many lives). You have seen posts on this very blog featuring those wonders of American design and craft observed at Ferrum...

Mr. Fuzzy had his eye out for a good U.S. car of that vintage but not many were known in Virginia. The Fuzzies examined the stock of two major classic car dealers in Charlotte, but learned that anything they really fancied was beyond their means. The search broadened and perhaps due to Divine Providence once more, Betty Boop came into the fold.

The Fuzzies had always thought that the Morris Minors would always be a part of their lives, but with the purchase of Betty Boop, monies needed to be raised. The Minors would, with great reluctance, be placed on the sale block. Mr. Fuzzy deeply believes in Divine Providence as there is little other explanation for much of his life and once more, the Creator clearly intervened. Morag rolled off of the auto transport truck at the mechanic's shop; having not been driven in almost precisely three years, a professional examination was in order. As she dejectedly sat there, away from her owners and Flora, a lovely lady saw her, and, exactly like the Fuzzies, fell in love at first sight. As this story has rambled on for far too many words already, let it be said she has found another loving and devoted owner as of 3:30 p.m. today.

Mr. Fuzzy cannot adequately express his relief that she has gone to such a good home, hopefully to be loved and treasured for decades. Good-bye, dear Morag, we will never forget you.

Making Plans

2012-01-05T17:15:00.000-05:00

Despite it being roughly the same size as our old house or, perhaps, because we've consolidated the contents of the "wee hoosie" in Scotland and of two storage sheds with what we had in that Other House, this farmhouse feels like 15 pounds of potatoes stuffed into a ten pound sack. We are, slowly, weeding out unloved and irrelevant possessions (books, even!) and creating better organizational systems in our limited storage spaces.

All that work, however, will not give Mr. Fuzzy a proper photographic workspace so we committed ourselves to building a teaching studio and guest house last spring. Our plan to have it serviceable by a September 2011 workshop disintegrated under the poor care of our first architect.

We selected a new architect in October and gave him a three page list of design criteria, our overall budget, and a size limitation that would create a good fit with our "existing built landscape." The third attempt at a plan arrived just before Christmas and few of our criteria have been met. This is the current plan:

Look at all that wasted space! Behold the weirdly shaped bedroom! The designers of No. 18 Trump Place in NYC would be proud but the Fuzzys are not cool with odd shapes. I, especially, am terribly old fashioned that way. I like rectangles. And... it's still longer than the site can comfortably handle.

So, we've taken the matter upon ourselves and I have added architectural design to my "homesteading skill set." We've been playing cut-and-paste (above) with the drawings for several days now. Mr. Fuzzy is working through some ideas for the studio but I think I have a good plan drawn up for the appartmento, greenhouse, and cellars. The idea is to have a "cottage" that guests can enjoy but which we could comfortably live in if downsizing is required due to mobility or resource concerns. Having our own Cosco In The Ground is another priority project for me and connecting it to the cottage seemed ideal.

That's my much-revised plan. It's about 9 feet shorter than the original with cellars accessible from outside and the kitchen. Visually, it's completely bermed on the cellar side and graded along the big bedroom wall to allow for a code-required exterior escape route. From the driveway it simply doesn't exist. Many ideas were borrowed from traditional houses I saw in Sighnaghi including the placement of the cellars and windows inside the living space. Perhaps I should enquire about the requirements for a Georgian wine cellar? At any rate, I'm rather proud of my hobbit-hole "back" entry, the second bedroom / office, and proper kitchen.

Once Mr. Fuzzy has determined the studio layout we will meet with our architect to discuss what structural issues we may have created for ourselves. If all goes well, I remain hopeful that our friend Lailae (and her humans) will be able to enjoy this private space when she visits us this autumn.

Winter has arrived - and departed

2012-01-04T18:17:00.000-05:00

Veteran readers, as you have read here, winter has only made cursory probes into the farm this winter, in stark contrast to the severe cold and snow of the previous two winters. Until Saturday, the lowest temperature recorded on the farm was a night low of 23F. That all changed when a huge, deep Canadian cold front blew its way in beginning Sunday night, dropping the temperatures by more than 20 degrees. The Monday high temperature was 19F accompanied by gusty winds and brief periods of blowing snow. Brrrrrrrrr. The fireplace was on constant duty with both felines and canines sprinkled about the floor and chairs in front of it.

Mr. Fuzzy admits to the preconception that chickens have no range of facial expressions other than stark terror but on Monday, he was able to perceive a distinct expression of "miserable" of most of the chicken faces.

Unlike the prior winters, this dangerously cold weather was not destined to last, with a warmer air mass arriving unheralded today, boosting the high right the the very point of freezing; the next few days are due to continue the warming trend until the highs are near 50F (10C) once more - and the various and assorted denizens of Stratheden Farm return to a less stressful and hazardous existence.

As a proof of this bold and positive change, the sky lit up dramatically at sunset tonight, as shown below. Less than fifteen minutes before, Mr. Fuzzy was motoring back from the village and saw the most spectacular sun dog of his many years. It was larger, brighter and more contrasty than any beheld by his ocular organs; alas, like that six pound trout, there is no photographic proof.

Happy New Year to all.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T19:46:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-16T15:21:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-08T16:14:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-04T18:07:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-12-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

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.

Falling Branch Potluck

2011-11-21T17:30:00.001-05:00

Our little neighborhood has several meals together each year, in the basement of the little 1892 Methodist church at the end of the road. The Thanksgiving dinner is a potluck. Here's the first fellow going through the line as we joined together on Saturday afternoon.

Its wonderful to be in a place with a sense of community.

Water Heaters, Part II

2011-11-15T10:05:00.000-05:00

The search for a new water heater has become an Olympian struggle. I gave the plumbing company my first three choices for 50 gallon, propane fired, 12 year warranty, Energy Star compliant, water heaters, one each from Sears, Lowes, and Home Depot. Guess what - none of the three are kept in stock and waiting time to reacquire a hot water shower ranges from five to 15 days.

So, to widen the choices, next I went to propane tankless water heaters where the Rheem was a clear choice at Lowes. No real contenders elsewhere. Guess what - or are you ahead of me already - three to five days to obtain one. Probably.

Is there a moral here? Why, yes, of course there is! Actually, two or more:

1. order a new water heater before the old one dies. Maybe put it in the garage or paint it wild colors, call it "art" and make it the centerpiece of the living room, where it will live in comfort for a few years until its predecessor dies.

2. if you want an in-stock water heater because your old one is already dead, don't look for a quality product; everyone has six year warranty, non-Energy Star heaters that are unlikely to last much past six years.

A Few Days Away - paying for them...

2011-11-14T20:27:00.004-05:00

The Fuzzies were in Florida for a few days - Mr. Fuzzy was in meetings from 7:30 a.m until usually 9:00 p.m. and hardly saw the sun. Mrs. Fuzzy, on the other hand, played gayly in the 70F degree weather.

When we returned home we discovered that:
1. one or more cats had lower intestinal issues for most of the time,
2. the heat never came on - the poor house sitter probably froze,
3. and today, whilst the repairman was examining the boiler system, the hot water heater sprang a leak. Oh joy.

Tomorrow they will install a new Whirlpool 50 gallon water heater. And we will make a final decision on a new boiler... the old one is very inefficient (too many $ spent on propane - that's why we normally heat the hoos with wood) and probably over two decades of age. Oh, what to do, what to do?

seasonal conditions

2011-11-06T18:47:00.004-05:00

The last week or so, the nights have been at or below the freezing point of water; the days have cooled as well, some, even with all the assistance Old Sol can give, could not rise to the fifty degree mark. Mrs. Fuzzy has tended several fireplace sessions to take the chill out of the house.

Mr. Fuzzy took a stroll about the southern half of Stratheden today; the conditions were perfect - dead calm, not a single cloud in the deep blue sky, about 55F and the long shadows and gorgeous colour of light found only in the autumn before it trends to winter.

The deer were about with four does and one buck spotted. Hunting season is soon with us and they are currently far too nonchalant about sounds and movement if they wish to see the new year. Deer trails abound on the farm - here is one. They are so well-worn that a child would spot them.

The forest floor is thoroughly insulated by a deep blanket of leaves with very few remaining on the trees now. The various pine trees now stand out in stark contrast to their naked brethren all around them.

There is a sense that a new crew has taken over the task of maintaining the forest lives.

Blueridge Folklife Festival for Fall

2011-11-05T13:42:00.015-04:00

The Fuzzies rarely are able to stray far from the farm but there are many notable and noble recreations and diversions nearby, of greater and lessor qualities. One of the best is this festival at Ferrum College in Ferrum, VA. The Fuzzies attended last year although they did not allot enough time; they arrived several hours earlier this year.

The festival has everything to do with life in this part of the Blue Ridge mountains, from moonshine to horse pulls. There are three huge tents for the day long musical programs (one each for bluegrass, gospel and string band), maybe 125 classic cars, 75 classic tractors, stationery engines (pop, pop, pop), coon dog trials, jumping mules, sorghum making, hog dressing, museum exhibits (the origin of the dulcimer in America), food vendors (many of them church groups), etc. The event is only one day long - there is no way to walk fast enough to see each feature. Although this type of event has its roots in Medieval quarter-day/cross-quarter day observances and market fairs, the interpretation and execution are purely American. It was a wide spread tradition of rural America from the earliest days until perhaps diminished by The War to End All Wars; these community celebrations are a major part of the glue which binds together the social fabric. As these get-togethers have fallen by the wayside, so has the society of America deteriorated.

Mrs. Fuzzy took in the music and crafts whilst Mr. Fuzzy was totally seduced by the classic cars. The American cars of the 1920-1950 period were the envy of the world - and exquisitely beautiful. Nowadays, its hard to tell a Mercedes from a Toyota- or a Ford. Ranked by consumer satisfaction, American cars are hardly on the radar screen. Where & why did Detroit go so wrong?Oh, Mr. Fuzzy is in total lust for a '32 Ford Deuce Coupe...

There were about half a dozen examples of bootleggers' cars, all with huge engines and special suspension systems to allow them to power up steep inclines and navigate the curves on mountain roads - leaving the revenuers cars in the dust.

Former bootlegger car with a 455 horse-power engine (!!!) ain't she jist a beaut?

But the strangest competition to Mr. Fuzzy was the Coon Mule Jumping contest. In this area, where coon hunting was (and remains) a major male pursuit, mules were ridden. The problem was: what did the rider do when encountering a fence? There was no time in the darkness (coon hunting is a night recreation) to find the nearest gate - the rider dismounted and the mule jumped the fence, to be remounted on the other side. The attached photo is of a 20 year old mule who has been a champion many times (oh, did I mention the incentive? $6,500 in prize money). The mule is lead to the barrier and then verbally encouraged to go over it (didn't realize a mule would respond to just words...). Except for this venerable old gal, most stand right in front of the bar, rise on their hind legs as if to stand and then lean over the bar with the rest of their body following. This gal walked up to the bar then backed up about three paces, got one or two steps of speed up and leapt. She sure knew how to do it.

The old tractors attracted him, too, but Floyd county has so many fine examples that Mr. Fuzzy has become jaded on the topic.

Another contest which might be unique was the Coon Dog Water Race wherein a coon dog swims after a raccoon decoy which is pulled across a large body of water on an overhead pulley arrangement. (you can find the dog by the second wake- remember you can click on an image to enlarge it for better viewing).

Firsts on the Farm

2011-10-31T12:34:00.000-04:00

Well, I still have no idea where my charger is and the camera has two dead batteries so you will just have to endure a no-new-picture post from me.

Late autumn is officially upon us and not simply because today is a cross-quarter day. Yesterday morning there was a thin film of ice on the kiddie pool we use to provide drinking water to the chickens. Yep, first real frost of the season and it's a shade early to boot. The last tobacco plants are still ripening seed pods and have, thus far, survived the cold with a little protection. I might need to add more if they are to be successful.

Speaking of chickens, this was a momentous weekend in the evolution of my little project! I sold my first batch of eggs to the Harvest Moon Store in Floyd. That makes Sal's Ethical Eggs (named for our favorite hen, Salvadora) a legit undertaking. The manager, Sylvia, loved the name and my home made carton labels, which show Mme. Salvadora and describe the conditions on which the Clucker's Union would consent to their produce being sold. I can't use the O-word because we've not gotten certified but I can give enough information for a reasonable person to put two and two together.

The label reads:

Sal’s Ethical Eggs

From freely roaming, rooster loving, organic-feed-eating, super happy, self-actualized chickens of several breeds old and new.

I've had to restrain myself from going down to see how many they've sold. Right now the girls are giving us 9 dozen a week, plus a few, but the leghorns have just started laying so I'll have 18-20 dozen soon!

A benchmark of change

2011-10-22T08:12:00.002-04:00

One of those rare definitive seasonal changes has occurred this morning in the pastures of Stratheden - a complete coating of thin frost. If ever there was a harbinger of the onset of colder weather, this would be it. At this very moment, early rays of the sun are now raking across it, simultaneously highlighting and destroying it.

The forecast was for a low of 29F so the dining room floor is covered by potted plants brought inside for protection. In theory, this is the coldest night for the next week so they will go back outside today.

Yesterday, hastened by the frost warning, Mr. Fuzzy cut and hung the tobacco crop along with some mullein (used by the Cherokee in their smoking mix). The tobacco was planted very late but has done well; the leaves and stalks are considerably more robust than last year, attributable, methinks, to the improvements made in the soil. Hundreds of pounds of compost await being tilled into the garden once the growing season has totally ceased; with luck and perseverance, next year's yield will be even better.

Autumn has literally been blown in by the winds of change; there have been periods as long as three days wherein the air has never been stilled. Brilliantly colored leaves have danced all about the farm and have now provided a richly textured ground cover and insulation through the cold spells. Very few trees managed to retain their modest coverings; the maples, which gave a fine display of bright reds, have somehow maintained their glory, and most oaks as well. The walnuts were the first trees to be totally divested of their raiment perhaps three weeks past.

Autumnal Colours

2011-10-15T09:13:00.004-04:00

This weekend may be the climax of fall color on Stratheden's grounds. The trees were stressed by the summer drought and some began melding their summers greens into fall yellows as much as four weeks ago. Many of the noble trees who turn to shades of reds have held their display until recently; the maples have been spectacular this season (note to self: plant more maple trees) and the dogwoods display a superabundance of brilliant red berries this year..

The walnut trees were particularly stressed by the lack of water this summer and have shad all of their leaves already. Nonetheless, the yield of walnuts continues to be prodigious and we will have them to dine on through the spring beyond any doubt. The squirrels must be ecstatic.

Yesterday was a classic fall day: azure blue skies with just enough clouds for contrast, daytime temperatures of about 62F and a constant wind ensuring there were always leaves making their final curtsy on the way downward. Today may be a carbon copy, dear reader, and I wish you were here to enjoy it with me.

Radford Highland Games

2011-10-04T07:34:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday the Fuzzies drove to Radford University to take in their annual highland games. Och, it was such a Scottish day, dreich! The temperature was barely in the 40s, the skies were dark gray and drizzling rain in varying quantities, the wind a-gusting, oh it made me so homesick for Fife.

The core of the event was the games but there was superb live music, vendors of Scottish goods (some from bonnie Scotland!), arts and crafts, herding dog demonstrations, etc. What is a Scottish event with nae sheep? (ans: heartbroken). Even Mr. Fuzzy parted with a guinea or two and purchased a fine sporran from a auld Glasgow firm. Methinks most did well except perhaps the Sno-Cone man who was looking pretty blue, literally and figuratively.

Truly, it made me very homesick for the country and our friends there. I wanted to drown me sorrow with Talisker and oatcakes, sigh, and there was a wee dram of Talisker in the cabinet...

2011-10-01T11:17:00.002-04:00

Some of the people and their cameras in the workshop Mr.Fuzzy taught last weekend. Ah, yes indeed, a whole new group who now know why he is denominated "Mr. Fuzzy."

Apology

2011-09-28T21:41:00.003-04:00

My dear faithful readers, yes, both of you- my apologies for the lack of recent postings and tidings but Mr. Fuzzy gave a three day national master-level workshop on soft focus lenses last weekend... it took a week or more of intense focus to prepare and when it was behind me, me was exhausted... just late this morning has the mind rejoined the body.

This shall not repeat itself until next year!

So stay close and wait for a post soon.

I thank you for your enduring loyalty and attach a photograph from today of Jack Tar doing his imitation of his grandfather, a black panther.

Mr. Fuzzy (his-self)

Finally, A Good Deer!

2011-09-22T09:01:00.001-04:00

Available from Amazon, no matter where you live.

Last night I went down to the freezer to root around for something interesting to cook for company and came out with a one pound venison leg roast. Mumbling and grumbling about the strange cuts the local game butchers produced from our small doe, I decided that THIS time I would not ruin this prized meat.

I set the meat on the granite worktop we picked up cheap at a thrift store to thaw. Having this little piece of stone really sucks the cold or heat out of an object, speeding up the process considerably. (Thank you S.A. for telling me of the everyday virtues of granite.) I then rooted through my cookbooks for some reliable help and came up with Game For All, a cookbook put out by the local venison farm near our old home in Scotland.

Diligently reading the preliminary notes, I learned that we would have done well to hang that does for a few days. Oh well. I also discovered Mrs. Fletcher's directions for "fast cooking" venison: Sear in oil, season (not too much salt), roast uncovered in a very hot oven (450F) until underdone (110F internal temp), and let it rest a while to finish cooking. The only thing I added to her recipe was wrapping the meat in foil while it rested.

The result? My first successful piece of roast venison. The seasonings were sesame oil, juniper berries, pepper, and Hungarian chiles with just a sprinkle of salt.

apple thieves

2011-09-13T20:49:00.003-04:00

Dearest of all Readers, Mr. Fuzzy has puzzled about the chunks taken out of the mutsu apples whilst said apple is still on the tree. The cats perform their duties quite well and normally keep even the peskiest ravens away from our fruit. So what could be eating the forbidden fruit?

The answer revealed itself this afternoon as I watched at least four of Mrs. Fuzzy's new chickens way up high in the tree. Chickens in trees? Really? Yes. And here is the proof. You may have to click to enlarge the image but there are very clearly two chickens in view. The next image was made during the booking process and is Perpetrator #1.

Live and learn.

As darkness falls

2011-09-10T20:11:00.003-04:00

Not to confuse you, my precious few viewers - these are taken on consecutive nights...

Just some eye candy.

Autumn Means Happy Taste Buds

2011-09-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

Autumn is officially here! The local potatoes & carrots are now available and boy are they tasty! We've been eating these starchy red and purple varieties for a couple weeks now. I must find out what the red ones are as they're not as waxy as grocery store reds. Both have excellent flavor and hold some color when cooked.

As for the local carrots, they're small but delicious. There's no pressing reason (like blandness) to tart them up so we don't.

Divine humor

2011-09-05T20:12:00.002-04:00

Ah, dear reader, you are no doubt wearied by my complaints since June of inadequate, nay, non-existent rain. In eleven weeks, the farm received less than 2.5 inches - and in growing season at that.

The Creator has a refined sense of humor as evidenced by the last sixteen hours. Rain began as a gentle drizzle this morning and showered on and off all the day. As of 8:15 p.m., the ground has received 1.63 inches of rain since 4:00 a.m. and it is still raining hard - and expected to continue so all the eve, the wee hours and into the morn. Flash flood watch is in effect until tomorrow.

Now if that doesn't show the Divine exercises humor, then maybe the tornado warning and tornado watch may be sufficient to convince you. The NWS thought the radar indicated a tornado on the ground in southwestern Floyd county and headed this was at 7:15 p.m. That has since been lifted and Mr. Fuzzy is relieved to say he saw no tornado whilst sitting on the veranda with Grover the 20 pound feline in his lap... nonetheless, the tornado watch remains in effect until 4:00 a.m. Good sleep may be elusive this night.

Looking on the good side, Mr. Fuzzy planted radishes and a couple of other autumn crops yesterday. If they were not swept away by the torrents, the seeds should be well moistened and germination not far behind.

The photograph was taken under dense cloud cover right after sunset with Mr. Fuzzy's new camera at an effective ISO of 25,000. That is not a typographical error. Nor is the apparent curve of the land induced by lens defects... it rolls off rather quickly and yet it was raining so hard that water was standing on a slope... the creek will be roaring with a revived life force by now.

We Have Hens!

2011-09-05T11:00:00.000-04:00

Mary and Martha, the first chicks to spend time living in a crate inside our home, are officially 'hens.' One started laying pretty little dark brown eggs about 10 days ago and her sister started late this week. Martha (?) is laying nearly an egg a day already. (I can tell the eggs apart by size right now.)

Cute little pullet eggs.

Unlike the Cochins and Dominiques, these Partridge Plymouth Rocks seem to be laying bigger eggs each day. It took the older girls months to get their eggs up to size! Perhaps they will be laying full sized eggs before winter sets in? The white eggs are from our Dominique girls.

Two or more of the Cochins are now laying eggs with extremely thin shells. Guess it's time to buy another 50# bag of crushed oyster shell.

autumn colors

2011-09-04T09:45:00.002-04:00

The stress of the summer heat and drought has caused the trees to begin to change into their coats of many colors prematurely. It remains to be seen if the half inch of rain this past week and perhaps a decent rainfall in the coming days will be an adequate tonic to the trees... at least the plants of the forest floor which were wilting at mid-week now look to have gained a second wind.

how about that?

2011-09-03T20:49:00.003-04:00

The denizens of Stratheden Farm found it was hard to believe their eyes on Thursday afternoon - one little isolated thunderstorm cell parked itself over the farm and delivered a quarter-inch of much needed precipitation. Two hours later I walked in my socks through the parched remains of the lawn and the grass was already so dry that my socks picked up no moisture whatsoever.

Will miracles never cease? The same event repeated itself to within 0.01" on Friday afternoon. The NWS ranked our probability of rain at 20% for Thursday and 30% for Friday.

The pattern this summer has been fronts sweeping out of Ohio through West Virginia thence into the the valley which I-81 runs. Then the line of storms develops a break as it sweeps into Floyd county, leaving the central portion of the county untouched but after the storms jump the Blue Ridge, the line links back together before the storm moves into North Carolina.

These little rains were not part of one of these sweeping long fronts but rather irregular small scattered thunderstorm cells that have dotted western Virginia like pimples on a fourteen year old's face. Observing them on radar, they are intense and nearly always depicted in red. Especially Friday's downpour was accompanied by deep rolling consoling peals of thunder and the occasional burst of brilliant bolts of lightning. Ah, how satisfying to hear and see the display.

With tropical storm Lee coming from the south and possible hurricane Katia approaching from the southeast, we fantasize about more water from the heavens. Mr. Fuzzy planted an autumn crop of mustard greens and the last of the potted tobacco plants today; it was disconcerting to find that the soil was dry down at least five inches - so soon after these sprinkles. The ground could probably absorb five or six inches of rain before any runoff could occur.

The rains came too late for the beans, corn and muskmelons. The moon & stars watermelons are all still on the vine and would benefit as would the Hopi rattle gourds, tobacco and newly planted seeds. Please, oh, please, more rain.

Critter Control

2011-09-01T11:54:00.004-04:00

We've been using these traps for a few weeks now to deal with the critters in the shop & feed shed (same building.) This just might be the nicest little mouse trap ever made. There's a wee trap door in the back that holds about 4 servings of peanut butter. It fits into tight spaces, is incapable of smashing your fingers, doesn't need re-baiting every day, and the dogs can't get at the dead mouse. The dead mouse shakes out pretty easily or you can throw the whole thing away if seeing flat rodents give you the willies.

Irene

2011-08-27T14:23:00.003-04:00

Floyd county remains dry as an old bone. There were high hopes for Hurricane Irene breaking our drought but she has steered too far to the east to have any effect. At 14:30 EDT, she is probably at her closest approach - nowhere near enough to us. Here is the radar from Roanoke; Floyd is indicated by a cross in a circle, just down from the wee cross at the very center. The five day forecast is for 10% or less chance of rain. Sad.

Cute Chicks

2011-08-26T14:31:00.000-04:00

Gratuitous photo of the twit-twits aged 5 weeks old. Persimmon is facing you and Poppy is turning her back. A usual position for both girls.

Rockin' and rollin'

2011-08-23T20:03:00.002-04:00

Well, dear readers, it has been an interesting day... the Fuzzies performed some minor tasks in preparation for receiving hurricane Irene on the weekend and as we were in the town, the earth moved beneath our feet.

From Wunderground: "This earthquake appears to be the strongest to occur in Virginia since May 31, 1897, when a magnitude 6 (approximately) struck Giles County. Reportedly, shaking was felt from Georgia to Pennsylvania and west to Indiana and Kentucky, which is an area that covers approximately 725,000 square miles. It's likely that this quake will have a similar extent when all the reports come in."

The farm is still without measurable precipitation; many tree leaves are now curling. There is little doubt that Irene will bring us rains but they will be too late for most plants and trees.

Hurricane Floyd, only a Category 2 storm, devastated Floyd county in 1999, including washing out bridges and a lack of power for ten to fourteen days, depending on your fortunes. Some models forecast Irene to be of equal or greater strength after landfall. The real question is not so much the issue of strength (nearly all models agree on Category 4), however, but where she will make landfall.

Batten the hatches, mate!

Onion Harvest

2011-08-22T13:21:00.000-04:00

I'm bagging up our harvest of Walking Onions today. They're more like shallots in size.

I think the lack of size is due to how I had them planted... I put in whole heads of bulblets instead of breaking them apart. I have about a peck of bulblets to be planted in a new bed. This time all broken apart and in better amended soil.

Racoons Are Cute

2011-08-20T11:15:00.000-04:00

Well, would you look at that! I wrote this post about the raccoon who invaded the coop and forgot to post it when I couldn't find the cable to add photos. Seven weeks late... but here's your update! Original composition dated July 6th.

Yes, yes they are! Look at this pretty girl. You'd hardly believe that she broke into the coop and stole nearly a dozen eggs and hauled off a whole bunch of chickens. See that.... ? She's pulling the towel into the cage so she can curl up with a nice soft blankie.

Mr. Ruger missed her a couple times so Madame Trappe suggested she try her wiles as Ruger and Co. rested a bit. Arriving on her well-established 3-hour cycle, Miss. Raccoon went right in to the trap for her eggs and rotting peach. CLANK! Safely disarmed by her own hand (or was it a foot?) Miss. Raccoon spent the rest of the night and the next morning in her little wire box.

The Roosters were NOT happy to see a raccoon, even a caged one, outside the coop in the morning. Indeed, they refused to allow the hens or lower ranking roosters out the pop hole until Miss. raccoon was removed from the vicinity.

Once outside the control of dour old roosters, some of the Red Star pullets showed no apparent fear in getting quite close to the curious mammal who had so terrorized them.

Not wishing to be unsporting (or risk damaging the trap) Mr. Fuzzy took Miss. raccoon on a long drive to an area of the county which is especially sparse in habitations. Miss. Raccoon now lives a few miles from any house or corn field in a lovely spot which sports not just a stream but a goodly pond too!

The Cost of An Egg

2011-08-18T11:18:00.000-04:00

I see by the sudden amorous attraction the roosters have for the pullets that this spring's chicks will soon begin laying. (Huzzah!) This means that we will soon have eggs for sale and I will have to settle upon a price.

Tuesday saw me waiting with other local farmers for our monthly shipments via Dan's Countryside Delivery out of Waynesboro, VA. Dan brings us certified organic feed and supplements from Countryside Organics for our poultry, horses, cows, and goats. We got to talking about what us newbies are doing and, in particular, the prohibitive cost of producing organic poultry.

One farmer of 30+ years has 300 chickens and stated that he could not feed organic because the retail price of a dozen eggs would amount to $6.00 ...or 50 cents an egg.

This is not an excessive price when one considers that feed is nearly double the non-organic price, that pastured poultry have higher labor costs, and that processing is not automated like it is in large commercial operations. Furthermore, stocking rates (the number of birds per unit of area) are much lower, typically about 300 chickens per acre (43,560 square feet) vs the same number in about 960 square feet for cage-free organic and 70 square feet in the "standard" houses that give us dollar-a-dozen (or less) eggs.

But let us be honest.... six bucks a dozen is steep for most pockets even if it is a fair price for the producer. Let us also consider that my chickens were initially brought to the farm for non-egg purposes, that is, as tick control.

Now, we have 10 cats who need tick control every 3 weeks. None of the OTC products are effective in this area so we use a prescription variety which costs about $14 a dose on sale. If the five cats who stick close to the house are able to be treated every 4 weeks (because the larger number of hens control a larger area) that is a savings of $280 a year. That's $23.33 a month, nearly as much as one bag of feed.

I use flaked pine shavings for bedding. This costs about $5 for six cubic feet. I use the old litter, after some months of further composting, on the garden to loosen the soil and feed the plants. Composted Forest Mulch (aka mill waste) cost me nearly $4 for two cubic feet in Santa Fe. So, I save $7 per bale versus buying a less useful bagged product. A smallish bag of high-karma organic fertilizer is surely worth something but I get the nitrogen from droppings, feathers, and spilled feed.... that's surely worth about another bag of feed a month ... maybe more.

Sooo.... let us see.... I've gotten feed costs to a theoretical $54 per month value with my tick and garden offsets. Purina's standard laying ration costs about $15 a bag which equals about $60 a month. Neat-o, eh?

My housing costs are low and I have little associated labor because the coop is a permanent fixture. It never gets moved. I figure it costs about $10 a month over it's expected lifetime. Winter lighting with a re-purposed LED strip light on a timer costs me fifteen cents a winter. (Last winter I babied the chickens with a heat lamp but No More! THAT was super expensive.) I'm guessing my labor is about 15 hours in a four-week "month." Poverty in America says that a living wage for one person in my area is $7.41 / hr equalling $111. (That's nearly the typical farm intern's monthly stipend, folks!) New cartons cost upwards of 38 cents each, including shipping.

.....Actual -v-Offset Costs
Feed $106.28 -v- $53.14
Housing $10
Labor $111
Cartons $7.60
Chick costs / 24 months of good laying $12.50
Raising /24 months of good laying $9.37 / $7.15
----------------
$256.75 -v- $201.39

The pullets are expected to lay about 80 dozen saleable eggs a month, allowing for losses. This works out to the following costs per dozen, not including business costs (market fees, transportation, storage...)

FARM FRESH ORGANIC EGGS!
$3.21 -v- $2.52 per dozen out of the hen.

If I sell them from home at $4.50 a dozen I should make a small real profit without undercutting other farmers and with enough margin to allow a few of my poorer neighbors to buy eggs at a reduced price.

Fancy decorated Easter eggs and, perhaps, cute chicks in the spring will definitely have to supplement this egg gig.

The march of the Seasons

2011-08-17T07:57:00.003-04:00

This is the third consecutive morning with a temperature below 60F at sunrise; today is was a most pleasant 54F. The UPS driver yesterday noted that up on the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge Parkway, trees were beginning to acquire their warm autumnal tones. The color of the light has altered as well, to that thick, liquidy amber/yellow. All of this in just a few days after a major cold front blew over the farm. And at nearly the same date as it occurred last year...

On the bad news side, the farm is still parched. Ten days ago there were two mornings of dense fog, indicating a plentitude of water vapor in the atmosphere and yet, all that the clouds that day could produce as rain was 1/100th and 6/100ths of an inch. Last Saturday 1/3rd of an inch of rain fell in a brief time span and the temperature dropped about 14 degrees in twenty minutes - that's a cold front, my dear readers! A friend in the excavation business is building a 25 foot deep pond about twenty miles east of the farm and noted that even at that depth, there is no moisture in the soil. This is not good news. The summer of 2011 was a close approximation of the summer of 2010 - if the similarities continue, then rain should be arriving soon (although the five day forecast is still dry). Let us hope.

Butterflies and Bees

2011-08-15T21:59:00.003-04:00

Scottish thistles are a nasty plant to have on a farm, a prolific pest that will take over quickly. Every part of them seems to have a point to harass your epidermis... but they are a sure draw for many butterflies and bees so the Fuzzys allow a few to grow to maturity each summer...

And congratulations to our friends Ron & Jody, who have just become grandparents! Ron, don't let this cut into your chunk time, OK?

About the Gardens

2011-08-06T14:45:00.003-04:00

Farm implements from the Jamestown Settlement.

On a recent trip to Kentucky, our friend PJ complained that there was too much "animal stuff" and too little "garden stuff" on this blog. Frankly, as a writer of these wee posts, animals do more interesting things with greater frequency than do corn plants. Weather occasionally trumps both. That said, I suppose we should tell you all a little about the characteristics of our gardens.

Technically, I suppose, there are four. Our Walled Garden is just that, an area roughly 50' square off the back of the house enclosed by a high block wall, thoughtfully rough stuccoed, and more or less white in color. Inside, there are a large number of flowering bushes grown too large for their situation, four dwarf peaches, a nearly-standard size apple tree, and a similarly sized peach tree. The soil is heavy, mainly comprised of re-purposed pond muck, and very damp at times. Thus far, we haven't decided what to do with the space as it has spent two summers as a doggy day care for Mr. Rufus and friends, who tore it to pieces. This year we've let it go wild.... yes, there will be hell to pay for letting the weeds come up when we do rehab the space... we have gorgeous volunteer thistles, sunflowers, hostas (unmolested by racing canines,) and the occasional "proper flower" to enjoy. The place is a terrible mess but until we can commit ourselves to taking out a whole lot of beautiful plants it's not very useable even when kept nice and tidy. The chickens find this garden a delightful source of bugs and seeds, for which we are most grateful.

Outside the walk-out basement is the Upper Garden, comprised of established, mostly super-dwarf, fruit trees and a number of cedar raised beds we put in our first summer. These raised beds have turned out to be more trouble than pleasure and, as Mrs. Fuzzy's prodigious project list allows, everything will come out. The ground will be smoothed and the space will be returned to a lovely, flat, lawn with a very large, easily maintained, stone planter hosting potentially unruly medicinal plants (comfrey, mugwort...) and a small (150 gallon) water feature for water lilies and papyrus plants. This will greatly improve the basement "viewshed."

The"Lower Garden," also known as Mrs. Fuzzy's garden, is comprised of six 47' rows three feet wide divided into five beds each. These range in length between three and fifteen feet long (most being either five or eight feet) with a nominal 12" walking space between them. As the soil here lacks any native organic matter the management of this area this year is mainly for soil improvement. Yes, folks, that's right, Mrs. Fuzzy has grown 423 square feet of oats, 282 square feet of field peas, and 141 square feet of inedible radishes solely for the benefit of the soil. (and about 300 square feet will remain in these things for a while.) Another row has been largely set aside for composting purposes until the walking onion bulbs are replanted in half of that row. The old onion row will then be heavily mulched with fresh chicken litter (to kill off the weeds) and turned to compost for a year as the soil is especially poor after spending a year in cultivation. (Who knew onions were so greedy... or our soil so delicate?!) The whole garden is heavily mulched in straw and ancient hay to suppress weeds whilst enriching the soil and preserving moisture. Narrow and broad leaf plantain are allowed to grow in the beds as wild helpers.

"Edible" plantings in this garden were put in for fresh eating, future production, and experimental insight. They are as follows: Six tomatoes of 3 varieties inter-planted with marigolds and a cucumber plant. A 3' x 4' planting of Country Gentleman corn into a collapsed compost bed. Three zucchini and another cucumber planted into the adjacent pile have already been destroyed by the squash bugs. Corn is not a good a protective companion. Another planting of mystery corn labeled "NC NDN" is 3 rows x 5 rows at 2 canes per hole. Four plants each of three kinds of hot peppers... some doing markedly better than others. Four basil plants, divided, are doing well while all our sunflowers and two of three dill plants have been consumed by "tree thorn hoppers." The unapppy plants were set out alone and the happy ones in combination with dissimilar things. Two volunteer potato plants seem to be very happy. Mexican hyssop, rue, lemon balm, and marjoram have been put in at the ends of rows as perennial herbs. The northernmost row contains two each of red and purple raspberries (planted with the rue), a bed awaiting asparagus transplants, and a 15' strawberry bed just went in this week.

The "Far Garden" is Mr. Fuzzy's vegetable domain. Located out in the hay field, where the soil offers different benefits than in the Lower Garden, it is roughly 100' long with up to eight single width rows. Because it must be watered by truck, this growing area is only suitable to vegetation that can thrive in drought conditions such as gourds, tobacco and some Southwestern corn varieties. This year, the garden has been experimentally divided into rows and into four "Cherokee Style" circular Three Sisters garden patches. Mr. Fuzzy will have to tell you the particulars of his intentions but I can relate that, while I have gone over to a "no-till" philosophy after fighting the tiller, himself has continued with the idea of using it out there. It certainly did a grand number on the weeds that grew up where the beans failed to germinate. (Everyone around here had bean issues this year.) Because of the summer drought, now 9 weeks without significant rainfall, there is little likelihood of a good harvest out there, although the surviving Silver Queen corn is tasseling very nicely.

hot and dry

2011-08-01T12:53:00.011-04:00

Alas, this summer seems to be a near carbon-copy of last summer. Stinking hot (OK, this summer is hotter than last) and no significant rainfall in nearly six weeks. Like last year, the splendid spring showers simply ceased the week the hay was mown. There are plenty of water bearing clouds in the sky which drop their loads on surrounding counties but just not in Floyd county. That said, tiny, ephemeral sun showers lasting five to fifteen minutes have appeared and the electronic rain gauge measures their contributions at less than 5/100ths of an inch. In the last seven weeks, Stratheden has received under an inch and a half of rain, a mere pittance. The weather forecast for today is 0% chance of rain and yet there was a dense fog this morning.

No local gardens have survived unless they have been watered. Mr. Fuzzy trucks water to the big garden every other day; thirty minutes after soaking the plants, the surface of the ground is dry already. The corn is stunted and not producing ears; the sunflowers are about 2/3 of normal size. The only apparent success stories are the Hale's Muskmelon and the Moon & Stars Watermelon, both of which are blooming well and setting fruit.

Alas, the insects have invaded the already stressed plants - three of the four squash plants are killed and now they have found the melon plants. Mr. Fuzzy picks them off with an eight inch long haemostat which goes places his fingers will not. Yesterday a female mantis was spotted - hopefully she is very hungry.

Mechanical arts

2011-07-29T00:57:00.008-04:00

The venerable and normally ultra-reliable Ford 1710 tractor ate its water pump a few weeks ago. After much head-scratching and adequate procrastination, Mr. Fuzzy bit the bullet and removed the offending appendage on Tuesday. Right on time, UPS delivered the replacement pump at 3:35. A Ford pump would have cost $365 -or- an OEM pump at $102. Is that a no-brainer? The real difference between the two: the Ford part is Ford blue and the OEM pump is left metal-bright.

The engine itself is a three cylinder diesel made in Japan (Shibaura) and is amazingly economical with fuel. Producing 23.5 HP, it can easily pull a double plow through the heavy clay of Floyd County.

On Wednesday, Mr. Fuzzy mounted the new part and except for a leak or two where the old hose clamps were dodgy, all went back together smoothly - thank goodness. It must be said that Ford designed the radiator assembly to be easily unmounted, a necessity for working on the fan/water pump.

The engine block minus the water pump, radiator and assorted water hoses---

Mr. Fuzzy's father, a fine man throughout, was however, mechanically challenged by the simple turn-crew. Thankfully in his teenage years, during the era of street rods and hot rods (not to mention rat finks), youthful Mr. Fuzzy (yes, there was such a time, when dinosaurs still roamed the earth) learned about engines and their performance from Roland Story and Paul Ezell, two of the finest drag racers in the state of Kentucky during the earliest years of said sport. In addition to being true native mechanical geniuses, they were kind, wonderful men. Their instruction hath saved Mr. Fuzzy from many an unscrupulous mechanic and allowed him, when facilities and tools were present, to perform many engineering acts on his cars and trucks. Thank you most kindly, good sirs, for those summers of patient tutelage many spare parts ago.

new water pump (shiny!) in place, at work-

full bloom

2011-07-14T21:41:00.006-04:00

Apologies for the dearth of postings, dearest loyal readers, but there just hasn't been much going on at the farm - this has been the "dog days of summer." There is a superb daylily farm only a couple of miles away and the plants we purchased a year ago have established themselves nicely and are in their finest form right now. I submit them (and one geranium) for your approval.

N.B.: Mr. Fuzzy's Kentucky hometown was the hottest place in America yesterday with a heat index reading of 123 yesterday. The Fuzzies are content to dwell in the Blue Ridge mountains rather than the Ohio Valley, oh yes indeed, they are...

Obituary for Salvadora Sebright

2011-07-02T12:09:00.010-04:00

Salvadora Sebright
26 April 2010- 2 July 2011

Salvadora was hatched on May 26th, 2010, at the Murray McMurray Hatchery in Webster City, Iowa. When she was a day old, she came to live at Stratheden Farm. Salvadora was a perfect example of a Sebright bantam chicken and then some - she was the only curious, smart, responsive to humans chicken Mr. Fuzzy has ever seen. If the shop door was open, even if the chop saw was whaling away at wood, she would come in and sit to watch what was going on. She was a strong flyer, unlike most chickens, and would effortlessly hop up on Mr. Fuzzy's hand or Mrs. Fuzzy's shoulder for some attention.

Sebrights have the reputation of being poor mothers but Sal was far and away the Best Mother in the entire coop. She raised Cheepers from a day old and both was affectionate with him and taught him well. At the time she was killed, she was incubating nine eggs (hers and other hens'). She was at a tremendous disadvantage in a nesting box on eggs, totally unable to maneuver, however, the spread of her feathers outside indicated she put up a valiant fight when dragged from the coop.

She was a truly game bird and not intimidated by much. When an eagle roosted in a tree in front of the shop, the Roosters drove the hens and smaller roosters underneath the shop while they (three large Dominiques) stood in the open, almost wing to wing, loudly challenging the eagle. The only other bird that stood with them was tiny Salvadora.

Early on Saturday morning, July 2nd, a raccoon forced open the door on the chicken coop, attacking the hens on eggs in their nesting boxes as well as all the flightless, frizzled, bantams. Perishing with our little girl in the attack were two roosters, Guido and Horace the Hopeful, and hens Blackie, Squeaky (on eggs for a third try,) and Curly.

She leaves behind her stepson, Cheepers, who began crowing this very day.

Two large Cochin hens were also attacked but were not seriously harmed.

Mr. Fuzzy and his friend, Mr. Ruger, hope to greet that raccoon tonight when it comes back for the wee pile of half incubated eggs that it left on Sal's nest. Mrs. Fuzzy has left them as bait outside of the coop door...

Salvadora's empty nesting box

Grover

2011-06-22T23:59:00.000-04:00

Some of you readers don't know us animals so i thought I'd introduce you to my big brother. That's him. He's bigger than me. He enjoys napping, stealing prey from other cats, waking everyone up at the butt crack of dawn, eating (lots) and getting his head washed by his mommy.

He wouldn't admit it but he's a big fat wussy boy. thankfully, he doesn't stay up late enough to catch me writing this and he never, ever, reads the computer so he'll never know. K?

Cool. I'm chuffed we're on the same page here.

So, I uess you also want to know where he fits in to the family... he's my adoptive bro. he had this really scrappy mama that the pound didn't think was "safe around humans" so they took him and his sister away and gave them to my mama, MamaCat, to raise. He's like glue with her. We all came to the "Fuzzy's" house umpteen years ago with my other real sibs but only us two were COOL enough to stay. People daddy didn't want our mommy to be "put down" (whatever that is- I hear it's REALLY BAD.) so she stayed too.

The Doctor is In

2011-06-20T23:31:00.001-04:00

Well, good golly it's been a long time since i got on this infernal thing! i forgot how warm and cozy it can be. Mmmmmmmmmm

It is nice, dear reader, to see that People Mama has had the courage to put a more than decient banner on the blog for once. I liked the snow one but it's not as good as this banner. I mean, LOOK at me! I am so handsome there, heading out to hunt mice and vole and wildebeest.

I stopped writing, dearest reader, because Mama grounded me for being too direct with Miss Annie, Mr. Fred, and Miss Girlie about my feelings. Stoopid MAMA! She can be soooo mean some times about how us cats work things out.

And we HAVE worked things out.

Really.

Fred and I are TIGHT these days. Even Grover likes him now. We pal around and always sleep together in the afternoons when he's around. (Sometimes he goes off for a few days but I'm not allowed to reveal where. pbttht!) he's so cool, he even lets me clean his ears if i want. being a doctor, i know how important it is to maintaining good health. And, really, folks, a cat cannot do a respectable job on the inside by himself. Anyone with a good mother knows this to be true. unfortunately, Fred had a crappy mom who never did that for him so it took a while for him to realize the wisdom of my offers.

Girlie and I have a truce. I ignore her and she ignores me. I sleep on the bed and she has her tower. Only Fred ever gets on that tower. I saw Jack get up there one day and he looked like he'd breached Forth Knox and didn't know what to do with himself. (So he jumped down before anyone could tell on him.)

Annie is still a "little princess." SEE MAMA? I'm *still* controlling my tongue and not calling her the B-word even though you call that stupid mean mama chicken by that word. HUH? HUH? How come *I* can't use that word and YOU can? [Editor's note: I'm the boss and you've got a potty mouth, that's why.] Anyway, I'm practicing being nice to her but she won't play with me. I try to greet her and she hisses and growls, though it's getting better now that I "don't participate" in her "issues." I can lay in my spot on the bed and she can lay in her tower beside it and we can artfully ignore each other. No growling or nothin' Grover is still a p**** though. He gets on the bed and walks across EVERYBODY and threatens to chase Annie so she growls at him still. MamaCat also hasn't learned to "not participate" but she's got kitty PTSD so I think People Mama should go easy on her.

At any rate, Miss Annie isn't home half the time so it doesn't matter what we think of each other. the other day, though, she didn't mind too much when I jumped up beside her to eat some kibbles.... Maybe she secretly loves me?

Anyway, I wanted you to know that even though all you've heard about lately is rain and plants and chickens that us cats are here and doing fine. Daddy didn't mention all the mice we've been catching since the field got cut. It's been GREAT! Man, we catch a mouse a day each if we decide to put half a mind to it. Heck even RUFUS has been catching mice.

Oh, and the chicks, we're cool. Fred is in charge of chick-cat relations and he says they aren't the edible kind so there's nothing to think about with them. besides, they spend most of their time in a cage. :(