Zuke Nukem

If you’re a vegetable gardener chances are that you’ve got some zucchini on your hands right now.  We try to pick them small at Farcical Farm, but sometimes they get away from us.  On Saturday we found a giant lurking under the leaves, and tonight I decided to use it for something other than chocolate zucchini cake (that link is for the best. recipe. ever.).  Some Googling brought me to this zucchini and basil soup recipe, both of which are plentiful in our garden.  It’s delightful.

How Slow Can You Go?

Anyone who has been following FFF knows that I'm an advocate of slow feeding for horses. This means that long stem forage (i.e. hay) is offered by such means that it takes the horse a long time to get through a couple of flakes, thereby better simulating the act of natural grazing in semi-arid landscapes. Not only do I believe that it is healthier for the gut of the horse, but healthier for the mind as well. When a meal takes a couple of hours to eat the horses don't get bored and they don't start looking around for trouble.

We've been through several slow-feeding iterations over the past three years, and I've finally found the ultimate solution. Feeder 3.0 was a Behlan Country galvanized feeder lined with grid wire panels from an exercise pen.  I was pretty happy with it, but there was still more wastage than I wanted.  When we got back from Tasmania I pulled out the panels in both feeders and replaced them with hockey nets (how Canadian, eh?).  Bingo.  The 1.25" openings make the horses work hard for their hay, and also reduce wastage to a record minimum.  Without further ado, I present Feeder 4.0:

Luna is Short for Lunatic

Tilley's space-occupying tumour left a space in need of occupation at Farcical Farm. I thought it would be months before I could consider the addition of another dog, but it turned out that I was wrong. Sometime at the beginning of August That'll Do Border Collie Rescue (an organization for which David and I have done a lot of volunteering) helped an Australian Shepherd / Jack Russell Terrier mix out of an unhappy situation. Not a border collie, to be sure, but just the dog for me. Reserved around strangers? Check.* Good with cats? Check. Protective of her place and people? Check. High toy drive? Check. Merley girlie? Check.

On top of all that Luna turns out to be incredibly smart and surprisingly eager-to-please, given that both Aussies and JRTs are known for their independent personalities. She has slipped into the routine of Farcical Farm with minimal difficulty, and she's totally captivated us with big personality. Welcome home, little one.

* I know it’s weird, but I prefer dogs who are reserved with strangers to those who are friendly with everyone.  I think it’s probably because I relate to them, being quite reserved with strangers myself.