July 2023

30th

Some sheep at the paddock have maggots attacking their bottoms, so today I've been shooting the fly spray squirt gun. The sheep have blue lines down their backs, and a spot on their heads, Charlie said rain will wash the thick blue liquid into their fleeces and protect the flock from fly strike.

We baited ewes and their lambs with ewe pellets, into a broader pen, before separating them into a smaller pen. We close the flock in tighter, for short periods of time to prevent the sheep from jumping over the pen hurdles.

We were left with six tups lambs and three ewe lambs, we let the mother ewes go, after we had sprayed them. Once loaded into the trailer, they seemed calm but wondrous as to where they were being transported to. The violet on them is supposed to be applied onto their hooves, but Charlie sometimes uses it to mark them.

We may have old farm equiptment, but we make the best of what we have, and our sheep are cared for, we look after their welfare.

At our second grass keep, near Bowden, we rounded up six tups and transported them to the farmhouse paddock for holding; until we transport them to auction on tuesday. There has been an excess of tup lambs this year, leaving a mere several ewe lambs we want to keep.

Took ages to get them to leave the trailer, I presumed they jump out, but Charlie had to coax them out from inbetweem the wooden slats.

The boys hang out together, the new six tups seem alright with the paddock; when they left the paddock for grass keep they were only wee lambs. I am amazed at how quickly the dock leaves have returned, I plan to fence off areas of the paddock, and spray weed killer.

Half of our kitchen garden was eaten by rabbits and birds. We sealled the perimeter with posts and wire but was to busy to continue the work. Overtaken by weeds the french dwarf beans, swede, carrots and onions have been completely eaten; although we expect a good crop of potatoes this year.

Charlie was upset we missed cream teas at Roberton this month, replying I stated, if they had talked to us a bit more, instead of us being invisible, we would have remembered, with the "social" event being more significant. Passing by, covered in sheep poo we noticed an electric bike event advertised; wondering if its the same people I met last September in Golspie.

Unbelievable the maggot infested sheep we witnessed today at the beginning of the Roberton to Ashkirk road; turned my stomach. This is what happens when you don't check your sheep, dag and spray them, maggots eat them alive from the anus, appalling to see this so near to Roberton.

29th

We had planned to go to the Border Union Show today, but visited the Scottish Borders village of Yetham, then crossed over border to the English / Northumbrian town of Wooler.

Saw this sign but with some bemusement know, safari park rules [wind up your windows, don't stop] apply only within cities subjected to the law of the jungle, i.e London and Leicester.

We enjoyed roadside views whilst travelling via Otterburn to Kielder castle.

We returned to the A68 via a woodland road, the longest forest drive in the UK; after as few miles we found the "Nick". I enjoyed the time here, in this stunning location; this wooden sculpture I found interesting.

Charlie seemed to be mythed by how much sand was at this location.

We returned to Scotland via Carter Bar, then turned left away from Jedburgh and towards Hawick, passing through Bonniebridge.

25th

Early morning we travelled to Longtown (nr Carlisle), and dropped off eleven store lambs at the cattle market auction. This was the first time we were here in a decent 4x4 and not the barn on wheels, which I believe had become notorious, difficult to tell, because in this day and age, few comments, notably negative comments are spoken to one's face. But this cattle market is different, the vibe is positive, among lively people, enamoured and emboldened from the results of their endeavours, both successful and unsuccessful. The spirit of the land, in memory of our ancestors, resonates stronger with the life of agriculture.

In the afternoon, Charlie had a visit from his landlord, whilst I focussed my attentions on eradicating [with strimmer and weed killer] dock leaves from the farmhouse paddock. As the strimmer liquidated huge dock leaves gathered around manure piles, I wondered about my father, perhaps he had hated dock leaves because of the enablers. My father never returned, the enablers seemed to curse anybody from "going back". I remembered the time when he had tried to enrol us into a catholic primary school named Saint Winifred [Welsh Saint]. Admission refused, mother stated the reason was because they didn't like my father.

23rd

Today we cancelled going to the Braemar Highland games, went I found the royal family attending it curdled my state of being with turmoil sickness. After tending to sheep at both grass keeps, Charlie penned and sheared the last remaining Teeswater ewe during a downpour of sopping rain. I remained in the warm car, observing.

Returning to Hawick, we parked up at Walton Park to listen to Hawick Pipe band. The band played unabated by the poor weather, and three gazebos were erected for attendees, dampness was affecting the bag pipe reeds, but I enjoyed the music. Today my mind is noisy, but I'm not listening.

22nd

This morning I took some flower pictures of the farmhouse garden, the area feels much healthier now most of the dock leaves have been removed. This simple farmhouse garden has lifted my mood more than type words can describe; if it were not for the ascetic of this world, I'd be dead from suicide.

Some months ago we visited a wool studio in Berwick on Tweed, Charlie had promised a couple of fleeces to the proprietor, today we delivered them. I got Charlie to stop the car, enabling me to take a picture of a field of blue flowers.

And the fake house, with painted windows, strange, why do this? for what purpose?

We visited, for a few minutes, Union Chain Bridge near Paxton House.

Via Berwick, we stopped at Kelso, Charlie purchased me a new yellow and red floral dress in Fat Face and a ceramic rolling pin at a charity shop. This is the first time I've purchased a size 18 dress, after continuing to purchase 16's on deluded presumption that somehow I'd lose weight. I don't eat much, and I am active, so I am suspecting the gain is due to a medical problem.

Felt clarity to face the choppy coast at Spital, whilst enjoying an ice cream; many people enjoy this serene space, but I've never witnessed this place overcrowded. Not in a hurry we drove to Coldstream via Etal, and stopped to view the castle; I'd been here in Etal, at this very castle before, a couple of years ago.

Before returning to Hawick, we stopped for a drink at the Auld Cross Keys pub in Denholm. Here we were visited by a stocky enabler wearing a Los Angeles "RAIDERS" top, (they usually make a return visit whenever I write about their logos intrusions) his glance seem fixated upon us, but without being incoherent to his surroundings. I was sure I'd seen him some place before, some years ago at the height of stalking contentions; remembering him to be a monster. He seated himself with his partner and thus attentions focussed elsewhere.