July 2023

30th

The sheep in the paddock are being attacked by maggots on their rear ends. Consequently, I have been employing the fly spray squirt gun today. They have blue spots on their heads and lines going down their backs. Charlie said that rain will wash the thick blue liquid into their fleeces and keep the flock safe from flies.

After using ewe pellets to lure the ewes and their lambs into a larger pen, they were divided into a smaller pen. To prevent the sheep from jumping over the pen hurdles, the flock is limited to a smaller area for brief periods.

After spraying the mother ewes, we released them, leaving us with three ewe lambs and six tups lambs. When they were put into the trailer, they seemed calm and excited about where they were going. The violet paint on them should be on their hooves, but Charlie marks them with it sometimes.

Even though our farm equipment is outdated, we make the most of what we have and take good care of our sheep.

Six tups were rounded up at our second grass keep, which is near Bowden. They were taken to the farmhouse paddock to be held until they are taken to auction on Tuesday. This year, there are far too many tup lambs, so we only want to keep a few ewe lambs.

Okay, it took ages to get them to leave the trailer. I thought they would just jump out, but Charlie had to help them get out from under the wooden slats.

The new six tups appear to be comfortable in the paddock; when they left it for the grass keep, they were just baby lambs. The boys spend time together. The speed at which the dock leaves have returned astounded me. I intend to apply weed killer and fence off sections of the paddock.

Rabbits and birds consumed almost half of our kitchen garden. We sealed the perimeter with posts and wire, but were too busy to continue the work. We anticipate a good crop of potatoes this year, but the French dwarf beans, swede, carrots, and onions have all been devoured by weeds.

We missed cream teas at Roberton this month, and Charlie was disappointed. I responded that if they had spoken to us more, we would have remembered and the "social" event would have been more important. Passing by, we observed an advertisement for an electric bike event. I was curious to determine whether the individuals I encountered in Golspie last September were the same.

I couldn't believe what I saw today when we saw a sheep with maggots on them at the start of the road from Roberton to Ashkirk. This is the consequence of neglecting to inspect, bathe, and spray sheep. Maggots consume them from the anus, resulting in their death. It is distressing to witness this near Roberton.

29th

Originally meant to go to the Border Union Show today, but instead went to the village of Yetham in the Scottish Borders and then crossed the border to visit the town of Wooler in England's Northumberland.

With some amusement, know that safari park rules like "wind up your windows" and "don't stop" only apply in cities where the law of the jungle applies, like London and Leicester.

Enjoyed the views from the road as we went from Otterburn to Kielder Castle.

After a few miles, we discovered the "Nick" as we made our way back to the A68 via the longest forest drive in the United Kingdom. I liked spending time in this beautiful place, and this wooden sculpture interested me.

Seeing how much sand there was here, Charlie appeared perplexed.

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

25th

We left early in the morning for Longtown, which is near Carlisle, to drop off eleven store lambs at an auction at the cattle market. For the first time, we arrived in a respectable 4x4 rather than the barn on wheels, which, I think, had gained notoriety. It was challenging to tell because, currently, very few remarks, especially critical ones, are made directly to someone's face. However, this cattle market is distinct; the atmosphere is upbeat, and the lively individuals are filled with enthusiasm and confidence as a result of their successes and failures. The spirit of agriculture has a deeper resonance with the land in remembrance of our ancestors.

Charlie's landlord paid him a visit that afternoon, so I concentrated on clearing the farmhouse paddock of dock leaves using a trimmer and weed killer. The trimmer got rid of the big piles of dock leaves that were forming around the manure piles. I thought about my dad; maybe he hated dock leaves because of the enablers. Father never returned; the enablers appeared to curse anyone who attempted to return. Recalling the time when he attempted to enrol us in a Catholic primary school named Saint Winifred [Welsh Saint]. According to my mother, admission was declined because they didn't like my father.

23rd

When we decided not to go to the Braemar Highland Games, I discovered that the royal family was there, which made me feel sick. After taking care of sheep at both grass keeps, Charlie rounded up and sheared the last Teeswater ewe while it poured rain. I remained in the warm car, observing.

We stopped at Walton Park on the way to Hawick to listen to the Hawick Pipe Band. Despite the inclement weather, the band continued to perform, and three gazebos were constructed for the attendees. Although the bag pipe reeds were dampened, I found the music to be quite enjoyable. My thoughts are racing all day, but I'm not paying attention.

22nd

I captured some flower photographs of the farmhouse garden this morning. The area appears to be in much better condition now that the majority of the dock leaves have been removed. I would be dead from suicide if it were not for the ascetic of this world; my mood is more than words can accurately convey.⁣

Charlie promised the owner a couple of fleeces, so today we delivered them. Charlie and I went to a wool studio in Berwick on Tweed months ago. I convinced Charlie to stop the car so I could take a picture of a blue flower field.

What's up with the painted windows on the fake house? What is the point?

For a brief period, I visited the Union Chain Bridge near Paxton House.

At Kelso, on the way to Berwick, Charlie bought me a new yellow and red floral dress in Fat Face and a ceramic rolling pin at a thrift store. I kept buying size 16 dresses because I thought I'd lose weight, but this is the first time I've bought a size 18. I suspect that the gain is the result of a medical issue because I don't eat much, and I'm active.

It's clear to see the rough coast at Spital while eating an ice cream. Many people like this quiet spot, but I've never seen it too crowded. While we were not rushing, we travelled to Coldstream via Etal and paused to admire the castle. I had previously visited this castle in Etal a few years prior.

On our way back to Hawick, we stopped at the Auld Cross Keys pub in Denholm for a drink.