November 2023

10th

Tonight we played games with the good folk of Roberton, which included dominos, cards, a treasure hunt and carpet bowls. Both myself and Charlie enjoyed this civil and sociable evening; it was heartening to see Charlie thaw to warming conversation.

7th

As we pulled into Longtown cattle market, there was a long dual queue to offload our sheep. By the side of our 4x4 was a young farmer eager to unload, Charlie lacked patience with him suspecting he was going to pull in front of us which proved unfounded.

I told Charlie to have more patience with the younger generation; however the young farmer made an offhand remark as Charlie carefully pulled away from the loading bay where the young farmer had aligned his trailer very close to our 4x4, how testosterone burns civility.

After enjoying a large breakfast at the cattle market cafe, we walked around the pens, where I discovered a flock of Herdwick sheep. Since we purchased a Herwick ewe Charile is no longer reffering the breed as awful things, maybe they'll be some Herdwick's returning to the farmhouse with us in the future? As we left the pens a stranger "apologised" to me, whatever for I do not know, but his demeaner was creepy, not unlike many other projections that had made unfounded "apologies" to me. Unnerved, I followed Charlie into the auctioning hall and watched a young Herdwick tup sell for a mere £50.

Returning to Hawick, we turned diverted onto a right turn after Langholm, following a small lane towards Langholm moor; I adore the stalk scenic views of this wild and free area, a place to breathe, restful.

We seen some goats and wondered about a goat with poorly kids we'd seen here months before.

Passing over a black and white painted bridge we turned left and parked beside Tarras Water.

Overlooking Newcastleton we stopped to observe another panoramic view.

Only a brisk walk back to the heated seats of the 4x4, where Charlie's smile is waiting; realising I'm now visiting this weathered wilderness, rather than tethered to extremities from within it.

5th

Charlie finished building the paddock perimeter fence, in worry of the Herdwick ewe and lamb jumping the stone wall. We divided half of the herd from the polytunnel to the paddock, I enjoyed watching them take to the green pasture; those remaining in the polytunnel (mostly castrated lambs) will be sold at the cattle market as store lambs.

Decorating the farmhouse reception room has progressed significantly, in the evening I painted the borders and rolled emulsion onto the celling. There are still fragments of wallpaper everywhere; stuck to the sofa, in-between the cushions, on skirting boards etc, I'm finding this formality quite annoying.

Arriving into Hawick I got Charlie to pull over the 4x4 to allow me to take a few pictures of the autumnal bronzes displayed on the trees near Wilton Lodge Park. The wee lane is busy most mornings with walkers, dog walkers and joggers, noticablly happy pensioners seemingly paired together, perhaps in correspondence sake of sustaining memory.

In the evening we had planned to have a bonfire, burning I Guy Fawkes on the paddock, but were too tired from performing chores of the day; Morrisons supermarket had also sold out of sparklers, and we thought better, in mind of livestock, than to let off fireworks within the Borthwick Valley.

I am enjoying using a language app named Duolingo immensely, this evening I failed, by a mere hundred "XP" to get promoted into the next league after coming first in the previous league. I am learning French, and plan also to learn German and a Scandinavian language also.

4th

Strange fungus growing on the farmhouse paddock, I am not aware of the name, but the sheep on the paddock sure seem to keep their distance from it.

In observation I pondered over why dock leaves are attracted to gather and grow around [not in] manure, perhaps I'll research the internet for an answer to this oddity.

The sunset glow was warming through a dark chill of dusk. I shared the picture above with our friendly neighbours from the farmhouse cottages pictured.

We've had the farmhouse encircled by lights which have developed during these darkening evenings; but somehow occasionally seem to loose sense of their presence.