April 2024

29th

It's a cold grey morning here in the Scottish Borders, I have an open log fire glowing behind me whilst I type this paragraph, the farmhouse is quiet.

Rural farmyard scene. A rusty red tractor with a trailer is parked near a small building. A dark brown sheep stands in the muddy yard in front of the tractor. The overall impression is one of a working farm, possibly in damp or wet conditions.

Charlie return home from a ten hour work day, and then struggled for one and half hours.

Muddy farmyard scene. A person is herding some sheep and lambs up a hillside. In the foreground, there are several lambs near a fence, and some farm equipment, including a tractor and trailers, is visible. The overall setting is a rural, agricultural one, likely in a wet or recently rained-upon location.

To bring the flock from the paddock into the poly tunnel, severe rain has been harsh on our lambs.

28th

Charlie got the tractor working after charging the battery, a trespassing intruder had come onto the farm and turned on the tractor ignition key on; Charlie is meticulous about things and noticed other mechanisms on this tractor were also interfered with. He attached the muck spreader and began ascent up the paddock embankment without further issues, after this muck spreader had been parked stationary for two years. Our friend surmised the wheels being ceased up, but Charlie had oiled the machine before putting the machine to rest.

Charlie fertilising the paddock with muck; his spreader is eighty years old.

Farmer standing behind a vintage red tractor and trailer. The trailer is loaded with what appears to be hay or other farm produce. The scene is set in a rural landscape with a stone wall in the background, under a dramatic, cloudy sky. A sheep is visible in the distance. The overall impression is one of agricultural work in a remote and somewhat bleak but beautiful setting.

During the early hours of the morning and later in the afternoon, I help our friend fix his broken computers. His laptop had a Linux OS upgrade, from Ubuntu Mate to Fedora, I also upscaled the hard drive to SSD, a change that sped up the laptop significantly. After replacing the hard drive, I found the laptop locked with a BIOS password, this was cracked by finding a BIOS password generator online and entering a system ID code. Our friend fixed his desktop after finding the power switch defective, I happily plied our guest with cups of tea. As dusk settled upon the Northern side of Borthwick Valley, we endeavoured to fix a CCTV camera to protect our yard. We've used an IPCam from the farm's poly tunnel as lambing has finished for our ewes. Charlie used a ladder to mount the CCTV onto a wood located underneath the roof gutter, this has allowed us a monitored 320 degree view of the farmhouse yard. Charlie said these scumbags usually burgle farmhouses to steal quad motorbikes; to burgle the livelihood of a hard-working farmer, and inevitably starve their livestock of food.

27th

Two badgers terrified our lambs early this morning, they're nothing to the monsters who frightened their encroachments into depriving me of life, but I checked on the welfare of these wee things anyhow, and they're OK this morning. I am nagging Charlie to erect the extra CCTV camera; I am going to email trespassing video clips directly to the police force. Early afternoon we drove to Denholm and then to Selkirk, at Denholm we hoof clipped and sprayed a lame sheep with violet. At Selkirk we rounded up the flock inside a run and wormed them for fluke parasite, Charlie also dagged four ewes with mucky bums; the hard stone in the run hurt his knees considerably, notably when a ewe kicked out at him.

Car tire being inflated with a portable air compressor. The car is parked on a gravel surface. The focus is on the tire and the small, hand-held air pump connected to the tire valve.
Rural road junction in Scotland on a sunny day. Several directional signs indicate the distances and directions to various locations, including Hassendean Burn, Minto, and Denholm. A dark-coloured SUV is parked near the junction, and the surrounding area is wooded with green undergrowth. The scene is peaceful and evokes a sense of quiet countryside.
Vibrant yellow rapeseed field stretching to the horizon under a dramatic, partly cloudy sky. The sun shines brightly, casting rays through the clouds. A line of trees is visible in the distance, bordering the field. The overall impression is one of bright, sunny day in a rural landscape.
Close-up of a branch laden with delicate white cherry blossoms. The blossoms are clustered together, displaying their five-petalled structure and prominent stamens. The vibrant green leaves provide a striking contrast to the white flowers. The background is softly blurred, suggesting a natural wooded setting, with dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. The overall impression is one of springtime freshness and natural beauty.
Close-up of a cluster of young, reddish-brown maple leaves. The leaves are sharply in focus, while the background is a softly blurred woodland scene of trees and greenery, suggesting a springtime setting. The colour contrast between the vibrant new leaves and the muted background enhances the detail and beauty of the new growth.
Panoramic image captures a vibrant springtime scene on a farm. A person in a high-visibility vest is tending to a flock of sheep within a rustic, wooden and corrugated metal pen. Another person in a yellow raincoat is visible near the pen. The sheep are a mix of white and black. The setting is idyllic, with lush green pastures extending into the distance under a bright blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. A gravel driveway leads towards a building in the background, and a dark-coloured SUV is parked nearby.

On the way to Selkirk we noticed our front right tire was flat, Charlie pulled in a mile from Minto and pumped the tire up. Today I restrung my banjo, I've missed playing for five days, forlaying purchasing new strings; however this time I ordered two sets rather than one.

26th

We're placing another CCTV camera alongside the farmhouse as fly by trespass is becoming a regular occurrence. Charlie reckons ladders are the most dangerous item of farm equipment; he says not to go up and fix the camera whilst I am alone but I want the trespassing to stop.

European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) perched on a bare branch, singing. The background is a pale, overcast sky. The overall impression is one of quiet observation of nature.

Today bemused a video of a royal gardener being stung by CIM peadophile hunters; talked about prince Andrew slapping his bottom and saying "nice ass", amongst many other things.

24th

Rode my mountain bike to the Craik and back to the farmhouse, visited two friends at their caravan on the edge of the forest. Informing me of an investigative journalist named Dave Starbuck that had researched Ian Huntly and Maxine Carr handed a narration recording of facts concerning the case. I've digitally ripped this CD into MP3 format to download and share.

23rd

Early morning Charlie loaded three ewes and lambs into the trailer bound for Longtown Market. We enjoying a small breakfast before entering the ring to watch our ewes and lambs auctioned at £70-80 a life. Returning through Langholm we took rest at Ewes Water, I wandered and taking pictures of ducks before we departed to refuel our truck.

Male mallard duck standing in a grassy area. The duck is in profile view, facing to the left of the frame. Its characteristic iridescent green head, yellow bill and brown and grey body are clearly visible, as are its orange legs. The background is softly blurred, focusing attention on the duck.
Farmer in a blue coverall and a cap feeding sheep and lambs in a pasture. He's pouring feed from a yellow bag. The sheep are a mix of adults and young lambs, various colors and breeds, and are gathered around him. The background is a green field bordered by trees.

This afternoon I purchased a new pair of sunglasses, Charlie was shocked at the £100 price tag but that's not much considering my last pair of sunglasses I purchased cost £400. After seeing to the lambs at Selkirk grasskeep we travelled to a garden centre for seeds to grow food in our farmhouse kitchen garden. Along the way a huge oversized pickup truck dangerously overtook us as we were nearing St Boswells.

22nd

Today, a visit into Hawick. The woman in the wool shop was so rude, looked at me then began gossiping with her friend whilst I waited to purchase an item. I stood there for minutes, whilst they talked about this and that; only when I turned my back and began to walk away did I get "can I help you". I protested the rudeness to which the woman replied she was serving the customer, despite conversation being off-topic and her not visibly purchasing anything. I won't be returning to that establishment again, in the face of such ignorance, it is of no wonder Hawick doesn't have many shops, why potential customers, including myself, fuck that and shop online now.

Close-up of a sheep's face. The sheep has thick, somewhat dirty, white wool, and its ears are tagged with small coloured clips. The sheep appears to be looking directly at the camera, with a slightly curious or perhaps slightly grumpy expression. The background is blurred but shows a rural setting with wooden structures and possibly some tarps or coverings.
Close-up of a sheep's face. The sheep is predominantly white with black markings on its face and ears. Its fleece is long and somewhat unkempt, and it has yellow and blue ear tags. The background is blurred, suggesting a grassy field. The sheep's expression appears somewhat curious or alert.
Three sheep in a grassy field, partially obscured by vegetation. A black sheep and a brown sheep are positioned behind a smaller, light-colored lamb. All three appear to be resting. The scene is peaceful and pastoral.
Three lambs lying in the grass. Two of them are in the foreground, a dark brown lamb and a light tan/grey lamb. A third lamb, with dark brown wool, is visible in the background, partially obscured by the other two. The lambs appear young and are huddled together.
Two young lambs lying down in a grassy field. One lamb is predominantly white, while the other has distinctive black markings on its face and legs. Both lambs appear to be resting peacefully, with their eyes closed or nearly closed. The setting is outdoors, with lush green grass visible in the background. The overall impression is one of serenity and the innocence of newborn animals.
Two lambs lying down in a grassy field. They are both predominantly white with black markings on their faces and heads. The lamb in the foreground is slightly smaller and positioned more to the right, while the other lamb is slightly larger and located more to the left of the frame. Both lambs appear young and fluffy. The overall impression is one of peaceful rural life.
Close-up view of a sheep's face. The sheep has dark brown fur on its head and ears, contrasting with its lighter, tan-colored fleece. The sheep's expression is calm, and it appears to be looking directly at the camera. The background is blurred, showing green vegetation.
Sheep standing on a grassy hillside in front of a slate roofed building. The sheep is predominantly light-colored with darker legs and a dark face. Its wool appears thick and somewhat unkempt. A small portion of another dark-colored sheep is visible at the bottom right of the image. The background is slightly blurred but shows some vegetation.
Close-up of a young lamb. The lamb is predominantly white with grey patches on its face and head. It has a pink nose and ears and its fur appears soft and woolly. The background is blurred but shows green grass. A portion of a dark gray object is visible in the lower left corner, possibly a trough or fence. The lamb's expression is relatively placid and it looks directly at the camera. A faint pink marking is visible near the lamb's shoulder.

The cade ewe lamb finally lambed and became a mother ewe today, we don't know the time of birth as the little black lamb was dry when we found her late afternoon. Most of the ewes and lambs that have not gone to grasskeep have been released onto the farmhouse paddock to graze on fresh grass. The lambs are playful in the open spaces which is some comfort to observe. During the evening I fetched my bridge camera and took close up pictures of the springtime flock. In the evening I broke a banjo string with my new wire cutters whilst I was attempting to trim the ends at the head.

21st

We entertained three friends at the farmhouse.

Rural scene at sunset. A white farmhouse, other farm buildings, and a covered trailer are in the foreground. Rolling green hills and a forest are visible in the background, all bathed in the warm, vibrant colours of a dramatic sunset sky. The overall impression is one of serene countryside tranquillity.

At dusk, I watched an awesome sunset from the verge of the paddock.

20th

Charlie is still humoured by the lambs reaction from me singing to them; I have a roaring open log fire located behind me whilst I update this website.

Young lamb, predominantly white with some grey markings on its head, lying down in a patch of green grass. It appears to be resting or sleeping peacefully. The lamb's fur is thick and fluffy. The overall impression is one of innocence and tranquillity.

Cuteness of these Herdwick / Teeswater lambs that we put out onto the farmhouse paddock yesterday. We've enjoyed the milder weather this afternoon.

19th

Most of the lambs in the polytunnel have now weaned onto haylage. This morning I strimmed away the ending of snowdrops from the farmhouse front garden.

Young lamb, predominantly white with distinctive black markings on its face and legs. The lamb is standing in a grassy field and appears to be looking off to the side.
Close-up of a young lamb's face. The lamb is predominantly white with grey or dark markings on its face and ears. Its fur appears soft and fluffy. The lamb's expression is gentle and somewhat innocent. The background is blurred, showing part of another sheep.
Close-up of a young lamb's head and shoulders. The lamb is predominantly white with patches of dark grey or black, particularly around its face and ears. Its fur appears somewhat unkempt and possibly dirty, with small debris visible in its wool. The lamb's expression is somewhat neutral. The background is blurred but shows a natural, earthy setting, suggesting a pasture or field.
Close-up of a young lamb. Its fleece is predominantly white, but it has distinctive black markings on its face, including a black nose and patches around its eyes. The lamb appears to be somewhat dirty, with bits of dirt and debris clinging to its wool. The background is blurry, suggesting a natural, outdoor setting, likely a pasture or field.
Close-up of a sheep's head and shoulders as it eats hay. The sheep is predominantly white with a slightly dirty or discoloured muzzle. Its ear is a distinctive orange-pink color. The hay is dry and light brown. The background includes a blurred portion of another sheep and a wooden structure.
Sheep partially hidden in a pile of hay. Only the sheep's head and part of its body are visible. A yellow ear tag is attached to its ear. The sheep appears calm and is likely eating or resting. The overall mood is peaceful and pastoral.

In the evening, noticing the soil had hardened, we released three mother ewes with their lambs onto the farmhouse paddock. We both enjoyed watching the lambs play.

18th

Created a blog with Ghost CMS, where I am focusing on publishing structured, formatted content, rather than a life log of events.

Website homepage for Léonie Cooper. The header features a large image of Léonie in a field, overlaid with the site title Solas na gaoithe a tuath and a subscription box. Below this are several blog posts, each with a thumbnail image and a short description. The topics seem to range from social history (Workhouse), psychology (Personality, Defining Trauma, Identifying Religious Abuse), and a farming diary (Lambing [Month] 24). The overall style is clean and minimalist, with a focus on text and clear imagery. The site's design suggests a personal blog or portfolio, aiming for a professional and somewhat academic tone.

I find content management systems restrictive and cumbersome, preferring to code HTML, CSS and PHP by hand; I can't display 360 pictures on ghost and video files are limited to 5mb. Yet I am able to allow subscription and allow subscribers to comment, whilst ghost administrators are diligence of security issues that such an application demands.

16th

My Herdwick ewe lambed male and female twins last night; these wee Teeswater x Herdwick lambs are so cute.

Young lamb, predominantly white with black markings on its face and legs, nestled in a bed of hay within a wooden structure. The lamb appears calm and possibly sleeping. The setting suggests a barn or similar animal shelter. The overall mood is peaceful and evokes a sense of rural life.

Today Charlie drove to Selkirk to purchase a chain for his saw, the lambs looked well at grass keep.

Yellowhammer ( Emberiza citrinella) perched on a rusty brown surface. The bird is predominantly yellow with streaks of brown and dark brown feathers. It is facing to the left of the frame, and its head is slightly turned. The background is blurred, showing a grey fence.
House sparrow perched atop a small pile of grey and brown stones. The sparrow is facing to the viewer's left, and its plumage appears somewhat muted, possibly due to the lighting or the time of year. The background is out of focus, a blurry greyish-brown tone. The overall impression is one of quiet observation of a common bird in a simple, natural setting.

Whilst Charlie fed coos at Denholm, I took a few pictures of birds within the farmyard.

13th

We're having trouble with one cade lamb that has seriously fallen behind, among other cade lambs he suffered stomach illness (from tainted powdered milk) the worst. We are worried he is going to slip from our grasp and not survive the weaning onto grass, he's taken hours and hours away, but we'll do what we can to keep him alive in this world.

Two sheep, one adult and one lamb, huddled together in a straw-filled enclosure. The adult sheep is larger and has a thick, grey-white fleece. The lamb is smaller and its fleece is lighter in color. They appear to be resting or sleeping together. A portion of another sheep is visible in the background, partially obscured by darkness and shadow. The overall mood is peaceful and suggests a sense of warmth and protection.

I felt relieved to be away from my flat yesterday; uncomfortable near my hateful neighbours, their minds poisoned with repressive, partisan tolerances. People were in and out of the flat block, arriving at the flat opposite, laughing and smirking observing me leaving, fleecing us all hapless is such tee hee fun.

Black and white bird, likely a White Wagtail, perched on a bare branch of a tree against a bright, overcast sky. The bird is in profile view, facing to the left of the frame. The background is softly blurred, drawing attention to the bird. The branches in the foreground are somewhat in focus, creating a framed effect around the bird.

Birds suffered Communism more than any other creature, China, underneath dictator Mao Zedong, exterminated millions of sparrows (and other birds) by terrorising these defenseless birds out of the sky. Obviously botched collectivisation efforts never knew about permaculture; but nonetheless us British are scapegoat blamed for the orcastrated famine.

Close-up of a White-winged Wagtail perched on a bare branch. The bird is mostly in shadow, with its white and black plumage partially visible. The background is a softly blurred, bright sky with silhouetted branches. The overall impression is one of a fleeting moment captured in nature, with a focus on the bird's form and posture.
White Wagtail ( Motacilla alba) perched on a branch of a tree. The bird is predominantly white and black, and the background is a bright, blurry white, suggesting an outdoor setting in sunlight. The focus is on the bird, with the branches in silhouette against the light. The bird appears to be holding something small in its beak
Small, yellowish-brown bird perched on a bare, dark-coloured branch against a bright, overcast sky. The bird is in profile, facing left, and appears to be relatively still. The branches form a somewhat complex network creating a stark contrast to the bird's muted colouring.
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) perched on a mossy branch of a tree. The bird is predominantly yellow with streaks of brown and black on its wings and back. The background is blurred but shows more branches of the same tree, suggesting a natural, outdoor setting. The overall feel is one of quiet observation of wildlife in its natural habitat.
Two sheep inside a wooden trailer. The sheep are light grey with long, shaggy wool. They appear calm and are standing on a bed of straw. The trailer's interior is made of aged wood and has a worn, blue metal bottom. The overall impression is one of rural life and animal transportation.

The rain relentless poured down, flowing over the window screen of our truck.

View from inside a car, looking out through a rain-streaked windshield. The wipers are visible, and the blurred background suggests a rainy day with trees visible through the water droplets. The overall effect is one of blurring and indistinctness, suggestive of a journey on a stormy day.
Flock of sheep and lambs grazing in a lush green field. The sheep are a mix of black and white, with several lambs visible, suggesting a springtime setting. The overall mood is peaceful and pastoral. The background includes a line of trees and a somewhat overcast sky.

We loaded our two tup lambs and transported them to Selkirk grass keep; leaving the farmhouse, relentless rain poured down. The flock at Selkirk were pleased to see our truck, a couple of lambs looked slightly unwell, we figured this was due to heavy weather recently, but we'll be keeping a watch on them nonetheless. Charlie is suspicious, but I am not.