August 2024

28th

The sheep have had better days, a week of rain, the paddock is becoming a landslide of mud. This morning clear blue skies, but fast moving clouds encroach a gloomy grey upon this day.

The lamb above is a Herdick X Teeswater teg; as you can see, we solved the breeds wire wool problem; her mother ewe gave us a tup also, but we've let him go to auction.

Seeing Charlie off to work, departs from placing a soppy wet kiss on my cheek. Replacement rear door of this truck refuses to close properly because a tractor crash has mangled the structural integrity of this vehicle; the rear door is permanently shut.

The sheep dog prefers a puddle of rain water to a clean bowl of spring water from our farmhouse tap. He likes eating bread and butter, more so when saturated with dripping.

22th

Today we drove to Eyemouth with Charlie's mother and brother; this is there last day in the Scottish Borders before they return home to the Midlands. This morning I discovered my neighbour has been listening to my conversations via a microphone placed from her upstairs window.

I heard her tumbling about with her window with some sort of device, my 1200mm zoom camera revealed that she has been eavesdropping on our conversations. The question beckons, is she evesdropping for herself or somebody else?

We arrived in Eyemouth early afternoon, and walked the length of the towns harbour to a cafe we'd eaten at before.

We stopped at St Abbs harbour; the day was pleasant, I don't feel like sharing many photographs; perhaps I might write about interests rather than a life log in future.

20th

Woodburn paddock was overloaded with sheep after returning a flock from the Craik Forest. Charlie loaded six ewes and transported them to Selkirk grass keep.

Two lambs are now weaning Woodburn Farmhouse, their mother ewes taken to Selkirk as grass on our paddock runs out.

Not everything goes to plan, when insufficient fencing is holding the sheep.

Our Herdick mother ewe is caught and penned for transport to grass keep.

After I disappeared upstairs, Charlie regained his composure and successfully rounded up the flock from the paddock.We pulled out tup lambs and others from the holding penned, until we were left with six sheep.

I opened the grass keep gate and Charlie drove into the field, then unloaded.

These sheep have been more excited to see us, they have a lot of grass here, and it's peaceful for them; better for us they are contented.

We messaged the organisers to report they were displaying the wrong date on their sign near Ashkirk, not good that.

15th

We received a cancel message to come and collect our sheep for grass keep in the Craik Forest; we'd agreed to fetch them at the weekend, but we them earlier on Thursday instead.

It was late in the evening by the time we loaded our trailer onto our truck, we took three large hurdles with us. The drive form Woodburn to Craik is about five miles; then a mile from the forest gate post to were our sheep were grazing.

Our friends said they wanted their field back, I didn't feel as though we'd taken their land away; we only grazed (for free) thirteen sheep on their land, no room at the inn is large, at least seventy acres. Our sheep were unhappy there, they'd escaped, on the 9th of June and again on the 27th of July; so this evening we are on a mission to return all of them to Woodburn.

The Craik forest is beautiful, and I have enjoyed visiting here.

I have not enjoyed being around these goats; our sheep were also bothered by them. There are also two Hebridean sheep here, but they are no trouble at all. The sheep were no bother to pen, Charlie reversed the truck for loading.

Charlie was really tired, this was a long day for him, after a twelve hour day harvesting, he is rounding up and transporting sheep in the evening.

I manoeuvred to the opposite side of the pen to usher the sheep towards Charlie awaiting at the trailer. The entire area was swarming with thousands of midgies.

The sheep walked themselves into the loading pen without any effort other than me walking towards them; they know the ritual, I think they wanted to leave.

Eight walked into the trailer, leaving five to wait for our next pick up; there fight or flight mechanism jolted them, they were pissed being left behind rather than being penned.

As the exiting sheep neared the paddock verge other sheep came running to greet them; they roared from the reunion; the event felt wonderfully enamouring; validating our efforts toward their return to Woodburn Farm.

12th

Awakened to thunder, a lightening strike appeared as I placed, from darkness into light, my face next to the bedroom window; weather exactly the opposite to yesterday. Being at the farm is special, I have many happy memories living here with Charlie and his dog Sam; he's helped me settle into the Scottish Borders, I also feel healed.

Sheep stand around during a heavy downpour of rain sometimes pushing their little faces in a stone all, they also come together during strong winds. They don't like rain.

In the afternoon I took a walk through the wood and burn, and across the moor.

Burn through the wood, Woodburn, our ancestors said and named as they seen, now forbidden by Cultural Marxism as concepts of alienation take offence to our realities.

One of our neighbours taking issue with a septic tank, is accusing our other neighbour of making her kids sick. It's such a horrible to do; as the accused in 75 years old!

I am suspecting they don't like English people much, but I am not bothered about being "liked"; I would not crucify people to be "liked"; because that is just all it is.

Scottish Black face sheep roam this land. The heather is beautiful.

Two homes, one here, the other Ancrum; no matter what they say or do.

10th

I'm excited about our beans within our Kitchen Garden, last year they failed to grow; we believe they were eaten before their stalks could climb up off the ground.

I have not grown vegetables since 1996 when I helped at an allotment near Stapleton area, north Bristol.

Charlie has been stressing because his elderly mother is coming to visit us, I am looking forward to welcoming her with hospitality. In my world, elders are respected.

This is our potato crop, we have had a good year growing these.

My lamb friend, she should have died but we nursed her into this world. Sometimes she brings tears to my eyes, how hard she has pulled through to be in this world with us.

The lambs appear to have recovered from a severe tapeworm infestation; whilst they eat we observe them for signs of ill health; this time of year we are looking for maggots.

Loving these wild blue flowers along the lane at Woodburn.

A neighbour requested Charlie tend to his hens whilst he was away for a few days, tonight I put these three hens inside their coop; proper little lady's they were.

Situation at the farm is difficult and stagnant, Charles tractor is broken so we can't muck out the poly tunnel, the flock returns from grass keep in two months.

8th

Another Alewater walk, this instance with Charlie.

In the early hours of Thursday I was at A and E; after waiting four hours I seen a doctor who diagnosed me with Gall Stones. The BECS doctor was professional, after my examination he gave me medication to relieve discomfort and pain. Administration at A&E glared at me as though they wanted me to die, and seem relieved to see me gone. I hope whatever hatred is resolved, for the sake of patients, visitors and staff.

The purposefully negligent doctors at Hawick who left me for six months with this illness then the competent doctor at Borders General Hospital being true to his oath in diagnosing this illness. This not about causing divide, as this unspoken divide was caused secretly in my absence.

7th

Wake up Sam!

Somebodies fed up with dog poo but nonetheless I say "pick it up".

Flowers have bloomed beautiful

in Ancrum's village garden beds.

3rd

After weeding our Kitchen Garden at Woodburn, Charlie, for a day out, drove us to Maryport.

We was supposed to drive to Workington first, but got put off by migrants glaring at our car in the town, as we attempted to drive into the centre.

Exiting the harbour we drove along the North Promenade.

On the way to Siloth, Charlie stopped the truck, allowing me to take a picture.

Charlie queued for half an hour for x2 fish and chips at Siloth; we then drove north, parked by the sea and enjoyed our evening meal.

We spent most of the day driving, but felt great to return to Woodburn Farmhouse.