July 2024

16th

Received a message requesting I go to the doctors to do blood samples; as I waited inside Ancrum's only bus shelter I noticed a nest.

The weather was mild, and I noticed gypsies had parked caravans in a wagon train formation inside Jedburgh's car park. I assumed they had arrived for St Boswells gypsy gathering. Its warming to know they are tolerated, after all I was a traveller for three decades.

I visited a few shops and presented to them my plans; found a baguette shop and enjoyed lunch in beautiful grounds of Mary Queen Of Scots house.

Lavender.

Buddleja.

My family, long, long ago were kings and queens before English speaking Scotland, when people spoke Gaelic, within a country named Alba; before the Denbur.

Today we are enduring a hereditary pathocracy that despises our humanity utterly inconsolable, into murky depths of haplessness. Could this guy be a victim, maybe.

Rose, a yellow rose and a poppy.

And a bee.

Charlie came to collect me, he drove me home, then to the garden centre, purchased six box hedge plants and three bags of compost.

In the evening Charlie returned from shearing three ewes at grass keep; in a few more months the flock will be returning to Woodburn Farm. This evening we enjoyed cauliflower cheese from shopping Charlie returned with.

14th

As I put on my boots and stepped outside the rain started; I gritted my teeth, entered Woodburn Farmhouse kitchen garden and began to weed.

Potatoes are easy to grow here in the Scottish Borders.

However our bean plants have been pecked by birds, although some plants have begun to climb the cane tripod; an improvement on last year when they were eaten as they sprouted through the soil.

Our beetroot and onions over been smothered with nettles, thistles and dock leaves.

After my tolerance to being stung wore thin, I took off my gloves and fetched a spade from the truck, then began to dig a trench for the wire mesh bordering,

Sam, I want to return to the garden. Charlie helped finish inserting wire mesh.

We do not visit the garden after 4pm, because at this time the midges are horrific.

Charlie jump started his tractor.

We needed to check the blade underneath the topper, the bolt needs welding.

Look at our glorious rhubarb plant, I'd cook a crumble but I don't eat it.

We do not apply chemicals to our kitchen garden, however other areas are treated against dock leaves and stinging nettles.

Later Charlie dug up some potatoes from our Kitchen Garden for our Sunday dinner. I enjoy gardening, something I could not do whilst surviving homelessness. Whilst Charlie was work I've been taking pictures, with my bridge camera of fauna about the surrounding area of the farmhouse.

Woodburn is rich in wildlife, notably birds, badgers, owls, and frogs!

And rabbits.

Bird below moved its head so fast!

I seen around twenty types of birds here at Woodburn, the dominant rooks and jackdaws when nesting dominate the area but now they are gone these birds are returning. Late afternoon we took Sam a walk down the lane to Borthwick Water and noticed a bird has nested in our chimney pot.

Meadowsweet and Cornflowers decorate the roadside.

Wondering Sam, called to break curiosity and return.

Vetch.

Returning to the farmhouse we were attacked by midgeys, after 4pm out and about!

11th

Fed up with this edema.

Doctors say it is not that bad, and that I'm 50 years old.

10th

O’ Ancrum toon, Sweet Ancrum toon, I’ll love thee aye the best. In winter’s gloom, Or simmer’s bloom, Frae distant East to West, What scene could ere Wi‘ thee compare? What fairer spot could be, By day or nicht, Sae Sweet, sae bricht, Dear Ancrum toon, as thee?

We returned to Ancrum from Jedburgh where I had seen the doctor. She gave me bottles for a series of tests, one which I have to wait two weeks to do. I was informed by our lovely shop keeper that Ancrum festival was happening tonight. There was two bands, pipes and brass, dancers, Ancrum residents and not forgetting the Callent and his henchmen.

There were to many common riders looking down, gazes lowered.

We were surprised to see two friends from Roberton on the ride out to Ancrum.

The common riders were greeted at the southern boundary of Ancrum by an encore from Jedburgh pipe band and observant members of the public.

And later a local bass band played to the occasion from outside the bar and over towards the green.

All brass bands feel homely, wherever they are from but I'm from the North of England, my family were miners, so this assertion could be construed as culturally bias.

The callent couldn't sing, read his lines from paper; wouldn't look me in the eye, made every effort to circumnavigate contact; yet stood in front of an entire village and made an effort to substantiate value in the form of tradition among people.

I could feel anti-english sentiment, but the common riding rides out to areas of local history, often reciting loss, viewing bloodshed and resurrecting hope. But they didn't just fight against the English, they fought against Scottish Clans and Reivers (robbers).