October 2024

31st

Charlie purchase a pumpkin and sweets for me to give to the trick or treating children of Ancrum. This is the first pumpkin I've made, in my fifty years on this earth!

The process of making a pumpkin was easy, more so after watching a "how to do" Youtube video; spooning out stringy slime and slippery seeds was an experience.

I sat down with the pumpkin, and watched John Carpenter's Halloween 3, Season of the Witch; I feared this movie as a child, now I'm humoured.

My hands have not been steady from power washing my patio, I thought about using a tripod but chose to film this moment authentically.

The children's trick or treat costumes were impressive, after they threatened to smash out my windows and never come back I handed them two sealed buckets of sweets.

26th

Fetching two oil paintings from Railtons in Wooler enabled a day out in Northumbria; we coddiwompled to Chillingham. After viewing todays lots we decided not to bid any further at Railtons; Charlie picked up his two oil paintings, both were of a countryside setting, and have heavy gilded frames.

I've often wonder how Railton gets bidders to purchase things they don't want; walking around the auction house today I could clearly see how he achieves this. The lots were not placed in numbered order, but scattered around the premiss as if they were bingo balls. He also uses mind tricks during the auction accompanied by tongue and cheek humour. Selling a Scottish lot he says "Donald where's your trousers"; very old school.

After visiting an antiques warehouse by a garage we discovered an observation point named Hurlestone Tower; 60 metres away there is a medieval Hurl Stone.

Charlie wanted to visit the wild cows, so that's what we did.

The area was creepy, and unfriendly, a glaring Italian man was the focus of much attention before we got to ask only a few limited questions. The tour was via a land drover towing a seated trailer, we had a forty five minute wait so visited a nearby church.

Then we returned to the wild cow information hut, I purchased a supporters badge.

Our tour guide towed us up a bumpy track, after five minutes we could over wild coos in the field below us; I asked myself "why did I not bring my zoom camera"?

After a dirty bull stomped away visibly upset the herd grazed closer to our group. I was reluctant to utilise digital zoom snapping this picture because of degradation from pixelation; I also filmed a short video clip. The tour guide was informative but after five minutes I was wanting to leave; Charlie commented how strange made him feel to pay £10 each to see cows in a field, but he works with cows every other day; and this was the exception, these are wild coos!

We decided to take a peek at Chillingham castle, but the end of the day was nigh, too late to get a decent look around inside.

Yes, despite not being able to see a dentist for years, I've still got most of my teeth, although they ain't that great. I may be disturbed, but I'm certainly no bat shit crazy.

Come ride my emotional rollercoaster, it'll tare your soul apart. But you can be horrible; I don't mind, be horrible.

It was a long day and we still had to return to Scotland; Charlie was more interested than I was in the replica cannons, a castle maybe a castle, but a home is a home.

23rd

Charlie gave me a lift into Galashiels to attend a two o'clock appointment at Specsavers. I received three tests and another additional test at the cost of £10. The results showed two healthy eyes, however my reading glasses have increase a strength.

they wanted me to pick frames etc today but I told them I'd return, not being able to afford new reading glasses at the moment.

20th

Grass has stopped growing so our sheep will now be supplemented with hay and silage. This is the first bale of many for our lambs at the poly tunnel; they were moved from the paddock yesterday as a oncoming storm unfolded.

Charlie worked the loader.

Drive down Hawick High Street.

It is always a relief to return to Woodburn Farmhouse; had I not been rehoused in Ancrum this beautiful area would have been a home with Charlie for me.

I can't impress enough the important of people having their own independent blogging platform; social networks have too much control over peoples content.

16th

This afternoon we visited an antiques cafe that Charlie has talked about visiting for the last year. We first visited Galashiels to purchase Charlie a new phone; his old phone is kaput, and he's been struggling with it for months. Galashiels doesn't stress me so much these days, it's taken eighteen months to recover from living in Galashiels for two months.

We looked around an antiques warehouse located in an old barn, then purchased cake and coffee from the warehouse cafe. It's strange how many cars pass through Ancrum, this village only has a population of seven hundred, yet an endless stream of traffic passes through everyday.

14th

Planes fly high over Woodburn, heading towards Edinburgh airport.

I risen early to help Charlie load three tups into the livestock trailer for auction at St Boswell's, the air was bitter cold, frost had settled everywhere.

First of the sheep have entered our poly tunnel, they'll stay here till May 25; picture is my Herdwick sheep, she lambed two lambs last March without intervention.

Brrr, this is the first morning after summer, that I've felt the cold; to think just two years ago I was sleeping outside in this weather, for decades!

Many hours throughout the day I felt unwell, and slept till 3pm. After tending to the ewes in the poly tunnel I grouted the front garden pathway.

Later in the afternoon I decided to try out my new tripod, and film an iPhone 14 time lapse of Woodburn Farmhouse from above using the paddock adjacent.

How the day eases into the night with a warm comforting glow.