The lorry's not for turning

Sitting beside the road, watching the wagon mount the hill toward her, Lena thinks, "I have come from Alabama: a fur piece."

Though I end the day exactly where I start it, I also feel like I've come a long way. Gáspár needed to get to the airport earlier than planned, so I got another visit to the Dolphinton bus stop.

Then Paula and her mum came to take the sheep away for clipping, which meant rounding them up and herding them in. Megan, Angus and I made a real meal of it.

Later a 17.5 tonner came to deliver chicken feed. It was a brave and foolish gesture. In the end he turned round in Jim's field and dropped the pallet by the gate. So, Nick, Angus & I handball 50 sacks into cars and wheelbarrows and stash them in the barn and office.

Then Angus wants to get to jitsu in Edinburgh, Megan wants picked up from swimming in Peebles and there's smoke machines and speaker stands left over from the party to return. I squeeze in a visit to the supermarket.

While I'm oot and aboot, Claire returns from her two weeks sailing. She passed her Yacht Master Coastal and is exhausted, but tanned and healthy.

And the buff is egg bound.