[Roxy]

that there are some nice smallholdings for sale.  Seen a few in Cumbria which look nice, and also Scottish borders, oh, and Dumfries.  Had a nice chat this morning with the owner of one in Dumfries, and he kindly sent me 80 plus pics by email.  It had a lot of land, and looked really nice .....but its set back from a road, and my farm cats are not used to roads, just a single track lane, oh, and the railway.

Anyway, its made me see that there are affordable places out there.  Going to be difficult to look now with no computer, but I suppose we managed in the good old days before we had computers.  There are of course those wonderful things called telephones

[Hilarysmum]

Its good to see you "up" about things.  You can always use an internet cafe, or find a friend with a computer.  You know they are a true friend when they allow you unlimited access to their computer.

Good luck

[little blue]

or invest in a fancy mobile that gives you internet access.... just be careful around bonfires   

[Roxy]

   whatever do you mean, Little Blue?

[Jackie]

Dunfries has the most amazing sunsets and a sort of warm micro climate round there cos of the gulf stream. Thats where Id be looking if I was going to Scotland

[Fergie]

Dumfries is my home town, and is a lovely place to live - only the need for paid employment forced me to live closer to the major cities.

John

[doganjo]

Dumfries is my home town, and is a lovely place to live - only the need for paid employment forced me to live closer to the major cities.

John

My Dad was from Dumfries - I remember going with my kids and their dad and thinking what a lovely place it was.

[Roxy]

One of the email pics was of a lovely sunset   The trouble is, most of the places seem to be right on the busy road, well, not on it, but you know what I mean!!  My cats would not understand, and I can guarantee instead of walking towards the hills and fields, they would go to the road.  And although my ponies are used to a busy tourist village, and do ride up a busy bypass, they are mainly used to quiet lanes, and off road tracks.

But, thats not to say we could not cope.

[doganjo]

My cats would not understand, and I can guarantee instead of walking towards the hills and fields, they would go to the road.  And although my ponies are used to a busy tourist village, and do ride up a busy bypass, they are mainly used to quiet lanes, and off road tracks.
But, thats not to say we could not cope.

I worried about my cats coming from a very rural home - 2 miles from nearest traffic - to here - railway line one side, bypass the other.  Candy disappeared last year, but she had been drinking an awful lot and gone quiet so may not have been killed.  Rio was brought up with horses and goes a mile up the line to visit my friends' ones - by walking along the metal track.  We reckon he a)doesn't like the ballast to walk on, and b) can feel any trains coming.  They aren't that frequent anyway - about 6 a day all together.

[Roxy]

We have a busy mainline railway at the top of our field, with passenger trains and goods trains, rumbling all day and night. The cats do go up on the banking mousing, but like you say, must feel the trains coming, and run!!