She Mistook My Brogues For Acorns

Barrie and Vicki dropped in this morning to present me with Barrie’s new book, ‘Walking in the Sea’. I look forward to reading it.

Ever since my lingering cold in August, I have been feeling decidedly under par, so Jackie persuaded me to visit the GP, made the appointment, and drove me there. After a thorough examination, Dr. Moody-Jones formed the opinion that I have a specific infection and prescribed antibiotics. I have confidence in the diagnosis. We’ll see how we go.

On a very sunny afternoon Jackie drove us through the forest. We enjoyed wood- and heathlands, and the livestock that, having right of way in the New Forest, roam the terrain and the roads.

Leaves on reflective pool

Pools, such as this one formed near Bolderwood, are beginning to varnish the forest floor.


Forest roadForest scapeForest scape 2Forest scape 3Forest scape 4

We stopped for a while near the Ornamental Arboretum.

Pony 1Pony 2

Next stop was Nomansland where ponies grazed on the green,

ShadowsPony's eye

where the lowering sun cast long shadows and glinted in the animals’ eyes.

Pony's hide

The matted, crusty, hide of some of these creatures bore evidence of how muddy their environment has become.

Sow and piglets

As we drove back along Roger Penny Way, a grunting sow followed by squawking offspring, clambering all over each other in their haste, burst through the bracken, dashed along the verge, and came to a halt among a heap of fallen leaves and acorns. They were just like the proverbial pigs in a trough. I was amazed at the amount of noise they made.

At one point the mother left her brood, advanced on me, and, her nose rings grating on my toes, snotted all over my light tan brogues. Eventually she realised they were not acorns, and returned to the trough.

Cattle 1

Cattle 2Pony backlit

On the approach to Beaulieu, a group of cattle, and one pony, grazed on the heath in the warm glow of the setting sun.

Donkey

Just before we reached the village, rounding the bend in a narrow road, we came hard up against the reason for a bit of a hold-up. A donkey, its rear hooves planted in the road, calmly chomped in a hedge.

This evening we dined on roast lamb, mint sauce, roast and mashed potatoes, carrots, cabbage and corn on the cob. Jackie drank Hoegaarden, and I abstained.

41 comments

  1. Not being a man of fashion, I never knew the term “brogues” – I always thought it to be a dialectical manner of speaking. One can only presume you put your foot in your mouth!

  2. such a lovely place for you to enjoy! I love this time of year and all those animal!! so wonderful 🙂 I love following your blog, keep it up! Michelle

  3. Remember that the purpose of antibiotics is to kill life, so some probiotics would be a good idea. I suggest chicken soup 🙂 Love the reflection, long shadows and the pony back lit by the low sun.

  4. Now those pics of the Forest take me back. Can’t stand the ponies mind you but that’s because of the run ins I’ve had with the walking dog food. Still we came to an accommodation when I loved there which worked well enough. I was terrorised by a sow during pannage one year when she charged me, probably to protect her young. Not really done well with the larger Forest inhabitants, have I? I played cricket at Nomandsland – the war memorial was at short fine leg from the cattle grid end and if the ball hit it, it was given as two runs with a flourishing ‘Churchill’ to the scorer.

    1. Cricket Green IS still there at Nomansland, Geoff, like all the wickets within the New Forest national park, it is protected from the ponies by a metal fence.

  5. Sorry you are dragging along with the infection and send a healing prayer for your speedy recovery now. And what a good title to this post of fascinating creatures and bucolic countryside…such a good trip. I love the horse and cows and pigs…thanks.

  6. Derrick,
    Don’t forget to eat a clove of raw garlic every day. There are something like 90 antibiotics in garlic! I swear by it. Took care of sinus infection fast.
    Ginene

  7. I forgot to mention how kind of you to allow the sow to use your brogues, for tissue to wipe her snout. 🙂
    Also, sorry you are still not up to par and meant to show sympathy to Jackie on last post for the winds harsh effects on greenhouses. 🙁

  8. Your drives weaves through the countryside like poetry that is paired with the most beautiful photographs. The trees are magnificent structures Derrick and did enjoy the livestock too. Hope you begin to mend and feel better before winter settles in.

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