“Don’t Get Me In Your Picture”

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE. REPEAT IF REQUIRED

Our friend Sheila Knight died last week. She had been ill for some time. We will be unable to attend the funeral, but I had been asked to write a tribute. I did so this morning and e-mailed it. It will be entered in a book and read out at the service.

At midday Jackie drove me to Milford on Sea for Peter at Sears Barbers to cut my hair.

Opposite the hairdressers Keith Mitchel was refurbishing the telephone box. He told me that the Parish Council had bought it for £1 from the telephone company and were seeking local views on the purpose to which it should be put.

We then travelled along the coast road. Sun sparkled on the Solent. The Isle of Wight and The Needles were nicely silhouetted against a streaky sky;

a speedboat sped across the surface of the sea,

into which three boys lobbed rocks.

We lunched at Sails café in Barton on Sea.

Travelling north past Ringwood we paused beside Linbrook Lake, and watched reflections in a stream that feeds it.

Browning bracken curled in the woodland;

spiders span their webs therein (can you spot one?).

As we rose to higher land we spied a marina down below,

and a sunbathed landscape with deer.

On a bend entering Ibsley a herd of cattle, mainly Herefords (identified by Bruce in his comments below), sprawled on the leaf-strewn sward. The majority of these creatures sported identical black eyes;

the odd chestnut brown made the exception;

all were tagged with their owner’s details.

Families frolicked in the nearby stream;

rounding the bend past the cattle visitors were greeted by

a van selling a variety of ice creams, some of what this gentleman called “come and buy me colour”.

Cattle at Gorley Lynch made their leisurely way along the road. So, perforce, did we.

High ground at Ogdens swarmed with snorting, snuffling, mast-seeking pigs.

As I aimed to photograph a gentleman jogging past some porkers, a woman opened her car door, crying “don’t get me in your photograph”. Recognising the humour in her voice, I pointed out that she had pushed her way into it. She and her two young girls had stopped to admire the animals which they photographed very well on their tablets. We enjoyed a pleasant conversation during which she expressed satisfaction with her portrait.

Our way at Frogham was blocked by a donkey, fast homing on on which was a dog walker with a number of charges.

This evening we returned for another excellent Indian meal at Bartlett’s restaurant in the Church Hall at Bransgore. We took our own drinks. Jackie’s was Hoegaarden and mine  Graves.

P.S. See Paol’s comment below for good further information on Herefords

73 comments

  1. How nice of you to write a tribute for your friend, Derrick. Sorry for your loss. The day and the pictures are wonderful…especially the close up of the cow. Special.

  2. I was wondering what a ‘dag walker’ was before I looked closely at the photo and realised you’d made a typo and meant ‘dog’ 🙂 The reflection photos were my favourites today – I started to get some sort of vertigo just looking at them they are so clear.

  3. I liked those reflection photos, to, especially the one where you can see the bottom, plus the reflections. Of course the spotted pig and the donkey (not to mention that glittery sunlit picture of the Solent) made me smile as well. I’m glad you could write something for your friend. It will no doubt be appreciated.

  4. My sympathies regarding the loss of your friend…I do love to see all the homely yet somehow always attractive creatures just roaming about. Everything is fenced in in the States. Is this usual for your country or just that area? Also, the black and white photo is very effective. And the updated photo with Jackie is lovely. Whew, that was a lot to say about this post but glad to be reading your posts once more.

  5. I did enjoy the dag walker – and also the pictures of the caws and hags but no harses – although a dankey. (I would have said that the first lot of cattle weren’t Friesians, but Herefords.)

  6. The brief reference of the passing of your friend lingered in the excursions to the sea and meadows, in the images of deer and cattle, frolicking families, and irreverent abundance of pigs, as if to affirm that the cycle of Nature goes on. I loved being soaked in your pictorial tribute.

  7. The surrealism and impressionism mixed together in my mind of the water’s reflections of leaves, light and gently moving water ripples. I loved this series where it was less clear and became much clearer.
    I would like to go to the church who is host to the restaurant’s Indian meal. Thanks, Derrick for the pigs and donkeys. xo hugs to you both
    ps. The gravatar photo is excellent! ?

  8. Intriguing to know what the Milfordians decide for that phone box, isn’t it? I might put a suggestion in when I am down there on Tuesday morning. Sorry to hear about Sheila. As you say, a relief. x

  9. I’m sorry for the loss of your friend, Derrick. I’m certain you wrote a lovely tribute, and what a nice idea to put them in a book. It looks like an otherwise splendid day.I particularly love the reflection photos. But there is something about those cow faces. 🙂 And I like the play of light and shadow in the photos of the pigs.

  10. I love the fact that many of the roads you travel on Derrick are littered with animals.. So loved the pigs and donkey. And sorry to hear about your friend i am sure your reading will be well received .. The phone box.. now I know a place that has one, which is used by a village as a library to exchange used books.. When you take one you replace it with one you have read and so on.
    Loved your reflections within the water also Derrick.. I just love the countryside you share..
    Wishing you a wonderful peaceful weekend..
    Hugs Sue xx 🙂

  11. I had a strange thought about all the animals roaming free among the countryside. Here in Canada, farmers sell the meat from their critters and get a premium price when advertising them as free range. I wonder is it the same there?

  12. My father raised Herefords. The true Hereford is the brown and white cow in the centre.. The others are what are known in America as Black Herefords and in Australia and New Zealand as
    a ‘Black Baldy”. They are actually a cross breed animal. They come originally from crossing a Hereford cow with an Aberdeen Angus bull. The cross bred calf is smaller, at birth, than the true Hereford calf and therefore the birthing process has less chance of difficulty. The Puritan does not like crossbreeds but the butcher does.

  13. I’m sorry to hear you have lost a friend and am certain that your tribute will be perfectly composed and well received by those who grieve her.

  14. It took me a while to realise that the photographs after the café mention were actually water features. Another day recounted by you in images. Very nice 🙂

  15. I am sorry for the loss of your friend, Derrick.

    A beautiful accounting of your day, in word and photograph. I do love the old red telephone box. I think of Dr. Who every time I see one of those. 🙂

  16. We can always rely on Paol Soren to set us right on matters of agriculture and many other things besides.
    And it was touching to read Lord Beari as well. Still miss the old curmudgeon.

    1. Thank you very much, Gwen. It is often touching when I see pictures and comments of now late friends on these older posts.

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