Far Too Fast For Me

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The day was as radiant as yesterday had been dismal. At lunchtime we brunched at the Walkford Diner which now has sautéed potatoes and onions to be added to any of the standard meals. Naturally we added some to our All Day Breakfasts. We continued on into the forest, where

Thatchers Lane’s hedgerows bore many holly berries and a curved tree stem that Jackie termed “nature’s bench”.

High on Thorney Hill, two horses grazed in a sun-kissed field. As so often happens, first the white one, then its companion made a beeline for me as I stood observing them.

Somewhere about this point the name changes to Braggers. Here heavier workhorses, one sleeping under a tree, occupied another field. Sun streaked across grass and tarmac.

A staggered crossroads soon takes us into Fish Street where a young equestrienne ambling along in front of us was considerate enough to pull over to facilitate our passage. The early Christmas decorations suspended overhead were red painted pine cones.

On the approach to Bashley a solitary Gloucester Old Spot sow sped into the trees. She was far too fast for me, so I focussed on Autumn colour instead.

Tree work at the roundabout on the corner of Bashley Common Road and Sway Road, requiring 4 – Way Traffic Control, provided plenty of opportunity for me to poke my lens out of my stationary window and photograph roadside rose hips. Needless to say, fans of Hampshire’s roads will not be surprised that, of the four affected ways, only ours was subjected to the long tailback.

Elizabeth is spending a week with friends in Edinburgh. Jackie and I dined on the Culinary Queen’s excellent chilli con carne and savoury rice with which I drank Chateau Pinenc Minervois 2017.
 

0 comments

  1. Such beautiful photos, Derrick. Jackie’s “nature’s bench” is the perfect phrase to describe the branch. I love the wooded paths and the colors in the sunlight.

  2. When I was teaching I often kept my eyes open for well formed sentences that I would then give to my students with the challenge of opening a short essay or poem with the line and then referring back to it at the end. This post is full of such little gems 🙂

    1. Oh, interesting . . . Yet another thing we have in common, Pauline – teaching. I am not a full time teacher, but I tutor individuals in high school subjects and the college entry exams.

  3. That was quite some pig! Your post has reminded me of the pastry on the old style lemon puff biscuits (remember them?), though it would be hard to explain why.

  4. “You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
    ― Ansel Adams
    Thank you Derrick !!!!! Have a nice day!!!

  5. YAY for a radiant day!
    I had kinda’ a tough day and your photos made me smile. Thank you!
    Wow, big sow in the middle of the road! Perhaps a road hog?!
    Nature’s bench and the berries are so wonderful!
    HUGS!!! 🙂

  6. Looks like another great day for you two Derrick. Yu sure have a lot of horses in and around your neck of the woods.! Pictures are great as always!

    1. They all belong to someone who has pasturage rights to allow their animals to roam freely. This is an ancient custom going back many years. The pigs are only let out during two months of pannage when they eat up the acorns which are poisonous to ponies.Thanks very much, Kim

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