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This afternoon Jackie drove me to Boots opticians to collect a new pair of varifocal specs. I don’t really need glasses for reading or close work, but for TV or distance. This means I have to keep taking the myopic aids off for looking through the camera viewfinder, so varifocals seemed a good idea.
We continued on to the forest to try them out. I am reasonably comfortable with them.
Holmseley Passage, with increasing signs of Autumn, had the honour of breaking them in. We are due boisterous winds overnight, so some of the earliest foliage to fall will probably coat the ground tomorrow.
Burley golf course, never in need of non-equine mowing, lies on either side of Wilverley Road. Hard working ponies were , in the glow of the lowering sun, engrossed in their green duties. A couple who had reached the next hole on the other side of the road carried on regardless.
Sometimes we cannot resist exploring a ‘No Through Road’. Often, as in the case of this one in the vicinity of Linwood, they wend their undulating, serpentine, way for long enough to make us wonder if we will ever get out again. Often, as with this one, the adventure is rewarded with pleasant surprises. Playful sunlight enhanced the lovely lane and lit the somnolent farm horse and its companion pony in a small field, throwing their shadows across the sward. The grey roused from its slumbers and strode purposefully over to pass the time of day with me.
Before sunset we reached Abbots Well, where, from the deeply pockmarked car park we looked down over the layered landscape below and the moody, indigo, clouds above.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s excellent, spicy, pasta arrabbiata and green beans with which she finished the Sauvignon Blanc and Elizabeth and I drank Brancott Estate Merlot 2016
Excellent.
Thanks a lot, Rabirius
🦋 Love this. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks very much, Chrissy
How lovely!
Thanks very much, Cindy
You capture the colour and light of autumn beautifully here Derrick – the sky looks filled with imminent rain and the horses seem entirely unperturbed. Living as I am at the moment with the bright greens of spring and the seemingly constant blue-grey of sea and sky your views are a lovely counter-balance.
Very many thanks, Pauline
“Green duties” is just as lovely as your autumnal photos, Derrick.
P.S. Last night, as we had spaghetti squash with mushrooms and chickpeas, sauteed in a melange of Indian spices, I was drinking Sauvignon Blanc, while my husband was drinking Merlot – what a coincidence.
Amazing coincidence, indeed. Many thanks, Dolly
Very welcome
Good luck with your new lenses, Derrick!
Beautiful photos–the no through lane photos are wonderful–but so are those moody clouds.
Many thanks, Merril
Beautiful color, Derrick! You’re lucky you don’t need glasses for reading or close up. I need them for everything! I hope the horses don’t leave any “surprises” on the greens.
I’ll bet they do, Jill. 🙂 Many thanks
You continue to evoke memories of the New Forest for us! The Fall colors in the woods are lovely, the heath areas as ominous as ever! And the sight of beech-sapling leaves against an evergreen background brought me back to New England, where we spent our early retirement, in New Hampshire! The visual and emotional connections remain, even across the Atlantic!
I’m sure they do, Peter. So pleased to evoke them
You take such nice pictures 🙂
Thanks very much, MB
Derrick, Your countryside is so beautiful. Glad you got the glasses a d hope they help you.
Thanks very much, Gary
Better vision always is a blessing. When I had my cataracts removed and new lenses implanted, it was nothing short of miraculous. I hope you’re pleased with your new vision aids, and adapt easily.
I smiled at your penchant for taking the “no through roads.” I’m of the same mind, most of the time, although I do tend to grow cautious when the road is mud.
Thanks very much, Linda. I had a cataract operation in my 50s – the result of a cricket ball in the eye at 14. We have a local lane called Honey Lane – all mud and potholes – impossible to drive down in our little car
How long are these nightly walks of yours, Derrick? You must be in great shape.
Many thanks, Judy. I was, once. I walked two to three hours a day. Three years ago my knees gave out. One was replaced in May. The other waits its turn. Now Jackie drives me and I walk short distances. “I’ll be back” 🙂
Have you tried working out in a pool? That’s what I do. Great for flexibility.
Thanks for the suggestion. I did once, but now I prefer to ramble – I’ll get there again.
Sometimes the No Through Road is the way to go…bravely! And we see things we’ve never seen before! 🙂 Beautiful photos, Derrick! Your trees, leaves, and sky photos are spectacular! I love how the trees look this time of year! and I know the leaves are ready to fly off to new adventures! 🙂
Hope your new specs work well!
Hello and HUGS to you, Jackie, Elizabeth, and your Mum! 🙂
Very many thanks, Carolyn X
What a beautiful place you live in. The photos are fantastic with the sunlight glancing through the trees.
Thanks very much, Jane. We are very lucky
Autumn winds are stimulating, but they do knock off a lot of leaves. The “playful sunlight” was a sparking addition to your very good photos, back-lighting the ponies, shining through the leaves, and casting long, interesting shadows.
Very many thanks, Nicki for such a thorough comment
Slanting shadows, ponies, Autumnal spread over canopies and deepening skies, they all have been bunched into this bouquet of a post.
Very many thanks, Uma, for such a close reading and eloquent comment
Like you, I can’t resist a ‘no through road’! Although sometimes, it’s a bit dicey turning around, it’s always worth the risk! I’ve moved around a bit in my life, and make an effort to live on a ‘no through road’—less traffic, and more peaceful!
Good plan, Diane. Thanks very much
Terrific clouds in the landscapes. I used to have trifocals until I bought variables recently. They are making them better these days. I tried some years ago and they made me dizzy.
Thanks a lot, Sherry
Good luck with your new specs. I recently had surgery on my right eye and can see so much better. I enjoyed your beautiful photos and find it most interesting to see landscapes located in other countries.
In our area, we had a week of glorious color and now the ground is covered with a blanket of golden leaves. Seems the fall season is very short this year.
I love the way you end your posts.
Very many thanks, Eugenia. Very windy here at the moment. Our leaves will all be down soon
Beautiful autumnal shots, Derrick. I love those long shadows…
Me too, Anna. Thanks very much
Stunning photos and wow ponies hard at work
Many thanks, Lynn
I’m amazed the horses could find anything to chomp on at all on that golf course. 🙂 … the photos you labeled ‘Landscape’ are picture-postcard-perfect. 😀
Very many thanks, Widders. The ponies are often there – and they don’t seem to damage the green
Good luck with the varifocals.
Thanks very much, John. They seem OK, except I don’t use them yet to read