No Through Road

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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
 
 

0 comments

  1. 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.

  2. “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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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!

  5. 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.

    1. 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

    1. 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” 🙂

  6. 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! 🙂

  7. What a beautiful place you live in. The photos are fantastic with the sunlight glancing through the trees.

  8. 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.

  9. 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!

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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. 😀

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