I have previously mentioned an unfortunate complication arising from my knee replacement operation in May. Today, after some delay and a cancellation, Jackie was able do drive me to Lymington Hospital for a visit to consultant, Mr J. Douglas. After various tests he offered the opinion that my prostate is only slightly enlarged and that there may have been some internal damage caused by efforts to insert a catheter. He was not worried about this, but, given that I cannot have my second knee replacement unless the condition, which might need a catheter designed for this not unusual problem, is confirmed, he has placed me on an urgent referral for further investigation with a camera.
Before this visit we lunched at Redcliffe Garden Centre at Bashley. Written on the roof supports of the establishment’s restaurant are memorable quotations about gardening. Following on from one from Longfellow is this one by
 ‘My Grandad’. Enlargement should make this legible, but for those needing it, here is the text: ‘A face without freckles is like a garden without flowers’.
I chose the steak pie meal. The excellent gravy relieved the impression that the meal was perhaps a bit overheated – it was, however, the last one, and despite appearances tasted very good. Jackie enjoyed her customary jacket potato with tuna mayonnaise and plentiful fresh salad.
We had taken a diversion in the forest. At Brockenhurst, just as I drew a bead on it a heron took off from the bank of a stream outside Brockenhurst.
After the consultation we sped off to the GP Surgery at Milford on Sea to deposit a requisition for medication to relax the casing of the prostate. Naturally this led us to the coast just before sunset.
The Isle of Wight, The Needles, and the lighthouse sat well in their pink and indigo pastel surroundings.
This colour scheme set off the more strident streaks of the setting sun,
opposite which sweeping clouds revealed blue skies.
As usual the heaving sea, the rock-splashing spray, and the crunching shingle reflected the overhead hues.
Soon after sunset the clearer skies revealed a finely drafted crescent moon above Downton.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s choice chilli con carne served with flavoursome savoury rice. Elizabeth drank Hop House Lager and I drank Outlook Bay Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017.
Take care. Hope it works out for you. Great photos again.
Thanks a lot, Dad
I am avoiding a knee op for as long as possible. Best of luck with all that that entails
Thanks very much, Paol. The physio said that the knee would take 12/18 months to get right. Strangely enough, that gives me hope
I hope you can easily sort out knee and prostate. It’s great that you could combine the consultation with a hearty lunch and then a beautiful drive. The quotations on the roof supports are fun (and funny).
The photos of the heron and then the whole series of seaside shots, culminating with the moon are simply stunning. I particularly like the third one down after the heron.
Thanks very much, indeed, Merril.
That’s a great way to keep the patrons amused while waiting for their meals. My Grandad was a very wise man!
🙂 Thanks very much, Pauline. Did you have to bigify it?
Yes. My eyes aren’t as sharp as once they were.
Hope the docs get everything fixed soon!
I’m confident that they will. Many thanks, Leslie
Sounds like “My Grandad” was Irish. I mean, mine was, too, but…
🙂 Thanks very much, Oglach
I hope the camera gives you some answers, Derrick. Love the crescent moon shot!
Many thanks, Jill. The urologist confirmed what I had thought, so I think the camera will do the same
What a lovely understated sunset!
Thanks very much, Andrew
What luck that heron shot was! And your moon–you can even see the shadow–is really a nice shot. Goodness, it sounds as though you have some unpleasant tests in store. Ugh. I hope all goes well and things are found to be just fine.
Many thanks, Lisa – Yes the heron shot was better than it would have been while it was standing still. I have confidence that all will be well
Good luck Derrick dear.<3
Many thanks, Laleh
<3
Beautiful pics, Derrick. Well, I still have the original knees but lost the prostate about 3 yrs ago. Men should talk more openly with other men about certain issues. Good luck with your issues.
Thanks very much, Steve. Perhaps we are learning
Hope everything goes well Derrick! Beautiful photos as always.
Many thanks, Arlene
Good luck on correcting the medical problem with the catheter Derrick. Great photos of the water and sky.
Thanks very much, Gary.
I wish you well for the medication of the mild enlargement of prostrate. Our innards can at times express their displeasure in unpredictable ways. Fortunately, your GP doesn’t seem worried. Those are exquisite shots of the deepening dusk, the crescent is as sharp as a piece of jewellery.
Thanks very much, Uma. I am not worried about the prostate – only that it could delay the next knee replacement.
Best wishes, good luck, and prayers concerning your medical problems, Derrick. Hope all will be well.
Love the heron in flight photo and the moon photo! Breathtaking!
The quote from your grandad is wonderful! 🙂
HUGS!!! 🙂
Very many thanks, Carolyn. X
Good luck with the medical procedures, Derrick!
Thanks very much, John
Hope everything falls into place and that you can get a brand new knee on time. The sky photos are beautiful
Thanks very much, Sylvie
🙂
Best of luck my friend. But even despite your medical issues, you take time to bring us lovely photos of your countryside and the skies that blanket it.
Thanks very much, GP. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but always worth it
Hope you get the knee sorted soon. I love the Isle of White. We stayed in a B&B called the Bunnery many years ago. We had our own little side cottage. It was the cutest place ever. With a smuggler’s hole too.
Thanks very much, Sherry. I haven’t been there very often, but it is attractive
Good luck with all the procedures! I heartily concur with the quotation. When my eldest daughter was young, she had lots of freckles, and I thought it was one of the cutest faces I had ever seen.
Michael is freckly 🙂 Thanks very much, Laurie
At last. WP has not thrown me out! Anyway, continued good luck with your health issues. I’m not altogether sure my right knee isn’t giving up.
Thanks very much, Helen. I do hope your knee will hold up
Thank you, Derrick.
Best of luck, Derrick. Hope your knee is taken care of soon, and everything else is all right.
I wish you the best. We are at the mercy of our earthly garment.
Best of luck with all of your medical issues, Derrick. And those sunset shots are gorgeous!
Thank you for the freckles quote, Derrick; it is to be shared with my husband, as I often tell him how much I adore his freckles.
I hope your medical issues are resolved speedily and successfully!
Thanks very much, Dolly. Medical moving on apace
Good luck with it, and best wishes!
Thanks again
My pleasure
Love those skies with the hints of purple. And the heron shot and the moon shot are wonderful. I love how you can see the whole moon. So, to be sure I understand – at the garden center restaurant, there are garden quotes as decoration – and one was by Longfellow, and one was by an employee’s grandfather? How wonderful is that?
I applaud you for plodding through on all of the health issues. It can be a bit much – especially when it seems like one issue leads to another. Keep plugging away, old chap! (Trying to be English)
Very many thanks, Ma’am. (Trying to be American). You are right about the quotations, we think. We thought it great fun.
Ahhh! Is Ma’am an American thing? I had no idea! It’s all just normal until someone tells you it’s not. This is delightful.
Over here Ma’am applies to the Queen
Really fascinating.
I had no idea steak pies existed. It looked good
It’s pretty standard in pubs especially, and has vastly improved as has pub food generally. Thanks very much, Drew
Well, it looks great
🙂
May your knee and your prostate get the treatment they deserve … wait a minute, that didn’t come out the way I intended. 😀 … good luck with both. 😀
Not a good idea for knee and prostate to meet 🙂 Thanks very much, Widders
Heh, heh, heh … at least not on the same operating table at the same time! 😀
🙂
The older we get, the more we have to drop our trousers for the doctor. Write that on one of the roof supports next time you’re there.
Steak pir looked excellent.
Can you make it a quotation concerning flowers? Thanks very much, Quercus
I’m struggling to find trousers and flowers in the same quote. I have tried to merge my own verse with A Midsummer Night’s Dream but I fear the join shows. The problem lies with the lack of rhymes for trousers. Hants and pants seemed to offer some hope of a limerick but so far I’m not having much luck.
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
An old pantaloon must not lose his trousers,
being wary of doctors and casual browsers.”
🙂 I’d say that was pretty good.
Thank you. 🙂
Sorry to hear you are having troubles, Derrick.
Those are beautiful photos from your ride home.
Thanks very much, Lavinia.
Great pics of the ocean and sky,
That pie looks like the cooks gone a bit heavy on the Parisian essence, they meat look pretty dark;.the taters and sprouts look delicious.
Having had a major operation for prostate cancer in 06 followed by 2 ops for the stroke in 2011 the damned catheters caused all sorts of problems and I’ve been on those Doudarts ever since.
Of course the total gastrectonmy in 2015 didn’t help much another of the damned things inserted!
And women think they have problems with their plumbing system!
But onwards ever onwards…..
You do keep smiling, Brian. Thanks very much
It’s being so cheerful keeps me goiin’; as Mona Lott from ITMA was wont to say
🙂