Gone Fishing

The final fatal body blow to my hopes for a daily post during my hospital stay was dealt by EE mobile on the late afternoon of the day before my surgery. Today I began to fill in the gaps with the entry planned for

8th January 2019

On this bright, sunny, morning we set out to enjoy a drive in the forest and to gather a few photographs for my final pre-op publication.

We began by joining a number of bird watchers at Eyeworth Pond near Fritham. Three gentlemen sat on rails, at their lunches, and watched the waterfowl.

Others, like me, photographed

the various tits, including those of blue, marsh, and long tailed examples; thrushes; and a robin, tempted by feeders suspended from branches, and by nuts left on posts, flitting about among the surrounding trees and shrubs, pecking up scraps among the gravel beneath.

Ducks, geese, and a moorhen, occasionally diving for their prey, and surfacing dripping and glistening with pond-water, could certainly be said to have gone fishing.

Ponies basked in the midday sun at Fritham,

where donkeys also grazed

We brunched at Hockey’s Farm Shop before continuing

via Roger Penny Way where pools were filling up for drinking and paddling.

As we drove along the Poulner stretch of Southampton Road, we wondered why there was a seemingly equal body of water being sprayed by vehicles on its surface.

The answer lay in a Christmas tree that still had its lights cascading.

I had, this morning received a message from Alex at Peacock Computers informing me that my laptop was ready for collection. This, of course, meant that I could be on line in hospital.

It was therefore with a certain amount of glee that I sat down to draft this post.

Then came the blow. We had no internet connection and the router was dead. I took this equipment with me to Peacock Computers where James confirmed my diagnosis. Even though it was close to his own closing time, James sped off to the EE shop, attempting to obtain a replacement. After more than an hour of negotiation he returned with a loaned device and an undertaking to repair the faulty article. At least I came home with my MacBook Pro.

I was unable to make the loaned router work. The reason will be revealed in a subsequent post. Eventually I conceded defeat.

We dined on pizza and salad. I drank water.

48 comments

  1. Aww, so sorry for this very upsetting accident(?), surgery and lack of internet service, Derrick.
    Gorgeous lighting on ponies, bitmrds and scenery! I love the sweet little wrens and robin. Hope you are truly much healed and “no worse for the wear.” xo

  2. You do seem to be having more than your fair share of computer related issues Derrick. I’m glad to see you back online and appreciated reading your email this morning – phew!! xx

  3. Great photos as always – and computer trouble, please don’t get me started. I’m trying to stay on a diet, but with the US football playoffs going on, pizza commercials are haunting me every day – and now you’re talking about it!! What is the Universe trying to tell me, Derrick?

  4. Thank you for the shaggy ponies. Sorry for your computer woes. We are so dependent on our technology these days it feels cruel to not be able to access our online lives – a kind of virtual solitary confinement.

  5. The gadgets are getting unbelievably complicated and daft. Time was when these were designed and programmed with the user in mind. These days the designers and coders churn out interfaces that only they can decipher. Life doesn’t seem to have changed for the ducks though!

  6. Where can we get such photos with a difference!!! As always, eye catching and mind boggling photos with description so explicit. Thanks Derrick sir for sharing. Regards.

  7. Good to see a post from you! I was wondering how you were doing and how things were going!
    Sorry to hear about the computer, etc., troubles. 🙁 Glad you got back online eventually.
    I could bird watch all day every day and get nothing else done! And not being a photographer, I love and appreciate your bird photos! Often it seems they are posing just for you! 🙂
    OH! I want to take those precious donkeys home with me!
    HUGS!! and YAY for pizza! 🙂
    PS…continued bestest wishes for your healing and recovery! 🙂

  8. I was thinking Bing and Satch when I clicked on your post title, Derrick. But I see I am woefully out of date. I can’t visit you every day, but I hope all is well with you; it seems you have been going through something and I need to catch up. Technical issues of one sort or another seem to be, like change, one of life’s constants. But you’ve got some wonderful photos there!

  9. I thought there was a post or two missing, but I thought I just might have missed them. Computer and Internet problems are so frustrating! I hope you’re feeling better now that you’re home. It’s always more pleasant to recuperate at home. Hope you’ll be up and rambling about soon–the bird and duck series of photos were lovely.

  10. Leaving aside the problem you had getting your route done – I sympathise – the photos suggest spring is sprunging…. glad your home though…

  11. Sorry about your computer and router woes. Glad you’re up and at ’em again – and with a new MacBook Pro? I love mine. Oh, and i especially love the pictures of the mallards and the sun-lit pony. Beautiful!

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