A Soggy Forest

Becky and Ian returned home to Emsworth yesterday evening.

As forecast, the rain didn’t set in this morning until 11. We therefore set off for a drive at 10.

The sunken tarmac at the corner of Hordle and Sky End Lanes always fills up during heavy rain. It has recently been marked out for repair. Now the cones tilt in the reflecting water.

Weeds and grasses across the soggy terrain are swamped by rainwater and now feature winterbourne pools in which trees and shrubs are mirrored.

Most ponies are sheltering among the trees. Those intrepid enough to graze on the damp outskirts of villages like Brockenhurst are very bedraggled indeed.

A number of fords, like this one at Brockenhurst, are known by local residents as ‘The Splash’. A few minutes watching the traffic demonstrates the reason. Note the pedestrian footbridge and the amused onlooker.

Jackie’s succulent, spicy, ratatouille provided sublime moisture for this evening’s meal of fish pie, cheese centred fish cakes, mushroom risotto, boiled potatoes, carrots and cauliflower. She finished the Rosé and I finished the Lalande de Pomerol.

60 comments

  1. Good thing there is the footbridge – and the splash area should maybe have some Work done in the off season? Maybe raise it up?

      1. We had an area two miles from our house that was a little low and after 12 years of waiting for them to raise the area – and make the bridge official – they chose to do it when my son had his very last soccer season and the field was right near that Lowe area. The project took 4 months and three of those months we had to drive 15 plus minutes to
        Go around – rather than have a few minutes drive – oh well – at least they fixed it

  2. Oh wow Derrick, wet, and wetter. Down here in Geelong we’ve just experienced the driest March for 128 years’ …..

  3. Great pics Derrick. The high water reminds me of the relentless rain we had last month. Well, the plants are happy. And your dinner sounds great.

  4. Wonderful photos, Derrick! You have a great eye for capturing the beautiful, fun, sweet, interesting parts of life!
    The Splash! HA! 🙂 So nice that the footbridge is far enough away it keeps people from getting an unwanted Shower! 😮 😀
    Those cones look like Where’s Waldo hats to me! 😛
    HUGS for you and Jackie!!! 🙂

  5. I don’t suppose you could manage to send some of that delicious wet stuff (i’ve forgotten the name again… ruin? rein?? reign??) down our way could you? Like Ivor, we’re a bit short of it here at the moment! (and the past 5 months).

    The evidence of the past few posts suggests your appetite is resuming it’s usual healthy state? 😉

    Feel free to include any leftovers (???) with the wet-stuff you can send.

  6. The constant rain can get on a person’s nerves, but everyone – including the horses – appear to fairing pretty well!

  7. We’ve had similar sogginess here the past few days. I’m hoping the rain will cease for a bit so I can go to the farmers market downtown.

  8. I love those shots of the trees reflecting in the water, you have a knack for capturing those types of photos. Lovely Derrick 😊

  9. We certainly haven’t had as much rain as you and we need it so much! We had some this morning for which I am grateful. Lovely photos as ever, Derrick.

  10. I love the picture of Jackie with her beautiful smile. I stopped by to see if you were both okay and I see you are both becoming more and more creative and artistic at this point in life. Your site looks fantastic and your photography is superb. You really captured Jackie’s spirit and personality in the photograph.

  11. I just realized when I went back to look at it again…the picture I referred to is on Twitter!

  12. The pictures of the vehicles in the Splash are out of order. Pic 3 actually follows Pic 4, They look like Nissan Pulsars or might be Macros in the UK around the 2015 model, could be 16 or 17 but I think I’ll stick to the 15.
    Best car I ever owned was a Nissan Pulsar, Bought it new in 86 did just under 500,000 km and never had the head off. Never had any problems and even when I retired it it was still giving me 6 lts for 100 km, Amazing car OMR799, Sorry to pension it off. :'(

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