In A Flap

As I walked down to the Back gate to open it for Aaron early this morning I passed

the delicate pastel shades of Penny Lane which will have a powerful fragrance later in the day;

oriental poppies which have stubbornly clung to some petals despite the recent gales;

abundant Félicité Perpétue draped over a dead stump;

and rich red Ernest Morse.

A myriad of bees were already engaged in packing their pollen sacs.

Two masquerading as others were a striped hoverfly and a green shield bug.

A somewhat tattered Red Admiral fluttered by, occasionally pausing to rest.

The roses on the front trellis have been so weighty of late as to pull down their support. It was one of Aaron’s A.P. Maintenance tasks today to strengthen this section.

This afternoon we took a drive into the forest. First stop was Setley Ridge Garden Centre where Jackie bought some more trays of plants and I photographed

a bee on an ageratum.

We then took the Sandy Down route to the east.

There was a little delay on the road to Beaulieu as a foal was shepherded across the road.

At East Boldre several somnolent ponies occupied the road. Others, including a foal, snoozed on the grass. Unmoved, those on the road played havoc with the traffic of which they were oblivious for some time. One dappled grey seemed to have dislodged its reflective collar.

Suddenly, silently, the entire group took off for Masseys Road. The previously recumbent foal soon caught up.

Dangerously foraging on the verge of South Baddesley Road three ducks diced with death. The white one was sent out scouting. Eventually it got in a flap trying to convince its leading companion that crossing the road was not a good idea.

This evening we dined on a rack of pork spare ribs marinaded in sweet barbecue sauce and Jackie’s vegetable rice, with which she drank Blue Moon Belgian style wheat ale, and I drank more of the Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon.

60 comments

  1. The garden really is lovely and it’s always good to keep the bees happy. Poor ducks, it’s always difficult to cross a road. We hope they didn’t become lunch for someone.

  2. Love your Roses, reminds me when I lived in Tasmania, one of the first settlements for convicts back in the late 1700’s, the original settlers bought with them the old world English roses, the flowers were vibrant and the scent was adorably overpowering, I actually was successful in taking cuttings and growing them, and that’s why I love seeing your flowers and garden Derrick.
    Cheers.

  3. The Red Admiral had tattered wings because birds’ beaks have grabbed him but he has escaped. I didn’t realise that roses could smell more at particular times of day. That is really clever!

  4. OH! Your photos bring joy and smiles! Thank you, Derrick!
    Oh, I love to hear a duck tail…er…ah…tale! And I always hope the end is happy! Wonder if any of the ducks were looking for the chicken?! 😉
    I am always grateful for nature, insects, animals, etc., for reminding us human-beans to slow down and enjoy life…smell the roses, as they say. 🙂
    HUGS!!! 🙂

  5. I am a great fan of Green Shield Bugs. And ducks. Always ducks. And the only real reason to have so many flowers is to feed the insects especially the bees.

  6. Oh my, what a beautiful day you had! The flowers are gorgeous. I appreciate that you posted their names. I knew you and Jackie could do that! I love the ponies, and the bees. Those are what we call “H Bees” – they are solitary insects, unlike the social honeybee – but they are great pollinators. They do not make honey. They live on the nectar and pollen they gather. You captured some great photos of them! Thanks Derrick. <3

  7. That was certainly a very productive day – and seemingly much more decent weather too!

    Nice work – i love seeing the close-ups of the insects. 🙂

    Our weather is decidedly unfriendly, but i did manage to catch some Banksia flowers before the rain resumed on the way back from my check-up at the hospital today. I hope to post them soon-ish. 🙂

  8. The ducks are cute, Derrick, but the ponies are phenomenal … one of God’s greatest creations, I think. I like that Penny Lane too. 😃

  9. You have had a glorious day out while I was travelling. The flowers wear a magical look in those photos and I am surprised I can’t smell them. I feel sorry for the Red Admiral, and want to linger about the Sandy Down route.

  10. Oh, my, dinner sounds so good. You eat such marvelous meals. As usual, I’m so amazed at the sight of horses roaming unrestrained. Do they return to a farm , or home, at night? Does someone feed them or do they just live off the land? Such a peaceful place to live. 😊

    1. Essentially they just live off the land, Steve. They are owned but are free to roam – the forest is their home. They are rounded up annually for a health check. People do feed them, but it is not advised. Thanks very much

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