Clustered Together

The rain having subsided this morning, Nugget emerged from his wet-day quarters to assist Jackie in thinning out the Oval Bed. As the Head Gardener clipped away at spent stems and leaves her little friend entomophagous friend, eyes everywhere, pounced with deadly aim on disturbed insects.

After lunch, I retouched the last three of my mother’s early holiday photographs. The first picture above shows Mum with Grandma Hunter and Uncles Ben and Roy at Conwy, c1926;

the other two feature Mum with Uncle Roy, Joan Heald, and another, and finally with Roy, at the Manchester Whit Walk, probably in 1927.

This afternoon Jackie drove us into the forest.

Opposite The Rising Sun in Bashley this small car caused consternation among a riding group as it drew up alongside them indicating its intention to turn left through the string. Even had it intended to wait it was far too close to these animals.

It was an afternoon for young riding groups.

Ponies and cattle enhanced the landscape across Mill Lawn alongside Mill Lane, Burley.

Our destination was the undulating Forest Road along which I took my thirty minute walk.

There a string of long-suffering ponies, attracting some drivers and passengers, annoying others, spilling onto the road sheltered under spreading tree branches.

clustered together, often head to tail, as a protection against irritating flies. Parked alongside this mass of alluring equine flesh, Jackie herself was forced to move on for her own protection from the irksome insects.

She drew level with me soon after I photographed this crow. I was grateful to return to the Modus.

This evening we dined at Lal Quilla where two new waiters served us with the customary friendly and efficient service. My choice of main meal was king prawn Ceylon; Jackie’s was the house special mixed meats; we shared a paratha and mushroom rice, and both drank Kingfisher.

59 comments

  1. I’m surprised Nugget hasn’t tried to move indoors with his friend Jackie – wait til s/he finds out the provider of tasty treats can do likewise inside ……….

  2. Does Nugget serenade Jackie, too? Lovely photos of him and horses. The flies must be so annoying.
    Your mom looks very happy in that top photo.

    1. He does! Very softly he twitters to let me know he’s there, I managed to feed him a couple of titbits yesterday.

  3. You’ve done a terrific job on those lovely old photographs. The ones from today are splendid too.
    Impatient motorists are so dangerous, and half the time they don’t even realise it!

      1. We have horses on roads around here, and that is a dangerous thing to do. That driver was risking scaring those horses and injuring the riders. Poor behavior.

  4. Nugget is looking right at home. I’m so happy he’s taken up residence in your garden. I never realized the flies were the reason horses stood in clusters…pretty smart! I love the photos of your mum. Roy sure had a head of hair! 🙂

  5. Little Nugget is like my toad friends…insectivorous. 😀 LN looks very happy and is busy doing his job!
    Love those vintage photos and the beautiful smiles and genuine joy they’ve captured! 🙂 HA! Roy is so cute! He’s got a twinkle in his eyes! And your Mum has such a sweet smile, which she still has today! 🙂
    That string of ponies is so smart! Gotta’ find the shade AND protect yourself from those pesty insects by “tying knots” in the string! 😉 😀
    HUGS!!! 🙂

    1. Tying knots in the string is wonderful, Carolyn. Roy, just two years younger than Mum, is still living in his own home with his dog. Thank you very much X

  6. Those photographs have been wonderfully augmented.

    Horses may have lost their place among humans to modern contraptions but their innate abilities, not to speak of their beauty, remain unchallenged. Till date, they can go where no wheeled or winged things dare to tread or fly. Again, barring dogs, no living species can equal them in faithfulness. I wish humans could give them more in return for millennia of services rendered by them.

  7. Beautiful photos of ponies, especially the nose-to-nose one, Derrick. Summer insects are so bothersome!
    Nugget seems to be more and more involved in gardening with his friend Jackie.

  8. As soon as I saw the picture of the robin, I thought, “Nugget!” I do believe that thanks to you, Nugget has become something of a celebrity, across the pond as well closer to home.

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