On The Verges

Today Jackie drove us to Upper Dicker and back for Poppy’s fourth birthday party. This was a gathering of young families with children who enjoyed great fun in the heat of a splendidly sunny day in Mat and Tess’s garden. There were games galore; much tasty finger food; home made Danish pastries; and a splendid birthday cake made by Tess. It was good to see Miche there and to spend time conversing with her and Becky who had both helped with the preparation the day before.

More than six hours was spent in the car.

The traffic on the A27 gave me quite a few opportunities to

the verges’ wildflowers,

detritus,

and advertising placards.

By the time we reached Beaulieu Road on our return, the low evening sun was burnishing the white cows grazing among the

glowing heather.

As usual, the cattle crossed the road willy-nilly.

While I was focussing these scenes a trio of young people waved as they drove by. They then pulled up on the verge and waved again. I suddenly realised that they wanted me to photograph them. So I did.

Later I watched the recorded highlights of the last day of the third Ashes Test match between England and Australia.

The only other nourishment we required was sparkling water.

89 comments

  1. Poppy’s four already? I was way off on that count!! I had a good idea if things ever get bad over there – you could earn yourself some pocket money just standing on the roadside waving your camera about and catching the trapped and stranded car passengers…….. You’re welcome 🙂

    1. I can’t believe it either!! What a good idea you have re the photo’s, extra money would be handy, never thought of putting D on the streets to get it!!

  2. People are so messy… and the cows are so careless, which is good or you wouldn’t have got some great pics of them. 🙂

  3. I well remember Bluebottle of the Goon Show proudly announcing that he was captain of the Upper Dicker Navy.

    I am sorry about the traffic but it brought you back in time to get some lovely evening shots. The highlights of the test were pretty high I thought.

    1. An amazing performance by that man again, Tootlepedal. When Mat and Tess moved to Upper Dicker we quipped that it could have been worse had they gone to Lower Dicker. One of the highlights of Tess’s café breakfasts is The Big Dicker. Thanks very much

  4. And judging by my local news and all those smiling Yorkshire faces we did rather well too. Headingley is not far from me a straight road in once I get down to my village.

    Sorry about those bank holiday traffic jams but I’m glad you were able to enjoy Poppy’s party.

  5. Nothing worse than getting caught up in Bank Holiday traffic on a hot day! You occupied your time well while Jackie negotiated the traffic. Beautiful photos in the evening sun as you returned home.

  6. I like how you made the best of the heavy traffic – by looking at the details along the way and taking pictures. Sometimes, when I’m stuck in traffic on one of the country roads near me (yes, traffic jams on country roads!), I notice all kinds of interesting things. No white cows, but lots of sheep!

  7. I see you didn’t miss the emptied bottle of Budweiser and the experts who want to repair electronic gadgets. Why would those folks want to be photographed unless it were for a slot on your daily chronicle.

    1. Thanks very much, Uma. They were so friendly as they waved that at first I thought they must have imagined that they knew me. so perhaps they do read the blog. 🙂

  8. Other than the traffic chaos, it sounds like you had a good day. Still more than six hours driving is too much, but you kept yourself pretty occupied!
    Just water for the day, really!!!

  9. Another slice of humble pie, please. Mind you, it wasn’t the England cricket team who won, I would argue that it was just one man who turned the tide, and the power of the crowd, who clearly had memories of Ian Botham.

  10. Happy 4th Birthday to precious Poppy! What a fun fun FUN celebration! 🙂

    On road trips it is a joy to see the wildflowers and other growing plants/trees, the animals, the birds, the people, the funny signs! 🙂
    The litter…eek…not so much! 😮 🙁

    Maybe the trio thought they’d end up on the front page of a newspaper! HA! 😀
    HUGS!!! 🙂

  11. Upper Dicker?? I was going to say that must be Benny Hill country surely but Tootlepetal put me straight – Blunebottle country! Neh-heyyy!)

    Glad you all had a good time – family gatherings are to be relished. 🙂
    (Pity about the traffic snarl though, but at least you were able to put your time to good use. Did you arrange to send those travellers a photo??)

    Listen very carefully, I shall say zis only once!

    “Congratulations and well played, Ben Stokes.”

    Now i need (several) long stiff drinks.

    1. Smirk. I didn’t offer the travellers a copy – they were quite a long way off. Thanks very much, Bob. I was so looking forward to your comments this morning 🙂

      1. I completely understand the smirk – it is NOT reciprocated as you may imagine.

        Hope i did not disappoint??

        I shall of course be making representation to the ICC to ensure that Joel Wilson is never again allowed to umpire a first class match involving Australia after that abysmal non-decision, which, if called correctly, England could still have sent to the DRS and the correct decision would have resulted.

        Not that i am in any way bitter about the whole debacle I’m sure you understand??

        And i am in no way absolving Tim Paine of his mammoth blunder in the earlier over when he called for (the last remaining) DRS on what i could see from a TV showing an image over 100 meters away had clearly bounced outside the ‘line’, without having to first rely upon a slo-motion replay.

        Not that i’m bitter…. of course. 😉

  12. Travelling on a sunny Bank Holiday Sunday is a lengthy business! My grandsons each have birthdays on unfortunate travelling days: one over the late May holiday and the other at the very start of the school summer holidays. I’m glad you arrived in time for the party!

    1. Thanks very much, Sandra. Parents are so inconvenient with birth dates. Two of my grandchildren with different parentage have birthdays on 23rd December one year apart

  13. Like they always say, they grow up so fast!! Happy Birthday, Poppy!
    Thank goodness you had your camera with you to give you something to do, that traffic can be so frustrating.

  14. You being stuck in traffic yielded some lovely photos for us to enjoy. I also can’t believe Poppy is four! (I’m laughing at the comments about Derrick being a “street” photographer.
    All in all, it sounds like a lovely day.

  15. A very happy birthday to Poppy. Four years old! That traffic looks very much like the traffic in Maine in the summer, especially by the coast. Because we live inland, we mostly escape the worst of that. Thank goodness!

  16. Happy birthday to Poppy! That’s a newly favorite name of mine, ever since your Poppy came along. I even named my etsy shop “poppiwinkle.”

    Am I to understand that you took all of those photos from the car? Amazing, if so.

    Kudos to Jackie for the long drive. I have relatives who are 2 hours away, and THAT’s an exhausting day for me. 3 hours each way might be past my limit for one day.

  17. I can’t believe Poppy is four. She was born at most two years ago, though she does look advanced beyond her age in recent pictures. Time flies. And it’s been good.

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