Clay Hill

On this sunny and rather cold morning Nugget followed Aaron around the garden, darting for his prey.

“Where’s Nugget?” (18).

Small White butterflies multiply by the minute, sharing the verbena bonarensises

with swarms of bees.

I spent much of the day listening to the fourth Test Match between England and Australia.

Late this afternoon we drove into the forest. Holmsley Passage was blocked by a car that had slipped into the muddy ditch. It would have been rude to have photographed it. We and another car managed to find our way round the obstacle, having assured ourselves that help was on the way.

We drove up Clay Hill at the top of which I wandered around the undulating terrain. Clouds allowed the sun to shine on occasion.

A group of ponies enlivened the landscape which was carpeted with

heather, blackberries, harebells, and gorse,

some of which had been recently burnt.

From the summit I looked down over the moorland,

then wandered along the sloping pony tracks into the woodland.

It will come as no surprise that Jackie prepared more than enough cottage pie and cauliflower cheese yesterday, with the intention of feeding us with more today; along with fresh carrots, cabbage and runner beans. I drank more of the Baturrica, from which the Culinary Queen abstained.

69 comments

  1. I not only spotted Nugget right off, I knew I was looking at heather before I read that I was looking at heather. I’m getting to know your countryside!

  2. Best bee picture yet! Great vicarious travels with you today, Derrick. Thanks for the ride. I’m sure the extra Baturrica didn’t go to waste! <3

  3. We have just had two days of perfect weather, warm and sunny and with a light breeze, the kind of day you hope to get for washing day.

    Nugget made his appearance early today, he blended in well but I spotted him. This time I looked for him before I read the comments therefore his hiding place wasn’t given away before I’d had a chance to look.

  4. Feels strange to see you start your blog saying you have a cool morning. It’s far from that we’re I’m at in Florida. It’s so hot that when I go into my brother’s pool feels like I’m going into a heated Jacuzzi!

  5. Nugget is so much easier to find when I fire up the laptop rather than trying to find him on my tiny phone screen. Were moors always moors or were they once forest?

    1. Thanks very much, Sue. I would think it very difficult to go hunting on a mobile. The history of the forest shows that the oaks were specially grown to build warships – many were cut down in preparation for the Armada in the sixteenth century. French visitors have quipped that the New Forest is neither new nor a forest.

  6. Nugget’s handsome profile is hard to miss, even at a distance. 😉

    Love the bonuses on the bonarensises! 🙂

    Those blackberries in the superb gorseland look good enough to eat – did you gather any?

    My commiserations for the cricket – and we were only playing with 10 men! (you can’t really count Warner, can you??). At least everyone will be able to relax a bit now and we might see some good cricket on both sides for the last match. 🙂

  7. Aw! Nugget is brave, friendly, and outgoing…so I’m sure he will find a mate to teapot with! 😉 😀 (“teapot with” Ha! 😛 )

    All of your photos are amazing, Derrick! But, often your B&W photos just take my breath away! Such stunning captures! 🙂 Love the one today of the two horses side by side! 🙂

    Birds, bees, butterflies…sigh…a beautiful day! 🙂
    HUGS!!! 🙂

      1. Me too. I am very happy I get to magnify them and view it, yes it takes more time to look at each photo piece by piece but with my table’s help I can. It gets sad not being able to see things in person only up close in photos but at least I can view it this way than no one at all.
        I try to explain to people sometimes they don’t quite understand. But it’s like living with clouds over your eyes until something is up close and person to my face. I’ve learned to except it and nice people like yourself make life a little easier.
        God bless you, Derrick.

  8. A beautiful set of photos from your day! I love those views of the ponies and forest. The light is looking more angled now as equinox approaches.

    So Nugget is following Aaron around, too!

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