Pilley Pool Replenished

Slate grey skies; gloomy light; steady rain. These were the weather conditions during our drive into the forest this morning.

Just outside Lymington we were delayed by a warning of witches’ hats strung out round a bend in the lane, no doubt having been abandoned after Halloween.

A couple of cows cropped the grass at Pilley Street where

shallow roadside pools reflected rain-washed parked cars.

Jackie parked the Modus beside the occasional bus-stop at the fully replenished Pilley quarry pit pool while I wandered around the perimeter.

 

Glistening golden oak leaves lingered on

lichen covered limbs

 

and mossy trunks;

or, loosened by the stiff breeze, cascaded down the sloping banks

vanishing beneath the surface of the water

swirling with raindrop ripples

ruffling arboreal reflections.

Fallen branches rear from the depths or stretch in tangled skeins across the surface.

On the far side of the lake bedraggled ponies nuzzled what nutriment they could from the soggy terrain.

As my shoes struggled with the mud’s suction I spared a thought for the owner of this trainer that may have succumbed.

It is difficult to believe that on 21st September I walked across the bed of this lake photographing grazing ponies.

The frost patterns on the flanks of this damp donkey rather belied the warmth of the day.

Leaving the pool we visited Mum at Woodpeckers. Jackie took this photograph as my mother demonstrated her improving smile. She has suffered a chest infection requiring two series of antibiotics. She has recovered from this, but still has a cough. She doesn’t see too well, but has all her marbles.

Later, Nick Hayter visited to estimate for decorating the kitchen and sitting room.

This evening we dined on a rack of pork spare ribs served with Jackie’s flavoursome savoury rice topped with an omelette, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank Scheiber Cabernet Franc 2015.

57 comments

  1. It’s good to hear your mum’s marbles haven’t strayed – I sometimes think I’ve lost a few! I thought the header pic was the feathers of an ostrich or emu or some other largish avian peculiar ….. never occurred to me it was a poor frosty donkey! As usual there are many eye-catching shots of scenic beauty for which I thank you x

  2. It looks like a miserable day, but you got some fabulous shots. I love the reflections and how you caught the ripples and falling rain. That poor donkey does not seem happy, but your mom does. I’m glad she’s feeling better.

  3. Lovely reflection shots, Derrick. I’m happy your mum is feeling better. She looks great! My father has been suffering with a similar illness. I’m trying to get him to do another round of antibiotics.

  4. I am pleased your Mum is feeling better; she has a lovely smile!
    I also think the donkey hair pattern photo is marvellous as well as that first photo of the ‘glistening golden oak leaves’.

  5. Even the moss seems to glow in this light. The leaves in that first photo were giving off their own light! Your mother was looking good in that picture. Glad she is better and that you and Jackie dined so well.

  6. Each photo is like a stanza of a poem, beautiful and rich in texture. I’m glad your mom is getting better. I hope the cough goes away soon and she keeps her marbles.

  7. You have turned a potentially miserable, moody, grey day into a marvellously sensuous experience in which we see, hear, smell and touch the environment with extraordinary delight – the taste came afterwards, when we dined with you 🙂

  8. OH! 🙂 So good to see your precious Mum! Continued prayers for her. And (((HUGS))) for her, too.
    Lichen, moss, reflections, leaves, ponies, and the frosty donkey…all beautiful!!! 🙂
    And I hope the donkey found some warm. 🙂
    HUGS!!! 🙂

  9. Plenty of rain up here too, and the last few days thick fog but in the valley, it remained clear as a bell!

    As usual your photographs are lovely. I especially like the reflections, oh and those poor damp ponies and donkey too. Not much food to forage so I hope their owners are supplementing.
    I’m glad your mum is on the mend.

  10. Wetness always makes it feel so much colder. So glad your mother is doing better, and that she is still all there. There is a lot to be said for that. As for your photos – they always warm my heart. They give even a gloomy autumn day definition and beauty.

  11. Love the description of the leaves leaving their branches and dropping eventually into swirling raindrop ripples and all the photos of oak leaves, though the very first one is my favourite. “Tangled skeins,” my you were feeling poetic when you wrote this. No doubt inspired by the sights. I love how the close up view of wet donkey fur looks like frost patterns! Walking around all those soaked animals….was it smelly?

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