Yesterday evening we watched the last two episodes of Series One of The Crown.
Today was swathed in rapidly increasing gloom.
Jacqueline dropped in for a brief visit late this morning. Afterwards Jackie drove me to Hockey’s Farm shop for lunch. We left home in slight drizzle, and returned in a deluge.
Even though it was only early afternoon headlights and wet roads were the dominant view from the dripping windscreen.
Hardy ponies at Ibsley saught shelter where they could;
the more cosseted field ponies made the best of their wet rugs;
Alpacas alongside Ringwood Road just cheerfully became damper and damper.
This evening we dined on a second sitting of Hordle Chinese Take Away’s excellent fare, with which I finished the Fleurie
Those alpacas made me giggle, especially the last one.
They would be pleased, I am sure, Susan. Thanks very much.
They made me giggle, too, at first. But then I started feeling sorry for them!
They really looked happy enough.
Yes, they did. I guess I just projected how Iād feel all sopping wet!
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With the sopping head and those cute bucked teeth, ha ha!
They are so funny.
There’s something about alpacas that I really like – they do seem endlessly cheerful š Great photos Derrick!
Thank you very much, Pauline X
You know how jealous I am of all your rain. We need at least 200ml to begin to put out the fires.
I do wish you could get it, Peggy. Thanks very much.
Poor waterlogged ponies!
Thanks very much, Dolly. They have great tolerance.
My pleasure, Derrick. I am sure they do; they only look forlorn.
It looks cold and gloomy for sure. Have a good day tomorrow.
Thanks very much, Mrs W
Your welcome
The alpacas are so endearing. Itās the teeth I think.
I agree, Sue. Thanks very much.
Beautiful photos, Derrick! Love your title! Sometimes damper puts a damper on a day.
And everyone is getting a shower…whether they needed one, or wanted one! š
That last photo made me snort-laugh! š What a cutie! Showing those pearly white teeth!
I am weird in many ways š …one of them is that I LOVE rain! It makes me so happy! I hope the rain is a good thing there. And will benefit all of nature, animals, and Human-Beans! š
Sure wanting Australia to get some rain. So VERY tragic there. š
(((HUGS)))
I do wish we could send a lot to Australia. I like rain too. I think the last alpaca would be delighted with your snort-laugh. Thanks very much Carolyn X
Aw…I love the alpacas! So sweet. I’d love to have one! š
Thanks very much, Jill. I can imagine you would š
Looks cold and wet there, just like here today. Those are all beautiful photos, Derrick. The last alpaca photo is especially good, with that sweet expression and toothy grin!
I really think they were amused, Lavinia. Thank you very much.
I have read that alpacas don’t do well in rain but yours looked very cheerful.
They certainly looked like happy little souls – very inquisitive about me. Thanks very much, Tootlepedal.
Derrick, you sure know how to make people smile; animal pictures are the best good-feeling subjects of all. And I hope the alpacas realize that your readers are laughing WITH them; not AT them!
Thank you very much, Ronnie. I’ll let them know š
What dreadful driving weather!
Love to see the Alpacas.
The horses look very well.
I love next day Chinese takeaway, we always order extra just so we get leftovers for lunch!
We always order for two days as well š Thanks very much, Sue.
That last Alpaca looks like he posed for you! š Great pics!
Thanks very much M. B. I think he did š
Your photos make me so grateful that Iām not an animal who has to stay outside in the rain. ?
š Thanks very much, Sylvia.
Gloomy here. Love the Alpaca photos
Oh Derrick……please send some rain down-under…..
Would that I could, Ivor. Thanks very much.
Last alpaca photo is one of my favourite ever blog pics!
Rivalling Cedric, I thought š XX Thanks a lot, Becky.
I join the others in voting for your final alpaca photograph – it has such character! As for the rain, the Australians need some to put out their fires and here in the Eastern Cape of South Africa we need rain to save the farms and fill our dams. We are desperately short of water and have missed out on rain all summer.
I am always conscious of other people’s dearth when I picture our rain. We are so lucky. Thanks very much, Anne.
Poor sodden ponies. Glad you stayed dry.
Thanks very much, Judy. I got a bit wet when I opened the window and when I stepped out to converse with the alpacas š
Thatās quite a storm. Love the alpacas!
Thanks very much, Lisa.
The alpacas certainly are expressive. That brown one, third from the bottom, appears to be praying… or maybe cursing the rain. I hope they eventually have shelter if needed.
Thanks very much, JoAnna. They have a shelter – but it wasn’t near the food š
Good old British rain! I do love the reflections on the road, painting the scene with light. Alpacas are just so full of character, I always feel. We had some nearby for a while and they were frequent subjects of our photos. Great shots – I love that last one.
Thank you very much, Peggy.
Great pics Derrick. Hope your weather improves soon!
Thanks very much, Gary. Still very mild for January.
All my ponies soaking wet!! Yikes. Those alpacas always look like they’re posing – chin up and eyes wide open!
Thanks very much, GP š
A deluge is right! Your photographs certainly capture the wet and the rain.
Thanks very much, Laurie.
Alpacas are the truest optimists of the world! But for the preponderance of the vehicle lights, the gloom would have seemed much more powerful.
Thanks very much, Uma.
Gloomy days all around it seems.
But lovely photos
Thanks very much, More.
You’re very welcome
Oh those poor alpacas! Not that they seemed to mind the rain! It’s been so murky here today: thick, enveloping mist which is so dark it’s been hard to tell day from night. Gloom everywhere I think.
Indeed. Thanks very much, Sandra.
Your weather is what Australia needs – and what I am so glad we do not have here this week in southern CA. I love your photos, Derrick. Your photography just gets better and better as the terrain gets wetter and wetter! <3 Poor ponies… darling alpacas!
Thank you very much, Jan.
Those poor alapacas look like they need a good rub down.
They do – but, as you can see, they were pretty cheerful. Thanks very much, Lindsey.
The north is brighter, today we did some gardening. If the temperature doesn’t drop I will need to mow the lawns!
š Good to read, Andrew.
Deluging here too. Love the alpaca grins. š
Thanks very much, Widders
Once the top knots get wet I always think that alpacas look rather depressed in the rain, unless, like the last one, they have a toothy grin.
Thanks very much, Quercus. I’ve never seen wet ones before. Mostly they are under cover.
These were the first wet ones I’ve seen – a very different creature to the dry ones with jaunty top knots.
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I was quite taken by the alpacas. Funny-looking creatures, they are.
They certainly are, Liz. Thanks very much.
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It’s been rainy and gloomy here, too. I always feel bad for the animals, but those alpacas don’t seem troubled at all. š
They were amused and amusing, Merril. Thanks very much.
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I had no idea alpacas could be so expressive. They certainly offer quite a contrast to those sodden, sad-looking ponies. We’re in line for some needed rain at the end of the week, so I’ll send our sunshine your direction.
š Thanks very much, Linda.
Oy, your weather sounds like it is here. Rain rain rain. Only we don’t have those adorable sopping wet ponies or alpacas, just white tailed deer. I’ve noticed when it’s really raining, the deer bed down out in the open field behind my house, rather than under the trees. My only guess is that they get a steady predictable rain instead of the giant sporadic drops they would get under the trees. Do you notice any difference with where the ponies go, when it’s really coming down?
Oh how I wish we could share our rain with all the dry places of the world, especially New South Wales and every place that is burning right now.
Thank you very much, Crystal. Our ponies tend largely to disappear – I suspect to shelter in the forest. I agree with you about distributing our rain.