Today’s weather was dry and largely overcast.
This afternoon, isolated in our Modus, we took a drive into the forest. No other humans were about when I disembarked with my camera.
A pedestrian was approaching in the distance when we were beset by donkeys on the road through South Gorley. I photographed the obstinate brindled obstacles through the windscreen.
Persistent ponies pastured as best they could on the muddy greens at North Gorley.
One, in particular, took its grass in a still wet ditch.
All their legs bore wet or dry mud.
Further along the road at Ibsley a solitary grey cast a spotlight on its field, while
a bay collected bramble neckwear as it foraged around
slices of a a gradually decomposing sawn tree trunk.
Bare branches blended against the sky.
On the road to Appleslade I was reminded that I have been remiss in not, like Thomas Hardy, treating the forest landscape as a character worthy of its own place in narrative. I made a start on putting this right.
Beyond Linwood the road continues uphill in preparation for crossing under the A31.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s spicy chicken jalfrezi, savoury rice, palak paneer, and onion bahjji, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the El Zumbido Garnach Syrah.
Looks like such a beautiful place.
Thanks very much, Michelle. It really is.
Your final series of landscape photos – and the last shot particularly – could be anywhere outside the cities of New Zealand. An amazing likeness! It must be the absence of ponies, pigs, donkeys and various other roaming livestock. Here it would be just cows and sheep. Many, many sheep……
I’ve always heard that the landscapes are similar, Pauline. We do have a few sheep 🙂 Thanks very much.
Probably because the early settlers brought the English landscape (and wildlife) with them and superimposed it over the natural one. In agricultural areas it is still the norm. I see your one sheep and raise you 10 😀
🙂 I think you win that hand.
😀
Pauline has a point- those very wide, encompassing shots give me a better idea of what your place looks like to BE there.
A good point – noted
You can never have too many photos of horses or donkeys.
Thank you very much, Sheree
I’m so glad you managed to get out of isolation and enjoy the landscape and take photos.
Sophie and I have been discussing the possibility of taking both cars and meeting up further into the Dales where the landscape is stunning, keeping our 2 metres distance and each of us taking photos.
That is a good plan, Sue. Thank you very much.
My 22 year old son and his girlfriend wanted to see each other. So they each drove separate cars to a park and took a long hike.
That’s a great idea, Jodie. Thank you, so much for comment, it’s appreciated.
You’re welcome. I thought it was a great idea and will take our pup this weekend and do the same (except she’ll not drive her own car.)
🙂
Absolutely lovely photographs Derrick. They make me feel like going for a walk in the countryside. Can’t wait for the summer to come.
Thanks very much, John
I find it interesting that until you have remembered Hardy the photos conveyed a rather gloomy atmosphere. Yet the moment you decided to treat landscape as a character, the light brought on a more cheerful mood.
A fascinating comment, Dolly. Thank you very much
That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy the gloomy photos, especially the first black and whites.
🙂
Lovely photos. Enjoyed the black and whites and the animals and the landscapes.
Thanks very much, Jodie
Some of those landscapes made me think of Return of the Native. And of course I enjoyed the adorable little donkey hooves.
Thanks very much, Lisa. You tuned in perfectly
I liked the result of Hardy’s prompting. General views are very welcome as they set your other fine pictures in context.
You demonstrate that so well, Tootlepedal. Thanks very much.
Wonderful photos sir. Look after yourself.
Thanks a lot, Gary. We will do our best. You, too.
I quite like the notion of your chronicling Hardy’s landscape. Those would be the latter pictures in your post?
Yes, Liz. Thanks very much. I’ll keep it up.
I have a wonderful book I’ve still only half read titled Reading the Landscape of America by May Theilgaard Watts, a pioneer of the rails-to-trails movement here. You might enjoy this, from the preface to the first edition:
“there is good reading on the land, first-hand reading, involving no suymbols. The records are written in forests, in fencerows, in bogs, in playgrounds, in pastures, in gardens, in canyons, in tree rings. The records were mde by sun and shade, by wind, rain, and fire, by time, and by animals.
As we read what is written on the land, finding accounts of the past, predictions of the future, and comments on the present, we discover that there are many interwoven strands to each story, offering several possible interpretations. Interpreting this reading matter is an adventure into the field that is called ecology.”
Very interesting, and apt. I think Hardy might agree.
So doc I, Linda. Thanks very much.
I have a soft spot for black and white pictures, so needless to say, I love the pictures. The first ones of course, the ones in color -well, very disappointing (kidding out of boredom caused by isolation.)
🙂 I’m pleased you like, B/W Bridget. I will remember it. Thanks very much
A lovely place for you to meet up with the gorgeous ponies, Derrick. 😃
Thanks very much, Sylvia.
A beautiful collection of photos, Derrick! The forest landscape is indeed a special character. I like those general views for perspective, too.
Thank you very much, Lavinia
I think you regularly do an excellent job of treating the forest landscape as a character worthy of its own place in narrative.
Thank you so much, JoAnna.
Landscape always speak to me of story as do yours, as usual.
I can tell, Cynthia. Thanks very much.
You have the best neighbors!
🙂 Thanks very much, Cindy.
As a matter of facts, you do lend a certain consciousness to the landscape all the time. The landscape shot for which you have invoked that thought especially bears the fruit of the intent. I feel like reading the Mayor, the Jude and the others yet again.
It has had the same effect on me, Uma. Especially with the woodcuts. Thanks very much.
The photographs that tell the most poignant story for me out of this collection are the two depicting the gradual decomposition of the swan-off tree trunks: layer upon crumbling layer revealing the spurts of growth, the strong points and the weak … they could be metaphors for our lives.
Such an insightful comment, Anna. Thank you very much.
sawn-off – there is nothing swan-like about them!
🙂 They won’t be swanning off. Thanks very much, Anne
Wonderful landscape 😊these ponies are so beautiful 😊
Thank you very much, Ribana
OH! How did you know I needed to see donkey faces and pony faces today?!
Thank you for the smiles they brought to me!
The B&W photos are splendid! I love B&W, and sepia, photos! They seem to help us focus our eyes on the details.
(((HUGS))) and <3
Thanks very much, Carolyn. I’m pleased about the B/W
Very few people about today, I think folk are beginning to take it seriously!
Yes. Thanks a lot, Andrew.
Pretty soon all those brown fields will be green and animals will have their neat summer coats. I wonder how long before people will once again be around.
A salutary question, GP. Thanks very much.
You live in such a beautiful part of the world. Thank you for another tour!
If you don’t always make the forest a character, I think you do often make individual trees very vivid ones.
🙂 Thanks very much, Merril. I appreciate the observation.
You’re welcome. 😀
Very nice Derrick
Thanks a lot, Julie
Looks like a wonderful day.
Social distancing is so beautiful on your drive! I think, once things green up, it’ll be a boost to my mood. I really adore the B&W photos of the meander ponies. Take good care xK
Thank you very much, Kelly.
Great shots, brings back fond memories.
That ‘uphill to the A31 is brilliant. 😀
I’ve noticed that as humans retreat, Mother Nature is starting to quickly and efficiently fill in the spaces … not a bad thing, It think. 🙂
Not bad at all, Widders. I do hope we learn from it. Thanks very much.