In an effort to avoid the holiday traffic and the intensely hot sapping humidity of the day we set off for a forest drive at 8 a.m.
Beside Ober Water which passes under Rhinefield Road ponies quietly grazed, cattle strode purposefully, cyclists and cars sped along;
sunshine dappled the woodland, reflecting trees and skies on the surface of shallow, bubbling, water
from which a splashing, excited, dog time and again retrieved a soggy tossed tennis ball.
Three different shoes and a rather useful looking pan had all been abandoned on the banks;
as they swooped from tree to tree and hunted among the roots I witnessed ample evidence that robins spend their summer holidays in the woods.
Cattle drank from the stream.
Early bracket fungus stepped up trunks further along Rhinefield Road;
bracken pierced the shadows along Mill Lane
where walkers and dogs were beginning to wander.
On Bisterne Close an inquisitive foal left its mother’s flanks in order to investigate the warm bonnet of our Modus. It took a loud application of a certain amount of vroom to shift the mohican-coiffed youngster.
Purple heather, such as this beside Holmsley Passage among which a lone walker tramps is brightening daily.
As usual, clicking on any image will access its gallery, individual members of which can be viewed full size and further enlarged if required.
Even when entering the garden for a watering session we were hit by a blast furnace, and the library dehumidifier required emptying twice today, when normally once every two days may suffice.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s luscious liver and bacon casserole; creamy mashed potatoes, crunchy carrots; and tender green beans with which I drank Carles Priorat 2016, and the Culinary Queen abstained.
I know that blast furnace you speak of. Seems a lrage part of world is having a rather hot and steamy summer!
Indeed. Thanks very much, GP.
Hot and humid! Not my favourite weather at all, but good to see you make the most of the early morning and share those lovely pics with us. Despite indications to the contrary we have enjoyed some pleasant days here too, without the humidity – an indication of warmer days to come. Just had a lovely week with our Jo visiting and no time to pop in. Back to normal life again 🙂
So pleased you had a good week and are back to normal, Pauline.XX
You and the horses and cows have a wonderful forest in which to recreate! I love the trees and shadows and reflections in this post!
Thank you very much, Janet. We do, indeed.
We go out cycling at 06:30 to avoid the worst of the heat but we’re stuck with it for another week at least. Gorgeous array of photos and I particularly liked the mohican coiffed foal.
Thanks very much, Sheree 🙂
This was an enjoyable outing with much to see, hear, smell and to savour.
Thank you so much, Anne.
Beautiful photos. I particularly liked the first dog in the water, the cow drinking from the stream with the reflections, and the tree with what looks like little umbrella steps going up its trunk. Also that coiffed foal with the jaded look. ?
That’s a good selection of results, Merril – thanks very much.
You’re very welcome.
Beautiful photos. Even been hot here.
Pleasantly so, I hope. Thanks a lot, Gary.
Gorgeous photos, Derrick. Having these makes the heat a little more tolerable. Thanks for sharing.
And thank you very much, Jill
Oh, my shoe! There’s my shoe! You found my shoe! 😉 Oh, my pan! There’s my pan! You found my pan! 😉 HA!!! 😀 😛
All brilliant photos, Derrick! You know I love the doggie photos! I love the foal’s mohawk-‘do!
And your light-shadow photos, AND your reflection photos are amazing! 🙂
Good to see you saw Fern! And some fun-guys! 🙂
I have a friend who always tries to straighten her very curly hair. Humid days are her enemy. Ha. Sometimes, on a humid, she’ll say, “Today my hairstyle is: I tried.” 😀
Please stay safe whilst it’s hot and humid-idy!
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Your usual hilarious comments, Carolyn. Fern and the Fun-guys would make a good pop group name. Thanks a lot X.
The reflection pictures turned out exceptionally well. The third one is my favorite. I got a big kick out of the “Mohican coifed youngster”!
Thanks very much, Liz. The foal would have been the header picture had I not wanted to reassure people about the robins.
You’re welcome, Derrick. It was good to be reassured about the robins.
Yes that’s all very fine but what about the cricket…. phew!
Oh, yeah, that. Amazing – especially to see what can be done when the stars fail.
Very nice photo journal of your day! The pooch sure loved the water.
Thanks a lot, Maj.
Our Robins spend summer in the woods
Finding serenity in their own neighbourhood
Thanks very much, Ivor. It is amazing how much I have learned now that I have time to stand and stare.
I learned what bracket fungus was here – never had a name in my mind for it – thank you. And also, that pan does look useful – I could easily work that into my dinner prep routine 🙂
Thanks very much, Barbara. Jackie said she has more pans than she knows what to do with.
Haha – I’ve been giving my old ones to our kids as they move out and then getting new ones – just super-glued the handle back on one for my son 🙂
🙂
These are beautiful, restful photos from your forest drive, Derrick and Jackie! The foal was a real treat, too. They are inquisitive!
I am sorry it is so hot there. Our Monday return to heat here has been downgraded to high 80s as of tonight.
That is also very hot, Lavinia. Thanks very much from us both.
A riveting black and white photo of tree trunks and a plodding cow with an interesting spot of light in front of it. Your reflection photos are lovely as usual, Derrick, and the baby pony with a mohawk hairdo is adorable.
Thank you so much for these observations, Dolly.
You are very welcome, Derrick.
That was a refreshing meandering in those tranquil woods. I was glad to see that Robin. For a while I mistook him for Nugget. That is an interesting pan left behind by some wanton picnicker. The single abandoned shoe also suggests a hasty flight from the scene at the sight of a wayward ghost.
Thanks very much Uma, for you usual pertinent comments.
Well, my last comment didn’t go through so I’ll try again..I was suggesting that Morrie could give that little dog a run for his money..and also commenting on your seemingly daily wanderings and adventures. It makes me feel somewhat of a hermit, which will get even worse as in addition to a sprained ankle, I broke my little toe today. Ouch.
Definitely ouch. I don’t think anything can be done for a broken toe. I hope it mends OK. Thanks very much, Judy.
Great choices for photos, Derrick! Of course, the ponies are still my favorite…
Thanks very much, Diane
And the question is “Did those three people all hop home or did they limp?”
🙂 Thanks a lot, John
Beautiful woods.
Thanks very much, Rupali.
An excellent collection Derrick. I hope you remembered to water the pots!
We staggered through it, Andrew 🙂 Thanks a lot.
I love the refection of the cow in the water – frameworthy. As usual I thoroughly enjoyed my trip out with you.
Thank you so much, Sue
High heat and high humidity are no fun. Hope this uncomfortable weather passes soon.
Indeed. Thanks very much, Laurie.
Looks like a wonderful drive.
It was, thank you, Mrs W
Wat lief, dat jullie roodborstje u gedag kwam zeggen in het bos … Ga me niet vertellen, dat het een ander roodborstje was … Ja … Oké, ze lijken allemaal op elkaar, maar toch héél frappant … Holland, 9 – 8 – 2020 * http://www.friedabblog.wordpress.com *
Thanks very much, Frieda
I love the fact that robins have summer holidays. <3 What a lovely early morning meander. We just spoke to my Mom-in-law. She was feeling the heat today, so we told her to drink lots of liquids and to switch her table fan on. She hadn't thought of that until we mentioned it.
Even I, at 78, have to be bullied to drink water. I do wish your Mom-in-Law well.
Thank you, Derrick. ?
You live in a beautiful place, Derrick, and take such lovely photos. It’s always a pleasure to visit. :-).
I’m pleased, Diana. Thanks very much.
Thank you for the beautiful photos. Regards.
And thank you and regards, Lakshmi.
I enjoyed the cow drinking at the stream and the robins, but I especially like the shelf fungus. It’s not ‘pretty’ in any traditional sense, but it surely is interesting — and eye-catching, too.
Thank you so much, Linda.
delightful pictures from a morning walk, Derrick! the reflections are beautiful especially the cattle drinking from the stream. fun to know robins take summer holidays 🙂 keep hydrated 🙂 🙂
Thanks a loy, Lola. Will do.
Our dehumidifier is getting a workout at the moment too. I dislike this heat at the best of times and the accompanying humidity doesn’t help.
It’s the humidity that gets me.
Wonderful flowers! I think I will pass on the liver casserole!! Tell me about your free range horses? Are they wild or belong to a neighbor or what??
They roam the forest with ancient rights of pasturage. They are all owned by commoners who hold those rights. Every year there is a round up with medical checks and branding of the new ones. The animals have right of way on the roads. Thanks a lot, Dwight.
Very interesting! So these horses are not ridden?
Not those that are wild. Some people do train them for riding (called being backed) and keep them in fields, but that takes some months.
Thanks for sharing this with me.
It’s so comforting to see the robins in the woods. And the dog and cow in the water. I think they have the right idea!
They do indeed, Joanna. Thank you very much.
I feel the heat!
I’m sticking to my computer chair as I type. Thanks a lot, Leslie
We’ve got the same heat and humidity here. I feel your pain.
Likewise
Hahaha…pure evidence that Nugget really may be enjoying the cool forest ? ? ?
We hope so, Ribana. Thank you very much.
Fascinating, as ever.
Thanks very much, Roland