“Go Round Us”

This morning we righted the fallen pots in the garden before visiting Ferndene Farm Shop where

Jackie joined the masked queue. I have her word that she was smiling in the last picture.

The shopping went quite smoothly. Afterwards we took a drive into the forest by way of

Holmsley Passage which was already becoming quite busy.

Heather enhanced the moorland landscape and the vibrant verges.

Other vehicles, walkers, and cycling groups needed to be negotiated.

As we reached the end of this narrow, winding, lane this family group who we had allowed to go ahead hadn’t yet decided which way to go. Left would have taken them to Burley; right was the road to Brockenhurst; straight on was the route to Bisterne Close. Jackie decided she would go one of the ways they didn’t. They went straight on; we turned right and stopped at

the pool on the way up Clay Hill. Jackie parked by the roadside while I wandered around photographing the water, the reflections, the woodland, and its shadows. I found a metal dog tag with a local phone number stamped on it. I phoned the owner and left a message explaining where I would lodge it.

After this we thought that Bisterne Close might have been clear of the cyclists and wended our way back there where ponies, their foals, and cattle happily shared the road.

Another group of ponies were not about to cede ground to the motor vehicle. One driver left his car and attempted to clap them out of the way. They must have thought they were being applauded, for they didn’t budge. Cajoling had no better effect; the car horn was tried next. Eventually the unspoken message “go round us” was heeded.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s classic cottage pie; pleasantly chewy curly kale; and crunchy carrots with which she drank Beck’s and I drank Carles Priorat 2016.

76 comments

  1. Ha. Love the applause line. You seem to be as incapable of avoiding the nursery as I am. Bought six new plants today. We’ll see if you can spot any of them…

  2. Plant shops or garden centers, as we call them, were once my favorite place to get lost for hours. Now, with the coronavirus running wild, I’m forced to spend as little time as possible.

    1. Thanks very much, Rosaliene. We called plant shops garden centres, too. Ferndene Farm Shop sells much more than plants and actually gets its plants stocks from a garden centre. Jackie loves a mooch round a garden centre, too. 🙂

  3. I’m laughing at the ponies thinking they were being applauded. The heather is beautiful, and you know how I like reflections and shadows in photos. ?

  4. It’s good to see the line appropriately spaced and masked at the nursery store! And a lovely drive through the woods. It looks as if some of the horses are grazing on the road — no grass there, but do they find salt?

      1. Oh yes, love Ferndene farm shop, the interesting plants they often stock tempt easily, however I find it gets so busy, I frequently drive straight past when I see a packed car park, ( even pre COVID) …. it used to be problematic at Christmas (Week) when driving to work, as the road would be gridlocked, lesson learnt, I know avoid the area for the period. They certainly do very well. Great photos, lovely reflections, and the Heather colours are stunning at the moment.

  5. What a wonderful day for Human-Beans and ponies!
    Love the photos of the shadow-fence and the shadow-tree!
    HA! on the ponies holding their ground against clappers honkers, and cajolers! 😉 😀 I’m sure later they talked about what impatient animals Human-Beans are! 😉
    YAY for going to the garden shop! What fun!
    BTW: Since Jackie can grow such beautiful flowers….I was wondering if you ever buy her cut flowers or do you know to buy some seeds or the whole plant. ??? 🙂
    HUGS!!! for you both!!!
    PS… I like my kale curly and pleasantly chewy and my carrots crunchy, too. 🙂

      1. That’s wonderful!!!
        I prefer plant gifts over cut flowers as gifts. It makes me sad when the cut flowers die. A plant can add beauty to my home or yards and live for a long time. 🙂

  6. I don’t know whether I would have the patience to drive along those roads where horses have the right of way. I am happy to let you and Jackie do it for me and then I can enjoy the scenes without steam coming out of my ears.

  7. I am pleased to see Jackie is able to shop at Ferndene Farm Shop again. The heather is looking lovely and I have enjoyed seeing the horses and ponies, the water and reflections. We had wind and rain and cold all day today so it was a pleasure looking at your cheerful photos, Derrick.

  8. I adore that the ponies are happy in a world of their own, and are totally ignoring those inanimate objects that are on their pathway…

  9. Ferndene Farm Shop is rightly the magnet for gardening aficionados, no wonder Jackie is all smiles, evidenced by her eyes. The shaded pool and the wooden picket gate casting its shadow look marvellous. The bipeds must learn to move in the margins in ponyland.

  10. All those little potted plants look very tempting–so colorful.

    You have some lovely pictures of ponds and reflections.

  11. That’s a beautiful photograph of the gate and its reflection and the two to the left are almost as good. It’s sunny so far here but it was a cold night. Only seventeen degrees inside the house.

  12. I would have loved to have been there and seen the ponies refusing to budge!

    Your supper was exactly the same as our Sunday lunch. Joss took leftovers home with him and I still have enough left for tomorrow!

  13. never a dull moment in your part of the world, Derrick! thanks for taking us along to this delightful scenes abuzz with activities both from tourists and animals. 🙂

  14. I often wonder about the motorists in your pictures. What do they expect to find on the roads in the New Forest? Is the name New Forest pony not a big enough clue?

  15. Ooh, at the top that looks like the same nibbled and patched road you showed us earlier. I do love it. I believe Jackie is smiling. A friend of mine said because of masks she is practicing her “smise.”

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