Reflective Collars

Late this morning Barry, our chimney sweep and roofer, visited to look at our leaking kitchen roof. He is very busy but, a good friend, will fit us in as soon as he can.

After lunch, with violent winds still blowing, we moved the now covered patio chairs to a more sheltered position beside the house.

This afternoon we enjoyed longer bouts of sunshine between the heavy showers.

Jackie parked beside Holmsley Passage up which I wandered for a while, photographing

the autumnal landscapes.

Jackie made two contributions. The second is “Where’s Derrick” (3).

As it is half-term for schools we have been visited by a number of cyclists, some of whom, with walkers

made use of the footpaths which are all that remains of the railway line axed by Dr Beeching

We continued to Bisterne Close where again Jackie parked and I wandered.

It was the dead birch against the deep indigo sky that tempted me out of the car to photograph additional trees and shadows; bright beech leaves; and old gold bracken.

From her car the Assistant Photographer watched a squirrel, its head drilling rapidly as it gripped the snack it was enjoying.

On our return through Holmsley Passage I communed with ponies in the woodland where

the low sunlight piercing the shadows demonstrated the efficacy of the reflective collars some of these creatures wear to increase their night-time visibility. Notice which of these do not have them fitted. In this age of Covid 19 we rarely see an infant wearing a mask. So it appears to be with foals and collars.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome chicken and vegetable stoup, toast, and spicy pizza, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Trigales.

77 comments

  1. Thank you for the lovely stroll. We don’t get that kind of landscapes here. Much appreciated.
    The squirrel looks like an American one… I hear European squirrels are being ousted?

    1. Grey squirrels were imported to the UK from America around the 1890s. they spread rapidly across the whole of UK.
      Sadly, the native red squirrel was unable to cope with the virus that the greys carried and eventually they began to die out. Today pockets of the red species survive but only with thanks to human assistance.

      1. Thank you Sue for the info. I didn’t know about the germs, I’d always heard the grey squirrels were just more aggressive…
        As far I know the same happened on the continent… Just looked it up, you are so right. And apparently it has almost disappeared in the British isles…
        Good news is, the red squirrel is better adapted to pine forests, which there are plenty in Europe.
        Many thanks.
        Brian

        1. Kind of like Covid, the reds had no immunity to the new virus!
          There are a few red squirrel reserves not far from where I live in North Yorkshire they are very pretty to see.

          1. I hope the day soon comes when we can all travel again and begin to breath easy… without a mask! ?

  2. What beautiful photos – we had rain all day today in Sussex, so your Autumn day was much more golden than ours…
    It looks as though the little pony on the left of your header image is covered in soot; did he go up the chimney with Barry?!
    So lovely to see the bike riders and walkers enjoying Autumn air at half term.

  3. The set that includes the ferns is wholly delightful. I’ll be pleased when we have a bit of true autumnal color to glow in the late November light.

  4. Holmsley Passage is beautiful — but my goodness what a lot of electric lines — those have been the cause of several of our worst brush fires! It looks like Derrick is having a lovely walk down the road, and in the next picture just coming into view at the top of the hill? That dead birch against the dark sky is really a striking shot, and I love the ferns (bracken) as well. Love the squirrel and the horses! This is a lovely post!

  5. Beautiful landscape photos, Derrick. You are in the center of the right quarter of the photo, standing on whatever that thingie is over the pass.
    I like the lunching squirrel and the close-ups of ponies.

  6. So many beautiful landscape photos. I really like autumn leaves against dark clouds–the way it’s been looking around here lately. I liked Jackie’s Where’s Derrick, too. ?. That black foal is beautiful.

  7. OH! That first photo!!! “The long and winding road…” ? ? Beautiful! 🙂
    All of your landscape photos are gorgeous! 🙂
    Jackie’s photos are sublime! The squirrel photos are wonderful! And I found Mr. Knight in the Where’s Derrick? photo! 😀
    Photo #11 from the top of the page…such mood and wonder in the photo!
    It makes me feel good to know the reflective collars will help protect the ponies!
    Stay safe and warm!!!
    HUGS!!! 🙂

  8. Beautiful shots today, Derrick and Jackie. I love the Where’s Derrick photo. The shot below “As it is half-term for schools we have been visited by a number of cyclists, some of whom, with walkers” is so gorgeous!

  9. So many good landscape photos in this group! My favorite is the black silouettes against the big sky. It reminds me of a western movie sunset shot–only black and white. Jackie’s squirrel close-up is a close second.

  10. as always, thank you and Jackie for taking us along. such beautiful landscape and autumn colors. again, the ponies are delightful! 🙂 🙂

  11. Wonderful autumnal images. I love the squirrels too. They are so busy at this time of year foraging for nuts to store for the winter ahead. The ones here are dashing backwards and forwards every few minutes to gather and take away nuts to hide in their winter store

  12. Those exposures in moody, dramatic light are a delicious feast, but they take a certain patience and hard work to trap them in the camera. I do spot you on the road about one fifth in the picture from the right.

  13. I really enjoyed “Where’s Derrick ?” but if you do any more, I think you should consider some of that netting over your head, with leaves stuck in it, and some of that camouflage face paint.
    I searched Amazon for “camouflage face paint” and actually scared myself with how many people must be buying such things. On the other hand, this is a bargain at £7.90:
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/GHILLIE-CAMOUFLAGE-LEAVES-PAINTBALL-SHOOTING/dp/B07C27TKRZ/ref=sr_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=camouflage+face+paint&link_code=qs&qid=1603959087&sourceid=Mozilla-search&sr=8-14&tag=firefox-uk-21

  14. A beautiful post. The ponies look especially spectacular today and the autumn colors compliment them.
    Sorry Jackie, but Derrick’s full head of hair stands out in the picture, I found him right off.

  15. A beautiful post, Derrick and Jackie! The combination of angled sunlight, dark clouds and autumn country scenes make a lovely portfolio. That dark foal needs some sort of reflective device.

  16. I love your autumnal colors and the adorable squirrel. The horses, as always intrigue me. They are so regal! I haven’t seen those reflective collars before, but what a great idea! <3

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