A Reflective Conversation

This morning Ronan of Tom Sutton Heating gave our boiler its annual service and investigated our inability to control the heating by thermostat. He found a piece of equipment was malfunctioning and will book in another visit to fix it. I didn’t really take in what it was.

After lunch we drove to Elizabeth’s to return the suitcase in which she had packed Mum’s presents. She wasn’t in so we left it on the doorstep and ran away. The day was cool, clear, and bright, so we didn’t think it would rain.

On the outskirts of Brockenhurst skeins of cloud stretched across the moors on which ponies cropped the sward.

Jackie parked the Modus on the verge of Church Lane where pools reflected the now skeletal trees and the woman of this friendly couple expressed pleasure at seeing the sun again and its perfect light for my photography.

More reflections were visible in the bubbling, swirling, stream, and the autumn leaves bore the touch of Midas.

Jackie photographed the stream as it ran through the garden beside which she had parked, and the autumnal trees above it.

I produced pictures of a gentleman paddling a boat; moored yachts; starlings perched on masts; and a couple of young female cyclists engaged in a reflective conversation.

Jackie, meanwhile, also photographed starlings claiming crows’ nests; a gull taking a rest; a street lamp lit up in readiness for the evening; and swans approaching gulls in a row alongside vacant rowing boats.

This evening we dined on oven fish and chips, cornichons, and pickled onions followed by custard tart, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Shiraz.

70 comments

  1. I agree that they are fantastic photographs. It seems strange here in Victoria that nobody in your photographs is wearing a mask. Here it is taken for granted. And we’ve just had three weeks with no cases of Covid no deaths and only 3 old cases. Less than 1000 deaths in Oz since it began. The news from Europe England America is really devastating.

    1. Devastating indeed, John. There are only certain places, like shops, where we are expected to wear masks – and too many ignore even that, it seems. Thanks very much.

  2. Lovely photos. It’s funny how the ponies in one photo look like they’re in the middle of nowhere, but then in the other photo, you see the road.
    I like the autumn leaves by the stream, and the glow on the weeping willow.

  3. Lovely day. I hope he fixes the equipment soon so that you have some control over the temperature of your home! As long as he knows what to do, you don’t need to know hah!

  4. I like the autumn foliage over the water. And that pink jacket reflected well. You have good eyes for capturing a diversity of subjects. Four good eyes πŸ™‚ What a great team!

  5. You certainly made the best use of the perfect light for photography – these are beautiful images of water and trees! The other shots are interesting too. I have added a new word to my vocabulary thanks to you: I had no idea that what we call gherkins you know as cornichons!

  6. The colors in your photos are outstanding–especially the leaves “that bore the touch of Midas,” the stream, the puddles and the reflections.

    1. This is such a tourist attraction that the population changes during the season – without a lockdown – but we do know where to go for peace πŸ™‚ Thanks very much, Catherine

  7. Beautiful photos, Jackie and Derrick! Wowza! Especially love the water, trees, yacht triangles, and the gathering birds! That bird taking a rest up-top looks so at home. πŸ™‚
    Hope Ronan will get your thermostat fixed soon. Part of the fun of being married is the wife adjusting the thermostat for more heat and the hubby changing it to be cooler. πŸ˜‰ πŸ˜€ Ha. At least at my house. πŸ˜‰
    I heard of a mom who put this note by the thermostat:
    Unless you answer YES to all of these questions… Do not turn on the heat!!!
    Are you wearing a hoodie, sweatpants, and socks?
    Is it November?
    Do you pay the gas bill?
    HA!!! πŸ˜€
    Now, I need to go look up cornichons.
    (((HUGS))) πŸ™‚

    1. Thanks very much from us both, Carolyn. The only similarity to your household is that I hardly ever notice whether it is too hot or too cold – so I leave the temperature to Jackie who is actually very careful. Cornichons are small wallies X

  8. Another great photographic journal of your day, but my favourite photo today has to be Jackie’s shot of the stream with the beautiful shades of autumn in the surrounding trees.

  9. What a lovely title and image – perfect!
    Beautiful clear images of the water, though I’m really hoping for a less flooded winter this year.
    The gull seems to have got the idea of social distancing… Starlings not doing so well!

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