Head To Head

On a bright, crisp, afternoon Jackie drove us to Bisterne Close,

where she parked and sat in the car while I wandered into the forest with my camera, rustling the dried autumn leaves, across which the low sun cast long shadows. One lone cow wandered off into the distance. Golden gorse glowed; a few beech and oak leaves lingered on the branches; some fallen limbs bore lichen and fungus; holly berries shone for Christmas.

Jackie photographed a bouncing squirrel

and a pedestrian me.

Ponies were mostly waiting expectantly at the far end of close. What for was unclear.

This evening we dined on well roasted gammon and parsnips; creamy mashed potatoes; piquant cauliflower cheese; firm carrots; and tender green beans, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Comté Tolosan.

70 comments

    1. Hampshire’s New Forest. The ponies are free roaming yet owned by commoners. There are many more on my posts. Thank you for visiting and welcome to my blog Stine.

  1. We are having a bright, crisp day in the Granite State after several days of rain. I enjoyed the gorse, holly, and squirrel out of this group, but my favorite out of today’s group is the header with the two ponies. They look as if they were posing for a formal portrait.

  2. I love it when you use a word like gorse. I first encountered it in a Sylvia Plath poem. “The extreme unction of its yellow candle flowers.” It seemed so sinister, but you show it as beautiful.

  3. Wonderful photos, Jackie and Derrick! What beautiful faces…equine, squirrel-ine, and pedestrian-ine! 🙂 (next time maybe the squirrel will be ambling and the pedestrian will be bouncing. 😉 😀 )
    The ponies seem to be posing with purpose!
    That tree photo (right before the first squirrel photo) with the light shining through is so breathtaking!
    The holly berries are bright and smiley! 🙂
    That last photo…”Head to Head” is a prize winning photo!
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

  4. Those are beautiful photos of the forest area by you and Jackie! The ponies are now all in their heavy winter coats.
    Does gorse normally bloom in late autumn, or are they blooming out of season in your area this year? We have a similar looking but different plant here in the Pacific Northwest known as Scotch Broom, a non-native invasive species. Both have those gorgeous yellow blooms.

    1. Thanks very much, Lavinia. Perhaps yours is the same plant (maybe brought over by the Mayflower). Ours is in bloom most of the year and is particularly splendid at the moment.

  5. The angle and softness of light in the woods are awesome. The trees are full of a feeling that the ponies seem to understand but won’t let us know. Eventually, you were caught red handed in the mission to capture the quietude.

  6. Your photographs prove that whatever the weather, the light, or the season, there is something beautiful or interesting to record. Your depictions are filled with life. A special thank you to Jackie for the squirrel 🙂

  7. You live in such a beautiful place to enjoy the seasons. I think the ponies are waiting for all the people to go home so they can tell each other tall tales without interruptions.

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