Cheered Up By Sunset

Today began unpromisingly dull and wet. I scanned the last few colour slides from

Abney Park Cemetery in May 2008. The second image and

the two which follow have been converted to black and white. The first of these shows a typically decorated capital. The second is the Pesman family grave. According to jacobstree.co.uk Frederic Adolphus senior, originally an artificial flower maker, lived for 81 years. His wives, Agnes Susan née Peak, daughter of a builder; Mary Ann, née Bulford; and some of his children were not so fortunate. The last name on the stone, obscured by ivy is probably the son of Frederick and Agnes who, along with two sisters, did not survive early infancy. Two of their daughters did survive, one to be 90.

Before lunch we drove to Ferndene Farm Shop and bought a Christmas tree, the needles of which

attempted to spear me on the way home.

The weather gradually improved this afternoon when we drove into the forest.

Barrows Lane is becoming soggy. Jackie parked on the verge while I photographed the landscape including two field horses in bright red and blue rugs.

By sunset over Hatchet Pond the skies had really cheered up.

When I came to draft this post I was hard put to distinguish between Jackie’s and my shots. The second gallery images are, I believe, those of the able Assistant Photographer, who,

driving home, metamorphosed into my Chauffeuse, and parked at East Boldre while I photographed

the remnants of the sunset reflected in a Winterbourne pool

and providing a backcloth for skeletal trees.

For dinner this evening Jackie provided lamb jalfrezi, mushroom rice topped with slices of boiled egg, and vegetable samosas. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Coonawarra.

76 comments

  1. SO many gorgeous photos by you and Jackie. The final one is particularly beautiful. And the one of you being threatened by the Christmas tree made me laugh. ?

  2. Regardless of who took the photographs, those taken over Hatchet Pond are stunners. Are your skills rubbing off on Jackie? Are her skills rubbing off on you? When will we read a post that concludes with “We dined on Derricks crunch cheese cauliflower…”?
    By the way, I cannot tell you how grateful I am to see your posts pop up every day without fail. It cheers me no end to share in your forest drives, your views of “the Needles”, your evening meals. You both are a delight to the blogosphere. Thanks to both of you.

    1. I too would like to see ‘we dined on Derricks delicious something or another……..’ but he is too busy writing a blog! So glad you enjoy coming with us to see the Needles and forest makes it extra worthwhile us getting out and about.

    2. Thank you so much, Sue. Such comments really make it all worthwhile. Believe it or not I did all the cooking when Jackie was still working, but she is so much better and has taken some of my recipes to a new level. That’s my excuse, anyway. X

  3. Thanks for the Christmas tree laughs. I gave up on real trees with all their sharp needles years ago. Especially when we rented so many times and moved again by RAAF in the New Year. I’m sure we left many a hidden needle to be found by new occupants. 🙂
    I too love your many drive-by photos you share each day.

  4. I’m giggling at you sharing the front seat with the Christmas tree Derrick…. I had a very similar problem last week, sharing my car with a 5′ tree-fern….

  5. Those are truly magical shots of the day melting around the wet tree-scape. The last light of the sun rimming the clouds and skeletal trees and glowing in puddles and pools underscore the quiet force of elements.

  6. Time for the Christmas tree! Do post photos for readers when you get it decorated. We can’t put up a tree here as the cats find it and the ornaments all too interesting.
    The afternoon forest photos are lovely, especially the golden skies and golden reflections on the water. Nature puts on an exquisite show of her ephemeral visual delights.

  7. All of these photos are spectacular, Derrick and Jackie! The water! The trees! The skies! Wowza! 🙂
    So nice (and brave) of you to share your space with the Christmas tree, Derrick! 😉 Those photos made me snort-laugh! I hope you weren’t injured too badly! 😉 😛 😀
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

  8. The sunset photos are ridiculously beautiful. I think you need to have a talk with that tree though. Attack of the Evergreen! Coming to a theatre near you.

  9. Thank you for another romp through the life and times of Derrick and Jackie! Beautiful sunset, historic cemetery and arm wrestling with an evergreen are but a few of the delights to be found in this post. Sher and I consider ourselves lucky to have made your acquaintance via blogging.

  10. Some lovely, atmospheric shots here between you. My favourite is the one with the branches, the pink and the heart shaped reflection in the water.

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