Safe Distance Enjoyment

When a dull day began to brighten up we drove into the forest for a while.

Constantly changing skies,

reflected in pothole pools,

swept over the moorland bounding Holmsley Passage and its footpaths.

Sun-tipped ponies pastured on grass, bracken and holly on the borders of Burley golf course.

The forest car parks were all full to bursting. Overflow vehicles lined streets, lanes, and lay-bys. Nevertheless, visitors largely kept to their own discrete clusters.

Nowhere was this more apparent than at Rockford Sand Pit where family groups enjoying scaling the sandy hillside largely maintained social distance from each other.

This evening we dined on Mr Chan’s excellent Hordle Chinese Take Away fare with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank MV Reserve Malbec 2019 – a present from Shelly and Ron.

60 comments

  1. I’m glad they are keeping apart. I have noticed some families round here have been too close especially around a few places where people can sledge.

  2. As a geologist by training, I was curious as to what the folks were collecting at the Rockford Sand Pit. I observed collection bags when the images were biggified. The site appears to be a popular spot for collecting what I’m guessing are fossil shells of some kind.

  3. Derrick, I look forward to yet another year of exploring your world and garden 🙂 Your posts are a daily reminder and inspiration that much beauty still exists in our world to be treasured, cared for, and preserved, as you and Jackie demonstrate in your own small space of earth. Blessings <3

  4. I thought for a moment that your sand pit was an enormous bunker at Burley golf course. I would have loved a place like that when I was young and nimble.

  5. I love seeing the folks scaling the sandy hillside. We just don’t get enough exercise these days and a spot like that looks like a child’s dream… but a lot of adults let the child in them come out, too, didn’t they? Fun!!

      1. Oh my, I can just see you sliding down that hill. Not something I’d be brave enough to do today… but a few years ago I would’ve been right there with you! <3

  6. We never know for sure how a day is going to turn out. The sand pit hillside reminds me of our giant sand dune at the state park, though ours is not quite as steep. The Sun-tipped ponies are handsome.

  7. Your photographs are inspirational – I have a weakness for reflections – and I feel I am getting to know the animals you feature almost as well as the Urban Herd that move about our town. The light on the sandpit is beautiful.

  8. Amazing clouds…they are certainly putting on a show.
    Love seeing the beautiful ponies!
    And so good to see people out and about…looks like a fun place to play!
    My fav photo is the clouds reflected in the pool of water!
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

  9. The sandpit may well be worth a look from the archaeological point of view. Quite a lot of interesting things can sometimes be revealed as the sand collapses downwards.

Leave a Reply