Twilight Haze

On a dull and frosty morning Jackie photographed some aspects of the garden.

A perky dragon was garlanded in frosted ivy; the ‘Autumn’ sculpture vied with winter;

euphorbia, cordyline Australis, and rose leaves bore fringes of frost and lingering water drops;

some potted pansies were rather limp, while iris reticulata and tulips broke the soil in defiance.

By the time we drove over to Pilley to present Elizabeth (in our bubble) with a tub of Jackie’s substantial chicken and vegetable stoup, the skies had brightened.

In the woodland alongside Undershore a soft toy had successfully scaled the wall that is the undercarriage of a fallen tree.

The decorated postbox in Pilley Street now bears the year date 2021;

the icy old quarry lake bears branches and reflections.

At Walhampton I photographed a pheasant on the verge and Jackie focussed on a silhouetted wood pigeon;

on Monument Lane while I caught the lowering sun behind trees Jackie picked out its tipping the monument railings.

Finally the Assistant Photographer caught me

focussed on the dying sunset and twilight haze shrouding the Isle of Wight and The Needles at Milford on Sea.

This evening we dined on succulent fillet steaks; crisp oven chips; moist mushrooms; nicely charred onions; cherry vine tomatoes; and a colourful melange of peas and sweetcorn, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Patrick Chodot Fleurie 2019.

84 comments

  1. Gorgeous photos. You know things are being preserved when the are dated like the post box, or as we say over here the mail box. Seems our public phone booths are a thing of the past here.

  2. Our plants seem to be enjoying our drop in temperature – much as I am. But I don’t have that lacy frost like you do. I definitely like that dragon!!

  3. Beautiful Derrick… The shots got better and better as I scrolled down. I love the reflections in the water. Amazing how some shots are better on a cloudy day than on a bright sunny one.

  4. I enjoyed the frosty morning photos, especially the dragon decked in ivy! All the scenes were beautiful, bringing a sense of peace to the day here. I love the low sun the trees. It has been a mostly cloudy but dry day here. There is noticeably more light at day’s end now, even when cloudy.

  5. Gorgeous photos, Jackie and Derrick! The ones the AP took of the GP are beautiful!
    Good to see the plants and garden-friends frosty, but thriving.
    Your reflection photos always get an ‘OH!’ out of me! 🙂
    This time around the photo of the little lost toy got an ‘AW!’ out of me! He got to the top…hope his friend finds him and he gets to go home!
    The postbox is festive!
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

  6. Such beautiful shots by both you and Jackie. I love the reflections in the icy lake and those sunset/twilight haze photos–like a Turner painting.
    (I guess stoup is stew and soup?)

    1. Thanks very much from us both, Merril. Your interpretation of stoup is correct (don’t think it’s in dictionaries – except as a holy water basin 🙂 )

  7. Eee, it’s grim doon south! Wonderful shots, as always, Mr K. I must say, your steak sounds good – but we had a rather nice beef, ginger and vegetable stir-fry, so I am perfectly content.

  8. The eerie image of frosted ivy on the dragon stirred my imagination Derrick… I’ve saved the photo, and maybe there is a poem in his frozen wings..!!

  9. I’m always happy to see the dragon, especially when dressed up in ivy. The reflections are interesting and the sunset wonderful! I’m glad Jackie caught you doing what you love.

  10. The pheasant and the tips of the monument railings stand out for me – although I have enjoyed the rest of your combined photographs. There must be a story behind the soft toy …

  11. You and Jackie got some good photos today. The frost-fringed leaves were delightful, as were the reflections in the icy lake.

  12. That is a delightful postbox welcoming the year 2021! I am afraid the messenger will soon become a relic of the digitised world. I am glad you can access your loved one through some process called ‘bubble’. The pandemic has benighted the freedom and exuberance we had become used to over the years. Jackie’s portfolio of the elegant shooter is growing in bulk. It is going to make a wonderful coffee book before long!

    1. Thank you very much, Uma. Except for special circumstances, each person living alone can for a bubble with one other family; that family can only provide one bubble. Your other comments appreciated, too.

  13. Of course the dragon is my especial favourite. 😉 That letterbox is dressed in such finery! I’m impressed with the skills of whomever crocheted that costume. Must have been a fun New Year’s Eve project when everything else was canceled. It was fun to have so many shared shots this time, from you both.

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