Sunny Intervals

Early in the day I watched Channel 4’s transmission of the enthralling second day’s play in the Test Match between India and England.

The forest was still overcast when, this afternoon, we set off for a drive.

Lanes like Bockhampton Road were quite clarty. Beside this one

a whiteness of swans occupying a field attracted my attention as, their serpentine necks sinuously swaying, they foraged in the grass and reflected in one small pool.

The next pale reflector paddled in weed soup in a seasonal pool during a sunny interval at Ibsley. When she became aware of my circling her spot, she emerged from the water and joined

her cousins on the green. I exchanged greetings with the dog walkers as they drew near.

Glowing golden gorse enlivened the landscape below Abbots Well. The second of these images containing another dog walker employing an extending lead shows the difference in light created by a sunny interval. Only the distant slopes are lit; those nearer are overshadowed by cloud.

This evening we dined on tasty smoked haddock; piquant cauliflower cheese; creamy mashed potatoes; crunchy carrots and broccoli, with which we both drank Western Cape Sauvignon Blanc 2020.

75 comments

      1. My cousins who live in Barton and Christchurch stopped walking their dogs on the Forest because of it and only walk along the cliffs. I wonder how many visitors know of it?

          1. It has to be worth mentioning if you see people with their dogs off the lead. It’s a complete killer, no cure or treatment I understand.

  1. Beautiful photos and descriptive prose. I like ” a whiteness of swans.” ? The pony with reflections is beautiful, as is the gorse.

    You’ll be happy to hear my husband and I both got our first shots today–different places and vaccines due to the weirdness of scheduling systems.

  2. Glowing golden gorse: serpentine necks sinuously swaying: a terrific treat for admirers of alliteration again today….and some good pictures too.

  3. You’ve excelled yourself with those shots of the paddling ponies, Derrick; you could sell those as prints in Lyndhurst. I thought ‘clarty’ was a northern expression? – it certainly wasn’t in the soft south when I was there. Thin end of the wedge…

  4. Some people pick flowers; I pick up words. ‘Clarty’ was a new one for me. I’m not even sure what our version would be. ‘Muddy’ isn’t nearly so interesting! I remember reading about gorse, but these photos of it are marvelous. Yellow certainly is a spring-like color.

  5. They’ve spotted something interesting in the next to the last dog walking landscape. I enjoyed the swan reflections, white pony and gorse.

  6. Apart from the beautiful pictures of the swan and the hide and seek pictures of clouds, the ‘clarity’ road enriched me with fresh vocabulary. The dog is on a very long leash!

  7. I enjoyed all these beautiful photos of swans, ponies and countryside! I still marvel at horses and ponies and their seaweed soup. Never saw this before, and I had a horse and pony growing up. Gorse is a lovely thing to see!

  8. Always good to see the sun….even if it’s playing “hide’n’seek”! 🙂
    Looks like the pools and puddles are fav spaces! 🙂 Love the swan AND pony reflections!
    Love seeing the doggies always…and so glad when they are on leashes. Just safer for everyone one around… “man and beast”. 🙂 But, wowza, that be a long leash. Coop’s is much shorter.
    (((HUGS))) Happy Whee-kend!!! 🙂

  9. The heathland behind the young woman with the extending lead is absolutely lovely. There should be a lot of reptiles there in the summer, they love such dry, sandy conditions.

  10. another lovely gallery for us today, Derrick! love the swans and your header photo is simply gorgeous! thank you 🙂

  11. Lovely pictures of the swans. I really appreciated them. Also liked the pictures of the ponies. What a fine day you had apparently. I noted that the pictures do not make you feel that it is overcast in the areas where you took the photographs.

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