The Donkeys Didn’t Fancy It

After lunch Jackie drove us to Helen and Bill’s home at Fordingbridge to drop off a present.

Attracted by a couple of large mushrooms on the verges at I disembarked and wandered along photographing, in addition, bracken nestling beside an oak trunk, and lichen attached to fallen twigs on the forest floor and decorating another trunk.

The forded stream was racing and rippling along at a rate we have not seen before.

Cars sped splashing across;

a troop of donkeys gathered on the edge of the road-bridge, contemplated the torrent, then, deciding they didn’t fancy it, leaving one of their members with its foal to slake their thirst, turned back and

lined themselves neatly along the shrubbery for Jackie to photograph them through her windscreen and after stepping out of the car.

We returned via Woodgreen where I photographed the landscape around the River Avon, its swans and mallards, and cattle lolling alongside.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s warming winter meat and vegetable stewp, with fresh crusty bread. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Cotes du Rhone.

77 comments

  1. Those donkeys sure have unusual markings, at least different from the ones I’ve seen. Interesting countryside too.

  2. I too am struck by the unusual markings on these donkeys. We have very ordinary ones here, although the colours vary from pale to chocolate and some are more shaggy than others.

  3. I also noticed the unusual marking on the donkeys, but I love those donkey faces. ?
    I think my favorite photo today is the stream overflowing ford. It might be scary there, but it’s a beautiful scene.

  4. I love the title of this post! I could see it as the title of an indie film that has only the most tangential relation to donkeys. Your photo of lichen on a tree trunk reminds me of how entranced I was as a kid by the gray-green beauty of lichen. I thought it was just the most magical stuff to appear on trees and rocks!

  5. The donkeys may not have been a fan (or the driver of that truck haha) but I sure enjoyed it!! <3 Lovely pictures as always, I also enjoyed the ducks!

  6. I absolutely adored your photo of the troop of donkeys gathering on the edge of the road-bridge, contemplating the torrent… one for “Derrick Photo Files”

  7. I’m glad Mama Donkey and foal got the water then needed. I like the mushrooms and the lichen close up. I have used a sponge to make a lichen type pattern on the wood frame of my fireplace, but not so dramatic as your close up.

  8. So lovely to see so many beautiful 2 and 4 legged animals enjoying the autumn sun.
    And the wonderful lichen and fungi too…
    A visit to friends,
    and the day completed by warming meat and vegetable stewp & fresh crusty bread,
    yesterday sounds a perfect autumn day!
    Have a good one today… though we may not see so many bright rays, looking out of the window just now!

  9. Donkeys! Br-YAY!!! 😛 The Spotted Donkey Restaurant looks busy! 😉 😀
    Ducks always look so friendly and easy-going. Swans so regal and confident.
    Love the layers of Mother Nature, and the layers of colour, in the last photo!
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

  10. Great photos Derrick! I love the toadstools! What happens to the donkeys. Do they just wander around all year round. Are they of any use to anyone? Bought or sold?

  11. LOVE the title and the pictures of all of those beautiful donkeys! It’s so funny that they all decided, NOPE, not doing that! They are smarter than the drivers of the cars – I’m always seeing videos of cars whose drivers were pretty sure they could make it through the water and were wrong.

  12. Donkeys are quite fun and we enjoyed caring for a couple in Spain during our housesitting days. Derrick, I enjoy how you include what your wife and yourself have had for dinner, a fun perspective on a bloggers life 🙂

  13. The troop of donkeys that wouldn’t waste through the torrent and then lined up to savour the hedge has presented interesting opportunities for the camera. The family of swans look very pretty too.

Leave a Reply