Decaying Forestation

On this third afternoon of continuous blue sky and bright sunshine the waxing

moon looked down early over Christchurch Road as we left home on a forest drive, and over Rhinefield Ornamental Drive as we made for home.

Wilverley Plain’s gorse-laden landscape and ponies already bore the touch of the approaching sunset.

A group of Shetland ponies wandered to and fro across the road approaching Brockenhurst. The grey crossing the waterlogged area stepped around the pool in search of a suitable section.

Whenever the sunlight pierced the tall forestation it burnished branches, bracken, and ponies.

As the afternoon drew on Jackie pictured a crow atop a tree; tall trees; and Derrick on Rhinefield Drive.

This evening we dined on more of Jackie’s paprika pork meal with the same accompanying beverages.

73 comments

  1. Another wonderful gallery, Derrick. It is remarkable that that that one trunk is still upright. Jackie’s crow image is really a stark and impressive one. All well done.

  2. Beautiful pics
    What a fabulous day in the forest today
    Great to see the sunshine and winter in its true glory

  3. I love the leaning trees, it’s amazing that they haven’t fallen over. The ponies are so cute! I would love to try Jackie’s Paprika Pork, it sounds delicious!

  4. Wonderful pictures all, with that hint of sunset on them!!
    I agree with Pat and the “little buffalo”!! Cute.

  5. My husband caught sight of the first Shetland pony over my shoulder, and he wanted to know if it’s a bear or a dog!

    I love the close-up texural header! Although there are a lot of favorites in this group, if I go by immediate gut reaction, my favorite is the last photo. Something aout the combination of green, gray, and the pony’s posture.

  6. Spectacular photos, Jackie and Derrick! So much texture, colour, light and shadows, life, and beauty!
    Love the Pony’s Eyes photo, the Moon and Sun meeting in the sky photo, and the crow atop that tree photo!!!
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

  7. Here comes the silly American, having to ask: what are those thingies on the roofs in the photo at the upper left? They look like jam pots, but surely not! The broad landscape view just below that first pair of photos is my favorite. Fields lying fallow have a deep appeal; perhaps it’s the sense of rest.

      1. That would be the ones. Now that you’ve said that, it makes sense. I’m sure we have something that functions in the same way, but I don’t remember seeing any that are so decorative. It may be that on the east coast, where there are many more older homes that favored styles from the ‘old countries’ there are more of them.

  8. Wonderful photos by you and Jackie, along with a great commentary. I’m imagining the audio commentary.
    I agree with Liz–those are the photos that stood out for me, as well. Though the golden afternoon glow is beautiful, too.

  9. I love these earthy photos and the shaggy ponies. You have a wonderful ability to see and share the art in decaying tree trunks. I’d enjoy exploring that big mossy trunk.

  10. The moon appears to have escaped form one of the chimneys. Sunset in the woodland has burnished the trunks and tops of the trees. Ponies have been captured in detail. The brown-black pony stretching its neck to nibble the leaves of the tree is a marvellous picture. Jackie’s vigilant crow is good, and so is the eager photographer captured by her camera.

  11. For the last few evenings, the rising moon has been a brilliant sight in the east, soaring up like a luminous hot air balloon.
    Your photograph “Moon and Sunset” though, illustrates perfectly the strange fact that the moon is never as big as you think it is.

  12. Beautiful shots of trees and sunlight, especially the decaying tree in the header. I love the shot of the crow atop the tree.

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