Moor And Woodland

After lunch we took two large bin bags of clothing and bric-a-brac to the Heart Foundation Charity Shop in New Milton; while we were at it we bought me a pair of shoes at Stephan Shoes; and while we were at it we bought two pairs for Jackie.

During the still lull between storms we took what will be our last forest drive for a few days.

The gorse on Hinchelsea Moor glowed bright gold.

Further along Brockenhurst Road I decamped and tried out my new shoes in

soggy, sucking, woodland terrain. The rippling stream running through reflected the trees overhead. The shoes stayed on my feet and I didn’t stray far.

Mostly I kept to the drier sections with their mosses, lichens, and bracket fungus on a giant oak.

On the left hand side as we approached the village a couple of bay ponies enjoyed their freedom to roam, while some of the field horses opposite, although fenced in, were comforted with rugs.

This evening we dined on tender roast duck breasts; crisp Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and parsnips; crunchy carrots; firm Brussels sprouts; mixed vegetables in piquant white sauce; and meaty gravy, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Signargues CΓ΄tes-du-RhΓ΄ne Villages 2020.

60 comments

  1. YAY for donating to charity!
    YAY for new shoes! So glad your new shoes kept up with your adventures today. Did you break them in or did they break you in? πŸ˜‰ πŸ˜€
    The gorse gold is so brilliantly beautiful!
    Love seeing all the textures and colours of “art” that nature creates!
    Your header photo is my fave today! Perfect pony portrait!
    (((HUGS))) and stay safe, warm, and dry! πŸ™‚

  2. The middle of this looks like something out of Middle Earth. The ponies look comfy.
    And OMG, it has been an awful long time since I had duck (it was one of my mother’s favorites!)

  3. Such interesting things happening near the ground with the trees you photographed. Your header photo is my favorite today. I like the out-of-focus pony in the background.

  4. I understand exactly what GP means.
    I love the giant oak, and the pony in the distance could be standing in almost a surreal mist.

    I think Storm Eunice is meant to hit you harder than it is us, I believe we’re due the snow and blizzards. Take care of yourselves and batten down the hatches.

  5. I’m glad you didn’t lose your new shoes, Derrick. Derek and I enjoyed your photos today. He likes to read your post out loud with his “British” accent. He was born in Devin, as you know. πŸ™‚ Stay safe in the storm!

  6. Of course, I enjoyed the mossy roots, as well as the header photo, the big oak, and the long root lounging on the fallen trunk, I got a nice chuckle from, “and while we were at it we bought two pairs for Jackie.” Enjoy the new shoes and stay safe!

      1. Phew! On BBC news, I saw some pictures of the storm. Red alert is right. Hope you don’t lose your power, and I certainly hope your beloved garden is spared any major damage.

  7. The glowing gorse on the moorland is beautiful. The tentacled creature on the fallen tree is creepy.
    It’s good to know you and Jackie are both well shod now. ?

  8. I hear that there have been gusts of up to 122 miles per hour on the Isle of Wight today. Hopefully, your garden is as unscathed as possible and there is no damage in any other respect.

  9. You remind me of my granddaughter Genie. She could never wait to get home to put on her new shoes. Most days we had to wait for her to put them on halfway to the car. I doubt that she has changed. ?

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