A Kerfuffle

On this bright, yet cool, morning Jackie and I took a short drive into the forest.

Celandines, nettles, and other wild flowers lined the verges of Warborne Lane, Portmore, alongside which goats and their climbing kids occupy a field beside horses in a fenced garden.

On Pilley Street a friendly young girl opened the gate by the cattle grid to enable the driver of a horse and carriage to pass through and continue along the road.

The vitreous lake bore reflections and shadows of the limbs and trunks of trees coated with lichen and a dog with its walker on the far side.

Ponies basked and grazed among the gorse and along the verges at East Boldre;

further along the road a dappled grey crossed to the other side seeking second helpings. Nearby a selfish sorrel created a sparky kerfuffle as it butted another pony with whom it was not prepared to share pickings.

A trio of donkeys maintained their occupation of the Norleywood Road junction.

Beside the rowing boat shells beneath the cone-laden pine overlooking Lymington River an oyster catcher sought breakfast.

This evening we dined on slow roasted breast of lamb; crispy roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; crunchy carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, with which Jackie drank Carlsberg, I drank Azinhaga de Ouro Reserva 2019, and Flo drank exotic fruit juices diluted.

82 comments

  1. What a wonderful area you live in, Derrick! I love the goats, horses, donkeys. . .I think my favorite photos were the ponies in landscape.
    I think you must be feeling better since you’re back to imbibing. 🙂

  2. Kerfuffle! “Bless you!” 😉 HA! Just teasing!
    Hope the kerfuffling didn’t go on too long!
    Beautiful artistic photos! I especially like looking at the shadows, trees, reflections and donkeys!!!
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

  3. What more can be added? As always, it was a delightful trip through the countryside, and, as noticed by others, the post-jaunt meal included suitable alcoholic drinks, indicative of your improved health!

  4. Do the goats run loose, too?
    Can you approach the ponies? I’d want to do that. For dinner we enjoyed a standing pork roast, enough for two more dinners (leftovers are always good), sauerkraut, cauliflower and apple sauce and gravy. I dran a chardonnay and my lovely wife had her usual, water. For dessert, a small portion of pecan caramel ice cream (low fat).

      1. I thoroughly enjoy the pony pictures and that you can be among them. Have a great day!, Derrick. Off to do the weekly grocery shopping but first stopping for gas.

  5. What a lot of activity in reflected in your ride today. I love the beautiful white horse next to the field of white goats. A lovely journey today.

  6. That is a cute family on the buggy near Boldre Club, imminently photographable. Inverted trees into the pools have been captured brilliantly, and that may look easy but calls for a certain industry. The family of goats seems quite content with their lot as against the butt wielding ponies causing kerfuffle. Incidentally, that is a favourite expression.

  7. Now I am wondering if that Roast Lamb was an export from NZ. It would be a darn sight cheaper on your plate than ours, crazy isn’t it. The horse photos are wonderful.

    1. Hi Suzanne, the lamb came from Dorset, just up the road from us, and was purchased from Ferndene farm shop.

      1. Hi Jackie, those farm shops are such a treat. We frequented them while over in the UK. Especially the cheese. I’m sure the UK lamb was tastier 😉 Funnily enough, with all our sheep, it’s no longer a popular meat choice for NZers.

  8. Yeah .. you know how to keep an old poet happy on a Monday Derrick … with plenty of frendly animal photos, especially the Donkey ones…. and I adored the photos of the driver and her horse and carriage

  9. The contrast with where I live is startling. On my walks I rarely see wildlife just acres and acres of crops. Occasionally a couple of deer will emerge from a solitary wood but that is a rare sight..

  10. The photo you used for your banner is stellar! I love the pictures of the animals and the rowboats. You seem to be feeling much better.

  11. A beautiful sunny day in the forest and the reflections of trees with their newly opening leaf buds are very beautiful! The surly selfish sorrel and goat occupation each added their own element to the day’s slice of life. The donkeys always look peaceful. 🙂

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