Spot The Ball

After a Tesco shop this afternoon Jackie drove me into the forest.

Along Holmsley Road we had plenty of time to watch the ponies inside an elongated Emlor Polo horse box as the driver executed an impressive reverse.

Daises covered the lumpy terrain of Mill Lane with its reflecting pools; its gorse enhanced woodland; and its decaying fallen tree limbs.

The grassland levelled out enabled these family groups to play cricket with a tennis racket and ball. Enlarging these shots will enable readers to enter the Spot the Ball competition exemplified by the last three images. Give yourselves extra points for spotting number two.

This lane forms a T junction with Lyndhurst Road, the verges of which one of our familiar groups of ponies kept tidy until they became bored and decided to wind up the traffic.

From Lyndhurst Road we turned into Forest Road where water buttercups pierce the layers of pondweed in a pool; mossy fallen branches make their way to merging with the soil beneath;

and ponies crop the grass beside a forded stream

which an escorted little boy investigates with a fishing net.

This evening we dined on oven fish and chips, mushy peas, pickled onion and cucumbers, with which the three older members of the household drank Picpoul de Pinet white wine 2020.

74 comments

  1. I particularly like the ponies along the forded stream (which I first read as folded ?), and the little boy with his fishing net on Forest Road. It looks like a beautiful day for families and ponies.

  2. The forest is looking healthy and spring-like, and the game looks like a lot of fun — I believe I found the ball in 3 photos!

  3. Hi Derrick. That is indeed an impressive manuever by the truck driver! Also I love the picture of the little boy with a fish net. Having raised all boys, it brings back memories šŸ™‚

  4. I’ve never seen a horse trailer that big, or so nice. It looks like a tour bus for a rock band! Lovely photos today, Derrick. Dinner sounds yummy!

  5. That is the largest horse conveyance I have ever seen! My favorite picture out of today’s group is Landscape. I love the muted color palette.

  6. So many wonderful photos, Derrick! It’s so nice to see people out and about, Covid remembered. That’s a nice-looking truck, I am not familiar with the brand. I used to drive a tractor-trailer as we call it.

  7. A lot of the foods you mention are things that we eat in the United States, as well, especially in nice restaurants (although much of yours is made by your talented wife). But mushy peas is not something that I ever see anyone eat here. Are they offered a lot as a side dish at restaurants?

  8. Lovely photos! I spotted the balls! Tres! Are there more than tres?!
    Great air-borne action shots, Derrick! šŸ˜€
    That big polo horse box/truck IS impressive!
    Seeing daises always makes me smile! šŸ™‚
    My favest-fave photo today is the last one…so sweet! He looks ready for anything! šŸ™‚
    OOH! I love mushy peas! And firm peas! And perky peas!
    (((HUGS)))
    PS…in two of the cricket photos is there a bigger ball by that lady-in-the-black-pants feet?! Ha! Whatever it is it looks like it has a face! šŸ˜® šŸ˜€

    1. Very well spotted, Carolyn. Just one tennis ball. The bigger ball is a football. We had passed the little boy a while back and wondered where he was going with his net. Thanks very much šŸ™‚ X

  9. It is cold and rainy here today, and I have enjoyed your sunny forest drive, Derrick and Jackie. I spotted the ball in the three photos after some searching. The photos would not enlarge for me.

    The ponies look like they are still shedding winter coats. The littlest ponies are so adorable and full of character. šŸ™‚

  10. In #1 the ball is in the air above the woman in white. In #2 it is much higher, almost lost in the foliage, but not too difficult to spot if you follow the focus of the players. In #3 it is low, between the man walking towards us and the young mother in black.

  11. I always enjoy your woodland and pony photos. I wonder what ponies are in the truck and where they’re going.

    1. They must have been Polo ponies. The registered office of the team is apparently in our road, which I hadn’t known. Thanks very much, JoAnna

    1. There was just one tennis ball, but in number one a football at the feet of the woman in black leggings. I can see why you may have seen what looked like more in the gaps in the leaves. Well spotted, Judy

  12. The group enjoying tennisized cricket is clearly having a lot of fun. Here are my answers for the spot the ball contest: Image 1: The lady in white is about to catch the ball which is in the middle of the frame but slightly off to the right. Image 2: if three horizontal grid lines were to be placed dividing the frame equally the ball is at the base of the top third section and nearly in the middle in the trees. Image 3: the ball is towards the left in the bottom trisection of the frame.

  13. Wonderful to see natural verge side hedge trimmers munching .. Much better seeing a four-legged instead of a petrol motor council appliance Lol.. Great as always Derrick.

  14. I just added your blog to my following after having many disappear from my feed. I will enjoy slowly catching up with your neck of the woods, including the ponies. Here I have visited with wild ponies in Maryland. They have the right of way there and are not tame, despite peoples’ insistence on approaching them as if they were.

  15. Hi Derrick, the ponies are lovely, even if they do block the road. I thought the water buttercups were flowers in a field. You can seen anything of the pond at all.

Leave a Reply