This morning Jackie drove me on a forest trip.
Pennington Common is about three miles from our home.
Bush fires swept across it on two occasions last month. As I left the Modus in which Jackie parked, I spoke to a couple who lived further along the road behind the car. They told me that the first event, in which they smelt and breathed in the smoke, was the most damaging; but, the second the most frightening because they could see the wind-flung flames soaring above the houses. Confirmed by a young woman pushing a toddler in a buggy, they told me that although the cause this time was not established, boys and youths burnt the gorse every autumn in order to carry the strong stems home for firewood. Apparently the fire fighters needed to bump a parked car away from one of the entrance gates to the public ground in order to gain access.
The woman and her passenger had come from the direction of the children’s playground which escaped the inferno.
As my sandals disturbed dust and ashes I sensed lingering scents of smoke.
Sun-dappled lanes such as Lower Sandy Down with its ancient hedgerow verges formed most of our route from Pennington to
Pilley, where a foal wandered along the eponymous Street
and cattle now shared what remained of the particularly parched lake bed pasturage . The above gallery of photographs was produced by Jackie, who, noticing the cattle wandering off while I was struggling to change lenses helpfully covered me.
In fact they returned and I was able to add my own.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome cottage pie topped with fried potatoes – because I had sliced the potatoes so thinly we had enough left over for duchesse potatoes on the side – this meant Mrs Knight took longer to fry them and needed to include onions – I guess she found that helpful. Other vegetables included firm broccoli and cauliflower; tender green beans; and crunchy carrots. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden; Flo and Dillon, water; and I finished the Syrah.
I always enjoy your tales of sumptuous repasts. Hope the drought ends soon.
Thanks very much, Sherry
Hope that your draughts will not last for too long!
Thanks very much, Aletta
That is so scary about the fire. I hope you get rain soon.
Your comments about your help in the kitchen made me smile. (I hope Jackie did, too.) š
Thank you so much, Merril. She did
That’s good! š
Looks very much like southern California
Glad no injuries or home losses were reported. Nice job with the potatoes.
Looks very much like southern California
Glad no injuries or home losses were reported. Nice job with the potatoes.
Thanks very much, Pat
If these ” boys and youths” keep up their idiotic practice of lighting fires in this way, they are gouing to finish up by burning somebody’s house down, or worse still, getting somebody killed.
Whether or not it was them this time, let us hope it is a lesson for them. Thanks very much, John
The fire made a huge mess, but it will of course grow back in time.
Thanks, John. You are right
Oh, that poor burned and parched landscape.
Thank you so much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Itās so hard to believe that even youths remain uneducated about the perils of dry weather and the danger to wildlife.
I do believe high schools should teach this and show the consequences of careless actions before they break up for the summer.
We had fires on the moors both last year and the year before, all caused by youths.
You are right, Sue. Thanks very much
The fires sound very alarming and the results look terrible. I hope that you get some serious rain before too long.
Thanks very much, Tootlepedal
Bushfires/grassfires are horrific and frightening Derrick. .. the sight a charred body is awful, those youths need a reality check and be shown what the consequences of their reckless actions could lead to ..
Thank you so much, Ivor.
The homes in the distance were fortunate. Does it take long for the vegetation to grow back? And how rare is this inferno?
It is very rare, although we do have regular controlled burning in the forest. Thanks a lot, Steve
The parched lands reminded me of burnings in our part of the world end of every summer which adds to pollution and bouts of cough and allergic symptoms. It’s man made and a threat to the environment. Your blogs are more of a daily diary. I like that – a chronology of life’s flow.
Thanks very much, Geeta. That is exactly the intention of by blog.
I hope you get relief soon, Derrick. Those fires sound frightening.
Thanks very much, Barbara
There is some condemnation in the comments of those who deliberately lit the fire, but you explain it is a way of creating firewood (is that an oxymoron?). Is it possible this is a long-standing practice in a population who until now have not experienced how quickly a grassfire/bushfire/wildfire can take hold, and the extreme damage it causes? Quite different to deliberate arson which is often performed by youths or inexperienced campers in Oz.
I think you are right, Gwen. Also a nice oxymoron observation š Thanks very much
Every body is feeling it. Thanks for capturing the drought and concerns in your part of the world šš
Much appreciated, Val X
Oh my, the forest looks dead.
Thanks very much, Arlene
I hope the fire department/police are investigating. Maybe they can help these people find a safer way to get firewood. Thinking positively to manifest, it will be a relief when a good rain comes.
Thank you for these wise words, JoAnna
Until I saw the fires on television news a while ago, I had never associated your part of the world with bush fires. These are such sad pictures of the combination of drought and the devastating effects of fire! Both are common here – and are never agreeable.
Thank you so much for this solidarity, Anne
Unbelievable seeing the UK like this. It looks so much like our environment which at the moment is green and lush from all the rain weāve had.
I meant as it more often looks during drier times.
Thanks again, Jane
Thanks very much, Jane
Terrifying! Like a scene from hell.
Thanks very much, Laurie
It must have been terrifying to have a bush fire so close by. Could you guys smell/see it?
We were unaware except for a series of fire engines driving by. Thank you for asking, Bridget
Forest fire is one of the cataclysmic events known to humans since ancient times, yet we have become ignorant and indulge in extremely careless behaviour. Itās nice to know no life was harmed, and yet the damages inflicted by the outbreak can not be value in terms of just money. The information board is interesting.
Thank you very much, Uma. Interestingly we are learning that countryside firefighters are better able to manage them than cities – because they have more experience.
I am sorry to hear these fires are getting closer to you and Jackie. Please stay safe. Have an evacuation plan in place.
Thanks very much, Lavinia.
So scary and so sad. š
My prayers and bestest wishes for your family and friends to be safe. And for the rains to come.
We had several big early fires here in the forests this year and then the rains came and now people in some areas are dealing with flooding. š
(((HUGS))) ā¤ļø
PS…How nice of you to slice the potatoes! š
Thanks very much, Carolyn š X
I understand another heatwave is on the horizon
Yes – it seems so. Thanks a lot, Sheree
Take care
Unfortunately the burnt areas look surprisingly familiar to me. And I noticed that the cows look like they were licking the rubble. That is also familiar.
Interesting observation about the cows, John. Thanks very much
It’s sad to see the dry landscape. The Lower Sandy Down was a bright spot. Praying you get rain, Derrick.
Thank you so much, Jill
Such devastation when fires consume land and properties. We go through this every year in the western part of USA without fail and hundreds and thousands of acres are burnt down to timber along with homes. I am sorry to see the dry land, and so sorry to note that you could still feel the smell of burnt out fire among the debris of the disturbed dust.
So glad you posted some beautiful shrubs and bushes along with some cattle grazing.
Thank you very much, Zakiah
How sad about the forest suffering from the drought. I hate to hear the fire is close to where you live. Stay safe.
Thank you so much, Eugi
Most welcome, Derrick.
I can’t imagine what it is like for people experiencing such wild fires. Here it is our forests up north that seem to get the worst of it and it is just terrible – and just terrifying for those forced to flee them.
Yes – at least that hasn’t happened here yet – although recently people around London lost their homes. Thank very much, AnneMarie
The first set of photos looked depressing; I was glad to see the first green one, and then some more of the sun-dappled ones.
Thanks very much, Dolly
It’s so sad to see the landscape so parched. We went on our ATV with friends up to what used to be a gorgeous lookout and found that the fires earlier this year had burned the trees and parched the ground there. So, I really related to your post today, {{{Derrick}}}. Ptaying for rain in your area. The animals and plants need it as much (if not more) than we humans do.
Many thanks, Jan X
Goodness me, what a difference these photos are from your previous ones. Mother nature is indeed very unpredictable. After a burn-off, the regrowth seems more luscious, so here is hoping it happens at Pennington Common.
Yes, indeed, Suzanne. Thanks very much
fire too close to homes, not a great idea…
Quite. Thanks very much, Catherine