This morning Jackie and I drove to The Oakhaven Hospice Trust furniture warehouse on the Ampress industrial estate in order to offer for collection a Chinese oak cabinet which is now surplus to our requirements.
I took the opportunity to photograph the parched condition of the surrounding verges.
The now golden moorland around Brockenhurst was tinged with purple heather, yellowing bracken, and early autumnal trees.
The usual ponies had deserted the arid Longslade Bottom
for such sheltered spots as they could find among the lanes
and the dappled woodland.
Plants were drying along the verges of Hordle Lane and
Christchurch Road at the point at which it runs alongside our house, the front garage trellis of which has been saved from suffering a similar fate by Flo and Dillon’s valiant irrigation.
With the exception of the first and last all these photographs were produced from the front passenger seat.
This evening we dined on pizza and fresh salad with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden, Flo and Dillon drank Ribena, and I drank Château La Mauberte Bordeaux 2020.
The countryside looks dried out
Yes. Thanks a lot, Sheree
Oh, my goodness, wishing for some rain for you guys!
Thank you very much, Jodie
xo
The parched landscape is painful to look at. I hope you get some much-needed rain soon.
Thank you very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Wow, it’s obvious how very dry the countryside is, I hope you get significant rain soon. The poor animals too, so hot and dry!
Thanks very much, John. I especially agree about the animals
It looks like it is just as dry as in 1975 and 1976.
It is. And 1947. Thanks a lot, John
As everyone else has commented, it looks so parched. I hope you get rain soon.
Thanks very much, Merril. It won’t be this week
How is your leg today?
Continued healing wishes for you.
Even in the dry and parched land nature offers some colours…some hope.
Hoping hoping hoping you all get rain soon.
Love the way the sun and shadows are playing a game of “tag” in your photos today…they are creating some beautiful masterpieces of art for you to photograph. 🙂
(((HUGS))) ❤️
Thank you so much, Carolyn. I am still having to be very careful, but I think it is a bit better X
Yes, please be careful and rest it lots.
Glad to hear it’s a bit better.
I’m happy to hear your leg is better – and you’re being careful!
Thanks very much, Jan
The BBC USA news report today on the drought across Europe is startling.
Good work from a sitting position.
The state of your countryside looks dire. You must be keeping your fingers crossed that no one gets careless with a portable barbecue. It is quite dry enough to be alarming here, but you look a lot worse.
I think we are, Tootlepedal. There are warnings not to light barbecues all over the forest. Such a reflection on stupidity that it should be necessary. Thanks very much
My goodness, that could be the Australian outback we are looking at. It is a most worrying situation in many parts of our world.
Quite so, Yvonne. We are currently on an Amber Heat Warning which is just one down on danger to life Red. Thanks very much
Lovely photos. Sounds like you still have limited mobility. Hope it improves.
Yes, Pat. I am having to be careful. Thank you very much
The vegetation looks dry to me. Sometimes I feel like I see heather
You can see a lot of things from the passenger seat!
In friendship
Michel
Thanks very much, Michel. Jackie sometimes has to move the car across a lane to get me a good angle 🙂
The observer is the master of the driver! 🙂
I’m glad the trees are there to shade the ponies. The garage door trellis looks good.
Thanks very much, JoAnna.
The New Forest is crying out for rain – and the animals will need “hay” at this rate to survive…
It must be very tough for the ponies. Hay is being harvested a good month early. Thanks very much, Catherine
These photographs could have been taken in South Africa, where it is always rather frightening to experience such drought before the onset of autumn after which the chances of any rain diminish rapidly. The heat, drought and the dry conditions seem dire and I hope there will be a degree of relief before long. Winter is clinging on at present – with a few beautifully mild days in between. I hope there is supplementary feeding for the horses.
Thank you very much, Anne.
I can see how dry it is there in your neighbourhood! Hope you get rain soon!
Thank you very much, Aletta
I feel so sorry for all the animals right now and especially where shelter is hard to come by.
Indeed. Thanks very much, Sue
I have been away for a week, I thought the garden was safe but came home to a lot of damage. Repair work don the agenda this morning.
Good luck, Andrew
I can report that the ponies on Exmoor are in fine condition, but then the streams on the moor are (mainly) all still running. The moor is dry, but not as much as the New Forest or here in Berkshire. We spent several days up on the high moor, by streams and rivers, loving the sound of waterfalls……..
Thank you very much, Kim
It’s all dried out now, but did find some ponies – thanks! I hear you are unfortunately due for another heat wave, eh?
We are in it now, GP. The ponies know. Thanks very much
I love Pizza. Ponies are smart. Miss the Chinese cabinet pic.
When it is collected I will photograph it, Geeta. Thanks very much
Nice pictures from the passenger seat. Also, great that you could find an organization that will get some use from your unwanted piece of furniture.
Thank you so much, Laurie
How sad to see the parched land and I hope your dry conditions get some much-needed rain soon.
Thank you so much, Eugi
You’re welcome, Derrick.
It is so dry there! Those poor ponies, looking for shade wherever they can find it. I am praying you get rain soon, Derrick and Jackie.
Thank you so much from us both, Lavinia
I see you are still suffering from draught. I hope the end of it is near.
Thanks very much, Dolly.
You are very welcome, Derrick.
My heart just ached for the dear horses and ponies. What natural instinct to seek shelter under the shade of trees and along the fence. It has been like that here also. We have had a horrible summer. Only this week we are having some relief from severe heat and high temperatures. I read where some of the roads in England were having problem with the tar melting. That used to happen in India sometimes, especially in the North.
Beautiful photography, so picturesque despite the dry and barren land.
Don’t know what happened to your leg, hope it is healing very well.
I strained the leg a few days ago. I don’t know how, but I don’t think it is serious. I remember the summer of 1947 when playing in the street I retuned home covered in tar from the roads. I’m pleased you have some relief – we are due some next week – whether that will include rain remains to be seen. Thanks very much, Zakiah
I wish we would get some rain soon. The temperatures have levelled off here. But the lawns in the front and back need some rain soon. The sprinkler just doesn’t do the trick of a good solid downpour.
Hope your weather improves soon and the horses feel happy. 🙂
It should be cooler tomorrow.
I hope you’ll soon have some rain ☔️
We are having light rain as I type. Thank you very much, Ribana
Lovely photos, esp. the flowers in the pots and trellis.
Thank you very much, Byung