Road Blocks

Early this sultry late summer morning, Jackie and I transported a few items to the Oakhaven Trust Charity shop and emerged with two Thomas Webb crystal wine glasses. When I quipped that we never came back from the Council dump empty handed I received the riposte: “so you are saying we are like the dump?”. We then bought a bottle of Marsannay Louis Latour Burgundy from M & S with a voucher Joseph and Angela had given me for my birthday.

We continued on a forest drive, where ponies were taking up their shade stations as they are wont to do in such weather. As we drove down Forest Road from Burley towards one such location

we noticed a near miss involving the vehicle that preceded the van above. A bay mare, followed by her foal dashed across from the undergrowth on the left side of the picture forcing the driver of a car in the process of passing the equine obstruction to practice his or her emergency stop skills.

The two ponies disappeared among the gorse bushes. I followed what I took to be their track, wandered around in an unsuccessful search,

scanned the empty moorland, and returned to the verge, where

the dam munched grass, and her foal

took a shady spot, before, not having learned a lesson, deciding to join the others

obstructing the traffic – and of course slowing us somewhat.

While seeking the dashing pair I had spoken with a young man walking down the road, telling him what I had seen. He warned that there was another group similarly spread across the road outside his house. He also said that he thought pannage was needed early because these animals were already eating fallen acorns which are poisonous to them. This year the pigs will be let out to snort up the mast on 19th.

As we passed his house we encountered the next road block.

After lunch I undertook an extensive dead heading session. It looks as if we will have many more roses yet.

Later, I added the pictures of Elizabeth and Ellie to https://derrickjknight.com/2022/09/11/elizabeth-meets-ellie/

This evening the four of us dined on succulent roast chicken; sage and onion stuffing; crisp Yorkshire pudding and fried potatoes; firm carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli; and very tasty gravy. Jackie drank Hoegaarden, I finished the Côtes du Rhône, and Flo and Dillon drank fruit cordial.

59 comments

  8. It’s surprising that the horses eat acorns if they are poisonous to them. Although I’ve no idea how I’d expect them to make the connection, except that animals (and people) often do. Several people told me recently that deer will not eat foxgloves for example.

    Reply

  9. Scary combination…dashing, or even ambling, equine + moving cars. 😮 🙁
    Your photos today are so beautiful! Especially the B&W photo.
    I guess we must always remember to slow down in life…we never know who, or what, is up ahead.
    (((HUGS))) 🙂
    PS…“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Reply

  17. There is not much room left on the road once the ponies take up their shady spots … and thank you for the Begonia tips, … and despite my back soreness, the begonia was repotted in a much pot …

    Reply

  25. I enjoyed seeing all the ponies again, and I hope the foal eventually learns to stay out of the road.

    I bet the pigs are counting the days until pannage. 🙂

    Reply
  28. Pingback: Gorse Clearance – derrickjknight

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