Gloomy. Cold. Wet. Take your pick of epithets to apply to the afternoon on which Jackie, after purchasing provisions at Ferndene Farm Shop, drove me, listening to rain pattering on the windscreen and the rhythm of the wipers’ whirling arms, into the forest until turning back for home when we had had enough.
Or select all three. It was not only the enticing aroma of fresh bread emanating from the back seat that made us look forward to this evening’s wholesome chicken and vegetable stewp.
The slalom that is Jackie’s course around potholes in our roads and lanes currently begins outside our front drive.
I stepped out on Burley Road to face the piercing raindrops for the benefit of our readers.
Ripples skimmed across the surface of pools filled after all our recent rain. A car hubcap, having rolled down a slope, was now waterlogged.
Against forbidding skies writhed skeletal branches, some of which
rose from the water.
I wondered how many more springs this degenerating stump would see. At least the grass it feeds, like mossy roots
added a touch of green to the day.
Attentive readers will already know what we had for dinner this evening. Its creator photographed it. With the meal I drank Paarl Shiraz 2022, and Jackie drank Hoegaarden.
I love the ethereal tree photos, as though something ominous is about to come from them. Jackie’s dinner looks incredibly delicious! ????????????????
Thank you so much, John
You are welcome, Derrick. ☺️
Your atmospheric photos and poetic descriptions are wonderful! Your bravery resulted in some beautifully artistic photos of the rain and the reflections!
The green sure pops out on a moody-weather day! Lovely!
I enjoy a rainy day. 🙂
Looks like a great day for stewp, stew, soup or chili 😉 and a nap. HA! 🙂
(((HUGS))) ❤️
Strangely enough, I did drop off while watching Endeavour. Thanks very much, Carolyn
Soup, sloop or stew?
I used to spell stoup until I checked on Wikipedia. Thanks very much, Chrissy
I checked that too. 😉
Those are some serious potholes to dodge, Derrick and Jackie. Thank you for getting out in such weather and taking photos for your readers. I especially loved the dark limbs of trees against the grey sky. They do look like they could be the dark, brooding opening scene from some movie.
Your dinner looks very good, especially on such a night. We are having a rainy day here, too.
Thank you so much, Lavinia
Oh, those hard won photos were quite rewarded I think. Jackie’s photos of delicious bread and stewp look like the perfect meal for the day.
Thank goodness for the warming final photo after such a grey day.
Thank very much, Tootlepedal
Our day was bright until mid morning when the rain began to fall.
You were very optimistic in setting out to take photographs in such awful weather. I don’t blame the animals for sheltering out of sight from the rain.
You managed some pretty good damp images though.
Thanks very much, Sue. We almost went home without pictures, until I decided to convey the day
I love the writhing trees! Your supper looks so good, perfect for a rainy day.
Thank you very much, Liz. I’m pleased you appreciated that
You’re welcome, Derrick.
At least it looks as if something is being done about the potholes! We have so many this year that it will take all summer to fix them!
Certainly. The trouble with ours is that the filling is not done properly and doesn’t last long. Thanks very much, Janet
Dinner looks marvelous. Soup or Stew. 🙂
Thanks very much, Bridget
You’ve shown us how moss can take on such a lovely, rich green, especially on a cloudy day – a perfect day for stewp.
Thank you very much, JoAnna
The pool and tree pictures are stunning.
Thank you very much, Andy
You’re welcome.
I love all of the shots – especially the moody trees. A beautiful bowl of soup with a baguette and a glass of wine is a perfect antidote!
Thank you very much, Dale
My pleasure, Derrick.
When I went to look up the definition of “stewp” again, the venerable google balked. It insisted on showing me “steep,” even after I added other tags. Eventually, I got past the algorithms and found several sites claiming that the word had been invented by cooking guru Rachel Ray — including Wikipedia. She was born in 1968, and her cooking show began in 2006, which makes me think that’s misinformation, and that the word’s been around much longer than that — but maybe not. Do you know?
Jackie says she was using it in 1968, but would have spelled it as I did – stoup – until I looked it up as you did. It is not in my OED of 1989 – nor the current on line site. Thanks very much, Linda
A rain dance making those trees happy.
Thanks very much, Arlene. An apt comment
That stew and loaves made it worth our sloshing through those pooled roads with you, Derrick!!!!
Thank you so much, Judy. My point was made 🙂
So poetic – the pics as well as the post. The pool with the ripples is awesome. So are the pics of the tree branches. The sky looks overcast and I can feel the cold by looking at the pictures. The kadhai is soooo Indian. Salivating over the meal.
Thank you so much, Geeta
This has been a delightful read! Our town is riddled with potholes which make driving very awkward and every journey a rough one.
Thank you very much, Anne. I almost went home without photographs until I decided to display the day
“Branches against the sky” is a lovely photograph. How often we look up at them, but don’t really take in their intricacy.
Thank you very much, John. I was particularly conscious of this since they will soon be covered in leaves
hmmm so yummy…
Thanks very much, Q
Thank you for braving the elements for photos!
The meal looks delicious. I love soup and bread.
Thank you very much, Merril
We are in an odd weather pattern right now, lots of overnight rain and strong winds followed by sunny days and high temperatures. Had to cut the lawn again on Monday and the daffodils have bolted.
Thanks a lot, Andrew. Get after those dafs quick
You certainly deserved that scrumptious stewp after braving the elements to take photos. Which, by the way are stunning!
Thank you very much, Eugi
Most welcome, Derrick.
Dinner looks mighty tasty. Water, water everywhere. At least for now anyway, you don’t have to worry about drought.
Thank you very much, Laurie
Wet, wet, wet
Thanks very much, Sherry
Your waxing very eloquently this evening. Thanks for getting drenched on our behalf. Dinner looks good enough to eat and I have to quit before my keyboard short circuits from drooling.
Thanks very much, Pat. I smiled at your comments 🙂
At one point, near the Sth Lynn Road on Hutchinson there was a traffic cone guarding a very deep pot hole! Now it’s been filled in. But a huge raised wedge has appeared on the other side. There is a severe lack of maintenance happening everywhere…
A cold snap here this morning, apparently there is a lot snow in middle North Island as well as the snow fields in the SI. I can fully feel that!
That’s s crater not a pothole!
Mmmm… that soup and bread look deeeelicious. I bet it was wonderful to enjoy that meal in your warm home after being out in the “Gloomy, Cold, Wet” day. So glad your heater is working!
Thank you so much, Jan