On a largely overcast, yet warm, morning Jackie and I took a forest drive during which we brunched at Hockey’s Farm Café.
We seldom see ponies in the woodland flanking Holmsley Passage,
but we spotted these largely buried in ferns today.
It was golfers crossing from one side of the Burley course who stopped the traffic on this occasion.
A number of ponies, one very fetching in her natural necklace and tiara, browsed along Forest Road.
A number of assorted pigs, the last pair polishing our car, had no intention of making it easy to photograph them as they scampered snorting and snuffling in their eagerness to be first on the mast now falling freely. The last two, carefully avoiding the cattle grid entrance to Hockey’s gave our new Hyundai a good polish.
The pair in the first two pictures above kept well ahead of me until they disappeared out of sight, and were not reflected in the stream I was left with.
We didn’t get far down Newtown Lane where we would normally expect to spot porkers, because they had obviously avoided the resurfacing work which caused us to turn back.
A young pony sank into soggy ground at North Gorley, where a duck crossed the road, maybe aiming for the stream behind the horse.
Donkeys, as usual, tried their luck with customers of The Forester’s Arms at Frogham.
Cattle and ponies shared the Abbotswell landscape,
while, at the bottom of the hill a pair of ponies alongside the now very shallow stream feeding the ford, bore their share of flies.
Later this afternoon Ronan and Craig from Tom Sutton Heating replaced the new valve they had fitted last week which turned out to be faulty.
This evening we all dined on delicious sausages and creamy mashed potato, with crispy bacon and fried onions; crunchy carrots; tender broccoli stems, and meaty gravy with which Jackie drank Zesty and I finished the Montepulciano.
What a wild assortment of pictures, Derrick! ????
Thank you very much, GP
Wow, you have so many wonderful critter photos today, Derrick! I like your car color, and dinner sounds delicious! ????????????
Thanks very much, John
You’re welcome, Derrick. ☺️
These pictures make me feel at home!
Thank you so much, Anne
Your dinner sounds very good!
Thank you very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Love all the animal pictures. Donkeys are opportunistic feeders. Piggies are providing an extra service. Sounds like a wonderful day. Are you nervous about potential heating problems this winter?
I tend to think all will be well, Pat. Then I sometimes get shocks. Thank you very much.
Lovely landscape photo. I hope you are sincerely grateful to the pigs for polishing your new car.
Thank you so much, Dolly 🙂
You are very welcome, Derrick.
A great selection of your local animal life. I am surprised that the traffic stopped for the golfers, I thought that it was legal to run them down. I trust that your heating will work properly before December comes.
Thank you very much, Tootlepedal
A wonderful assortment of photos–I kept saying this one is my favorite, no this one. I do like the pony’s necklace and tiara.
And I’m echoing tootlepedal in hoping your heating works properly before it gets cold.
Thank you so much, Merril
I bet the animals enjoy the cooler weather now too.
I think so, too – although it is still unseasonably warm. Thanks very much, Bridget
Hi, Derrick – You definitely live in a magical place. Your photos are truly stunning!
Thank you so much, RR
I am always amazed at your free-range animals. Love the horse with a Teira. Did the pigs scratch your paint?
Thanks very much, Dwight. I think the pigs left the car unscathed. Jackie didn’t feel it
TOh, good! That would be sad otherwise!
It’s nice to see the pigs having a good time and the beautiful ponies. I love the necklace and tiara. I hope your heater works well this winter and for many years to come.
Thank you so much, JoAnna
Starts with pigs and ends with sausages. That truly is an excellent day.
Your gorgeous photo of the pony in her natural necklace and tiara captured my attention and imagination … and filed into my ‘Derrick Photos’ …
I am pleased about that, Ivor. I’m sure you can do something good with it. Thanks very much.
My pleasure Derrick … but I’m still battling with my computer’s ‘duck muck’
Dammit
A few more weeks maybe
This is all so very English. Derrick. Right out of Thomas Hardy.
Thank you so much, Robbie
A beautiful day! That is really a beautiful necklace and tiara 🙂
And of course that your new car needed a good natural polish 🙂
Thank you so much, Ribana 🙂
Pigs polishing your new car! A pony wearing a tiara! Donkeys being darling! Duck crossing the road! (So glad Duck’s foot didn’t get caught in a quack!) What a great photo-op day! 🙂
After I bowed in honor of that pony…I had to have a good laugh! HA!
Sausage for supper…Oh, my!
(((HUGS))) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
As usual, your comments quacked me up, Carolyn. Thanks very much X
YAY! and HA! 🙂
Lovely captures as always Derrick!
Thank you very much, Arlene
These are refreshing photos of the now familiar characters of the pastures near your home. The mugshot of the pony with necklace and tiara is very attractive.
Congratulations on your new car. Beware of the polishers though.
Thank you so much, Uma
Great photos!!!
Thank you very much, Luisa
The pleasure is all mine, dear Derrick 🙂
Your photos of the animals in the lovely scenic settings are beautiful, Derrick. That was very kind of the pigs to polish your new car.
Thank you very much, Eugi
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Tee-hee! I really got a kick out of those polishing pigs.
Thanks very much, Laurie
The pig polisher is funny. ????
Thank you very much, Sherry
It won’t be long before the ponies start growing their winter coats again. I love the pigs, and that is a nice representation of Gloucesters among the animals for the day. The pg polisher is a nice catch. Bumper to bumper with a Gloucester Old Spot! 🙂
Thank you so much, Lavinia
It was a busy day for the animals, Derrick. Those golfers were all business crossing the road!
Thank you so much, Barbara
As always Sir, absolutely wonderful
Thank you so much, Gary
What a menagerie! Do you think that the area has more animals living there than people?
That is indeed a fetching and well-appointed horse! Nice capture, Derrick.
Thank you very much, Alys
I love the idea of the pigs polishing your car
Thank you so much, Sheree
Thank you so much, Ivor. I hope your brother can sort out the muck
So glad I am catching up on my WP reading. I would not have wanted to miss that ” one very fetching [horse] in her natural necklace and tiara” !! What fun!!
Thank you so much, Jan