Back In Action

On a morning as overcast and drizzly as yesterday had been warm and sunny, Jackie drove us to Hockey’s Farmhouse Café for brunch.

First, we had collected a repeat prescription from Milford on Sea pharmacy, which had worked very well with the old-fashioned paper method.

Jackie photographed a raincloud over the Isle of Wight, indicating that the island would be covered by

haze we were to blink through over Deadman Hill. As, having ventured onto the moor, I dried raindrops coating my camera and lens, I reflected that at least I no longer needed specs for distance viewing, as they would have really needed wipers.

Two women walking beneath an umbrella looked, from the black bin bag one carried, to be volunteer litter pickers along the verge of Roger Penny Way.

Occupancy of the green at the Brook end of this road was shared by a flock of horned sheep with their lambs and ponies.

A magpie picked its way among the woolly beasts possibly in search of nesting material from their prey’s clothing.

Jackie also photographed this ovine and equine group. When she captioned the second of her shots including me “back in action” she provided me with both title and header picture.

Additionally she featured a fine mossy trunk.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome chicken and vegetable stewp with fresh crusty bread.

72 comments

  6. What a perfect gorgeous day! Fabulous photos! Quite atmospheric. I especially like the one of you, camera ???? and horse! ???? Any particular story behind the name of Deadman’s Hill?

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    1. Thanks very much, Sweet. I have previously failed to find the story of the hill name, but today I found this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/87060097@N05/8482384990 from Ben Westen
      Legend has it that Deadman Hill on the road between Fordingbridge and Cadnam, earned its name when local smuggler David Smith betrayed his comrades, including the notorious Captain Diamond, in exchange for a pardon during the mid eighteenth century.
      Unfortunately for Smith, not all of the smugglers were caught and the remaining crew of Captain Diamond returned for revenge. Smith was dragged to the nearby Deadman bottom, had his tongue cut from his mouth and was severely beaten and then hanged from a nearby tree.

      Reply

  7. I’m glad that you are back in action, Derrick! You both took some fine photos today regardless of the weather. Lovely animals! Dinner sounds so delicious, Jackie! ????

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  9. A fine set of photos from you both, Derrick and Jackie! Good to see you back in action, and so many furry forest friends. The weather has been much the same here.

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  11. I love the photo of the wool-plucking magpie. A friend once had a cat she feared was developing mange. Eventually, she discovered a bluejay was doing something similar to the magpie: swooping down to pull nest liner from the back of the cat!

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  13. Good to see you back in action, but it’s cloudy and drizzling again … here we are heading into our 12th sunny day of 18’C in a row, and the same is forecast for the next 10 days …

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  15. I enjoyed the rich texture in these photos with the wooly sheep and pony on the green background, and of course the character in the mossy trunk.

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  16. I am glad you do not need glasses to capture scenes in the distance. Beautiful sheep and the shot of the magpie is a keeper.

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  23. Wonderful photos from both of you, Derrick. I love the captures of the hazy landscapes and the mossy tree trunk.

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  25. Today was our first day of rainy weather in the UK. Our coats are soaked through and of course on this trip we didn’t bring our umbrellas. On our last two trips to London we didn’t need them. Great photos as always, Derrick and I’m glad you’re back on action.

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    1. Thanks very much, Carol. It is always good to check whether it is a bank holiday – rain is usually a certainty

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  27. I am glad to see you “back in action,” Derrick. Kudos to the Assistant Photographer for the exceptional photos, the one that made the header and the mossy tree trunk.

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