On The Road

This afternoon we drove to the north of the forest.

Donkeys caused traffic diversions outside Bramshaw,

where we saw our first pannage pigs of the season;

another was crossing Penn Common,

populated today by ponies, cattle, sheep, a lamb, and goats.

Some of the many groups of motorcyclists we encountered formed a long arc just outside Nomansland.

Bagged hay bales

For a number of weeks now, farmers have been bringing in bales of hay and bagging them up. See Sue W’s comment below, naming these as Silage bags. These were outside Fritham;

Woodland 1

where, within the woodland,

lies Eyeworth Pond, beside which were resting one of the many groups of camping teenagers we have seen this week. We speculated that they may be between school and university.

When leaving Fritham we witnessed a string of ponies trooping along the verge.

Once back at home I watched a recording of the women’s rugby match between England and New Zealand at Twickenham, now named Allianz, the home of the English game.

This evening I dined on Braemoor Peri Peri Chicken King Kebab, with spinach and Jackie’s colourful savoury rice. Jackie meant to have the same, but a very small bite revealed that it was far too hot for her. She therefore enjoyed the accompanying cauliflower and more of the spinach. I will be having the same tomorrow when Jackie will choose to cook chicken in her own way.

45 comments

  1. Wow guys, there are so many animals roaming about which is something I’ve never seen back home in Michigan. They are always in their paddocks. A spicy dinner sounds so delicious! Have a wonderful Sunday, guys. 😎😊

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  6. Those black plastic bales of cut grass are known as Silage bales. The cut grass can be baled immediately; it’s wrapped in airtight plastic and often stored outdoors; it will warm up, ferment, and provide winter fodder for sheep and cattle. Horses are prone to colic and cannot eat Silage.

    Hay bales have a lower moisture content because they are allowed to dry out. The grass is mowed, turned, and dried before being stored in unwrapped bales, usually in a barn. It’s often better quality grass.

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        1. Of course not. You have added something important – and I like it when my blogging friends converse as you and Linda have done.

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    2. I wondered about that, since here in Texas our round-baled hay is left open in the fields and then wrapped at both ends if it’s wrapped at all. I suspect there’s more silage bagging done in areas where silos also exist. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember seeing a silo in Texas, although they surely must exist somewhere. Perhaps they’re more common in the northern part of the state, where there are dairy cattle.

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      1. Silos are used for grain, but they’re not used as often as they used to be.
        Grass intended for silage is baled exactly like hay and looks like hay, but unlike hay, it can be baled immediately and wrapped or left in the field for a while. Grass intended for hay must be dry before it is baled and is never fully wrapped in plastic.
        Funnily enough, I was watching someone cut and wrap yesterday, but I only had my phone with me, and I couldn’t zoom in enough for a photo. Thank you very much for your comment.

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  8. Derrick, lovely photos from your venture to the woods. I love the free roaming ponies. Please explain ‘pen nahe’ pigs. Does it just mean free roaming a d anyone can feed them!

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    1. Thanks very much, Steve. Pannage is he season when the pigs are let out to eat up fallen acorns which are poisonous to ponies

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  12. I happened to watch a video of ‘farming music’ (odd, I know) yesterday, which showed how the hay is wrapped in plastic like this – all automated of course.

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  15. Wow! What a great header, Derrick. Seems you had a great day in the forest and nice to see the piggies. I like spicy food but hubby can’t tolerate it.

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