Sleeping List

This morning I posted https://derrickjknight.com/2022/05/11/a-knights-tale-132-awaiting-the-arrival/

While streaking rain of varying velocity pelted upon us all afternoon, Jackie drove Flo and me to Lyndhurst where our granddaughter bought a selection of craft materials.

On our return home we diverted into woodland around Brockenhurst.

An egret in Highland Water flew off just after I took this shot.

Reflecting pools were already forming on the recently dry terrain; raindrops pelted rapidly increasing circles over rippling reflections on the stream’s surface, clear enough to reveal

the gravel bed beneath;

year upon year of such deluges have exposed bank-side roots of

lichen-covered oaks.

We drove down the gravelled roadway towards Standing Hat, passing cattle, crows, and ponies occupying the woodlands.

Decaying and lichen-clad fallen branches juxtaposed with old and new fallen leaves demonstrated the march of forest ecology.

We watched a sleeping foal’s continuing list, oblivious of its mother’s easing away for her fodder.

This evening we dined on fishcakes with a soft cheese centre; new potatoes with onions; piquant cauliflower cheese; crunchy carrots; and tender peas with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden, I drank more of the Malbec, and Flo drank elderflower cordial.

57 comments

  7. So many lovely photos. It looks like you had a beautiful drive. I like the rippling stream photos, and for some reason, the cow and crow photo made me smile.

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  10. You captured such beauty…such artistic photos! There is even art in the fallen tree.
    And, oh, that little foal! What a cutie! I am honored to see him via photos…how wonderful it must have been to see him in person! 🙂 I wish him a long and healthy life! 🙂
    Love cow and crow, too! 🙂
    Great title, Derrick! 🙂
    (((HUGS))) ❤️

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  12. I enjoy the illustration of the “march of the forest ecology” – and of course all those images of the rain 🙂

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  13. Derrick, we could do with some of your streaking rain. After another three years of drought here in California, our water supplies have been severely depleted. Beginning on June 1st, strict water reduction regulations will go into effect.

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  18. Wonderful photos! They make me wonder. It’s interesting that the foal remains standing – maybe an evolutionary precaution. I love the mother’s colors. The roots we see hint at a vast underground network.

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  20. Sleeping list, not a shopping list! That foal is so darn cute. I wonder if he finally toppled over in his sleep?

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      1. I sure did! I don’t recall ever seeing fish cakes on your menu before. But then again, I have difficulty recalling what day it is.

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  22. That listing foal brought to mind one of our most popular rural myths: cow-tipping. It’s like a snipe hunt, but cow-tippers have even less success, since at least there’s a real snipe that can be hunted. Here’s an entertaining article that explains the whole thing — and that probably helps to explain why the foal probably never tipped over.

    Reply

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