Mast And Motes

This morning we took a forest drive to the north of the forest, and brunched at Hockey’s Farm Shop.

Jackie parked in a convenient driveway on Roger Penny Way while I tramped 

around after a pair of pink pannage pigs

frantically schnozzle-shovelling heaps of autumn leaves as, seeking acorns and other mast, their nasal-rings gouged gashes along the rain-loosened soil

 of the forest floor with its lichen-covered broken branches 

and the odd nibbled mushroom.

I barely glimpsed the ear-flap draped twinkling pinhead eyes or customary gleeful smiles as they raced each other around in fierce competition.

Ubiquitous clusters of ponies, like these occupying the bottom of Blissford Hill dozed and grazed, while the late morning sunshine cast 

https://nansfarm.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/31st-october-ponies-3.jpg

long shadows and flecked dancing airborne motes.

This evening we dined on scrambled egg on toast, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden, and I rank more of the Côtes du Rhône.

74 comments

  9. Thank you, Derrick for expanding my vocabulary yet again, this time by one word “mote”. I took a guess at what it meant but I was wrong and I had to google it.
    I will try to practice it at breakfast tomorrow, in contexts such as “Could I have a mote more toast, my dear?” and so on. I’ll let you know how I get on if I remember.

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    1. Perhaps so, John. The BBC posted a chart showing how much our our temperatures had warmed each month of the year. I sit this morning with no heating required. Thanks very much

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  16. I am enjoying the pleasantries of your pig and pony photos today, while here in Geelong we are stuck inside on this wet and cold (11’C)spring day … a miserable one for our ‘Melbourne Cup’, Derrick

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  21. I sense you and Jackie are gently winding down with the seasonal change – taking life a little easier for a change. Your photographs of the leaves are especially pleasing for me.

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  23. So many almost-hidden little treasures in the forest…and you manage to find them and photograph them so beautifully! 🙂
    I think the pigs and the ponies said, “Let’s get out there today and pose from some photos by Derrick!” 😉 🙂
    Lovely photos and I ALWAYS enjoy your descriptive vivid writes about what you saw and felt! 🙂
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

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  26. Pithy patter on the porcine photos and equally astute on the equine.
    Beautiful photos. I’m always amazed how close you can get to the animals there.
    I seldom have scrambled eggs at breakfast–but I like them for dinner.

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  34. Hi Derrick, I am always amused by your pictures of horses, pigs, and other creatures loping around the streets. You live in the UK which everyone pictures as a city with chimneys and lots of cars and people. I live in South Africa and many people seem to think that we have lions and other wild animals roaming the streets, which is far from the truth. There are no wild animals in our cities at all (sadly?)

    Reply

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