Early this morning we took a drive into the forest. 
From Lymington we entered the sun-dappled narrow, winding, Undershore towards Pilley,
finding glimpses of autumn foliage there and in Lodge Road, across which
a pair of female pheasants trotted.
A group of somnolent ponies occupied Bull Hill.
What. I often wonder, do the field horses make of the freedom of their equine cousins?
This afternoon I watched recordings of the Rugby World Cup matches between Argentina and Tonga; between Japan and Ireland; and between South Africa and Namibia.
Our dinner this evening consisted of Jackie’s wholesome cottage pie; crunchy carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli; tender cabbage and leeks, with sumptuous gravy. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Shiraz.
thank you for sharing part of your life with us! 🙂
Thank you very much, Wendi
you are very welcome, such a pleasure to read.
That was a prodigious amount of rugby watching! Well done 🙂 Pleased to say that not only could I biggify this morning, it went straight to the largest possible image. Most satisfactory!! Did you fix it yourself ? And also, I’m glad I’m not the only person who wonders what animals think about.
I just went back to Classic, Pauline 🙂 So relieved to get this feedback. X
Hurrah!
The photos displayed beautifully for me as well. My favorite is the sun-dappled forest road.
Thanks very much, Liz. Good feedback
Any time I see a dappled scene, I’m reminded of the first line of Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “Pied Beauty”: “Glory be to God for dappled things –”
He is a favourite of mine
🙂
Me too 😊 (wondering what animals think)
The owners of the work horses better treat them well – or the free ones may help with a jail break!!
Nice thought, GP. Thanks very much.
Ahhh, your photos are ‘back to normal’ 😊
Much better.
x
Thank you very much, Melanie X
From the start, I knew this would be a great post, Derrick! You didn’t disappoint. Classic WP rocks!
Many thanks, Jill 🙂
I was pleased to see that Japan had won as I don’t like Ireland’s style of play. (I expect that I would think it was excellent if I was Irish though as it is very efficient.)
Thanks very much, Tootlepedal. The win well deserved
I love your part of England. I’d be happy to return any day. How picturesque your roads and byways.
Thanks very much, Cindy.
As ever stunning photos. Autumn is definitely here. I completely forgot about the games today. The Japan one sounded a belter.
It was indeed – the win so well deserved. Thanks very much, Gary
I LOVE seeing your photos large and in charge! 🙂
I get excited to see pheasants…male or female…they are a pleasant, beautiful bird!
Yes, I’ve wondered THAT about animals, too…what they think about…I guess there are advantages and disadvantages to both lifestyles…kept or unkept! 😀 “unkept” animals…HA! 😀
I, also, think about how animals feel…are they happy, worried, etc.
Yes, I probably think too much! 😮
HUGS to you and Jackie!!! 🙂
The animals always are a delight, but I was especially delighted by the ferns today. We don’t have them in our immediate area, except where they’ve been babied within an inch of their lives, so seeing them is a great treat — especially in a nice, large, size!
Thanks very much, Linda. I’ll continue with the Classic
Sounds like an idillic day. Thanks for sharing 😀
Thanks very much, Corinna
Your blog looks beautiful, thank you.
I’m pleased, Oglach. I will stick with the Classic. Many thanks
Your photos of local sun-dappled roads, always fascinate me Derrick….. hope when/if, I’m able to drive again, i’ll send you some photos of the local bush area near Geelong…
Thanks very much, Ivor. I hope you will soon be able to drive again
Marvelous forest photos, Derrick.
Thanks very much, Dolly
My pleasure, Derrick
Very happy to view your photos on a larger size again. The monochrome photos of the female pheasants is my favourite, although all images are beautiful. The rugby results of the Japan-Ireland match is ‘big news’ in my country at the moment…
Congratulations to your rugby players – an even better win than that against South Afric last time. I’m pleased the photos are now visible. I chose monochrome because I thought their form was the important thing. Glad you liked it
Thank you so much! And yes, I love your photos as do many of your readers 🙂
Maybe the field horses think of the others as a different tribe. I also wonder about what animals are thinking. They seem to like routine which I can understand. What a lovely routine you have of visiting the forest. The photos are beautiful.
Thank you very much, JoAnna
Such inviting canopies of trees. Ou et Nugget?
Thanks very much, Uma. Nugget was about, but I refrained from putting him on until I was satisfied the photos could be bigified
Good news and not-so-good news, i expect Derrick.
As most have previously confirmed, your photos appear larger today, limited to the span of your page’s theme, though they can be clicked upon to get a screen of the full image if desired (I desire!) 🙂
However… they now open OVER your blog tab instead of opening a new tab beside that of your blog and also there is no longer any comment section available on which to leave comments (Did you ever get any of mine i left with a picture, and not in the main comments section?) nor is there any camera and photo details as there always used to be whenever i opened one of your galleries??.
Still the photo’s can be seen and are wonderful; I think my favourite is the one of the white and the black ponies side by side – wonderful!. 🙂
They will fill my need for animal pics until Nugget reclaims his crown as preferred picture of choice. 🙂
Thanks very much, Bob. I’m sorry, I don’t think I got any comments with a picture that I haven’t acknowledged. I do appreciate your technical feedback.
I could never see my comment once i’d posted it to a picture and i suspect WP does not give me notifications of comments on a single picture.
I will have to try and locate a picture i did leave a comment on ( tricky ‘cos i have not left one in months) and see if i can see any reply. Do any other people comment in the photograph itself that you have noticed??
Yes, they do
A very pleasant drive out. I enjoyed it!
Thanks a lot, Andrew
I didn’t think to “bigify” until I saw Pauline’s comment–but yes, it works wonderfully. It looks like a beautiful day. I love the sun-dappled road and the somnolent ponies–those expressions. 🙂 But where’s Nugget?
Thanks very much, Merril. Nugget was about, and is today although it is very gloomy. I trained from featuring him yesterday until I was happy that the pictures could be bigified
Beautiful sun-dappled drive.
Thanks very much, Paol
Beautiful horses.
Thanks a lot, Rabirius
Looks like another beautiful drive…
Thanks a lot, Julie
Wonderful nature! And that dinner though 🙂
Thanks very much, Ribana
What indeed? Do you suppose they dream of freedom?
I wonder. They do at least live in comparative comfort. Thanks very much, Laurie
Thank you for the enjoyable trip into the forest, the photos are lovely as they always are.
I understand what Bob is saying, this view of your individual pictures is missing, https://nansfarm.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/bf41a720-4694-453e-aa53-185c9ec5453d.png
– on the other hand, I only get this view if I’ve shown the photos as a group as opposed to single photos, and I don’t think we get an individual comment box attached to single photos as we have with the one I’ve shown (from a group). I apologise if I’m mistaken.
Thanks very much, Sue. You understand this stuff much better than I. I have lost the will to work on it any more.
Thank you very much, Truth Troubles
Great post Derrick
Thank you very much, More
Sure thing, you’re quite welcome
A beautiful drive! It looks like the first nip of autumn has caught the ferns.
Yes, the ferns are turning, Lavinia. Many thanks
Lovely Post ❤️
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Thanks very much, PB. I have done so