Feeling rather dispirited by struggling in vain to carry out some tasks I have been happily managing before WP’s latest improvements, my mood was lifted by a drive into the forest.
Jackie drove us up Holmsley Passage
and across Burley Road where she parked the Modus so I could walk back and photograph
woodland with mossy roots, fallen trees, and reflecting, receding, winter pools;
and the gorse on the heath. As part of their general maintenance duties the forest ponies trim the golden shrubs and prepare paths through to
the grounds of Burley Golf Course where they carefully maintain the greens and suppress some of the rough.
From 29th of this month, when golf courses will be allowed to reopen, it would be wise for neither this pair of joggers nor me to venture onto this location.
I eventually rejoined Jackie in the car and she allowed me out along Bisterne Close where
I inspected the work of the equine forestry management crew.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s flavoursome chicken and leek (quippingly dubbed cockaleekie by the Culinary Queen) stewp and fresh crusty bread, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Mendoza Red Blend.
I enjoyed the peaceful landscapes and the dramatic black and white, Derrick. Close-up of the pony is very expressive as well.
Thank you so much, Dolly.
You are very welcome, Derrick.
Lovely selection of photos I particularly enjoyed those with your equine chums.
Thanks very much, Sheree
I really love your local views there, Derrick, such beautiful countryside. I’ve never heard of allowing ponies or horses to keep the golf course grass cut. That’s a wonderful idea and much less costly for the owners. I really hope to visit the UK someday. ❤️🇬🇧
Thank you very much, John. Ponies do a grand job throughout the New Forest. They couldn’t be stopped. 🙂
Are you sure the changes to WordPress are “improvements”? And to whom are they “improved” for? I wish they leave things alone. I’m getting to old and impatient.
Anyhow, I’m glad you were able to wind down with a beautiful country drive.
They are so frustrating for all of us Chrissy. Thanks very much
So sorry to hear of your frustrations, Derrick
– but I’m also very glad that they didn’t prevent us from being able to enjoy your post today…
Nature often helps put things into perspective and makes upsets feel better, and I’m sure that applies for us readers, too – those hard working ponies are SO beautiful… The very best looking grounds maintenance team I’ve ever seen! 🙂
🙂 Your comments are much appreciated, Emma. Thank you.
I’m glad you were able to get outside to relieve your WP-caused frustrations, and in so doing, share with us your beautiful countryside. I love the gorse and the equine grounds crew. My husband’s part-time job is working on on the grounds of a golf course.
Jackie is so funny. 😀
Very many thanks, Merril
Excellent pictures as ever.
I continually despair about WP changes. I refuse to recognise them as improvements. They will drive us all away for sure.
Thanks a lot, Andrew
“cockaleekie”…I snorted! 😀 😛 Thank you, Jackie!!! 🙂
“equine forestry management crew” got a snort-laugh, too! Thank you, Derrick!!! 😀
The fhotos (Ha!) of forest ponies foraging for food…Fabulous!!!
Love the close-ups…oh their beautiful soulful eyes! 🙂
(((HUGS))) 🙂
I’m pleased you snorted a lot, Carolyn. Thanks a lot for the appreciation. X
I am very happy to see the gorse–anything yellow, at this point!
Thanks very much, Liz 🙂
You’re welcome, Derrick. 🙂
Beautiful photographs today, Derrick. As someone who lives on a golf course, I agree, it’s best for you to stay off the grounds once the course re-opens. Sorry for the WP frustrations.
Thanks very much, Jill. I cracked one of the problems this morning.
Nice to hear the golf courses will be reopening soon Derrick… although I have not played for 3 years … my health issues have curtailed my promising golf career …
Sorry about your golf, Ivor. Thanks a lot.
I haven’t tried the blocks since before recent changes. They’ve attempted to block the Admin Classic too by redirecting to the blocks. For now there is a simple fix for that one though.
I love the forest pictures. And obviously those beautiful ponies.
I cracked the major new problem this morning. Thanks a lot, Sue.
I like that winding road, the wide open spaces, and the reflecting pools.
My daughter used to live on a golf course. It was in a small town, so we felt fairly safe walking on the edges of it as long as we watched for golfers. It was irresistibly beautiful and green.
Thank you very much, Nikki
I couldn’t quite make up my mind whether the picture of the winding road showed Holmsley Passage or Burley Road. Whichever it was, I liked the picture immensely. I am sorry about your WP travails.
Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal. That was Burley Road – Holmsley Passage runs up to it.
lovely photos, as always, Derrick! happy to see the horses again. 🙂
Thanks a lot, Lola
I enjoyed your sun-dappled day in the forest, Derrick and Jackie! I especially loved the ponies.
Thanks you so much from us both, Lavinia
Forest time always helps, and natural forest/lawn maintenance is the best. You know I love the mossy roots and the ponies. The winding road is nice, too, though I’d probably drive is very slowly.
The speed limit in the forest is 40 m.p.h – but not sensible to go that fast. Thanks very much, JoAnna.
I heard an interesting discussion this morning about what the freeze did to our golf courses. Apparently hitting a ball on one of the greens is akin to putting on ice, now. The grasses are coming back, though, so with time things should be just fine. Staying away once the course is in play again is the better part of wisdom, of course. My dad was a golfer, and he got dropped by a whack in the head with an errant ball. It happens. (He was fine, after a look-see by the docs.)
Thanks very much, Linda. It was weird realising I was on the empty golf course.
Bloody WP’s “improvements”. Thank goodness for gorse and horses to lift spirits and of course your trusty chauffeur.
Thank you so much, Sue. I cracked one of the problems this morning, having to go round the houses to do it.
Good old WordPress! At least you had the horses to cheer you up.
Thanks a lot, Laurie. Cracked one of the problems this morning 🙂
Equine Forestry Management Department has been rendering priceless service. However, but for your sparkling chronicles we would have known or seen nothing of the quiet dedication of the two. Meanwhile, someone has been messing with the orderly progression of affairs and it is none other than Messers Automattic.
I cracked the main new WP problem this morning. With no clear indication how, I discovered that, in order to send links of posts I have to use three operations instead of the previous one. Thanks very much, Uma
A good walk into the nature and a delicious dinner can help a lot to improve the mood 😉
🙂 Thanks very much, Ribana
I just love the picture of the long and winding road onto the heath.
Thanks a lot, John
Good morning, {{{Derrick}}} – thank you for sharing your trip down Burley Road with us. Loved the ponies, the moss covered exposed roots, and the “equine forestry management crew.” Too cool! Jackie’s “flavoursome chicken and leek (quippingly dubbed cockaleekie” cracked me up. I can hardly wait to get a taste of that creative English vocabulary in person! <3
X Thanks very much, Jan
It would be such a pleasure to see these beautiful places. Thank you for the photos.
And thank you, too, Lakshmi
Those pictures are what fairy tales are made from, Derrick.
Thanks for the ponies too!
🙂 Thanks very much, GP
I love your countryside pictures. The ponies are just an added plus. Thank you for bringing some calm into my day! Be well and safe!
Thanks a lot. Gael. You, too
I love where you live in the New Forest – so many pleasures so close at hand (well a drive away) – when we were in our major lockdown, some friends who lived within 5km of the local golf course found that it was an interesting landscape that unless you were playing golf you would never know….
Thanks very much, Catherine. I felt the same about our golf course which I had only ever seen from the road before.
Oh good grief, what sort of shenanigans is WP up to now?
They have changed the side bar so you can go straight to editing posts from there, but they left off the admin section so that, without fixing the problem you can’t just view the posts and send links – recipients just get the edit page. SueW in her Weekly Prompts has offered a solution should you have the problem. Thanks a lot, Widders
Hi Derrick, this is a lovely post. Gorse flowers are yellow. Somehow, I had it in my head that they are white. I believe they have thorns too.
Yes. They are prickly, Robbie. Much appreciated