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Pheasant Face-Off

As we set out on a forest drive this afternoon grizzling rain added gentle tear-drops to the similar elements we have experienced over the last few days.

Along St Leonards Road many old trees with hollows in boles were decorated with tree fungus;

they stand atop mossy or stony banks;

and carry branches adorned with various lichen.

We have passed this decaying trunk many times since it was first broken by fierce winds some ten years ago.

All along the road more than four and twenty blackbirds flitted across

our path. This one sat posing on a fence post.

It was a solitary egret that flew off into the distance to settle fishing among reeds,

before we paused to watch a face-off feigning a jousting match between two cock pheasants.

A weak sun sent us on our way having briefly brightened branches against the otherwise slate-grey sky.

After more time spent with ‘The Brontës’, I dined with Jackie on her wholesome shepherd’s pie; boiled potatoes, cauliflower with its chopped leaves; Brussels sprouts, carrots and broccoli. The Culinary Queen drank Diet Coke and I drank more of the Merlot.

More Of ‘The Brontës’

I spent the whole afternoon of this dull, gloomy, overcast, colder, day reading ‘The Brontës’. So immense is this tightly packed academic tome that after 260 pages I am not much more than a quarter of the way through.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s deliciously warming chicken and vegetable stewp.

In And Out Of The Sunshine

Before the sun left this morning we transported 15 more bags of garden refuse to Efford Recycling Centre barely keeping up with a dappled Martin who spent much of the day

continuing to add to them.

Clematis Cirrhosa draped over the Gazebo Path basked in the warming light,

as did laurel, grasses, an unblinking owls.

Dewdrops lingered on peeled Eucalyptus bark, pruned rose stems, and still persisting Just Joey,

and the Red Carpet Rose.

After the sun had shrunk behind the clouds the regular blackbird and robin continued feeding of the last off the front garden crab apples.

Later, Elizabeth popped in when passing and stayed for dinner, which consisted of tasty baked gammon; piquant cauliflower cheese; boiled new potatoes; firm carrots and brocolli; and tender runner beans with which Jackie drank Diet Coke, Elizabeth chose FreeDamm non-alcoholic lager, and I enjoyed La Reine de Fleurie 2023.

The Cursed Unidentified White Van

Our first trip today was to the Efford Recycling Centre where we transported 18 bags of garden refuse – just half of those Martin had accumulated since Christmas.

After lunch we drove to Andrew Sharp’s at Brockenhurst where were collected a second refurbished Art Deco Carver chair in which he had re-glued all the joints, bolstered the seat and tightened its hessian bottom. We delivered a small Victorian captain’s chair that had belonged to Jackie’s grandmother and now needed the animal glue treatment.

Later we stocked up on food, petrol, and cash at Tesco’s, then took a short forest drive. Just as we were leaving Bisterne Close a backlit white tailed deer dashed across the lane and dropped down to form an ideal image against a pool glowing from the low sunlight. As Jackie was poised to click her shutter for a perfect shot an unidentified white van sped past her ruining the picture and frightening off her subject. We vented our frustration.

We then dropped down to Barton on Sea where we anticipated a photogenic sunset.

Here is my gallery of the moment; and

here is Jackie’s.

As we turned for home we noticed the sad sight of a burnt out house which had once been rather splendid.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome chicken and vegetable stewp and fresh crusty bread.

Four Legged Friends

On a warmer yet overcast afternoon we took a forest drive.

Donkeys claimed the road at Cadnam;

ponies gathered at Bramshaw;

on Penn Common cattle, still and silent, lined up listening to sweet early Spring birdsong.

En route to Nomansland bits of blown tree neatly fell into place across the road.

Later, I continued reading ‘The Brontës’ until, This evening we dined on basa fish cakes, cauliflower cheese, boiled potatoes, carrots, and peas, with which Jackie drank Diet Coke and I finished the Fleurie.

Recovering Pictures

Having recently had reason to refer to my photographs of my sister Jaqueline’s 60th Birthday Party on 14th April 2007, I discovered that the two posts featuring them had been casualties of the transfer of management of my blog site. All kinds of problems arose from this.

These are those, having given them their correct titles, I will save from https://derrickjknight.com/2018/11/27/the-birthday-girl/ and https://derrickjknight.com/2018/12/08/a-go-at-grooming/

Anyone wishing to read the text to either of these posts will find that the only way of accessing the pictures is to click on the little blue square in each image individually. I was very lucky that this was possible in these cases, for often you would get a message saying there is nothing there. Identification by name can be obtained from my work here; anyone inquisitive about relationship details will need to refer to the posts highlighted above.

I spent the afternoon on ‘The Brontës’.

This evening we dined at the exemplary Rokali’s where Jackie enjoyed her favourite Paneer Shashlik while I chose Jaipur Prawns and we shared special fired rice and onion bahjis, with which Mrs Knight drank Diet Coke and I drank Kingfisher.

Derrick And The Emus; Jackie And The Gliders

On an overcast and only marginally warmer afternoon we wrapped up for a forest drive.

From Braggers Lane we were surprised to see golden light on the

horizon. The first picture showing this is mine; the next two, Jackie’s.

The emus were out in their Fish Street field,

Where Jackie caught me photographing them.

On Braggers Lane she had pictured field horses in rugs being led towards a muddy entrance she had also photographed;

and on Fish Street a gnarled oak and spiky teasels.

Realising that the earlier golden glow must have been visible at Barton on Sea, we diverted to there on the way home, and I pictured this group in silhouette,

and Jackie caught I crow, while I

photographed her

photographing hang gliders.

This evening we dined on more of the pork and Bramley apple casserole – always improved when matured – and accompanying vegetables and beverages.

More B/W Photos Retained from 1985

There was not much culling carried out from the post bearing these images:

Another from the garden of the Gite;

Mat, Sam, Louisa, and French farmyard fowl;

Jessica, Sam, and Louisa, watching Punch & Judy in Covent Garden;

and Jessica, Sam, and Louisa blackberrying on Tooting Bec Common.

After drafting this I read more of ‘The Brontës’.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s tasty pork and Bramley Apple casserole; boiled new potatoes; smooth swede and carrot mash; firm Brussels sprouts, Broccoli stems, and red cabbage, with a side of re-crisped crackling. The Culinary Queen drank Diet Coke and I drank Georges Duboeuf Fleurie 2022.

A Sitting Duck

At mid-afternoon today the moon vied with the sun for

sky-space as we set out on a forest drive.

Along St. Leonard’s Road shaggy ponies in their winter coats availed themselves of fence-posts for scratching. While I focussed on them

Jackie photographed a cock pheasant that had crossed the road.

Anticipating a decent sunset we dropped down to Milford-on-Sea. The first three pictures in this gallery are mine; the last two by Jackie

who also photographed a couple on a bench;

The Needles and their lighthouse;

and, leaning on the car bonnet, a sitting duck.

Earlier in the day I had read more of ‘The Brontës’.

This evening we dined on succulent roast pork with crisp crackling; boiled new potatoes; crunchy carrots, firm Brussels sprouts, and tender red cabbage, with which I finished the Shiraz.

Spooked Deer

Despite the bright blue sky’s sunny aspect this was one of the coldest of either this year or the last; we therefore wrapped up well after Jackie had scraped ice off the windscreen and, with enough of the surface rain seeped off the roads, set off splashing on a forest drive in the middle of the afternoon.

With ice having formed on its pools,

and snow visible on the hilly land beyond the five-barred gate,

it was apparent that someone had sped home with cold feet – or at least one.

With her blessing I converted this picture Jackie produced of the ice into an abstract monochrome.

The pool along Forest Road reflected the weather.

Jackie also photographed mistletoe and

the stream along the Hightown road which had been one of the floods which had turned us back a few days ago as it surged across the road.

Further along this lane as I was trying to assess whether I would be able to photograph a troop of deer near the top of a hill, they were

suddenly spooked, and helpfully came dashing down to be well within my range, if somewhat obscured by a wooden fence. Jackie added the fourth picture in this gallery.

It had been two dogs rushing backwards and forwards on the other side of the wire fence, no doubt seeking a gap allowing them to reach their prey. A horse and rider came into view. No doubt they were protecting their land from feared cervine ravages.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s cottage pie, cauliflower, carrots, runner beans , and red cabbage, with which she drank Diet Coke and I drank more of the Shiraz.