derrickjknight

First Foals Of 2024

This morning I read more of Kristin Lavransdatter.

After lunch on this warm and sunny day we took a forest drive.

We noticed our first foal of the season on the moorland beside Tiptoe Road.

Jackie managed to catch the youngster suckling, while I was photographing

a couple of shaggy ponies crossing the road, causing some consternation to an alarmed cyclist who rapidly took evasive action.

While approaching Burley we spotted our second foal clinging to its mother; the first four are my pictures, the rest are Jackie’s.

The pool on Fish Street caused me to reflect on the current aptness of the name.

May blossom, like this example on London Lane, is now quite prolific.

A pair of horse riders, one in training, the other leading a smaller steed, moved over to let us pass as we tagged along behind.

Shelly visited later, when we enjoyed a pleasant conversation largely about mothers, babies, and grandfamilies.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s spicy pasta arrabbiata with tender runner beans.

Removals Collection

Early this morning Neil and Sam from New Forest Removals visited to collect the Grandfamily’s belongings for transport to their new home after the bank holiday.

This friendly, efficient, and personable pair loaded their van smoothly and quickly. After the weekend they will transfer these items to a smaller vehicle for delivery on Tuesday.

This afternoon I read another 50 pages, taking me past the half-way point of Sigrid Undset’s “Kristin Lavransdatter”.

We dined this evening on Jackie’s tangy lemon chicken; roast sweet and white potatoes; firm broccoli; and tender green beans.

Patient Access

Jackie and I each subscribe to Patient Access, being a site to test the patience of anyone, let alone patients considerably older than the designers of this facility.

The idea is to offer a secure method of ordering regular medication, presumably safe for anyone subject to excitable blood pressure, yet definitely to be avoided by valetudinarians.

Persistent, tenacious, and generally even-tempered am I, yet there is nothing more likely to blow my equanimity than a system presumably created for seniors with limited computer skills which constantly adds new hoops to leap through in order to gain admission. Today I had such a problem managing to “Set up two-factor authentication with a third-party app” from which I was timed out each time I attempted it.

What, may I ask in my ignorance, is one of those?

That was enough to spark my impatience. On this overcast afternoon following last night’s rainfall, we drove to our GP surgery where the very helpful and understanding receptionist, knowing exactly our position which was shared by themselves and so many others, took details of our requests that will provide information to be completed by the pharmacist on a prescription form. In other words we are back to the paper method.

After this, we took a short forest drive to test my eyes.

The theme of the new postbox decoration at Tiptoe escapes me. Perhaps my brain has been overtaxed.

A grazing grey pony was easy to pick out among the moorland gorse flanking Holmsley Passage

which was crossed by an ambling cow further up the hill.

We safely negotiated a pair of horse riders on Bisterne Close, where

the seasonal verge pool now carried buttercups, water buttercups, and budding irises.

This evening’s dinner consisted of further helpings of Jackie’s authentic chicken jalfrezi meal.

Parting Gifts

One of Martin’s tasks this morning was to plant

this gift from our Grandfamily into place in the Pond Bed immediately opposite our dining table.

He also transported the Gingko from that bed up to the Weeping Birch Bed pending our decision exactly where to position it.

This rhododendron blooming in the Palm Bed was just coming into bud when I last photographed it.

Flo and Dillon also gave us a frame of memorable photographs.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s spicy chicken jalfrezi with pilau rice and vegetable samosas.

Posting A Pivotal Week, Part Two

23rd t0 30th April 2024

Having had a left eye cataract surgery 30 years ago, and still never needed specs for reading, it was quite a blow to learn that I would need reading glasses after my current right eye’s procedure; the new lens is naturally age appropriate. This means that I have to wait until the end of May for a suitable prescription. During this week I have become adjusted to the extra brightness and my right eye vision is very good, meaning that long sighted views are better than ever.

I can now watch TV without specs, although the clarity could be improved; what I can’t do is read or see a computer screen properly. With Jackie’s helpful expertise and a pair of her cheap stall-bought reading glasses we have improvised to the extent that I have managed to return to WordPress: the left lens has been removed and I can read with the right one.

We have therefore managed a few trips in the car, with The Assistant Photographer stepping into the breach:

on 27th April we visited St Leonard’s barn where she pictured a couple of cows accompanying our usual troop of ponies;

water buttercups peeping up from their now shallow pool;

donkeys and gulls sharing a spit on Beaulieu Pond;

and louring clouds over Hatchet Lane threatening the rain which was to follow us home.

Posting A Pivotal Week, Part One

23rd to 30th April 2024.

After cataract eye surgery and with a lingering cold I have been able neither to photograph nor to look at a screen for this period. How we have managed a way round it will be explained in Part 2.

The pivotal day was Thursday 25th, when, as we watched Flo, Dillon, and Ellie drive off to their new home,

Arbor Venture, symbolically, began to bring down the dead Weeping Birch tree. That process, Jackie was able to photograph.

Today, I produced these two pictures.

Update

My cold symptoms have returned, complicating matters a little.

Fortunately Jackie spent much of her working life as a professional carer for the elderly; now she has a chance to keep her hand in at home, in particular expertly applying my eyedrops four times a day.

Vision in the treated eye remains hazy and will of course take some time to clear.

I am unlikely to look at posts I follow for a while.

Other than this I have kept well away from the computer. I did manage to read a handful of pages of Kristin Lavransdatter, but one eye was not really up to the task.

This evening we all dined on tasty Ferndene bangers; creamy mashed potato; boiled cabbage and fried leeks; with tasty, crunchy carrots, and meaty gravy.

My New Lens

Yesterday afternoon I watched the Women’s Six Nations rugby matched between England and Ireland and between Scotland and Italy.

This morning Jackie drove me to SpaMedica for my cataract eyes surgery.

As, later, I reached for my normal distance spectacles to watch a recording of the rugby match between France and Wales, I realised they would not be much use to me, even if I could fit them on over my new lens shield. Never mind, I could see enough with my thirty year old lens replacement.

The surgeon was quite smart to engage me in a conversation about cricket while he was replacing the deteriorated lens with the new one, thus taking my mind off what he was doing – he knew that my earlier cataract was consequent on having been hit in the eye by a cricket ball as a teenager.

This evening we will all dine on Red Chilli takeaway meals. I shan’t put any more on this blog post because the screen is too bright for sore eyes.

Bluebells On Church Lane

Knowing that our favourite location for English bluebells would likely be in bloom today Jackie drove me out to Church Lane, Boldre.

Fortunately, I was well wrapped up against the bitter, biting, North wind that belied the bright sunshine.

A mallard sunned itself on a tussock in Pilley lake.

A troop of ponies played chicken across the road to Beulieu.

Back at Boldre Jackie photographed a few somnolent donkeys.

This evening we all dined on more of Jackie’s penne Bolognese meal.

Waiting In The Wings

On a chilly, largely overcast morning, occasionally lifted by sunlight peeking over the sometimes fluffy cotton clouds, I wandered around with my camera enjoying the general views opened up by Martin’s dedicated winter’s work.