Today’s culling involved a few pictures from April 1969 – not these of Elizabeth feeding Matthew.
This afternoon we took forest drive.
Autumn leaves still clung to the trees along Holmsley Passage, where a few holly berries hung and trees were reflected in the rippling stream bubbling under the ford.
On Bisterne Close a mere handful of ponies, one wearing a bracken mask, wandered among the woodland
which Jackie photographed, including me.
Just before a somewhat cloud-obscured sunset I photographed a tree against the darkening sky.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome shepherd’s pie, firm flavoursome carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts with which I drank more of the Fleurie that involved opening another bottle.
This morning we transported eight bags of garden refuse, a rusted sack barrow, and two lidless dustbins surplus to our requirements, to Efford Recycling Centre.
The blue-sky-bright sunshine belied the acute chill in the air as we took a forest drive towards the end of the afternoon.
The postbox outside the eponymously named cottage on Wootton Road sports an Armistice memorial.
Autumn colour lingers along Holmsley Passage where the stream ripples across the larger ford;
along the Bisterne Close woodland fallen leaves and mossy trunks were lit by late shafts of sunlight,
and a bay pony cropped and chewed holly leaves impervious to prickles in her leather-lined jaws.
We were just in time for sunset at Barton on Sea’s Marine Drive East,
where cloud colour was muted when looking east.
This evening we dined on breaded scampi, chips, onion rings, and peas.
On another day where showers outnumbered sunny intervals, we waited until a limited period of respite before taking an afternoon forest drive.
Here I engaged in conversation with another farmer, also a commoner giving him pasturage rights for his animals. I had seen him shooing away a solitary pony from his two highland cattle. He explained that he had done this because the interloper had been taking the food he
had put down for the cattle. This man had bred his bovines for 60 years in order to keep the breed alive. He has 48, just three of which are free in the forest – these two and a white one.
By the time I returned to the car the blue sky above had turned as cloudy as that above the tree alongside Holmsley Passage and a brief heavy shower ensued.
On the approach to Bisterne Close an occasional pool had filled and was reflecting the surrounding woodland. So squelchy was the area underfoot that it was unsafe for me to venture to far in, either there or alongside the close where
until they had made their way through to a verge further along the road, I needed to photograph ponies from a distance,
and a couple of woodland scenes.
Jackie photographed me making my way towards the ponies.
These were my own pictures of the group;
and this one of Jackie’s, who also pictured
proof that autumn has arrived.
This evening we all dined on bangers and mash; fried onions, cabbage, carrots and gravy. The bangers were a mix of fat meaty herbal sausages and tasty chipolatas. The mash was very creamy. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Garnacha from another bottle.
Early this morning Jackie stocked up with provisions at Ferndene Farm Shop while I sat in the car, then continued into the forest via
Beckley Common Road, which, like all lanes on this decidedly damp, drear, day bore reflecting pools along the verges,
and soggy autumn leaves there
and in the bordering woodland, where someone had hung
a pair of toys out to dry.
Equally damp were the ponies foraging alongside Forest Road.
Distant landscapes, as, for example, visible from Wilverley Road, were distinctly hazy.
Martin and his younger son, Arlo, visited briefly at lunchtime to deliver a Christmas card with a warm message, and beverages for Jackie and for me selected from information gleaned on this blog.
This evening we dined on more of Hordle Chinese Take Away’s excellent fare with which I drank Gran Selone Italian red wine.
We drove through a deluge to shop at Lidl this morning. I began photographing raindrops on the car windows. Suddenly the skies cleared to make room for the sun, and while Jackie made the purchases I photographed the car park, and abandoned raindrops on windscreen.
Autumn leaves floated on the pools reflecting vehicles and overhead branches.
The now familiar fat raindrops, still dripping from the trees sent out their ever increasing circles on the surfaces of those deeper areas avoided by drivers
and passing shoppers pushing trolleys.
Rainwater streaked the trunks of ornamental trees.
This couple turned out to be Cherry and Rob, like-minded photography enthusiasts, with whom I enjoyed a delightful conversation swapping details of similar subjects we favour. Cherry had dropped one of her bags, which she had gathered up by the time
she reached a deeper pool.
Cloudy blue skies and the weak sun peeping through skeletal branches need only out of focus surface leaves to reveal their mirror images nature.
We had intended to follow with a forest drive, but I knew I had more than enough photographs in the Canon. As it is, I forced myself to cull 50%.
Along with the links to these pictures, SueW sent me one to
her straightened picture of my painting featured yesterday which I have added to that post.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s flavoursome chicken and vegetable stewp with fresh bread, followed by bread and butter pudding, with which she drank more of the Sauvignon Blanc and I drank more of the Malbec.
After buying provisions from Ferndene Farm Shop this afternoon Jackie and I took a forest drive while Becky and Flo, taking Ellie with them, shopped elsewhere.
On the way up Lyndhurst Road outside Burley, Jackie managed to park the Modus allowing me to walk down
the soggy verge with my camera.
I had been attracted by the moss-carpeted roof opposite the bright red cones which had not prevented a number of heavy vehicles from gouging tracks in the mud with their outsize wheels.
Over the years, we have watched the gradual disintegration of this stump still functioning as a direction indicator to the church, provided you understand that you need to take the next right turn rather than carry straight on up the hill. Observant drivers will notice that that right turn is signed Church Lane.
As I approached a trio of Highland Cattle on Wootton Common one of them bravely ran away and stared me out from a safe distance.
This evening we dined on tender roast leg of lamb; crisp roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; firm cauliflower; crunchy carrots; piquant cauliflower cheese; and meaty gravy. Jackie drank more of the Cabernet Sauvignon, Becky drank Diet Pepsi, and I drank Mendoza Malbec 2020.
This morning Jackie and I visited Shelly and Ron with presents for my sister-in-law. Jane and Ivy were also present. The little girl was looking bonny and cheerful.
Afterwards we took a short forest drive before returning home for lunch.
The grey pony habitually risking its throat on barbed wire while checking whether the grass is greener on the other side was at it again today on the Holmsley Camp Site end of Forest Road;
and a good number were gathered on the banks of Whitemoor Pond.
Early signs of autumn abound in the turning leaves joining their predecessors on banks striated by long shadows during the sun’s brief appearances.
These mossy sawn trunks outside Burley, originally seen a year or so ago, are now carrying out their contribution to the forest ecology by supporting tree fungus and new growth of parasitic holly and other plants.
Still silhouetted are trees on the nearby ancient hedgerow banks.
I am very grateful to SueW for her help in enabling me to feature the last five pictures here from today, and to recover three rejected pictures from my post of 24th.
Elizabeth visited later with a beautiful dress for Flo and a most thoughtful crafted wood bowl for Dillon’s birthday tomorrow. She stayed for dinner, part of which consisted of her portion of the power cut interrupted meal; also on offer were some Chinese prawn toasts etc.; spicy pork spare ribs; and Jackie’s savoury rice. My wife and sister drank Kingfisher; Dillon and Flo, fruit juice cordial; and I, more of the Côtes du Rhône.
The weather temperature has plummeted. Early this morning Jackie photographed ice on the new water features.
Beginning mid-morning I wasted four hours and my frayed nerve ends wrestling with an on line banking problem arising from a regular heating fuel supplier who had changed their bank details, and a system which could not adequately cope with the change. I will bore neither myself nor my readers by elaborating on this issue.
This afternoon Jackie successfully restored my equilibrium by offering to take me for a forest drive, with the proviso that she wafted past Ferndene Farm Shop en route. I accepted with the generous suggestion that she could shop there if she so desired. The ensuing shopping was a very smooth operation.
I wandered among the woodland alongside Bisterne Close, photographing isolated ponies; general scenes including fallen branches, gorse, and mossy roots; the serpentine stretched limbs of a giant oak; and the dried autumn leaves I crunched underfoot to create the only sounds in the otherwise silent forest. There was not even any birdsong.
Jackie, meanwhile had pictured some trees, one of which was a holly with pony tooth marks on the trunk, prompting the realisation that all such scores are borne by hollies on which we have noticed these equines’ marks over the winter. She also captured
me
and a resident squirrel.
While I drafted this post two separate falls of snow streaked, and drifted, past my window. None settled.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s splendid egg fried rice with a rack of spare ribs marinaded in plum sauce. The Culinary Queen drank Peroni and I drank more of the Cotes du Rhone.
