On a dull afternoon which only brightened up on our way home, Jackie took us on a driveabout to the North of the forest and back.
It being possibly the first weekend of the holiday season, pedestrians, cyclists and riders, like these on the outskirts of Brockenhurst, sometimes holding up proceedings, abounded.
It was the red coated little girl on the Thelwell pony, visible as the group turned left off the road, who caught our eye and had me leaping out of the car. Thanks to http://www.telegraph.co.uk for the image.
Beyond the 30 mph sign to the right of the first picture, can be seen the start of a waterlogged drive,
whilst the verge on the left bears typical pools of recent rainwater.
Ponies, ignoring the passing traffic, continued their task of mowing the grass, which is more than I could do at home today, because it was too wet.
Apart from the cyclist’s outfit, the fresh yellow gorse was the brightest aspect of this particular soggy stretch.
At Ibsley, a string of sedate donkeys exercised their right of way among the traffic,
whilst, further on at Hyde cows had the intelligence to teach their calves road sense by taking a detour around us. As you can see, there is one behind us.
Readers may discern a camouflaged deer in this shot. It’s there, honest.
Unfortunately I pressed Publish before adding our meal and the tags. This should put that right. We enjoyed beef burgers, fried onions, chips, and baked beans for our dinner, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden, and I drank Reserve des Tuguets madiran 2012.