My plan this morning was to walk along Bisterne Close for half an hour after which Jackie, having dropped me at one end, would follow and pick me up. In gloomy morning light and light drizzle we set off.
The War Memorial in Everton Road, Hordle, had been prepared for tomorrow’s Armistice Day.
The commemorative bench bears stylised pale red poppies and pure white doves of peace.
More poppies grace fences and
freshly mown grass.
By the time we reached Holmsley Passage the drizzle had increased to light rain which
gave ponies a somewhat more than bedraggled look.
Soon the rain had developed deluge dimensions. My readers will know by now that I don’t know when to give up, so we continued to
Bisterne Close.
Listening to the increasingly tympanic pattering of raindrops drumming onto the trees, dripping off the leaves, and thudding onto the shoulders of my porous allegedly damp-proof raincoat; peering through specs lacking windscreen wipers, through which I couldn’t clearly see my viewfinder I captured what woodland scenes I could.
Autumn leaves, above
or below, glistened with precipitation.
I resisted the temptation to ask a horse chomping hay for the loan of its cheerful rug.
Here, as on much of the forest terrain, pools were appearing.
Autumn leaves submerged beneath the water where raindrops floated on muddy surfaces until bursting into spiralling increasing circles. I stuffed my specs into my pocket and attempted to employ my dampened eyelashes to provide clear vision.
Fallen trees and their branches, both recent
and longer-lying, settled into their task of maintaining the ancient forest ecology.
while others, now dead, did their bit while still standing.
Some trees sent tentacles in search of rooting soil.
Such bracken as had not yet gathered a fully autumnal appearance was turning nicely.
Well fed birds have not yet been tempted to strip the hollies of their berries.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s spicy pork paprika, savoury vegetable rice, and tender runner beans with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Cotes du Rhone.