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It wasn’t until early evening that the clarity of the dawn skies was to be repeated today.
Jackie discovered that the Big Beast had dug its way under her reinforced log last night, further trampled the cyclamen, and knocked over the obelisk. Undeterred, she put back the loose soil and buried more, lower, stakes around the wooden peg.
Elizabeth came for lunch which consisted of cold meats and salads. After this she and I photographed bugs on the diamond jubilee tulips. The first is mine with my Canon EOS 5D;
the next two with my Canon SX700;
and finally, Elizabeth’s with her i-Phone, by which time the bugs had fled.
Later, we took a drive to the north of the forest.
On Flexford Lane in Sway, we needed to wait on the verge for a horse and rider with a cycling escort, followed by a white van, to pass.
The gorse-covered hills below Abbot’s Well at Frogham glowed in the evening light.
Jackie and Elizabeth turned and spotted me photographing them as they stood in the car park.
The colourfully attired gentleman beside them obligingly took his own camera into the landscape, thus providing a foil to my photographs.
As we left, a pony drank from a reflective pool.
As we approached the Cadnam roundabout near the end of Roger Penny Way, we noticed a flock of sheep blocking a turning to our left. As soon as she could Jackie turned around so we could see what was happening. The woolly animals were steadfastly making their way past our car to the aforementioned major road,
where they caused a total standstill.
Looking back down the lane we saw what seemed like the final stragglers,
who picked up speed and galloped in panic after the main group.
In fact they were not the last. Two more had been left behind. We hoped they found their friends.
Further along this lane a very small sow snuffling against a wall, became excited by our presence, perhaps hoping for a chat.
Around the next bend a couple of ducks had taken possession of a watery verge.
One was an Indian runner. We didn’t recognise the other.
Finally, a collection of chickens scampered from the verge when we stopped beside them.
This evening the three of us dined on Jackie’s splendid chilli con carne, savoury rice, and green beans. The ladies drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Malbec.