This morning Jackie and I drove to The Oakhaven Hospice Trust furniture warehouse on the Ampress industrial estate in order to offer for collection a Chinese oak cabinet which is now surplus to our requirements.
I took the opportunity to photograph the parched condition of the surrounding verges.
The now golden moorland around Brockenhurst was tinged with purple heather, yellowing bracken, and early autumnal trees.
The usual ponies had deserted the arid Longslade Bottom
for such sheltered spots as they could find among the lanes
and the dappled woodland.
Plants were drying along the verges of Hordle Lane and
Christchurch Road at the point at which it runs alongside our house, the front garage trellis of which has been saved from suffering a similar fate by Flo and Dillon’s valiant irrigation.
With the exception of the first and last all these photographs were produced from the front passenger seat.
This evening we dined on pizza and fresh salad with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden, Flo and Dillon drank Ribena, and I drank Château La Mauberte Bordeaux 2020.