ponies – derrickjknight

Autumn Has Arrived

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.

Front Drive Clearance And Survivors From July 2013

These London images are from https://derrickjknight.com/2013/07/04/the-abdication/

Pictures of this dead trunk feature in https://derrickjknight.com/2013/07/09/a-precarious-career/

These ponies stampeded to https://derrickjknight.com/2013/07/11/the-watering-hole/

The actions of https://derrickjknight.com/2013/07/12/the-good-samaritans/ enabled us to watch these hang gliders at Barton on Sea.

These two views of Little Venice feature in https://derrickjknight.com/2013/07/16/this-train-is-not-stopping-at/

These five women asked me to photograph them on a London trip in https://derrickjknight.com/2013/07/17/that-was-worth-fighting-for/

A London trip from https://derrickjknight.com/2013/07/19/back-to-the-akash/

Here are two views of https://derrickjknight.com/2013/07/26/the-dragonfly/ at The Firs in West End

and this bee on a marigold https://derrickjknight.com/2013/07/31/planted-in-the-i-mac/

Over the last two days Jackie has completed and photographed her clearance of the east side of the Front Drive.

This was the last stretch before she continued the work, revealing a

clean corner we have never seen before.

She also photographed a couple of her planted urns.

The iMac pictures now tally 57,332.

This evening we dined on Mr Pink’s fish and chips, Mrs Elswood’s sandwich gherkins, and Garner’s pickled onions.

A Paucity Of Pannage Mast

Last night’s sky was so clear that the Harvest moon lit up the whole garden. I photographed it before I turned on my laptop to listen to the last rites of the second Test match between England and Pakistan.

The pink climber clinging to the trellis in the front garden is just one indication that winter is being delayed. Another is the lack of autumn colour we noticed as we drove around the forest this afternoon.

These sunlit trees on

Hyde Lane, despite the

less than green bracken photographed by Jackie, cling to their viridescent hues.

Much of the moorland bracken, among which ponies pasture, is as we could expect by now. Note that the tail on the last picture in this gallery shows that the bay has received its annual clip at The Drift.

Other ponies, gathered by the flowing ford at Ibsley, promptly left when they realised I was going to focus on them.

There were in fact other wet roads through which vehicles splashed, sometimes forcing others, like us, to wait for them.

So, why mention pannage mast? This is the general term for acorns and the like which pigs are loosed to guzzle up to prevent ponies from eating nuts which are poisonous to them. Some of my readers look forward to this season as do we. We speculate that the reason for the absence of porcine presence since the first few days of September could be linked with the lack of acorns. Maybe they will come later.

This evening we repeated last night’s meal with fresh ingredients. I drank another glass of viña San Juan.

A Bumper Recycling Haul

This morning we transported ten more green refuse bags and various wooden and plastic items that we decided had no more recycling life to Efford Recycling Centre and returned with a cast iron chair with no seat; a heavy concrete plinth; a sound kneeling stool which is no longer marketed; a metal plant stand; and one of our own large plastic containers which had been used to transport pieces of wood and now may perhaps be placed in the chair with no seat.

We continued into the forest where, at Portmore,

it was possible to distinguish sheep from goats.

Had the sheep lived in one of many Mediterranean climes, it may have

been fed on cardoon, a thistle like example of which was found around the corner in Pilley https://derrickjknight.com/2015/07/05/yarntons-cardoon/

Also at Pilley a young horse rider paused on the verge to allow us to pass, and we encountered

ponies reflected in the lake, now filling up. In the distance beyond those in the second picture in this gallery can be seen the

dappled grey Shetland we had passed earlier; the other sports the recently trimmed tail indicating that it had featured in last month’s annual round-up known as The Drift. https://derrickjknight.com/2016/08/30/the-drift/

After lunch I photographed our bumper recycling haul.

This evening we dined on roast lamb, mint sauce, boiled potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and mangetouts, with which I drank a little more of the Malbec.

Crows Caught Scrumping Corn

Our overnight heavy storm this morning gradually morphed into bursts of warm sunshine alternating with heavy chaotic squalls wreaking momentary havoc.

This afternoon, following a trip to the Milford on Sea Pharmacy to collect medication, by which time unrelenting rain had returned, we set out on a forest drive.

Along Lymore Lane the skies, whenever another car approached us,

filled with a murder of crows we caught scrumping corn. Only the first picture in this second gallery is mine; the rest are Jackie’s.

On the moorland at East Boldre ponies lined up attempting to shelter against the shrubbery,

while a curious cow left off grazing to observe me briefly before returning to more important matters.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome shepherd’s pie; sliced fried potatoes; firm, flavoursome, carrots and Brussels sprouts; and tender runner beans, with which I drank more of the Fleurie.

Pursuing Potting Up

Sunlight shadows in the kitchen beckoned me outside this morning.

Jackie has been buying myriads of bulbs and potting them up in the last few days.

With the aid of a rusting sack barrow she has transported them to prospective sites, such as

this collection on the north west corner of the patio. The pot in the first image above in the gallery above is destined for the plinth recently bought from the Efford Recycling Centre. The black paint spilled on that is presumably why it was dumped.

This afternoon we scoured the garden centres for suitable slabs to cover the plinth, and eventually found a couple at Redcliffe Nurseries. The pot may have to reside over winter in the greenhouse. An owl has been left keeping watch.

An earlier support from the dump now contains a pot of violas; the recent acquisition awaited its flowers until this evening when Jackie filled it with violas and Erigeron keeping daffodil bulbs warm. It now stands on the patio.

The bulbs are all labelled in their currently over-planted containers, such as the one beneath the Gazebo; the one spilling over with heuchera and begonias; and the one marked Tete-a-Tete.

The Gazebo clematis warranted its own photograph, as did

the view from the Stable Door, the Brick Path, and the Japanese anemones above the wooden mushrooms.

Beds worthy of attention were those named Weeping Birch and Dragon; the first waiting for climbers to cover its eponymous trunk, the second featuring seasonal Michaelmas daisies.

There are two scenes of the Rose Garden and another of the apples to which it plays host.

Later, I watched the penultimate episode of ‘Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams’.

After leaving Redcliffe Nurseries we continued into the forest by way

of Holmsley Passage flanked by moorland landscapes.

Scampering pink pannage piglets grunted and snuffled in the woodland beside Bisterne Close.

On such a sunny Saturday afternoon a number of cycling families like this one outside Burley required careful negotiation to pass giving them adequate space.

A deer speeding across Forest Road was rather too quick for me.

This evening we dined on a meaty pork rack of ribs in barbecue sauce; Jackie’s colourful vegetable rice; and tender green beans, with which I drank more of the Côtes du Rhône Villages.

Garden, Pigs, And Ponies

This morning I read more of ‘The Berlin Diaries’.

By mid-afternoon, with the warm sun vying with the cotton clouds for dominance of the skies,

I wandered round the garden with my camera. The Virginia creeper has reddened up beautifully in the last 48 hours. Each of the images bears a title in the gallery.

Later, the sun having defeated the clouds, we visited Ferndene Farm shop to buy various food items and three more bags of compost for which I now have to avail myself of the trolleys provided.

We continued into the forest where we tracked a group of young

Tamworth pigs as they left the road for gleeful chomping on heaps of crunchy apples.

Ponies along Forest Road formed an orderly line along a wall in the shade; while

others disrupted the traffic on Tiptoe Road.

After drinks on the patio we dined on Jackie’s tasty liver casserole; boiled new potatoes, carrots, runner beans, and broccoli, with which I drank more of the Malbec.

Occupying The Roads

On a warm and largely overcast morning we took a forest drive.

After I had photographed this young lady in her unusual laptop station, we exchanged thumbs up signs.

Many cyclists are on the roads at weekends in September, often with bikes attached to their vehicles. The two in the background had just emerged from Furzey Lane,

variously occupied by ponies and conversationalists. When enlarged in the gallery a fly can be seen making a bee line for the right eye of the pony blocking our way. The couple engaged in chatting with the car driver all seemed content to block one side of the road in either direction for quite some time. We had already veered round them on our way down the lane and it looked as if the man with his hand in the air was indicating we should do so again. Jackie and others were thus forced to encroach upon the opposite dwelling’s gravel entrance.

A group of ponies sheltered beneath trees alongside Beaulieu Road.

This afternoon I watched the women’s rugby match between Scotland and Fiji on BBC iPlayer; and later the highlights of the men’s T20 cricket match between England and Australia.

As I indicated yesterday, this evening’s dinner was a variation on last night’s – I enjoyed Jackie’s portion of the Peri Peri chicken kebabs, while she baked her own chicken pieces sprinkled with Batt’s BBQ seasoning – taken with her colourful savoury rice and similar vegetables.

On The Road

This afternoon we drove to the north of the forest.

Donkeys caused traffic diversions outside Bramshaw,

where we saw our first pannage pigs of the season;

another was crossing Penn Common,

populated today by ponies, cattle, sheep, a lamb, and goats.

Some of the many groups of motorcyclists we encountered formed a long arc just outside Nomansland.

For a number of weeks now, farmers have been bringing in bales of hay and bagging them up. See Sue W’s comment below, naming these as Silage bags. These were outside Fritham;

where, within the woodland,

lies Eyeworth Pond, beside which were resting one of the many groups of camping teenagers we have seen this week. We speculated that they may be between school and university.

When leaving Fritham we witnessed a string of ponies trooping along the verge.

Once back at home I watched a recording of the women’s rugby match between England and New Zealand at Twickenham, now named Allianz, the home of the English game.

This evening I dined on Braemoor Peri Peri Chicken King Kebab, with spinach and Jackie’s colourful savoury rice. Jackie meant to have the same, but a very small bite revealed that it was far too hot for her. She therefore enjoyed the accompanying cauliflower and more of the spinach. I will be having the same tomorrow when Jackie will choose to cook chicken in her own way.

Landscape And Woodland

This morning, among his other tasks, Martin installed our new waterbutt; and assembled and set up

the new arch for the wayward Compassion Rose which was determined to plough its own furrow. Having accepted that the plant would insist on its own direction we have given it a new support, since the last one had blown down. It has now been well trained.

At lunchtime Craig from Tom Sutton Heating came to check on the recently blown through pipes to the radiator beside my chair. He is of the opinion that the problem concerns the diameter of the pipes. It will need to be discussed with Ronan, who is on a week’s holiday.

After lunch we drove to the pharmacy at Milford to collect medication, and afterwards to Everton Post Office for cash, spring onions, and orange juice. We continued on a forest drive.

An interesting cloud formation appeared over the heather landscape

in which various ponies foraged.

More, including an almost full grown foal from earlier in the year, enjoyed the moisture of the seasonal pool along Bisterne Close.

Tiny yellow mushrooms pierced the ancient bank of Mill Lane among the exposed roots and ferns in the dappled woodland.

Further along the lane one of the several groups of young campers out today checked on Mill Lawn.

Later, I didn’t quite finish “4.50 From Paddington”.

This evening we dined on maple barbecue belly of pork; fried potatoes and onions; crisp carrots; firm broccoli and cauliflower; and tender cabbage with cauliflower leaves.