On a bright, sunny, and warm morning we took a trip to
Everton Nurseries were there was no queue and Jackie was able to buy the elusive trailing petunias. The young man collecting up the discarded trolleys
sanitised the handles of every one.
It was perhaps no coincidence that he was tall enough to have a fair chance of keeping the requisite distance when sanitising the hands of customers needing it. Most potential purchasers were wearing masks and gloves.
The notice in the centre foreground of the first picture spelt out the outlet’s necessary rules. One can forgive the superfluous apostrophe.
Jackie then drove me into the forest where, on a green on the outskirts of East End, a couple of ponies grazed.
She decanted me on Sowley Lane, along which I walked for half an hour before she followed and picked me up.
We have seen this assorted group of ponies in this vicinity for a good couple of years now.
The little Falabella is still allowed to play with the big girls.
The animals are normally quite comfortable in my company, but on this occasion they showed me a clean pair of hooves and, surprisingly, ran away.
This involved nipping over a pipe that Jackie soon afterwards photographed.
One of the larger ponies balked at the obstacle, and rapidly clattered across the tarmac heading straight for me. This distracted be somewhat as it was now me who had to nip – out of her way.
Off she dashed, mane and tail swishing past me,
to catch up with her equally fearful companions.
Jackie then turned her attention to a pulsing sound emanating from a crop field being irrigated on the opposite side of the road.
Water was being pumped from the lake and passed under the road by means of the pipe shown above.
Having satisfied her curiosity about the pumping sound Jackie turned her attention to the cock pheasant still trying to attract the attention of the hen who appeared to have rejected him earlier.
Next, she photographed me photographing the retreating equines,
then turning to continue on my way, eventually photographing
the car and cyclists seen approaching.
Other cyclists
and a tractor shared the road featuring
the eponymous lake on my left
and, on my right, woodland,
occasionally damp;
fields;
and a few attractive houses and gardens.
This evening we dined on oven fish, baked beans, and Jackie’s home made chips, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank Vina Majestica Rioja reserva 2013.