On another bright but chilly morning Jackie drove me to Norleywood Road for me to walk along it and St Leonard’s Road for half an hour before she picked me up.
Three different alpacas occupied the usual field;
one wearing a rug. One or two of these may be llamas, but I don’t know the difference.
Japanese maples in the garden of Gorse Cottage sparkled with the earlier rain
which had filled the gutter
and the pool now threatening to spill over onto the road junction.
Mushrooms sprang from the verge of St Leonard’s Road.
Jackie had driven on ahead and back-tracked to tell me of cattle and calves on the road ahead. She thought it might be a bit far to walk so offered to drive me to them. I preferred to see how I got on. Eventually I spied them in the distance. They were on the move, and vanished out of sight, which encouraged me to keep going.
Around one bend they once more came into view
and rounded another.
One of the calves
seemed reluctant to follow the others.
He looked back wistfully at
his oblivious mother engrossed in guzzling griselinia.
This sawn off tree trunk must, at some time past, have fallen across the road.
On our return we drove to Lymington to buy Christmas presents.
After lunch my Chauffeuse carried me to Sears Barbers at Milford on Sea where Peter cut my hair.
This evening we joined Elizabeth to dine at Albero Italian restaurant in Brockenhurst. My choice of meal was a well filled Calzone followed by Tiramisu; Jackie’s was creamy fettuccini; Elizabeth’s a special fish dish. Both ladies enjoyed cheesecakes. Elizabeth and I shared a carafe of the house red wine served at the perfect temperature; Jackie drank Moretti. The food was very well cooked, and the service friendly and efficient.