Holmsley Passage cuts through stretch of moorland on the way to Burley. There is a sweep down to a deep valley which rises as a little bridge takes us up the other side.
Late this afternoon, as we drove along it, the sunshine and showers offered enticing landscape lighting
bringing a glint to a the eye of a trotting thrush.
Bright yellow gorse blended with burnished bracken,
among which bronzed browsing ponies nibbled
and cloven-hoofed cattle chomped.
A black cow ambled across the junction with the main road into Burley,
pausing to admire its reflection in a gutter pool.
Crossing the road at this point, and turning right takes us up to a popular dog walking spot.
Halfway up the slope lies a small pond also harbouring reflections
admired by a distant robin, its breast russet as an autumn leaf, standing out against the shadow of a lichen covered tree,
Back towards Burley the lowering sun still burnished the trees and the bracken among which
walkers wandered
with their straining dogs,
while ponies cropped the grass.
One canine creature, its tail aloft, passed a busy grey pony. They did not pass the time of day.
Heading towards Lyndhurst the skies grew more dramatic,
in preparation for impending sunset which would soon be visible from the approach to Holmsley Road.
Elizabeth returned this evening after her next stint of moving in to her Pilley House. We dined on bacon chops; sautéed potatoes; spicy ratatouille; and piquant cauliflower cheese Jackie drank Hoegaarden and my sister and I drank Terre de Galets Cotes du Rhone 2016.
