Tag: sunset

They Only Wanted To Feed The Ducks

The cold, overcast, weather continued throughout the day until we set off late in the afternoon for a forest drive, and someone turned on the light, so we headed for Hatchet Pond where we would likely see a cormorant on a post. In the event, the bird remained in deep shade and we were diverted anyway by a man and little girl walking down the slope with the intention of feeding the ducks.

Jackie photographed them and the swan, donkey, and a gull bidding for the food.

She also caught the cormorant on the far bank as she pictured another donkey.

This is my gallery of the scene. The fist brandished by the man in the fourth picture is an attempt to shoo off the donkey. These animals appeared from nowhere. The woman in the last picture used much more voraciously violent vehemence to banish them all.

Apart from chatting to one donkey seen in my gallery above, she

focussed on gulls in flight

and the swan on the water.

She also caught donkeys in silhouette against the sun.

After I photographed the lower sun tinting the thatched roof

and the pony on Furzey Lane,

we diverted to St. Leonard’s Road where we waited for a promising sunset; the first two images of which are mine, and the third, Jackie’s.

This evening we dined on succulent lemon chicken and wholesome savoury rice with which I drank more of the merlot.

A Sitting Duck

At mid-afternoon today the moon vied with the sun for

sky-space as we set out on a forest drive.

Along St. Leonard’s Road shaggy ponies in their winter coats availed themselves of fence-posts for scratching. While I focussed on them

Jackie photographed a cock pheasant that had crossed the road.

Anticipating a decent sunset we dropped down to Milford-on-Sea. The first three pictures in this gallery are mine; the last two by Jackie

who also photographed a couple on a bench;

The Needles and their lighthouse;

and, leaning on the car bonnet, a sitting duck.

Earlier in the day I had read more of ‘The Brontës’.

This evening we dined on succulent roast pork with crisp crackling; boiled new potatoes; crunchy carrots, firm Brussels sprouts, and tender red cabbage, with which I finished the Shiraz.

Culling I Did Earlier

I felt like flopping today after four energetic days, so I returned to these posts I had prepared back in November.

I was disinclined to delete any of these photographs from https://derrickjknight.com/2012/11/29/orlaith/

nor this one from https://derrickjknight.com/2013/11/26/they-are-her-friends-now/

I have saved just these four images from https://derrickjknight.com/2013/09/22/afternoon-tea/ the first pair from the morning and

these two from the afternoon.

This evening we all dined on a succulent roast leg of lamb; boiled new potatoes; crisp Yorkshire pudding; crunchy carrots; tangy red cabbage; firm cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, with meaty gravy. Various wines and beers were imbibed, my choice being more of the pinotage.



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.

Very Little Damage

I wandered around the quite still post-storm garden this morning and was pleasantly surprised at the limited damage we had suffered.

On Friday evening Jackie had performed the usual battening down of the hatches, such as laying down plant stands and

the items that can be seen in these images of the patio except for the downed owl planter and the broken pot she had thought too heavy for the 75 mph winds to blow down.

The Head Gardener had tucked the watering cans out of the usual danger area, but some were scattered around as can be seen on the Kitchen and Brick Paths.

Apart from the owl in the first picture, and the hanging basket loosened from the eucalyptus tree most flowers in pots have remained unscathed.

One owl has been tipped a little as his support has been dislodged;

the copper beech has retained a few leaves, while depositing the rest on the soil and gravel beneath. We can always do with more bagfuls.

Some readers my remember that recently we transported two lidless dustbins to the local dump. Over this weekend we acquired another we could hear rolling around the front garden. This morning it was standing upright on the front drive. Jackie stood it outside in the street. We can’t take responsibility for everything that blows in.

Because strong sunlight burns out the colours in flowers I waited to show some roses still thriving until the

sun was about to retire for the night.

This evening we dined on tender roast chicken; crisp Yorkshire pudding; boiled new potatoes; firm carrots; flavoursome Brussels sprouts, and tasty gravy, with which I drank more of the Fleurie.

Dump Trip And Forest Drive

This morning we transported eight bags of garden refuse, a rusted sack barrow, and two lidless dustbins surplus to our requirements, to Efford Recycling Centre.

The blue-sky-bright sunshine belied the acute chill in the air as we took a forest drive towards the end of the afternoon.

The postbox outside the eponymously named cottage on Wootton Road sports an Armistice memorial.

Autumn colour lingers along Holmsley Passage where the stream ripples across the larger ford;

along the Bisterne Close woodland fallen leaves and mossy trunks were lit by late shafts of sunlight,

and a bay pony cropped and chewed holly leaves impervious to prickles in her leather-lined jaws.

We were just in time for sunset at Barton on Sea’s Marine Drive East,

where cloud colour was muted when looking east.

This evening we dined on breaded scampi, chips, onion rings, and peas.

Three Mothers And The Future

Apart from watching the Six Nations rugby match between France and Wales, I spent much of the day reading William Makepeace Thackeray’s “Vanity Fair” which I began earlier in the week.

At sunset we all drove down the coast road to join Becky and Ian at

Britannia Thai in Milford on Sea for a Mothers Day celebration meal.

Jackie, Becky, Flo, and Ellie sat together for a photoshoot, then

spread out a bit.

We thoroughly enjoyed the evening, with lots of fun, a few presents; and the usual excellent food served with friendly efficiency.

Clearing Up After Storm Gerrit

This morning I enjoyed another eminently endurable chiropractic session with Eloise.

Storm Henk was beginning to calm today. There was less rain and quieter gusts of wind as Martin was able to work throughout.

He sawed up the trunk of the overgrown pittosporum, lopped the branches which he carried to the Back Drive, cut them into pieces with which he filled more of the spent compost bags and carried all to the front end of the garden nearest our parked car, whence we will be able to transport them in several trips to the Efford Recycling Centre. A crushed chair which had borne potted plants joined other scrap metal – also destined for the dump – behind the shed.

We have kept a close eye on the Weeping Birch which remains standing – at least for the time being.

This evening we all dined on Ferndene Farm Shop’s succulent sausages; creamy mashed sweet and white potatoes; crunchy carrots; firm cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussel’s sprouts; and meaty gravy, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Valle Central Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon 2022.

Reading

The storm winds roared throughout the night and did not lessen until late this afternoon when we took a short forest drive.’

Rather like me, Ellie is a reader of eclectic choices. Although her words are not yet fully clear, she knows what is being said to her, and can identify pictures and is indeed able to trace the written word with her fingers, saying, in her own way, the words she is apparently reading.

One of her current favourites is Jackie’s Gardener’s World. She can display an apple when she sees one.

Her favourite card is this one from Sue W, which she often carries around with her, tracing the words and pointing to the sheep, several times a day – this set was produced by Jackie.

Needless to say, her parents have brought her up with books from her very early days.

On our drive mushrooms pierced the verges of Church Road;

Mallards are still at home on Pilley lake;

Cormorants were at their posts on Hatchet Pond, where coots scooted beneath them.

Naked oaks were everywhere silhouetted against the sky.

Jackie also photographed the birds on Hatchet Pond;

the Christmas tree and visitors to Buckler’s Hard; and trees against

the sky shortly before sunset.

On our way home, I pictured the sunset over Southampton Road at Pennington.

For dinner this evening we all revisited Jackie’s still plentiful chicken and turkey stewp and fresh bread, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Fleurie.

Pool At Sunset

Enough steady rain fell throughout the morning for Jackie to join a line of drivers playing water sports spraying each other as they drove through pools speeding out from the verges along Christchurch Road as she drove me to Birchfield dental practice for a hygienist session with Bronya.

By mid afternoon bright sunshine shone on our forest drive.

The Wootton Road post box now carries a crocheted Remembrance Day tribute. This actually stands in Tiptoe. Further along the thoroughfare enters woodland and becomes

Tiptoe Road, which, today was awash. Naturally I stepped out and photographed cars splashing through the pool streaming across the moorland and down into the opposite field. Naturally Jackie photographed me in action and a van from her driving seat.

She also pictured mushrooms and autumn leaves on the ground and leaves on their branches against the clear blue sky.

A young pedestrian was forced to cross the bridge by the Forest Road ford where the water doesn’t usually rise so high.

At first along Bisterne Close, our paths kept crossing with a dog walker at impressively far apart locations.

Despite the continuing comparatively mild weather the woodland alongside the Close looks definitely autumnal.

Jackie produced images of fall’s red-gold ferns and squirrels perhaps stocking up their larders.

Finally the Assistant Photographer caught the sun slip sliding away sunset and me failing to do so.

This evening we all dined on Jackie’s stupendous chicken and vegetable stewp and cheesy pizza with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank Hacienda Uvanis Garnacha Old Vines 2022.