sunset – Page 2 – derrickjknight

Rarities

Although by mid-morning it had now desisted despite the winds’ persistence, the precipitation from the steady overnight gales washed over Christchurch Road as we sprayed our way along to Efford Recycling Centre transporting ten more spent compost bags of garden refuse.

Late this afternoon we drove to Mudeford to catch the sunset.

Strong winds whooshing through my ears rippling the low tide failed to drown the tinkling mastheads of yachts moored for the winter; the mewing of gulls; the hammering from a nearby building site; the cawing of rooks. Otherwise the scene was silent, while I perched on a

bench waiting in vain for

the sun to emerge from behind the horizon-obscuring clouds.

Apart from her shot of me Jackie also photographed a gull, a yacht, and a stack of smaller vessels.

The world’s first postage stamps were the UK penny black issued on 1st May 1840 and the twopenny blue, five days later. While contemplating the pyramid of Remembrance Day poppies atop Mudeford’s rare Victorian post box of 1859 I wondered how many of those early receipts for payment had passed, adhered to letters and cards, through that unusual upright slot, now becoming as uncommon as themselves.

I would not expect to see this purple hebe currently in bloom.

This evening we all dined on plentiful portions of excellent food from Kings House Chinese Takeaway, only because the Hordle one is not open on this day. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I decided wine would not complement hot and sour soup.

Peepo! On The Way To Bed

With the day beginning as had yesterday I planned to visit a different sunset location later this afternoon, and therefore settled back into my Priestley literature analysis.

A dark-browed shower descended at the time we were due to set off, so I carried on reading with half an eye trained on

the skies while the sun deliberated on whether or not to put in a appearance.

The first shot in the above gallery was reflected in the casement gable window through which I need to poke my lens for any images from above.

Finally, from the car park of The Royal Oak I was able to photograph the red-gold orb playing peepo! on its way to bed.

The bangers and mash which we all enjoyed for dinner this evening consisted of a mix of pork and garlic and pork and chives sausages, mashed potatoes as creamy as usual, crunchy carrots, tender runner beans, and toothsome sweetcorn, with which Jackie drank Peroni and I drank more of the Australian Shiraz.

Walking Into The Sun

Today we experienced warm blue-sky-sunshine with just enough cloud for what was to come. We began with a trip to the dump with another batch of garden refuse in spent compost bags.

After lunch I read more of J. B. Priestley’s “Literature and Western Man”, until it was time to dash down to Barton on Sea to catch the

coastal sunset. The last three of these gentler images were produced by Jackie who was looking away from the direct dazzle.

This evening our grandfamily finished the leftovers from the recent Red Chilli takeaway while Jackie and I dined at Lal Quilla. My main course was tender lamb naga; Jackie’s tasty chicken sallee; we shared exquisite mushroom rice, egg paratha, and seb loo Jalfrezi, and both drank Kingfisher. Service, ambience, and cooking were as excellent as always.

Warm October Sunshine

Early this morning I watched a recording of last night’s rugby World Cup semi final match between England and South Africa.

Later, sporting shirt sleeves, I wandered among the garden plants with my camera.

As usual, accessing the gallery by clicking on any image will reveal individual titles.

Before dinner, Jackie drove me to Hatchet Pond to catch the sunset.

While waiting for the sun to reach the lake I was entranced by

the calm communing of a lone woman who was unknowingly blessed by a rainbow as light rain fell.

Jackie had also glimpsed the colourful phenomenon as it appeared above the car park.

We each photographed the sunset, the last two in this gallery being by Jackie.

The above mentioned dinner consisted of Jackie’s delicious chicken and vegetable stewp followed by her spicy pumpkin pie. We drank more of the same wines of yesterday.

A Lovely Afternoon

Danni, Ella, and Jack joined us for one of Jackie’s splendid salad and cold meats lunches; once Ellie woke she and her parents accompanied us, as Elizabeth did later.

We were able to give Ella her birthday present, which, having unwrapped it with suitable glee, she propped, unopened, on the arm of the sofa and carried on putting together the body parts puzzle which she had extracted from the toy hamper as soon as she arrived.

The next game involved a telephone conversation between her mother, Danni, who was in her own home, viz my chair, and Ella, in her own home – or rather the sofa at the far end of our sitting room.

When arranging a sleepover at Danni’s house, she pointed out that she had a lot of children and was that all right? She needed also to seek permission from G’ma, Elizabeth. This meant a call to her,

having checked her phone number with Danni.

Permission granted,

she enjoyed her sleepover.

Ella had looked forward to meeting Ellie once more ever since she arrived here. She was delightfully tender with her cousin.

Leaving Jackie at home to recuperate and prepare this evening’s dinner, the rest of us took a trip to the mild-weathered Milford on Sea, beginning at the children’s playground next to the Needle’s Eye Café,

where the slide was enjoyed by Jack,

and by Ellie, each aided by parents.

Ellie

Jack,

and Ella, keen to display her ability to propel herself to a great height, all enjoyed the swings, although Ellie wasn’t quite sure what was happening.

While I sat on a wall above, the others wandered along the shoreline;

Ella gathering handfuls of pebbles and throwing them into the water.

Two other children splashing, caught my eye.

We returned home shortly before sunset.

Later, Danni sent me photographs of the rest of us on the beach wall,

and also from behind. Note Ella’s collection of missiles.

Danni took her children home soon afterwards and Elizabeth stayed for dinner which included tender roast lamb, crisp Yorkshire pudding, boiled new potatoes, crunchy carrots, firm Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower, with tasty gravy accompanied by Hoegaarden for Jackie and Swartland Shiraz 2020 for Elizabeth and me.

Fire And Ice

Early this afternoon we received a further oil-fired radiator from Amazon. This had kept us in until 4 p.m. when we ventured out into another cold-blue-sky day in search of a forest sunset.

We drove up Holmsley Passage turning right into Clay Hill at the top.

There the golden disc flirted with trees and clouds,

burnishing the trees above their reflections in the pool home to mallards,

past which a solitary grey pony emerged from the dingy dusk.

Along Bisterne Close the fiery sun slowly slipped into indigo clouds above icy, reflecting, recently filled concavities.

Further verges along the close contained some of the many lingering ice patterns in the woods and moorland, featuring leaves above and below them.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome chicken stewp with fresh crusty bread. She drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Shiraz.

33 Hours From Dawn To Sunset

The gales were back in force today, with 50 m.p.h. winds and driving rain – so much so that it was hard to remember

yesterday’s dawn

when we set off for a forest drive in headlights-gloom at 3 p.m.

Some 30 minutes later brief glimpses of blue sky and white cloud ripped indigo canopies above

the rippling reflections of waterlogged roadside verges along St Leonards Road.

where damp ponies

listlessly trudged

past the ruins of the 13th century granary barn that once served Beaulieu Abbey.

Sunset was visible at East Boldre just after 4 p.m. Later the rains hammered down once more.

This evening we all dined on chicken pieces marinaded in mango piri-piri sauce and Jackie’s savoury vegetable rice, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Côtes du Rhône. Everyone else abstained.

Pecking Up Ticks

This morning I exchanged e-mails with Ivor in Geelong, with whom I am collaborating on his next poetry anthology, see https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2022/08/04/yorkie-against-the-undertow-2/

This afternoon Jackie drove us all to Helen and Bill’s at Fordingbridge where we enjoyed introducing Dillon to his aunt by marriage, and a little later to John who had called in on his mother.

Later we dined at The Lamb Inn in Nomansland.

As Dillon explained, a trio of Guinea Fowl were occupied in clearing ticks from the green in front of the pub.

In the pub garden Jackie and Flo chose well-filled burgers, chips, and slaw for their main meal, followed by Eton mess and Brownie with ice cream respectively; Dillon and I both selected succulent steak and ale pie with very flavoursome carrots and cauliflower, and tender garden peas. Jackie and Dillon both drank Inch’s medium cider, Flo drank J2O, and I drank Doom Bar.

The sun was setting as we left for home.

A Second Chance

Is it perhaps an example of Karl Jung’s synchronicity that I should have come to the end of an acclaimed modern masterpiece with which I find myself at odds on a day when the Kremlin is shelling Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

I began reading “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles soon after Christmas for which Tess had given me the book as a present. It is indeed a book of great ‘charm, intelligence and insight’ as quoted from the Sunday Times on the front cover. The narrative is very well crafted from start to finish. The apparently effortless language flows beautifully at a smoothly engaging pace. The relationships between his rounded characters are sensitive displayed. Knowledge of arts and history is demonstrated.

I do not have enough insight into Russian history to understand whether the story of a man spending almost his entire adult life in comparatively privileged house arrest following the 1917 Revolution is the comic genius that some newspaper critics are quoted as attributing to it.

So, although I did ultimately enjoy the book for its tale-telling and for its humour, with that dilemma in mind I could not find it funny without wondering about all the Russian people who lived and died under, or were forced to flee from the Communist regime.

Maybe it is more about the human capacity for acceptance, adaptation, and ultimate internal freedom.

Today was a bright and sunny as yesterday, so we drove out to St Peter’s Church at Bramshaw to test my resetting of the 35mm lens.

I had been given a second chance.

Unfortunately there were no ponies on Nomansland village green, so I had to make do with

some on the road at Frogham;

one against the rapidly descending sunset;

and one drinking from the pool at Ibsley.

This evening Jackie fed us on an extra pot of the chicken Jalfrezi and savoury rice prepared for Elizabeth’s event on Sunday. Because this is milder than my taste she gave me a chilli coulis made with four of the bird’s eye variety. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I drank Finca Flichman Gestos Malbec 2018.

Tag: sunset