Today dawned with sunny intervals. As the meteorologists had correctly forecast driving rain this afternoon, we drove to Setley Ridge to buy a birthday present, then into the forest,
I photographed two woodland scenes outside Brockenhurst, from where we drove across the moors towards Beaulieu.
A solitary horse and rider trotted across the fading heather;
a loan pony grazed beside Hatchet Pond;
while a small group found their fodder nearer the road.
It was not far outside the village that we were held up by a pair of ponies soon to be joined by others. For me there was nothing for it but to leave the car and
join in the fun.
The progress of the red Qashqai was indicative of the necessary negotiations. When we returned more than an hour later the languid equine road-lords and -ladies still held court.
By and large cattle have more road sense and remain on the verges, leaving the road to cyclists.
There were, of course, exceptions.
Stopping by a pine copse on the road between Beaulieu and Brockenhurst, I focussed on the landscape.
It was gentle donkeys that occupied the tarmac on the way to Saint Leonard’s,
beyond which another group of cows mostly kept to the verges with their calves.
This afternoon I received a request from WordPress to rate their recent attempts to help me with various problems. I was given two options: “I’m happy” or “I’m not happy”. Naturally I chose the latter. I was then asked to elaborate. This is what I wrote:
“I’m not very competent. I couldn’t get zoom going. The subsequent chat didn’t help – I was given three links – one to a book which I would have to buy. I work best talking to a human being. If that is not possible I will have to accept that you can’t help me. (I am intelligent enough to have written a daily post for 7 years and have only met problems with the introduction of Gutenberg editor. Having said all that I am 77 years old).”
This evening we dined on succulent lamb steak; crisp roast potatoes and parsnips; crunchy carrots and tender cabbage, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Saint-Chinian 2016.