What a busy week what with Origami boy's swimming gala in the outside pool (they must be crazy), school meetings, including one about pending sex education and seemingly no time to blog or draw. Never mind - the rain is pouring down now, I have a STINKING cold and the house to myself for a couple of hours. Time to share what I've noticed is an expanding collection of pictures of lone trees on Dartmoor. These are just our local ones; I love their melancholy quality whilst often having a dramatic feel too. They are very often hawthorns but sometimes Rowan or strange hybrid willow in the marshy areas.
This last one was taken yesterday at about 7.30am before the sun burnt off the mist.
The other day I went our looking for the ponies as I hadn't seen them for a few days and I found them sheltering in a local farmer's field which borders the moor, to the disgust of the resident sheep. The wall is broken down and they had all dropped in for a visit. Very naughty and they looked a bit guilty when I popped my head up over the intact section of the wall.
Disgruntled sheep
Foals one and ten together
Whilst walking next to a piece of marsh another day, I noticed this amazing moss, whose length/height was staggering. I've never seen anything like it. Perhaps you have! At some points it was at least a foot high.
And a few other things we've seen this week..........
Common Darter Dragonfly....I think
Betty in the sun
Lizzy too
Those ears again
The herd too far away to get to
The leek flowers are still going strong
Here's hoping for better weather tomorrow. Have a good week, until next time.......
Leek flowers are very dainty & pretty; I have never let mine go to seed, as I have them snatched from the garden before that happens.
ReplyDeleteSadly these are last year's that we were too depressed to lift after the general vegetable garden disaster this year! They have fed countless insects now for weeks and weeks so I think we might do it again. Just wondering who's doing your snatching??? Human I hope!
DeleteOh what beautiful photos of the moor. Nearly as good as being there (just a dream this year, but one day . . .) Fabulous photo with the ponies in the distance, too far to go and visit - real depth of field.
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed with the Fuji depth of field issue. Funnily enough, I think my old smaller, much less expensive one does it best. When there's something in the foreground, it somehow manages to have everything in the distance in focus too. Amazing.
DeleteSo glad you like the pictures. I had you in mind when I was putting them together!
BEAUTIFUL photos of the trees, especially the Hawthorn. The one lone cow looks so forlorn and the poor pony needs a hair clip. Love where you live.
ReplyDeleteI sweat her mane and tail get thicker every time I see her. It's a miracle she can see at all!
DeleteWill the farmer be upset that the ponies came on to his field ? I hope not. Seems like a rugged life they lead. What happens in winter ?
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip
The farm has its own herd and when I see them, I'll let them know what's going on. I don't think they'll be too bothered or they would have mended the wall.
DeleteIn winter the ponies get pretty thin and EXTREMELY furry, particularly if we have long periods of snow, but they're very hardy and seem to survive okay. I've never actually followed particular ones over winter so it'll be interesting to do so this year. If one doesn't make it, foal number ten for example, I should notice pretty quickly.
'Those ears again' Do they ever get grass seeds down them and I presume you do not have ticks because there can't be many deer around. Sorry for being gruesome but as always curious.;) Lovely photos again.
ReplyDeleteThey don't actually, which has been a surprise. We do get a lot of ticks from the sheep though and we have a lot of deer too, who come out of the nearby, extremely unsightly, Forestry Commission tract of forest. In the snow you can see how numerous they are by the tracks but in summer it's rare to see them. They're always way, way too far away to photograph if you do see some, which is a source of much frustration in this household!
DeleteThose lonely trees are beautiful. The eye seems to seek them out in a moorland landscape. I often seem to home in on a silver birch or a pine tree growing on its own among the heather. Your sea winds make the trees into such lovely shapes.
ReplyDeleteAren't they beautiful, and if I'm ever lost, at least I know which way is South West!
DeleteThe Moors always have such a wild look to them and the lone tree here and there helps add to the wildness. Such beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteI never tire of it! So glad you like the photos.
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