I like to tell people that I love city life and even though my family are all country people from deepest darkest Dorset, that I prefer nice even pavements, a choice of espresso outlets and 24 hour convenience over gallons of fresh air and cow pats. I do like to visit though.
Living in Southampton is great as you get the best of both worlds, literally 10 minutes from your front door you can look out of the car window and see this chap (or one of his friends) smiling at you. Look, he’s really smiling…
The ponies are totally in control of everything in the New Forest, and I think they know it, but it beats being stuck behind a bus.
In the cuteness stakes though the ponies (even the baby foals) now have some stiff competition. Hundreds of piglets are set free in the forest during the autumn to eat up all the acorns so the ponies don’t get a tummy ache. They are very efficient at snuffling under the soft, mossy grass to find to find whatever it is that’s under there… would that be acorns then? I thought they’s be on top. Anyway, all I know is that to see a gang of these pink-bottomed boys on your travels through the forest is just delightful and could sway me from my city ways very easily.
Heather season is unfortunately on it’s last legs, so I am definitely going to make the effort to get to this spot a bit earlier next year – it must have looked magnificent in all its magenta glory. This is taken at Brately View shortly after a big cheese and pickle sandwich at the fabulous Red Shoot pub…
Imagine it when the heather is at its rosiest, here’s a patch I found clinging on to its colour…
Lastly though, what the freakin’ heck is going on here? I can only think that some spider has taken speed and got very very busy with his web building, or had lots of extra string to use up or something…
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