Taking the scenic route to Greenwich sometimes causes us to disturb a group of pigeons.
They huddle atop a telephone pole beside the road.
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We often slow down there to say hello to a trio of horses, but that day we saw that they were in another pasture.
It is the same place where we sometimes we see a fox, but not that day, so we kept going yet the pigeons still took to the air.
We wonder if it’s the same group that occasionally visits us at home.
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Never without a lot of drama.
You would think big solid birds like that would feel secure.
They make several tentative approaches when they arrive, as if to check out the airfield before they finally touch down, but then the slightest sound or even the sight of me in a window sets them off in a great fluttering fuss.
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All birds are welcome and I am always pleased to see pigeons.
Three years ago, this unique bird turned up.
So beautiful. We saw it a couple of times but not since.
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The more laid back doves are almost always around. During the seriously cold weather, I noticed them pecking holes through the ice to get a drink.
(We have two heated water bowls elsewhere.)
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Meandering around the countryside is a good distraction and we have a selection of itineraries that take us frequently past animals we look out for.
Usually they are partly hidden behind fences, but this day…
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It was as if they were posing for me.
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“You got apple?”
These are just a few of our many horsey friends.
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“Like my posh green coat?”
When I was little, in the 1950’s, we often saw horse-drawn carts in London. I thought those animals were wonderful. It was quite unfair of my parents not to allow me to have one.
Mum told me there was nowhere to keep a horse, but I saw no reason why it couldn’t clip clop through the flat and live outside in the few square feet of property at the back.
Instead, I had to make do with a mechanical horse. If I climbed aboard and went giddy-up, it actually moved – leaving dirty black marks on the linoleum.
That passageway got heavy traffic. My brother played cricket there, batting his ball against the wall at the far end and running up and down.
Mother spent a lot of time polishing!
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We don’t just talk to animals as we drive around. We say hello to a good selection of trees too.
We appreciate trees in general, but many stand out to be noticed, like the two above.
There is no chance for a clear shot without parking and clambering through the woods, but at this time of year it was almost possible.
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A minute later, we startled a pair of deer that darted off into a field.
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Last year’s leaves are still attached to this lonely tree.
Do you suppose trees are aware of being lonely?
Loneliness is a human concept, but it is thought now that trees are sentient and who knows what they may or may not feel?
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The ATM in Cambridge being out of service, I had to use the one in Greenwich, which is the only reason I got to notice the above which investigation determined to be a Catalpa.
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Common in these parts, apparently, though I can’t say I’ve been aware of them.
Which is surprising, considering their summer appearance.
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Surely I would not miss flowers like this?
Clearly, I shall have to pay more attention.
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When the horses and carts came around delivering things when I was a child, my grandfather used to rush out of the house with a shovel and bucket to collect the horse-droppings. He said they were the best fertiliser for the roses he grew in the small garden at the side of his house. He sometime sent me to get the manure, if he did not consider himself to be ‘suitably dressed’. 😊
Best wishes, Pete.
Our milk was delivered by horse drawn cart in Scotland in the late 1950s. First sight of those magical creatures fired a passion in me that has not abated. Like you, I begged for a horse without success. But when we moved to the US, we ended up in a (then) rural area and I was lucky to meet people who wanted horses ridden. Wish you were closer – I’d let you ride Oisin!
I would love that!
Thank you so much, Carolyn, for the interesting memories from your childhood in London, and your thoughts on the emotional life of trees, the wonderful photos of the gathering of pigeons, the leaping deer, the horse fashion show, and the stunning blooms of a plant I never knew about!
You follow the advice of Marcus Aurelius, who wrote:
” Dwell in the beauty of life”, I would add, and of nature!
Joanna
I thought that I’d read that trees can communicate over long distances, so I looked it up and found this:
Trees communicate over distances ranging from a few meters to several kilometers, largely facilitated by an underground network of fungi known as the “wood wide web”. These mycorrhizal networks connect tree roots in forests, allowing them to share resources, send distress signals about insect attacks, and warn neighbors of drought. (National Forest Foundation)
Cook. Thank you, Warmest regards, Ed
The horses look like they’re on the runway of a fashion show – I love their colourful coats! I think some trees, just like people, actually prefer to be on their own (and in doing so, they create opportunities for beautiful photos).