After a month of slight and intermittent lameness, Harry’s visit to the vet yesterday evening consigned him to short lead walks for at least two weeks. We start out this morning with a stroll around Hightown Common to the east of Ringwood and then a little walk from Moyles Court in the dying afternoon light.

The cold bright mornings bring the misty mornings that make autumn in the Forest just beautiful. Here, looking south towards the coast, the Smugglers Road on the horizon with a bank of cloud that looks for all the world like much higher ground behind.

The sun shines brightly behind a fine oak tree.

Harry stalks ahead of me on his bungee lead. He wears a harness to save his neck and my arms!.

We head down towards Foulford Bottom – not an attractive name! Here, it looks more like something you might see in the rainforest.

A little further on it looks a little more Forest-like. Wonderful oak trees lead the way down to the brook looking ethereal in the misty sunlight.

Riders pass me and head off towards the brook and thence up onto the open moorland.

The mist leaves sparkles on spiders webs in the gorse.

The path becomes lined with beeches and carpeted with their bronze leaves.

In the places that the sun hasn’t reached, the hard overnight frost still lies.

Tall oaks causing the shade.

A late walk from Moyles Court as the light goes, the skies a mass of interesting clouds.

Looking out over the Blashford Lakes towards the Ringwood Forest and Dorset, all is blue in the dim twilight.

A fine Scots Pine at the top of the hill above Moyles Court and no more light!