Hallowe'en Eve

Fauna Cottage is up pretty high, looking across at Table Mountain directly opposite and Keadeen Mountain to the right as the valley slopes down from the road. It has it's own water supply which is fed by a bore hole - nice, soft drinking water, good for skin and hair.

Next day was our last full day, so we went for a long walk all around the forestry land above the cottage, down the Dunlavin side of the hill. We walked and talked about everything. At one point we entered the pine forest and went through about 200 yards of narrow clearing to a light well, where the sun penetrated down into the darkness and threw up an amazing array of moss, grass, lichen and fungus. I counted 18 different varieties, red, white, faun, chestnut, chrome orange, lemon yellow, some unattached to the earth and rising up magically, their roots suspended in a galaxy of bright green starshaped moss.

On our return, Dana and Lindy went to Blessington to be pampered, and John and I hung out and did precious little. This involved playing John's lovely Fender Strat and then John got out the Theremin to practise scaring the Hallowe'en children the following night. It made a spooky sound, and sounded far more bizarre standing in the lane.



My mood was further improved by Crystal Palace beating Birmingham, and so to celebrate, we went down the pub. We watched the last 30 minutes of Arsenal v Southampton and gasped as Southampton very nearly snuffed the Gunners. Then we laughed heartily as the Mighty Mancs lost to Pompey. Rise up, small, talented, well-managed teams everywhere, and take your rightful place at the big table ! That'll be the Smithwicks talking then...