Towards Hungry Hill

A wonderful day. The sun shining, we met up with our pals and headed off to Comkeen to do the loop walk. I love this walk for it has just about everything in it. You start off high and walk along a ridge, from cairn to cairn, with spectacular views of Bantry Bay and Whiddy Island (no sign of George Clooney). Larks and choughs abounded. First stop off point of interest included this spectacular standing stone surrounded by foxgloves - unmarked on any maps or inventories but a fine thing looking out towards Hungry Hill. Finola made copious notes and observations into her iphone. Onwards to a little ruined farmstead miles from anywhere, and its two windswept hawthorns. A little further on amongst the bog and bracken, the remains of booleys - little stone buildings which once had thatched rooves and were used as shelter by the young people looking after the cattle in the summer pastures.  Past a lake, all vivid green rushes and rustlings, down a dusty flower-strewn track, through a small hamlet full of interesting houses and then a windy route back up to the mountain, the road so small and unsued that camomile grows happily in the centre.
Lunch al fresco down by the pond as next door's cockerel kept up an incessant crow, the  sheep bleated and baaed and silage trucks rumbled in the distance.