Oiche Shamhna!

A rather pleasant day. It being mild and sort of sunny ie not raining, we decided to do a walk. I had to go down to the end of the peninsula to collect some money from Bernie's Cupán Tae, the café's last day of opening, so that seemed a good place to start. Himself wanted to do a big walk and I decided to join him for part of the way. We hadn't gone far when we met Jim and his dog Jess, sitting near the ruins of an old cabin. We stopped for the chat and it was fascinating. Jim has lived here all his life and he told us a little about the area then lead us off to look at a quern stone, now in a wall, recently discovered. 

Himself went off eastwards into the bracken and the soft greys and I cut across country in an attempt to get to a cluster of ruined houses I hadn't managed to get to before. Well worth the scrambling over bog and bracken for the central house had a huge fireplace and still had wooden surrounds in the windows. I think people were still living here until the '50s. Not a soul about now, just two kestrels, a snipe under foot and some cross stonechats.
On my way back up to the cafe the very small path was blocked by a very large cow. Luckily she was gracious. I eventually sat outside and ate a huge slice of rhubarb tart admired the view, trying not to stare at a man's very interesting hair cut. Shaved at the back with a sprouting of black hair tipped with white on the top. Fortunately I was distracted down below by the sight of a dolphin gently undulating through the water.

It being Samhain (Halloween/Shamhna), the eve of Celtic New Year and once a major festival, I then went off to a ringfort - or fairy fort as they are known locally. You must enter with care for strange things go on within. People have been known to disappear and reappear centuries later!  The ringfort was actually full of cattle - big ginger ones with thick curly coats. Not as chilled as the first one encountered. I went back to the waterfall on the way to the fort which was looking rather fine with its smattering of golden leaves. Even more appropriate perhaps as the Celts believed water was the entrance to the Otherworld, a supernatural realm of everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance and joy, populated by the deities and possibly the dead. More recently the Otherworld is seen as being the home of the Other Crowd or the Good People, the faery folk who live parallel lives to us.  Occasionally the veil is thin enough for inhabitants on both sides to sneak through for a while and visit each other. Should you be considering it today is the day.

Thank you for all the entries for Derelict Sunday 54. A fine crop of offerings from a Roman bath house to a water wheel to a taxi to a phone box to an oven to a squeaky night tiller to a piano to a postbox, via sheds and gardens and gravestones and flowers and even an entire beach! The theme was very loosely spooky, faves on there way to:
The Greenhouse by Bob's Blips, very delicately processed like a pencil drawing, but I bet the Other Crowd frolic within
Trick or Treat  by DoingOk, not sure I'd venture in! (well I might)
Days Road Cottage by DaringGo, an adorable little place and I hope she peeps round the back
Spooky Sunday  by sylviacebula, an amazing abandoned pile, but I especially like the two slightly sinister looking witches ladies
House with a View by Apothecary7, looking rather sinister and Grimm like, the little cottage is very enticing

Next week (DS55) Serpent will be hosting for November. If anyone fancies doing the business for December please let her know.