An Afternoon Of Forest Splashing At Dooney Rock

Well here we were again at Dooney Rock Woods,
10 minutes early, the sun was shining ...


Several folks turned up on time at 3 pm, this time, so Tony Cuckson sang us
some 'Waiting For The Others To Arrive' songs ...


After more arrived we took some group photo shots, always with 12 of us, and here I am missing as I am taking the pic, and Maura had not joined with us yet.

All we see is Colston's hat here too, but his pic is the Tony just before this :-)


and here is another one taken by Coleston Brown that has me in it, but not Maura, or Coleston in it.


Some get ready for the trek, Anne, Rowena and Louise ...

pic by Hugh Flanagan

So we head into the Dooney Rock woods ...

pic by Hugh Flanagan

Down the steps ...

pic by Hugh Flanagan

to the waterside beach of Lough Gill, a wonderful Bardic place ...


Tony does a Tin Tin with Snowy impersonation ...


Tonja breaths in the vibe of here ...t


Several beautiful poems and songs were shared from here including a beautiful one shared by Young Clarise, but alas at home discovered my iPad mic broke so no audio on videos this week!, A big boohoo, as there were very special readings this afternoon.

Tony Cuckson sang a song here ...

photo by Hugh Flanagan

I recited Duir The Oak by the waterside, under an oak above, not seen in pic ...

photo by Hugh Flanagan

Maura's dog likes to swim here :-)


The others then elected to walk the 1.2 km figure of eight walk around the woods. Lots of cameras came out to attemp to capture the beauty ...


Such as views like this ...

pic by Hugh Flanagan

and this ...

photo by Hugh Flanagan

This is the figure of eight path ...


I was awed by several Oak trees that had Holly trees beside them, Oak King with Holly King beside them


At one point we caught up for a Tree botany presentation by Coleston using the aid of the fold up signs :-)


And here is Hugh, of many of the fabulous photos here, 
encouraging us to look at comething?

photo by Jane Gilgun

And Jane trying to catch us up after taking some pics too ...

photo by Tom Flanagan

We were soon on the second part of the figure of eight
that spiraled up to the rock ...


There's the rock face ...

pic by Hugh Flanagan

The group was somewhat splitting up into different directions now at different paces. There were the walkers going ahead.


The strollers in sociable conversation and loving the air ...


The photographers who took different paths ...

This is Hugh who took several of the photos featured in this blog ...


and some who took time out for quiet ...


For some reason we seem to be quite a playful group today, even hyper at times, me included. We were doing more Forest Splashing than Forest Bathing.

And Tonja and Clarise had shoes and socks off to bathe in the water ...


While some spiralled up to the top of the Rock, some of us returned to our cars to get the picnic food and beverages, then returned to the Rock straight up!

pic by Hugh Flanagan

Tonja had salad to share ...


Bee looked like she had something to surprise us with ...


Obi was secured away from the picnic blankets :-)


Here's Maura, who I have not featured in a pic yet, with a fork, ready tuck in ...


Here we all were, tucking in to the picnic delights on top of Doiney Rock ...


Tonja ready to supplement our tea
from hot water from her remarkable Kelly's Kettle ...


After we were well nourished and beveraged,
Síle starts off another Bardic session on the Rock.


Painful for me that my video recordings of this time have no sound as included here ar Tony Cuckson speaking The Fiddler Of Dooney by W.B. Yeats and Clarise reciting her wonderful Ode To Irish Tea, plus offerings from others around us.

Everyone listened and absorbed ...

pic by Jane Gilgun

Tonja reads a beautiful little story, wish we still had the video ...


Even Anne beautifully sang a Fleetwood Mac song, Landslide ...


A few more pics of the views to take before we go ...

Beezie's Island ...

photo by Hugh Flanagan
Over to Ben Bulben  ...

photo by Hugh Flanagan

Serenade before we go ...





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