Dig Day 2

Himself usually is in charge of food shopping and the fridge is looking rather spartan so I ventured into Bantry, very early as it's market day and usually heaving. I treated myself to breakfast and was joined fortuitously by another friend. Shopping done (olives, flowers, leek plants as well as the more mundane)I was just leaving when I bumped into some more friends and was whisked off for coffee. A very sociable morning and just home in time to unpack and head off up onto the hill for some more digging - see yesterday if you haven't a clue what I'm going on about.

Today we were very scientific and restrained and not a mattock in sight - unless wielded by C. Amazing how much can be revealed. Here's TJ  carefully uncovering a remarkably intact and unworn horseshoe found near the hearth. C, the archaeologist, remained unmoved whilst I speculated wildly that it had been placed under the hearth for good luck! We did ascertain that the farmstead, too posh for a cabin, probably had two rooms and a through passage - one room for cooking, the other for living. The hearth was revealed with its fireback and the kitchen area was certainly flagstoned (see the ones TJ is kneeling on). There was evidence of whitewash on one small area whilst the kitchen area had been plastered and once painted in the common bluey green reserved for dairies and kitchens. The living room had been rendered at one point. No sign of any window frames. We were joined by P and D. D could remember the last occupant of the house - he died about 40 years ago and was called Paddy. He played a mean mouth organ and there had been a few hoolies up here!  D remarked that Paddy, a bachelor,  would have been thrilled to find three women at work in his kitchen!!
We stopped work around 6.30, filthy and wrecked but satisfied. We are meeting again tomorrow for one last session - TJ had uncovered an interesting anomaly  (archaeology speak for what the hell is that) made of wood, lurking near the hearth, the hearth needs to be cleaned, C is threatening to make us do the drawings; and  measurings, photos and a general clean up all needed.

Himself has finished his art course and I think the rain has finally stopped! He will make a leisurely journey over to Inverness tomorrow before flying home on sunday.  Sometime amongst all this digging I have to have a quick tidy up!

Oh, and yesterday's pic was the wing of a poor cabbage white who had expired in the boreen, possibly run over.