The blood red brilliance

The blood-red brilliance, mystery and melancholy of the hawthorn
Full of berry, the hawthorn’s splash of red is the brightest thing on Windmill Hill. Why it’s so loaded with berries, why they’re so brightly red and why they haven’t all been stripped by birds yet is a mystery. What is even more mysterious is that the tree appears to be singing. From inside its wind-twisted tangle come little chaffinchy songs, subdued chimings like side-of-the-mouth gossip. Blackbirds and redwings come for the berries but they only take a few and there’s no all-out plunder yet. Maybe they’re waiting for another spike of frost to perfect the fruit or maybe the tree has a kind of power over the birds and is not ready to deliver its promise. Paul Evans
Yes, the hawthorn trees are laden untroubled as yet by birds.  I was looking for sloes and have gathered enough for some Christmas sloe gin - they are fat, juicy and abundant this year.
A nice day. A long overdue catch up with Joe in New Zealand early this morning - we shall speak to Esme this weekend. And then Finola and two of her Canadian family came around for lunch. It's the first time they have been out of Canada and are bracing themselves to hire a car and nip round the Ring of Kerry. They will be grand!