Be yourself

Just back from another trip in the field with seven American students and their two professors in tow. Oh boy - it absolutely lashed, the wind howled and the sun shone, usually simultaneously! We walked the old mass path to St Gobnait's site, the leaves on the massive beech trees dripping with green, literally and metaphorically; we stroked the sile na gig, stood stoically in horizontal rain as I wafted on a bit, and stuck our hands in  a hole in a wall to feel the odd thing inside - an agate stone, good for cattle ailments naturally. An elderly woman was paying extensive rounds and we tried not to interfere too much. One of the students chatted to her and she explained she was rounding for her sister who had cancer. She then lit a candle for us!
Fuelled with a large lunch at the Mills Inn we carried on to St Abban's well, deep in even denser, damper wood - here the highlights included navigating a ford, deeper than it looks;  trying not to get electrocuted on the fence, avoiding the impressive cowpats and slithering up an extremely muddy path to the tiny well - which was dry! White trainers were not quite so white after this very authentic experience.
I've copied Eric's picture of the group so thank you Eric. 
And how many holy wells have messages spelled out in scrabble. Odd. But I like the message.