Lough Hyne, where sea and lake hold their breath

WHAT an outstandingly beautiful day was April 28.

I believe it was one of the loveliest days I’ve every had the privilege to live through — in any season, in any part of the world. It was a “pet day”.

At 8.30am, it was warm enough to have breakfast on the balcony. Temperatures soared to 18C by mid-afternoon. The woods were brimming with bluebells and three, fat young ravens sat fully-feathered and almost ready to fly in their nest over the blue sea at Coomalacha. A blackbird was still fluting on a tree outside the our window at 9.30pm, as if darkness would never come and it would carry on singing the night through.