This week and Hadrian's Wall

Presently EVERYTHING in my life is scheduled.  Nearly to the minute actually.  Even blogging.  Unfortunately, I have not kept to my schedule these past few weeks and therefore, there has been no posts.  Before that, things were just too mad.

I took an entire day this week to backup my photos for the last...eh...8 months?  I always do an initial back-up of everything when I get home from an adventure or a Thursday Take-Off but I have a multiple back-up process that hadn't been done.  I am regretting that now that I had to take an entire day to do it.  I will do better in the future.  Unfortunately, I have decided not to follow my usual MO (modus operandi) ;) and do a massive, picture heavy post.  This week's post is about...this week.

Shocker.

This week has had the normal ups and downs.  I got called to be a primary teacher.  It is still too early to tell how I feel about that.  Research/writing continues...well sorta.  I still run away from home on Thursdays...well I walk.  Also, I can still wolf down an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream without breaking a sweat...or my conscience.  I have proved that at least twice this week.

Also, I think (after a two-week hiatus) that we have hot water again at St. John's.  On Thursday, after my excursion, I was so sick of washing my hair in the sink with warm water from my kettle, I decided I was going to bite that freezing bullet and take a full shower - hair and all.  The cold water on my body doesn't bother me but the freezing water on my head HURTS SO BAD!  But, I had had enough.  So I took that freezing shower.  Surprisingly, it felt pretty warm there near the end.  Probably because some lukewarm water did come through the pipes right in time for my last rinse.  I AM SO HAPPY!  No more washing my hair in the sink.  No more washing clothes by hand.  DOBBY IS FREE!!!

Here are some pics from this Thursday's Take-Off: my Hadrian's Wall walk-about.

WARNING.  They were shot in manual and currently unedited.  I will edit them, when/if I ever put them into a book like I plan.  I am working on my manual camera skills and you know, sometimes it is hard to get that dang shutter speed and aperture balance exactly where you want it.  Such is life and such is the beauty of Photoshop.  Thank you levels tool.

I started my walk at Housesteads Roman Fort.  The fun story for this day was that I had actually been here before in 2011 with my lovely BYU graduate gals for a research trip.  I just didn't know it was Housesteads when we came in 2011.  Don't judge me for not knowing where I was, I had been in the field for nearly 8 weeks at that point either digging or driving around various countries for 12+ hours a day with the same, small group of women.  It is a miracle I didn't jump off that wall.  (Granted it was only like 5 feet tall.)

2011 Allison

2017 Allison...is too MATURE to take a photo of herself on a wall.

Also, I didn't think of it while I was there or I would have.

While I was waiting for a bus to Housesteads, I saw a little blurb for "Hadrian's Wall Walks" that looked interesting.  Hey, and there was a 7.5 mile circuit (around 4 hours) that began and ended at Housesteads!  Hey, I've been working out!  I can totally do that.

So, I saw the sign, and I began my wanderings ON Hadrian's Wall.  Because at the Housesteads portion of the walk, you are on the wall.

 GAH! AWESOME!

After a short jaunt on the wall, you are barred from continuing and have to then walk next to the wall to preserve the archaeology.

I am an archaeologist and am therefore down with those instructions.

Also, surprisingly, the coming ups and downs of this view did not deter me in the least.

Maybe it should have but I was enthusiastic.

The walk was BEAUTIFUL.

I loved the blue sky, the MARVELOUS breeze, the green day, and the stupendous views (which I tried to catch with the panorama setting on my phone).

I even loved the terrain of the crags.

Crags are beautiful and despite my fear of heights, I enjoyed walking along the edges of them.

What can I say, I like to give my mother something to worry about.

Another fun bit was running into or through or round-about the famous Sycamore Gap.

As I walked down the wall towards the tree I pictured passing a younger Morgan Freeman walking up the wall.

You know, from the Robin Hood movie?

The one I only watched long enough to see the Sycamore Gap?

And then turned off because the only movie I could ever stomach a young Kevin Spacey was Silverado.

Seriously.

After the Sycamore Gap I followed the wall for an hour or so longer.

Honestly, I liked the section closer to Housesteads the best from today but it was a nice little journey.

For my last "crag of the day" I had to stop at a rock about 1/4 of the way down to let some other hikers up.  It was pretty narrow and they had the harder journey so I thought, "Hey Aliswan, how about you take up this nice prime resting spot with your big bum and let these poor folks hike up this steep bit without stopping."

I am generous like that.

Don't let anyone tell you differently.

While these lovely folks passed, I hung out with the Heather.

The flower, not the person.

All in all, it was an awesome day.  I didn't go the full circuit because, well, I didn't really care about Vindolanda and the blisters from my high heels on Sunday started to smart a bit there at the end.  That is what I get for wearing heals for the first time in 2 years.

So, I cut the circuit short and made my way back to Housesteads via bus rather than on foot.

Finally, I should say I brought 3 cameras.

1. My DSLR to practice my manual skills.

2. My phone, which I realized has a panorama setting.

3. My GoPro, which I strapped to my camera bag chest strapped to film a timelapse of my hike with.

It is bouncy but if you don't get motion sick here it is:

(Seriously, if you get motion sick, don't watch it.)

 That is it for this week.