Two Weeks Later.....

I have just taken a few weeks holiday. Two weeks in a row, that's an unusual thing for me and I tend to save it for special occasions like visiting friends in LA or in the case of this year having a couple of weeks with special people.
Garrigill itself is a bit like that little village in the country that you would expect to find at the end of a rainbow. 
Of course as adults we know that there really isn't an end of the rainbow, and if there was it wouldn't sit on top of a village in the North Pennines, and unless I get photographic evidence to the contrary that's my belief......
As we are here in the AEON it was decided to just spend a few weeks at home buzzing about to see what's about. 
Most weekends just get eaten up with doing things and for all that this is the AEON there is so much around here that I often think I could just be a full time tourist in my own back yard, unless it's winter of course because then everything is white and I just want to stay in beside the fire.

We started with a trip over to Keswick, we were more interested in Castlerigg stone circle which sits on the hill just outside of Keswick. 
Being one of the tourist towns Keswick does tend to get pretty busy and there were so many people around Castlerigg that I only managed to get one picture that wasn't occupied by ice cream covered children, pondering wistful pensioners or Germans that seemed to want to edge into any photograph that was being taken. In fact I had to swing suddenly to the left with this one just to avoid the marching Von Trapps as they pointed in various directions spreading themselves in front of every lens.
At least they refrained from being in the hills and singing "the song"

A few days later and we were at Epiacum the as yet untouched Roman fort just outside of Alson. 
I believe that there will be a dig arranged at this location soon and the three of us are quite keen to get involved. 
It is thought that this could be one of the most exciting remains in Europe as the fort was a base for industry with the export of lead and silver leaving from here for the empire.
At the moment it is the home of many sheep and very loud cows and the fortress mentality seems to be in the animals as they were quite defensive of some areas. However with much tenacity and some sneaking we did manage to breach the walls and get a look at the main fort before being outnumbered and routed by a nasty bunch of territorial geese and an angry looking swarm of midges.

Following on was the big day out in the big city, our nearest is Newcastle and that was required for music shops and bike shops.
Kieran is coming up to 16 on his next birthday and there is a dream of a 50cc motor bike like the one in the picture, with the financial actual being a small moped, possibly a pink one previously owned by a girl!
Still the boy can dream......

A trip to Guitar Guitar in Newcastle once again assisted by the very helpful Dean who really knows his stuff about guitars and who we have decided must be exiled to the kitchen at any and all parties that he attends.
All the same he is a lovely bloke who was happy to sell Kasha a new Taylor electro acoustic and he managed to sway Kieran who now has his heart set on a half size mahogany Taylor. I think perhaps it's time for the boy to get a job and save up :-)

Next was time with the grandkids. Daughter and granddaughters made there way up for the day and had a visit to one of the waterfalls before running off into the hills to terrify livestock with  screams, whistles and various other happy sounding multi-decibel sounds. 
I came out of the day wondering how my daughter isn't profoundly deaf by now. I asked her how she kept her ears in shape, she said "what?"
Ahhh happy children.....

At the end of the week there was a village picnic.
I have mentioned in earlier blogs that a village green is an important place and that there should be more of them.
It's a nice thing to just sit with people and talk, I love the atmosphere of just being with the people that you live around. Of course there is the sports day effect and the competitive nature of Lou who teams up with Svava to frighten us village men into a ragged team of passing a balloon knee to knee and chin to chin with other male members of the village just so the ladies team can show there superiority in balloon passing......twice!!!
You just wait girls, one day we will organise a jar opening competition...then you'll feel the pain of losing.....maybe........
I think I may be in trouble......

Somebody Loves You John Porter

Yesterday the three of us had a walk to Epiacum the ancient and as yet unexplored Roman fort that has been discovered just outside of Alston.

There are plans to excavate the fort fairly soon and as all three of us have a love of archaeology we thought we would take a quick look at the place before work starts, and then get in touch to join in when it begins.

Epiacum is sat behind a farm and the Pennine way goes right past it, within about 20 meters of it in fact so it's an easy stop off for any walkers that have decided to do the walk. 
As you know from my blog I do like to slightly take the mickey out of the many walkers and cyclists that come through. It isn't that I don't respect them for what they are doing, it;s just that they dress to be a target and I can't help myself.
This sign which reads "I love You John Porter" was put on the Pennine way on purpose. It sits in a place that couldn't be missed. You cross the bridge at Epiacum and it blazes in bright colours right on the trail in front of you.
I don't know who John Porter is, but  when you see this sign placed where it is, painted in the brightest of colours and screaming love and support you can't help but picture John Porter trudging along cold, wet, tired only half way through the journey and then to see this.

I'm a softy, it made me smile so I'm sharing it. 
However, this doesn't mean I am going to stop taking the mickey. :-)