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| Click on this image for our track in Google Maps |
Much later than I'd like. But then again, this seems to be becoming a habit...
I was on a roll with a project of mine, which I was smoothly letting unroll whilst making tremendous strides. But suddenly, I had to stop in my tracks as I had no choice but to ask others for help.
As a programmer, when you're in the groove, this is your worst nightmare ...
The reason asking for help is such a showstopper is not because one may be inclined to loathe people (well, at least, not entirely) or because it forces you to communicate with other mortals (which isn't that big a deal) but rather because, once you leave the zone you find that everybody else is just too damn slow to catch up and even worse, if you are an experienced programmer, that the folks you ask for help might need much convincing before they come to the realization that, if you used the last resort of asking for their help, it's because the issue you encountered resides squarely on their side and is entirely theirs to fix.
Bottom line; by the time they do catch up with you, if they ever do catch up with you, it's going to be way, way too late...
In other words, help, if it arrives at all, is going to be as meaningless as an intelligence telegram announcing that Pearl Harbour might be attacked... that only gets dispatched hours after the actual attack. And that's why my friends, as a diligent software developer, if you do reach a point where you have no choice but to ask for help, you're screwed.
So this is frustrating. Most likely, I am going to have to waste tons resources and time to prove to some guys, who probably are going to reject it at first (Note, since I am writing this with much delay; this is exactly what happened), that the issue is entirely theirs to solve, on top of the injury of no longer being able to progress on that project at all, since, if had any kind of workaround, I wouldn't be bothering to ask for assistance. I don't necessarily hold a grudge towards the people trying to help, but I can't help but feel a tad annoyed when I have to point to some people, 3 times in a row (which, there too, is exactly what happened) that their dismissive "analysis" of the issue being squarely on my end is way off mark.
What's that saying again? "Show me a medical student who only triples my work and I will kiss his feet"? Well, show me a group of framework developers that only triples my work, and I will sing their praise until the end of times...
So, yeah, pardon me for feeling a bit depressed after seeing that much effort come to an untimely premature end, as well as anticipating the much greater endeavour I'm going to have to devote resources to in order to have a bunch of people finally realize that they dug everybody into a ditch.
The other end result of the above is that I am not that entirely willing to go for a walk (or even blogging about it) especially when, there's an abundance of low clouds and drizzle today, that doesn't exactly help with the overall mood...
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| Yeah, everything's moody alright. |
Still, if we must go, let's go. Besides, what else am I going to spend the rest of my afternoon on, now?
And since our whole world has just been toggled back to "slow", our start for this walk will be a slow one as well on account of... blackberries. This is a blackberry spot after all, and I haven't had my fill this year either. Alas, even this late in the season, most of them are still not ripe enough.
Next year, maybe. Next year, maybe...
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| In case you haven't noticed, I'm in a bad mood, so don't you get started about my horizon being crooked. |
Now, I am quite familiar with this place, which I picked because it's too late to go to exploring new horizons. I do happen to come here very often after all since it's one of these places that's close to home, yet isolated enough enough for my taste (as long as you discount the ever present sheep grazing around) and with enough of a climb to keep a lone wanderer satisfied.
As a matter of fact, because of the frequency with which I climb here, I am going to try for an alternate route to the summit today, so as to introduce some much needed change to this dull routine of yet another pointless day. The hope is that this might bring a little bit of much needed fun into what has turned out to be a dull grey affair, especially once we start to reach the gap. However, that gap is something we can't see right now, on account the clouds engulfed it. Still, with the barrage of visitors I've had lately, I haven't done much strenuous walking of late so, regardless of the conditions, this might lighten our mood somewhat.
Thus, our plan for today is to ascend right smack down the middle of what you see below:
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| Come at me, bro! |
The first part of our climb is its usual self, with a damp yet inviting path, as well as the aforementioned ever grazing sheep, that somehow always seem surprised to find me walking here and hastily retreat to the furthest part of the field.
If I recall correctly, the last time I did this direct route, I did encountered some deer, idling lazily between high ferns and presumably enjoying what they assumed would be an undisturbed afternoon. No deer this time, as we finally leave the path and start climbing in earnest.
Not that this climb is that dramatic up to the middle plateau, where we get to enjoy some views. One might still qualify at it as steep, but not "fancy" steep. As you can see from the picture below however, we are getting dangerously close to the cloud cover, even though our climb is far from over:
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| Looking towards an unusually grey Fanad. |
Then, from the middle plateau, things become a bit more rocky and therefore a bit more interesting.
How I wish I could cut straight through the hindrances I'm going to have to contend with, in order for the developers I asked assistance for to eventually get to the same page as I am, the way I am cutting straight through this rocky mountain slope!
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| Though it is a steep climb, it probably looks more impressive on the picture than it is in real life... |
As we are nearing the final ridge, we get to use a bit more than our legs, which makes the experience a bit more interesting at last, and helps shed some of our frustration away (which was the plan all along). There's something about using your whole body for the climb... Not that there's much risk to it here, even if it's quite damp all around.
Alas, as we are finally reach the top, the clouds have long beaten us to it, and all we get for our trouble in terms of view are the grey unending drapes of a late afternoon mist...
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| Behold: Knockalla summit! |
Yet, as I am putting the camera back into my pocket after having captured the picture above, two figures furtively come forth from the forlorn fog!
Their hillwalking gear instantly indicates that I wasn't the only one who took a bet on this cloud cover possibly going away by the time one reached the top, and lost.
We exchange a friendly greeting, as I am pondering whether they might be father and son, whereupon they inform me that they are locals. As, in turn, they ask where I am from, I can't help but feel slightly satisfied me that folks who hear me speak don't instantly place me with being of French origins (as usual, they thought I was German). At least my accent isn't entirely giving me away. There may yet exist work for me in the spy trade...
Now, because I have just arrived at the top, I find myself being a bit more loquacious than usual. Eventually, they ask me if I have been to the lake.
Not today I'm afraid. Not that I would mind, but now that I've got this walk out of my system, I'm still planning to see if there's anything I can salvage from that project of mine, and I therefore don't plan on staying too long here, especially in these clouds.
Pointing to the thick fog cover, and probably wondering if I am familiar with this place at all, they suddenly to express some concern about my going over the ridge in this low visibility.
Considering the ridge is precisely where I emerged from, after climbing straight up through it no more than a couple minutes, I can't help but find that cute... I could give you, or them, an unoriginal line about having been "moulded by" the ridge but of course, I don't want to be that dismissive of concerned fellow walkers, who are genuinely wondering if I know the place well enough (which I certainly do) and are simply concerned about my well being...
We part in good spirits, as they tentatively take the direction of the lake (I'll bring you there... just not today) and I move in the opposite direction.
Now that I am alone again, and since this is about the best I can do for you in this cloudy surrounding, I snap a couple more pictures of the local vegetation, which always seems to be enjoying the dampness a bit too unironically:
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| Even in the midst of the dullest day, there is some colour to be found |
Time to head down and see if there's anything I can get back to at home, that isn't going to require me to rely on someone's far away promise of a possible late assistance, just like Horn Head emerging proudly in the late afternoon sun...
Suggested Sound Track
Three Days Grace - It's All Over
Because we gotta pick ourselves up somehow.
Additional Pictures
Not today. Not in the mood.
