There are times when the exciting inter-connectedness of the modern world is about as welcome as a cigarette butt in a beercan.

I have been happily taking a 4day weekend. I don't get many of these: in fact, its been a while since I had a two day weekend.

Hauled the middle-aged frame, plus a small daypack, up to Robert Ridge on a glorious Friday afternoon.

Sat there, on the edges of the snowline. Rubbed knees, which these days have rather too much to say for themselves.

And the urge came over to check the iPhone.

FOOL!

A flurry of releases about credit downgrades and the like were piling up in the inbox. Minister of Finance holding a presser at 3pm.

For an insane mini-second, I calculated the odds of getting back to the Beehive in time....

Then I looked out, taking in the expanse of territory out to the north and west, looking out, under a cloudless blue sky towards the snow on towards Mt Owen and Mt Arthur.

And thought, sod it.