Valentines day and flowers for two of our guests! One cottage out and three back in so full house! One cleaner up and no problems encountered. After lunch spent some time paying this moths bills. This time of year the bills are at their highest with all the work we have been carrying out, so I have plenty of invoices to check and pay. First guests arrive about 3.30. They have been a few times before. Second guests arrived about 4pm and final guests about 4.30. Carried on with accounts until we had dinner. Hopefully Chris uploaded the final pictures of the snow at our peak District Cottages onto the blog. The ice is becoming slushy despite no sun today and for the first time in almost two weeks cars have bee able to get up into the courtyard! Tonight a treat with take away fish and chips! Sat down for 8pm – an early evening for a change!

At least no more snow. Three of our Peak District cottages out with four back in and two cleaners up. All done by 2pm so a chance to catch up on accounts while waiting for guests. A sunny day with the snow and ice starting to melt. Spent some time breaking up ice with a spade so it would melt quicker.First guests arrived about 4.30. They have been here before. Second guests, who have also been here before, arrived about 5.30. After dinner next guests arrived about 7.30 by which time the melted snow was turning back to ice so I put some more salt down. Final guests arrived about 8.30 after which I sat down.

A quiet day day here at our peak district cottages. A chance to catch up on some odd jobs around the cottages and get some things ready for tomorrow. Two cleaners up to do a bit more spring cleaning. One cottage in today arriving late in the afternoon. More snow flurries but the worst passed us, mainly to the east. Our friends in Yorkshire had quite a bit of snow but I kept an eye on the weather all evening just in case. Chris went to the digital workshop in Over Haddon. Sat down for 9pm.

At least no more snow. A gradual thaw today at our Peak District Cottages but the trouble was it got very cold later in the day and it turned very icy. Bits and pieces at home and one cleaner up to turn a couple of cottages around. After lunch went down to Bakewell to stock up on some food! After dinner collected Joanna to go to the WI. Took it carefully although the roads as far as the village hall were fine but we parked near the hall and walked the last few yards. Our guest speaker tonight was Jackie Ellis who lives in Over Haddon and is Sally Mosley’s sister who was also a recent speaker. Jackie spoke about and showed us a number of slides of her travels around the world. One of her pictures won a national prize. We all enjoyed the talk. Made me want to go on holiday again! A slow drive back home to be safe.

Yet another covering of snow here at our Peak District Cottages and yet another visit from Andrew with his snow plough. He stopped for coffee afterwards and was telling us about new proposals that the EU wish to introduce on slurrying which could have serious impact on some farmers. Despite all this delay we set off for Sheffield probably no later than if we had been doing B&B. It was a lovely day and the sun was starting to melt some of the snow. First stop was to pick up the new trophy we are sponsoring for the Bakewell Photographic Society. Almost next door is a Decco warehouse (membership card required) which sells all kinds household and garden items. I was able to pick up a number of replacement kitchen items for the cottages and Chris found a number of tools and DIY bits he was looking for. Next to Arco which specialises in protective clothing. The recent weather has taken its toll on some clothing. Almost opposite is Makro where we stocked up on usual items. Finally onto B&Q before heading home aiming to get back whilst still light and before the ice set in. Although there was snow in Sheffield there wasn’t as much as we thought but obviously going over the tops could see how bad the side roads were. After dinner one of the cottage guests came over for a drink. One of the nicer aspects of this lifestyle!

Another covering of snow. Luckily no guests to depart but Andrew came up and cleared the drive. Three cleaners up to turn two of our Peak District cottages around, two of the cleaners doing a bit of spring cleaning in them too. Laundry and rubbish collected and both cottages arrived between 3 & 4 pm. One cottages has been here a few times before and were here a couple of years ago when we last had a bit of snow. (Then it only lasted three days). Some accounts and with some late bookings didn’t sit down until 10pm.

With another band of snow forecast a watchful eye was kept on the weather. Three of our Peak District cottages out with none back in. Down to get the paper and called in to Andrews to book the snow plough just in case! It started to flurry about 3pm and started to snow lightly about 4pm. Went to put the chickens away but with daylight hours getting longer they were still out and about. Making my way back I saw Blue was interested in something and when I went to investigate found a pile of feathers. A bit further along we found the rest of the body and unfortunately it was already dead. Blue had been barking at something earlier on so we assume he saw or heard the commotion and knows the culprit but he cannot tell us what it was. We had to think about other planned activities for Monday too. I had to check which cleaners could make it. With rubbish collections and laundry collections also scheduled I had to consider whether I would need to do the laundry myself and we even thought about wheeling the wheelie bin to the bottom of the drive, all 250 yards of it, but decided against it in case the dust cart couldn’t get here from Ashbourne anyway. Some accounts and then dinner and sat down for 8pm.

Another sunny but cold day. One cottage out and two back in but one cottage left today who should have left tomorrow because of the weather forecast for tomorrow. Still icy where sun has not reached and trying to get about the cottages is more difficult, especially for me as I always worry about falling as I broke my arm when young after slipping on ice. One cleaner up and after lunch Chris and I took our cameras and headed to Chatsworth House (only 10mins from our Peak district cottages). It was very busy with families making the most of the snow so we took lots of pictures. Stopped at the Garden Centre and bought some plants in the sale. Had to brush the snow of some plants to see what they were! Back via the Farm Shop in time for our first guests who arrived about 3.30. Final guests arrived about 6pm. Cooked a roast dinner before sitting down at 8pm.

A lovely winters day today. Still very cold but sunny and clear. Two cottages out including my guests who have been in for a month. Two cottages due back in but with weather conditions awful in some parts of the country one cancelled. Two cleaners up and two cottages cleaned. Popped down to Bakewell to get a few bits and then some bits and pieces around the vacant cottages. Chris spent a couple of hours shovelling any snow of the drive and salting it as well as clearing some paths through the snow in the courtyard to make access to the cottages easier but it is still not possible to drive cars up into the courtyard. Guests arrived about 8.30. Must take some more pictures around our peak district cottages tomorrow before the snow goes. Slight melt today on roofs where sun reached but think the snow mounds beside the drive could be here for weeks! Sat down for 9pm.