Bank Holiday Monday dawned sunny but the breeze made it feel cooler than you thought but during the day the breeze eased and it felt warmer.  No guests scheduled to depart but one cottage had to go home, only having arrived on Saturday, due to family problems, so I have said I will try and relet what I can as they had been booked in for two weeks.  With it having been too wet to cut the grass on Saturday Chris found time to cut the grass.  The handyman came up for a couple of hours and helped repair a gutter as well as prune some trees.  With it being fine the builder also came up today.  Although there was a number of odd jobs to do I found a couple of hours for myself as well.  With it being a fine evening there were four hot air balloons in the sky at tea time.  Drove the dogs mad!  By Tuesday morning I had managed to relet most of the fortnight, this is a popular time of the year, especially with the Chatsworth Show this weekend.  Another warm day with a misty start.  A day of pottering in the garden, re potting some plants and replanting some that had to be dug up when we started work on the extension.  One cottage out of our peak district cottages and one cleaner up with two cottages vacant to do as much as she can in the time available to her.  A number of busy days ahead to think about.

Saturday 7.55pm sitting in the office waiting for last of guests to arrive…(ETA 8pm)… so might as well catch up with blog.  Friday saw one departure with one arrival and one cleaner up.  With one cottage also here for the best part of next week we did a linen change etc whilst we were at it.  First delivery of oil in 5 months, interesting to see how long the gap is between the next one, but with no boiler in the house our electricity bill will be up even if the oil bill is down.  After such an awful day on Thurday the sun shone and you could feel the warmth.  Chris got a call mid morning to help ‘turn a cow’.  One of the cows was in labour and it is a normal practise if the calf is in the wrong position to hold the calf but turn the cow.  This is more than a one man job so Chris donned overalls and boots and went down to Andrews to help.  With one cottage vacant until tomorrow I used the time to do some odd jobs as well as recover some dining chairs with Chris’s help when he returned.  The weather has played havoc with my hanging baskets and a few now look so poor that we’ve taken them down.  Guests arrived just before 5.30 pm.  After dinner prepared bits for Saturday.  Saturday dawned fair enough but showers built up and continued to pass through although they lessened later in the day.  Went down to the Farmers Market.  Disappointed the Scotch Eggs weren’t there as they make a nice lunch but tried a few new things as this month there were a few new stalls.  Back to our peak district cottages where cleaning was in full swing.  No problems today and the three cleaners had the five cottages finished in time for an early lunch.  Had to do my checks dodging the showers but all finished by 2.30 in time for first guests arrival.  Two cottages in by 3.30 pm, two more arriving around 6 pm, one just before 8 pm and final cottage by 8.15 pm.  Three have been here before.  Forecast is for a pleasant weekend.  Hope they’re right.

Monday started pleasantly enough but the day was soon interrupted by showers.  Still I caught up with some extra washing.  Usual Monday routines of rubbish and laundry collections.  Spent Monday afternoon catching up with accounts, by this time of the month I have paid the usual monthly bills but the credit card bill has arrived and the bank statements need reconciling.  Tuesday was quite pleasant, again interrupted by showers, but not as many as Monday.  One cottage out of our peak district cottages and one cleaner up to prepare it for the next guests.  Spent the afternoon doing the first draft of next years prices  Although we are already getting enquiries and bookings for next year I am booking them at this years prices.  Bad news in the evening from my relief cleaner who has shingles, so she will probably not be available for a while if I am short.

Cannot think of a better way to unwind than with a walk especially as a fine day had been forecast.  Left a note for the incoming guests and after doing the recycling and getting the Sunday paper set off for the Peak Village Outlet at Rowsley where we parked the car.  We cut back to the A6 and walked round the back of the Peacock Hotel before passing under the old railway bridge and picking up the path towards Calton Lees.  As the path follows the river it is flat for a while before rising up to Calton Lees.  We had to pass through a field with cows and watching Blue deal with them is always interesting but today he seemed to have a plan of distracting them then cutting round the back of them which seemed to work.  We passed through the estate village of Calton Lees then passed the Garden Centre and Calton Lees car park before heading out into the parkland of Chatsworth House.  We could see all the cars parked at the house so it was busy.  We found a nice spot for lunch where we could admire Chatsworth House as well as a vista toward Edensor Church and the Edges in the background.  After lunch we walked up through New Piece Wood, admired the Russian House, and walked across Calton Pastures to Manners Wood.  As we emerged from the wood into the Haddon Estate we stopped to admire the view towards Bakewell before picking up the bridleway back to Rowsley.  The strangest thing before we got to Rowsley was that there was a large Bonio biscuit on the path.  The dogs were as surprised as we were so we broke the biscuit in two and gave it to the dogs.  I had a panic afterward because one of the cleaners had said there had been a spate of dog and cat poisoning in Rowsley and I worried the biscuit was poisoned but they are still alive!  Once in the car we set off for home but as we approached Bakewell the traffic came to a standstill so we turned back and came home via Youlgreave and Over Haddon.  In Over Haddon we found a cow on the road which belonged to Andrews neighbour.  No -one was home so Chris put the cow in a field and phoned them when we got back.  A quiet evening at our peak district cottages but caught up with the guests who had arrived today as well as having a chat with some of the other guests. Pictures to follow.

Don’t know why but on Saturday everything seem to get to me.   If someone had phoned up and made an offer for Bolehill Farm I would have taken the money.  It wasn’t a single thing but just a series of small things that gradually got to me.  Chris says he cant remember the last time he had seen me so wound up.  Seven cottages out with seven due back in although one won’t be arriving until Sunday morning.  With one cleaner having the day off one of my former cleaners made up the trio that came up to tackle the cleaning at out peak district cottages.  With two cottages having been in together a number of items needed swapping between cottages but although there were no problems cleaning seemed to take longer than usual.  With the morning being dry and warm, still humid, Chris pruned some of the hedges and shrubs in the courtyard and grounds as well as cutting the grass.  I found a spot to dry the towels and other items from the cottages but a sharp shower drenched them and with no where inside to dry they had to stay outside until later in the day when I spread them around the house to dry off.  For the first time this summer lunch was on the hoof and cleaning was finally finished about 2pm.  Knowing some guests were arriving later I made sure the cottages were ready for the first guests and in between arrivals I finished final checks.  First cottage arrived about 3.30, they have been here before.  Four more arrived between 4 & 6pm with final guests arriving just after 8pm.  I had planned to cook dinner but was too tired and the arthritis had flared up in my hands since doing the beds on Thursday. At least my evening walk helped relax me.  Blue is not so relaxed as the cows in advanced stages of pregnancy have been moved back into the front field!

Thursday as a pleasant day.  One cleaner up to do some cleaning of general public areas at our peak district cottages and I caught up with work around the house and with it being so nice also did some extra washing. We had taken delivery of two new bed bases earlier in the week and whilst it was nice, and with guests permission, we swapped the bases over.  Forgotten how long things like this take!  Chris has been doing some outside jobs over the last few days including repainting sign posts.   In the evening one of Chris’s friends paid an unexpected visit and ended up staying the night.  Friday was a contrast weather wise with it feeling hot and humid, although it was cloudy, in fact the weather station has recorded Friday as the warmest day of the month.  Went down to Bakewell in the morning for usual weekend provisions.  One cottage out with one back in, arriving about 8pm, with one cleaner up.  When doing my checks found a curtain where the hem had been torn so luckily had time to re hem it before guests arrived.  All in a days work!

Tuesday was a quieter day with the weather holding fine.  Went down to Bakewell in the morning and the afternoon went in lots of odd jobs and extra washing.  On Wednesday we went to Chesterfield.  We went via Rowsley and across the moors so we could see how the heather was, I had told Chris we ought to take our cameras and I think we got some good shots which I will add to the blog.  In Chesterfield we collected the windows for my laundry as well as stopping off at Booker’s, Dunelm and Morrison’s before returning back.  As we got home the heavens opened but overall it was another fine day at our peak district cottages.