Thursday started very foggy at our peak district cottages, in fact I took the dogs out on their leads as visibility was so poor.  By mid morning it was clearing and it turned into a nice afternoon. After an early lunch I went down to Bakewell to get my hair cut and get provisions for the weekend.  Chris went to Over Haddon for his digital photography workshop.  Back in time before guests expected to arrive, they have been before, but they were held up by a bad accident on the M1 and didn’t arrive until after we left for Buxton to see a performance of ‘Yes, Prime Minister’. Friday remained dry, we have had less than half an inch of rain this month, but was cloudier than Thursday.  Two cottages out with two back in and two cleaners up.  Chris spent a lot of the day doing more work in the gardens and courtyard.  He gave the lawns their first top cut which has made them look a lot tidier.  He also stocked up the log stores as the weekend could be a little colder.  Both cottages arrived between 3 and 4 pm.  In the evening Chris went to Over Haddon to give another presentation on computers.  I stayed  at home and had an evening to myself!

Looked out the bedroom window first thing Tuesday morning and could see something yellow at the bottom of the drive.  Put glasses on and could see it was a yellow diversion sign telling our guests to turn left at the bottom of the drive.  That wasn’t there last night!  Neither was the road closed sign just after the bottom of the drive!  Despite the forecast the day turned out much nicer than expected. One cottage out and one back in later in the day with one cleaner up.  I spent the day catching up on WI accounts and minutes and listing some jobs to do and things to get.  So has Chris.  Over the next few weeks we will have the bottom of the drive re tarmacked and the courtyard a new top dressing of stones.  I took delivery of eight king sized quilts (from Dunelm of course!) as I will be replacing all linen again in the next few months and replacing double quilts with king sized quilts although the double beds will be remaining.  Guests arrived about 4pm.  Wednesday was supposed to be a good day weather wise but it stayed quite misty.  We had planed to go for a walk to make up for Sunday but in the end with it staying cool and misty we ended up catching up on other jobs.  There’s always paperwork to do and one of the jobs I needed to do was complete the paper work so we can have our bin emptied next financial year!  The business rates have just arrived too and they have gone up quite a bit.  In the evening I collected Joanna for our monthly WI meeting.  I had plenty to do as apart from my treasurer duties I reported back on last Tuesday’s meeting and did the refreshments.  Sorry no home made goodies!  Our speaker was a local lady who is involved in a Charity in Rwanda and she showed us slides of the work her charity does there and hopefully our donation will help .  It was very foggy driving back to our peak district cottages but hope you enjoy the picture of the dogs enjoying Tuesday’s sun.

Monday  morning saw two cottages depart and two cleaners up at our peak district cottages.  Noticed there was less traffic than usual and when cleaner came up she said the road was closed by the Over Haddon turning coming up from Bakewell.  She said it was causing confusion.  She had ignored the road closed sign and driven round the road block and could not see why it was closed.  We were not sure why they had to close it where they had.  After cleaning I went down to Bakewell to get some provisions and a look around the market.  Chris collected me and on the way back we decided to follow the diversion through Over Haddon and when we got there we found the main street was closed and the diversion just ended!  The car in front of us didn’t know where it was going.  We drove onto where the road was dug up and they had almost filled it but traffic could not get passed it.  The dustcart drivers said the road was closed at Monyash with no diversion signs at all!  The laundry man also had trouble getting to us and although I phoned our guests that were arriving in the afternoon to warn them of the problems it was too late.  They arrived just before 5pm and used a map to go round the lanes to get here as they had been here before.  After dinner I left Chris with the dogs and set off for Over Haddon for indoor bowls.  I turned right out of the drive only to find they had now closed the road before the Over Haddon turning near us so I had to go the long way round almost all the way down to Bakewell.   Chatting to the others at Over Haddon there had been a water leak there too over the weekend but no-one was without water.  They were now waiting for someone to come and fill the hole in and open the main street again as that had caused problems over the weekend when the village is a popular place to start walks down to Lathkill Dale.  On the way back I noticed they had put another sign up by the road closed sign which said access to frontages only, which I decided meant I could get back home!

Well the nightmare began late on Saturday night at our peak district cottages when Chris  turned on a tap and just a trickle came out.  He went down to the meter and came back because the meter at the bottom of the field indicated water was passing through but it wasn’t getting to the house so there had be a leak.  As it was gone 11pm we decided the best thing we could do was get some drinking water for the guests for the morning and see what the situation was then.  Luckily we found the Tesco Express in Buxton was open 24 hours so Chris set off only to get there just after midnight and find they were closed!  Luckily it was just for a break so half an hour later he was able to buy some water and by 1am we were putting bottles of water on cottage steps with notices explaining the situation.  The alarm went off at 7am and Chris went down to the farm to get some water for flushing toilets and then went to check the meter again.  He came back perplexed as it was still showing water passing through but the meter was going backwards!  Hopefully that meant the leak was not on our land.  He spoke to Severn Trent and they said someone would be there within the hour and they were.  They had recorded a loss of pressure in the area and were able to report they had found a leak about half a mile along the road towards Monyash.  They were not expecting it to take long to repair but we had to forgo the walk I had planned.  As it was nice Chris and I did a number of outside jobs.  A couple of times Chris drove over to where the leak was to see the progress.  As the leak was on the main road they were going to need traffic lights for traffic control but by the time they arrived the digger men had finished their shift so digging could not start until the next shift arrived!  At one stage it looked like we would have water back by 7pm but this came and went. As we had tickets for the Opera House at Buxton we gave them to Joanna to use as realised we would not get there in time.  We provided more drinking water to guests as needed and Chris did a couple of trips during the day to make sure the other water containers were full.  With it being a nice day guests were out until later in the day.  Chris did a final trip at about 10.30 but work was still in progress so we were resigned to the fact we would not have water for another night but just after 11pm we could hear the sound of cistern refilling so we went to bed a lot more relieved (and clean!)

Thursday was another pleasant day at our peak district cottages although there was still a chill in the air.   A busy day for phone calls and emails but I found a few hours to go over to Buxton to see how things were getting on.  Back in time for the arrival of two cottages.  One has been before and both here by 4pm.  In the evening we went out for a meal with one of the couples staying in the cottages.  We went to Felicinis in Bakewell and had a enjoyable evening.  Friday saw two departures with one arrival and one cleaner here.  Cottage arrived about 3.30 then spent some time on accounts.  Saturday saw one further departure with another arrival and one cottage staying for another week.  One cleaner up to turn round vacated cottage and change bedding in second cottage.  Took dogs for their usual walk but stopped to talk to one of the guests and when I turned round I could not see Blue.  I carried on with Smudge thinking Blue would join us but when I got home he had not returned.  I saw a group of walkers on the footpath and caught up with them but they had not seen him so off Chris went and came back with Blue.  He had got all the way to Magpie Mine!  Needless to say he was in the doghouse for the rest of the day.  Cottage arrived about 5.30 having been delayed by bad traffic en route.  In the meantime I had got up to date with this months accounts and found time to think about a walk for Sunday as the forecast was promising..

It was a sunny and frosty start to Tuesday and taking the dogs for an early walk saw our first hot air balloon of the season from our peak district cottages.  Joanna collected me and then we picked up another WI lady from Bakewell and headed to   Chesterfield for the Derbyshire Federation of WI’s for the Spring Council meeting.  I went as the Over Haddon delegate.  If you remember I went last year a delegate so I had a better idea of what to expect.  We had two guest speakers, the one in the morning was from the Derbyshire Library Service, and saving Libraries was last years WI resolution.  At lunchtime we had a wander round the various WI stalls before a quick stroll into town.  Our main speaker of the day was Dame Jenni Murray, well known to Woman’s Hour listeners, I’m not one, so she was well received.  She recounted her time in radio, talking about some of the people she had enjoyed and not enjoyed interviewing and there was time for questions afterwards.  On the way home we noticed that Debenhams would be coming to Chesterfield later in the year and Poundstretcher was stretching into the vacant neighbouring Comet store.  At home I called in and said hello to the cottage that had already arrived, they have been before, and one cottage had left that morning.  A quiet evening after a hectic day.  Wednesday was a catch up day, a bit cooler than Tuesday and in the evening this months WI committee meeting was held at our house.  In Joanna’s absence I took the minutes so I have a lot of notes to write up in the next few days. Below is a picture of the sunlight catching the Edges one evening.

Saturday morning was quite hectic at our peak district cottages.  It was surprisingly very foggy first thing, thought I might have to take the dogs out on their leads but it lifted and by the time we went out it was drizzling.  One cottage out with one back in and one cleaner up.  Unexpected guests and phone calls occupied the morning and it was lunchtime before I even answered emails.   Found time to hang up the new curtains and get the fire going as it was a bit cooler.  Guests arrived just before 5pm. Sunday started wet and by the time I took the dogs out it was snowing (wet snow), but luckily it was not settling.  Heard the first calls of a curlew when out with the dogs, what a contradiction, a call of spring with the weather of winter. One cottage out.  With it forecast to be a wet day it gave us the chance to catch up on some bits round the house. By early afternoon it had stopped snowing and the cloud lifted but it stayed cold.  Another opportunity for Smudge to enjoy laying in front of the fire.  Monday was a better day weather wise.  One cottage out with two back in and one cleaner up.  Usual Monday routines and next thing you know it is lunchtime.  Guests arrived about 4pm then an early tea as Chris was off to the Bakewell Photographic Society and I was off to Over Haddon, this time for the Village Hall Committee meeting

Woke to sunshine!  More noticeable too now that the sun is rising earlier at our peak district cottages.  So the first day of March was a warm sunny day but with warnings of a cold snap to come.  Dogs had their last walk with some of their canine friends as two cottages departed this morning.  One cleaner up and with it being so pleasant Chris and I spent a few hours in the gardens and grounds tidying up and it reminded me that I really must start thinking about the hanging baskets.  A quick trip down to Bakewell to get provisions for the weekend and also dropped some boxes off at a WI members house for the Oxfam Jumble Sale.  Friday started with the sun peeping above the mist in the valleys and although not as warm or sunny it was another pleasant day.  One cottage out with three back in and one cleaner up.  Did a number of odd jobs in the cottages and house and a bit of tidying up the in the courtyard.  Washed some more curtains and final pair of new curtains arrived. First guests, who have been many times before, arrived just before 4pm with second cottage, who have also been before, arriving about 5pm.  Final cottage arrived about 9pm.
Here are a couple of pictures from Friday morning.

February weather stats Highest temp 14.6C on 23rd which was the warmest day with night of 22nd the warmest night.  Lowest temp -6.7C on the 8th with night of 7th the coldest night and the 3rd being the coldest day.  Total rain was 1.33″ (2/2011 4.49″) with wettest day 22nd with .47″.

Sunday started bright and sunny at our peak district cottages but it soon clouded over.  Took dogs for their morning walk before fetching paper and doing recycling.  After coffee we headed to Hopton Hall near Carsington Water to have a look at the snowdrops.  We go most years and although they don’t allow dogs in the gardens it doesn’t take to long to walk round the estate and have a light lunch.  From here we drove round to the Sheepwash car park at Carsington Water as by now the sun had come out and we thought the dogs would enjoy a short walk.  From the car park we took the footpath to the Visitor Centre and as it was a nice afternoon the path and Centre was busy.  The walk was about three miles there and back and on the way there we passed an old WW11 viewing tower and a couple of bird hides.  The footpath and cycle way that goes round the reservoir is about eight miles long.  At the main viewing gallery there were a number of families bird watching and there was a whiteboard for anyone to list any birds they have seen.  The visitor centre was busy with families but I found a place to buy an ice cream and enjoy it before the walk back to the car.  Strange to think that last Sunday we were worried about icy paths on the walk and this Sunday I enjoyed an ice cream on the walk.