Family

Apolologies for absence, but I had to make a mercy dash up to Sheffield to console our eldest daughter, who has problems with her relationship.  Well, SHE is fine, it's him who is giving the problems.  I shall keep my lip buttoned, but she knows my take on this matter.  Update: they're back together, so let's hope he has woken up and smelt the coffee.

I drove up on Saturday, after we had had a viewing of the house.  The couple loved it, which is a positive, but it is a BIG life changer for them if they decide to go ahead with their plans, so we will just have to wait and see what unfolds.  Meanwhile, fingers crossed.

I drove up North when it was raining in Biblical proportions, yet again.  It was dark as I passed through Ashbourne, and I had to cross the Derbyshire hills (which I know well enough in daylight) cautiously, especially as I was very tired by then.  Imagine my dismay when I arrived and discovered I had to reverse into a tight parking space, in the dark and rain, and UPHILL.  I have never been so glad to turn off the keys at the end of a journey.

Anyway, T was better once I arrived, and we had a really lovely walk above the Rivelin Reservoir the following day.  We climbed (clambered is probably more apt) up the steep valley above the reservoir, beside a brook in full spate.  A tremendous force of water was hurtling over rocks and boulders, stained rust, ginger and dead bracken brown by the peat above it.  I bitterly regretted forgetting my camera (and also taking my running trainers instead of walking boots, as it got pretty muddy underfoot towards the end.)  T has taken some photos and forwarded them to me, but they didn't turn up so I will post them after she has sent them again.

Sheffield in the distance.

Now I'm back at home and looking at the jobs that need to be done here.  We have found some stuff which you paint on algae on walls, and it works very efficiently at getting rid of the stuff.  We just need a good dry day to go round with a paintbrush.

I bought a copy of The Book Thief from a Sheffield Charity Shop, and have just started reading - the first few pages are . . . different!  I have just finished The Miniaturist, which I greatly enjoyed, and am still reading The Serpent Papers.

There's a frost here this morning, but the skies are now looking rainy, which isn't a good combination - sleet later perhaps?  It was sleeting and snowing over the Brecon Beacons when I drove home on Tuesday.