"Just Out Walking"

The strong winds and flurry of snow this past week has not been very conducive to keeping my walking mileage up - my footwear simply isn't up to the job on glass like ice. So I was quite pleased that most of the ice had thawed out and I was able to get out and about "up on the tops". The typically wintry conditions this week seems to have kept people off Bleaklow and instead of the constant trickle of (experienced) walkers (I'm still only a beginner), I only came across 'one man and his dog' and another solitary figure on the descent back to Glossop. I had no particular mileage aim today, simply to enjoy mooching about, taking a few photos on the way. By the time I got home I'd clocked up a total of 10 1/2 miles which wasn't too bad for pottering about !

The Big Thaw - Only a very light dusting of snow left on "Lightside"

"Wigan Clough"

Looking out towards Shire Hill

Doctor's Gate (Path) back down to Glossop

Taken on Mouselow Hill whilst on the Way Home

Bog Trotting on Bleaklow

For the past few weeks now the weather has been pretty miserable "our way"; pouring rain and strong winds (although that's pretty much the norm for this time of year) and the hill tops have been so misty you just can't see a thing. Today though we had a brief respite from all that, and it was bliss!

Due to the crummy weather the past few weekends I had actually decided I was going to use the day to catch up on some desperately needed housework & shopping, but the blue sky was so unexpected and just too good to miss, so despite being quite late on in the day it was on with my rucksack and head for the hills! My route was to walk from my home in Hadfield to Glossop, head up Lightside and Yellow Slacks onto Bleaklow, potter about taking pictures of the Hern & the Wain stones then see how much time was left before getting back down to Glossop and home before it got dark (a total of 12 miles altogether)

The sky was pure blue and although still windy, not enough to knock you off your feet which really got to be a pain when trying to go up onto Bleaklow weekend before last (I ended up having to turn round and go another route instead). I love tramping about on the moors and I feel really put out when it gets too foggy for me to go walking across the "tops", so this break in the weather was more than welcome. Although it was a fine day for walking, the constant rain these past few weeks meant it was particulary soggy once away from the stony channels leading up from Yellow Slacks & Dowstone Clough and I don't think it would be too much of an exaggeration to say the sound of squelching totally drowns out the sound of the wind in parts (and that's saying something). Even with careful negotiation I still found avoiding calf deep stinking squelchiness impossible!!!

Walking from Hadfield towards Glossop along Cemetery Road
(Shirebrook Hill on the right, )

Looking out From Yellow Slacks

Lots of pictures of stones now coming up !!

At the Hern Stones -Bleaklow

Close up - Hern Stones

Looking across the Moorland from Hern Stones

The Wain Stones

The Wain Stones (Kissing Stones)

View across the moor from the Wain Stones

Looking out towards Yellow slacks (brook below)

This site is worth checking out for brief information on Bleaklow and Derbyshire towns/villages:-

http://www.cressbrook.co.uk/features/bleaklow.php

Happy, Healthy New Year to Everybody !!!

Hope you had a stress free and enjoyable Christmas with some nice surprises in your stocking from Santa.

By far the most popular saying muttered time and again in my workplace (and come to think of it by nearly every female I know) is .... "I don't know where the time has gone, its just flown by". Well I'm sorry to start the New Year off not only repeating it, but by putting it into print as well as for ages now I've been meaning to do catch up sessions and update the pages and I hate to say it but ... "I don't know where the time has gone !!" I will endeavour to do better over the next few weeks and hopefully publish some backdated pages although the fundraising pretty much stopped for a while back in September whilst we went on our trip to China followed by a family wedding in Loch Lomond virtually as we got back to the UK. Since then every weekend in November was taken up with walking (major concentration on getting the fitness levels back up after being on our travels) and it seems like every weekend in December was taken up with shopping and family matters! So in one way I am glad the Christmas season is over and I'm looking forward to the brand new year!! Before I sign off, I'd just like to say:-

Thank you so much for visiting my pages and for all the support that has been given these past few months.

Here's wishing you all the very best for 2007.

Deborah xxx

I'd just like to add a big thank you to the ladies on the card & papercraft forum for your donations of all the beautiful cards and embellishments. They truly were a sight to see. I can't tell you how excited mum and I were to see them it was Christmas come early!! You will be pleased to know you had many 'appreciative buyers'.

Some of the cards on the Hadfield Carnival stall

Below - A few close ups of donated cards

Carole, my friend at work with the Christmas Cards she'd bought

My other colleagues who'd all bought a handful each suddenly became all camera shy!

Dinting Station Car Boot - 10th Sept

Before our planned trip to China in September, my mum and dad mentioned they might do a car boot for me if a) they had nothing in particular planned and b) the weather was ok (of course). Not really expecting much to come of it as the previous two car boots had been totally rained off, I handed over what was left of the donated items and jetted off on my hols.

Of course because I wasn't doing it, the weather turned out to be absolutely glorious! Mum reported that the unexpected warm weather seemed to bring everyone out as it was the busiest she had ever seen it. They found themselves extremely busy all morning and their selling tactics must have worked as with a combined booksale later during the week they raised £60 !!.

So a great big "Thank You" for all the hard work to my Mum & Dad !!!

Not my mum's usual peaceful Sunday morning !

Dad Chatting Up The "Car Boot Neighbour"