It was due to rain all morning - it didn’t. Although grey and quite chilly (definitely still coat weather) all day we only had about an hour of rain first thing.
However, I had planned a lazy morning so the improved weather wasn’t going to rob me of that! It started with a lazy hour in bed including 20 minutes where I allowed the dogs up for a group cuddle. Not good for the clean sheets but good for team morale!
Breakfast was enormous and quite decadent with M&S potato rosti making it into the line up. I used Brunnehilda’s oven for the first time last night and again this morning. Kim and I never used the oven - not sure why? Everything BBQ’d, fried or in the microwave?
After ablutions we left the pitch at about noon. Just as my neighbours were heading back home to Yorkshire. We’re on our own again and I expect we will be until we leave. Good for the dogs though as they have the whole paddock to wander in.
The plan was to do a familiar walk - longer than yesterday but one that we had done before. That’s how it started but after 1.5 hours of walking I convinced myself that my life was getting very “samey” so I needed to force myself out my comfort zone a bit - so I did!
We parked at the top of Tideswell Dale. Walked down the Dale to Cressbrook Dale and walked by the river Wye for some time - a familiar walk that we do every time we are here. The difference being it was so bloody muddy and the river was so high. If any one says we need rain for the flowers / crops this summer or even mentions a hose pipe ban I will bloody kill them! Anglia Water Authority and my mother - you have been warned!!
Benny had a paddle in the Wye. Another year on and still as desperate to swim but still as scared to take the plunge.
I climbed up onto the Monsal Trail to be greeted by lots of Sunday walkers, cyclists and horse riders! The collies were well behaved and we had a couple of compliments- which is always nice. Including from a nice middle aged couple that said they had seen us yesterday on another part of the trail when they were on their bikes and thought how well behaved the dogs were. I thanked them and suggested if we bumped into each other tomorrow and get 3 in a row then it’s clearly not a fluke!
Lots of couples were out walking. Pleased to report no “poorpoormes” this time. Instead I tried to spend most of my time focussing on the good points of solo walking. Plus I’m not really solo walking - the dogs are there to keep me on my toes. The difference in walking with Kim is she would have turned back when faced with ankle deep mud - I didn’t - and she would have kept to the route we knew rather than walk on by and get 5 miles out and realise I wasn’t sure the best way to get back! As always, she was right on all counts!
When we got to the Monsal Head viaduct I would normally climb up the steep steps to the pub. We didn’t! I had been beating myself up for the last 30 mins for living a life with no change. I realised my blog for 3 days last year would end up exactly the same as todays. So, in a flash a decision was made - we would go through the tunnel and find a different route back - a bit like Roald Amundsen seeking the North West passage, I set out with new vigour in my boots.
This ardour was somewhat dampened by the masses of cyclists this side of Monsal Head. It was like the start of the Tour de France - accept mostly young families. So there was lots of opportunities to scowl at people that didn’t say thank you. The dogs were good but it was a nightmare. I needed to get off asap and head up to the village of Little Longstone. I did, but it necessitated walking across a field with 2 of the most enormous bulls I’ve ever seen in my life!
Once at the village we found a lovely footpath / Bridleway that went up to the edge of Longstone Moor. Indeed at one stage I recognised a small section where I had walked last year. There were lots of sheep about so plenty of lead walking. We dropped down to a very busy road which we walked along to get to the village of Wardlow. Cousin Di’s OS App was a godsend - again! What wasn’t a godsend was Tilly’s ridiculous habit of lunging at passing cars as they sped past. I gave her some strongly worded feedback which seemed to worry Benny but have no effect on her what so ever!
Another footpath took us the edge of Cressbrook Dale. The route went straight down (very steeply) and up Tansley Dale - also very steeply. I was starting to puff by now. I was now back on familiar territory except the 4 times I had been before the stream had been dry - it certainly wasn’t today!
When I got to the outskirts of Litton I checked the internet to see if the pub was open - it was. I had a refreshing pint outside next to a middle aged couple with a collie. They did make me think of Kim and our previous life and helped me reflect on my progress over the last 21 months but on this occasion I couldn’t help but focus on the wonderful bits about our relationship that I was still missing from my life. My deep contemplations were rudely interrupted by Tilly (aka Bigby) growling at my neighbours collie - she had just noticed it under the table!
A 30 minute walk down Tideswell Dale to the car. I messed up the App at the end but I reckon it was 8.5 miles at 2.5 miles / hour. Although I had left the car exactly 5 hours previously - all those stops for snacks!
Absolutely knackered so home for a bowl of cereal and football on Sky Go. After an hour or so I dragged myself in to Buxton to get a takeaway from Thai Delight - and it was.
Chatted to Laura and Bobby then blogged in bed. The dogs haven’t moved for a couple of hours. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing?
Oh, and I’ve still got that bloody leak!
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