Sunday Snapshot | Sunset over Beeley Moor

A little Sunday snapshot of the sun setting over Beeley Moor in the Peak District. 

This Bank Holiday Sunday Evening Snapshot started out as an epic fail for Tim and I! We'd headed over to The Wheatsheaf at Baslow in search of food, only to find they'd finished early and be redirected to The Highwayman (who also didn't have room for us). We resigned ourselves to heading home and ordering a pizza but, rather than waste the whole evening, decided to take the scenic route back to Matlock.

So so glad we did, as it was that perfect, golden time of the evening and we were inspired to abandon the car at the side of the road and take a sunset stroll along some of the country lanes that run through Beeley Moor and capture some stunning shots of that evening's sunset.

Everything was such a glorious shade of soft pink and iPhone photos really don't do it justice at all, but I hope you enjoy these images as much as we enjoyed taking them...

For more real-time snapshots of life in Derbyshire and the Peak District, follow me on instagram.

Sunday Snapshot | Among the Poppies

Come with me on a lazy Sunday stroll in the poppy fields of Bubnell, Baslow in the Peak District.

I do love a good summer Sunday drive-out. We are so lucky to have so many little nooks, crannies and gems to explore in the Derbyshire Dales and in the Peak District and the longer days and sunnier weather makes it criminal not to explore. Summer is also the time that the poppies are in full bloom in Bubnell, a little village tucked away in the Peak District, near Baslow.

This summer, the fields surrounding Bubnell Cliff Farm have come to life with a sea of brilliant red poppies (and some white if you can spot them). When you step across the road and into the field you are met with a vast wash of green and red that stretches way into the distance, where Chatsworth house is also visible in the background. 

You are permitted to explore the fields to your heart's content, which is probably the reason there have been so many photos popping up on social media from locals and tourists alike. I couldn't resist snapping a few photos on my phone while I was up to my waist in beautiful flowers, and couldn't help but wish I'd packed my SLR, but this was an on-a-whim excursion, and I count myself extremely lucky that there are places like this practically on my doorstep to mooch around when the mood just takes you. 

As with most of my Sunday Snapshot posts, I'm just going to let the photos do the rest of the talking. If you get chance to visit Chatsworth, or Derbyshire in general over the next couple of months, this spectacle is well worth a slight detour, especially on a sunny day. 

If you're interested in a frolick among the poppies, you'll find Bubnell Cliff Farm, just outside of Baslow here. 

For more Sunday Snapshots from in and around Derbyshire, you can see some of my other photo-heavy round-ups using the tag here. 

Meeting Poppy - My Animal Rescue Story

I wasn't planning on adopting a cat this year, but sometimes life takes you in different directions just when you need it. Here's how I came to meet my purrfect Poppy cat...

While I'm still working up to blogging about a lot of the things that went wrong in 2017 (and I believe I do need to pour it out at some point - sometimes venting is good for the soul), one of the defining events of last year was losing both of my beloved rescue ferrets - first Jasper, then Pedro - one by one to cancer. If that wasn't heart-breaking enough, in the same week as losing Pedro, my Dad was taken into hospital with what turned out to be a cerebral lymphoma that would eventually take him from us at Christmas. 

I was pretty much prepared for the loss of my ferrets, but Pedro's death in late November was more sudden than I'd anticipated. He was doing great, despite insulinoma, right up until the moment he wasn't. I'd always said I wouldn't be having any more pets for the foreseeable after the ferrets, but my Dad's illness changed things. I just wasn't coping living alone, and I had no bundle of fluff to come and make me laugh and shower me with love when I was feeling down. My routine was firmly centred around looking after Pedro, and now I had nobody else to focus on.

Then, the day after my Dad's 'Leaving Drinks' (we don't do funerals in our family), this little tortie face popped up in my Facebook feed...

Image Credit - Dan Mart Photography

My local animal rescue organisation here in Derbyshire, Ashbourne Animal Welfare (The Ark), posted an adoption appeal on their Facebook page for some of their senior cats. I'm the sort of person that doesn't discriminate when it comes to animals - I don't prefer kittens/puppies, and my favourite breed is 'rescued'. I also seem to gravitate towards the shy ones, and the ones who are a little rough around the edges. I'm not afraid of a little work, or of a medication schedule - I've been there and got the t-shirt. The reward is seeing them happy!

There were so many beautiful kitties included in that Facebook post, but these nervous little eyes just caught my attention. I learned on The Ark's website that 9-year-old Poppy's elderly owner had passed away in October 2017, and I just knew I wanted to meet her! She sounded like she needed the same thing as I did.

You know how the saying goes. You don't choose them, they choose you. When I phoned The Ark to ask about booking an appointment to visit Poppy, and the other cats in their cattery, in the back of my mind I knew I couldn't choose a cat just from a photo... or could I? I looked at so many cats that day in February, and I kept finding myself back at Poppy's pen. She'd come right out to greet me for scratches when I first approached, and she had the identical blanket to the one I'd had Pedro cremated with. It kind of felt like a spooky sign that I'd chosen right first time so, of course, it had to be her. She'd confirmed it!

Although, honestly, the thought crossed my mind to scoop up as many as I could carry and run for the door (no, not really... okay, yes, really)

It turned out I could have taken Poppy home with me that very same day! However, we hadn't brought a cat basket with us, and I needed to stock up on supplies before bringing her home, so we agreed to go back the following day for her. After making my donation, which was over and above what they asked for because The Ark do such an amazing job, and rely solely on volunteers and donations, I scooped Poppy into her carrier and we drove back home to Matlock.

Poppy has seriously amazed me. She's gone from being the nervous little soul in that first photo to being a playful, brave, and loving kitty. It took her a week to fully explore the apartment and gain her confidence, but all she does now is purr and play. She's still very nervous of people coming in and out of the front door, and will hide under the bed for a while before coming out to introduce herself.

My little girl is 9 years old, and also has a mild heart murmur that is being monitored, but she acts like a cat less than half her age. I've never known a cat go so bonkers over toys, and she has the most hilarious post-poop crazy-hour every day (usually in the middle of the night). She has also developed an attachment to Pedro's favourite ducky-bear stuffie. She goes mad for it, which surprised me because there's no catnip in it, and I'd never heard of a cat loving cuddly toys before. 

I'd thoroughly recommend adopting a senior cat. Poppy is perfectly litter trained, and is so polite with her food. Sure, she can be a little grotbag sometimes, but she adores a fuss and will roll around on the bed for hours for tummy scratches. They have so much love to give, even the broken ones. I don't know what Poppy's life was like before she came to The Ark, but she's certainly loving life now. There's something really magical about watching an animal coming out of its shell and revealing their personality. I think her owner would be happy that she's found a new forever home.

Most people will tell you that I'm not, generally, a cat person, but I've always had cats growing up, and I'm not ready for a dog just yet (as much as it pains me to admit it). I wouldn't change Poppy for the world though. This fluffy little weirdo is definitely in my tribe! I am so grateful to the amazing staff at Ashbourne Animal Welfare for all the work they do, and for letting me take this little beauty home with me. Think it's safe to say she won't be coming back!

If you are considering adding a cat or dog to your family, I'd urge you to consider adoption over buying from a breeder. So many wonderful pets (particularly older pets) are going unnoticed in shelters all over the UK, most through no fault of their own. Many, like Poppy, have been the unfortunate victims of circumstance, some have been rescued from homelessness, and some may have been victims of neglect. They all deserve nothing but love! 

If you're in the Derbyshire area (or even further afield) I'd wholeheartedly recommend Ashbourne Animal Welfare. 

To browse all the cats and dogs currently available for adoption, or to make a donation, visit their website, www.ashbourneanimalwelfare.org

Or you can keep up with all of The Ark's residents via their Facebook Page.

Do you have an animal rescue story to share? How did you find your own furry family members?