Mikes weather bits & Photo Blog: Migrants keep out! & Some snow today likely!

The Banner headlines are of interest Britain to Freeze until Easter sounds about right after all it is Winter The Mail has the same story the other banner of Millions hit by rip-off energy scandal comes as no surprise as the same story appeared in December 2015!

The main headline "Had to come sometime" didn't it? - - -

I looked at this with a tinge of irony Ralph Brazier was killed after falling off his bike after running into a large pothole. My point is we have similar potholes around here and yet the Ministry of Transport is Sponsoring the Cycle path alongside the A6 from Matlock to Bakewell which has to have a multi million £ price tag on it - - -

=======================================

Amazing story of a bear a tiger and a lion who are the best of friends. Thank goodness they were rescued!

======================================

Almost over the post holiday jetlag (pics another time) we decide its time for lunch at our favourite spot The Grouse at Froggatt

its been wet overnight but i feel like a walk so determine the "White Edge Walk" from Curbar edge to The Grouse will be a good idea. The view across the road at the car park shows the clouds that will eventually bring rain later

As i parked up i see a bloke using a footpath directly up onto Froggatt Edge but wonder if there's a similar path which will mean i dont need to walk up the narrow road to start my walk. I discover one that will be just the ticket, Cyrils white van roof can just be discerned in the parking place

the wind is very cold and coming straight at me but i soon get warm enough to take off my gloves. I notice that there are quite a number of people using the White Edge this morning.

Stopping in front of the trig point to take this pic its difficult to see the snow already on the Kinder Scout hills far away "note the lady in a grey coat at the right of the pic, when i pass her and her companion they are wearing (very soggy) plimsoll type shoes?"

Almost finished with the edge now and i cant see Boris in the pub car park

Good timing or what as i make to go through the front door Sally pulls into the car park

Lunch done with i set off back along Froggatt edge with the wind helping me along this time and teeter along a rock ledge to get a pic i haven't snapped before ! the rain has arrived by now but its only very light - - -

the rain is very light but even on zoom the camera has difficulty picking out Chatsworth House in the distance

back at the car park the view doesn't look too bad and we might get a clear patch this afternoon

====================================================

Time to commission the new box filter methinks

with the old one out of the way and draining into the flower bed below the new one sits well in the corner

Most filter boxes used to have 30 or 40mm outlets and would have the relevant pipe fitted. This one has a 50mm which means playing around with some old shed guttering bits to enable the water to run back into the pond

It'll be another 4 to 6 weeks before the "Bio" part of the filter starts to work so the UV light is not plugged in. I unravel the lead though to the power outlet box to keep it dry and it only just reaches!! 2 options? i can move the box and or change the lead from the old filter to the new? a job for later

Having got it set up the outlet from the box drips so i set up a bit of old guttering to resolve that. The outlet pipe from the filter does seem to take a lot of air back into the pond so thats good. with the weather getting decidedly chilly i retreat indoors.

I surf the net looking for 50mm couplings but most aquatic shops only go up to 40mm.

I finally find Argos do a straight rubber 50mm coupling and i then find a 50mm 90 degree plastic coupling that will allow me to attach my old bit of shed downpipe. A job for next week!

==============================================

WEATHER TODAY

This is not good! the netweather display shows what is probably the promised Storm Jake snow arriving. We need to go to Chesterfield to day - - - it could be fun for Boris
===========================================

it was quite cod overnight and i can see some snow above 700ft out the window the stats here back up the probability of Snow today

very grey clouds on the weathercam and a couple of flakes have been falling already. I'll take my camera along on the trip to Chesterfield and post a couple of pics later - - -
=====================================================
UPDATE 12:45
The snow has been around for a while and anything above 150 metres is showing signs of accumulations

we managed to get over to Chesterfield ok, on the way back though over "the tops" the snow was really starting to cover the fields

looking directly into the weather its obvious theres more to come

LM went out and chased a few snowflakes before just sitting there bewildered for a while. We are only at 300 ft so its a bit of snow bit of rain at the moment