Mist over Edensor

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Our Chatsworth survey is definitely jinxed. We set off this morning, full of optimism that our mammoth task would be complete by tomorrow evening. Alex seemed somewhat subdued first thing, but this was not out of character as he's never been a morning person.

The journey was uneventful, although there were traffic queues near Baslow, as people poured into Chatsworth to make the most of a beautiful early autumn day. When we finally arrived at the security lodge I woke Alex, who staggered out of the car as white as a sheet, saying that he felt really ill.

He spent the rest of the morning lying asleep on the grass while Chris and I carried on with our survey. After two hours driving I really didn't want to just turn round and take him home. By mid afternoon he looked awful and was feeling shivery despite the heat. I gave him the car keys and told him to head back to the car while Chris and I carried on. It was just as he set off that the sickness began.

I felt awful just leaving him to make his own way back,and even worse when I found out it had taken him several hours, with a short stagger followed by a bout of vomiting and then a long lie down. Chris and I pressed on even though his feet were painful, and somehow managed to record over 50 trees before heading back to the car, just as a gentle mist was rising. A closer view towards Edensor Church can be seen here.

We had planned to have a pub meal and stay the night at Chris's house in Sheffield, but that was obviously not a good idea, so I drove home with Alex lying in the back, well supplied with plastic bags. Fortunately the worst of the sickness had passed by that time. Chris and I had the windows wide open for as long as we could, just in case it was contagious!