Keeping it simple .

Todays weather forecast in the local paper a mass of black clouds, yellow lightning flashes , and , in case we still hadn't got the message , THUNDERSTORMS ! marked in big red letters across the page . This confident assertion of meteorological gloom seems at odds wih the cloudless blue sky overhead. Wilf isn't bothered one way or the other. He's focused on the croissant on the table above .

At the supermarket the bad tempered cashier gets up fom her chair and huffily rearranges the wine bottles on the conveyor belt. " If you lay them with the necks pointing forwards they won't roll about ". She then tisks once and tuts , loudly , twice .

Two thirty seven on Thursday afternoon . Dunk- bonk - dunk. The afternoon peace of the village rudely shattered by the mayors latest attempt to restart the church clock . Another 'professional ' has shown up with promises to repair the mechanism . Ten minutes later another dunk-bonk-dunk . On our afternoon walk Wilf and yours truly wander over to see what's going on . '' This is the clock repairman " says the mayor by way of greeting . ' I'm the clock repairman ' says the clock repairman . I can't help but wonder if his is how the locals really talk to each other or do they keep it simple specially for me ? .

On our way home across the village green Wilf has a run in with the water sprinkler , getting soaked in the process. His hair , when it finally dries, develops a decidedly 'punk 'look . It stays like this for the rest of the day . Excitement , France Profonde , style .