A great view.

The gutter cleaner arrives at eight on Saturday morning. He's brought his wife. They're here for three hours and chat away constantly and without pause the whole time. He at the top of the ladder, she at the bottom. He shouts down to tell her there's a great view from up here. She shouts back " you are lucky ". There is, as far as I can tell, no hint of sarcasm in her reply.

The chicken counter in the supermarket. A new sign with a picture of a smiling young couple surrounded by happy looking chickens. Underneath the slogan  '' Raised in the fresh air ". I've seen  personalised signs like this at the meat display but never one that shows which particular farm the chickens came from. A sign of growing interest in food and / or animal welfare ?

Overhead the sky full of large Royal Air Force transport aircraft taking French troops to Mali. Unlike civil planes the military aircraft fly in packs of three or four , their contrails trailing behind them as straight as a ruler. They used to be going to Afghanistan, then Libya , now Mali. World events unfolding in the skies above our sleepy little patch of paradise.