The truth is rarely pure and never simple.

Another chilly start to the day. At the cafe under the arcades the lady with the hairnet and the pom-pom slippers is wearing a red and green ski jacket over her dressing gown. An autumnal sartorial adjustment.

Back at The Rickety Old Farmhouse the builder, and two morose lads, are grouting the tiles in the upstairs hallway. Some houses have underfloor heating. When the wind blows we have underfloor updraughts. This year  ' the font ' has decided that by the onset of winter the house will be weatherproofed . By lunchtime the builder has run out of lime and sand to fill in the gaps between the tiles. '' More work that I thought . We'll be back later in the week " he says,  adding , " Don't want to rush it. Wouldn't want to botch a job in a beautiful old house like this ". Local workmen always say ' beautiful old house like this ' before presenting you with a large bill. The power of positive psychology.

Bob and Sophie continue to enjoy life to the full. A walk through the village mid-morning and an early evening splash in the stream. The little angels are back on leads again. Bob decided to wander off to see the cows in the barn. He rapidly discovered that they're bigger , much bigger, up close than they appear to be from a distance. He returned from his visit to the barn at top speed. He is now grounded. A timely lesson in perspective.