Gratitude.

On the PONs start of day 'comfort break' it's still dark. Pitch dark. To our left Venus is beaming out like a diamond. To our right above the orchard and the path that leads down to the waterfall a cloudless sky reveals stars packed from horizon to horizon. Satellites shimmy through the pre-dawn heavens ( the secret to satellite watching is they come at you from all points of the compass ). The PONs and their owner are closely monitored by the barn owls that live in the plane trees that line the lane. Every so often the owls - en masse - take wing and screech. 

While waiting for 'The Font' in Georgetown I wandered into a book store on M Street. A small thin blue hard covered book catches my eye. 'Gratitude' by Oliver Sacks. Four essays written at the end of his life. Gentle and lyrical and kind. Nothing sad or maudlin about them. Gratitude seems to be out of fashion these days although I'm glad we're a family that always writes thank you letters. Sitting on the storm drain this morning, watching the donkeys in the field below, the words on the back of the book seem especially true. Are Gratitude and Thanksgiving the same things ? 

Gratitude of a different sort at the bakers this morning. The pretty young lady behind the counter has noticed that Bob has been absent for a few days. I explain he's eaten something that's 'disagreed' with him. She brings not one but two croissants straight from the oven. They're still warm, borderline hot. Each PON gets a double dose of curly ends. How's that for the start of what's probably going to be the best day ever ? Bob has a joy overload and has to be encouraged out of the cafe. His body rotates and his legs go in different directions and seem to trip over themselves with delight. I call this his 'soft shoe shuffle'. 

Later, we sit on the storm drain and watch the donkeys and wave back at passing farmers in their little white vans. Another Sunday morning in deepest, deepest France profonde.

And thank you to Netflix for this : https://youtu.be/5pLCmLgjiJ8


Don't think I've ever seen one of these : https://twitter.com/hashtag/Parhelion?src=hash