Satellites.

7.00 pm on a cloudless Christmas night. A pre-dinner tour of the garden with Sophie. Venus low in the south west sky as bright as a car headlight. Earlier in the month Saturn could be seen just below it.  Some say it's the same rare conjunction of the planets that the wise men followed.  As I turn to come back into the house three satellites can be seen moving slowly east . I've never seen three satellites on the same heading before. Makes me think someone has a lot of interest in something. North Korea perhaps ? Sophie  couldn't be bothered about what's going on in the sky. She's heading across the lawn at speed following a scent with great determination.

This morning the village deserted. So is the shopping street in the little market town. It seems that most of the locals are taking the rest of the week off.

Sophie goes for an hours walk with 'The Font' down to the valley and then back up the hill. It should have been a half hours walk but Sophie is in one of her smell every flower study every clod of grass moods. Progress is glacial.

The sound of this drifted across the village green last night. Anyone who has lived in France at Christmas will have heard this being sung at village gatherings by local farmers. Wine adds to the solemnity of the performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxB7od-l89s