The shock .

The village quiet when Sophie and her master do their start of day tour.  Half a dozen young blackbirds are busy hunting for worms on the village green. These are chased, enthusiastically, but ineptly. On our way back to The Rickety Old Farmhouse Sophie detours to investigate some rustling from the wheat field on the other side of the lane. The sound of a PONette in full hunting mode careering through the wheat soon causes the rustling to stop.

Time for Sophie to have a hair trim. The detour into the wheat field has turned wild and shaggy into disheveled and unkempt.

First things first. A croissant and a coffee for me and curly croissant ends and a bowl of water for my super shaggy companion.

Then it's time for some fur to come off. Angus is given the guilt inducing ' How could you treat such a poor maiden so ?' look as he wields the clippers. A trip to the kitchen for buttered toast goes some way to remedying the shock.

So starts another hot summer Saturday morning in deepest, deepest France profonde.