Conjunction.

 

A conjunction of Venus and Jupiter glowing brightly low on the horizon this morning. As a summer cost saving measure by the new mayor ( electricity charges have jumped 40%) the village street lights come on briefly at six and switch off at six fifteen. Those of us up and about before six are untroubled by light pollution and can enjoy the stars to the full.

Sophie has no interest in conjunctions - she spends the first part of her day following the scent of the black and white C-A-T . This peers down at her from the top of the wood pile. It never seems to enter Sophie's head that a C-A-T could be above her.

A further twenty minutes are spent checking the orchard.

Through it all black and white C-A-T remains supremely untroubled by Sophie's hunting technique.

A start of day chat with the super smart Los Angelenos. Much concern in financial markets that Russia will declare out and out war against Ukraine on May 9th. Sophie wanders into the office to display her impatience. She is not at all happy that we aren't heading off to the bakers for our morning croissant but knows that silence is her only option. The family diva settles by my desk and stares at me in a way which makes it 100% clear that I should get a move on.

So starts a new month in a small village in deepest, deepest France profonde.

There is so much in modern culture that is unexpected  : https://jahwobbletheukrainians.bandcamp.com/

Angus can relate to this :https://knowablemagazine.org/article/society/2022/why-people-sleep-less-than-primate-relatives

Quite possibly the most interesting thing I've read this year :https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-world-of-octopus-cities-and-culture-shows-why-its-wrong-to-farm-them-180536

And a new , favourite, Twitter link :https://twitter.com/WeirdMedieval/status/1520093081504305153