Life goes on here.  The topic of conversation is, as always, the weather, but unusually for August, it generally focuses on how chilly it is, or how it doesn't just seem to rain any more, but comes down in torrents.  The results are clear to see.

It means that the short blasts of sunshine are particularly welcome, and enjoying coffee with a friend this morning at Jolly Nice, there was no question of where to sit but in a sunny corner of the courtyard.

It's been a quiet week so far, giving me an opportunity to fine-tune things here on the blog, adding an RSS feed link at the bottom of the right hand side column and adding a few more "feature photographs" which come up on the opening page and appear as you scroll down. 

How is it looking for you now?  Are there any other things I've missed or are not working properly?

We're getting used to a small change in the kitchen here, having had a Quooker fitted yesterday.  It seems funny to see a space where the kettle used to be, but so far, so good, especially when it comes to instant cups of tea!

The most recent development however, is the return of my (new) camera which has been in the repair shop for the last two weeks.  The catch which holds the SD card in place wasn't working properly and mindful of the weakness in the build of these cameras, I didn't waste any time in getting it sorted.  It arrived back good as new, with no less than seven A4 sheets of paperwork accompanying it.

I was so pleased to see it, I couldn't wait to take it outside and check it was all in good working order by taking a picture outside.

So quiet was it this lunchtime, that all I could hear was the creaking and cracking of the woodpile, drying in the sunshine.

And the sound of the Air Canada flight from Rome to Montreal overhead, where another dark cloud is looming too.