Fruit

The heatwave basically stopped the tomatoes dead in their tracks; all the trusses abruptly ceased setting halfway along. ( Tomatoes )

( Chillies )

( Transplant success )

( Herb seed )

( California poppies )

( other plants )

( Chrysanthemums )

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At the weekend I made a cycling trip to pick wild plums -- which really are cherry-sized, considerably smaller than my supposed cherry tomatoes! Fifteen miles out and twelve miles back (thanks to not getting lost so much on the return journey); two hours versus ninety minutes' cycling respectively. [Edit: mileage 2832.6] Ten miles an hour average is dependent on going well over 10mph much of the time down flat roads and a well-known route, I'm afraid... and not being tired, having a head-wind, or carrying an additional load of plums in your panniers :-p It may be 'just down the road' by motor vehicle or a brief sprint on the Tour de France, but it just underlines how completely unrealistic it is to do two forty-mile coach journeys in a day, even if using different teams of horses. Modern transport schedules completely iron out the amount of time and effort it takes to get anywhere by ordinary labour.

( travel to Beauvais, redux )

( plums )

( Russian air pie )