On a few occasions recently I have been stuck behind cyclists on the lanes of Suffolk, some of which are not conducive for easy overtaking. This has given me time, whilst observing their massive calf muscles (devoid of hair to minimise wind resistance), to ponder what motivates these (mostly) men to follow this solitary pursuit, metronomically pounding out mile after mile in their lurid skin tight Lycra. I get the attraction of social cycling, when a group of peddlers go for a ride, and chatter along as they hog the road three abreast, but those lone riders, heads down, never a moment to admire their surroundings, occasionally sucking on their energy boosting drinks….well let’s just say it’s not my idea of a good time, but each to their own.
Did you know that some of those bikes that the serious cyclists ride cost upwards of £10,000?!! If the reason they are doing it is for fitness, they could achieve the same finely honed thigh and calf muscles by peddling along on an old ‘sit up and beg’ bike with Sturmey Archer 3-speed gears, but I suppose that they wouldn’t look so cool. However, they would have a healthier bank balance. My hand-me-down bike when I was a boy didn’t even have any gears. Back then in my village there were some American children (there was a USAF base close by) and some of them had bikes the like of which we had never seen – you peddled backwards to apply the rear brake. I mean wow! But everything that they had was flashier than what we had. Then in the 70’s the Brits upped their game when along came the Raleigh Chopper, the coolest and most covetable bike imaginable, but sadly one that I was not to own. Enough talk of cycling.
My popularity is spreading. In the past week I have declined orders from Upminster and Hornchurch, which are adjacent to each other, just east of Romford. I think that all three used to be sarf Essex, but they are now suburbs of London. It’s queer that I should receive two orders out of the blue within days of each other from down there. Walsham le Willows is far enough for me.
When I went to harvest the Raddichio on Thursday I made an unwelcome discovery. The majority of them have had their hearts completely munched away, and they had been growing under fine ‘Enviromesh’ netting to protect them….a fat lot of good that did! In a Facebook post I made at the time I accused Muntjac as being the perpetrators, but following some sleuthing I have revised my opinion. The tell tale trail of big muddy footprints on top of the mesh provided the most compelling evidence, and I can now announce that Brock Badger is firmly in the frame. The net result (pun intended) is that Raddichio is no longer available in the shop. It’s really annoying, because I sowed the seeds at the end of May and have nurtured the plants ever since, so after more than 4 months I have very little to show for my efforts. Such is life.
It’s very dry again, and there is no sign of any rain in the weather forecast for at least the next week. It’s fine for being able to get on with things outside, but the water table is now low, as evidenced by the ever reducing water levels in the ponds and streams. The newly sown arable crops would really benefit from some precipitation to ensure good germination and early growth. Meanwhile the autumn colours of the trees are a picture and the hedgerows have an abundance of berries for the wildlife, so it’s not all bad.
I will be planting spring greens in the polytunnel this week, pulling up more tomato plants in there, gathering in the butternut squash which have now ripened enough to go into storage, and yet more apple picking (yawn). I will also patch the hole in the fence that the wildlife is using to gain access, but big boy badger will no doubt smash his way back through in no time.
In the shop this week are cauliflowers, French beans, broccoli, red kale, red cabbage, red kohlrabi, red beetroot, limited celery and avocados, onions, leeks, carrots, sweet potatoes and squash. There are two types of parsley, sage and bay leaves. There are cooking and eating apples, quince, and some cooking pears (I forgot to take a photo of them – I might add one tomorrow). The Isle of Wight mini plum tomatoes continue to be available, but I don’t imagine that they will go on for too much longer.
Please could the serial laggards try to get their orders in on time? It really helps me. And pay me please (different serial laggards) – what with MoT, service, repairs, and insurance all falling in this month the bank balance could do with a boost.
Right, I’m off to clean out the chicken coops so I will call it a day. It’s going to be a grey week, but still fairly mild, both during the daytime and overnight, so it’s still not time to light the woodburning stove. Have fun.
Phil