Friday, June 03, 2011

Take me home

Country roads. This one is roughly parallel to ours and joins up with the dirt road that runs from our house out through the vineyard. It's typical of the little roads that criss-cross the countryside all around us. The towns keep the shoulders well mowed; if they didn't, there would be nowhere to pull over when you meet another car or a tractor going in the opposite direction.

Wild grasses fill up a field next to the vineyard parcels (which you can't see here).

This view just screams summer to me, even though it's still spring. The plants and wildflowers are well advanced this year due to the early warm weather. The drought is accelerating their growth cycle even more. I heard on the news that grain harvests are starting already, about three to four weeks ahead of the normal schedule. And the crop is diminished due to the heat and lack of water.

Ah well, another excuse for prices to rise again. As if they needed an excuse...
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10 comments:

  1. Leon Sims03 June, 2011 10:42

    These roads are the one's that I have good memories of riding along on my bike on past trips.
    I've found French drivers the courteous to cyclists - well compared to Australia and the US.
    1.5 degrees here on Wed AM - enjoy summer while you have it.

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  2. Ken Broadhurst03 June, 2011 11:38

    Where I grew up in North Carolina, there was and still is a road called Nine-Foot Road. I stepped off these roads here around Saint-Aignan and they are about 9 feet wide too.

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  3. Craig03 June, 2011 13:35

    That's a lovely country lane scene. Very peaceful and picturesque.

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  4. Mark03 June, 2011 15:41

    That's a perfect scene. Now you just need a bike with a wicker basket and you're set. m.

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  5. Seine Judeet (Judith)03 June, 2011 15:57

    Wow, it sure does look like summer to me, too. Of course, for me, summer starts in my mind as soon as school is out, and that is NOW! This is my first day of summer break... and it'll be a hot one: 95° F, we're expecting.

    I love this shot :)

    Judy

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  6. john-san03 June, 2011 18:14

    That is a road that is crying out to be ridden on - by me! Look at all that traffic...

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  7. Starman03 June, 2011 19:39

    It does look like a country road in summer.

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  8. Cheryl04 June, 2011 01:21

    @Mark... love the image of the bike and the wicker basket. But my image has a baguette in the basket. :-)

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  9. wcs04 June, 2011 06:31

    leon, yes, out here in the country drivers are usually very courteous with cyclists. And 1.5 is cold!

    craig, picture it with a tractor.

    mark, and a little dog, too.

    judy, yay! School's out for the summer! But not here... end of June for that.

    john-san, and that's rush hour!

    starman, yup. :)

    cheryl, and a bottle of wine.

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  10. Susan05 June, 2011 17:49

    They've started harvesting south of Tours - we passed a field full of stubble yesterday.

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