Mid-week ride

Wednesday, 14th August 2013: Being late in my posts means that I tend to look on the pictures and bemoan the end of Summer. At the moment many of the fields are a freshly-ploughed dark brown or black (in the peaty fens).

Whereas in these pictures it is all go as the wheat, barley, oil seed rape and flax is harvested. (Which reminds me I saw my first clamp of sugar beet of the season yesterday when out for a ride.)

The other problem is that I am not getting out and cycling quite so much as I did in July and August the pictures make me reflect on summer cycling versus the winter cycling to come. Ah well, take each day as it comes is the advice my Mum would give.

This was a figure of 8  ride, out along NCN51 up to Swaffham Prior, across to Reach of Black Drove Way. Then up to Reach Lode Bride on the reach Lode underbank and then to Upware via Straight Drove. The route back was down Harrison’s Drove to Lodes Way and back through to Bottisham and NCN51.

The saying make hay while the sun shines was evident – literally.  Although really the resultant bales would be straw rather than hay.

Combining on the outskirts of Bottisham

It is unusual to see a Combine Harvester parked up at this time of year – broken or waiting to a quieter time of day before taking to the roads?

Freshly Combined Field – Swaffham Bulbeck

One of the things I like about summer is the profusion of flowers, along with the fact that they come out at different times of the summer.  Cycling back long Harrison’s Drove in Wicken Fen it is surprisingly colourful.

At the time I took the picture I thought it might be a type of Willowherb, now I am not so sure, Centaury perhaps.

Pink flowers – Harrison’s Drove – Wicken Fen

Yellow Flowers – Harrison’s Drove – Wicken Fen

The view from Harrison’s Drove

Yet more Combining, this time a Claas Classic 98 – they seem to knock new versions of Combine Harvesters more frequently than car models. Apparently this one has a 6l Merc engine.

Class Classic 98 in action

Split Drove – Lodes Way

Fresh Bales – Lodes Way – Near Swaffham Bulbeck Bridge

I wonder if this field is being grown organically along White Fen Drove Wau/ Sandy Road?  A footpath also crosses the field somewhere?

Organic Barley?

A pair of cyclists out for a mid-week ride along Lodes Way (White Fen Drove Way)

I took this picture as a reminder.

Of the Quy Beer Festival – unfortunately I didn’t manage to go. Maybe next year.