Harvesting (and funny carrot picture)

There's nothing quite like bringing home a basket of fruit and veg at this time of year. I popped to the plot on my runabout bike which is an elderly Raleigh Estelle with a basket on the front. I may have picked rather too much as the ride home was a little tricky. You don't see Bradley Wiggins trying to stop potatoes flying onto the road as he goes along.

Basket of delights. Slightly too heavy for an elderly bicycle

Included in the basket are new potatoes, carrots, peas, French beans, onion, garlic and a rather nice cucumber. This is my second ever cucumber, which I hope is as nice as my first ever cucumber, which I picked a few days ago. That is another satisfying allotment feeling, trying something for the first time and finding out it's really rather good.

My first ever cucumber

Finally, as promised, the obligatory funny-looking carrot shot:

Funny looking carrots: The allotment staple.

The Ute is Here

The latest weapon in my allotment arsenal has arrived, in the shape of my new Kona Ute. Ute being short for Utility bike, this is the pick-up truck of bikes. Comfy to ride, not too slow and ready-made to carry me, produce and equipment wherever I need to go. The Ute is now my regular work commuting bike and it's doing a grand job.

For all those doubters who couldn't visualise what a bike like this was for, I have enlisted the help of some tomato plants, my compost caddy, watering can, and, err, The Moog, to demonstrate:

The author would like to assure readers that no Moog was hurt in the making of this blog. Actually The Moog was pretty happy in there and nearly went to sleep before I could get him out again.