Saturday, May 6, 2017

The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.


The PONs are saddled up and ready to head off on their morning walk. Both have tell tale signs of yogurt under their chins. Our departure has to wait while Sophie checks, no less than five times, to see if her yogurt pot has refilled itself. The family diva knows 'The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately'.


The PONs watch while I load the car with duvets. We drive down to the dry cleaners. Since our last visit the entrepreneurial owner has branched out. It is now a dry cleaners / Salon de The. It's a beautiful day outside. Sunshine and the gentlest of breezes. The air fresh and crisp. Inside eight old folks sitting at tables, sipping coffees and putting the world to rights while inhaling dry cleaning fumes.


In the local 24/7 store ( in reality it's an 8 / 6 store ) avocados at E4.99 apiece .


It seems the Californian and Mexican avocado harvests have been poor this year. Something to do with the heavy rain in California and a stressed crop in Mexico. Californian production is down 60% and Mexican 20%. The price of Haas avocados has doubled. America is sourcing its avocados from Peru and the rest of the avocado loving world is having to adjust to higher prices and different varieties. The shortage is made worse by the fact the Chinese are for the first time taking to guacamole in a big way.

Here in deepest France profonde the fat and expensive Brazilian variety is not flying off the shelves.


13 comments:

MOPL said...

Lovely photos of the PONS. O H & S would be all over the Salon de The in Australia. Might I be so bold to ask the name of the those beautiful pink roses?

Angus said...

The roses are 'Mayflower'. Repeat flowering, disease resistant and with a scent that ransfers itself onto the PONs and then into the house. The ones in the photo are planted in the ravel in front of the door. Amazing they've taken in such poor soil. Here's the details : http://www.britishroses.co.uk/acatalog/The-Mayflower.html

Susan said...

My big fruit and veg retailer at the market didn't have avocadoes this week. I assume they were too expensive and he figured no one would buy them in a small country town.

Swan said...

Avocados usually cost 3.99 at Whole Foods. I can't figure out why, especiallly when I'm living in California, surrounded by avocado trees!

Unknown said...

Bob and Sophie look much more adorable with yogurt on their chins than I do.
Thank you for the information on the roses; they're glorious.

Emm said...

Avocados, and other fresh foods, have gotten much more expensive in the US since the first of the year. Some news stories have pointed out that the punitive measures enacted by the incoming administration have greatly reduced the number of immigrants and other laborers available to harvest produce. Weather may have been a factor, too.
I like Sophie's optimism in thinking that her yogurt pot will refill, magically. Carpe diem, kiddo.

Unknown said...

Avocados yesterday were three for $5.00 canadian so I paid $1.66. Bob and Sophie do look rather fetching today.

Coppa's girl said...

Bob and Sophie look as though they are ruminating on matters of great importance, such as how that yoghurt pot doesn't automatically refill itself ! Doubt they are too worried about the price of avocados.
I paid something like 1 euro 90 cents for a small, locally grown avocado - the dark green skinned variety.

rottrover said...

I'm surprised avocados aren't grown in your area. It seems that the climate is very much like southern California's. But what do I know?

Cro Magnon said...

€5 for an Avocado? Leclerc is much cheaper.

Angus said...

I think the answer is that SoCal doesn't get snow and freezing temperatures and we do. Avocados apparently won't survive sub-zero temperatures which would explain why they don't grow anywhere in Europe although they probably do in Israel.

Swan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jane said...

Er.. Avocados grow on the Costa Tropical in Spain. In quite large numbers but probably not enough to export out of Spain - I live in Extremadura and most of our avocados are from South America, but we do get some Spanish ones in the supermarket.