This is CBS Eye on the World. Here's John Batchelor.

To the south of France, to paradise, Simon Constable writing for the Wall Street

Journal and Barron's and other distinguished publications, but first, he lives in paradise, and the way to

watch the progress this spring, there's been a great deal of rain in southern New England,

and a great deal of rain in southern France. But there's a plum tree outside Simon's window

that tells us things are turning towards summertime, and ripening plums mean harvest can't be far away, maybe.

Simon, a good day to you.

Is the sun out and what are the plums looking like?

Good day.

Good day to you, John.

The sun is definitely out at the moment.

Our high today, 93 Fahrenheit.

And when I got up this morning, it was 60 Fahrenheit. So really, really nice weather.

Massively blue sky, no clouds, very little breeze. And so obviously lots of water needed to keep

hydrated. And the Mirabelle plum tree outside of the office here in the south of France is looking

like it's going to be ready to have its plums taken off it and made into jam.

And I'm really looking forward to that.

These are beautiful little plums that are bright yellow.

And they should be absolutely tasty in a few days. I think, oh, maybe I just hope. You and Juno were out

for walk on the lanes this morning. What are the climbing vines? Are they back on the fences? And what are

the berries that you were eating last year? I don't remember.

The berries I was eating last autumn, which is in a few, it starts a bit earlier here in late August.

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