David: ref pear ripening. My husband picked our pears ages ago because they
were breaking away at the stem when he lifted them. They weren't ripe but
are now. We stored them on bread racks under a side table in the dining
room and they are gorgeous.

It certainly took longer than the two weeks the books say it would take -
more like 3 or 4 but I didn't note a date. Will do that next year.