In my opinion combine harvesters are the most perfect example of progress and human ingenuity. Doing more with less.
Consider the number of people harvesting/threshing/bailing required not so long ago. Now: 3 people in air-con cabs can do everything in a fraction of the time.
Last year was an atrocious one for cycling. February and March were fine, although farmers were worried about drought. But then the rain started in April and barely let up for the rest of the year. The Saturday of the Men's Olympic Road Race sticks in the memory...