Specimen jars

Admiring my jars of just-made rosemary jelly, I couldn't help but be reminded of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek's pioneering experiments with microscopy in the second half of the 17th century. Examining pond water with a lens he had invented he was startled to discover it was full of 'animalcules'. They were of course microscopic organisms like nematodes, spermatazoa and bacteria, invisible to the naked eye.

I can however guarantee that the fragments suspended here in amber jelly are purely herbal and the sole ingredients used were rosemary, apples and sugar. I made it to be sold at the surplus food cafe where we are currently struggling to deal with gluts of apples, runner beans and courgettes.

In other news
I have received one of the travelling cameras, via Serpent. It may take a few days before I can put it to use since strangers are not thick on the ground round here once the holiday season is over. FreeSpiral is its next port of call.

Also, although Sub Sunday seems to have bitten the dust (and anyway Sunday's over), I'd like to recommend Jake's Journal which I came upon today. It's by a young man who's travelling around Turkey and Eastern Europe taking awesome portraits of local people and describing his adventures with great humour and a sensitive awareness of the cultural context. And yet hardly anyone has been viewing these fantastic blips! Do take a look.