blackcurrants

I have my camera back after a week of being without it and it works so that's something of a relief.  We've been to several vide greniers over the last few days  so there will be new things on Etsy soon including the rather fine galvanized object above! What do you call it? Too short to be a bucket, too agricultural to be a dish. A container, a feeder...?

Anyhow it came in useful for picking 11 kilos of blackcurrants yesterday, most of which will be transformed into jam and some into compote with apple. More on compote later, it's a favourite subject of mine and a mystery to me why it is never mentioned in British books on preserving even in my favourite,  the excellent River Cottage Handbook nº 2, Preserves by Pam Corbin.

Other than that the weather is South West France is foul - rain, grey skies and I have been lighting the stove in my studio all week which is just bizarre. Better weather forecast for this week starting this evening so we shall see...