Thursday 26 March 2009

Of Eggs and Ducks...



Hurray, the ducks are back in lay! They took an extended break from laying - very extended - but today I found these in the duck pen. Beautiful and white and smooth. Wonderful for baking, though hopeless for meringues. I feel a cake or two coming on.



Next up were the hen eggs:



Perfect for meringues and cakes and soldiers and poaching and....you get the picture. How pretty they look together in one of my favourite flowery plates.



Racing out between the showers I spotted these gorgeous narcissi with their orangey centres against moon-pale petals. Beautiful.



Well, I am off for a cup of this to fortify me before the Great Dinner Challenge (SO not in the mood for that tonight)...



and will leave you with pictures our lovely ducks. May I introduce Lemony the Aylesbury:



Biscuit the silver-cheeked Appleyard (on the left). She is a very pretty girl indeed. On the right is Maple, the Khaki Campbell x Indian Runner who is always up to mischief and sticking her over-long neck where it has no right to be. She is a duck with attitude.



And finally, Mustang the drake Silver-cheeked Appleyard. Named by the children I might add!



Have a lovely evening x

20 comments:

  1. How lovely to keep ducks! I wonder why their eggs are no good for meringues? Does Maple run like the Indian Runner Ducks? I bet she'd hilarious to watch if she does!!!

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  2. What absolutely gorgeous ducks and they all sound SUCH characters.

    Sue xx

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  3. Lovely, lovely ducks (sob, ours were all eaten by foxes). Such beautiful pictures too. I'm so envious of all your pretty crockery. Our poor hens eggs sit in ugly boxes not pretty dishes. I just might have to go hunting for pretty dishes...
    Pipany, I adore your blogs. They're such a tonic and so inspirational.

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  4. I would love to keep ducks and chickens. We could have chickens one day, but no water for ducks. I love yours. You could write a story about them with names like that!
    Love
    Lyn
    xxx

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  5. Hiya Pipany, very spooky indeed!! All I can say is you have very good taste!

    Love your duckies though that's where the double life ends, but if I had the space though I think a definite maybe to probably even a 'yes'

    Have a lovely evening, I love the photo of the daffodil field rolling onto the sea, reminds me of a tractor ride we took out to Durdle's Door a couple of years ago not direct from Broadstairs though we were on holiday there!

    Nina x

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  6. What a sweet post. Your fresh eggs are so beautiful in their humble simplicity!

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  7. Where was the beautiful Daffodil picture taken? It is amazing. Love your ducks, and love duck eggs for baking. As a collector of pretty China, I love the dish. Don't ducks have such character.

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  8. Hello Pipany, such a beautiful photograph of the field of daffodils, I would love to sit and have a picnic looking out at that view. You have gotten me all excited, as we are hopefully getting some hens on Saturday. I will be able to share in the joy of a freshly laid egg, such a simple pleasure.
    Bertie x

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  9. Pipany, I arrive here after a long, long day in the retail whirl, and find these delightful ducks, and their eggs, too. Somehow, I do feel very refreshed about the possibilities that any new day might bring.

    Bake, boil, enjoy those scrumptious eggs, admire those beautiful ducks, and keep these wonderful, optomistic posts coming.

    xo

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  10. Your ducks are beautiful Pipany... how lovely to have ducks and hens.

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  11. Morning Pipany,
    Lovely photo's and very pleased to hear duck eggs are good for baking. After my little walk the other day I've been promised half a dozen this weekend (from the two with their heads almost out of the frame). Yum. Love that daffodil.
    P x

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  12. Lovely to see the ducks... and such good names too! Obviously your children have inherited your creative imagination. And I'm with Lyn on the story idea... lovely book for children with pics of REAL ducks perhaps interspersed with sketches, or against sketched and watercoloured backgrounds... I'm sure you could fit writing a book into your schedule!!!!!

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  13. Oh Biscuit! And Lemony! Adorable! I just want to pick them up and cuddle them.................
    Love the photo of the daff field, what a stunning sight.
    Good luck with the meal.
    xxx

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  14. I have never had a duck egg! The names are so wonderful for the ducks--esp. Lemony. My Dad has two geese--Gaston and Gaby. For some reason naming fowl is so much fun!

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  15. Lovely, lovely post Pip. Flowers, sea and pretty ducks!

    Tracey

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  16. Lovely photos of your girls and guy. Our girls began laying two weeks ago but chose to lay their eggs on the ice on the pond - no way was I going out to fetch those!
    Lots of amorous activity around the pond, so I'm hoping we'll have some ducklings this year.

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  17. Love the names, our hens include Henny & Penny, Betty Brown, Mabel, Hanniah, Martha and Kellogs the cockrell. Haven't got round to ducks yet. Have a lovely weekend. Dev X

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  18. I love ducks, the contented litle noises they make are so lovely.
    Twiggy x

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  19. Oh you live my postcard life.SO beautiful and ducks !!They must be such fun to have around.And your view........sigh........xxx

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  20. Lovely eggs. But oh how I miss my ducks. Chatty Muscovies and timid Khaki Campbells.
    Inspiring post.
    CKx

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