Our First Duck Eggs & other signs of spring

Our Muscovy duck began laying eggs early this month, and has continued to lay for weeks. It has been a complete surprise, considering we had thought her to be a male!
  I think that the eggs are just the most beautiful things in the world. They never cease to amaze me. Each day, we gather a new egg, and I can't help but marvel at every little spot and speckle. Each one just seems miraculous. Every day, I am reminded to be grateful; every day is a precious gift.

Spring is just around the corner, and the eggs aren't the only sign: the Meyer lemon is blossoming, as well as the violets; the Anna apple is budding, and the rosemary is flowering (the best time to harvest some branches for drying).

The end of winter?

The honeybees, and the peach trees, seem to think so.

the place where the blackberries grow...

well, one of them, anyway.

Ramble On

Spring is almost here. Things are just blooming; fruit trees have many pink buds just about to open, while others are just unfurling leaves. Birds have paired up, and are now singing and courting on the warmer days.  They have the prettiest voices.

Life is hectic right now. Travelling. Working. Gardening. Canning. Photograph-taking.
Visiting with a friend in the hospital. Later, decompressing at a local pizza spot with family, talking figs (what else) with the owner.

 I wish I had some pretty pictures to share today, but my camera has a thing against the computer right now. I do have a million posts lined up, but they will be so much better with visual aid.  

   Citrus is in full swing, and it's a race to capture their essence and try to contain them in jars. Most recently that meant meyer lemon marmalade (I am so posting that recipe), the lemons plump and fresh as any I've ever seen - and I grew up with a tree in the backyard.  They came from the farmer's market - a good one; I love it when the vendors aren't hawking cheap plastic junk.  After gathering the best the market has to offer (mushrooms! blood oranges! beets! kohlrabi!), doing a bit of browsing in the surrounding shops feels incomplete without a tall glass of limeade in hand... There will be lots of pictures.

   Also, I made up a killler rice pudding with coconut milk and lemon zest and cinnamon, the three essentials. It's so easy, and completely clean. I'm very proud of that one. Three different topping combos that look as good as they sound.
   
I had my birthday recently, and I made a cake for myself. It was a huge success, as it did not last.
   
 Valentine's Day came and went without much ado, but I did manage to make white chocolate cupcakes. They went incredibly well with homemade raspberry jam.
   
As the weather is still iffy, my favorite things to eat are soups: white bean with rosemary & carrot soup, a beautiful, brothy, mushroom-rich bok choy soup, and a gorgeous roasted-tomato soup. They work for both cold or warm-ish days.
 
 I've been doing some pinning, finding some very cute food sites along the way. And many more recipes to try.
   
Alot of jam is being eaten around here. Finding which are good, which are not, and which to absolutely make again this year. I'll be posting the results soon.

 Finally, there will be some photos of the Tet Fest in Little Saigon. So. Many. Flowers.

Cheers.   

Stonefruit + Bees

I was just enthralled with these little honeybees. Pickings must be slim...no flowers for nectar. 

Imagine the honey!