Easter Eggs or Ducklings?

In the midst of yet another Nor'Easter, one has to believe that the ducks know best and Spring will not be long in coming.

Caillou, the matriarch of our flock has this year decided to make her nest in one of the chicken egg laying boxes 

which may help contain her eggs, as she has a tendency to scratch her eggs out of the nest.

                                      

Nora, so named because her sister Dora wandered far and wide throughout the woods, until one day her exploring took her to the point of no return.

The incubation period for a Muscovy duck is around 5 weeks, Nora has been sitting for three weeks

Cinco, a daughter of Nora, got her name because she has made her nest under the Pizza oven sink countertop

She has 4 eggs at present and will start sitting when she has a dozen or more, which will probably take another couple of weeks.

The almost identical sister of Cinco, who we named  Mayo, has been sitting for just over a week

and as you can see, has a full clutch of eggs, 17 in total.

Studley, on the left and Sir Francis, are our two drakes.

But don't put away your snow shovel just yet, as Coddle hatched 4 little duckling back in December.

Summer is just around the corner

With summer just around the corner. (I wish) Here are a few photos of a project from several years ago.

Pizza Oven.02

We're moving along with the wood-fired oven, aka; pizza oven. Below are some photos of its progress:

Pouring the refractory mortar base for the oven floor.

The base of the oven. The opening below will provide storage for firewood.

The refractory mortar is levelled prior to curing.

The firebrick oven floor.

The oven begins to take shape. The soldier course is laid and the arched opening established.

Wooden forms provide guides for the courses of firebrick.

This arch will eventually be clad with natural stone.

With the oven finished, the first layer of refractory mortar is applied to the exterior of the dome. The bricks you see at the perimeter are placed temporarily simply to hold the mortar in place while it cures.

After installing the clay chimney, the second layer of refractory mortar is applied.

...and the work progresses nicely.