Introducing...the ducks♥

Greetings dear friends, 

May I introduce to you, Sir Percy and Lady Marguerite Blakeney...my ducks ♥

The Blakeney's are Muscovy ducks, excellent egg producers and they are the best breed of duck to raise for meat.

My plan is to start a small business selling duck eggs and meat to the people living here in the Langkloof ♥

I am very excited, and am praying that the Lord will bless and grow this plan of mine!

I will keep you all updated on my progress, but for now, here are some pictures of my adorable ducks♥

 

Marguerite Blakeney...^

Sir Percy Blakeney...^

I thought it was just the sweetest thing when, this morning, as I opened up their coop, the male,

{{who then did not have a name,}} hooked his neck around the female's, pushed his body in front of hers, and protected her from what he thought was possible danger...such a gentleman. {{smiles}}

It was because of this little incident that my ducks received their names...

 

Have any of my readers heard of, or read , Baroness Orczy's 'Scarlet Pimpernel' books?

If so, you will remember that the main character, Sir Percy Blakeney ,was a complete gentleman and would gallantly risk his life for a lady any day.

 My drake reminded me of Sir Percy, so I called him that and named the female Marguerite.

Marguerite was Sir Percy's wife in the books.

And so, my ducks were christened the Blakeney's♥

I am so thankful that the Lord created an opportunity for me to meet people who just so happened to breed ducks and had a male and female which they needed to rehome...

Blessings and love to you all,

Gabrielle♥

In The Month Of August♥

Don't you think that blossoms are the sweetest and daintiest looking flower there are?

Cannot wait to get our seed potatoes into the ground...

Sofia and Caleb have been enjoying being able to play in the field next door to our house which we are clearing for another garden...

Dear little Tibby...I didn't flip this picture...she really was looking at me up~side down!

~Beautiful Memories This Month~

♥ Last Tuesday I went to visit my sister Kelly, and spent the afternoon with her...

We chatted over a cup of tea and toast, fed her cheeky chickens and ended up having a delightful, impromptu photoshoot! I had such a sweet, special afternoon with my sister, definitely one of  my favourite things this month. {{smiles}}

♥ A hike up into our mountains with friends~ We spent such a  wonderful day together in nature, and will be doing it again, for sure!

~In The Garden This Month~

♥As Spring draws near, we, as a family, have been spending most of our days out in the garden. Everything around us is just bursting with life, and we are already finding it difficult to keep up with the amount of work it takes to keep this homestead, small as it may be, running smoothly.

♥We recently purchased  seed potatoes, which are almost ready to be planted.

 ♥My onions are growing beautifully...even though our naughty chickens decided that onions are a delicious treat, and every time our backs are turned, will wander into the bed where the onions are growing, and start pecking at my poor, longsuffering plants. 

♥Also, exciting news, our peach and nectarine trees are in full bloom! I just love looking at the sweet, baby pink flowers, anticipating the fruit that we will hopefully be harvesting this summer...

~Around The House This Month~

♥A friend of my sister Beth, is coming down from Cape Town with her brother to stay with us awhile...her brother will be attending  one of my brother in law's knife-making courses.

There is always something happening in our household!

~Projects This Month~

♥For fun, my sister Rebekah and I have been writing a little story...just for us to keep in our drawer of special things...we are having a lot of fun coming up with ridiculous and impossible situations for our heroes and heroines!

♥My sister Nancy has been doing a lot of research on making natural soaps, cleaners and lotions...she experimented with making a natural washing powder, and it worked! She used lemon essence to make the powder smell nice, and it is so much better than the store-bought powder's scent! We are all so excited, and this is only the beginning...

~Reading This Month~

I have just started reading a book by G.A Henty called 'Boy Knight, A Tale Of The Crusades,' I will be honest with you, and say that I am not really enjoying it...swords, battle scenes and sieges are not really my cup of tea...I prefer Princesses, tea~parties and balls!

~Watching This Month~

♥Last night I finished an old, black and white movie called 'Pimpernel Smith,' and thoroughly enjoyed it! Definitely something that I will re~watch.

~Listening To This Month~

♥I just recently discovered the 'Seven Brides For Seven Brothers,' soundtrack, and have been listening to it over and over again, to my family's great disgust...they do not enjoy that style of music, but I love it! They just have no taste in music, {{smiles}}

~Enjoying This Month~

♥I am enjoying getting ready for my ducks -  they arrive on Thursday, and I am so excited! I shall be posting pictures as soon as I can.

♥Snuggling up in bed at night and reading a chapter from one of my favourite books.

♥Favourite Quote This Month♥

..."I am going to to be a farmer's wife, and make butter and cheese, and have ten children, and raise pigs...' 

Maud Shaw, An Old Fashioned Girl

 

~Favourite Bible Verse This Month~

"The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in him with all my heart!"

Psalm 28:7

 

~Thankful For This Month~

♥The friendship and love of my siblings,

♥The fact that I can freely pray to the Lord,

♥Being able to walk out the door in the mornings and see beautiful, majestic mountains, smell clean, fresh air and hear the peacefulness of nature♥

~In The Kitchen This Month~

♥As I write this post, there is a very scrummy looking apple cobbler, waiting to go into the oven. We have a guesttonight, and we always try and have a dessert for after supper when there is company!

♥And, I have recently learnt how to start our woodstove, and almost every morning now I roll up my sleeves, organize wood and get her started...however, things do not always go as planned, and I often have to call my sisters to help...a bit more practice perhaps?!

~Something That Made Me Laugh This Month~

♥There hasn't been anything specific that has made me laugh this month...I giggle at almost anything remotely funny...my sisters are hilarious, and often have the whole family in stitches at their jokes.

~Hoping For This Month~

♥I am hoping to find a decent site to edit my photos on...the one I am using now is not the greatest...

Any suggestions?

~Looking Forward To This Month~

♥I am looking forward to bringing home my ducks! Friends of ours have kindly given me a breeding pair, so they can hopefully hatch their own ducklings...I am so happy!

August for my family and I so far, has been a productive and beautiful month. We have tried new things, gone new places and we all have been learning to find beauty and love in the small things♥

How has your month been?

Gabrielle♥

P.S. 

 I wanted to thank all of you who have been commenting on my blog recently...you have all been so sweet and encouraging! So, thank you...your comments never fail to bring a smile to my face♥

My Mouse♥

'She had brown hair, which didn't curl, a brown skin, and bright eyes, which danced when she laughed or spoke.'

Susan Coolidge, What Katy Did

A couple of days ago, I decided to do a small photo~shoot with my younger sister, Rebekah♥ 

Nancy had made her an adorable, patchwork skirt, which she looks darling in!

Here are the pictures~

 

Rebekah is my little brown girl... I call her my mouse😊 

She and I share a bedroom, and I am enjoying spending time with her.

She is very good at drawing, {{I am quite proud of the sketches and paintings she does}} and she plays the piano remarkably well for her age!

She is a quiet little thing, {{another reason why I call her my mouse...}} and doesn't talk much, but she has got a kind and generous heart...I often find a little note or painting on my bed♥

One of our favourite things to do together is play scrabble at night...and snuggle up and watch a movie!

She and I are great friends...I love you my Beksie♥ 

Do you have a little sister whom you are very close with?

♥Blessings, Gabrielle♥

P.S. I have just updated my 'about' page...if you would like to go take a look😊