New Hampshire Beauty and Fun!

We packed a lot in a week and I took lots of photos, but I will show you some of the highlights. At one place a woman asked to take a photo of us and she must have hit the wrong buttons and I took a few photos before I realized they were messed up. Of course the photo she took was chopped off and looked horrible, so I won't show that one, lol.

One of the things I wanted to do was to drive along route 302 and see the tall waterfall that cascades down the mountain. Maybe my memory was bad, but it wasn't even worth a photo, just a small stream coming down but we enjoyed the ride and saw some other nice places along the way.

We found this roadside park and stopped to enjoy the views and a walk with Bean. It is a small pond and only kids are allowed to fish in it, a nice place to go with small children.

They also have a bridge and waterfall that goes to a nice picnic area and hiking trails.

We came around to route 3, where you can see the basin which is free and the flume which has a fee, but well worth it, if you have never been. We went to the basin for a walk around the main path, which follows the falls and river to the basin.

The next day we went for a paddle on Lake Chocorua. It is just right for an easy paddle, with wonderful views of the mountains.

Bean is loving going paddling. He realizes it means he can also play in the water when we find a quiet little island at the end.

We did a morning paddle and had all afternoon, so it was the perfect day to go to Diana's Baths. We just hiked along the trail along the falls and I did dip my feet in, but too cold for me to swim in. Lots of people were swimming, so not too many private spots, that day.

The next day we had a storm coming in, so we relaxed a little at the camp and then headed towards Center Harbor for some shopping and the sun was coming out by the time we got there. I planned it so we went through the storm and came out on the sunny side;)

We came back on the Kancamagus and had time to stop at Sabbaday falls. It is a short walk to the falls and a little climb up the stairways, but a magnificent view of the falls as you head up and at the top.

The last thing on my to do list, was to hike the Lincoln Trail to Franconia Falls. This is the path we took the kids on when they were little but we just walked a bit along the river and I wanted to make it to the falls this time.

The  hike goes along the river, love hearing the sound of the river as we walked along. The bad thing is, Bean hears water and he is constantly pulling me towards it.

The path is an old railroad, logging road and the woods are filled with beautiful white birch.

We got to the top of the falls and not only were the falls a wonderful series of cascades, there is a giant pool at the end where you can swim and beautiful views of the mountains.

We didn't do too much shopping, I wanted to enjoy being outside, but I did get a few things. At Center Harbor I stopped in Keepsake Quilting, they have a large sale room in the back so I treated myself to a few yards of shirting. Next door is a yarn shop that carries roving, so I got some blue and green shades to use in 2D pictures. On the way home we stopped at Elf Made, it is a wonderful prim shop that also carries local souvenirs and I love their scents. I got some of my favorites and some candles, as well as a few bags of balsam for my Christmas pillows. All of the stores pack your purchases in fun bags and fabric ribbons, a little something I can use in a special project.

I hope you enjoyed my visit to NH, I know I could spend the whole summer there, if I could.

Paddling Up River or Not!

I hope everyone had a wonderful week. I have been looking at blog headings to keep up, but with the slow internet it was too hard to comment this week. Of course I could have stayed in NH for another week or the whole summer, but I do miss the comforts of home;) I took my first real shower today, lol.

We did a lot, every day and by the time I hit the bed, I was asleep in minutes, I tend to over do it, but it is well worth it. We paid till Saturday so we could stay and do some things before we left yesterday. I planned a trip on the Saco River, go up river and float down. Something relaxing and fun.

We started up the river, my goal was to go 3 miles to the bridge and be able to say I paddled to Maine. I was surprised at how easy the paddle was and then I noticed some small rapids, that propelled us forward and realized, the river is flowing up, not down.

There were not a lot of people when we went out, the river was beautiful and views of the distant mountains in Maine.

The water looks so calm, crystal clear and shallow.

Lots of beach heads along the banks, a perfect place to stop and enjoy a swim and let Bean play. I sat in the shallows, too cold for me.

We made it to the bridge and we stopped to take a rest. Then we headed back and that is when I realized how strong the current was. Now I know why people get picked up, but I paid to park only. Plus they charged me 10.00 a kayak, as well, which made no sense. I will email them, I think for that price, they should have given me a map and picked me up. It was confusing since I said I was just going to paddle and come back, no pick up needed, then when we went to the launch, they asked when we wanted to be picked up, so I am not happy with the mis-communication.

And this is how we paddled back, with our feet. I had my small play kayak, fun to play in, but not to paddle against currents. We walked along the shallows and pulled the boats along. Three miles trudging through a river current, I got a good workout and was exhausted by the time we got back. I think they owe us a free day on the river;)

Bean has such the life, when it got too deep, he got a free ride. We won't mention the time that Bill pulled both kayaks while I walked Bean on a long stretch of Beach and I waited a half hour, while he went down river to find the paddle he dropped;)

Vacation Week!

Just a quick post tonight. We are on vacation and have been on the go since we got here, but  enjoying ourselves and enjoying the sights and of course Bean is having so much fun that he falls asleep before we do.

This is our site, looks small in the photo, but lots of room that  you can't see behind the trailer. We can see up the pond and have been swimming and paddling in the pond.

Here is Bean taking a ride while we explore the pond. We found some hidden areas and I have lots of photos that I will share when I get back.

Our first night sunset, I sat in the boat and watched as it came down. A relaxing way to end the night, just me and a little quiet time. Today we drove around the two main scenic roads, made lots of stops, walked a lot and sweat a lot, way to hot to do any real hiking.

I hope you are all enjoying your week.

The Good and the Bad!

As many of you must know, vacations do not always go as planned. I cannot complain, no major disasters this time.

The bad; thousands of Gyspy moths. It made it hard to relax since I constantly had to check my chair to make sure, none were crawling towards me. They also dropped from the trees, so I had to look up when I walked. For two days our trailer was leaning forward, not fun walking in a crooked trailer. Then we noticed a leak coming from the bathroom, but the good was that it was the water hose, nothing disgusting;) And I wasn't thinking about the fact that I was using a sit on kayak, no kayak skirt to cover my legs, so I got burnt pretty bad, so no jacuzzi soaks for me.

The good thing was, being slanted caused the leak to come onto the floor, before it was leaking below where we didn't see it, so now it can be fixed. Seems someone nailed into the hose and opened a leak. The bad thing is, I wanted to take off for a few days next week and it won't be fixed until monday so any trips will have to be local. We had lots of good moments and beautiful sunsets, so I will leave you to enjoy a few moments during our week.

Of course the highlight was when the wind died down and we got Bean out in the kayak. I took him out first in my smaller one, he sat on my lap and then we tested him on the larger one, he fits quite well. He still prefers to sit in our laps though, he is so spoiled.

If you would like to see a couple of videos of Bean paddling, you can go to my U-Tube channel and watch them. Another good thing, the old camera works nicely with the new card and on U Tube the videos are larger and much more clearer.

And he has learned that kayaking also means water fun. He loves the water and has gotten braver and going further out to actually swimming. I want him to feel safe in the water, then he will feel safer on the boat in deeper water.

He goes all out and the water is low enough to run and jump in. He also needs a new life jacket, his chest has expanded so we will take him to the store to make sure we get the right fit.

One day we went to Watch Hill lighthouse. It is a nice place to park and enjoy the views and Taylor Swift's home on the hill. We also drove to a boat launch nearby, since that means dogs are allowed. There were a few people enjoying it as a beach with their dogs. Bean wanted to play with everyone as  usual.

And another beautiful sunset on the lake. Love how it formed a shape in the clouds. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. It is going to be hot, so I may be staying in more, especially with the weekend crowds.

Camping Fun!

We are camping this week, but came home tonight to get some things done, check on the kitties and rest. We had a long hike and it got hot and it wiped me out, so nice to be home for one night.

This is our campsite, nice views and hardly anyone at the campground so it is nice and peaceful to sit and relax there. The bad thing is, there is a gypsy moth invasion and they are all over the place, I hate those things, so we sit under the awning. Bean could care less, lots of rocks to push around, so he is happy.

It was also too windy to paddle, so hopefully the next two days will be calmer. Bean was going deeper in the water and swimming, so hopefully he will enjoy a boat ride.

Keeping it low key, relaxing and just enjoying walks and the views. We took a walk around the back section of the camp and found a section that is not even listed on the map and we spotted a deer on the pathway. After our walk we sat and watched the sunset, it reminded me of painted dessert.

Today we took another walk, we did over five miles in less than two hours. I really need to teach Bean to walk calmly and let me take the lead. It got warmer and I got hotter and it wore me out. We walked around in the water when we got back, but I was just too tired to think, so resting at home is much easier for me tonight. Tomorrow we go back and spend the next two days. I hope you are all having a wonderful week.

This is part of the North South Trail and there are a lot of new walkways and a bridge, that weren't there years ago.

Camping trip!

Well, I have been thinking about what to do while Bill is home for two weeks and I really wanted to go camping, so I looked online and found a reservation for 4 days at our state park. It is close by, so not too much packing and we can come home to check on the cats.

I got a site closer to the water which is a bonus since Bean will spend all his time there, if he has a choice. The weather looks good, warm and getting warmer and no rain. There are less people on the weekdays so that will be nice too. I plan on resting, paddling, swimming and relaxing, I really need a stress break.

Today we went back to the kayak store. We were thinking of getting a tandem kayak with room for Bean. But, I do not like paddling with Bill, I like my own boat, so I decided to look at singles that are big enough to fit Bean and Bill can use that one and something I could use on my own with Bean. It also has more room for gear, my camera case is huge but on this trip I will use my waterproof for water photos. Here is the new boat, has lots of space in the back so I will put a pad for Bean to sit on and it will keep him from slipping. Hopefully he will get used to paddling and enjoy it enough that we can take him out on the bay.

My present was a new waterproof camera but I hate it. I finally figured out what was wrong with mine, so I tested the two and my old one takes better photos, this was with the old one. The new one, an Olympus, washes out the photos, it lets in too much light so it is going back in the morning and I will order a new Sony. I was hoping for a better grip, but I prefer to have the thin case and better quality. Hopefully mine will work well enough till the new one comes in.

For some reason my DIL still has not friended me on Facebook but Bill is on her Facebook. Bill found some new photos today so he saved them and resent them to me. He cannot even share them, she must have banned me, lol. Alex is such a beautiful little baby, I can't wait to see him.

We will probably come home tuesday night to take care of kitties and make sure the bowls are full, so I should be able to post some photos then.

Friday Finishes!

This week I wanted to try something new, or something old, since I have had the pattern for years. The pattern was a freebie from Create and Decorate and is a design by Denise White of The Cat's Pajamas.

It was the pattern and no directions but I never read them anyways, lol. I changed it a bit and made some mistakes but she is so goofy, she makes me smile. I forgot to cut the red ticking to make the stripes go across for one thing. Then I decided to make stockings and no shoes, but didn't like it, so I tried coloring it in with a sharpie, takes too much time and you need more than one coat, so I decided to paint them on. That was fine, but I didn't realize that I grabbed the black enamel paint, duh. I actually like how it looks, a bit thicker and a bit more shine so great for shoes, but not for washing off.

Too windy to get an outside photo, the material for her face and arms is an old muslin that I stained, beat up, washed in dirt, among other things, so it is really grungy, a bit of brown and some green. The flash washed it out. I made the hat and boat by using an online tutorial and online american backgrounds that I printed out on laid paper. Laid paper is a nicer paper with enough weight to keep it stiffer, but not too stiff.  The hair was a thick binding yarn that I attached with a thin piece of wool to tie it down, then I unravelled the yarn to get thinner locks.

She was fun and fast to make, I tried different things and see things that I can improve on, so maybe I will try some more and change them up.

Then I finished the next block in Buttermilk Basin's BOM, the  Second letter T with the snowballs. I got some carrot buttons, they are fun to use on pieces like this and on the snowman pillows, guess I need to get more.

Here is what I have so far, with the letter T at the end.

At the last minute, as usual, Bill has to go on a trip, the day after our planned vacation. It would be too much to spend the week away and then come home and have him leave the next day, there are some things I can't do and Billy is going away too, so easier to stay home and get things done before he leaves. There is nothing going on at work for now, so Bill is taking the next two weeks off, so hopefully we can do some exploring and have some fun during the weekdays with no crowds.

Weekend Wanderings!

Saturday was a beautiful day and I knew we had rain coming on Sunday, so I really wanted to get out and do something different. The problem was, Bill had to take the dog in to have his eye checked out and they were crowded so we got a late start. The good thing is that it is summer and the days are longer. The bad, getting a late start meant no parking at the regular spots. I just checked my maps and looked for some side roads and found one that looked good. It had a church on one side and a faculty parking area on the other, but school is over so we were able to park there.

I have lived in Rhode Island all my life and have never walked along the cliff walk in Newport. I finally got to and it was the perfect day to go, sunny with a nice breeze. The path starts at the beach and ends at another beach 3.5 miles down. We weren't able to do the whole walk, but close to 5 miles. The further end was rougher with cliffs and Bean was not doing too well with the spaced rock paths, he kept falling in the cracks. Maybe if he payed attention to where he was going instead of trying to head to the water or people walking by, he might have walked better;)

The path follows the coastline, nice walkways for the most part and a lot has been rebuilt since the storms that destroyed a lot of the trail.

All along the shore are beautiful homes or should I say mansions. Some are out in open areas, but most were either hidden by tall fences or plant growth.

Can you imagine owning the home with this gazebo, I would be out there, all day. Bean was more interested in who was coming, of course he got lots of attention from passerbys.

In two areas you go through a tunnel, one was long and dark, Bean was a bit weary of that one but this one was unique and shorter. I would like to go back and do the entire walk, you just can't beat the scenery on both sides. The walk and parking is free, but they do have trolley service, so you can always park your car in town and visit places by trolley.

After our walk we drove along Ocean Drive, it goes past all the mansions and old homes and follows the coastline. We found a fishing area to stop and enjoy and let Bean have some fun in the water. I think this will be a future paddling place.

The next stop was Fort Getty. The coast was a popular place to defend the country and easy access by the ships. Another great thing about getting a late start is, by the time we got here, people were leaving, so we were able to get a front parking space.

This is the start of the walk, a lot of people come down and just sit on the lawns and docks and enjoy the day. They were also setting up a wedding while we were there.

We walked along the path, following the old fort. It is a large fort and has a large inner space, as well.

We walked to the end and instead of going around the fort, inland, we came back along the water. It was just too beautiful and cool next to the water. Everyone was enjoying the water, even though the fog was rolling in. This is another thing you can do for free, they do charge if you want to take a tour of the fort, but the park itself is free for use. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

This week I received the first design from Kathy's One Stitch at a Time Club. I love the design and had planned on making a framed piece, but you know me, I change my mind as I go and I decided it would make a nice pillow to decorate with. I have been enjoying making larger items that I can place around the house instead of a million little things, so decorating a little bit, here and there to brighten up the house.

The fabric I used is also by Kathy Schmitz, bought it years ago, so it was perfect with the stitchery and I like how the black rick rack looks against it. I think I will make a few more pieces, in smaller versions for gifts.

The pillow is 10" x 9 1/2" and with this, I left it as is, no antique stain, but I may change my mind later;) I put it on the table with my prim tree, maybe I need to do a summer bird theme for the tree. It is a darker area, so lighter pieces work great there.

I realize I only have two weeks to get ready, ugh. I washed the bedding today, I want everything to be fresh before we leave. Next is all the dishes, they need to be washed and things repacked and replenished, so that is going to keep me busy. One thing we got, was a jacuzzi. With my old injuries and pain from the lyme, it is something that helps me to keep moving. The settings keep changing, the temp is too low when I go out to use it and couldn't figure out why. Then today it hit me, Bean is doing it, lol. He likes to jump up and wants me to throw water at him and he is pushing the buttons, when he does. He still doesn't get that the water is not for playing in, guess we need to take him to the beach tomorrow. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.