Anniversary vacation!

It seems the week flies by and I didn't get to do the things I really wanted to do, but we found ways to get out and have some fun. Most of the ocean beaches are over crowded since they closed the inland lakes and ponds to swimmers, and with the heat, we tried to be on the coast when we could.

We had one day with the boys, taking them to New London Connecticut to visit Fort Trumbull. The fort was closed, but we got to explore around the grounds.

From there, we headed to Harkness park and were pleased to find it was free and we had a spot in a grassy field, facing the bird sanctuary. The boys had fun walking around the grounds and visiting the mansion's gardens.

I took a day off to visit my lyme doctor and to get a refill on my sinus medicine. Well, he said I had a sinus infection, could be why I have been feeling cruddy and put me on antibiotics and other meds I won't take. Then he said, you need a family doctor and it isn't me, so I guess I won't be going back and no idea what to do, just that I am tired of doctors who do not get, I do not like medicines and the one I need the most, they won't give me.

So I am taking the antibiotics and decided to stay away from the boys just in case and went out the next day for some exploring. We visited several parks along the back roads of Connecticut and ended up at Gay City Park.

We hiked around the trails and had some lunch in the picnic area. It is nice to have our food with us and a bathroom. Lots of old ruins from the old homestead along the trails. We will definitely go back for more hiking when it cools down.

And today we went back to Harkness and enjoyed a few walks around the bird sanctuary and sat at our camper, to enjoy the views. The main park was crowded so it was nice to have a more quiet spot to ourselves.

Here are some Ospreys that I got from the bird shelter. The bright sun makes it hard to get good shots, but it was fun to see the new ones testing their wings.

Lots of shore birds in the marshes.

And a variety of birds in the bush, as well.

And to top off our week, we came home to this. It seems Bill didn't notice the amount he paid for a case of flour. He wanted 6 bags and we got 6 cases and it is non returnable. I cannot use that much flour and I cannot afford to spend that much for flour, so I was not happy about that and thinking we will have to donate the rest to the food bank and take the loss.

I hope you all have a nice weekend, we have rain coming in, so we will stay at home and go out for short trips if it stops.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend we spent with the boys, always my favorite thing to do. They love getting out and exploring with us and with the trailer, they are comfy on the ride and we have plenty of snacks. We had a change of plans and headed to Connecticut to see if we could find a good spot at the state park. I decided to see if the camping area was open and there was no one at the gate and found out from the ranger that it is ok to park for the day, just no over night.

We picked a campsite across from the beach, nice and shady and no one around.

Alex fell asleep as usual, so Nick and I sat outside and an ice cream truck came by, perfect treat for a hot day. When Alex got. up we walked around the camp, also a good place to bring their scooters, with the paved roads.

The ranger also said it was ok to let the boys play on the beach, though they ended up in the water and got wet enough to cool down. Of course Bean had fun too.

We got the boys pizza and treats for lunch and while they ate, I walked around to see if I could catch some birds. Of course they all hid when I came, but I was able to catch a Baltimore Oriole.

And across the pond, I spotted a Great Blue Heron.

Yesterday we stayed home so I could do some cooking and catch up around the house. I wanted to get things done so we could go out today, but thunderstorms rolled through Connecticut so we will do that trip tomorrow.

They dropped the boys at our house and they had fun swimming and sliding, perfect for a hot day.

Today we decided to head to the ocean to get a pass for the trailer and take a swim. We found out that we cannot take it into the state beaches, but there was one that takes trailers, so we headed there. I could not believe there were only two others there. They have acres of grass that you can park on and spend the day. We will definitely spend more time here with the family, perfect for picnics and space for the boys to play, as well as miles of beach.

Friday Finish and Fun!

I didn't get a lot done on my projects this week, but I did finish more masks. I have some flag material left, so I will finish that off and not make too many more unless it is for a specific person or someone asks. It is hard on my hands and joints, and I have a ton of projects waiting to be finished, so I will start working on those.

I also tried a new style, a box style. It was a lot easier to do and easier on my hands, but tougher on my machine. There is more finish sewing and going through the thicker edges, is not making my machine happy. I like the look in one way, but the stitching seems sloppy. It also is too snug on my nose, so you have to wear it looser, which defeats the purpose of wearing one.

If you want to try this style you can find the video on YouTube. It is easy to follow and I think if you have a smaller nose, it might be perfect.

We also got to spend time with the boys this weekend. The beach was more crowded so we left after a bit and took them fishing at a local pond. It was nice and the boys had fun. Nick got to use a real hook and Alex practiced with the plastic fish, but it only took one lesson and he was casting like a pro.

And for my quiet time, I have been sitting on my porch and enjoy the birds and critters who come to visit. Some birds have left the nest but these two still have a brood that they are feeding. 

Bill has the next week off, it is our anniversary on Sunday, 45 years. We had planned on going to Maine, but that is cancelled, so we will have to do day trips in our area. I was planning on trips to western Connecticut but we may be in for a heat wave, so hiking may not be the best activity. I guess it is time to get the kayaks on the water, so we will see were our adventures take us.

Friday Finishes!

This week I decided to do another little Pillow with a design by Deborah Cade. These are really fun to do and they work up quickly. There are others that I plan to do in the future. With the summer heat setting in, it is nice to have smalls to work on.

The designs from the pillows and from another project that I am working on, are from the Facebook group, Primitive Folk Art Quilts and Projects. The one I am working on now is a summer project from Julie Porter. She did hers with log cabin blocks, but I might use my seagull fabric. I will do the stitchery first, then decide on patterns and layout. These are two I worked on, I may use star buttons so didn't finish all of it for now. There are also some sailboats and a lighthouse in the series.

I also made more masks this week. It seems more people are going without but I rather be safe when in public and there is still a mask order in place, so if I see people without proper masks, such as store workers, I will have some on hand to give out.

The camping ones I will save for trips and sell at camps. I will need to replace some supplies and have my machine serviced, so the extra will go towards that.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have hot days ahead, so hoping we can find a less crowded beach for the boys, they do love digging in the sand. We also got some real lures for Nick to try and we will stick with the plastic fish for Alex.

Monday Makings and Weekend Fun!

We had a busy weekend, so today I spent some time in my sewing room. I cut up some more masks to sew later and I made some pillow covers for my mini pillows. I use the pillows in the car for long trips, they sit behind my back to keep me sitting straight but comfy.

Now I will use them in the trailer, perfect for long drives and the camper material was fun to use for them. I made two and the back has an envelope opening so I can switch pillows and wash them easily. I had enough to make a few more masks, but that is it, fussy cutting is a pain with designs like this.

Yesterday we took the boys out. They were dropped off at our house, so we decided to take them to the island. We went to the lighthouse first, it was crowded but we found a nice side spot. The boys loved walking around the lighthouse and exploring.

In the beach shots, we went to another area and found a spot facing a cove, so the boys loved that, since they could play on the beach. Of course they couldn't resist getting wet, luckily we always have spare clothes.

Nick also had another treat, fishing at the pond. Alex fell asleep on the way there, so I took Nick down while Bill stayed with Alex in the camper. The pole had a plastic fish for practice, so we practiced and he did great with casting and learning about safety, so next time we will attach real lures.

And Alex is at that fun age, he is just happy hanging out with us. He has a thing for fire hydrants, no idea why, lol.

And to my surprise there was a lot of glass on the rocks and hiding beneath the piles. Lots of great colors and I am sure there was more, but the piles are high and deep, so I just looked below the surface.

Another thing I enjoy is bird watching in my backyard. We have a lot of birds of all varieties but they zoom by too fast, so hard to get shots, but I enjoy watching them. My new friend is a male hummingbird who comes to the feeder and then sits in the tree by the fence. I would never know he was there, if iI hadn't seen him fly there.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and finding joy in your own backyard.

Friday Finish!

This week seems to have gone by fast, as each week has. It seems I never have time to do all the things I have planned. I was able to make a couple of little lavender pillow with some free stitcheries.  The designs are by Deborah Cade, offered in the primitive quilt group. She has several fun ones like this and I was thinking it would be a cute little quilt, mixed with prim fabrics.

I also made some new masks. One of my sisters sent me money for the ones I made her and extra to make masks for those who cannot afford them. Her twin sister loves angels, so the angel masks are going to her and the bandana ones, for a friend of hers. I also needed kid's masks, so I used some of the fun materials I had left.

I saw that we still have a mask order, until July, so more are needed.

I took some time to watch the birds in my backyard. I have a pair of hummingbirds that come to the feeder but they are always in motion and quick to leave. Hopefully I can get a better shot of the male with his beautiful red coloring.

This Carolina wren is living in one of the houses we put up. I can hear her babies, chirping in the house. I am hoping to get out for some birding this weekend, though we have rain tomorrow, it looks like a great day to explore on Sunday.

I hope this post finds you well and healthy.

Weekend Wanderings and Works!

It is that time of the year where I get out more and we had a full weekend, so I thought I would do my Monday postings to share our adventures with you. I also started prepping materials for more masks. Today I cut out the masks and made more Tshirt yarn for the ties.

It took me about 3 hours to make it, it is time consuming but worth it to get a continuous string to avoid waste. For now I am doing the main shirt, but I did find a video to cut a continuous piece from the upper parts as well, so I will try that when I get a chance.

I cut off the upper and bottom piece, then cut 1 1/4" strips, then I take the piles of strips and watch tv while I pull on the piece, which makes it twist into the rope shape. It is tough on the joints, but worth it to do a lot at once, so now I have plenty to last a while.

On Saturday we took the boys out for a birthday, day. They got their cameras and off we went. We started at a graveyard on the river that goes to the ocean, but Alex fell asleep, so Nick and I just walked around for a bit. Then we took them to a new place, a bird sanctuary that goes to a salt water pond.

The boys loved this place, an easy walk for them.

And of course they had to show off their jumping skills. Nick likes to do the spin and jump technique.

Alex is at such a fun age, everything is fun and exciting and he loves to play superman.

And while we were out I was able to capture a few birds. An Osprey, a Willet and a Salt Marsh Sparrow.

On Sunday we took them on another outing. This time we drove into Connecticut and visited two parks in the same park system. The first we found a great open spot to park in and got to enjoy a hike around the campgrounds.

The second was at another campground and beach area, so we enjoyed hiking around the trails. The photo with them sitting in front of the pond is from the first camp. They are closed for camping but allowing people to come for picnics and hiking, which is nice since our camps are closed to all access.

It was nice to get out and with the new camper, the kids are comfy and we have our own bathroom, which helps since bathrooms are closed. Nick took some photos and this one is my favorite, he loved taking pictures and when he found out it played games, loved it even more. Alex's camera took longer to charge and the next day he forgot it.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. With all that is going on, it is good to get out and find joy in our lives.