Friday Finish!

 

This has been quite a week. We had the solar put in, so they were here on 4 different days to install equipment and today the panels went up, so it is finally done. When I had a few quiet days, I worked on a project and watched tv, it was nice to make something new and not hear banging all day.

This design is by Julie Porter and offered on Facebook as part of a free chicken series.  You can find the group page at Primitive Quilts .....

It is a stitchery and I decided to do the large chicken in applique. I also made the mistake of trying to add red marker to enhance the red and forgot it was still wet, so I messed up the comb on the large chicken. Luckily I was able to take out the original stitching and enlarge the comb to cover my mistake.

Last weekend we had the boys for the day and since I didn't have the pool set up, we got a better slip and slide with sprinklers, for them. They had a ball and I enjoyed watching them play. I also had them tonight, while my son took Ivy and Bill out for dinner, for their birthday. This weekend I will have a party for the boys to give them their gifts, lots of birthdays in one weekend.

Lots of activity this week, more babies are coming out and one hummingbird is coming to the feeder. She is the only one for now, and I hope I get to see more later on.

And ones I rather not see, they tend to demolish the food, a Common Grackle.

And today the yard was full of birds, the majority of them were crows and a lot of Starlings. The young were hungry and wanted to be fed. It got to the point where I had to chase more away, they were eating all the suet and attacking the regulars who come to visit. 

I hope everyone had a good week and enjoy the long weekend. 

Friday Finish!

 

This week I have been slowly working on my sea piece, and need to cut the rest of the pieces and hopefully finish it by next week. I am in a patriotic mood, so I have put out my summer decorations and seeing areas that could use some new things. The first thing I made was a rag wreath.

I had a wire frame in stock and plenty of fabric, so a no cost project. I saw one that had the red, white and blue to represent the flag, so I made something similar. I also added a star to the side. I rip my strips so they are more raggy, but easier than cutting so many.

One afternoon we headed to the bike path to see the baby owls. Of course they were not in their usual spot when we got there and I couldn't find them anywhere. I did see quite a lot of different birds, these are the ones I was able to catch.

And a Great Blue Heron flew overhead and we spotted him in a tree further down.

After we went over to another area to see the Osprey. She was sitting on her nest and he was looking for their next meal.

We also spent time at the beach. We had a rainy day so once the rain stopped, we headed to the beach. The skies looked ominous, but the waters were calm.

 And I was able to find some nice pieces floating in the water and further up the beach. I think more people are finding this beach and I am finding less on the beach.

I hope everyone had a good week and enjoy the weekend ahead. We are getting higher temperatures, so I will be avoiding the crowded beaches. 

Friday Finish!

 

Another week came and went by too fast. I was able to finish a new project, a design by Kathy Schmitz. It  was the perfect design for a hot pad and I had fun with bright colors. The pattern was wonky with the lines, so of course, it came out more wonky with my bad cutting, but still fun.

Last weekend was windy, so we took a drive and checked out a state beach that also has a campground. It is more like a giant parking lot, but nice since you are on the breakway and an ocean beach. I tried to get a few shots, but hard with the wind blowing me.

We also hit the new beach on the island. I love going there, rarely anyone around and great views. The area is getting busy again so we won't be able to use it, since it is a private beach.

And even with the tide higher up and coming in, we found some nice treasures.

Today I spent the day cleaning and cooking, then we headed to the beach for a few hours. Came home and got dinner heated up, had the boys dropped off, and they just left, so quite a busy day. I should sleep good tonight. The fog was heavy today and the tide was coming in, but it always throws in some nice pieces and Bill found an old rooster head. I found a Purple Sea Urchin that had washed up.

At home I have enjoyed birding. A few of my regular visitors. The Red Belly Woodpecker is twice the size of the Downy Woodpecker. 

I was in the yard and spied the resident of the new birdhouse, a House Wren and a shy Catbird. It looks like the heat is coming in this weekend, so the beaches will be crowded and too hot to hike, so not sure what we will be up to. After today, maybe sleep in, lol. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

 Another week went by too fast and a project I started, still needs to be finished. Tomorrow is Nick's first communion and since I am not vaccinated, I still wear a mask when I am around people. I started out wanting to wear a blue and white skirt, but realized I only have black shoes and purse and not in the mood to buy more, so I am going with a black and white skirt. I made up a couple of masks to go with it and these came out better than the last, so more comfortable. They look more bold in the photo, but the colors blend into the black, so good for church. I made a blue, just in case I need one and also good for doc visits, if I ever go to one, lol.

Spending time outside is what makes me happy and we get out, every chance that we can. Saturday we spend at a bird Sanctuary. Beautiful place to walk and beautiful views at the end points.

We saw a lot of birds, most were flying off, but I was able to grab a few shots. A Northern Cardinal, Yellow Warbler, Yellow Rumbed Warbler and a Swamp Sparrow.

They cleared a section on a point, so we were able to walk out and discover a hidden Osprey nest. She was looking down at me and not too happy that I had spotted her. The other nest is on the opposite side and further away.

We also met a few critters along the way, spotting three deer, hidden in the bush and a few snakes who were out on the paths, enjoying some sun.

On Sunday we took the boys out in the afternoon. They were all in for going to our new beach. They had fun exploring and Nick found quite a few good pieces this time.

And Grandma found her own good haul. A beautiful, large lavender and marbles.

Another day this week we found less and then checked another spot, we had heard about. Not a lot, but I found a few nice treasures. We also got to watch, as they put a few boats into the water.

Another day we went and the tide was out most of the way. I was able to walk up the beach, lots of homes but most are vacant till summer. While hunting, I just take my phone, easier to carry and I can snap shots on the go. 

My finds of the day. It seems the marbles always end up in the same area. I almost threw that black piece back, it really looks like a funny shaped rock, but I stuck it in my pocket and forgot, till I got home.

Well, good thing I did. I put it on a flashlight and this is what I saw. What a great find, but a shame that you can't see the color without a bright light. I definitely need to come up with a lighted shadow box for my dark treasures.

Today we went for a short visit, but I found some really large pieces of green bottle stems. The weekend is going to be cold and windy, so I doubt we will be beaching. I hope you all had a wonderful week and enjoy the week ahead. It looks like warm weather is heading our way, and hopefully in yours.