Friday Finish!

 

This week I am working on a stitchery that I got at the store, so still working on that. I also got a book to review and having fun with that. It is a workbook with lessons for butterflies and flowers and comes with a pad of all the drawings, that I can practice and paint in. It has been a while since I did watercolor, so fun to relearn things before I do my own and I find it relaxing. I am using colors I had, and finally decided I needed a new larger set so I can follow along better.

I put it in a fake frame and since I don't want to keep them, I decided to cut it out and put it on the wall for fun. 

Last weekend we had rain and ended up at the island when we got a break. It was cold, windy and cloudy, so hard to get good photos. I was thrilled to spot a Kestrel, but he was not thrilled to be watched. He took off, then came back and had something he caught. When I tried to get closer, he would fly to another spot.

I spotted the Osprey who nests in the radio tower at the lighthouse. 

Today we were at the island again. Rain again, but it stopped long enough to enjoy the afternoon. I had fun watching this Merganser, who was by himself and didn't mind me taking photos.

Lots of geese like to hang out on the lawns and the coves in this area.

I also spotted a Mallard couple, the male was in the water, so I couldn't get a good shot of him.

In the bay there is a huge rock island, the nesting area for a lot of Cormorants.

In another cove, we caught some divers from the university, taking lessons in cold water diving. I hope everyone had a good week and better weather for the weekend. We have more rain, but sunny and warmer days coming next week.

Friday finishes!

 This week I worked at finishing my Easter quilt. This was a free pattern being offered on Cheri's Facebook page. They have kept it open in honor of Cheri and her family is gracious enough to let us use some of the older patterns.

I added the extra bird on the branch and lettering. The bad thing is, I used washed fabric and new and it shrunk in the front, not the back. The good thing is, no one can see the back, lol.

One day I wanted a quick project to do. I also wanted to try one of the animals in a kit I got, the bunny was perfect for now. I could not get a sharp photo, not sure why, but always seems to happen with felted pieces.

Last week we went for our usual ride around the ocean beaches. In one parking lot, I spotted this guy, he was really interested in this empty pack, not sure why he wanted it.

I also spotted a Peregrine Falcon, first time I got one, sitting still.

We also stopped at the dog beach, Bean loved getting out. He had teeth removed last week, and since he was feeling better, he was ready for some beach time.

Along the way, we spotted lots of Ospreys and got a few shots. The first one was in a parking lot and every time someone got out to walk in the restaurant, it had a fit. The last one is one of the tallest nests in the state.

One day we stopped by the kids to drop off a box. They were sick so I left it in the back, with some health remedies and goodies for the kids. On the way home we stopped at the park for a walk. The boardwalk was nice and easier for me to walk on. Someday when my foot heals, I want to walk the trail around the main pond.

Today we went to the island to enjoy some time outside, before the rains come tomorrow. Lots of seagulls in the area and others, so it was nice to enjoy walking on the beach and getting some warmer, fresh air.

I hope that everyone has a nice weekend, and not in the paths of the storms. It is sad to see all the devastation across the country and feel blessed to live in an area that is not prone to severe weather.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I tried a new project for Easter. I saw a coloring book design on the web and thought it would be a fun design to needle felt. I used a mix of my good variegated roving with some cheaper ones for the bright colors. The backing is a dyed piece of white wool. I put another piece behind it to stiffen it up and then another thick piece for the backing, finishing with a blanket stitch.

Last weekend we did a ride to Connecticut to visit the owl sanctuary. They had some new birds, so it is nice to see ones we don't see in the wild, but sad to see them in cages. Some will be released when they recover, others have injuries that keep them from hunting, so they live there. The nice thing about the sanctuary is, they have beautiful paths to walk along and enjoy birding and nature. I didn't catch any birds but I did spot a lone turtle in the pond.

The paths have boardwalks and bridges in the wetlands. 

After that we stopped at Barn Island, and got another walk in. No birds were in the marsh, that I could see, but always a nice place to walk and enjoy the ocean views.

Our last stop was at the ocean drive. We spotted an Osprey in the nest, waiting for his mate.

On Sunday we went to Connecticut to shop at the mill store. I didn't find anything I was looking for, but I did get a fun stitchery and tea towel to do. We drove around the river areas but no eagles. We stopped at the park for a quick walk along the river, but this day killed my foot, so we didn't do much more.

This week we went to the island to see what Ospreys were in. A lot of the nests had pairs, but I was surprised that the one at the forts was empty. The nest was blown apart by the winter storms, so I hope he gets here soon and fixes it up, before his mate comes in. A few Ospreys that I spotted along the way.

And when I got home, I saw a big bird fly off, something with large black wings with white bands. I watched the area and finally saw what it was, a Pileated Woodpecker and not one, but two, so maybe this year they will have young that will visit. This is the female, the male has a red band on the side of his face.

I hope everyone had a good week and not in the bad weather that seems to be hitting so many areas. We have rain coming in, but we may get enough dry periods to enjoy being out.

Friday Finish!

 I hope this post finds you all well and not affected by all of the storms and fires that seem to be taking over the country. We have had some rain, lots of wind and sun, so I can't complain. I had another bunny to do, so I finished that, this week. I went with more yellows and found a yellow ribbon with glitter in an old box of supplies. This one is for me, or Alex who is always stealing the little dolls I make. Of course, Grandma can never say no to the boys. 

Last weekend we did our drive around the ocean areas. We went to one that has a boat launch and there area always birds around. In the photo montage you can see the launch at the bottom and the birds out in the water, that was only a few of them, there were hundreds. The rest were in the breachway, catching things that went out with the tide.

And here are some of the others, fishing in the breachway.

We also went to the island, always nice to walk a little on the beach and enjoy the wildlife and views.

Today it was windy, so we just went for a ride and a little walking on the beaches. We like to take Bean one day so he can have some fun. On days we stop in shops, he has to stay home. Today it was too windy to be out, too long, but the cove beach was a little calmer.

I hope you all have a nice weekend and can enjoy getting out and exploring your area. If you use Google maps, you might be surprised to find parks and sanctuaries that may be near your area.

Friday Finish!

This week I wanted something new to do but something that didn't take too much work. I decided to remake a bunny from my Bunny Buddies pattern. This time I went with bright and fun, using old scraps and floss from the ones I got for the kids to make bracelets. It is also a bit larger than the others, so a fun piece to decorate with. I actually made it for my sister, who is going through medical problems and I wanted to make her something happy to cheer her up. She had asked for some when I first made them, so I hope she likes this new version.

I added the background and the pink bow with photoshop AI. I still have to get out to the craft store to get some pink ribbon before I send it. I have a link to my patterns on the left side column.

Last week I wanted to go back to find the elusive rare bird. We didn't see it, but on the way back out, we saw a bunch of cars and cameras pointing toward the field. It took me awhile to find it, but finally with the help of others, I was able to catch it in the back field. This is a Northern Lapwing, usually found in Europe and Asia. 

We also spent time at the beach, where Bean can enjoy some play time and I can enjoy the views and birding.

Lots of Common Eiders this year.

At home, more birds are leaving and our regulars will be returning. I seem to have a new visitor, a Red Squirrel. This one is a new one, it is living in the neighbors yard and I usually spot two of them, running around the wood piles.

I am still unable to walk much. Today it was shopping in my light hikers but it killed my foot, so no walking on the beach. We have beautiful weather this weekend, so I hate that we can't get out for hikes. With the cooler temps it is perfect to be in the woods and bug free. I hope everyone is doing well with the bad weather conditions that come through. 

Friday finishes!

 This week I actually got more done, the good thing about being laid up a bit. I still have a black and blue foot, but the swelling is down and I can walk on it, as long as I don't push off on my toe area. But the good thing is, I was able to make up some projects to keep my hands busy.

I tried another Easter egg. I saw the floral design on Pinterest and figured it was ok to copy it, though mine didn't come out as nice. I added a blue butterfly for an added touch. I can never get decent shots of my felted pieces, they look all fuzzy, but not in person. I started with a foam egg and wrapped the white roving around that, then felted it in, so it did warp it a bit. 

I also had one more stitchery to finish. Since I was sewing that and making lavender sachets, I decided to pull some scraps with fun designs, to make more.

I also spent a few days to finish my puzzle. It was not the easiest one to do, lots of details.

Last week we had a nice ride around the beach areas, always nice when I can't walk and it was still cold, but I could get out enough to get some shots. Lots of the ocean areas were fogged over.

At one beach we spotted the Horned Larks and another, I just caught the Kingfisher as he flew away.

We parked by a breachway and ended up sitting in the truck as a flock of gulls kept flying over us. It looked like a few had missing legs, and one with a broken one. They are constantly fighting over food, so they do get hurt.

And at another breachway we watched the Mergansers, fishing. In a pond I was shooting at the ducks and noticed a lone Merganser following the pair. I think it got separated from its flock and being younger, decided the ducks were his parents.

We stopped at another beach since I could get out and stand on the boardwalk, while Bill took Bean for a play on the beach. 

The last stop was at the wall to watch the surfers. It was really windy, the surf was rough and the surfers were not doing too well. I got a lot of shots of surfers in the surf instead of on it and a few legs sticking up in the surf.

This weekend will be windy and nice, so hoping we can get out a bit when it calms down. It is also my son's birthday, so we will have them over for dinner on Sunday. Next week we have nice weather coming in, so I am hoping I can get out and see if I can do a little biking on the paved bike path. I am really getting out of shape with all the injuries I keep having, so that might be a good way to get out until my foot heals.

I hope you all enjoy the coming week and enjoyed following along with me.

Friday Finish!

 

This has not been my week. On Saturday we went out to fix my skis and ended up getting a new pair, with hopes of going out on sunday. Then we went shopping and got a bag of items. Then I got home, picked up the back and it broke open. The heavy lazy Susan bowl set fell sideways on my foot, so now I have a broken toe near the joint.

I hate emergency rooms in our area, so I put up with the pain, but couldn't walk for a few days. Over the week I have been icing it and then I taped around the joints and am able to walk flat footed, as long as I don't use the toes. Hopefully it will heal and I can get out again. The weather is getting better, so I was looking forward to hiking. Skiing is out, so the skis will have to wait till next year. 

Since I cannot sit for long, I made up some small projects to do, while I rested. I have a few more in the works, so those will be done next week. I took some patterns from a large one, by Kathy Schmitz and used those to make mini sachets. Nothing fancy but something mindless to do.

While we shopped at the south end, we stopped for some birding.

Today I wanted to get out for a ride. Riding around the island is always nice with the views. We stopped at one beach and watched a tug bring in a ship.

We also stopped at the east end, the docks are always a nice place to check for birds that may be visiting on the rocks.

Our last stop was the marsh. There has been a sighting of a rare bird to our area, but I never did see it. There is always activity there, plenty of birds stay for the calmer waters and fish that come in and out with the tide.

Tomorrow will be another ride, so I have to decide where to go. I like when we can enjoy the views and I can get shots from the truck. We have nicer weather, but cold coming back again. I hope everyone had a good week and our weather brings an early spring.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I decided to make one of my rug patterns into a stitchery. It is from my pattern, Rooster's house. It is perfect to go in my kitchen to match with my other chicken pieces. I used my phone and no matter where I shot in the house, the colors were off. 

Last week's ride took us along the coast. At the Marsh, we spotted a few birds. 

Then a stop at the piers, we watched a fishing boat coming in.

And I spotted a seal, popping up for a look.

And at another beach, I was able to find a Drift of Snow Buntings. A single bird is called a snowflake.

At home, I have had a lot of visitors. With the snow and bitter cold, they have less to eat and the feeder helps to fill in the gap. I was able to get a decent shot of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. He has been making a lot of holes in the maple tree, so he should have lots to eat when it starts to run.

It looks like a slight warm up this weekend, so hoping to get outside more. Who would have thought that 40 degrees would be a warm up. Hopefully it will continue and spring will come early. I hope you all enjoy your weekend and improving weather.