This and that!

 This week I have been working on a new project and started another. Before we went on vacation, I wanted something I could work on. Of course I never did work on it, but at home, it is a nice project to work on, a bit at a time, since it will take me a while to finish. It is one of the designs from Kathy Schmitz's Merry Minis Workshop. It comes with 100 designs and several patterns you can make with them.

My problem was, my freezer paper did not stay put, so my design was traced badly, but I fix things as I go. It is in one color, but I am adding a bit, here and there, to give it more pop. I also plan on adding a few areas with glitter thread.

During our trip to Maine, we visited a view places. One was Baileys island. It is a long peninsula so a nice drive with views of the inner bays. We went to the very end, where there is a large gift shop and views of the ocean. I spotted a day beacon on one island.

And on another, a lighthouse.

There was also a memorial for lobster men, near the shop.

We wanted to have lunch by the water, but one restaurant there, was closed, so we went over to the next one. At Dolphin Marina, they allowed dogs outside, but they have to stay under the table. I am not sure, but maybe because it was a late lunch,  I could get a lobster, but the sides were things I couldn't eat and they didn't cater to changes in the menu. It was really nice to sit and relax, with beautiful views and we had a very attentive waiter. 

Another restaurant we went to, was the next day. We did some shopping at the outlets and drove to the docks in Haraseekeet. They have a take out menu and allow dogs outside. I got steamers this time and we enjoyed a nice lunch at the docks.

If you are in Freeport, another great place to stop is, Cottonweeds quilt shop. I got some nice tea towels and a pattern, I am working on and should finish this week. I got a baby panel and didn't realize it goes across, not down, so I will have to rethink it for a quilt.

I hope you all have a nice weekend and a relief from the heat.

Vacation part III

 I tend to pack a lot in a week, I love seeing new places and there is plenty to do in the Freeport area. Less than a half hour, we went to Mackinac Island for a walk around their paths.

The paths go around the island, so a lot of views of the ocean and the islands. We could see an island in the distance. On one was an old fort.

I realized when I got in closer, there were seals, sunning on the rocks.

There were lots of places to get to the shore, so Bean loved that.

Another day we went for a paddle on a lake above Brunswick. It started on a river, into a nice sized lake. It was a bit windy and I forgot to get my seat cushion and gloves, so it was a wonderful paddle, except for being uncomfortable.

And one day we went for a bike ride on the Lisbon rail trail. It was a nice paved path, along a river with waterfalls along the way. The nice thing about paved trails is, we can take Bean in the carriage.

On the way back we saw a big dam. A lot of rivers with dams to control the waters, during rainy and dry seasons.

And every day after dinner, we went for walks. There were a lot of new trails in the camp, that went through fields, into woods and up and down stairs. I definitely got a lot more exercise that week. Now it is just hot, too hot to even go paddling, so hoping to do some swimming this weekend. 

Vacation part II

 It seems my vacations make the need for a rest from the vacation. Lots of laundry, cleaning up the trailer and getting things done in and outside the house. I also feel like one week was not enough, it takes me a week to really relax, then it is time to go home.

I had planned on resting on Sunday and staying at camp, but it was a nice day with possible rain, so we went to Brunswick, which was the next town over. We were lucky enough to be in an area that had a back road to go up, and avoid the traffic on the scenic route.

Our destination was the swing bridge. We started on the opposite side, which had a paved walk along the river. 

It was a nice walk across, even though the wind made it move more than usual.

It also had nice views down the river.

And looking in the opposite direction.

We also noticed a dam and wanted to check it out. You can walk to it from the paths, but we went to the parking lot, that was close to it. 

And on the other side of the dam was a brewery. Brunswick is another nice town to visit. These were all free to see and they also have a lot of shops to explore. I hope you are enjoying following along with our adventures. I tend to find new things in each place we go and if you have any question about an area or the best places to go, I will be happy to help.

Camping week

 

We have been camping all week and have I done any crafts, nope! We have been busy, out and exploring and walks at camp, so at night, I am too tired to do much. Since we are leaving tomorrow, I will show a few photos from camp and a few more extra posts this week, to share the places we went and reviews on others.

This is our camp, still setting up. No one is in the front sites, so we have a nice spot with lots of grass. This is at Wolfs Neck Campground in Freeport Maine.

There are different points surrounded by water, at camp. Sadly, the tide is always low when we can paddle, so we couldn't paddle from camp.

At the higher tide, the kids like to swim and Bean loves that they play with him.

It is a working farm, so we can walk around the roads, past fields and have views of the coves. It is a nice place to stay, though some kids seem to be running around on their own. Most of the time it is quiet and everyone goes quiet after 10:00pm. We did get some heavy rain one night, and today some rain in the morning, but were lucky enough to get a nice afternoon, so we could enjoy our last day. 

I hope everyone had a good week and I will be posting again, after I get home.

Friday Finishes!

 

This week I was able to finish a little quilt I was working on. I had the striped fabric and some star fabric, so it made the perfect flag to hang on the wall. I added a few patriotic sayings that I like and a couple of wool stars. The little stars are rustic metal and gave it a nice touch.

I wanted to have something to do on my down day, so I made a little felted raccoon. It was a from a kit, so I didn't follow the directions exactly and I messed up with my perspective, but it was fun to do.

Last weekend we took a few short walks. The heat keeps us from doing long hikes, so we went to the park near the ocean. It was cooler in some areas but hot in others. Lots of birds but they always fly away when I spot them. I was able to catch an Eastern Towhee in the bush.

We went down the road to another area that has a path, that leads to a little tower. The views of the beach and ocean from the tower. 

After we went to the pond, but both areas were crowded so it wasn't worth going for a swim. Tomorrow we head to Maine. Unfortunately I got another tick on me, while gardening and this one seems to have affected me. I am back on meds and going through ups and downs, so hopefully I can beat this one too. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and I may do an extra blog this week, since I will be taking lots of photos. 

Friday Finish!

 

This week I made up another batch of rocks. I also started a project I should have done before we leave. Then I got Kathy Schmitz's new designs to do Christmas projects. I wanted something to do at camp, in case I ever sit still and relax. Usually at night I work on the photos I took, so I may do some sewing, but hopefully I will be outside, exploring and enjoying the area.

Some of these are from the previous rocks, I took a photo of them together. 

Last week we took a walk at the bird sanctuary. We walk to one end that has a deck, to enjoy the views.

Then across to the other end, with another deck and views of the Osprey nest. They definitely enlarged it more. I couldn't if they had any young yet.

Today we walked around the lighthouse. It has been really hot, so we kept it short. The breezes at the point were so refreshing.

The sailboats were racing around the island, so it was nice to watch them. I thought this one had a unique sail.

And a big ship was coming in. We also went to the beach so Bean could play in the water. 

This week I have a lot to do, to get ready for the trip. The last two days will be cooking. With my allergies, I have to make sure I have plenty to eat, but I do wish I could eat out. We may try a local lobster place that has outdoor seating, then Bean can come and sit with us. 

I hope everyone had a nice week and not affected by the storms. I am hoping for cooler weather in Maine so I can do more hiking and bike riding. Way too hot here, to do that. 

Friday Finish!

 

This week I finally finished the baby quilt. I hand stitched around the designs, to keep it simple and I wanted it to be puffy and soft. The panel was gifted to me by my sister in law, so I would say it is vintage. The only problem with it is, there is a tiny dark spot on one of the outer edges. I washed it and it faded a bit, but still there, so hopefully the recipient won't mind.

For the back, I used a cute flannel. Slowly using stash I got, and this flannel was perfect for a soft backing.

Last week we got out for another walk at the farm. It was beautiful with all of the lupines, lining the pathway.

We also took a stroll down the back road, that follows the river and back around to the farm. A lot of beautiful homes along the way, with views of the river. 

Lots of birds along the way and this Song Sparrow, followed us a bit and sang to us.

Today my husband got stuck at work so we didn't get out for a paddle. Hopefully we can get out tomorrow if it is not too windy. I have been painting a few more rocks and started another project, so hoping to get those all done, next week. I have a lot to do around the house and getting the trailer ready.

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer weather and not in the stormy areas. Here is has been too hot, so I can't get outside as much, but on weekends we can get down to the cooler end near the ocean.

Friday Finish!

 

This week went by fast with the long weekend. We cut our vacation short, since it was raining on Sunday and more rain on Monday, so we came home. When we do weekends close to home, I plan on being outside and easy access for biking and paddling, rain kills that. We have our big vacation coming up next month, so I plan on getting things done at home and getting ready for that. 

This week I decided to start painting the stones I had. I plan on taking some on our trip, so I start with painting them all white and adding the group name on the back. People can sign up when they find one, but not necessary. The photo makes them look funny, since the camera seems to pick up things that don't look spotty in person.

Before we went home, we had one day that was nice enough to go for a walk along Black Point. I hadn't been there in a while and found a new stairway at the end of the path. I had never been down to that section before, so we went to check it out.

It was a nice spot to walk around on the rocks.

We even found a heart in the rock.

The path way goes around a point, that had a home, that is no longer there. 

They even had a new sign that told about the former history.

Today we got out for a walk at the park. It has several paths to explore, that traverse along the salt water pond, to paths through fields and woods. At the pond, I spotted a few Snowy Egrets.

In the trees I could hear a lot of birds and spotted a Baltimore Oriole.

And in the wooded path, lies this old tree that has so many unique knots, that I could spot 4 tree spirits, hiding within. It was nice to get out and a little cooler near the ocean.

Tomorrow we will celebrate everyone's birthday. The boys were born on the same day, a day after my husband's birthday and Ivy was born a few days before, so we celebrate them all. I had planned on doing it at camp, but the rain cancelled that. I hope you all enjoy your weekend. We have some rain tomorrow, but a good day to cook and get ready for the kids for a dinner party.

Weekend wanderings!

 

This week I was busy getting ready for our trip, so no time for crafting. I did take time out to get out for a walk last week. We went to the local park again and walked around the pond, then the path to the troll, since Bill didn't get to see him.

The pond is always beautiful, anytime of the year.

Lots of birds, but they are hidden in the trees. I did catch a Cardinal, that stopped for a while.

And the pond had a lot of turtles.

And we made it to camp. Our site is not bad and we have some views. The bad thing is rain all day on Sunday, so I will see how it goes and if it is a washout on Monday, we can just go home. I had planned on having a party for the kids birthday coming up, but we cancelled it till next week.

                                         

We were able to get out for some walks at camp and one at the beach after dinner. The sunset was obscured by the clouds, but back at camp, it spread out beneath the clouds.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and an amazing week,