Weekend Wanderings!

We had a nice weekend, though a bit cool for long walks. One thing I love to do is shop at the antique  thrifts and Saturday was a good day for the barn and a visit to Chepatchet which has several antique stores and a primitive store.

With all that shopping, I didn't get much, but I treated myself to an angel valentine doll. This one hangs on the wall, but I put her on the table for the photo. She looks good, either way so once I get more decorating and cleaning done, I may give her a space of her own. For now we are keeping the main wall free of decorations so maybe, just maybe my husband will clean it up and get it repainted so I can put up my easter decorations.

I also found a plain wooden boat for a dollar, I will sand all the varnish off and remake it into something for my beach room, maybe add some fabric sails.

When we were in town, I saw a step falls but it was impossible to get a photo from the right angle, too much brush and slopes. I did see a small falls on the other side and I loved how the water at the top was smooth as glass but whorling so that the shadows looked like an art painting.

On Sunday we got a late start and headed to Woodstock Ct, for some more shopping and to visit Putnam for some photos. We always try and take a different route to find new sights and on this trip we stopped at a mill. It looks like this one is still operational.

In Putnam we found a parking lot across from the falls, so we took a walk over and I enjoyed watching the falls. With the snow and then rain, they were running, full force. It was too cold for me, to take a walk along the river, so we went back across the street to check out an antique store.

Well, it was not a store, it was an antique mall, four floors of booths and in areas, whole rooms with glass cabinets, filled with goodies. It was so overwhelming, I don't think I saw half of the things, lol. And so big, we spent hours just walking and looking. I saw a lot of nice things, but prices that seemed to be inflated compared to what I have bought. It is well worth a visit if you are in the Putnam area, they do have a lot and there are other stores in the area, as well as small shops and restaurants.

Since we spent so long in the store, I decided that I wasn't up to going up to Woodstock and doing more shoppng. But, I did realize that we were were about an hour away from sunset and if we headed back down to the ocean, we could just make it, lol, yes, we drove an hour back down and went to Barn Island, since it was the straightest point from where we were.

It was a beautiful place to enjoy the sunset, but no place to stand, so we had to go out on the marshy point and walk carefully along the thick tufts to stay out of the muck. The sunset is always the most stunning when it falls below the horizon and a beautiful way to end the day. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, filled with your own adventures.

Weekend Wanderings!

We were blessed with beautiful weather this weekend, so I took full advantage and got in some outdoor time. On Saturday we went to Groton and headed to the point to enjoy the views of the Long Island sound and watch the ferries come in and out.

It was foggy over the ocean and the ships were hidden until they got closer. The smaller ferry coming in from Block Island, passing by the haunted light house.

In contrast to the fog, the river side was sunny and blue. The main ferry, heading to Long Island, as it passes the house on the rocks.

We headed to Bluff point for a hike and encountered more fog, with sun on the inland side.

Once we got the the point, we enjoyed some time on the beach. The fog was lifting, so we got to enjoy the  beautiful views.

We took the full hike, which is 4 miles and a few stops so Bean could enjoy the beach areas.

Sunday was another beautiful day and so warm, I had to take off my coat. We went to the Barn Island  Reserve and got to enjoy the full walk. The walk goes along the salt water marshes and through the woods. You can see the path to the left and the wooded areas, then it continues on around that entire area, off in the distance.

The trail ends at the old farm homestead, stonewalls and cellar holes can be found in the wooded areas. We ended at the entrance to the farm, where we turned around and got to enjoy going through the areas again.

As we came back to the area, that shows the view, I spotted a heron feeding in the marsh. I found a pathway to the edge and was able to get a few shots.

Here he is showing off his beautiful wings.

And this is what he looks like, when he is not  hiding his face. Someday I hope to catch one in flight, they are so beautiful but very shy.

I hope you enjoyed going with me,  on my walk. Today is a rest day, I always over do it and wear myself out, but well worth it. A nice surprise came in the mail today, from my friend Laurie. She sent me a beautiful tin adorned with a beautiful punch needle, perfect for storing my supplies. In the back you can see the felted backing she sent, I love it and imagining a beautiful felted scene to make for my beach room. There is also a tiny hat that I can use on one of my characters, a proddy flower, a scrap pile made into a rose shape that has a ball of yarn in the middle and I forgot to add the other gifts, a hand made button bracelet, handmade soap and some teas to enjoy while I create. I feel spoiled but it was a nice pick me up on a down day.

I also took this photo with my new 55mm lens, and I am not happy with the results, time to take it back, they are going to hate me, lol. I want the one I had, but a better one, so I will just wait and save up for a quality lens with anti shake, I realize I need that with my nerve damage, if i want to get clear shots. 

I hope you are all working on fun, new projects. I have my quilt to finish and working on a punched piece for a lap project.

Christmas Vacation!

Bill always gets the holiday week off, so we took advantage of the time to get out and do some exploring. It is also a great time to use the coupons and sales to get some needed items like a new coat. I finally found one that is duck cloth, warm inner but not heavy so I can have something to wear when we go on adventures.

We had one day that was considered warm, warm enough that my hands didn't freeze, that is. It was a great day to go for a drive and enjoy the ocean. It seems everyone was out enjoying it, as well. A few were doing some parasailing which looks like fun to me, though I am not sure I have the strength to control the sail.

Lots of surfers, birds and action going on at the beaches, but I realize, I need a zoom to get good shots of those. I did catch this little guy who was running back and forth on the beach.

The treat was, as we were coming home, the sun was going down. We went down a side road and stopped at the pond to watch the sunset. A wonderful way to end a day.

Another day we went to the Watch Hill lighthouse. It was a bit cool and breezy but a perfect place to sit in the car and just enjoy the views. From here you can see the rhode island and the long island sounds.

Today we went to go to a park on the opposite side of Westerly. The river runs through Rhode Island, and empties into the ocean. The park was small but a nice little walk with views of a graveyard across the river.

I found a road from here that took us across, into Connecticut and to Barn Island. We have been here to paddle, and I wanted to just go for the views.

When we got there, I noticed a lot of people parked at the hiking trails. We have never been on the trails, I assumed they were just short walks to look at the estuaries and it was too swampy to walk. Well, I had to go check it out and I was surprised to see nice trails that led through the area with views of the inlets and areas in the woods.

Lots of old growth trees, reformed by the weather and storms.

We even got to see a blue heron, another time I wish I had a zoom. The area is so beautiful and peaceful, definitely coming back to do more hiking when it isn't so cold.

Before we headed home, we went further down so I could get some shots of a church with my wide angle. I plan on using churches in my area to do new pieces, so I took shots and this one was an experiment in art photography, you can see some of the church, lots of character for a new piece.

I hope everyone is having a nice week and rested from the holiday festivities. I did make something new this week, but was so tired when we got home, I didn't get a chance to finish it off. A few more days of goofing off and then it is time to start working on my projects again. I hope it will be a productive year for all of you. May the new year bring good health and blessings to you all.

Friday Fun!

I am not sure if I had a good week or bad, lol. Bill took the week off since he has been working non stop all month, but plans don't always work out the way we want. The weekend was a bust, with the holiday, too many beach goers to want to go out and fight the traffic. Then I broke a tooth and had to go to the dentist, late in the day, so it killed any paddling on that day. Then I had to go back another day to get a regular check up and it took awhile with X-rays and cleaning. That will teach me to put off going to the dentist;) To top it off, my cheek swelled up so I look like a chipmunk on one side, lol.

The good thing is, we got to go out for a couple of days and enjoy some paddling, even though it was still a bit on the humid side.

We went to Barn Island which is off of the coast of Connecticut and paddled down a cove, then out to the island. The cove was long and calmer, fun to explore new areas.

We even spotted the castle. On the road side it looks more like a castle with gargoyles and stone work. From the back it is a mix of styles, but a beautiful place sitting on the marsh.

You can also find unexpected items while exploring. Why there is an old mini submarine in the marsh, I have no idea.

Today we went to Ninigret Pond. It is a saltwater pond that has a lot of coves and an opening to the ocean. As we came out of the launch, we passed a guy who was hauling in his oyster pots.

We explored a cove today, it was a nice way to paddle without the winds. There was a little spit of land with a duck blind on it, but I guess the birds didn't care.

After we paddled around the cove we came out to the pond again and the wind was blowing harder and I was getting hot and tired. The great thing was, it was low tide and there were sand bars in the middle of the pond. The perfect place to stop and go for a swim. After we rested we went to the ocean but the tide was coming in, along with hundreds of jelly fish, so I decided not to stay and swim there, lol.

And for those who would like a dose of cute, my son took a video of Nicholas and put it to music, just too sweet, love the little guy:) I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Anniversary Week Continues and Another Giveaway!

I hope you are all enjoying my photos of my vacation week. After a long winter it is so nice to be outside every day and enjoy the beautiful weather we are having.

First I will announce the winner of the last giveaway. What is Bill looking at? If you looked in the right hand corner, you would have seen sky writing, lol. While we were out, a plane was writing an advertising and the wind was blowing it away as soon as he was forming the letters, not sure how effective that was.

The winner of my newest pattern is Gayle! If you could please email me so I can reply to your email, I will get your pattern out to you.

Yesterday we went for a paddle from the Barn Island launch in Connecticut. I love this area since it has a nice launch and you can paddle out into the sound where you are surrounded by RI, Connecticut and looking out you will see Fishers Island, which belongs to NY, so we are surrounded by 3 states. We paddled down the cove for a bit and cut across to a sandy island sitting between the states.

This is the area that we launch from, our destination is out to the right.

This is looking down the beach towards Napatree point in RI. As you can see, we had the beach to ourselves, most of the people go to the further end, we stay in the middle. We have the inlet on one side and the ocean, on the other. I actually swam in the ocean, even if it was a bit cold.

At the ocean, the seagulls were flying around me.

And seagulls squawking at me.

These two were doing a happy dance for me.

When I got back to our tent area, I heard a chirping and looked down. I thought this poor sand piper was hurt, it was dragging it's wings through the sand in front of me. Then she stood  up and flapped her wings and walked away, lol. I realized she was playing hurt to steer me away from her nest.

And on the inner beach, I found two of these cute babies walking around. I have never seen a baby seagull, they are too cute.

I also spotted a couple of these guys, I have no idea what they are, but they sure are funny looking and they do not sit still for photos.

And for the final photo and the giveaway photo! I thought this seagull sitting on the crates, would make a nice photo, so I took a shot of her. Then she took off and started dive bombing me, lol. I didn't realize I was disturbing a nesting area. Can you see what she is hiding, in this photo? I didn't notice until I saw the photo, when I got home. I will pick a name from all of the comments and the winner will win their choice of any of my epatterns. I will draw a name on friday night and show you more photos from today's trip and anything we do on friday.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our anniversary and of course I spent it, doing my favorite thing, paddling.
Today marks our 38th year together and I won't say it is perfect or bliss, but we love each other and we work through the tough times and the differences.

I saved my favorite place for today and the original plan was to go to the island but I changed my mind and we paddled to Napatree Point at Watch Hill. Watch Hill is famous for it's grand homes and stretches of beaches at the point.

We started at Barn Island in Connecticut and headed to Napatree point in RI.

As we got up the point the waters got too shallow to paddle, so we had to walk the boats into the shore.

We had our own quiet beach area, no one around on this side. Bill got himself a present, now he can sit on the beach without worrying about the sun.

We spent the day enjoying the views and walking along the beach. We also went over the dunes to the other side, this is where most people go and a lot deeper. It is wonderful having vacation before school gets out, no crowds.

The winds were picking up and the waves were getting higher, but fun riding along as we headed back to the launch. The end to a perfect day.

We will probably do more paddling this weekend at our local launch, but I think I am about ready to relax at home and start sewing again. Next month will be my 5th blog anniversary, look for a special giveaway. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Anniversary Winners!

First of all, I will announce the winners. Patti of Winding Vine Wanderings, the first comment and the first right answer is the winner with Piping Plovers. Now, the island has fences all around it and signs that say, not to go in the areas of the piping plovers, so duh to me, lol. They are so cute, they look like little chicks, but with pretty markings.  Patti, please send me your choices of two epatterns or ebooklets.

The winner of the random number generator is #11, Valerie of The Wooden Acorn!
Valerie, please send me your choice of an epattern or booklet.
Thank you to everyone who commented and played along and for the Well Wishes. This year was our 37th and hopefully we have many more ahead of us.

As for yesterday, I was going to take it easy, but I loved going to the island so much, I had to go back. During the weekends it is too crowded, so being able to go when there is room to park, was a treat for me.

If  you noticed the scenery behind the gull in yesterday's picture, you will see a point, off in the distance, that was our destination. Things look a lot closer than they are and this was no exception, lol. The paddle up was nice, we stayed close to the shoreline and enjoyed the views.

Here Bill is enjoying the views and watching the boats coming through the channel. I think he should move;)

We made it to the point, here is the Stonington Lighthouse Museum, if you visit the link, you can see some interesting displays that they have there. When we got to the end of the point, the water changed, a lot rougher and windier out in the open waters. I decided it was too much for me, so it was time to turn around.

As we paddling back down the coast, I decided it would be quicker and fun to surf back to the island. Well, when you enter the channel, the waves got a lot higher and were churning back and forth between the tide changing and the boat waves. I don't know if you call it surfing, but I was paddling like a mad lady and bracing with my legs to keep the boat steady and flying across the waves. And it was a lot longer across than I thought, so I was exhausted by the time I got to the island.

Since I could not take photos and paddle in this water, I made Bill go back out and paddle in, so I could take a photo, lol. I am such a mean wife, but he loved it, his boat is larger and taller in the front, than mine.

And here is a photo of the waters in the main areas, this is more my style, nice rolling waters.

At the island, we enjoyed the views, a swim in the calmer waters, all types of sea birds and a nectarine for lunch. Fresh fruit is a great pick me up, after a tough paddle. In all we paddled about 6 miles, so today was a rest day, if cleaning and cooking is considered rest;) This weekend, I will be back out on the water and paddling along the coast in our bay.

Sailors pray, For fair winds and a following sea The smell of salt in the air, The feel of their skin as it's touched by the spray An albatross soaring above, Dolphins in the ship's wake at play To witness a work of art that only God can create, The sunset at the end of day At night a million stars in the sky, Safe anchorage in an islands lee When the time comes to die as for all it must, To awake in Sailors Heaven where nothing ever rusts And always there would be, Fair winds and a following sea