Weekend Wanderings!

Another beautiful weekend and the last before the beaches open and the crowds come, so we enjoyed a few days hiking and exploring.

On Saturday I decided I wanted to go to Bluff Point in Connecticut. It is a wonderful park with nice trails that go out  to the ocean and not only do they have restrooms, they have one at the end of the trail, as well.

There was quite a few people but spread out enough that we could enjoy walking by ourselves, most of the time. Bean was being good, he is calming down enough that he doesn't lunge for every person that passes by, but he does take the lead and it is a hard pace to keep up with. I am trying a new trick, letting Bill take the lead and making Bean stay behind him, so hopefully he will get the hang of walking calmly beside us on public trails.

We took my son which was a good thing, his eyes are better than mine and with Bean pulling, I miss things. The first thing we spotted was a fawn, who didn't seem phased by the people walking by.

Further down the trail my son spotted a bird. I am not good with bird identification, but he was pretty.

The disappointment was, it is nesting season so no dogs allowed on the beaches. They have a long stretch of beach and Bean really wanted to go play in the water, but he had to stay on the trails. The trail ends at the point with a view of Connecticut to the left, Rhode Island beyond that and New York across the water and of course a view of the guys being goofy.

We came back along the inner trail, a quieter path and we spotted this guy who seemed like he was lost. He started to come to me, then got scared and ran. My husband said a guy who he worked with, told him that he released his ferrets in the park, so I am thinking, this may be one.  This photo makes him look scary but he was very calm, just seemed scared.

Sunday was a cloudy day with chance of rain but we only got a brief shower and were able to enjoy some time at Black Point. The tide was going out and the waves were coming in.

I was hunting for heart rocks and Bill decided to take photos of me, so I decided to make faces at him, this is something between goofy and laughing. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Wanderings Giveaway!

We had a beautiful weekend and even though I am still dragging, I had to get out and enjoy it. For saturday we went to Bluff Point Connecticut. It was warm but cooler near the ocean with the breezes so  hiking to the bluff was the perfect place to go.

I love walks where the paths are wide and you have views of the water, most of the way. It is so calming and a great way to boost my spirit. At the end of the trail, there are the bluffs where you can look out at the ocean and see all the way to the islands off of New York.

The afternoon got warmer and there are no trees at the point, so we headed back and sat at the picnic area under the trees. A great place to cool down and enjoy people watching.

Sunday was even hotter, so I decided it was a good day for the bay. We started in the cove but went straight out to the bay and headed down the coast. I left the house tired, but once I got out on the water, I wanted to keep going, I love being on the water.

Since the tide was still high, we went to a cove and paddled around the perimeter. It was calmer in the cove and a good way to relax after paddling in the waves and against the wind. I always love seeing the old mill, they are condominiums now but they still have their historic charm.

In the middle of that area, there is a group of patriotic birds.

Another cove comes to the sanctuary where we go for walks, so no homes past this point. A touch of fall is just beginning in the areas closest to the sea.

We ended out trip at the outer cove. I went in to the waist, too cold to jump in;) It is a nice place to walk around and see what interesting things are hidden in the sea.

And now for the giveaway! I tried taking a photo when we were at Bluff Point and this guy ducked under, just as I hit the shutter. What do you think it is? You don't have to be right, all comments will be entered. The winner will receive any one of my epatterns, of their choice. I will pick a winner on Friday night and announce it, that night.

Anniversary Fun or Exhaustion Giveaway!

Yesterday we took a day off since it was raining on and off and we needed to get things done and get some rest. Well, rest didn't happen, but we did a lot of shopping and running around and cleaning house and catching up on laundry.

I will start with the winner of the giveaway and the question for the next:
And the winner of the Giveaway is Saundra! Please email me with your choice of epattern from my ecrater site. And for the newest contest, I will make this easy. What year was Bill and I married? I will giveaway another epattern of the winner's choice. I will announce a winner on monday night.

Wednesday we paddled at a place called Bluff Point in Connecticut. The paddle took us up a river and up to a long sandy beach with access to the ocean.

We landed near the end of the beach so we could take a look at the ocean, to see what the conditions were. It was a cloudy day and the water was calm and glassy. The little island is actually a chain of islands that are hidden behind this one.

Paddling out of the channel we had views of Avery Point Light and A division of The University of Connecticut. I had to use my little camera, so everything seems further away.

Paddling around the islands, we can to the point of the last island, no place to land.

Coming around the island, you can see the Long Island sound. This was a beautiful place to paddle with amazing views and a place I will definitely come back to.

Today I was tired to start with, but I wanted to get out, so we ended up at Ninigret Park, which is a saltwater pond that goes out to the ocean. The paddle was only 3 miles, but most of it was against the wind and at the beach, I walked around most of the time, so not much rest;) 

A quiet stretch of beach, all to ourselves.

Where we parked our kayaks was along a stretch of the breach way. We we entertained by all of the birds that were feeding in the tidal pools.

This guy was comical and all over the place.

This bird was definitely unique, and I am not sure what it was. When I first saw it, it was small and squat, then it got up and stretched it's neck and body and looked more like an egret. This was it's in between size, truly interesting.

And of course, what would the beach be without a seagull. This is a young one, you can tell because of the mottled colors. He was happy, sitting on his rock and enjoying the cool breezes.

And to end a wonderful week, though we still have the weekend, Bill and I were being silly. He drew the heart and I did the writing, I think we had too much sun;)

Sunday Stroll Giveaway!

This weekend was beautiful and the perfect weekend for some outings. One of the places I have been wanting to go is Bluff Point in Connecticut. It has trails that go around the peninsula and you can also go biking and kayaking from the park.

We decided to try a hike around the trail and it gave us a chance to see how good the trails were for biking, which I will try next time. There is also a nice area for parking at the boat launch with sandy areas to launch from, so that is also on the to do list, this year.

The trail follows the river that runs in and out of the Long Island sound. Beautiful views right from the start. The trails are perfect for biking too.

Lots of areas to stop and walk along sandy beaches.

It come out to a long sandy beach, perfect for when we go paddling. A great way to paddle at the ocean but still be in protected waters.

The trail comes out to Bluff Point, the perfect place to enjoy the views and the islands.

You can also see the Ledge Lighthouse, it is said to be haunted by a former light keeper. Now it is automated and run as a museum and learning center.

And here is where you can enter the giveaway. Tell me about a haunted place in your area and I will pick a winner on friday and announce it that night. The winner can have their choice of any one of my epatterns. If you don't have a haunted comment, any comment will get you entered.

On sunday we went to the bird sanctuary and saw an amazing variety of sea and land birds, but none of my photos were good enough to show, my zoom can only go so far before getting fuzzy. I did get a fun shot of the new arrivals at the pond, this guy has a good start on hopping.