Friday Finish!

Another week has flown by and I hope this post finds everyone, doing well.  With the cooler temps and shorter days, it means more time inside to work on projects. This week I found some fun new projects to do from Farmhouse Friends, on Facebook. 

This design is one of the freebies they are offering each week and a design by Heart to Hand.

I am not great at following directions, but I stuck to the original design and used glitter thread for the leaves and berries, it adds a nice touch to the piece and will be pretty when the lights, hit it.

We also got out for some nice day trips last weekend. We decided to go up the opposite side of the Connecticut river. Our first stop was an old cemetery that sits on the river. Beautiful views but no eagles on this day.

The second stop was another cemetery. A beautiful place to walk around and there were bits of color, here and there.

The next stop was a riverside park where you can launch your boats or sit and enjoy the views. It is also a stop for the tourist trains. 

Our last stop was the ferry, across from the castle. We had the truck so we were able to finally take a ride across the river. A fun way to get across and quicker than going around to the bridge.

On Sunday we were able to get up early and head to Hammonasset Beach. The park is huge, lots of parking areas, walking areas, birding and camping there. I definitely want to go back with the kids. We spent our time at the point which is the main bird sanctuary.

Just that area is so big, we spent all our time walking on the paths and along that section of the beach. The only regret is that we couldn't spend more time there, but we wanted to head back before it got dark.

We left before it got dark but enjoyed a pre-sunset sky.

And we also got to our beach, on afternoon. Another bad thing about the time change, we only have an hour before it gets dark, but the good thing is, we get to watch the sunset. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and upcoming week.

Weekend Wanderings!

We had another nice weekend, even though the cold is coming in early this year, it felt nice to be out without getting wet. On Saturday we tried a new area, Old Saybrook in Ct. It is a beautiful town which has a lot of history, but now it is more of a tourist area. It would be a wonderful place to stay in the hotels and condos that surround the beach area.

We explored the town and historical waterfront, then took a walk on the town beach. I found a few pieces of glass, but the tide was coming in, so I am sure there was more at low tide. We also stopped at one of the oldest cemeteries, lots of old stones from the founders of the areas and a view of the Long Island Sound. We started our day here and headed up the Connecticut river, where we passed by Essex, a village with a train museum and you can take rides along the river from there.

We enjoyed some stops at local graveyards and vistas along the river. I had hoped to spot some eagles at an island, they are known to winter at, but nothing on this day. Our destination was Gillette castle, which was open again.

It was nice to get out for a walk, and Bean was happy to get out, and say hi to everyone we passed. Do you see the kitties on the top? The man who built the castle, loved cats.

We got to enjoy a nice walk around the main areas, lots of paths with bridges and a little covered bridge. Some areas still had vibrant colors, but most of the area is turning to dark red.

On Sunday I wanted to go for a ride to Woodstock, they have a prim shop, a Christmas store and an antique consignment store. Not much this time, but the ride is on scenic roads and we got to enjoy a few stops, One at Roseland park, and another at a Rhode Island cemetery. I even found these cute snow dolls, online it said they are snowmen, but I think they look like white owls, lol. I know the boys will love them, they are soft and fluffy. I like to have a kid's display with their nativity, so they have things they can touch and play with.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend we had a day of rain, so I prepped some Christmas pieces, something new and something to finish, so I will have a couple of things to show this Friday. Since we got out for a nice ride on Sunday, I thought I would show you a bit of foliage and the Connecticut sights.

We stopped at the Yantic River to see the falls. I had a feeling that they would be running higher with the rains and we were not disappointed.

Up river, another falls goes past the old mill.

We headed down route 82, and stopped at the  primitive store that I had seen online. It was a wonderful shop, filled with antiques and unique items, as well as prims. I will definitely stop by, more often, when we are in the area. The name is Primitive Crow, and they also hold primitive painting classes, wish I lived closer.

And when you go down the back roads, you find fun things. Love how they used the truck for a yard display, even painting their name on the side.

We made our way to Devil's Hopyard. Connecticut is famous for weird names, they believed that the big indents in the rocks were made by the devil's hoofs. But the name doesn't fit the beauty of the area. The falls were overflowing from the rains and you could just sit there and watch them cascade down the steps.

We walked along the paths and of course had to stop by the covered bridge. Watching all the people come down and head up the path, tempted me to try a hike up to the over look. Tempted but not attempted too well, lol. Getting up the first wet and slippery incline was bad enough, but when we got the a small crossing, the waters were higher and I was in no mood to try and jump over the water or slip on the rocks, so we turned around. I decided to head towards the lower path and avoid slipping down the incline, which was easier and a nicer walk along the river.

Our last destination was Gillette Castle. I really wanted to walk there, but we were running late from the first hike, so we just walked around the main area. The views were spectacular, pops of color dotted the landscape.

All along our drive and the areas, were beautiful displays of foliage, but most of the wooded areas are full of trees that only turn yellow. And of course, any time I saw a beautiful tree, it was in a place I couldn't stop at or go into. It was a beautiful day though and something you just have to do, to enjoy. Connecticut is full of country roads and scenic routes, well worth a visit.

Of course Bean loved going too, he got to go on lots of walks and meet hundreds of people, another reason we didn't have as much time. One guy actually came over and started hugging Bean, lol. He had a Border once and Bean is just so lovable, everyone wants to pet and hug him.

Weekend Wanderings!

I hope everyone had a good weekend, though it was over shadowed by the sad news on Sunday. My heart breaks for the families in Texas.

With so much sadness in the world lately, I do enjoy hiding my rocks and hoping it will bring a smile to the people who find them and a little happiness in other's lives. One thing that really made me feel good is that not only do we help others who find them, but also those who hide them.

Usually we take Nick on one day and he loves finding rocks and I have to tell him that he can only keep one and rehide the rest, which is hard for a four year old. This weekend we found a rock and he checked it out and then put it back in another place on the bridge. Then when we came home, I remembered I had found a heart shaped rock that had gold in it, and he loved it. Then he came over to me and said, I want you to have it, he is finding joy in giving to others now and that warms my heart.

Another story with rocks is that a neighbor loves to find rocks when she goes out and last week, she found one with an angel. She really didn't want the rock, but something made her take it and then she remembered me and bought it over. This rock is perfect for my room and she will sit there for awhile and someday, I plan on giving it to someone who needs it more than I. It says, "Your wings were ready, but my heart was not". Something simple as leaving painted rocks can touch so many others. If you are interested in joining in, you can go to my Facebook group, DSmiles4Miles. It is not just for rocks, but any type of gifts that you can leave in areas you visit, or gifts that you can give to others, to bring a smile to their day.

This is the rock she found, and this is my memorial table for my daughter. The angel is the one we had at her grave, until the stone came and the rocks are hearts and special items I find on the beach.

We took Nick out Saturday and I really wanted to go further up north but I needed to keep it to a few places with Nick along. We drove straight to the falls, no sight seeing or stops, so we could have more time enjoying the area. The falls were running full force, I tell Nick to smile and I get the grimace, that and I think he was a bit nervous being so close to the falls, lol.

From there we walked along the path and through the covered bridge.

Then along the river path and through the woods, a great place for a little boy to play and explore.

From there we went across to East Haddam, I wanted to see the oldest Bell and the Nathan Hale Schoolhouse. The school house was placed on the hill, over looking the Connecticut river, so it is more of a park like setting and another place, Nick could run around.

He went and set in the car with Bill while I took photos of the church and graveyard. It was hard to get a clear shot of the bell, but it was originally made for a Spanish Monestary in 815AD. A sea captain found the bell and used it as ballast for his ship and eventually it made it's way to East Haddam.

Then it was off to the castle. At this point, Nick was getting tired, so we took a quick tour around the castle and then a short hike into the woods. I really wanted him to go in the tunnel, which is part of the old mini railroad trail. The original owner of the castle, built a track around his property and had a small engine and cars to take his guests for rides.

Nick was nervous and couldn't wait to get out, then he said, lets go again.

We had a nice walk around the path, back to the car and by the time we got back, his energy dwindled. I decided he needed something to eat and we got him a meal in the next town, but by the time the food came out, he was fast asleep. So he got a good nap on the way home and was full of energy again when his parents came over and we had dinner together.

Sunday was another cloudy day but the rain held off and we were able to take a drive to the ocean. I was dragging, so a relaxing few hours on the beach was just what I needed. I found a few heart rocks and sea glass to add to my collection. Today I crashed, mostly resting and hoping I get my energy back tomorrow for all the ideas that are running through my head;)

Weekend Wanderings!

Another two days of adventures so I will put day one up today and Sunday will be on Wednesday. A few weeks ago we went to the castle with Nick and he is too young to do much hiking, so we decided to go back and enjoy the day, just at the castle.

We always start out with the castle, the views are spectacular from the balcony area and I was looking forward to seeing the foliage from that viewpoint.

Bill enjoying the views, Bean is people watching as usual. The hills were alive with color, harder to see with the distance but I think I could live here, just love the views and the river.

As we headed to the paths, we went through the picnic area where you can see the cats on the top, the owner loved cats. If you would like to learn more about William Gillette, click on his name for some fun information about his life.

From there we headed down the path which used to be the old railroad trail. The owner built a small scale rail that ran through the property and he took his guests on rides. Covered bridges and train stop platforms, are along the path.

We followed one trail that led to a dead end. I guess the years took their toll on this cliffside, so we had to turn around.

Coming across the road bought us to the other side of the rail trail, some areas are closed, and I don't think I would trust walking across this bridge.

The trail led to the tunnel, it goes under the hill, the owner's guests must have loved staying with him.

It is pitch black inside the tunnel, but my camera has night vision, but spooky, none the less.

We passed by the pond, the drought has really effected the ponds here, but still beautiful with the fall foliage.

Crossing over the bridge by another pond, the grounds are so beautiful.

We decided to head back and enjoy another look at the river and Bill and Bean were having fun exploring the castle alcoves.

As we headed down to the cars, Bean got the attention of a group of sisters. He loves all the attention and I think half the time was spent stopping, to let people pet him. It took 10 minutes for the father to notice his girls were talking to an old guy with a dog, lol. I will never understand parents who spend more time on the phones than enjoying the time with their kids, every moment is precious.

It was a wonderful day and wonderful to spend more time exploring the castle grounds. We headed home and stopped in Norwalk by the river to enjoy the views for a rest break. There were a few families and the kids were feeding the birds, so there were hundreds of birds flying about and swimming around the docks. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and some adventures of your own.

Weekend Wanderings: Part Two

You know you have a busy weekend when you have to do it in two parts;) And when you spend your Monday, crashed out on the couch, lol. This time we had Bean and Nick, it is like having two toddlers and I was keeping my eyes on Nick and on Bill since Bean ends up jumping on people while Bill is zoned out, so for me it was a bit hectic.

We had to pick up Nick at his house, so we decided to go across into Connecticut and for our first stop we went outside of Norwich to the Yantic Falls. I used my phone to get directions and it took us to the main parking area, which meant more walking to get to the falls.

The falls are always beautiful, even when the water levels are down. A photo op with my favorite guys.

We walked across the bridge, Nick is becoming very independent and all I could think of was, he was going to fall through the rails, lol.

Our main destination was Gillette Castle. I thought it would be a good place for Nick and Bean, but Nick was off and running, luckily the walls are a bit higher than he is.

Nick was ready to explore the castle.

The guys enjoying the views from the castle.

Lots of nooks and crannies to play hide and seek.

We walked along some paths, but most are too hard for Nick to walk on, so we stuck to the main area and decided Nick was getting tired and headed home. He fell asleep a few minutes after he got in his seat so we took a back road and enjoyed a scenic ride while he slept. I wanted to get a pumpkin so I found out there was a farm ahead and we made another stop. Poor Nick had to wake up, but once he saw the farm, he was rearing to go. We let him pick out a smaller pumpkin to take home for his mom.

This is what I get, every time I tell him to smile, he is such a smart alec.

The one thing he didn't forget, was that I said we could ride on a tractor. Of course the minute we get there the tractor was coming in for a rest break. The poor kid just stood by that tractor and kept saying, ride the tractor, he loves tractors. There was no way I was going to climb up to let him sit on it. I guess I will have to take him to another farm before they close.

It was a good day and always fun to spend time with Nick. He got home and did not want to eat dinner, just said, he wanted to go to bed, guess we wore him out as much as he wore us out.

I also got the Ole Crow pattern done, so if you are looking for a fun fall project, you can click on the link to the left.