Friday Finish!

 

This week I took some things out of my, to do list. This one was all stitched, just needed to be finished. I decided to make it into a pillow. It is a pattern by Cheri Saffiote and this one I did in red work. The fabric was a tea stained muslin but my lighting turned it a bit red.

Today I finally got a chance to hike to the Blue Heron rookery. The path had a lot of downfall and new growth so it was a maze to get around things.

At the pond, I noticed there were less nests and less Herons. The storms this year, really did a lot of damage to the nesting areas and I guess it hit here too. Add the colder temperatures and I assume most are still heading up. 

Not sure if this one was nesting or just taking a rest. 

This one is waiting for its mate. Very sad to see so little activity. It is usually teaming with birds and nests. One problem was, I had to walk through narrow paths in bush to get a clearer shot, so I spent a lot of time picking ticks off my pants. Once we got home, we took all our clothes off and did a body check. Bill did find one on his back, so glad we found it before it did any damage. I guess this is not a good time to be in the bush.

This area is also home to a lot of barn swallows. They are beautiful to watch, but I do wish they could build a platform on the pond, so I could stand in a clear spot to enjoy the birds. They have a main trail that is kept up, but the side trail to the birds, is not taken care of.

I hope everyone had a nice week and enjoying nicer weather. We are warming up and have a camping trip for next weekend. 

Happy New Year!

 

With the holidays, I haven't had much time for crafting. I have a little project I started, so I will finish that and get back to my unfinished projects. 

With Bill having days off, we get out more. We took advantage to some sales and did a few rides around the beach areas. On one day we went to Galilee, which is a port with lots of fishing boats and birds. I spotted a hawk on a pole, that was being harassed by a group of crows. He sat long enough for a photo before he got tired of the harassment.

Around the area I spotted a few Blue Herons and lots of seagulls. The Herons looked like they wished they had gone south.

We sat at the docks and enjoyed the views from the car. This building is one that they process the incoming catches of the day. Their idea of a Christmas decoration.

Then we stopped at the fishing area and walked up the hill to enjoy the views.

At another beach, we enjoyed the views across the bay.

Another day we did some areas to look for Snow buntings, none found but I spotted a large group of Lapland Longspurs.

At home our feeders are always busy. Some will stay still long enough for a photo and others, grab a seed and take off. Snow and cold, always brings in more visitors and it is a nice way to find joy on cold winter days. I hope everyone has a wonderful new year, filled with joys and good health.

Holiday Finish!

 I was able to finish my Christmas quilt, just in time. I machine quilted the edges around the blocks and then I hand quilted around the mittens with black and used white in the patterned blocks. I didn't use any pattern, just made up a mitten template and used a variety of wool textures. It was a fun way to use up wool and some fun fabrics I had gotten, last year.

Last weekend we went to the mill to pick up corn meal. I spotted this guy, outside of the mill.

We also made a stop at the thrift store. This store always has fun things and great prices. I found fun snowmen to add to my collection.

And a nativity set, that I couldn't resist.

After some shopping, we drove around the salt water ponds and I spotted this guy. He was busy fishing, so he didn't mind me, taking photos.

Yesterday we went to the island and walked on a few beaches and around the lighthouse. Lots of Common Eiders and a few Harlequin ducks, braving the surf for a meal. A Downy Woodpecker was enjoying the berries at one parking lot.

We also got to spend time with the kids. Mom and dad went shopping, so the boys stayed with us. While here, we did a family shoot so Ivy could sent photos to her family in Malaysia. This was one of my favorites, the background is AI generated.

Now it is time to get ready for Christmas. We have the kids on Christmas Eve and go to their house on Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, in whatever way you may celebrate. May you find peace, love and joy in the coming days.

Friday Finish!

 

While on vacation I stopped at a little shop in Williamstown, called Karen's Quilting Corner. It is a wonderful shop, full of beautiful and unique fabrics. I was good and only got two quilt panels. This one I got for myself to hand quilt. I quilted around the designs and left the border as is, with a little edge with the black binding. It is hard to see the quilted look in the photo. I have clip hangers on my curtain rod, so it hangs there. The next one is a Christmas design, that will be for the kids and I will use the machine on that one.

This design is by Bonnie Sullivan.

Last weekend we went on a nice walk at the bird sanctuary. Lots of activity, as migration has begun. The fields were uncut, so the bees were enjoying the flowers.

Lots of turtles enjoying the warm sun.

And a few more of the wildlife we saw, along the way.

Afterwards, we drove by the marsh to see what was in the area. One area was full of Egrets in the trees, too many to count.

 And quite a few Blue Herons in the marsh.

Today we went for a paddle at the pond. It was a warmer day, so we could paddle and do a little swimming, though the water was cooler from the cold nights.

We stopped at the first beach head at the campground, across the way.

A Heron was in the corner, wading for fish. We saw a few different birds, but none were close enough or still enough to catch. 

We paddled along the back cove, lots of weeds at the end of the season.

It was a nice day to get out and even though I started out feeling sick, the paddle was just what I needed to feel better. This weekend will be cooling down, so it will be nice for hikes and biking. I hope you all enjoy your weekend and can enjoy getting out. 

And yes, I do have hair, long and thick, so I pull it back and it looks like I am going bald in photos.

Busy week!

 This week I have been catching up from camping. Lots of cleaning and getting ready for Halloween events. The kids have a trunk or treat so I may go to that and we have some activities in town, so I decided I wanted to have fun this week, and dress up.

I have lots of black clothes, so I have a black skirt, hooded shirt, lace sided jacket and black tights, along with black booties. I also found a hat that I can decorate, I am waiting for black gloves and accessories to add to hat. A bit of mousse and I can frizz or curl up my hair to make it stand out.

I am not sure if you recognize the look, but I was going for the Stevie Nicks look, but most think I am a witch, lol. She has long blond hair with bangs, but I had trimmed mine recently and I refuse to cut my hair into bangs.

We had a nice weekend, a bit cooler and windy, but nice weather for getting out for walks. One beach I never go to is nearby, so we went there and walked on the boardwalk and along the beach. The tide was coming in and the seagulls were waiting for things to wash up.

We also went to the fishing beach to check out the waves. I was watching this boat and as it came around the rocks, it seemed to stop and get rocked around by the waves. It finally started its motor and was on its way, not a good place to stall out.

On the last night, I was on the hill to see the sunset. As I was waiting, a flock of Great Blue Herons flew overhead and were caught by the setting sun.

At another beach we checked out, I spotted a few crazy people, fishing as the tide came in.

I also spotted a group of Cormorants, hanging out in the channel. 

We also got a day to explore the river ways and the foliage. It was raining in the morning but we got a break in the afternoon.

An old mill that sat beside a waterfall dam, but they redid it so the kayakers could get through easier and to help prevent flooding.

And on the other side of the bridge.

While out we went shopping and couldn't resist getting Bean a present. He loves it but hates having his photo taken.

And I am lucky enough to be on a high porch in the back, so I was able to catch the comet. It is still visible but not as much, each night, till the end of the month. I hope everyone had a good week and can enjoy the weekend. 

Weekly outings!

 

This week we have been at camp, so no crafting got done, just lots of walks and sight seeing. One of the things I have never done is walk along the sidewalks in town. We parked at the boat launch and started our walk into the boat yards, where all the fishing boats dock. One thing that I liked was, the lobster guys, sell fresh lobsters on the docks, so if I ever want to get some, I know where to go.

We walked the entire length down to the end and Bill had to get himself some ice cream. We enjoyed seeing all the boats along the docks and if I hadn't had Bean, I would have been tempted to go in for lunch at the docks.

We came back to the bridge and I caught a few birds in the area.

And we ended that night with another beautiful sunset.

Another day we went for a walk along the cliffs. The waves were coming in heavy, but always beautiful scenes from this area. I even found a beautiful piece of blue glass that has splashed onto shore.

This area is slowly losing a lot of ground, a popular spot to sit when the tide is down.

There are always boats coming and going, we watch some at the breachway and some from the beach.

And this is the time the Pipers are at the beach, some sit still long enough for a photo.

We had a few cloudy nights and some rain, but even before the sun sets, it is beautiful to watch, before the clouds swallow it up.

One day we rode to the other side of the cove and I got some shots of the migrating birds. A variety of Egrets and Blue Herons.

Yesterday we got out for a bit before the rains came and went home for the night. I did loads of laundry and Bill cooked to dinner. Today we had a little sun but it was nice at the beach and I caught this girl surfing at the end of the beach.

And the fishing boats were coming back with their hauls, along with the ferry. Another group of pipers and the Cormorants were sunning on the rock. It is always nice to enjoy the beach when the crowds are gone and Bean gets to fun free, which he loves.

One more day and then we go home. With the leaves starting to change, we are hoping to get out for a few foliage weekends. I hope everyone is well and not in the path of the storm. I was able to catch some of the videos and photos and I feel for those who have been affected by its wrath.