Friday Finish!

 I realized tonight that I forgot to post my blog. It's been a busy week with unpacking and cleaning from the trip, to getting ready for the weekend. We have been taking it easy and getting some things done and spending some times with the kids. I got a bag of fireworks for the kids and let them have some for their house last night and tonight we had them for dinner and outdoor games, then a few more fireworks. I got all kid friendly and from a shop in NH, so I knew they were safer.

I had started a needle punch project a few weeks ago and finished it this week. It's been a while since I have done punch, so I made some old mistakes in my color choices and in the lettering, so not perfect but good enough. It is a pattern in an issue of Primitive projects by Tonya Robey.

Hinsdale, a town down the road from our camp, has a few historic buildings. One is their town hall, a beautiful building but hard to get it without warping, using a wide angle.

Another building is the oldest Post Office, still in operation in the US. New Hampshire has a lot of beautiful towns, historic mill towns that are sadly, run down, but a lot of buildings still remain.

I hope everyone had a nice week and enjoying the holiday weekend. It is sad to see the floods in Texas and I hope you are not affected by that.

Vacation week!

 It always seems that you start enjoying your vacation and relaxing, by the time it is ending. But, we had a good week and lots of adventures. I am showing some things tonight, I took lots of photos and saw lots of interesting places, so I will do another post when I get home and can go through more of them.

Our camp is nice, right on the river so we can paddle up river and float down. We had three really hot days, so we swam in the river to cool down. The bad thing is the mosquitos, not fun sitting outside. We spent most of our time going places, so we swam, ate and relaxed in the trailer.  Bean is sitting in front of Bill.

Up river we found a sandy place to swim and Bean could play off leash, so it was a nice place. Most of the time he would run into the river and join the other families who were swimming from the launch. The kids loved playing with him, so I didn't mind.

I also spotted a lot of swallows flying around and found their nesting area. There are high banks along the river and they make their homes there.

On Monday we went to Cathedral in the pines. It is a beautiful place on a hill with stunning views. It is dedicated to the men and woman who served in World War II. You can see Mount Monadnock in the distance. 

They also have paths to walk along and lots of garden spots.

The next day we went to Harrisville mill store. They sell looms, yarn and roving. I treated myself to a few bags of dyed roving.

Because of the heat, we were limited to rides and short walks. I found a Gorge nearby and we went there. It was a little cooler, but still humid enough to wear me out. It has a path that follows one side and back up the other.

And we drove into Vermont. Along the way we have seen a lot of covered bridges. We stopped at one in Vermont that has a swimming spot. I walked around with Bean in the water to cool off.

Finally the heat lifted and we got to go to Madame Sheri's forest. It was the site of the home of a socialite. Originally it was a grand home and the pond was where they swam. Now it is in ruins and the pond is a sanctuary for birds. I also thought we were hiking a short circle around the pond and by the time my phone app kicked in, I realized we were almost at the top of the mountain. It was a lot of uphill and the skies looked ominous, so I didn't dare continue, so we turned back. 

I spotted a few birds and a weasel, along with a lot of chipmunks. I caught this Vereo who was happy to pose for me.

Today we visited some new places that are worth a stop, so I will post about them later. I hope everyone had a nice week. I am hoping I can enjoy a rain free day and avoid the weekend traffic on the way home.

New Hampshire Beauty and Fun!

We packed a lot in a week and I took lots of photos, but I will show you some of the highlights. At one place a woman asked to take a photo of us and she must have hit the wrong buttons and I took a few photos before I realized they were messed up. Of course the photo she took was chopped off and looked horrible, so I won't show that one, lol.

One of the things I wanted to do was to drive along route 302 and see the tall waterfall that cascades down the mountain. Maybe my memory was bad, but it wasn't even worth a photo, just a small stream coming down but we enjoyed the ride and saw some other nice places along the way.

We found this roadside park and stopped to enjoy the views and a walk with Bean. It is a small pond and only kids are allowed to fish in it, a nice place to go with small children.

They also have a bridge and waterfall that goes to a nice picnic area and hiking trails.

We came around to route 3, where you can see the basin which is free and the flume which has a fee, but well worth it, if you have never been. We went to the basin for a walk around the main path, which follows the falls and river to the basin.

The next day we went for a paddle on Lake Chocorua. It is just right for an easy paddle, with wonderful views of the mountains.

Bean is loving going paddling. He realizes it means he can also play in the water when we find a quiet little island at the end.

We did a morning paddle and had all afternoon, so it was the perfect day to go to Diana's Baths. We just hiked along the trail along the falls and I did dip my feet in, but too cold for me to swim in. Lots of people were swimming, so not too many private spots, that day.

The next day we had a storm coming in, so we relaxed a little at the camp and then headed towards Center Harbor for some shopping and the sun was coming out by the time we got there. I planned it so we went through the storm and came out on the sunny side;)

We came back on the Kancamagus and had time to stop at Sabbaday falls. It is a short walk to the falls and a little climb up the stairways, but a magnificent view of the falls as you head up and at the top.

The last thing on my to do list, was to hike the Lincoln Trail to Franconia Falls. This is the path we took the kids on when they were little but we just walked a bit along the river and I wanted to make it to the falls this time.

The  hike goes along the river, love hearing the sound of the river as we walked along. The bad thing is, Bean hears water and he is constantly pulling me towards it.

The path is an old railroad, logging road and the woods are filled with beautiful white birch.

We got to the top of the falls and not only were the falls a wonderful series of cascades, there is a giant pool at the end where you can swim and beautiful views of the mountains.

We didn't do too much shopping, I wanted to enjoy being outside, but I did get a few things. At Center Harbor I stopped in Keepsake Quilting, they have a large sale room in the back so I treated myself to a few yards of shirting. Next door is a yarn shop that carries roving, so I got some blue and green shades to use in 2D pictures. On the way home we stopped at Elf Made, it is a wonderful prim shop that also carries local souvenirs and I love their scents. I got some of my favorites and some candles, as well as a few bags of balsam for my Christmas pillows. All of the stores pack your purchases in fun bags and fabric ribbons, a little something I can use in a special project.

I hope you enjoyed my visit to NH, I know I could spend the whole summer there, if I could.

Paddling Up River or Not!

I hope everyone had a wonderful week. I have been looking at blog headings to keep up, but with the slow internet it was too hard to comment this week. Of course I could have stayed in NH for another week or the whole summer, but I do miss the comforts of home;) I took my first real shower today, lol.

We did a lot, every day and by the time I hit the bed, I was asleep in minutes, I tend to over do it, but it is well worth it. We paid till Saturday so we could stay and do some things before we left yesterday. I planned a trip on the Saco River, go up river and float down. Something relaxing and fun.

We started up the river, my goal was to go 3 miles to the bridge and be able to say I paddled to Maine. I was surprised at how easy the paddle was and then I noticed some small rapids, that propelled us forward and realized, the river is flowing up, not down.

There were not a lot of people when we went out, the river was beautiful and views of the distant mountains in Maine.

The water looks so calm, crystal clear and shallow.

Lots of beach heads along the banks, a perfect place to stop and enjoy a swim and let Bean play. I sat in the shallows, too cold for me.

We made it to the bridge and we stopped to take a rest. Then we headed back and that is when I realized how strong the current was. Now I know why people get picked up, but I paid to park only. Plus they charged me 10.00 a kayak, as well, which made no sense. I will email them, I think for that price, they should have given me a map and picked me up. It was confusing since I said I was just going to paddle and come back, no pick up needed, then when we went to the launch, they asked when we wanted to be picked up, so I am not happy with the mis-communication.

And this is how we paddled back, with our feet. I had my small play kayak, fun to play in, but not to paddle against currents. We walked along the shallows and pulled the boats along. Three miles trudging through a river current, I got a good workout and was exhausted by the time we got back. I think they owe us a free day on the river;)

Bean has such the life, when it got too deep, he got a free ride. We won't mention the time that Bill pulled both kayaks while I walked Bean on a long stretch of Beach and I waited a half hour, while he went down river to find the paddle he dropped;)

Must be Monday!

It seems I do so much to get ready for a vacation that it takes all week to relax and then it is time to come home and clean up after the vacation, now I need another one;)

One thing that is fun on a vacation is shopping and buying some goodies to bring home. I spent more time outside and enjoying nature but we did hit a few stores along the way.

In Jackson, we found Flossie's General Store. They had a lot of different gifts and local items. I got some Christmas items, a miniature handmade creche and angel chimes that move with a candle flame. I also found more balsam, so I will be making lots of pillows this year. In Center Harbor I stopped at Keepsake Quilting and bought a little wool pillow kit and next door they had yarn and roving, white to dye myself and the beautiful dyed roving will go into some art projects.

On the way home we stopped at Calefs in Barrington NH, which has food related items and Bill got a sandwich and some goodies for my son. Next door is Elfmade and Company, primitive heaven, candles and scents and I was in heaven. I had to smell all the different scents, they have them in bowl fillers and the matching sprays are available so you can use that when the scent dissipates. I got lemon merringue and it smells so good, as well as coconut crunch, I love candy smells. A few small items for gifts and some scented items for my son, he loves their candles. I also got a large primitive pump bottle for the kitchen, now I have something nice to keep my dish soap in.

Across the street was a store that was like an over stock store. Lots of Carhartt clothing and miscellaneous items. I found primitive picks at a fraction of the cost and some fun potholders, great place to find some bargains. This is a great place to stop if you are in the area, a lot of fun gifts in one place.

I will use the blue picks in the basket, in the beach room.

I decided I wanted to put some of the scented filler in the beach room, but I didn't have something to hold it in. After church we went down to a gift store that sells a lot of beach items and I almost gave up, when I spotted this shell shaped pottery dish, hidden behind some other items. It is the perfect blue green shade for the room.

And a few more photos from our trip. This was a stop along the Kancamagus, a historical homestead with a walk through the woods to a pond and you can visit the home and grounds, as well. This was such a peaceful place, I would love to live here.

And for those of you who have never gone over a covered bridge, this is what they look like in the inside. If  you ever travel along the Kancamagus, you must stop at the ranger station and pick up a map. It is only two dollars and it shows all of the scenic points and trails along the way.

We are home!

It was a wonderful week with new adventures but I also seemed to be fighting off a bug, since I left with it and it hit me again yesterday. I just crashed and was ready to go home but I really wanted to visit the presidential range and the waterfalls I read about, so I decided to go out for the day and see how it went.

We went to a few gift shops and got some items which I can show monday, but today I will show you some highlights from the day. My photos do not seem to come out as they usually do and I also have a new computer and photoshop online, so I am still getting used to the differences.

The nice thing about driving along the scenic routes in New Hampshire is, there is beauty, everywhere. We just enjoyed the ride and the views of the mountains as we headed toward Mount Washington. The day was cloudy and we could not see the higher mountains, they were shrouded in misty clouds.

We found two waterfalls to visit, easy access and short walks. The first one was Glenn Ellis falls. We walked in tunnel under the road and followed the falls until we got to the end and were rewarded with a beautiful cascade coming over the rocks.

The next waterfall was in Pinkham Notch, along the route to Tuckerman's Ravine. These are Crystal falls. We walked along a path that was a slight climb and saw a beautiful bridge over the falls and thought we had come to our destination. But I noticed how the trail went up and around, so we went to the corner and looked up and saw a stone area and knew there was something up there, so we climbed, me being pulled by bean and pushed a bit by Bill to get up the steeper area. It was well worth the climb, easy on a good day, not so easy when my legs are jello.

I think I could have spent the whole day, just sitting at these falls. Beautiful ravine and the cool breezes from the falls and trees was refreshing.

I decided I should rest at this point and maybe go shopping at the outlets, but gave up on that idea and just wanted to go back to camp and think about whether I wanted to stay. Going home at night is not fun, all we do is drive, but if I got worse, hated to stay and wake up sicker. I decided to stay and luckily I was feeling good enough to stop at my favorite store, it was still open and had even more goodies, so I will tell you about that, next week.

Since we stayed and the sky finally cleared, I wanted to see one last sunset at the lake. I wasn't disappointed, it isn't a sky full of color, it is a sky that is calming and a great place to just sit and relax. A nice way to end our day. I hope everyone had a good week.

Vacation Fun!

Yes, we are actually having fun this time. It is hot and we are wearing ourselves out, but in a good way and we need that. Yesterday we spent the day riding down the Kancamagus Highway and hitting every scenic point, waterfall, covered bridge and park that we saw, way too many;) We only visited them and walked on the short ones, too hot for long hikes.

Since we have been traveling around in circles, up and down the roads, we have seen a lot of beautiful places and just enjoyed the ride and being in the moment, so I will share a few of our highlights.

You cannot capture the pure beauty of the mountains or the feeling of being up on a mountain top, staring out at nothing but mountains and valleys, it is breathtaking and awe inspiring.

One place I wanted to visit was a river walk, where we took the kids. This is where I took the photo of the family, walking down the path and Danielle turned and looked back, we used that photo as our good bye photo at the wake. I felt a sense of peace and joy, being in an area where we once were together and I know she was with us in spirit.

We had a long day and I was tired and over heated, and the sun was coming down. It was so close to setting that I wanted to stop at the lake to watch it. Bill took the wrong road but we found it led to a public swimming area. So while I was taking photos, Bill jumped in with Bean and I went in too. I think this was the best part of the day, watching the sunset and swimming together in the lake as it made it's final descent.

Bean of course loved it too, he finally got to swim with us and no leash.

Today we went for a ride in our area, around some back roads, to see an old church and some lakes. The area was beautiful and it was a wonderful church on the water, but no place to stop or stand for a photo.

We took the road along the backside of the Saco river today and got to enjoy being close up to mountains and cliffs, towering over the farmlands below. I saw a sign for the ledges and thought, why not check it out. I am deathly afraid of riding up mountains where there are ledges and steep drops, but the road  up was all through wooded areas and it was wonderful. I was able to stand at the top of the ledges and look down on the valley and the distant mountains.

We got to our main activity for the day. Diana's Baths. It was an easy hike along a well maintained path to the falls. We walked along the paths until we found the perfect spot, nicely shaded for sitting and a small pool to cool down in. Of course Bean was in Heaven, he wanted to play in the water all day, but it is cold and he was shivering, so we had to make him play in the shallower water for awhile. It was the perfect place to spend and end the day, just sitting and relaxing with views of the falls and mountains.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of our adventures, tomorrow is another day, we shall see where the road leads us.

We Made it!

After a slow start this morning, we made it to New Hampshire. This morning we both felt horrid, think it was what we ate, so that food got trashed and that meant no first night meal. Luckily I had eggs and we had scrambled eggs and rice cakes for dinner, tomorrow we will go shopping.

The second thing was Bean, his foot was red and warm, so Bill took him to the pet hospital, they are open every day and night. Nothing serious, seems Bean has allergies to something and he is taking meds to help clear it up.

The ride up was nice, the traffic going up was lighter so we had not delays but with the late start, no stops on the way.

The camp is very nice, I kept my expectations low and I didn't need to. The site is large and we have a beautiful deck area and a lower level with a fireplace, over looking the pond. Bean loves that he can play in front of the camp. He even got to chase a big old frog.

The photos are from my phone, so I hope you can see them, even though they are a bit dark in areas.

After we set up, Bill took a break and enjoyed a rest.

I took a swim at the beach and we also went for a walk to check out the area. The dog beach was wonderful, sandy spot where Bean can play and swim, off leash, he loved it. There are nice trails and the doggy park, so we can relax and Bean can have fun. Tomorrow we plan on heading to Conway, lots of places to shop and waterfalls, so with the heat, that is a good way to spend the day and take it easy. I will try and post throughout the week, we do have good wifi from our campsite.

I hope everyone had a wonderful labor day weekend.

Friday Finish!

This week I wanted to make a piece to go with a basket I bought. Since it goes in the beach room, I wanted to do a beach theme and I wanted it to be my own design. I used a photo I took from a kayaking trip and modified it a bit for the design. I also did it in 6 strands, so not a lot of detail though there is more than shows in the photo. I guess it is semi-releastic.

I had to redo a few colors, some got lost with the same color values and I really didn't look at the sky before I finished it, otherwise I would have made the clouds better, but it will do for now. I attached it with double backed tape, so I can change out the design, in the future.

Here is a closer look at the punched piece. I do like how the seagull came out, simple enough to do in 6 strands, but enough detail to look like a real seagull.

Another thing I got this week was, a new table. It is a grayish shade and rough wood, so it fits in nicely with the beach room. The reason I loved it was, it has a tray style top, so it was perfect to display the rock and shell collection and place the candles and painting with them. Not the best angle to get a nice shot, but you can see how the room is coming along. I may change my mind later, but for now, it makes me happier to go in the room and now I can get to painting the walls. After that, I will start work on the mural.

I am also getting ready for out trip, though I am not really ready. My brain has been on hold lately, I cannot concentrate or think too long, so I keep busy with other things. Luckily Bill has the weekend off so he can help with packing and cook dinner and I can concentrate on making sure we don't forget anything and make more cookies. Today I made two batches and I need at least two more, I eat a lot of them;)

I found this photo of a trip we took to New Hampshire with the kids. We hiked along this trail and I want to go back and try to hike to the waterfall. It is 3 miles one way, so it will depend on how I feel and the heat. We will at least stroll along the river trail and just enjoy the walk and the views, I know Bean will love it. The trail is wide and easy, so I could do it on our bikes, but I have not had time to train Bean with a bike, so just walking for now.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend. We should be in New Hampshire monday night, so as long as the Wi-fi works, I will be posting from there.

Not Much Monday Giveaway!

I didn't get much done this week, though I am working on a pillow piece for a gift. I had to redo the lettering since it was small and two strands was too much for the closer letters.

I was going through some old photos and found one from a trip to New Hampshire. We took our nephews, Phillip and Dave to Lost River Campground and my parents stayed at another campground. This would have been in the late 70's and we slept in tents.

I have no idea what we had done that day or why everyone looks like they lost their best friend, but it is fun to remember the early camping days.

For this giveaway, I will give away an Epattern or booklet from my Ecrater site. For fun, try and write a caption for this photo. The funniest caption will win a free pattern and I will draw a name from all the entries for a free pattern, so there will be two winners! I will draw a name on friday night and announce it, that night.

Short Camping trip!

We went camping this weekend, but it did not turn out as expected, that seems to happen a lot;)
It was hot and bad air quality so anything I did, tired me out, twice as fast. When ever it got too much, I dunked back into the water but the air quality wasn't helping and it didn't let up until 11 at night.

Then the Carbon alarm went off, for no reason, so Bill snipped the wires, not sure if that was smart, but it shut it up. Then Bean was acting up, he is out of the cage now and fine at home, but first time in the trailer so he wanted back out. Then the battery died and Bill who has no sense, tries to figure it out at 3 in the morning and bangs inside and out for an hour, so I got no sleep and we went home that morning.

I have learned, not to camp at state parks on hot days. I can live with mishaps and make do when I have to, but I cannot be outside on bad air days, because of my bad heart valve. But I did get to have some fun with Bean and enjoy some time in the water. Bean and I walked along the shoreline, it is shadier under the trees and I wear my kayak boots so I can walk through the mucky areas.

Bill played with Bean while I paddled around the coves. The little kayak is great for skirting around the rocky areas and I don't have to worry about bumping into rocks. The seagulls love this area, there are lots of small fish in the coves.

Since it was so  hot, we went for a ride after dinner to watch the sunset from the ocean. I looked up the closest Dunkin Donuts for coffee and told Bill where it was and he drove right by, errr. Then we had to go to the next one and that took longer and we had to go to a different beach area. We found out, there was no beach area to park and it was crowded with people staying in the nearby hotels and cottages, so I took shots from the car window.

I decided to cancel the next trip to the park, it was on weekdays and since I am a glutton for punishment, I made a reservation at a campground in NH for after labor day. It is on the water, has a deck with table and grill, full hookups and a large dog play area and swimming beach, as well as dog sitting. Sounds perfect, but we all know how my perfect vacations go, lol.

This is the photo they show, where I reserved a deluxe site, I am sure they vary in size and type, but ours will have a deck with grill and tables, like this one. Who knows what adventures we will have up there, hopefully none that involve bears;) The reason we picked this place was, it has a large dog play area, a dog swimming beach and dog sitting, the perfect place for Bean and for us if we want to do something that doesn't allow dogs. It will depend on the weather, if it is warm, we may go kayaking, if it is cooler, we will do short hikes where there area waterfalls.