Friday Finishes!

 

This week I was testing products for review, so I made a few things from the supplies I got. The first was a needle felting kit. It came with plenty of roving and nice instructions to make 4 snowmen, so I made one for now. I rushed a bit to get it done, so it is not like the original, but I always like to add my own touches. It was fun to do and a fun piece for Christmas. 

Another product I tried was Arteza transfer markers. You are supposed to use transfer paper, which I didn't have, so I used parchment paper. It also recommends using white cloth and I used a darker fabric, so the colors were a bit dull. You use an iron to transfer it to fabric, so something fun to try. I think I prefer to color them in myself, but it will be fun for the boys to use, maybe some t-shirts. I made it into a lavender sachet.

On the weekend we did some biking. The first trip was back at the airline trail, starting from the end point in East Haddam. It was a nice trail and went over two Aquaducts.

We went on this section and continued onto the next section and ended at the Colchester end. It was a beautiful day to ride, even though the foliage was almost gone.

On Sunday I decided to do a shorter ride, over the border and do an undeveloped part of the trail. It ran along a river which was beautiful, but it was also, bumpy and rocky and then we ran into long areas of water. We had to walk our bikes over a foot path, over steep hills and back down, on slippery leaves, not fun. I do hope they finish the trail system, it runs from RI, into Connecticut. 

When we got to the end, I decided I did not want to ride back on the trail, so we went on the road. That was a lot easier, but it was also, uphill most of the way back. That definitely wore me out, so this weekend I am taking it easier. 

I hope you all have a nice weekend, a few views of the moonrise over our town of Wickford, this week.

Friday Finish!

 

Another week has zipped by, but I was able to find time to finish my Christmas stocking quilt. I used pearl cotton to do simple quilting around the blocks and stockings. This is one I will use on the couch and let the boys use, so I kept it simple and durable with the heavier block fabric. It was a great way to use older fabric and scraps.

We got out for a bike ride on Saturday. We rode up to the town of Bolton in Connecticut and rode the rail trail from the park, to the town of Vernon. It was a nice ride through forests, past a pond and into the town of Vernon, a stop on the old railroad. 

On Sunday we stayed closer to home, rain was headed our way and I wanted to go hiking before it came. We hiked around a pond, where the foliage was coming in nicely and along the river.

We hiked along the bike path and old railroad bridge.

And we ended up in the fields, surrounded by amazing fall colors, and back to the pond.

We were getting ready to leave when I spotted a white spot in the trees, across the pond. What a nice end to the day, I was able to get a shot of the eagle just as it started to rain.

Unfortunately Bill and I woke up on Monday with a flu or bug, but we are fine now. Another nice weekend ahead and hopefully more adventures to be had. At home I enjoy watching all the new visitors who have come to stay for winter. This Blue Jay was nice enough to sit and pose for a photo.

May your weekend be filled with blessings and joy.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I got the stitchery of the month, from Kathy Schmitz, so of course I had to make that. I decided to make myself a pillow to enjoy for the season. I love how it came out, but it really clashes with my primitive pieces, so not sure if I want to stain it darker.

Last weekend we spent a day at the ocean. We still had winds from the hurricanes, so the waves were up at the lighthouse area.

This week, Bill took a couple of days off for a long weekend. We had plans to head to New Hampshire and a friend said we could park  our rv at the house is is Renovating. But, I had a bad spell this week and it took a few days to recover, so I didn't have the time to get everything ready. So, we decided to do some trips from home.

We headed to the Airline trail In Connecticut, along the Salmon River. Along the way I stopped for a few foliage photos, lots of colors popping in some areas.

The trail was really nice to ride and I was able to do over 7 miles. Just a few gradual slopes, and nicely graded trails, that ran along wooded paths and waterways.

At the pond, we stopped to watch a Heron, when he caught a snake for lunch.

Today we went up to another part of the trail and started in Willimantic. The trail starts along the railroad and runs past the river and into the woods. We only did 5 miles today. Bill forgot my juice drink at home and the food in the car, so I had nothing but water and my energy died out. It was still a nice ride though.

On the way home we stopped at the apple orchard and filled another bag. On the way back, we stopped at Lantern Hill and hiked up to the first ledge, always a nice view. A long the way back, we pass several farms. Tomorrow we may take a break to get some things done and maybe a few hours at the beach. The weather will be cooling down again, so perfect days for hiking or biking. I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend and enjoy getting out and finding new places to enjoy, in your area.