Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend was busy, I was on the go more than usual, but that is a good thing. On Saturday we went to the quilt show and I did take photos but not too many, so tonight I will show you one and what I bought and then I will do an extra post on Wednesday with a few more quilt photos.

I wasn't too impressed with this show. There were some beautiful quilts but a lot of quilts that look like they were made and put up so they had more to show. The displays were not done too well either, a lot of the quilts were crooked or wrinkled up. There were some good vendors but mostly from local shops and machine stores. It seems you pay to get in, and then you have vendors and raffles and food and I assume they make money from them too? But it was fun to go and see the quilts but I wish they had more vendors from out of state with more variety.

I will show you one quilt that I just loved because I love cats and I love the creative use of materials on this one. This would be fun to do with old jeans and maybe a fabric printed photo of your own pet.

Even thought I don't need to be buying more fabric, I couldn't resist. I loved the cat print and it is a good piece to practice my machine quilting on, then I got the stripes and print to add for border. I am not sure I have enough though and I realized the panel goes longer across, so I will have to cut it into blocks to make it work as a quilt. The dragonflies just spoke to me and the blue batik will be alternate blocks, I have plans to make an inspirational piece with them. The cat batiks were just fun, so I may try some totes or something like that with the cats. I love using chalk pencils to trace right onto fabrics when I am adding letters or designs to give me an idea on layout and how they look but most are too waxy or break, these are really nice and go on smoothly, so I will let you know how I like them.

After the show we went to the lighthouse, I promised Bean we would go for a walk. He is really good when we go out and leave him alone, no more cage. We always find him waiting patiently on the couch, for our return. It was cloudy with a light breeze so it was a perfect day to walk around the lighthouse loop without the crowds.

This time we walked down the steps to the rocks below, the tide was going out so there was more shoreline to explore.

No hurry today, we looked for heart rocks and I found two and it was nice to just sit and enjoy the fresh air.

Sunday we went for a ride to Connecticut to visit a couple of campgrounds. One was in the perfect area across from the state park, but the camp was horrid. It looked like a dump, the grounds were never cleaned from the storms this winter and the seasonal sites looked like a  scene from Ma and Pa Kettle, lol. The second was so much nicer and we found a site right on the river that was double the sizes of the others, so we will definitely be visiting on the next nice weekend. We can paddle along the river right from our site.

On the way home we stopped at the state park and walked around, but no pets allowed in the beach area or camps. After that we stopped at the lake in RI, it borders both states. It was the perfect day for a hike and of course Bean loved getting out for a better walk.

The path follows the pond and there are some nice spots to stop and enjoy the views.

We hiked to the cliffs and climbed up the side to enjoy the views from the top. One thing about Bean is that he is a puller, he likes to take the lead and when we climb, I let him pull me up, lol. It really does  help and take the strain off my back, and coming down I lean back and let him pull and that keeps my balance so he is a big help to get me up and down the hills.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and able to get out and enjoy the spring weather. I am loving the cooler temps, great for hiking and a lot less bugs.

A Day in the Life!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. My husband needed help getting the new tub/shower for the basement, so he had my son help him and that meant time with Nicholas for me. Of course Bean was excited to have company and spent the day, trying to herd him.

We ended the day with lunch, homemade rice and chicken that his mom makes up for him. We used the day to eat and be silly.

After we drove them home, we stopped at a local park for a short walk. This is a pond that used to be a public beach and picnic area, but now there is no swimming and they closed the campground down, years ago. Such a shame, it was a nice place to take the kids and we need another state park for camping.

There was still snow in some areas and ice on the pond.

The trail goes around the pond, so we started into the woods.

Lots of nice places to stop and enjoy the views and of course Bean had to explore every nook and cranny.

It was cold and windy, but the path narrowed and it was nice walking in the woods. The problem was, the paths got muddy, so we decided we would come back when we had more time and it was dry, then we can go around the whole pond, something I have never done.

On the home front, I have been working on the rag quilt and hopefully I can get more done in the next few days. The kitties are always finding new places to sleep and Izzy thought my easter hat and chicks made a nice pillow.

And then there is Moki and Bean. Bean has been chewing holes underneath my new couches when I wasn't looking. And Moki has decided it is the perfect kitty hideaway to sleep in.  While I was on the floor trying to get a photo of Moki, Bean decided to get in the act.

Postcard Winner!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. We finally got some warmer weather and I was able to get out and enjoy the fresh spring air.

Yesterday was the best day, warm enough to hike but still cool enough to enjoy it. We went to my favorite place, Stepping Stone Falls. The rain storms have filled the rivers up nicely and the falls were roaring down the rocky steps, I love the sound, it is so soothing.

This is a spot that we usually like to sit and enjoy the falls, but in the spring the falls fill the entire rocky area.

And now for the giveaway winner.... The winner is Saundra of Woodland Junction! Congratulations to Saundra, please email me with your address so I can get your card out to you. 

Saturday Stroll!

Well, I don't know if I would call it a stroll, it was more of a hike. I wanted to try a trail that goes along a pond and up to a ledge with a view of the pond. I am out of shape, and I had to slow down and climb slowly, but it was well worth it and a beautiful day to be out.

The trail goes up and down, rocky paths and a lot of trees and branches from the recent storms. Most of the trail on this side, follows the pond with lots of areas to stop and enjoy the view, but I am not sure if we were on a real path at this point, lol.

The photo came out dark because of the bright sun in the wrong spot, so lightening it up, made it look like Bill is superimposed on the rock, lol.

The path goes up and around a high cliff area. I was out of breath on this one, need to do more uphill exercises.

But, it was worth it when we got to the top, views of the pond and the surrounding forest. Connecticut is on the other side of the lake. We walked along the path for a bit, I really wanted to walk into Connecticut but then I realized I didn't know if it was hunting season on that side or the rules, so we walked back, the way we came in.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, filled with the blessings that surround us.