Vacations must end!

This vacation was bittersweet. I have always wanted to go to Old Quarry to paddle, but this year I am not in the best shape with my injuries and watching Nick, wore me out. We were able to enjoy a lot of things and the camp was a nice place to just walk around and relax, but I really wanted to paddle to the islands and the boat rides were more than I wanted to spend right now.

We were able to get out for one paddle, one I had always wanted to do. It is in a protected area, so we avoided the winds and fog and there are islands all around. The main reason for this paddle was to go to Holbrook Island, which is part of the park we started in. It is a large island with a beach and a campground and the perfect way to spend the day.

I had the map in my photo brain, so we headed out towards the island. The paddle was in a river that led to thePenobscot bay, so I wanted to go to the mouth of the river, since it was not far away. We could see Castine and the area we had visited earlier in the week.

Bean is giving me the, hurry up and stop taking photos so we can get to the beach. He knows kayaks lead to beaches.

 We landed on a beach, that had no signs, so we figured it was ok. You can see the lighthouse sticking up, at the end of the point on the right.

This is the view to the left of us. We did paddle over to the middle of the two islands, now I wish we had gone all the way, but I had no idea what islands they were and if they were private.

It wasn't until we got back home and I looked at the area we paddled in. And that is when I realized, the island I thought was Holbrook, was a private island, duh. I knew it didn't look as nice as the photos but when we headed from the launch, we were actually on the opposite side of what I had in my mind from the map. So, this photo was taken at the launch, from across the road, the island on the left is Holbrook and the island on the left in the last photo is Holbrook, I could kick myself, lol. Next time I will use my phone to keep track of where I am. You can get turned around with so many islands and coves and with low tide, the islands connect with sandbars.

So, I missed out on landing on the island, but we still have a wonderful day of paddling and beautiful weather.

And we made it to the hill for a spectacular sunset. The sun was just going behind the mountains in this shot, I love how it cast beautiful colors through the clouds.

We had planned on an extra day to go home, but I woke up before 5 and decided to just go home. We saw a lot of places we wanted to stop at, but hard to get in with a trailer. Places to visit on another trip. We did stop at the Rockland Prison store, the prisoners make wooden items to sell to the tourists. I found a wonderful bird feeder, now I need to set up a river to put it on;) I also found the ship at a local thrift store in Blue Hill. The money goes to the local pet shelter.

I made Bill pose for a photo.

And of course we spent lots of time on beaches, most were rocky but a lot of granite. I did find some treasures to bring home, some I plan on painting and the one in the back, is a whale shape. It sits on it's own, so I will paint him and sit him on a shelf. I was surprised to find sand dollars on one beach, they were just sitting there, no others around.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend. I think it is time to hit the ocean, and hopefully we can steal Nick to have some fun on the beach with.

Vacation sights!

It is a good thing I take photos, or I would forget what I did, lol. My short term is on the fritz, but I have been on meds again and slowly getting back to my normal. We did a lot in a day, a lot of driving so we didn't get to go to as many places as I wanted, but we did enjoy some wonderful rides and sights.

One thing is, Bean is getting tired of having to stop to have his photo taken, so he is becoming a smart alec. I wanted to take a photo of them walking through the Lupines, that are all over the islands. So, when I told them to smile, this is what I got.

One day we drove to Acadia to walk to Bar Island. The island is accessible at low tide only, so you can walk across to the island and hike up to the top and we made it at the right time, this year. The problem was getting a parking space, there were none. We drove a street up and found one, right at the access road, so much better than parking in town. 

The walk was fun and cooling with the cross breezes and the views at the top of the island, were spectacular. This is looking down at the sand bar and Bar Harbor. We also went to Thunder Hole and the tide was just right to watch the waters come in and pound into the hole. You can see a video on my You Tube Channel.

On the day we went to Nervous Nellies, we also stopped at the Haystack School. They have a public area that you can walk down the stairs, to enjoy the views. The school has art classes and beautiful condo style lodgings on the sides of the hills. 

The last stop was the Tennis Preserve, which I thought was an easy walk, but turned out to be a long walk and lots of hills, roots, rocks and mosquitos, but the views are beautiful. 

On rides we saw some beautiful sites, this field of flowers had a gorgeous view and I think it may be a future design element. 

And at one causeway, we spotted these boaters. Something seemed off to me, and I stopped for a closer look, can you see why? 

We also did a hike up the quarry, we had a path, right from the camp. It was fun climbing around and exploring and this is the view we had, haha. The board shows you what you are supposed to see.

We also stopped in Castine to enjoy the views from the docks and the forts. One reason we like that area is because they have a wonderful dog beach and we explored that for awhile and I even found three small sand dollars, I never knew they were up this far north, now I do. Bill and Bean are exploring the old fort.

I did take a lot of photos, boats and scenery, but the fog kept getting on my lens and leaving spots, so a pain to clean up, someday I will get to them and some might end up in a design. One thing I love is sunsets, and we were able to get another clear night and headed up to the hill to watch it. The sad thing was, when we got to the turn off, the police had it blocked off. There was a bad accident with one driver getting killed, so we headed back and watched it as we drove down the road. I was able to find a spot that the sun was still coming through and I loved the colors in the sunset and sky. 

Tomorrow I will finish with our paddle and last day, I hope you are enjoying seeing a little of what the Downeast area of Maine has to offer.

Art in Maine!

The one thing that you see a lot of in the Blue Hill, Stonington area is art studios. Lots of painters and pottery but I avoided most of the galleries since they are a bit pricey. Then there are the places that sell pieces that are slapped together to sell to the tourists, not what I would buy.

There is one place that is a must stop, if you are in the area. It is called Nervous Nellies Jams and Jellies. I knew they had art done by Peter Beerit, but I didn't realize how extensive the art and displays were, until we arrived. Peter came to Deer Island to start a jelly business and little by little, he has been creating sculptures from found items and building towns based on his travels.

The minute you come in, you are greeted by this lovely couple for a cup of tea.

Bill and Bean are spending time in the jail for smiling too much.

The sheriff is relaxing in his office, unaware of what is going on outside.

Unbeknownst to the sheriff, a jailbreak is in progress.

There are characters in every building and the surrounding areas. This guy is just chilling.

The piano Player....

Bill is getting his fortune told.

After a stop to get some jelly and maple syrup, we found an entire scene of characters, including a castle.

And back to Peter's studio, where a group of characters, were swapping the local gossip, on his porch.

It is a wonderful place to visit and Peter's art is sure to put a smile on your face. He is continually adding to his towns and characters, and there is much more than I have shown here, and more to come. He also has living characters, who visit the bird feeders, that is builds. This little guy was enjoying his perch, waiting for us to leave, so he could raid the bird feeder.

I hoped you enjoyed seeing a bit of Nervous Nellies with me. More to come this week, places we visited, our adventures and misadventures.

Monday Meanderings!

This weekend was a bust, I was just so tired from getting ready for the trip and being on the go, then coming home and having to do a ton of laundry. I wasn't about to bring anything upstairs until I washed it all;) Today I got the final things done and started on my sewing room, sewing really does build up a lot of dust and it was time to move a few things and do a good vacuum.

One thing I wanted to mention is, Denise, The Krazy Kraft Lady is offering a free pattern as a challenge. A primitive mouse that you can make into your own softer, any way you want. Her challenges are fun and it motivates us to try something new and be creative, so be sure to visit her page to get your pattern and join in, in the fun.

Here is Denise's mouse, he is so unique and a creative use of fiber arts. She made the body and use roving over that, love the look.

I thought you might like to see more of our travels in Maine. On the way up we took the highway and got off in Freeport. Once in Freeport, you have a nice ride along route 1, going through wonderful towns, over bridges and lots of water views.

I spied this old mill as we drove over a bridge and when my husband stopped for gas, I noticed the road to it, was right around the corner, so we went for a visit and short walk. I wanted to get better photos, but I was standing on a narrow ledge of the dam and the wind started blowing and I almost fell over;)

Bean was too excited about the trip to go to the bathroom at the rest stop, so when I saw Camden Hills park, I knew it was the perfect place to stop for a potty break and to stretch our legs.

The reason I wanted to go to Blue Hill is the diversity of the towns and parks. One park we went to, started on the water, went through woods and more water views and we even found an old cemetery and apple orchard hidden in the woods. The walk ended at a bridge connecting a small island, great place to stop and enjoy the views.

The next day we went to another town, Castine and spent most of the day there. The first stop was the harbor where Bean got to play with the other vacationing pups. This is the restaurant we ate at one year, they do not allow dogs, so no sweet steamers this time.

We drove around the scenic route and stopped at a lighthouse. It is now a private home, but there is a walk to the cliffs, but the stairs were too steep for Bean.

Then we went down the road and stopped at a park and hiked around the maine trail. This area was home to the french and they had areas with plaques for the regiments that camped there. It came to a beautiful lookout point, another perfect place to enjoy views and relax. The smell of pine was heavenly when we walked back through a pine forest.

We ended the day with a walk along the public beach. There was only two families there and a lot of beach, so I enjoyed a nice walk, barefoot in the cool water.

I hope you enjoyed our visit to maine. The area is a must if you are ever in Maine, the views are breath taking, the air refreshing and there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Friday Finish!

No crafty finishes, just the finish or the end of our vacation. Yesterday everything just got too overwhelming so we packed up and came home last night, I wanted to sleep in my own bed and have a real kitchen to cook in.

I am disappointed and I wasn't expecting the perfect vacation but the good moments were ruined by the musty house and not being able to sit and relax at night, so it tired me out.

We did have some fun adventures and Bean loved the cottage and the beach, he was like a little puppy again. The minute we went outside, he would run to the beach, the tide was usually out in the morning so I let him run on the beach while I went rock hunting.

He seems to have a thing for seaweed. Here, the seaweed washes up on the shore, our seaweed was growing on the rocks. As you can see, he thought it was the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the views.

The first day was rainy and the long ride was tiring, so we checked out some local places to kayak, though we never got to go, it was fun exploring and even in the rain, the views are beautiful.

One day we went to Castine, an old seaport that was occupied by the British so there is a lot of historical homes and beautiful views from the town docks. We visited the lighthouse and then went for a walk at the park and on the beach. Bean loves to explore and the park was empty so he could go on his long lead and get some good exercise. He seems to know when I want him to sit for a photo, he hops on the bench while Bill takes horrid photos of us;)

Thursday we went to Acadia. It as then that I realized we should have stayed there, lots of places to eat and stay and they even had a restaurant that is dog friendly. We went by a back road and I spied this beautiful home with a lighthouse, in Surry.

Then we drove up Cadillac Mountain. Did you know if you are over 62, you can get a pass to go to all the national parks for life, sometimes being old is good and it is a good thing that Bill is old, lol. The views of the harbors and islands is breath taking.

I took this photo while we were driving through Surry. There was just something peaceful about the scene and it made me think of Danielle. Every friday I post on Danielle's Facebook page with a saying and a photo and this one seemed perfect for today. It does not make me sad, it brings me peace, so I leave you with the peace of the beautiful vistas and wishes that you all have a wonderful weekend.

Monday at Blue Hill!

Well, it is late and I am exhausted as usual so I am going to be short tonight and when I get home, I can show more photos and news about our trip and a real review of the home. The house is not what is looked like in the photos, it is old and it is musty, so it is hard for me to relax inside since the smell is sickening. We got scents to cut it down so that helps but not enough;) The outside is wonderful, love the views and sitting outside.

We got rain yesterday so we went out and got supplies and things and today we got out and walked and hiked around a sanctuary, and rode around the islands to see what the areas would be like for paddling. Tomorrow will be raining again, so we will do what we can and then three days of sun, so we can paddle then.

This is end of Deer Island, Stonington, a beautiful seaport.

This is the view of the bridge coming back from Little Deer Island, to the mainland. This area is a public boat launch, looks like a nice place to paddle from.

When the tide goes out, we can comb the beach areas in front of our house. Bean loves to run around on the rocks and today he went in the water, he loves it here. This is my collection today, some I will keep and some I will put back, I will decide which ones later, but I am having fun, finding heart shapes and some I just like, the top left one is a little bird.

Vacation Plans!

I have spent most of my time going through rentals and finding great places, just to find out that they are already taken, but I finally decided on one that seems to have everything we want and close enough to other areas on the islands.

The house is in the Blue Hill area of Maine, on the coast so we have our own water frontage and beautiful views, going across to Acadia. An added bonus is a jacuzzi so I can sit and soak my old bones when I over do it, which I always do;)

This is what our view from the porch will be like. There is also a gazebo so we can sit out, even if it rains. Another thing I like is the fire pit by the beach, we can sit out at night and it will be like camping too.

And here is a photo of me, enjoying the views in the same area. I think this is just what I need, a place to relax and just enjoying being outside.

On the home front, there is Bean. Bean tends to take up a lot of my time lately, he just loves to play but he is getting better at understanding that I need my rest time too. He loves balls, this is his newest ball, I figure it is large enough that it won't roll under the couch.

And this is part of his ball collection, a border collie can never have enough balls. Some are missing, he tends to lose them and then we find them when we are cleaning and then there are the larger outside balls. Now I am wondering how I can pack the car since he usually stays in his cage in the back, it takes up all the space and we need it for clothes and gear, so he may have to sit in the back seat. The problem with that is I keep my good things like computers and craft gear, as well as food in the seats and he will drool all over them or worse, get car sick, lol. I am thinking that I need to see if I can find something to keep him in his own space on one seat, any ideas would be appreciated. I know he won't like the long ride, but he will love running around the beach and going hiking.