Friday finish!

 I finally decided what to do with my bible block. It is from the Bible quilt by Jan patek. I planned on making the whole quilt, but never had the time, so I decided to make the block into a mini quilt. Since it is primitive, I wanted to antique it, as well. I haven't pressed it out, so it looks a bit wonky.

Last week we spent time, riding around the south coast. It was cold as usual, so riding is a great way to get out and enjoy the views. We spotted the Osprey near the seafood restaurant, still waiting for his mate.

And another along a back road.

This week, his mate came in.

Today was a hike at the bird sanctuary. It was a cloudy day with fog rolling into some areas, but I always love walking in the cooler temps. As we walked we could hear all the Ospreys flying around. A lot were hanging out in trees along the pathways.

 

Most didn't like us walking in their area and let us know.

Nearer the ocean, it was foggier. The old timers, still haven't built a nest on the island. Most of the others repaired or built new ones, all destroyed by the winter storms.

And the Swallows were flying around us and claiming their nesting boxes.

And the best surprise was spotting an Eagle in the field. He was carrying a stick, so he is nesting nearby. Tomorrow we will get another nice day, but cold coming back in the afternoon, so hopefully we can get out for an early hike. Then I need to get the side dishes made up, so all I have to do is reheat them. 

I planned on doing a treasure hunt with clues for the boys, but they are saying rain on Sunday. I will have to rethink it to do one in the house, with the last clue telling them where their treasure bag is.

May you all have a blessed Easter holiday.

Friday Finish!

 

As usual I am working on several projects and started a new one. Most are taking time, so I always like to have a smaller project to finish for the week. I found this design from Dearie Dolls, who seems to have disappeared from the web, but still has her blog with freebies.

I made this for the kids, so I wanted it to be fun. I am still trying to get the blue pen out, but once that is set, I will use glitter in the snowballs. It is still wet, so it looks discolored.

Last week we went for a ride and stumbled onto a ceremony at the Westerly cemetery. It was for an area that only had one grave and later it was found out that there were 172 people buried there. They had veterans from each era represented and this group did the 3 gun salute.

On the weekend we drove into Connecticut so I could get some fabric and then stopped at a park for a walk. Lots of birds along the river, most were far away or constantly moving, but I got a few decent shots.

After we drove to Eagle landing on the Connecticut river and I was surprised when I saw the nesting eagles, hanging out in the trees nearby.

The next day we went into Connecticut again to visit the fish hatchery. They have paths along the river and into fields, so a good place to walk and enjoy the birds. 

Today we went to Jamestown, a nice place for a walk and enjoy some beach time, Beans favorite. I caught this bird, hanging out on a rock. I hope everyone had a nice week and nice weather for this weekend. 

Friday finish!

 

It took two days of constant stitching, but I finally finished my quilt. This quilt was made, years ago. I had originally made it too long, so I took a few rows out and added the border to make it more of a lap quilt. I had planned on quilting it last summer, so it would be done for my friend's birthday. Unfortunately she passed last spring, so I gave up on making it for a while, but decided I wanted to finish it now. She will not be able to receive it, but it will be my memory of our friendship over the years.

I used an AI program to add a different background, but it added a thin dark piece to the edge, so that is not really there, just the green border. 

Last weekend we went out for a ride around the beaches, something fun to do when the weather isn't great. We were able to see a few of the locals, while there.

On Sunday we went to the fish hatchery in Connecticut. They have cut down more areas, so there were more paths to walk around. We were lucky to spot the resident eagles in their usual spot on the telephone poles. 

Lots of birds in the area, but it was hard to get close enough without them flying away. Here are a few, I was able to catch and some scenes along the river. There was a new Osprey, nesting on a pole, the eagles were not too happy about it.

During the week we had a nice day, so Bill came home early and we headed to the point in town. Beautiful views of the bay.

And in that photo, in the far background to the right, this is what we came to see.

And this rock was loaded with seals. There were others on smaller rocks and in the water, so we got to enjoy watching them, even though they are far away.

And Bean got to enjoy the walk and playing in the bay. Way too cold, but he has no sense. I hope everyone got to enjoy their week and the eclipse. We had a good view from our porch and I was able to get glasses in time, to watch it. Enjoy your weekend and hopefully Spring will be staying this time.

Friday; Will be working on!

 I am still working on my hand quilting, but finally at the top design. Once that is done, then the border and putting it all together. The next quilt I want to do is one I made years ago and planned on doing fancy free motion on. 

The fabrics in this quilt were gifted to me by Barbara Brackman. I made it with a center design, thinking it would go on our bed, but it would need more edge, to do that. I will finish as is and it will be a summer, Americana quilt. I am going to have to decide on the quilting, maybe not too fancy, but it will be machine quilted. There is a darker red, solid border on it.

This weekend, we enjoyed time with the kids. We had a fun Easter egg hunt. 

I also got a croquet set and the boys enjoyed playing a few rounds with me. 

Over the weekend we were able to get out for a bit and enjoyed a ride around the beach areas. I got a surprise when I saw two birds, fighting in the sky. I was able to get a quick shot before they flew off. A juvenile Eagle was trying to get a fish from an Osprey.

We also found another Osprey couple, who made a home near the ocean road. The male had a nice catch and the female was upset that he was eating without her.

He finally flew up and gave her the rest.

Today we spent the afternoon on the island. I never get sick of the view from the cliffs.

And we found a bit of beach treasures today. I really need to start making things with all the treasures. I hope you all had a good week and get to enjoy the solar eclipse. I got some glasses so I can watch it this time. 

Friday Un-Finished

 This week went by too fast and I never got a chance to sit down and work on my newest project. It is a kit that I got to review and only got it started. Kits are fun since they are pre stamped and easy to do, so hopefully I can get some crafting time this weekend. The only bad thing is, I tend to go off on my own, so I did add a little of my own nicer roving, but mainly, I will stick to the original. It is a fun way to get started on painting with wool.

Last weekend we took a trip to Connecticut. We enjoyed visiting places along the river and even found a new trail that went along the river.

We took a few back roads and enjoyed a few waterfalls.

At the Connecticut river, we did see an eagle, though it was far away. Always a few types of birds who live along the waterways.

We also spotted some hawks along the way, one was just trying to rest when the crows decided to harass it.

The last thing we did was visit this fun gift and candy shop. Lots of old fashioned candies but ones Nick can't eat, he has braces now.

Another day we spent at the island, and enjoyed a new hiking trail near a farm, more hawks there. And a ride to the ocean to see the waves.

Of course we always have to walk along the beaches and find new treasures. I am also trying to find more smaller rocks to paint, love hiding them when we go hiking.

On the way back, we saw the Osprey pair is back in the cove. The others have yet to arrive.

Today we got to the beach before the rains come in tomorrow. We watched two boats, putting out the mooring buoys. Lots of boaters use moorings to save on costs of using the marina. We also found some nice colors today.

And of course, the shorebirds were out, enjoying the low tides, and we spotted another hawk. I hope you all have a nice weekend and hopefully the weather will keep improving for all of us.

Friday finish!

 It seems I did a lot this week and got nothing done. I did take down my Valentines decorations and started with Easter. I am trying to cut down on the amount I put up, so things don't look so cluttered, but I know I will end up making a few new things.

I am working on getting some quilts ready to quilt, lots that need to be finished. I also had some new paint markers to test and found out, they are just markers, no acrylic markers, so I had to redo them, with the better markers. Not as good, as when I use paint, and I rushed them, but a lot easier and less messier.

They do look better in person, the fresh gloss, makes them look worse.

Last weekend we took a ride, no luck with birding, but we enjoyed the views and a stop at the Westerly lighthouse.

On Sunday we took a ride to the fish hatchery in Connecticut. I heard there have been eagle sightings there. We got a nice walk in and as I was getting ready to leave, I saw a black bird in the sky. Thinking it was just another vulture, I wasn't quick enough to get great shots.

I caught him as he flew over head. Then he landed on a telephone pole, way up on a hill and then he was joined by his mate. They were too far to get a close up and a river between us, so I couldn't get closer. It was still wonderful to finally find one.

We also saw a lot of other birds in the bushes, most were too busy to sit still and too shy, to let me get close. I think the first are Hairy Woodpeckers, the middle is a  Chipping Sparrow and the last is a Northern Mockingbird.

The Hatchery has a nice walk along the river and into fields, so we will have to go back to that area again. I hope you all had a nice week and get to enjoy getting outside and exploring your area.

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.