Getaway Fun!

 It's the end of the week at camp and we still have three more days to go. I wouldn't call it a vacation, I still cook and clean and have made a few trips home to get things done, but we find ways to have fun when we can.

This is our campsite, nice space with partial views of the salt water cove and the ocean.

One of the many visitors to the campground, a hungry Woodchuck.

We cannot take Bean to the main beach during the day, so we enjoyed some time at the dog beach. Today it was too crowded to go in. We also enjoy spending off hours at the main beach and watching the sunsets. A view of the Point Judith Lighthouse from the beach.

Yesterday we enjoyed the day with the boys. We took them to the pond for a swim, and Alex loved going out in the kayak with me. Then we headed back to camp, where they had fun playing and then a trip to the main beach after dinner. They loved exploring and finding treasures along the beach. 

Lots of birds along the beach, it is hard to get quality photos at dusk. I spotted two types of Sandpipers and Black Bellied Plovers.

Today was another day back at the house to do some laundry, pick up food and water the plants. After dinner we got to the beach, right before a storm rolled in. We went to leave, as everyone was scurrying away and found a nice skimmer board that someone left behind. The boys will love that find. This is the calm before the storm.

I hope everyone had a nice week. I plan on resting more this weekend and hopefully get some swimming in, but I know the beaches will be swamped during the day. The kids will be done on Sunday, so we may have to take Bean home for the day so we can all go to the beach together. Enjoy your weekend and I hope this finds everyone doing well.

Friday Finishes!

I hope everyone had a good week, and wasn't effected too much by the storm. We got a lot of wind and a tree in the back lost a big limb, but nothing major and we kept our power.

With the heat, I spend more time inside and that means more time for projects. I made up a project I had been wanting to do, by Cheri Saffiote that was offered free on her Facebook page. Even though she is no longer with us, she is with us in spirit and through all those that loved her and continue to make her patterns.

I did mine with a bit of blue and red so that it will work for summer and into the fall. I decided not to antique it, since it might wash out the lettering, and make it hard to see.

I also made a pillow, getting an early start on Christmas presents. I have a few friends who like Santas and this was a fun piece to make. I used colored pencils and some glitter thread to the clothes and the star. I am not sure if I will antique it, I can always do that later, but it will depend on who I give it to. This was a free design by Old Green Cupboard, offered on the Facebook group, Mystery Quilt Sew Along.

Our weekend trip was good and bad. The spot was perfect, nice views of the water. The bad was, it was hot and the sun was beating on us most of the time, even with the tarp. It is a pull through so less space on this one and no place to put the screen tent. It was also low tide, during the day, so the pond was full of people, clamming. So no paddling but we were able to walk around in the water and let Bean play. I think this camp is best to go, off season, so we can enjoy the area without the crowds and go to the beach with Bean.

Another good was, we could sit at our site and enjoy the sunset, without having to take the rig to the beach. This is a good place to go, to relax and I do have the same spot for next spring.

Another good thing is that it is a great place to bird watch. We saw a lot of birds zooming by and the Ospreys carrying fish back to their nests, but I was not quick enough to catch them. I was able to find the little bird who was chirping in the tree, behind us.

He was in a nest and that day, he decided to leave the next and practice flying from branch to branch. But he is still young, and his mom was close by and bringing him plenty of insects for dinner. It was nice to get away but we ended up coming home early the next day, it was just too hot. This weekend I just want to stay home and relax and maybe take some time to start my painting.

Weekend Camping!

Well, I think I can say, we had a nice time and we had a rotten time, it just depends on how you look at things, lol. We had a beautiful spot, lots of grassy area with trees, so we got to sit in the shade and just enjoy the views.

The tide was low during the day, but I finally got out in my little kayak and paddled around the little inlets. It was windy but I stayed in the calmer sections and enjoyed the variety of birds.

The bad was, we were climbing up the hill to go to the look out point and I slipped on a rock, did a turn around and snagged my leg on the roots, ripping my leg open, and landing on my elbows, so they are sore too. But, I went to the lookout and walked back to camp, cleaned myself up, lots of peroxide and a super size bandaid and I was all set.

We enjoyed some time at the dog beach, Bean's happy place. More exploring at the forts. When I was younger, we came here and we would be able to go inside the entire hillside, but they are filling them in, to keep kids out. And after dinner, a walk on the beach, and a beautiful sunset.

The lighthouse was a nice way to get out and enjoy the views. This female red winged blackbird, was enjoying a day at the ocean. Of course we found some glass at the beach, the tide was high but I still found a little. And it wouldn't be a normal day if I didn't hurt myself, never stand in hard surf with rocks around, especially with bare feet. Nothing serious, just a little cut and bruise, but I think I need to wear my water shoes, next time. And a beautiful end to the weekend, as the sun was coming down, it cast beautiful rays across the sky.

Today was spent doing laundry and dishes. I always leave the camping mess on the last day, and clean them good at home. The rest of the time, I am being lazy and resting, I need it, lol. I was able to see mama and her chicks today. She actually stood at the feeder and looked at me, she remembered me enough to stay close and wait till I threw her a scoop. The sad thing is, the white baby is gone, so not sure what happened, but I think the white ones are the easiest to see, which makes them more susceptible to predators. 

Vacation adventures!

This has been another weird vacation. Being last minute and the fact that I don't have a cat sitter, I have to come home every day to check on them and clean the mess up, then a load of laundry goes in and any shopping. We also wash our dishes here, since the area is still under an E coli, water ban. We have plenty of water and filled our tanks before leaving, but still a pain. We love to get coffee down the road, but I do not trust buying anything from the local shops, so I have to settle for coffee bags.

Our site is nice, but a bit small and surrounded by overgrowth, so that makes it private, but kills the view. I can see the beach and ocean when I am in the trailer, but the other problem, if the bush weren't there, I would be watching cars go by, which is what I hear all day and night. It is the main access road to the fishing port.

It has also been too hot, but having the beach nearby and weekdays, we can go with Bean and enjoy the fresh ocean breezes. I also spend my time hunting for glass and have found some nice pieces of glass and more pottery pieces. Not as much, but nicer pieces.

We also made a friend. We met him on the first night and every day that I go down, he comes over when he sees me and follows me around. I did bring him some food, he liked our fried chicken nuggets, but not much else. I even found a fresh minnow for him and he loved that, lol. I found a contact for rescue and sent them a message with photo, so hopefully they can help him. In this photo it looks like his wing is broken at the joint, which means it won't heal.

Luckily this fish washed up on shore. It was dead, but he was quite happy to open it up and have the insides for dinner.

Yesterday I noticed he was moving his muscle and his wing looks more upright, so maybe it will heal, sure hope so. He is a young sea gull, and today he also ran and flapped it a bit when Bean decided to go check him out.

We also get to enjoy the sunsets at night. It is beautiful even before it sets.

And when it sets, even more vibrant.

When it got dark, we walked back to the main beach and searched a bit more and I stumbled onto this guy. No idea what it is, reminds me of a sea slug, so I will have to research it when I have more time online. We have found lots of strange things on the shore and lots of beach toys are left, so we pick those up, and will give them to the boys.

And last night we had another amazing sunset. The ferry is making it's last run to pick up passengers on the island. Tonight we had a storm coming in, so decided to come home and get things done. Between beach combing, walking in the waves and swimming, then coming home and catching up on laundry and things, I am ready to zonk out. Tomorrow will be cooler, so I think we can enjoy the camp more, be nice to go for walks and not have to be so hot. I hope you are all having a good week. I will post again after we get back with more on our trip.

Camping Week!

Yesterday we came home from our camping trip and I hated leaving, but it sure is nice to be home and have the space and conveniences of home. Did I get any sewing done? Of course not, I was too busy going to the beach and just enjoying the views.

A few days we went up to the lake, where we also camp, to go for a swim and let Nick enjoy the shallow waters. The water is much warmer than the ocean, maybe next week when it gets hot, I will go in the ocean.

Nick loved the lake, I think he would have been happy to stay there all day, so I will need to find some last minute openings at the lake camp.

After the lake we took him to our camp for lunch and a little relaxing. Then we hit the beach and he loved that too. I was surprised how brave he was in the water and didn't mind the cold. He an Bean love playing together, and they both love to jump.

Of course we can't go anywhere with Bean, he wants to play with everyone and the kids love him.

When not at the beach, we relaxed at camp. We took a few walks and rode our bikes and Bean loved the extra large space to play in.

And most nights we had a bit of a sunset. The fog and clouds near the ocean, tend to obscure the sun, but on this night, we were treated to a spectacular display, in front of our camp.

And of course beach combing. The tide was out in the late afternoon, so we waited till the main beach closed and combed the beach with Bean. Later in the week, we went to the lighthouse when the tide was out early and found some nice pieces, washed up on the rocks. I was thrilled to find a marble, my first one. I keep the special pieces in a jar for me and some will be made into gifts and some into art. I have been getting ideas, and hoping to work on some this week.

I hope everyone had a nice week. I plan on starting my vacation, this week, when Bill goes back to work, lol. I have been cleaning and getting things done this weekend, so I can relax and work on my paintings too.

Change of Plans!

My husband was given two weeks for recovery before he went back to work. Originally we had planned on taking our anniversary trip this coming week, but I cancelled it. At the time we had no idea what would happen and I had to make a decision so I didn't lose my down payment.

The other day his supervisor calls to see if he was planning on coming back or still taking his vacation since it was already planned and they did have a replacement. So, now our vacation is back on and no place to go. We have done stay at home vacations and those are fun, but when we came back from the beach yesterday, I checked the campground and not only did they have an opening, but on the spot we have always wanted and it is never available. I took that as a sign that we should go camping.

This is the campground near the ocean. The bad thing is no dogs on the regular beaches, but there is one that is dog friendly. This is a photo from April, so it looks dismal without the trees in bloom, but that is our little trailer to the left and the new site with the arrow. It is a huge space and no neighbors close by, so great for Bean too. It will be a nice place to just relax and enjoy the views of the inlet.

Of course we got to enjoy some beach time this week. Yesterday we found a nice batch of treasures and not too many people on the beach.

Today it was rainy, but we took a chance and went down to shop and then hit the beach. The rain stayed away and we got a little drizzle, but it was a nice day to just walk on the beach and no one was around, so I was finding glass, laying on the beach. It was nice just walking and not bending so much. We will be camping on Monday, so I may post some photos later in the week, it will all depend on what day we come back. I am still working with a neighbor who might watch the kitties, otherwise we will have to come back to feed them and clean up the litter.

I have been getting lots of ideas for my glass and pebbles, so after a ( hopefully) stress free week, I can get back into creating again. I will bring my art supplies too, so maybe I can do a new summer freebie for everyone.

Weekend camping!

We were supposed to have a nice weekend, then it changed to rain, but we lucked out and it was nice, most of the time. Today the rain held off but it was freezing at the beach, but that didn't stop me, lol. I had gloves and a hooded hat to keep my face warm. Even so, I still got cold, so we stopped and took a break and came back when more of the tide was out.

I really didn't expect to find much at this beach, have been going there for years, but never for glass. I was pleasantly surprised to find so much and secret places to find glass that was rounded and polished.

I had to much to lay each one out, lots of weird pieces and lots of beautiful sea glass, so tomorrow I can sort it out, and store it in the appropriate jar. I am not sure what I will do with the bottle, but I have a friend who does beautiful art with glass and melded one into her stained glass piece, so maybe I will share the larger glass with her or get creative and try something myself. I do have an idea for my first piece, so I will work on that, this week.

Our camp was nice, a few people, but not crowded. We had a beautiful view of the inlet and at night, we watched the sun set and the lights shining across the water.

We tried to watch the sunset from the beach, but the fog took over. Luckily we just had to turn around and see this beautiful view of the moon over the lighthouse.

We spent most of the day, at the beach. We had miles of beach to walk and portions where the glass could be found, so lots of exercise and fresh air. We got to enjoy watching the sandpipers running around the beach, they rarely stay still.

Another thing we found along one stretch of beach was, clams, hundreds of them and these are easily, 6" in size. The tide washes them in and they just sit on the beach and die, what a shame. The seagulls will eat them, but it seemed they were more interested in fighting over the crabs.

Even with the cooler weather, we had a nice time and enjoyed nightly fires. No sewing got done, we were all too tired at night to do much buy sit and go to sleep. Even Bean was tuckered out, hours and miles of beach play and he was out for the night. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend had on and off rain, so we didn't get out as much, but we did get out enough to enjoy the good weather. We always like to give Bean a day where he can have fun, so on Saturday we took him to Jamestown so he could play at the beaches and go for a walk.

We spent the first part at Fort Getty, where Bean had the beach to himself and I hunted for rocks, but the tide had just started going out so not many good choices. After the beach we walked along the cliff path and enjoyed the fresh air and views. In the fields there were a few thistles and the remaining butterflies were getting their fill of nectar.

We walked around the lighthouse loop and then headed to the diver's beach, another beach all to ourselves, at least for awhile. Bean made another new friend who was goofier than he was. The tide was out enough that I found a few heart rocks and pieces of glass for my collection. Someday I want to make something with multi-art techniques, with them.

That night it was foggy and I really wanted to get a photo of the moon rise. We took the chance and of course the moon was barely visible but it did pop out at times. I was able to get one decent shot of the moon over a Bridge in Newport.

On Sunday the kids came over, and it was raining, so they visited and then slipped out, while I kept Nick occupied. He will not stay if they leave, so it was time we got him over his fear. Once I told him they had to go home to get something and we were going to the beach and then taking him home, he was fine and ready to go. He enjoyed playing at Fisherman's Memorial and running around the hill top.

Even Grandpa had fun running around. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Prayers for those in California.

Weekend Wierdness!

This weekend was another beautiful weekend, sunny skies, at least until we hit the ocean, and the views went as far as the shore, the ocean was blanketed in fog.

We decided to go to Fishermen's memorial and the lighthouse, since we enjoyed it so much when we were camping. The breakers were busy, everyone was out enjoying the waves and fishing, so we didn't stay long. We headed to the lighthouse beaches and enjoyed one beach by ourselves and collecting rocks. I wanted to take photos of the surfers, but I couldn't see them, lol.

Then we headed to the other side, it was even more fogged in, but still a beautiful place to sit and just enjoy the waves and fresh breezes. A few kayakers were going in and we did spy a group, further out when the fog lifted a bit.

What is this? Bill carrying a surfboard, maybe he is going to give it a try?

But no, I spied a board coming towards us and I said, where is the surfer, then his head popped up. The currents and waves were so strong, the board was flying by sideways and so was the surfer. Bill was trying to get the board, but the waves were crashing on the rocks and pulling the board down the shore and the surfer was trying to follow it, but he couldn't see it or where he was going. Bill finally got a chance to grab the board and yell to the surfer so he knew he had it and help him back to shore, just in time to avoid the rocky outcropping he was headed for.

Surfer and board, reunited. The bad thing was, it hit the shore a few times before Bill got it and it did get cracked, so he had to give up surfing for the day, I think that was a good idea. The next day we heard that five people got swept off the breakers at Fishermen's, and the storm isn't even close yet. It will be hitting us tomorrow, high winds and rain.

I was taking photos for fun and saw some ducks sitting on a bank, on the little pond. When I got home I noticed an object in the photo, so I blew it up and this is what I found. Real gun, toy gun, maybe a flare gun? I did send a photo to the local police, but no word, so maybe they don't care? Strange things wash up on the shores, especially during a storm surge, wonder what will be littering the beaches next weekend.

Sunday was another nice day and more fog, but it did lift on occasion. We went to Jamestown and had a nice spot at the divers beach. Most people were going out in boats and diving, so the end of the beach was the perfect place to relax and let Bean play.

A team from the Boston Museum was reeling in nets for the day, they were trying to catch fish to take back, but no luck. As you can see, the sun was out on the shore and the fog further out, in the next photo.

There was also a group of kids, who were on the cliff, with a Bungy cord and this is what they do for fun.

The kids wanted to get some pumpkins, so I told them to go to Holmsberg orchards. I guess they are glad they went, looks like they all had fun.

And Nick got to sit on a tractor, it may not move, but he sure had fun pretending he was driving.

I hope you all had a nice weekend. I am still working on a name for the Facebook group, I do like the idea of using a universal name, so anyone, anywhere can join in. I had SmileRI, but that is too local. I  Was also thinking of using the initials DS then mile after the end, in honor of my daughter and in her memory since she always hated seeing people sad and wanted everyone to be happy. So, if you can think of better names or ideas, I would love to hear them, so I can get that set and open up the group. I am going to keep it simple, rocks are one thing, but also small pillows and I have even found some simple ideas that anyone can do, so I will set up folders with ideas too.