Friday: Almost finished

 I tried to push my punching so I could finish my piece. It is finished, but a mess. I did use less floss and that tend to be more puffy, so it looks sloppy. Since I am tired and don't want to leave it like that, I will fix up the problem areas and bad contrast on some areas, so it stands out more. The photo makes it look worse, but you can get the idea, this is what happens when you rush.

Last weekend we took the boys fishing. They love to fish, but have no luck. I think it is because they have small lures and no weight to cast out, far enough. Others were catching fish, but they were using live bait, so we will have to get some better gear for them.

The park also has a lot of hiking areas. The boys enjoyed exploring the areas around the pathways. There are a lot of birds there too, but with noisy boys, it is hard to get any shots. 

The next day Bill and I went for a ride into Connecticut. We stopped at a few places and did some hikes, but couldn't catch any birds that day. We enjoyed getting out and Bean got to have fun too. I really want to come here with the RV and spend the day. The problem is, the road has been collapsing so there is no way we can get it there. 

During the week, Bill had to take a day off for an early appointment, so we had the day to get out. We went to a new place that is owned by the college. They have several areas for gardens and fisheries and allow visitors. 

We walked along a path to an area that is full of trees, all types that the students plant and study. It is also a place full of birds. We heard a lot and saw a few that were too quick to shoot, but I was able to catch quite a few,  and the grove is so peaceful, that I enjoyed just walking around, under the trees. 

In some areas they also had bee hives. It was warming up and you could hear them, so we kept our distance. I think I will go back and bring my portable seat and just sit there.

We took the scenic route home and as we were heading out of the Lighthouse road, we saw a few cars and people milling around. This is why, a Snapping turtle was crossing the road. I got out and took a few shots and then a local lady and I walked along his side, till he got back to the pond side. 

And at home, I have seen an influx of new birds and our summer visitors are returning. Today we spotted a huge Woodpecker, so hoping it will come back for a photo. It looked like a Downy, but bigger than a Hairy should be, so not sure what it was. 

I hope you all have a nice weekend and good weather. We have Alex's first communion tomorrow, and possible rain on Sunday. I am looking forward to nicer weather, but not the heat of summer.

Working on Friday!

 

I wasn't able to get my new piece finished, but I am almost there. I won a pattern in a Facebook group, called Church Cat and I still have to do the binding and finishing touches. I also made up a quick wheel chair top and plan on doing another, these two will be for guys and I plan on hand quilting them. Normally I would use the machine, but I was able to get a camping spot at the state park, so I wanted something to work on while camping. 

I have been spending more time at home with heat and enjoying the birds, a Chipping Sparrow, Black Capped Chickadee and a Goldfinch in my neighbor's yard.

And to my surprise, one finally came over to enjoy the seeds on my Cone flowers.

And I have seen more House Finches lately.

And my resident Cardinal is letting me know that he is not happy, that the feeder is empty. 

We also got to spend a day at my favorite beach, the harbor is always busy with boaters.

And I never leave without a nice little treasure of beach goodies. I hope everyone has had a nice week and cooler temperatures. We have gotten better with a few rain storms, so it is nice to be able to open the windows again. May you be able to get out and find your own peace of heaven, in your area.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I started one project, then another and then I got the new stitchery of the month. The second project I made and finished before the others since it is for the boys. It was a design in a Whimsicals book and I did a few in fun colors as bookmarks for the boys. 

I started the new stitchery next, but still working on that, they will be hot pads for me, and perfect for Valentines and Easter, so I will get those done next, then the project I was working on, will get done. With the cold and now an ice storm, I will have a lot more time indoors.

I used some glitter threads and ribbon with glitter on the tags.

I hope everyone faired well in the last storm and the ones coming through this weekend. We had a lot of rain and now it is icing, so the roads will be a mess.

Last weekend we got a few feet of snow, now it has all melted and made ponds in my yard. I have gotten quite a few visitors with the snow and cold, they need more energy to keep them warm. The wind was so bad, I had to put a heavy bowl on the porch, so the wind wouldn't blow it away.

The birds seem to be more active when it is cold or raining. A few more from last Saturday.

Since we have been stuck in the house so much, Bill took a day off, when the weather was a bit better. We took a drive to the beach at the southern coast and enjoyed walking in the fresh air, until the fog rolled in, then it was more like rain.

Before it got wet, I was able to catch a few shots of the Sanderlings. They are busy little birds, so hard to get a shot, it took me 70 shots to catch a few good ones.

Eating and cleaning.

And we found a few treasures. The beach was full low tide and no people, but so much beach and rocks, along with no sun, so harder to find pieces. I did luck out and found a marble and a few old pieces. 

Time to set up a little table so I can play with my pieces and start making some art items. So many ideas and projects, I need more time in the day. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy some crafting time this winter.