Weekly Wanderings!

 

This has been quite the week with activity. Vacations at home, are easier in one way and on the other, I still have to cook, keep the house clean, laundry and all the planning. So, I am exhausted and seem to be sick again, I think I got too much sun this week.

Our first day on the weekend, we went to Jamestown. It was too wavy and cool for swimming, so we did some beach combing and just enjoyed the cool air. I took this photo of the light in the fog and added a saying.

The next day, we went to the farm and picked up some veggies for dinner and checked out the animals.

After we headed to the ocean, to see the kite festival and go for a swim. The fog was heavy, so only a few kites and you couldn't really see them well. The fun was swimming in the ocean. The tide was up, so it was easier to get in and the waves were fun to surf in, I haven't done that in ages.

Monday we went back to the seaport. It was a nice day and we enjoyed seeing exhibits, we missed the last time.

We went into more buildings, but they were all musty, so I didn't stay in them, too long.

This is an exhibit we missed and will have to take the boys in this one, interesting and a bit creepy. These were on the bows of the old ships.

We took a break on Wednesday to get things done around the house and the next day we headed to a river that goes to the ocean. The sky was ominous but it didn't rain and the sun was out enough to keep it warm.

Along the way, we saw a lot of birds, still migrating so we have more than usual. 

Seen as we paddled, along the shores.

And at the end is the ocean. It was low tide and still going out, so we could go in the channel and float out to the end. A great place to rest and have a snack.

Of course the seagulls see people and see food, so we had company.

I enjoyed paddling so much, that we headed to another salt water pond at the southern end. We enjoyed the paddle, bird watching and some time across the dunes, at the ocean. 

Today we are getting winds from the storm, coming up the coast. We went for a ride to the south shore and walked along the beach. The wind was stronger and the sand was blowing on us, so we went to the end with more rocks and views of the breakers. I was able to get some shots of the surf and surfers who were brave enough to venture out. 

Tomorrow will be windy again and some rain, so a good day to rest. I haven't had any time to work on projects or energy, so I can work on finishing my halloween piece and cutting out the appliqués for my Christmas piece.

I hope everyone had a good week and not in the storms path. It has lessened, but it will still pack heavy winds and storm surges.

Weekend Wanderings!

Even with the rain, we had a wonderful weekend to get out. We headed into Connecticut just as the rain was ending, so we were able to enjoy a nice ride and visit a few places. I wanted to stop at Mystic Village which has a quilt shop, but it was no longer there. But we were still able to enjoy a walk through town and get a few goodies at the Christmas shop.

One place in Mystic that I love to visit is the Elm Grove Cemetary. I was hoping to see more foliage, but most of the trees had turned. It is still beautiful to drive through though, it is a garden cemetery on the Mystic river, a peaceful place to walk through.

What a beautiful setting for a family plot.

Since we were in the area, we took a drive to Ender's Island, where there is a Catholic retreat center. It was so windy, it was hard to enjoy the views and take photos. I love the buildings on the island, all made of stone, like the church.

There were still flowers in the gardens and views from Block Island to Fisher's Island in New york. In the distance I could see Latimer Reef Lighthouse.

The great thing about being out later is, we were a half hour from sunset so we headed to Napatree Point. What I didn't think about was, the wind. Coming over the dunes, I was hit with blasts of sand and close to the water, the ocean spray, so it was hard to stay still or get good shots. I was able to get a decent one and you can see the waves coming in. It was so beautiful, but hard to enjoy with the sand getting all over my camera.

Sunday was a beautiful day and much warmer, so I decided to hit the beach, while the tide was out. There weren't too many people in the morning, so I found a lot of nice treasures laying on the rocks.

And with the time change, it was still early enough to go for a ride. I needed more apples so we headed to the orchards to buy them from the store.

Along the way I spied this steeple and stopped for a look. The banks of the river were over flowing, so it was hard to get a shot, since we had to stand in the tree line.

We also stopped on the Thames river, where  you can walk out to the old train tracks. Another nice place to go for a stroll.

Since it was getting late, we decided to do a short hike up Lantern Hill. I wanted to see if I could spot the foliage from the first lookout. Of course the views were limited, so we went to the next height and the next, where we had nice views, but still hidden by the tree lines. So our short hike took us up the hill to the top, which was well worth it. The views are spectacular and you can see all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

The sun was getting closer to the tree line and I really wanted to watch it set, but not from the top. It is a steep climb, so we went down to a lower level to watch it set. Since my photo  had a lot of black space, I added a saying I found on the web. We were able to get down before it got too dark, and my muscles are killing me today, but it was nice to finally get in a real hike.

I hope you all had a nice weekend and your own adventures.

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and Happy Holidays to those who celebrate the season in other ways.

I finished my Christmas pillow and still debating on making a corded edge for the outer edge, I think it will finish it off nicely. Maybe after the holidays, since I have no desire to go to any stores this weekend.

The design is by Bird Brain Designs, the pattern a gift from a  friend.

Today we took Nick out and had some fun at the submarine museum in Groton Ct. He had a lot of fun and enjoyed playing with grandpa.

Going inside a submarine was an adventure for him, a few times he started thinking it was time to get out, but he made it through and had fun climbing through the hatches and up and down stairs.

 We picked up some lunch and enjoyed a picnic at the point. We got to sit on the porch of an old home and enjoy views of the long island sound.

On the way home we stopped in Mystic Village and checked out some shops, Nick was awestruck in the Christmas shop, and I had to watch what he was trying to put in his pockets, lol. It was a fun day and I am sure he is as tired as I am.

Christmas will never be the same for us. We will have the joys of our son and his family, but Danielle will always be missed and a big part of our hearts. I still send her a note or add a photo of her childhood to her Facebook page each Friday. It is my way of keeping her memory alive. This is the card I made for her, for Christmas. May all of you who have lost loved ones, may you find peace and joy in the memories of those who have gone before us.

Sunday Shopping

Today we headed down to Mystic Seaport to check out another of my favorite prim stores.
No pictures, but I can tell you, it was a prim lovers dream. Unfortunately, most of the items were real antiques and items that were above my budget, so I left with two black grubby candles.

It is a village set up, so you can walk to different types of stores and they have a mill pond where you can see the ducks who have made their home there.



We made a few more stops, but nothing great today. We went for a nice walk at one of the sanctuaries to enjoy the beautiful day.
We could hear the surf pound at the ocean, but of course the photos I got at the beach were too dark, by the time I took those.

So, we ended up at the home store and I found a wooden house in the sale rack, so that made me happy. I want to make a display with it for the holidays and then I can change it out with the seasons. It was dark and I was tired when I got home, so tomorrow I will stain my new peg rack and when I get it on the wall, you can see how it looks.