Puzzles and birds!

 This week I have been working on my sister's quilt. I have it all together, so now I need to get it ready for quilting. I will be doing prim stitching on the top and then decide on whether to hand stitch or machine quilt, since I want to finish it, so I can get it to her. Now that Joannes is gone, I need to find a place to get discount threads. I always buy on sale days or with coupons.

Since I like to have something simple to work on and a brain break, I worked on a puzzle. I took advantage of prime day and got a good deal on a fun puzzle. 

Last week we got a walk in, at the lighthouse. It is always so much cooler on the island and I got to enjoy some birding. At the marsh I got to enjoy watching the new family. Both parents and two babies were in the nest. The parents were upset since someone was walking closer, from the beach area.

In another marsh, I caught a Great Egret. 

At home the Sparrows are on their fourth batch of babies. This time they had a couple and the babies are always hungry.

And in just one week, they have grown. This one was trying to cool off in the heat. It won't be long before they are out on their own.

I hope you enjoyed your week and have a good weekend. Hopefully I can get more time with my sewing and finish more quilts this year.

Vacation week!

 It always seems that you start enjoying your vacation and relaxing, by the time it is ending. But, we had a good week and lots of adventures. I am showing some things tonight, I took lots of photos and saw lots of interesting places, so I will do another post when I get home and can go through more of them.

Our camp is nice, right on the river so we can paddle up river and float down. We had three really hot days, so we swam in the river to cool down. The bad thing is the mosquitos, not fun sitting outside. We spent most of our time going places, so we swam, ate and relaxed in the trailer.  Bean is sitting in front of Bill.

Up river we found a sandy place to swim and Bean could play off leash, so it was a nice place. Most of the time he would run into the river and join the other families who were swimming from the launch. The kids loved playing with him, so I didn't mind.

I also spotted a lot of swallows flying around and found their nesting area. There are high banks along the river and they make their homes there.

On Monday we went to Cathedral in the pines. It is a beautiful place on a hill with stunning views. It is dedicated to the men and woman who served in World War II. You can see Mount Monadnock in the distance. 

They also have paths to walk along and lots of garden spots.

The next day we went to Harrisville mill store. They sell looms, yarn and roving. I treated myself to a few bags of dyed roving.

Because of the heat, we were limited to rides and short walks. I found a Gorge nearby and we went there. It was a little cooler, but still humid enough to wear me out. It has a path that follows one side and back up the other.

And we drove into Vermont. Along the way we have seen a lot of covered bridges. We stopped at one in Vermont that has a swimming spot. I walked around with Bean in the water to cool off.

Finally the heat lifted and we got to go to Madame Sheri's forest. It was the site of the home of a socialite. Originally it was a grand home and the pond was where they swam. Now it is in ruins and the pond is a sanctuary for birds. I also thought we were hiking a short circle around the pond and by the time my phone app kicked in, I realized we were almost at the top of the mountain. It was a lot of uphill and the skies looked ominous, so I didn't dare continue, so we turned back. 

I spotted a few birds and a weasel, along with a lot of chipmunks. I caught this Vereo who was happy to pose for me.

Today we visited some new places that are worth a stop, so I will post about them later. I hope everyone had a nice week. I am hoping I can enjoy a rain free day and avoid the weekend traffic on the way home.

Weekend Fun!

 

I am not sure if I should say fun, I did a lot, enjoyed a few paddles and the kids visited for the afternoon on Mother's Day. But, by Saturday I was sneezing and blowing my nose non stop. My DIL started doing the same thing after an hour at camp, so I hope it isn't going to be a regular thing. I paid for the month and can't get my money back, so camping in a wetlands area, in the spring, might not have been the best idea.

It was cooler this weekend, so I wore my nylon suit. It kept me warm and covered my skin, my burn is gone and now I am tan for the summer, lol. I love sitting on the pond, in a quiet cove, so much activity around me.

I lucked out and spotted Baltimore Orioles flying by. I was able to catch one, as well as a Hummingbird and a female Mallard.

Red Winged Blackbirds are nesting all over the banks. I spotted a few nests and if I got too close, the Males would fly off to distract me. I was also able to find a spot to catch this Mother goose on her nest, I didn't want to get too close or she would leave the nest.

In the afternoon, I decided to go for a little bike ride. Wooded pathways, long hilly roads that pass by river and ponds. I love riding in the forest, but I need to work on my leg strength, I still have to walk up hills.

After my ride, I cooled down by taking Bean for a walk. No one was around, so he was able to go off leash for awhile. 

On the way back to camp we stopped at the observation deck and I caught a few visitors at the picnic area. A White Throated Sparrow, a White Breasted Nuthatch and a Robin who looks like he was attacked.

For Mother's Day, I did what I love, another paddle. This time I went up river. I went up to the fork and spotted a few Yellow Warblers. They are nesting in the swamps, so once I got close, they flew off into the bushes, but I caught one that was trying to hide. We also have birds at the camp, the cardinal and his mate are frequent visitors.

And the catch of the day, a Hummingbird on her nest. She always flies off when I come close, so I picked a spot near some bush and sat, until she came back. It is amazing how well they camouflage their nest. I read that they build their nests so that they expand as the young get larger.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. We are home for the week and I need the rest, lol. I have some projects I am working on, so I will post on Friday with some finishes.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I finished another pillow with the monthly design by Kathy Schmitz. The original design had a date and it included a grouping of designs you could add. I loved the cat and dog and thought it would be a perfect gift for my cat sitter. I made the dog a bit more pointy to look like Bean and faces, since the original was blank.

I added lavender, she asked me for some more lavender pillows and she just had some minor surgery, so a happy present while she recuperates.

I also got a chance to make a few masks for the boys. Nick wanted some crazy colored fabric, so that is what he got.

We also got a chance to spend time on the island. We took the RV so Bill could sit and enjoy the views with a few walks along the paved road. Of course I spent the majority of my time at the beach. I got a nice little stash to add to my collection.

The lightening wasn't great and I was getting tired, but I took a few quick shots of the action going on in the marsh area. There is an Osprey nest there and he was swooping back and forth, looking for fish, but too fast to catch him as he got closer.

I hope everyone had a good week and have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish , family and Feathered Friends!

 

This week I finished a couple of things. I have projects I am still working on so hopefully a few more for next week. Winter is always a good time to create and a nice way to spend the cold winter days.

A new month and a new stitchery from Kathy Schmitz. This one seems a bit like the others she has done, so I decided to make some little sachets with it. I wasn't as neat with these, but something small to finish in a few days and I can always use more sachets in my stash areas.

I also made up more masks. A friend liked the ones I had sent as a gift and ordered some for work. She works in a yarn shop so I did a few with yarn and a few regular ones, so she can match them to the day. She will be sending me some roving from the wool she has, to spin yarn with. I also had some dog fabric that I wanted to use and did 3 ply, way too thick so a bit sloppily made. The planets are for Nick of course, he loves glitter. The hearts I made to sell and they went, the minute I showed them on Facebook. One I made for me, with a satin lining.

We also spent a few hours with the boys. With the cold, it is hard to take them out for the day. We like to ride and explore and they get bored. So, we went to their house to visit and then took them out for milkshakes and a ride to the eagle lake. Unfortunately the eagles were not out, so they didn't get to see them, but Alex had to get out and play on the bouncy ride, they had at the beach.

Nick has a pet, if you could call it that, lol. He took it out to show me, how it comes out of its shell when he holds it. 

And I made a new friend. He was sitting in a tree and I expected him to take off when I came out, but he stayed, even when I walked up to him. I think he was just taking a break and when I came out again, with Bean, he sat and watched Bean as he ran around the yard.

He also gave me a show while he preened and puffed up his feathers. Puffing up like this, keeps them warmer in the winter. I feel blessed that I was able to enjoy seeing him and getting such wonderful photos of him. I hope you all had a wonderful week, and have a wonderful weekend. May you all be blessed with a little joy each day and good health in your household.

Friday Finishes!

I hope everyone is doing well, this has been a long road with quarantine and things are still not settled. We will be lifting some restrictions for getting out and shops opening but with limits on social gatherings and masks are required. I cancelled another camping trip that is coming up, I wanted to do it now before it was too late, since it is out of state. I am still not sure about going to Maine, they have restrictions on people entering, so it may not be worth it for now and I am still unsure about getting the trailer.

Luckily I have plenty to keep me busy. A new month means a new design from Kathy Schmitz and I always enjoy doing those. I made a little pillow to put in my room, wonderful words to live by. I used colored pencil on this one.

I also made more masks, it took longer this time, my brain wasn't working too well this week, then my machine was giving me fits and my iron is dying, but I got them done. I think I will try using my mechanical machine and see if that is better, especially going over the thicker sides.

I wanted to make some fun ones for the boys, so I did little dog faces. Unfortunately I did one upside down, but I sewed it a little tighter and it will be a good fit for Alex. They love alligators so there is one of those and a little animal on the other side.

I also made up a few with different fabrics, it is fun to try. them to see how they look. I love the sheep ones, fabric that was gifted to me. I still need to put the ties on.

And during a moment when my brain was working, I made one with a filter pocket. I just thought it out and did it myself, the instructions confused me. Now I can make them with the pocket which will give people 3 layers and they can add a filter if they want. It is also nice since I can use some of the pretty fabrics for the front, that are not as thick.

I also took the yarn and braided it, it is way too thin and too hard to tie. This gives it a nice look but also too time consuming, so I am going to buy cheap t-shirts in packs and make my own. This one went to a woman who works at my husband's office. She is the cleaner and has to be around toxic chemicals. They are giving out junky hand made masks to people and they are not as good as the ones I have made, so I guess I will make more for the workers who need them. This is vintage fabric from the 80's.

We also got out for some hikes and beach time. The Boy Scout camp is closed and so big, that we can walk around an area and never see anyone, so it was nice and peaceful.

And I was lucky enough to find the Ospreys in their nests. This one was mad that I walked too close so he flew around and then came back, once he knew I wasn't going to bother them.

This nest is viewed from the roadside, so it is not as close, but he was making some funny faces.

And of course I found more glass. Even with the shut down, the regulars have been coming to go beach combing, but I still found some nice pieces. I hope you all have a nice weekend and Mother's Day. It will certainly be different and I will miss being with the family, but knowing they are safe, is gift enough.

Friday Finishes!

The weeks seem to fly by which is good in some ways, but I can never get enough done, even tonight I just finished the dishes and laundry and realized I hadn't done my blog post. Tonight I did make a nice dinner since Bill is home so that took time. The good thing is, on his 4 day shifts, I get him to help me with some cleaning.

I made a pillow with a design by Cheri Saffiote. I enjoyed making this one and I love the saying.

I also spend too much time trying to make masks. I am horrible with directions and the first one I made was a flat mask with darts for the nose and chin, but It was too close to my face and I couldn't breath. The second mask was in two pieces so it has a nice cone above the nose and fits snuggly around the shin and I can breath..

I used fabric I had won which was a nice weight and I had some white sheeting material, thin but dense so I can breathe and feel comfortable but no air can get through the fibers. I also used t-shirt material to make ties. Those are nicer since I can pull on them to tighten the mask around my face. The pattern I used can be found at  Wholefully.

I modified mine to make it easier, nothing fancy, just sewed it together with the pattern pieces and made one length of rope so I could hang it from my neck.

Then I made a batch for the kids, more for the boys and a couple for Mom and Dad to try. That way they can see if they like them before I make more.

Yesterday was a fairly nice day, so we headed to the beach. I found out that my favorite place was open on weekdays only. There were a couple of wind surfers and a fisherman, so we had the beach to ourselves. It was so nice to get out in the fresh air and find some treasures.

On the way out, we stopped at three different nesting areas. One osprey decided to take off after I got one shot, so I couldn't get closer, the second pair were in a farm field, so too far away to get a close up and the third was hiding in her nest and would peak up, every so often.

I hope you all had a good week and you and your familys are safe and healthy.

Friday finish and Fotos!

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. It was not with family for most of us, but we can still treat ourselves. For me it was Clam chowder and Clam cakes. I made enough for an army, but we enjoyed the leftovers.

This is how mine came out. I follow recipes but change them up to fit my diet. I do not. use spices in my chowder, but I do use salt pork, you have to have that. I also use twice the amount of clams, I like a thick chowder and cakes full of clams.

During the week I worked on finishing my challenge piece for the groups, Quilts by Cheri. We were given the dimensions and sizes for the background, then told to use baskets from her older patterns and make them into something new for ourselves. This is what I came up with and it fits perfectly on a side table I have in the guest room.

On Saturday we went for a short ride around town. It was nice to just get out and we spotted two osprey nests. One I will have to go back to, so I can get close ups, when they are in the nest.

Sunday was another drive to the ocean. We took the side roads and spotted two more nests in the salt marshes. One was closer, but she was not happy that I walked through the bush to get closer.

Today we took a drive, but Bean came and that made it hard to get out for walks, since all the places we found said, no dogs allowed. We did find a new boat launch, hidden behind some houses. It was really beautiful and quiet, but mostly marsh.

There was a bridge you could walk on, the problem, I didn't realized that where Bill is, is in Rhode Island, another step and you are in Connecticut, so I accidentally crossed the state line. And if that wasn't bad enough, I wanted to get a photo of a cardinal in the tree, on the other side. There was a big pile of mud at the end of the bridge, so I stepped on it to see if it was solid. Well, it was not solid and that was when I saw the actually color underneath, it was cow manure, lol. The farmer put it there to keep people from coming onto his land, and I was the idiot who stepped in it.

Further up river there was an abandoned mill, so we drove around and stayed on the RI side to get photos. I was surprised to see so many Double Crested Cormorants along the river, I guess they decided fishing in the river was easier than the ocean. These two are a funny looking pair.

Our final destination was an old cemetery along the larger part of the river, but it was windy and cold and no dogs allowed. It is one of those places that you can walk in, for hours, so we will go back on a nice day without Bean. We were treated to another nest along the river, this one was built on a large crane, so I guess they won't be using that, for awhile.

I hope you all have a nice weekend. We are expecting some rain and cold so I am not sure if we can get out tomorrow, maybe a ride around the island to see what is open for walks and the views. Bill is on 4 day shifts now, so he goes back in on Sunday, then he gets four days off, just wish he got the nice days off. Be safe and find joy in the simple things in your area.