Another week!

 Lately it seems I can never get enough done in a week and all the plans I had, went out the window. I haven't had as much time to work on projects, but slowly working on my stitchery.

We have gotten out for walks, the pond is our favorite place. Always a nice walk and lots of critters to enjoy along the way. Today we took the boys to the pond, for a short walk. They got to see one of the turtles and loved watching it swim around. For some reason the turtle was just as interested in them and kept swimming up and looking at them. Even the smaller one was coming up and looking at them.

After we went to the beach and I had fun, swimming with the boys. Bill took the photo from his chair on the beach, so a bit grainy.

Nick wanted a photo that I could send to him. He found a board on the beach and made a bench, for us to sit on. 

I hope everyone had a nice week and improved weather. We finally have nice days without the humidity, so it is great to get out again.

Friday Fun!

 

This week I am still working on my quilt. I was also busy with a lot of other things, so I didn't get as much done, as I would have liked. Hopefully it will be done next week and I can get to the other projects I want to finish.

On Saturday we surprised our grandson with a new bike. He was thrilled with it and couldn't wait to go riding. Nick had confirmation camp, so we took Alex to a local bike path. We started at the college, which has a path to connect to the main trail. It goes by a farm and fields.

 The main trail goes by the Great swamp area and further down, but we only did part of it.

We turned around and headed the other way and ended at the train station. It was a good spot to give Alex a rest and snack, while we watched the train come and go.

On Sunday we picked up the boys and took them to the Boy Scout camp. I wanted to try them on dirt track and more hills to see how they did. Alex was ready to go.

I wanted to go on the main dirt road, but realized it was too rocky and hilly for the boys and Nick took a spill. So, we rode down a paved road in camp and the boys got to stop and enjoy the lake area. Nick enjoyed riding the bike I gave him.

We took a stop at another spot for a break and a snack. It was a great day and it gave me a better idea of what they can handle, so we will stick to paved paths and better trails.

Today I got my new bike. It is an electric mountain bike, so it has shocks and much more comfortable on trails. We went back to the southern path so I could get used to it and the power source. It has regular gears so I can use my own strength and power settings when needed. It is also lower so I can put my feet down and not fall. It was also cold and windy today, so we only did a part of the trail, which took us 7 miles. 

Tomorrow might be nice enough to do a trail ride. I hope you all have a nice weekend and get to do something that brings you joy.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I finished a Thanksgiving piece. I needed something for the holiday, for the front entry area and this was perfect. The design is by Cheri Payne and a fun one to do. 

Last week We went for a drive to see if we could find some fall foliage. Not as much yet, but we did find a few spots with splashes of color. The first stop was a reservoir with a dam, but with less rain, less water coming down. It was still beautiful though.

We took a walk along the path to the old bridge. 

Our next stop was Old furnace park, across the border in Connecticut. It is a bit of a climb up to the cliffs, but worth it for the view.

There are more trails that run along the side of the pond, so we took a walk part way to enjoy the views.

The next day we took the boys out. We took them to the bird sanctuary for a shorter walk on the pond side. They enjoyed walking along the paths.

And seeing all the critters along the way.

And we spotted two Praying Mantis along the paths. Love the look this one was giving me. It is always fun to explore with the boys and good to get them away from their electronics. 

This weekend we have a storm coming in and of course I seem to have gotten a flu from them, so taking it easy for a few days. I hope this finds everyone well and enjoying the cooler fall weather.

Friday Finish!

 

This week went by fast, so I spent most of the day yesterday, finishing my patriotic mat. It was a cheater cloth so I hand stitched white pearl cotton around the squares and in the middle designs. I enjoy mindless projects when I am resting and watching tv. 

Last weekend we spent a day with the boys. We took them shopping since Nick needed a new backpack and Alex had on shorts, so we bought him a sweatsuit since it was too cool for shorts. They also loved the silly shark sandals, so another treat since it is their birthday week. Of course they had to wear them at the beach.

And even though I got him long pants, Alex rolled them up and went in the water.

Another day we took a walk on the bike path. We start in the middle and walked to the end, where there is a beach.

Lots of Birds along the way, but most are hidden in the bushes.

We also passed a small pond in a neighborhood that had gardens and spotted a few turtles.

Today we walked at the lighthouse. The ticks are bad this year and with all the rain, most of the hiking paths are swamped. A few fishermen were fishing off the rocks, not a place I would stand.

A lot of birds are in the bush along the paths and inbetween. Lots of nesting blackbirds and lots of Song sparrows. It was getting foggy, so I could only get a few decent shots. I love this one, the Song bird is just watching the waves, not a care in the world.

I hope you all have a nice weekend and not in areas where the smoke is coming in. 

Friday Finish!

 Well, I worked on my stitchery when I could, but I still have a few more leaves to add. There are a lot of flowers and leaves, so taking longer than usual. So, I worked on another butterfly painting. After this, I have one more butterfly and then I move onto flowers. I work on painting a bit a time, in between cleaning and cooking. I also put together two smaller table toppers to work on, when I finish the stitchery. 

This butterfly was more pink in the tutorial, but I didn't have that color. But, I realized on my next one, I was missing the part that gives recipes for those colors, by using the ones I have. 

Last week we went to the island for some beach time. This time of year is always nice, no crowds yet, so we can enjoy beach combing and Bean can run free.

In the fields we spotted a flock of Glossy Ibis. They are always on the move, so hard to catch one.

I always like to stop at the cove with lighthouse views and was surprised to see the new addition to the Osprey nest. Not sure how it got that white cloth there, maybe stole it from someone's clothesline?

Today we went to the farm preserve. Last time it started to rain when we got there, so it was nice to have warmer weather with a nice breeze. The donkeys seemed to be loving it up today.

We also spotted an Eastern Bluebird.

And a lot of Swallows in the other boxes.

The walk ends in a cove from the river, so we spotted a few more birds there. 

And on the way home, we caught the female Osprey, calling out to her mate. They can be quite vocal and get upset if their mate stays away too long or doesn't come back with dinner.

Tomorrow will be rain, so a day in or maybe shopping. We want to do some things around the house, so we might go looking at supplies to see what we can get and pricing. I am getting anxious to go camping, but it seems to rain on the weekends, so hoping we can go next weekend.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend. We had a nice day with the kids. I wasn't going to do a hunt, but Alex asked if we were doing it, so how could I say no. 

Friday finish!

 

Another week has gone by and I can never get as much done, as I planned. I am still working on my stitchery and couldn't resist doing one more painting before I put them away. With Easter, I need to get things put away and cleaned up. We always host dinner since it is easier for me to cook foods I can eat, than explain it to people.

This painting was a lesson with shadows and translucent areas. I do make mistakes and I do fix a few. I learned a trick with painting,  years ago. I dip my brush in water and wipe it on the cloth, then move it along the area where the paint went out too far. If you do that and clean the brush each time, you can erase watercolors and acrylics.

Last weekend we went for a ride and walks at the ocean areas. One place is a paved pathway in a farm area that has a sanctuary for birds. I couldn't resist taking a photo of these two donkeys at the farm.

At the beach area, I caught a Snowy Egret. Lots of Egrets are coming in now.

The beach was mostly empty and cold this day, so we didn't stay out long.

This week the boys had vacation so we got to spend the day with them. They had a motorized skateboard and scooter, so I rode my electric bike to keep up with them. We took the short end of the bike path, which goes to the beach. Alex bought his fishing magnet, but no luck and then he threw it and the magnet fell off in the deep water, so that was a bust.

They came home for lunch and then we headed to the island for beach combing. 

At the first beach I spotted the Osprey, having lunch.

And at the other end of the park, another pair. Dad was giving me the look.

Today we headed to the bird sanctuary and I walked the shorter half of the path. Unfortunately I didn't realize I had the wrong setting on. Sometimes when I put it in the bag, it slides it to the wrong one, so my photos didn't come out great. It was a beautiful day and lots of birds and critters coming in.

At the other beach, I caught a few birds along the way. It was nice getting out since it will be raining on and off tomorrow. I need to stay home, to start cooking dishes and getting ready for Easter. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, holiday and can enjoy being with family or friends.

Friday Finishes!

 This week I was able to finish two items. I like doing small projects while I work on the larger ones. They are simple to do and something fun to do, while I watch tv.

One item is another heart. I do enjoy making rag rugs and a heart is a quick way to make one. 

I also made another small mat for my table. This one I used precuts with a spring look. These are fun to do and I think I will make one for summer with my nautical or seagull prints.

We also got a chance to take Bean with us for a ride to the beaches. It was too cold to be out long, but we got out in certain places and let him roam a bit.

I also caught a few birds along the way.

Along the route we stopped at the college campus beach. 

I was also able to get a shot of the lighthouse, from a different view point. When I opened the photo to see it, I was surprised at the shapes in the doorway. 

One afternoon we had the boys, while dad went shopping. They spent the time trying out my instruments. Nick seems to pick up anything and play it by ear, Alex is getting the hang of following notes.

Today we stopped to see if we could spot the Eagles, none in sight. I did spot a Hawk hanging out in a tree by the pond.

I hope you all had a nice Valentines. I do not celebrate it, too commercialized for me. Weather is coming in tomorrow, so we won't be able to get out too much.