Friday Finish!

 

This week I made up another batch of rocks. I also started a project I should have done before we leave. Then I got Kathy Schmitz's new designs to do Christmas projects. I wanted something to do at camp, in case I ever sit still and relax. Usually at night I work on the photos I took, so I may do some sewing, but hopefully I will be outside, exploring and enjoying the area.

Some of these are from the previous rocks, I took a photo of them together. 

Last week we took a walk at the bird sanctuary. We walk to one end that has a deck, to enjoy the views.

Then across to the other end, with another deck and views of the Osprey nest. They definitely enlarged it more. I couldn't if they had any young yet.

Today we walked around the lighthouse. It has been really hot, so we kept it short. The breezes at the point were so refreshing.

The sailboats were racing around the island, so it was nice to watch them. I thought this one had a unique sail.

And a big ship was coming in. We also went to the beach so Bean could play in the water. 

This week I have a lot to do, to get ready for the trip. The last two days will be cooking. With my allergies, I have to make sure I have plenty to eat, but I do wish I could eat out. We may try a local lobster place that has outdoor seating, then Bean can come and sit with us. 

I hope everyone had a nice week and not affected by the storms. I am hoping for cooler weather in Maine so I can do more hiking and bike riding. Way too hot here, to do that. 

Working on!

 

This week I finally pinned a new project that I wanted to do. The quilt top was given to me by my Sister-in-law. She had a lot of old craft supplies and handed them to me. I thought this would be perfect for a charity quilt. I am hand quilting it with white pearl cotton and going around the main designs. I don't want to over quilt it, since it would make it too stuff for a young one. The only bad thing was, I noticed some spots on it, so if they don't wash out, I will donate it to the thrift.

Last week we went on a walk to the Great Swamp. It has a nice loop path that goes to a pond, then around a small pond, so it has great views and wildlife. I was hoping to see the Ospreys, they nest in the line of telephone poles that go through the little swamp. A few had set up nests, but not as many as the last time we saw them.

Another day we decided to check out the local marina to see the Ospreys there. One was in the nest hiding and the other was on a pole, taking a break.

We also got a surprise when I spotted a Little Blue Heron, a first for me.

After we went for a short walk on the bike path. As we were heading back, a beautiful Kestrel flew over head. He landed in a tree, so I walked back to get a shot. 

I hope everyone had a nice week and can enjoy the weekend. It is nice to get more sun and some rain. I added more plants around my bird bath and some new ones for the porch, so a little rain will be good for them. 

Friday finish!

 

This week I was in the mood to paint some rocks. With camping trips, I like to hide them in areas we visit, so I want to make as many as I can for the summer. I find ideas on the internet and there is also a Facebook site, where she gives step by step instructions. Of course I just take the finished one and free hand it myself, so not always the best, but fun enough. The problem was, I realized all my old varnishes are thick and no good, so I have to wait to finish them.

Last week we took a walk on the beach. The tide was low so I was able to find some treasures and then we walked to the other end.

 Along the way we ran into this crab, who didn't want to be seen, so he ran to the surf and buried himself in the sand.

Today we took a walk at the bird sanctuary. It is a never ending joy since each time I see new birds that are coming in and we get a good 3 miles in. The weird thing I spotted today was a large dead bird in the osprey nest. Her mate was in a nearby tree, pruning himself. When a pair of geese tried to come onto the island, he chased them off, he is not one to mess with.

I also saw that the long term couple, finally made a new nest on a lower branch. 

Another nice surprise was, catching a Palm Warbler, who sat still for a second. 

We went by the marsh and I caught a group that were foraging. This one got itself a crab.

So far the weekend looks good, so hopefully we can get out for some more walks or maybe a bike ride. I am bummed about next weekend. The weatherman said rain, now he is saying warm and sunny. I had to make. decision yesterday when I thought it was going to rain or I lose all the money for camp, so I cancelled. It used to be that I could cancel up to 2 days before, so it makes it harder. 

I hope everyone is doing well, I heard the news about the tornadoes and bad weather and hope that no one was affected. 

Friday Finish!

 

This week I was busy getting the trailer ready. It seems I take all week with packing and planning and cooking, on top of taking care of the house but I was able to get it all done and not forget anything. During the week I got a chance to finish a small pillow. Another stitchery I never finished off, so bit by bit, I am whittling down items in my box.

Last week we went to the island for some beach combing. I noticed a goose, close to shore and was able to get close enough to see it was in distress. He has wry neck and that can be a sign of Avian flu. It cannot raise its head, so it is unable to fly. I also saw two dead birds on the shore, so it is possible with the large flocks of geese and gulls in the area. I contacted a few organizations in the area, so hopefully they could help it.

Lots of Ospreys have come back and new ones are nesting so not sure if this is a regular or a new one who may be thinking of nesting in the tree.

Today we got to camp. We got a nice spot on the cove, so it's a great place to relax.

After we set up, we went to the beach and enjoyed some time beach combing and the cooler air. A storm was coming in, so we couldn't stay out long.

Back at camp, I enjoyed relaxing and watching the storm as it rolled in. With the tide being so low, I was able to walk out further in the marsh with my boots. Tomorrow is cloudy and cooler, perfect for bike riding. Sunday will be rain, and I paid for the night so we could stay all day, so it will depend on the rain.

I hope you all had a nice week and can enjoy some nice weather, though I saw there are some bad storms in some areas. 

Friday finish!

 I finally decided what to do with my bible block. It is from the Bible quilt by Jan patek. I planned on making the whole quilt, but never had the time, so I decided to make the block into a mini quilt. Since it is primitive, I wanted to antique it, as well. I haven't pressed it out, so it looks a bit wonky.

Last week we spent time, riding around the south coast. It was cold as usual, so riding is a great way to get out and enjoy the views. We spotted the Osprey near the seafood restaurant, still waiting for his mate.

And another along a back road.

This week, his mate came in.

Today was a hike at the bird sanctuary. It was a cloudy day with fog rolling into some areas, but I always love walking in the cooler temps. As we walked we could hear all the Ospreys flying around. A lot were hanging out in trees along the pathways.

 

Most didn't like us walking in their area and let us know.

Nearer the ocean, it was foggier. The old timers, still haven't built a nest on the island. Most of the others repaired or built new ones, all destroyed by the winter storms.

And the Swallows were flying around us and claiming their nesting boxes.

And the best surprise was spotting an Eagle in the field. He was carrying a stick, so he is nesting nearby. Tomorrow we will get another nice day, but cold coming back in the afternoon, so hopefully we can get out for an early hike. Then I need to get the side dishes made up, so all I have to do is reheat them. 

I planned on doing a treasure hunt with clues for the boys, but they are saying rain on Sunday. I will have to rethink it to do one in the house, with the last clue telling them where their treasure bag is.

May you all have a blessed Easter holiday.

Friday Finish!

 This week I worked on my bed quilt and was all excited when I got it all together, then I saw it is too short. The guest bed is a long, so I need at least two more rows, then with a border, it should be the right size. Luckily I found some more old fabrics that I can add to what pieces I have enough of, to blend it in.

At night I do hand work and finished a little mat to put on my old bench. It was from a Need'l love book with a Christmas theme, so I changed it a little to make it more Americana.

I also finished the rose I was working on. As usual, I over painted it by trying to follow the instructions and made more of a mess, so I gave up. The next one I am working on is a design I redid from a photo I took.

I have also been working in my gardens. My DIL gave me strawberry plants a few years ago and this year they are finally producing. Some are growing strangely and a lot have bites out of them, but I still get a few for myself.

On nice days we are getting out for walks. The bird sanctuary is one of our favorite places. Always a nice walk and lots of birds. I caught an Eastern Towhee along the path.

At the end of one point, you can see an Osprey nest. I am not sure what they were doing, but the dad was moving a large stick and the female was helping. 

We also stopped at the ocean to check out the waves and caught this fishermen, coming around on the rough side of the rocks. 

With rain on and off during the weekends, we get out when it stops. We went to another bird sanctuary that is down the road and enjoyed walking around the pond. Lots of birds in the area, but none sit still or are hiding in the bush.

I hope you all enjoyed your week and have a good weekend. I need to get going on old projects and now I have to get ready for a trip in two weeks. We will be celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, but keeping it simple by going camping. 

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!

This week I worked on finishing another small table mat. I used different precut mini blocks to make it, using some patriotic and others to match, with matching colors for the border. 

I also got in the mood to do my own painting. I used a photo I took on our trip. I did an outline of the main pieces and then made a mess of it. I wanted the background to be faded like the photo, but it came out too bold. After I watched a video and saw what I did wrong and what I can do next time, a learning experience. I also overdid it on the bird and my paper starts to degrade with too much water. I am used to doing acrylics where you can paint over things but not with watercolor.

We got in a lot of walks and sightseeing in the nearby areas. One area has a nice cliff walk, with views of the bay. And after, we walked at fishermen's beach, and a foggy day by the light.

We also enjoyed the birds and wildlife along the way.

We also walked along the fishing port, fishermen working on their boats.

I caught this guy in the parking lot. He has a filleted fish and swallowed it whole.

Another day we went to the ocean beach. Last weekend they were closed so not as crowded and I spotted this Mockingbird hanging out in the nesting area. 

And always a lot of birds in that area to enjoy.

And this pair in the reeds.

And finally on our last night, a sunset.

On our last day, I paid for the night so we could stay the day. But, I woke up sick again. I guess I overdid it and it came back at me. So this week I went back on stronger meds and rested more, so feeling a bit better again. Lesson learned, if you see mouse droppings, get out and get a mask on.

While Bill got the trailer ready to leave, I sat and enjoyed watching the birds in front of our camp. I finally got photos of the Yellow Warblers, which never stay still.

And this is the one I did a painting of. It sat and sang for a while, a nice way to end the weekend. 

This weekend we will spend time with the kids. Birthday month, so tomorrow we celebrate Ivy and Bill's and next week is the boys. I hope everyone had a good week and enjoy getting out this weekend.