Weekend Wanderings!

 

This week I didn't get a lot done on my new piece, so hopefully I will finish it this week. I am thinking it is time to start Christmas. I have a few unfinished pieces and ones I wanted to make, along with crafts to make, so a good time to get started.

I got a reservation at our favorite spot in a few weeks for four days, so a great midweek break to get out and try the new trailer. Yes, a new trailer, a much bigger one, so we have room for the whole family now. We will keep the RV since it is great for weekends and day trips and some parks have a size limit, the new one is 32 feet. 

We did get out a few times over the weekend and week. We tried the new double kayak around the lake and did much better this time. I like that we can go to the far coves and have a private spot to relax and swim. This is an old camp that closed down and the state just left it, so a great place to stop.

We got to the lighthouse for a nice walk, lots of butterflies now.

And a Monarch

And lots of birds

And a group of kayakers coming in to practice kayaking and landing at the rocks. 

We went to the beach for a swim at the park, afterwards, but I was so busy trying to get photos that I never did get a swim in.

During the week we went to the town beach, close by so perfect for a swim before dinner. This weekend is iffy, rain on and off, so hopefully we can get out for a paddle before it hits. I hope you are all enjoying your summer. I can't believe it is almost over, but we always enjoy being out in the fall, when the crowds are gone.

Friday finish!

 

This week was a short one, with the holiday, so I never got a chance to work on my quilt. I decided to whip up a couple of rocks so I will have a stash to hide this summer. I tend to work on night when I am tired and my arm is sore, so I make a mess. I think I do better with paint, since I can go over mistakes and fix things, better than with the pens. 

I saw these designs on the web and had to try them, mine are definitely not as nice as the originals. Working on rough rocks, doesn't help.

We got to spend time at the beach on the island. It is nice since we can walk, collect glass and bird watch. I finally got a look at the new baby, you can see it hiding under mom.

And the dad, he wasn't happy when I got closer from the other side.

With low tide, I was able to walk further into the marsh area. I caught this Glossy Ibis.

And a Snowy Egret with it's catch.

We were able to get out for a paddle one day. We went out of the harbor and stopped at the breakers.

On the rocks behind Bill, I caught these two Cormorants. 

Since my arm was doing good, we went out into the bay and paddled to the town beach. It was a nicer place to swim and enjoy a snack. On the way back, the wind picked up and the smoke got heavier, so it definitely wore me out. But it was nice to be on the bay again, next time I will use my sea kayak, which is easier to paddle in rougher waters.

Another day we enjoyed glass hunting, the views and more birds. I seem to be finding a few large pieces of old brown glass, but no real treasures lately.

I also got another look at mom and her baby. The baby is still to weak to stand up for long, it was trying but kept falling over. While baby slept, mom caught up on her preening.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend. We didn't do much since it rained more, late in the day, but it was nice getting out when we could.

Weekday Aventures!

 

This week has been a whirlwind of activity and going back and forth to camp, so no time to create. While I have the time and opportunity to get out more, I am using my time to be active and get back in shape. Every day I go for walks withe Bean and paddling on the river.

I have a small sit on that I use, it makes it easier to get into coves and shallow coves. One day I explored into a river way that had two small falls and now that the water is higher, I was able to scoot over them and see what was on the other side.

It opened up into a larger river, surrounded by forest and stumps, unfortunately I couldn't find out where the Blue Heron was hiding, probably on the other side, that I couldn't get into.

I was able to find a spot to sit at, in the larger pond. I could hear and see the birds, so I sat still until a few were curious enough to land nearby. A Yellow Warbler and a Red Winged Blackbird.

And one day the Geese came to the boat launch and I was able to get closer to the Goslings.

With the higher waters, I was able to get further up into the river. I admit, I get a bit scared, being out in the middle of nowhere by myself, but I kept going to reach the fork in the river. It is a beautiful area, nothing but nature and the sound of birds. A lot of turtles along the banks. I only took my phone with me, so wasn't able to get close ups.  

I also found a place called Heron Cove, but no Herons in sight. I did find a nice trail and realized that it goes back into the state forest, maybe a hike for another time.

And, we went for a little ride up the road and I found this little old Schoolhouse, the Wylie Schoolhouse. It looks like it had some damage and the Bell was missing. It has two outhouses in the back.

I snuck a peak inside by pressing my camera against the window, would be fun to go inside. I hope you all had a wonderful week and find adventures in your own area. Lots of hidden treasures when. you take the roads less taken.

Last night we came home, I got laundry done, food cooked for the weekend and plan on staying at camp over the weekend. Maybe then I will stop and relax for a bit and work on my quilting.

National Take a Hike Day!

Today is National Take a Hike Day and I was inspired by Cotopaxi, to join in by sharing one of my recent hikes. Cotopaxi is a company that creates innovative outdoor products and experiences that fund sustainable poverty relief, move people to do good, and inspire adventure. One of their products that helps to provide the most funding for poverty relief is their Adventure Backpacks.

This weekend we spent two days exploring Tillinghast Pond Management Area. The area is also open to hunting in certain sections, so be sure to read the guidelines for proper clothing in hunting areas. It is a wonderful place for hikers of all abilities and with four different trail systems, you can go for a shorter hike around the pond, or explore all of the trails for a 10 mile day hike.

It is not only a wonderful place for hikers, but for those who love historical sites. The road to the main parking area can be found by taking a right at the West Greenwich Church, founded in 1750.

Our first day was on the shorter trail around the pond. There is ample parking and a bathroom at the main parking area, which also gives access to all of the trails in the area.

The view from the lot affords views of the pond and a boat launch for those of you who love to paddle.

The pond offered several viewpoints and it is also great for the pups, who love to play in the water. Another bonus to hiking at Tillinghast, the trails are dog friendly.

The deck offers views and a place to fish. This area is well stocked, as well.

Looking back at the deck, fall is a wonderful time to enjoy a hike at the pond, color abounds.

One of the largest glacial rocks in the area.

The conservancy has done a wonderful job on the trail system, the paths are clearly marked and maps at the junctions.

An area with a grassy section and table for those who want to enjoy a family picnic at the pond. The views are stunning at every area.

The path ends along a stone wall, which are scattered around the area, as well as fields, which are leased to the local farmers. The conservancy has offered a beautiful place to hike, along with sustainable conservation of the land. 

So, what does Take a Hike Day mean to you? Even if you do not have a major hiking area you can spend the day or even an hour, exploring trails in your area. Hiking lowers your blood pressure and your stress levels, a great way to stay healthy and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Since we saw so many beautiful sites along both trails, I will be doing part two tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed hiking with us and I would love to hear about your favorite hikes.

Weekend Wanderings!

Bill had two extra days off so a nice long weekend. We made the best of it by enjoying our own area and were able to get out and enjoy a few good days before the storm hit. The weather is not bad here, but the winds were whipping up the waves and making it hard to swim at the ocean beaches. Today we got the winds and a little rain, hopefully we will get more rain before the warm weather comes back.

Saturday we decided to go to Connecticut and check out a boat launch we could never find, which I finally figured out. You drive over the border and go into Connecticut and then down a long back road and back towards Rhode Island and there is a nice big boat launch at their end of the lake.

Since we had never been and I wanted to walk a bit, we walked along the path that follows the shoreline. The path goes back to Rhode Island but we were just exploring. It was a beautiful part of the trail, lots of areas to stop and enjoy the views.

From this viewpoint I saw some little islands and people swimming, so we walked to that point and checked it out and went back to get our suits on and our kayaks. It was funny, Bean and I were waiting for slow poke Bill and Bean started whining and hopping into the kayaks, I guess he has decided he likes kayaking.

I also think he knows, kayaking means water fun and we had our own little spot on the island to relax and go for a swim.

After our swim, we did a little more paddling and enjoyed the shoreline, love the rock ledges in this area.

On Sunday we wanted to see the ocean and watch the waves from the storm that was approaching. We went to Fort Wetherill which has views of the bay entrance and ocean and on the other side is Newport.

This fort still has a lot of structures still standing, so we could walk around some areas and on the tops to enjoy the views.

We then took a path that led to the ocean cliffs, spectacular views of the outer bay and the sailboats.

We continued along the paths and came out on the Newport side, beautiful views from every angle.

We left the fort and headed to Battery Park. I found it on a map and wanted to check it out. A nice walk through the woods to an area that was once used in the American revolution and then for the world wars. There is not a lot left, but it was fun to visit and we even spotted the coast guard boat, anchored in the harbor.

On the path back we came across the fire control stations. I cannot imagine being stuck in that hole, looking out through the slats, all day and night.

Here is the sign that was posted nearby, it shows what it was like and a bit of history about them.

And today we spent the morning, cleaning out the yard and removing projectiles, just in case. I noticed that is was nicer in Connecticut and the orchards were open,  so we headed back over the border to go apple picking. Not only did we get some fresh apples, but some pears, as well.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and not effected too badly with the storm.
If you are bored and want to see the little slide show I made up, you can watch it at My Youtube Channel.

New Hampshire Beauty and Fun!

We packed a lot in a week and I took lots of photos, but I will show you some of the highlights. At one place a woman asked to take a photo of us and she must have hit the wrong buttons and I took a few photos before I realized they were messed up. Of course the photo she took was chopped off and looked horrible, so I won't show that one, lol.

One of the things I wanted to do was to drive along route 302 and see the tall waterfall that cascades down the mountain. Maybe my memory was bad, but it wasn't even worth a photo, just a small stream coming down but we enjoyed the ride and saw some other nice places along the way.

We found this roadside park and stopped to enjoy the views and a walk with Bean. It is a small pond and only kids are allowed to fish in it, a nice place to go with small children.

They also have a bridge and waterfall that goes to a nice picnic area and hiking trails.

We came around to route 3, where you can see the basin which is free and the flume which has a fee, but well worth it, if you have never been. We went to the basin for a walk around the main path, which follows the falls and river to the basin.

The next day we went for a paddle on Lake Chocorua. It is just right for an easy paddle, with wonderful views of the mountains.

Bean is loving going paddling. He realizes it means he can also play in the water when we find a quiet little island at the end.

We did a morning paddle and had all afternoon, so it was the perfect day to go to Diana's Baths. We just hiked along the trail along the falls and I did dip my feet in, but too cold for me to swim in. Lots of people were swimming, so not too many private spots, that day.

The next day we had a storm coming in, so we relaxed a little at the camp and then headed towards Center Harbor for some shopping and the sun was coming out by the time we got there. I planned it so we went through the storm and came out on the sunny side;)

We came back on the Kancamagus and had time to stop at Sabbaday falls. It is a short walk to the falls and a little climb up the stairways, but a magnificent view of the falls as you head up and at the top.

The last thing on my to do list, was to hike the Lincoln Trail to Franconia Falls. This is the path we took the kids on when they were little but we just walked a bit along the river and I wanted to make it to the falls this time.

The  hike goes along the river, love hearing the sound of the river as we walked along. The bad thing is, Bean hears water and he is constantly pulling me towards it.

The path is an old railroad, logging road and the woods are filled with beautiful white birch.

We got to the top of the falls and not only were the falls a wonderful series of cascades, there is a giant pool at the end where you can swim and beautiful views of the mountains.

We didn't do too much shopping, I wanted to enjoy being outside, but I did get a few things. At Center Harbor I stopped in Keepsake Quilting, they have a large sale room in the back so I treated myself to a few yards of shirting. Next door is a yarn shop that carries roving, so I got some blue and green shades to use in 2D pictures. On the way home we stopped at Elf Made, it is a wonderful prim shop that also carries local souvenirs and I love their scents. I got some of my favorites and some candles, as well as a few bags of balsam for my Christmas pillows. All of the stores pack your purchases in fun bags and fabric ribbons, a little something I can use in a special project.

I hope you enjoyed my visit to NH, I know I could spend the whole summer there, if I could.