Friday Finish!

 This week I am still working on my quilt, and of course I know wish, I had machine quilted it. I have most of the main design done, but the smaller areas have no black outline, so I will have to do those in thinner, matching threads.

I grabbed another item out of my to do pile. This was a design by Lynette Anderson. I used to work punch needle pieces for her, for her booklets. This was one I never got around to and decided it was too much to do more.

Not the best job, rushed it and I did some with smaller needle and others with large, so didn't come out like I wanted. It was a circle, so I wanted to add a base to make it look like a snow globe, didn't quite work out, but it will have to do.

Last week we went to Connecticut. I enjoyed the ride and we were able to stop at the quilt store. I got some nice christmas print to use as a border on some of the quilts I am doing. Then we stopped at a pond to see the colors. They were nice, but not as bright as the previous week.

After we went to Comstock bridge and hiked up the hill. It has a beautiful view of the surrounding hills and river. But, not this year. The trees have taken over, so we could enjoy the views, but not get a clear view with the camera.

The next day we went to the kids to drop off a few things. The boys didn't want to go out, so we decided to head to the pond down the road. We go all the time, but have never walked around the pond. I was surprised at how nice the walk was and it was nice to be out without driving for hours.

The first thing we passed was the troll.

And came out to beautiful views of the pond.

On the opposite side is a waterfall.

And a side view of the area, in better light.

Coming around to the other side is a point with tall pines.

When we got back around, we went across the street and walked down the boardwalk to another pond. 

Today it was too windy to be at the beach or the woods. We went for a drive and ended up at the ocean. The tide was coming in and the waves were coming up. I hope everyone had a nice week and not hit with the flooding that some areas got.

Friday finishes!

 This week I worked at finishing my Easter quilt. This was a free pattern being offered on Cheri's Facebook page. They have kept it open in honor of Cheri and her family is gracious enough to let us use some of the older patterns.

I added the extra bird on the branch and lettering. The bad thing is, I used washed fabric and new and it shrunk in the front, not the back. The good thing is, no one can see the back, lol.

One day I wanted a quick project to do. I also wanted to try one of the animals in a kit I got, the bunny was perfect for now. I could not get a sharp photo, not sure why, but always seems to happen with felted pieces.

Last week we went for our usual ride around the ocean beaches. In one parking lot, I spotted this guy, he was really interested in this empty pack, not sure why he wanted it.

I also spotted a Peregrine Falcon, first time I got one, sitting still.

We also stopped at the dog beach, Bean loved getting out. He had teeth removed last week, and since he was feeling better, he was ready for some beach time.

Along the way, we spotted lots of Ospreys and got a few shots. The first one was in a parking lot and every time someone got out to walk in the restaurant, it had a fit. The last one is one of the tallest nests in the state.

One day we stopped by the kids to drop off a box. They were sick so I left it in the back, with some health remedies and goodies for the kids. On the way home we stopped at the park for a walk. The boardwalk was nice and easier for me to walk on. Someday when my foot heals, I want to walk the trail around the main pond.

Today we went to the island to enjoy some time outside, before the rains come tomorrow. Lots of seagulls in the area and others, so it was nice to enjoy walking on the beach and getting some warmer, fresh air.

I hope that everyone has a nice weekend, and not in the paths of the storms. It is sad to see all the devastation across the country and feel blessed to live in an area that is not prone to severe weather.

Friday finish and fun!

This week I worked on finishing my Christmas mat. I had different snowflake fabrics and I like how they fit together. It still has enough of a prim look to fit in with my decor, and just enough pop to make it festive. The edge on the front is how it looks, the other edges are a bit messed up looking since I use AI to put it in a new background.

 

Last week we did some rides and sight seeing. We headed up state and stopped at the Dam. It is always a nice view.

After, we headed back to another pond. We even spotted the eagle, across the pond.

We got a nice walk along the pathways and stopped at the falls. Most of the falls are starting to slow down, with the lack of rain in our areas.

We went into Connecticut and took a scenic route home. Not as much color as I had hoped, but the farms alway offer beautiful views.

Another day we went to Connecticut since I wanted to get one more bag of apples, before they close. We stopped at the Yantic falls.

Another view of the railroad bridge. Even the falls here were light and slower.

We have been getting some light walks in and today we got a longer walk with rougher terrain and hills. I spotted a lot of birds and heard a lot, but none would stay put for a photo.

It is going to get cooler but sunny here so hopefully we can get more walks in this weekend. I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler fall weather and can get out and enjoy walks in your area.

Friday Finish, fun and not so fun!

 

This has been one of those weeks, but I was able to finish one project I had started. It is a design by Robin Leuschen of Bird in the Hand Primitives. I used the main design and made a lavender sachet. It was a fun piece to do for Spring.

We didn't do a lot on the weekend, the weather hasn't been the greatest, but we had a nice day for a ride and headed into Connecticut. We took a loop ride to check out a few pond areas, but no birds or areas that we could get into without walking in the cold. 

So what did we see? Something you wouldn't expect along the roadway, a dinosaur.

And a Teradactyl on a roof. It is a place called Dinosaur Village, the kids have been inside so we may go again with the boys, when they reopen.

Another thing in the village is a large antique mall, a great place to explore on a cold day. We spent hours and I saw a lot of great items, but a bit pricey for me. But I did come home with a few goodies.

And on the way back home, we made a few stops at local lakes and parks.

And then things went downhill. I wanted to rest on Monday, wasn't feeling great and my injuries were acting up, but that was not to be. I woke up to voices, my husband and son. My son was nice enough to go pick Bill up from the hospital so I wouldn't have to. Bill was on his way to work and stopped for coffee and slipped on the ice at the shop, so now he is laid up. 

We had to wait for permission to get an MRI, so that happens on Tuesday and we will find out what the damage is. So, I am back to taking care of everything that I can and luckily my son is good about helping and I discovered online shopping for food. Not as good as what we pick out, but easier on me since I cannot lift too much.

I hope everyone has had a better week and it won't be long before Spring is here.

Friday works and Fun!

This week I didn't get anything finished, but I was able to work on a new project. I think I needed a rest and time to get ready for the holiday, so I made up a new stitchery that I can use as a pillow this season. The design is by Kathy Schmitz from her Christmas book and I was lucky enough to find a copy from a local library and copy some of the designs.

I am using three strands of floss so it will stand out more, I think this will be a fun pillow to display.

Today I wanted to get out for a hike, but my body wasn't cooperating, so we went for a ride to the quilt store in Connecticut. The boys have some events coming up at school and need fun masks, so I got the gnomes for them, then I found the cars and thought that was perfect for the guys. I loved the skate material and glad I grabbed a yard, I do have the same black with mittens and one with trees, so I will use it for a quilt and add some greens and reds to the mix. 

I think one thing that wore me out was, the hike we did last weekend. I wanted to try a new trail and hike for a bit to see how far we could get. I was having so much fun finding new ponds and enjoying the hike that we made it all the way to the end, Hell Hollow Pond. We ended up doing over 10 miles, so the longest yet, for me.

And the next day we went back with the boys. The weatherman lied, the rain came early and just as we got to the first pond, it came down. Luckily the trail back was tree lined so we stayed dry until it stopped. We took another short walk and headed to the campground for lunch and relaxing.

I have been watching the birds and practicing manual focus, so I can get the birds in the trees. The camera always wants to focus on the branches, so I was able to catch this Cardinal who visits the feeder.

And the male Downy Woodpecker is getting more used to me. I am still trying to get a shot of the Carolina wren, it comes and sits and chatters at me, but never when I have the camera. 

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. We had a simple, traditional dinner with the kids.