Friday finish!

  

This week I tried a new stuffed owl. It is a fun pattern and easy to do. I didn't like how the ears came out with the inset and the bottom piece, kept me from being able to keep the opening on the bottom. So, I redrew it a bit larger for a pillow size and changed it up a bit. Hopefully I can get another done next week.

Last week we took a drive around the ocean road and made a few stops, but it was too cold to be outside, too long. We stopped at the docks and watch the boats and birds in the channel.

The next day was slightly warmer, so we went to the island so Bean could enjoy some time out. It was foggy most of the time. Looking across to Newport.

Not too many birds lately, but I have seen a lot of Mallards. 

And of course, I couldn't resist picking up treasures on the beach. The large dark piece is green and I found a few glass hearts.

And at home, I have been seeing the Red-shouldered Hawk. This one was jumping down to the ground, trying to catch something. Not sure if he ever got anything.

I hope everyone had a good week and it seems like another week of cold weather. Hopefully spring will be here soon.

Friday finish!

 

I hope every one had a nice holiday. We had a nice time, even though everyone was still sick. The good thing was, we didn't have to worry about getting sick or passing it along, we already did. 

I rested when I could and made up a couple of stitcheries to work on, I finished one. This is one of my designs from the Christmas booklet. A lot of my designs can be changed into stitcheries, even though I made them for rugs or punch needle. I added glitter paint on the star, for a fun touch.

We got out for a few rides, but not as many birds at the ponds. The winter ducks are coming in and even Pelicans have been spotted at the wharfs, so hoping we can get down there before they leave. I was able to spot a Red-shouldered Hawk one day. He flew right in front of us and landed on a post.

We enjoyed our time with the kids. We had dinner at our house on Christmas Eve and the kids got their main present along with others, then we spent the next day at their house and I saved some for them to open then. 

The boys got instruments, Alex was trying out his trumpet and Nick got an electric guitar, but I didn't get a shot of him. 

Tonight we are getting snow, so hoping it will be clear tomorrow so we can go out for a ride, to enjoy seeing everything covered in white. I hope you all enjoy your weekend.

Friday is for the birds!

 I really tried to put more time into finishing my quilting, but I have one more outer row to go and then the binding, so that will be doable, next week. We have gotten out more and have enjoyed more birding. 

We went to our favorite spot and checked out the further end of the point. No birds in the marsh, but with the rougher waters, I caught a group of gulls, enjoying the beach area. This guy was having fun, taking a bath and splashing around in the water.

In the inner marsh, we caught the resident Belted Kingfisher. 

Bill spotted the female, hiding on a rock. The minute I started to get shots of her, the male decided to chase her away. 

In another section of the marsh, I spotted a group of birds. This one is a Greater Yellowlegs.

And this one is a Dunlin. They look similar but you can see the difference in the beak colors and shapes, and the leg colors. The Dunlin is about half the size of the Yellowlegs.

At the island I caught a group of Red-breasted Mergansers. The males were showing off for the female.

And I caught a group of Greater Scaups. Love their eyes and coloring.

At home we got a snow storm, so I enjoyed seeing the birds who came to visit. I love the Carolina Wrens and was finally able to get a shot of one.

And the White-throated Sparrow, stopped for a visit. Usually they are on the ground and always on the move.

And The Dark-eyed Juncos, snow always brings more around.

And it is that time of year, where the hawks are pairing up again and on the hunt. So far they haven't bothered the birds at the feeder. This one was above my neighbor's chicken coops, lots of wood piles and areas where the mice hide. He is a Red-shouldered Hawk.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the birds in my area. I really never noticed birds and the types, until I started looking. A lot of birds blend in with their surroundings, so you might not even notice them. Also, a feeder is a great way to bring birds to your yard. It is a fun way to bring a little sunshine to the winter and help them get through the colder months.

Friday Finishes!

 I hope everyone had a nice week and found time to craft. I was able to finally finish my newest piece, from the stitch of the month club. Just in time for Valentines. I added a few of my own touches and think I might do a little quilting around the border.

I also wanted to make a new coat rack. My old one has been knocked down, too many times and isn't strong enough for coats. This way when guests come in, they can hang their coats at the top of the stairs. I found rustic railroad spike, hooks, on Amazon, so Bill made a basic prim board to put them on. And, I got to put my church cat up, finally.

Last week we did our usual ride around and explored a few waterfalls. We met up with the kids and spent some time at their house, always nice to spend times with the boys.

At home, the red squirrel who lives next door, has been coming over for his fill at the feeders. He is so fun to watch and starting to get used to me.

I also enjoy watching the White-breasted Nuthatch, but they never stay still, always busy.

Luckily, all the birds and squirrels seem to be able to outsmart the hawks. This Red-Breasted Hawk, came into the yard to hunt, but once he saw me watching, he took off and went to a high tree in the back field.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend. We had a beautiful day today, but were stuck waiting for an estimate on a new sewage ejector pump and they didn't get here till after dinner. It seems everything is starting to go lately, luckily we have some savings to pay for it. Last week it was radon, Bill got a detector and ours is above the level, so we go that system put in. Hopefully nothing more major comes along.