Friday Finish!

 

This week I worked on a new project from Cheri Saffiote, offered on her group, as a freebie.  The group is a wonderful way to remember Cheri and keep her memory alive. This week we lost another fellow designer, Sandra Caldwell. It seems we have lost a lot of designers and good friends over the last few years.

The original design has a pieced backing, but I had some old blocks that a friend gifted me, so I used those. One block has the saying inside, so I made a separate piece and sewed that on. It was fun to make and I may make more with the original design. I am thinking I may do hot pads as gifts for my family members, with designs to fit their likes and my brother and one sister, loves chickens.

I made these for myself, so I didn't mind if they were a bit wonky.

The weather has been all over the place, but we get out when we can, even on cool days. Last weekend we visited Moonstone beach. It is a long stretch of beach so we only did the area where the pond and birding was.

I spied quite a few birds in the dunes around the pond. most are shy so I had to take quick shots. A Sony Sparrow, Greater Egret and a Kingfisher.

On the walk back, I almost walked into these guys. They blend into their surroundings, which is why the beach is closed this month. The Piping Plovers are nesting there, so they keep it protected. The bird with the shorter beak is a Sanderling and the longer beak is a Dunlin.

And lots of interesting things left on the beach, not sure if they washed up or kids left them, but someone has piled them up so the ocean doesn't wash them away.

Along the rode we go, to get there, we happened to see two swans and stopped to see what else was at the pond. That is when I noticed the nest, looks like there will be some new swans this spring. Hopefully I can be in the area when they are born.

We stopped at another beach area to see if the Ospreys were back, and they were. The male was gathering sticks to add to the nest. He would hand them to the female who would decide where it went. This nest is double in size since I last saw it, they have been busy.

It seems Sunday is always the rainy day, but we were able to get some time in, at the beach. I never get tired of the different views since it is surrounded by water on three sides. The island where the lighthouse sits was an old fort and I spent a lot of summers with my family, taking the boat across for a picnic and exploring the island.

Beach combing seems to have dwindled lately, but still fun to look and get a good walk in. I hope everyone had a good week and can enjoy the weekend. It looks like we have another rainy Sunday.

Weekend Wanderings!

We had a beautiful weekend for getting out, so we took advantage of the weather and the lower tide. We spent a few hours at the beach on Saturday and of course I was happy I found more glass this time. There were other collectors who had gotten there earlier, but they tend to look for glass that is at the shore, I went for the rock piles and found a lot, hidden under the pebble beds.

And while we were there, we spotted about 100 sailboats coming toward us. I found out that it is an annual charity event, that was started after 911. They do it every year and the money goes to local charities, one is for sailing lessons, for wounded warriors and a kid's sailing program.

On Sunday, I was still feeling sick, but the boys wanted to go out, how could I say no. The plan was to take them to the park for a short walk and some time at the playground. But, Bill went by the exit and we ended up at the beach. I am glad he messed up, the weather was so warm, I wished I had put on my suit. But, we still got wet with the crashing waves. Nick enjoyed playing in the sand an all Alex wanted to do was stand in the water and have the waves hit him, I loved seeing him playing and laughing so much.

We finished the day with a trip back to the playground and then we took them to the farm for some ice cream. They have a play area for the kids with a giant sand pile for them to play on. They also had great displays outside and in a barn, for picture taking. Of course no one could sit still long enough for a nice porttrait photo.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I seem to have over done it, so I crashed today. Some housework got done and lots of sewing on my quilt.

Weekend Weirdness!

This weekend we went back to Jamestown, another partly rainy day then sun, so we like to go to the Diving launch, where it is not crowded. There were a lot of boats out, so it was nice just relaxing and enjoying the views.

I was also trying my filters, to block the bright sun. I love how this photo made the water and boats look like glass.

I was trying to get the schooners, but they were really traveling fast with the higher winds. This is a cliff we have gone on, from the other side. If you look closely you can see some boys at the bottom of the cliff, wonder if they jumped off or swam up.

Of course Bean had lots of fun, we always pick a spot away from people so he can play off leash. I think he wants to be in the movies.

Here he is practicing his dance moves.

 And for a part in, The Walking Dead.

 I had planned on swimming, but the water was all murky from the boaters, so we headed to my Sister in laws beach. Her beach is at the end of their road and usually empty, so I love swimming there and Bean can play some more, plus the water was nice and clean. Bill and Bean are looking for rocks that I can use for painting.

Sunday was another slow day, but Bill decided he was going to repurpose our old fence for my beach room, so he started getting the nails out and cleaning the wood. We needed a power washer to clean it good, so we headed to my son's to borrow his.

Of course I got to spend time with Nick and Alex which is always fun. I took Nick to the river and he rode his new scooter. Fun for him, but tiring for me since I had to walk really fast to keep up with him, lol. He was happy for about 10 minutes and then wanted to go home, he has this new fear of going places with me and having his parents disappear. He starts preschool next week, so hopefully that will help with his new found fear.

So, we played outside his house and had fun watching the frogs in the run off pond, in front of his house. Alex is walking now, so the rest of the time was spent keeping him from running into things so no photos this time. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend was mixed, some good and some bad. Saturday was mostly rainy, but we got out for a ride and I was able to get out of the car and take some shots before it started again. We went to the lighthouse in Westerly since you can park and enjoy the views without getting out.

I spotted some cormorants sitting on the pole, and got a quick shot off, but the minute I hit the beach, they took off, was hoping for some closeups.

I watched a sailboat go by and then the rain started, but at least I got out for a little while.

On the way back, we took a back road that followed the coastline and spotted an egret in the marsh. We saw a whole flock in another area, but no place to stop and park so I could get a shot.

On Sunday we got to get out with Nicholas. My son was working on the house so he dropped him off and I was getting snacks ready and Bill let Bean back in. Bean went flying into Nick and Nick went flying into the dishwasher and smacked his face into it.

It was just open enough that he hit the door with his mouth and cut up the inside of his lip and of course he started crying and crying for his daddy. I called and he was going to come back, but while we were waiting, Nick calmed down and I asked him if he wanted to go home or go to the beach, that made it easy, the beach of course. Nick was afraid to go near Bean but by the end of the day, he asked if we were going to go back and see Bean, so that is good, I don't want him to be afraid of Bean, Bean is just a bit excitable when Nick comes over to play.

We took Nick to the Denison Sanctuary to see the owls and go for a walk. Bill found out that you are supposed to pay, even if you just go for a walk, oops. So, we paid, which I didn't mind since the money helps to rehabilitate the owls.

Nick loved walking around the pond, we got to see the turtles and ducks and a huge snapping turtle came by, while we were at the shore.

He wanted to keep walking, I wasn't sure how much hiking he could do, but he was full of energy and wanted to explore. Grandpa held his hand on the rougher areas, one accident was enough.

We also went inside the center. They have areas with dioramas of different animals and their habitats, along with some live ones. Nick was afraid of the snake, said it was bad, but I told him that our snakes are friendly and helpful. I think he got the fear when he was in malaysia, those snakes are bad, lol.

And as promised, we took him to a beach. It was on the inner harbor, since it was getting cooler, but he was happy enough, just as long as there was sand and rocks to throw.

So the day ended on a good night, he had fun and was happy again, but he will be eating soft foods for a few days. I hope you all had a good weekend.

Holiday Weekend Part II !

We packed in a lot of things in 4 days, I am still recovering, lol. Cleaning and cooking to catch up and then to top it off, I won a contest. I won a free class from Teresa Kogut, Angelic Strokes Tutorial. I was totally surprised and thrilled, never thought I would win one of her classes. I love her angel designs and her style and now I am learning the technique she uses while making one of the angels.

Today was shopping for supplies, even though I have painting supplies, I didn't have the ones I needed. I still didn't find everything, but I can substitute on the ones I didn't find. Today was cutting up paper and applying that to the canvas, then tomorrow I seal it all, then I can start painting on the next day.

The camp we stayed at was close to multiple beaches, so we stuck close by and enjoyed each one. We did get cooler temps, but warm enough during the day to get out for some walks. At night we got some rain, so I didn't get to enjoy as many sunsets or see the meteor showers, but it was nice to get away and give me a change of pace, just what I needed to recharge.

One nice thing about off season is, we can take Bean to the beaches. We realized after, that this month is off limits to dogs, but everyone else had their dogs on the beach, so I guess they don't enforce it.

And we found a section with no people, which Bean was thrilled about since he gets to go off leash. He was really good and stayed with us, but if he is close to kids and dogs, he wants to go play and jump on them, so I am careful about that. He loved playing in the ocean, I guess the cold doesn't bother him.

We got down before sunset, so we got to watch as the sun went down, then the clouds took over and we never got to see the full setting, but still beautiful as it went down.

On Sunday we spent the morning watching the ferry go out and then headed home  to get ready for Easter dinner. The kids cooked and my son smoked beef and salmon and made foods I could eat, it was a real treat not to have to cook and be able to eat most of the items at the table.

They also did an Easter egg hunt for the kids. Hard to take photos when they are running around so fast, you can't keep up. Nick is so cute, he kept up with the older kids.

Alex is at the age where he is aware of everything and seems to have taken cues from Nick on making faces for photos, he is such a ham with his expressions. Most are blurry though, he never sits still.

Now it is back to creating again, hopefully I will have some progress of my painting and a new stitchery block, by friday.

Weekend Wanderings!

We are finally getting some beautiful weather, warm and sunny with a cool breeze, just right for getting out and enjoying some exploring.

On Saturday we did some shopping first to get some camping gear, though we may not go if the weather goes downhill. Looks like rain on Sunday so we won't be able to have the kids down for a picnic, so my son will do the cooking and that way if we do go, we can just go there for dinner and not worry about cooking.

We decided to take Bean for some fun time at his favorite beach. No one was around since it was a bit cool, so he could run off leash and he had a wonderful time.

We had a low tide so we could explore the shoreline and I found a few new heart rocks and some sea glass. Bean was happy running around and pushing rocks in the sand.

On the way back I spotted the Osprey on the perch, next to his nest.

Sunday the kids stopped by and Nick stayed with us for the day. It was so nice that we decided to go to the beach. He was so cute, jabbering away and saying Wow, over and over, when he saw how big and long the beach was. We got him a pail and he had fun digging with grandpa and collecting rocks.

Someone left a row of roses, some going this way and then on the other side, there were more. Not sure why.

The minute we got back in the car, Nick fell asleep. I wanted to visit another area nearby so I got out for a few shots while Nick slept.

No people in this area either, so I got to enjoy the piping plovers who were busy picking at plankton with the low tide.

On the other side, the sandpipers were getting their share of a meal in the water. They are fun to watch and these guys didn't seem to mind that I was so close.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoying sharing my adventures.

Friday Finish!

This week I finished another piece done with the snowman pattern from Kathy Schmitz's, One Stitch at a Time Club. I decided to make a runner this time and used white fabric with the fun blue snowflake border. I really like how it came out and am leaving it white for now, it may be going to someone who likes brighter pieces, but I can always tea stain it, if I change my mind.

The finished piece is 26" x 11 1/2".

We had some beautiful weather this week, so we took advantage of the nicest day and Bean got to have some fun time at the dog beach.

Of course he loves to jump, he is such a show off.

He found a piece of drift wood so a few rounds of fetch was mixed in with walking up and down, on the beach.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. I am babysitting Nick tonight, but the poor guy was fast asleep when he got here, so I am relaxing until he wakes.

Weekend Wanderings!

We had a beautiful weekend and it was nice to get out again. On Saturday we went for a ride to the ocean and spent some time at the wharf. It was a little cool for the beach but I wanted to get photos of the seagulls that were flocking on the buildings and check out the boats on the docks.

I caught this photo and thought it was funny, with the speed limit sign. It makes it look like the gull on the post is chastising the other gulls for flying too fast in the slow zone.

At the docks behind the building is why there are so many gulls. The fishermen were throwing the leftover fish to them.

And, I found out, it attracts the seals too. I never knew they came into the harbor and it was a treat to see them swimming around and playing in the channel.

On the way home we took a detour and stopped at Snuff Mill. It is where they ground tobacco and also the home of Gilbert Stuart who painted the famous unfinished portrait of George Washington. It is the one, seen on the dollar bill. The museum grounds are closed, so I took a shot from the road, I would like to go back and revisit it when I can go inside. I used to go as a child since I could walk there and it cost 10 cents to get in.

Sunday we had Nick for the day and it was an even nicer day, so we went back to the wharf and got to enjoy some time on the beach. We watched the sail surfers on the water, while Nick played in the sand with a toy he found on the beach.

Even though it was nice, it was still cooler at the beach, so we headed back up the bay and Nick had a picnic on the URI Bay Campus beach. It was a lot warmer and less people, so we could relax and Nick loved the fact that were were thousands of rocks he could throw in the water.

I have also been searching for a vacation place, for our anniversary in June. It seems the Acadia area is popular in June now and now openings on the water, but I finally found one in Stonington at Old Quarry Ocean Adventures. It doesn't have hook ups, but he will plug us in with electric and water and we will stop at a camp on the way home to dump the tank. Now all we need is nice weather so we can enjoy kayaking around the islands that are scattered all through the area.

I think the view is well worth it and there is a launch right next to us. Another bonus is, they will cook our lobster dinner and bring it to our site, so a nice anniversary treat. And, if Bean behaves, he is allowed to go leash free so he can play on the beach. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and hopefully winter will end early this year.

Weekend Wanderings!

First I would like to mention something a follower mentioned, about my previous post. On the word, It's, it should be Its, no apostrophe. I got the idea for the bell, then the saying since it had bell in it and looked it up to get the right saying, and I took one that had the apostrophe without thinking. I do that a lot and I know I write my posts without thinking and no editing, so I need to be more careful, since they do seem confusing, even to me.

With the lyme, I have days where I cannot remember what I did 5 minutes ago, forget words and mess things up, so you will have to bear with me on those days;) Other days I am back to normal, it is an up and down process but I am having better days, so that gives me hope.

One of the things that helps me feel better is getting out in the fresh air and exercising. Now that I can move again, I thought it was a good time to go to the beach. It is relaxing, lots of fresh air and swimming is one exercise where I can move freely without pain.

Bill had Friday off so we could go to the beach without the crowds. We decided to go to East Beach since we never get to go there on the weekends and there is limited parking. It is a strip of land that divides a salt water pond and the ocean. They also have two camping areas at the end, but no dogs allowed.

It was a beautiful day, the water was warm and very few people on the beach.

The tide was going out and that means more waves. It was fun body surfing in the waves, not so fun when I got slammed a few times when I wasn't looking, lol. The island in the distance is Block Island, that is where the ferries go.

Saturday we we went to East Matunuck Beach. This beach is harder to get to since the roads are narrow, but perfect for a Saturday. Not as many people as at the main beaches and great waves.

It is also a nice place for great views, the channel was to our left and we could watch the ferries that go to Block Island.

They also have large areas with salt water marshes behind the beach, and an area where the Piping Plovers nest. Great place to stroll along the beach and look for heart stones.

I was hesitant about going to the beaches on a Sunday, but we decided to go later in the afternoon and this time we went back to Roger Wheelers Beach. They have a larger parking area and separate sections so you can pick a spot away from the main crowds.

We parked at the end and walked up the dunes, figuring there would be less people.

The minute we got to the end, we ran into, wall to wall tents. This must be the party end, luckily they all set up at the main entrance, we walked down, closer to the water. The tide was going out so we were able to find a spot further down and enjoy a few hours, even with the crowds. Great place to people watch and watch the boats coming in. This beach is on the other side of the channel, that we were at on Saturday. We could watch the ferries as well as the fishing boats that came across, to unload their catch at the docks.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and if you would like to see my videos, you can check out my YouTube Channel. You can see more of the views and hear the sounds of the sea.