A Vacation Break!

We have had pretty good weather, a bit cooler but nice. Too cool to swim, but perfect to spend time on the beach and enjoy the area.

We have a nice campsite, plenty of room to relax and for Bean, all our neighbors are quiet. The pull throughs are large.

The area in front of the camp is home to a lot of different shore birds. I really wanted to get a shot of them, at closer range. That wasn't a good idea, I found out just how muddy it was, when my feet sunk into it, so much for my new boots, ugh. 

Of course Bean loves the beach and he made new friends to play with. He will not go in the water to swim, just walking around. But, when other dogs jump in and go after balls, he goes into crazy mode and jumps in after them and would probably keep swimming if I didn't pull him back in, lol.

He found one friend who was as crazy as he was and an older guy who tolerated him. In one photo he is running away with the the black dog's ball, but the black dog kept stealing the labs ball. The poor lab didn't know what to make of the two crazy dogs.

That night we spent at the lighthouse beach area, the sun was setting on one side and the moon was coming up on the other. The fog delayed the moon rise, so we didn't get to see it come up over the ocean, maybe next time.

A beautiful sunset, the first time I have seen bands on the sun.

The moon rising over the lighthouse on the first night.

The moon on the second night.

Today it was raining on and off, so we watched the storm from the beach area. When it lifted, we got to enjoy some time on the beach. I walked all the way down to a beautiful rocky area to see if I could find some nice rocks. Of course, that is when another storm came in, so no rock collecting.

Tonight we stayed home and will go back tomorrow. I hope everyone is having a nice week and hopefully I can catch up with all the blogs when I get back.

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.

Sunday Stroll and Giveaway!

Today it was cool so we decided to go on another drive. The weather was beautiful and it was a perfect day to stroll the beaches and enjoy the larger waves.

Today I will show you a few photos and then a few more on Tuesday, when I announce a winner.

I took a lot of photos, but birds and people do not stay still for long, so I get a lot of fuzzy shots and just use the ones that come out the best and the ones, that I hope you will enjoy.

Today we went to a beach called East Matunuck Beach. The area is surrounded by salt marshes and opens to the ocean. It ends at the breach way at Galilee where the fishermen and ferries port.

We started in the middle of the beach, they have a nice new beach house and platforms to stand on, if you want to just relax and take in the view.

As we walked up the beach, the waves were crashing against the shore and the sand pipers were running back and forth to get food. They are so funny and so quick, but I got one shot that came out nicely.

We hit the breakers just as a fishing boat was coming out.

It wasn't long before another came by, I guess they start late in the afternoon.

A few minutes later, the old ferry came by. We also have a high speed ferry, but I think the ride to Block Island is part of the fun.

I saw this guy on the beach and walk towards him to get a shot, love his coloring. What do you think it is? Give me a guess and I will enter all guesses and one winner will win a free epattern or booklet. I will draw a winner at 10pm on Tuesday, so you can enter until then and I will announce it that night. 

                                       

Anniversary Winners!

First of all, I will announce the winners. Patti of Winding Vine Wanderings, the first comment and the first right answer is the winner with Piping Plovers. Now, the island has fences all around it and signs that say, not to go in the areas of the piping plovers, so duh to me, lol. They are so cute, they look like little chicks, but with pretty markings.  Patti, please send me your choices of two epatterns or ebooklets.

The winner of the random number generator is #11, Valerie of The Wooden Acorn!
Valerie, please send me your choice of an epattern or booklet.
Thank you to everyone who commented and played along and for the Well Wishes. This year was our 37th and hopefully we have many more ahead of us.

As for yesterday, I was going to take it easy, but I loved going to the island so much, I had to go back. During the weekends it is too crowded, so being able to go when there is room to park, was a treat for me.

If  you noticed the scenery behind the gull in yesterday's picture, you will see a point, off in the distance, that was our destination. Things look a lot closer than they are and this was no exception, lol. The paddle up was nice, we stayed close to the shoreline and enjoyed the views.

Here Bill is enjoying the views and watching the boats coming through the channel. I think he should move;)

We made it to the point, here is the Stonington Lighthouse Museum, if you visit the link, you can see some interesting displays that they have there. When we got to the end of the point, the water changed, a lot rougher and windier out in the open waters. I decided it was too much for me, so it was time to turn around.

As we paddling back down the coast, I decided it would be quicker and fun to surf back to the island. Well, when you enter the channel, the waves got a lot higher and were churning back and forth between the tide changing and the boat waves. I don't know if you call it surfing, but I was paddling like a mad lady and bracing with my legs to keep the boat steady and flying across the waves. And it was a lot longer across than I thought, so I was exhausted by the time I got to the island.

Since I could not take photos and paddle in this water, I made Bill go back out and paddle in, so I could take a photo, lol. I am such a mean wife, but he loved it, his boat is larger and taller in the front, than mine.

And here is a photo of the waters in the main areas, this is more my style, nice rolling waters.

At the island, we enjoyed the views, a swim in the calmer waters, all types of sea birds and a nectarine for lunch. Fresh fruit is a great pick me up, after a tough paddle. In all we paddled about 6 miles, so today was a rest day, if cleaning and cooking is considered rest;) This weekend, I will be back out on the water and paddling along the coast in our bay.

Sailors pray, For fair winds and a following sea The smell of salt in the air, The feel of their skin as it's touched by the spray An albatross soaring above, Dolphins in the ship's wake at play To witness a work of art that only God can create, The sunset at the end of day At night a million stars in the sky, Safe anchorage in an islands lee When the time comes to die as for all it must, To awake in Sailors Heaven where nothing ever rusts And always there would be, Fair winds and a following sea

A Beautiful day to be outside

Today, I took the day off and went for a walk. We went to Ninigret park, which is an old airforce base that has been made into a wildlife sanctuary. The new paths are gravel, so it is nice to walk on and the paths go through wooded areas, fields and points where you can enjoy the breezes of the salt water pond and the ocean beyond.

There are different sections of the park and in one cove we saw a Sand Piper darting about in the shallows looking for a meal.
He was all by himself, usually they are in groups, darting back and forth in the sand and waves.



At the point, we watched as the seagulls soared in the winds. Beyond the trees are dunes and the ocean.



I finally mounted my angel design and have it listed on ebay this week. If you would like to have this beautiful piece for your own, you can visit my ebay site to see my offerings. Hopefully I will have my newest piece ready this weekend. I am making a special board to mount it on, so look for pictures soon.



Last, but not least, is Dora, being Dora. She is just too cute and such a pain and she knows it. This is her rare moment of being nice. The rest of the time she was opening doors and drawers and trying to get the cat treats on her own. She is just too smart for her own good. This is a good picture, showing her size. That is a large rug and she fills a good portion of it, and she is still growing.

An Ocean Walk

Today was another beautiful day, so I had to take advantage of it and go for another walk.
We headed for Wakefield, an old town in the southern region and hit one of my favorite antique consignments. Unfortunately, I didn't find any goodies today.

We decided to go to black point, it is a beautiful walk along the rocky shores that takes you along a path overlooking the rocks and to Scarborough beach. You can walk along the rocks too, but I stayed on the path and walked on the rocks near the biggest rock, where most people love to climb around and explore the tidal pools.



At the beach, the sand pipers were running back and forth with the tide. The minute the tide goes out, they run towards the water, grabbing food and then running back as the next wave comes in. They are never standing still for more than a few seconds.



This is a view of where we came down to the beach. There are crumbled structures still standing where the people who once lived in the area had homes and docks on the shore. Most of the area was farm land, so I can only imagine what it had been like a hundred years ago. As you can see in the sky, the moon payed a visit, early today.