Weekend wanderings!

 

This week I was busy getting ready for our trip, so no time for crafting. I did take time out to get out for a walk last week. We went to the local park again and walked around the pond, then the path to the troll, since Bill didn't get to see him.

The pond is always beautiful, anytime of the year.

Lots of birds, but they are hidden in the trees. I did catch a Cardinal, that stopped for a while.

And the pond had a lot of turtles.

And we made it to camp. Our site is not bad and we have some views. The bad thing is rain all day on Sunday, so I will see how it goes and if it is a washout on Monday, we can just go home. I had planned on having a party for the kids birthday coming up, but we cancelled it till next week.

                                         

We were able to get out for some walks at camp and one at the beach after dinner. The sunset was obscured by the clouds, but back at camp, it spread out beneath the clouds.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and an amazing week,

Vacations!

 

We got back from one vacation and I spent the week cleaning up from that and getting the new trailer ready for the next. When you live in a raised ranch, that is a lot of stairs going in and out of the house. Last weekend we enjoyed a day with the boys and they got to sleep over in the RV, which they loved.

We were able to go to the beach for a bit and the boys had fun playing in the waves. Alex wasn't great at the board, he like jumping in the waves more.

Nick loved surfing with the board. The waves aren't big but big enough for them.

After dinner we went back for the sunset and the boys had fun finding hermit crabs in the shells.

As we walked back along the beach, they had fun, treasure hunting. Lots of pails and a few small beach toys.

And of course the sunset.

Today we made it back to the same camp, but a different spot. The driveway is so big, we could fit two campers and lots of grass with privacy trees.

We rested and did a few walks and after dinner, sunset at the beach. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach during the day, so after they close, we can all go. Bean made a new friend. I was surprised at how well he behaved, just sitting while she petted him. Usually he jumps on everyone and tries to give them hugs.

I will leave you with tonight's sunset and wishes that you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Friday Finishes and Fun!

This week I made a pillow with a design by Kathy Schmitz for the One Stitch at a Time Club. It came with the alphabet so you can personalize it and I did one with a letter for a friend, to get a start on Christmas gifts.

I antiqued it but the photo is making it darker than the actual piece.

I also made some new masks. I found some fun fat quarters which are a nice size, but with the fitted mask, I could only make two adults and one child, but a fun set.  I am setting aside the pieces from the masks and was thinking of making some simple teddy bears or a doggie, and adding a tag and. year for a momento to give to the boys.

Then today I decided to whip up a couple more which is a mistake, I made a mess, but they are still usable. The kid's mask is a 3D style and I wanted to try one for Nick to see if he likes it better than the fitted. I want to make him school masks, so it is important that they are comfortable and breathable for him. It didn't come out right and might be too small, but he does have a small nose, so it may be just right. I also found some fun lodge material and these I added a third pocket layer, so the wearer can put a filter in or leave as is. A good way to make them more protective when using thinner fabrics.

And we had a nice time camping, not too crowded and the noisy neighbors was asked to leave, so the next day was much quieter. I spent a lot of time on the water, sitting in the cove and enjoying the birds. I saw the kingfishers, but they would not come out for a photo.

I was able to catch Eastern King birds, a Lesser Tern and Tree Swallows.

And on the way back, this Cormorant was nice enough to sit still and make silly poses for me.

On Sunday the kids came and we had a cookout, and played games at our site.

And the boys were thrilled they could swim in the lake, Nick is getting better at swimming and Alex goes up to his neck and fake swims, where he keeps his legs on the bottom and uses his arms only. But a big improvement over last. year when I had to coax him, just to get in the water.

It was nice to get away for a bit, but this weekend we are staying home and getting some things done. It is going to be hot again and the beaches are too crowded. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoying the summer as best, as you can.

Friday this and that!

This week Bill was home for half of it, so I didn't get any of my projects done. I did make more masks. I got a request when someone saw mine, so I made up a big batch that I can take in and hopefully sell to others at the trailer place. This way I can pay for my supplies and give away masks to others who cannot afford them.

I was able to go to a local quilt shop and they had a lot of fun fabrics, but I had to go quick, tell her what I wanted and get out, lol. They only took in one at a time so it kept others from waiting. Though the lady before me was taking her time and getting lots of fabric. I did get two nice ones, a fun camping print and flags. I also got some eagles and native American from Walmart, the only two bolts they had, but great prints.

We also had a day at the beach, but the other glass collector was leaving just as we came in, so I know she got all the surface pieces, but I was still able to find a nice collection.

 And we got to spend the day with the boys. They were full of energy and having a wonderful time at the boys camp, they really needed a day out. They both love jumping but Alex doesn't understand that you are supposed to say catch, before you jump into someone, lol. Luckily grandpa has quick reflexes.

And they explored and played with items they found on the beach. Alex enjoyed throwing sticks and logs into the water, then he would say, bye bye. One log was a bit too big and heavy to throw, but he tried with all his might.

And we had some quiet time so grandma could rest, and of course the boys had to be goofy for the camera.

And the next day we went hiking with Bean. We found a new place that went along a river and then into a farm field. The birds are what we spotted along the way and the bridge is from the next hike.

Since we were in the area, we checked out another hiking area and decided to try that one too. Another one that was wooded and ran along the river and no people. We even stumbled onto an old cemetery from the original owners of the land.

And to top our week off, we are not getting the big trailer, but were able to get a new class C that had just come in. Our dealer gave us first dibs and it is just the right size to go on adventures with and take the boys out for day trips and weekends. I was apprehensive about having to find good spots for a large trailer and the fact that we cannot camp right now, so now we can do day camping and just have fun and still camp when they open again. It will also be nice because I can bring our food and have picnics while we watch the sunset or stop for lunch on long drives, especially if we take the boys with us, much easier than hours in a back seat.

I hope you all have a good weekend and prayers that this virus dies out soon and we can all get back to a new normal.

Friday Finishes!

This week I got the flu, first real flu in years. I get a lot of them, but usually I can keep going, this one has me worn out, so I am resting more than usual. Though for me, that means, laundry, cooking dinner, dishes, and I still have to vacuum, lol. With a nice weekend coming up, I really want to get out and get some eagle shots and spend a day with the boys, so hopefully the meds will kick in by tomorrow.

I cannot stand sitting and doing nothing, so I made up a few easy projects for the week. I did work on my punch needle, but I still have more to go and not sure if I am happy with the background color, so thinking on that.

Michelle Palmer offered a free design on her Facebook page. The punched piece I am working on, is also one of her designs. This one can be done in any medium, but I decided to do a stitchery. I had fun coloring it in and doing a little shading, to make it a bit more artsy, which her originals are like.

The next piece I had gotten on one of our trips to Connecticut. They have a wonderful quilt store, but not a lot of patterns, but they do carry a few from my favorite designers. This one is by Bonnie Sullivan of All Through the Night. It is part of a set, for a full sized dog quilt. This one was perfect by itself, to make into a pillow.

The pillow measures 13" x 9". A nice size to sit on my chest, with my bunny pillows.

Last weekend we lucked out and found an eagle, at a pond in RI. This guy was across the lake, but still fun to see him. I also found out where the photographers are getting shots of a pair, that are closer to shore, so I am hoping to get up there, tomorrow.

We also stopped at a few places and found a new bike path. Hopefully I can find a doctor who actually treats patients and get back my strength, I really want to do more biking this year. A lot of the bike paths in Connecticut are old railroad lines, so they cross over trestle bridges.

   

And we ordered a new trailer. I was disappointed with the small class C. It had everything we needed, a real bedroom with storage, a decent kitchen, but the only seats were the table and it was hard and stiff, so not great for comfort. It would be great for day trips and weekends, but way too tight for longer stays, I need my space, lol.

So, we went with a larger trailer. It was cheaper and we got a lot more for the price. It doesn't have much more sleeping space, but enough to take the boys with us and the back chairs move, so we can always set up a blow up bed for my son and DIL. The boys are small enough to sleep on the table bed. It will be more for us, something I can relax in, something I can cook in and I don't have to put my clothes in the bathtub, lol.

Here is a little peak of the one we looked at. This is the one we wanted, but of course, someone came in and bought it, the day before. so we have to wait a few months, since ours is from the factory, but will be an even newer model.

Have a wonderful weekend and hopefully your weather will be as nice as ours.

Weekend Camping!

We are camping, but came home for the night. I was happy that the weather is much cooler but it is also windy and cold, so definitely not swimming. Today it as so windy that I couldn't go out to paddle.

Here is our site, there is a little path to the water, so we have our own tiny beachfront, but perfect for us and Bean. No even or paved sites here, lots of bumps and rocks.

With high winds, we decided it was a perfect day for a hike. We went on a trail that goes around the pond. The trail is long and we started late, so we just did a couple of miles.

With all the rain, the paths were lush with growth. They have done nice board walkways since the area can get swampy. Luckily the cooler air kept most of the bugs away. Bill takes horrible photos of me, and tends to wait until I am making gestures and faces at him.

Another section with a snake like path, they also laid roof tiles on one part, since it was downhill and slippery. Bill and Bean do not know how to relax and look natural, haha.

We ended at the covered bridge, a nice spot to stop and relax, before we headed back. We also came back to get the regular kayaks, so we can paddle around the pond tomorrow. We have to carry them on a T-Bar, so we had to bring the trailer down first. Hopefully the winds will die down and we can enjoy more paddling and some bike riding. I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Camping Week!

Yesterday we came home from our camping trip and I hated leaving, but it sure is nice to be home and have the space and conveniences of home. Did I get any sewing done? Of course not, I was too busy going to the beach and just enjoying the views.

A few days we went up to the lake, where we also camp, to go for a swim and let Nick enjoy the shallow waters. The water is much warmer than the ocean, maybe next week when it gets hot, I will go in the ocean.

Nick loved the lake, I think he would have been happy to stay there all day, so I will need to find some last minute openings at the lake camp.

After the lake we took him to our camp for lunch and a little relaxing. Then we hit the beach and he loved that too. I was surprised how brave he was in the water and didn't mind the cold. He an Bean love playing together, and they both love to jump.

Of course we can't go anywhere with Bean, he wants to play with everyone and the kids love him.

When not at the beach, we relaxed at camp. We took a few walks and rode our bikes and Bean loved the extra large space to play in.

And most nights we had a bit of a sunset. The fog and clouds near the ocean, tend to obscure the sun, but on this night, we were treated to a spectacular display, in front of our camp.

And of course beach combing. The tide was out in the late afternoon, so we waited till the main beach closed and combed the beach with Bean. Later in the week, we went to the lighthouse when the tide was out early and found some nice pieces, washed up on the rocks. I was thrilled to find a marble, my first one. I keep the special pieces in a jar for me and some will be made into gifts and some into art. I have been getting ideas, and hoping to work on some this week.

I hope everyone had a nice week. I plan on starting my vacation, this week, when Bill goes back to work, lol. I have been cleaning and getting things done this weekend, so I can relax and work on my paintings too.

Change of Plans!

My husband was given two weeks for recovery before he went back to work. Originally we had planned on taking our anniversary trip this coming week, but I cancelled it. At the time we had no idea what would happen and I had to make a decision so I didn't lose my down payment.

The other day his supervisor calls to see if he was planning on coming back or still taking his vacation since it was already planned and they did have a replacement. So, now our vacation is back on and no place to go. We have done stay at home vacations and those are fun, but when we came back from the beach yesterday, I checked the campground and not only did they have an opening, but on the spot we have always wanted and it is never available. I took that as a sign that we should go camping.

This is the campground near the ocean. The bad thing is no dogs on the regular beaches, but there is one that is dog friendly. This is a photo from April, so it looks dismal without the trees in bloom, but that is our little trailer to the left and the new site with the arrow. It is a huge space and no neighbors close by, so great for Bean too. It will be a nice place to just relax and enjoy the views of the inlet.

Of course we got to enjoy some beach time this week. Yesterday we found a nice batch of treasures and not too many people on the beach.

Today it was rainy, but we took a chance and went down to shop and then hit the beach. The rain stayed away and we got a little drizzle, but it was a nice day to just walk on the beach and no one was around, so I was finding glass, laying on the beach. It was nice just walking and not bending so much. We will be camping on Monday, so I may post some photos later in the week, it will all depend on what day we come back. I am still working with a neighbor who might watch the kitties, otherwise we will have to come back to feed them and clean up the litter.

I have been getting lots of ideas for my glass and pebbles, so after a ( hopefully) stress free week, I can get back into creating again. I will bring my art supplies too, so maybe I can do a new summer freebie for everyone.

Weekend Camping!

It seems we have had bad luck when camping at the state park lately. The first thing was, I spiked a fever the day we left, the good thing was, my doc had just given me meds so I had something to take so I could enjoy our weekend. The other thing is the weather, hot one week and it dropped to the low 70's over the weekend, but the good thing was, we could go for walks and ride the bikes and it wasn't too hot.

We had a nice site, right near the water. The photo is from the phone so it is a bit warped, but the camp is a straight line down and behind on the right is where the table and fire pit was, so lots of space.

We enjoyed relaxing, took a swim and a short bike ride to test Bean out and that night we went to Quonochontaug pond to watch the sunset. We wanted to go to the ocean, but the beaches on this side do not face the sunset, so this was the perfect place to watch it. Bean got to play with Bill while I took photos, a nice end to the day.

On Sunday the kids came down. It really made my day and was wonderful to spend time with all of them and share new memories with the kids. Alex was happy to just sit and watch everyone have fun, he is such a happy baby.

Since the camp was mostly deserted, we had the little beach, all to ourselves. Everyone else sat and relaxed. My son was making faces at me.

Nick and Bean had a blast playing in the water.

And since no one took one of the rocks I left hidden in the rock, Nick found it and was thrilled to have something fun to take to school for show and tell on the first day. Someone actually found them, and took the whale, but left the alligator in the tree. I was worried someone might walk under it and get knocked in the head, lol. So I put it back and it was still there when Nick came to the beach.

After dinner, Nick and I went for a paddle.

Then we all went for a walk around camp, while Nick rode his bike. He loved being able to ride on the roads.

To end the night, we watched the sunset. Love this photo of Ivy kissing Alex. I had to lighten it since they were so dark. I would like to play with it more in photoshop and maybe do a framed photo for her.

On Sunday we went and got coffee, then enjoyed it at Quonochontaug beach. It was more crowded than I expected, but with low tide, we walked down to the point and had a nice spot for Bean to play. I had planned on paddling but it was windy and I had my play boat, which is too hard to paddle in wind when I am not up to par.

Since it was too cool to swim and too windy to paddle, we enjoyed biking around the campground. Bean is ok in the carriage, but not thrilled with being stuck inside. I think we need to make a more padded bottom, the bumps can be a bit rough. We rested and let Bean play in the water and he made some friends who were happy to play with him, so it was a nice end to our long weekend. Today I crashed, the meds are really kicking in, so mostly resting today. Now to get the rest of the rocks painted and get ready for our next trip. So far it looks like it is going back into the 80's, perfect weather for the ocean and perfect time after the crowds are gone.