Friday Fun!

 

This week I am still working on my quilt. I was also busy with a lot of other things, so I didn't get as much done, as I would have liked. Hopefully it will be done next week and I can get to the other projects I want to finish.

On Saturday we surprised our grandson with a new bike. He was thrilled with it and couldn't wait to go riding. Nick had confirmation camp, so we took Alex to a local bike path. We started at the college, which has a path to connect to the main trail. It goes by a farm and fields.

 The main trail goes by the Great swamp area and further down, but we only did part of it.

We turned around and headed the other way and ended at the train station. It was a good spot to give Alex a rest and snack, while we watched the train come and go.

On Sunday we picked up the boys and took them to the Boy Scout camp. I wanted to try them on dirt track and more hills to see how they did. Alex was ready to go.

I wanted to go on the main dirt road, but realized it was too rocky and hilly for the boys and Nick took a spill. So, we rode down a paved road in camp and the boys got to stop and enjoy the lake area. Nick enjoyed riding the bike I gave him.

We took a stop at another spot for a break and a snack. It was a great day and it gave me a better idea of what they can handle, so we will stick to paved paths and better trails.

Today I got my new bike. It is an electric mountain bike, so it has shocks and much more comfortable on trails. We went back to the southern path so I could get used to it and the power source. It has regular gears so I can use my own strength and power settings when needed. It is also lower so I can put my feet down and not fall. It was also cold and windy today, so we only did a part of the trail, which took us 7 miles. 

Tomorrow might be nice enough to do a trail ride. I hope you all have a nice weekend and get to do something that brings you joy.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I got the stitchery of the month, from Kathy Schmitz, so of course I had to make that. I decided to make myself a pillow to enjoy for the season. I love how it came out, but it really clashes with my primitive pieces, so not sure if I want to stain it darker.

Last weekend we spent a day at the ocean. We still had winds from the hurricanes, so the waves were up at the lighthouse area.

This week, Bill took a couple of days off for a long weekend. We had plans to head to New Hampshire and a friend said we could park  our rv at the house is is Renovating. But, I had a bad spell this week and it took a few days to recover, so I didn't have the time to get everything ready. So, we decided to do some trips from home.

We headed to the Airline trail In Connecticut, along the Salmon River. Along the way I stopped for a few foliage photos, lots of colors popping in some areas.

The trail was really nice to ride and I was able to do over 7 miles. Just a few gradual slopes, and nicely graded trails, that ran along wooded paths and waterways.

At the pond, we stopped to watch a Heron, when he caught a snake for lunch.

Today we went up to another part of the trail and started in Willimantic. The trail starts along the railroad and runs past the river and into the woods. We only did 5 miles today. Bill forgot my juice drink at home and the food in the car, so I had nothing but water and my energy died out. It was still a nice ride though.

On the way home we stopped at the apple orchard and filled another bag. On the way back, we stopped at Lantern Hill and hiked up to the first ledge, always a nice view. A long the way back, we pass several farms. Tomorrow we may take a break to get some things done and maybe a few hours at the beach. The weather will be cooling down again, so perfect days for hiking or biking. I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend and enjoy getting out and finding new places to enjoy, in your area.

Friday Finish!

 

Another week flew by and I think the weekend tired me out, so I have been resting more than doing anything constructive.  Add a noreaster to the mix and no power for three days. We did lose our outdoor tent, but nothing else was damaged.

I was able to make up a couple of Balsam pillows for Christmas. I used a design by Cheri Saffiote, that was part of a larger design. It was something fun to do, to keep my hands busy and a start on Christmas gifts.

This weekend we had planned on taking the kids for a day trip and getting photos, but Saturday didn't work out and we headed to the beach for a bit. The weather is getting cooler and the tides aren't always the best, but still fun to walk along the shore and find a few good treasures. I was surprised to find the blues and the dark one was a new find, it looks blue, but when you hold it to the light, it is a yellow shade, maybe an old piece of carnival glass.

And on Sunday we made it out with the kids. We piled into the RV and headed to the castle. The colors weren't as vibrant as we hoped, but it was a nice day to be out, and take a few photos.

The family photos came out too dark or too light and they are the worst to get nice photos since they all tend to fidget, but this one came out nice and I have been working on my editing skills to make them better.

I did get some nice photos of the scenery. This is the Essex train that takes people on scenic rides up the Connecticut river.

A view from the castle, looking down river.

After the castle, we headed to Devils Hopyard to see the falls. They were not running as strong, but a nice spot to take photos. A day of squatting and running around was enough to tire me out for a week, lol. Tomorrow is rain and hopefully we can find some places with nice color on Sunday. I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Vacation in the fall!

 

We were able to take a few more drives this week and enjoy seeing some new places. Our first stop was a pond in Connecticut. When we got there I saw plenty of parking and a dirt road so we parked there and noticed a lot of old cabins. I assume when the state took over the property, the cabins were part of an old camp.

When we got to the end of the road we found a wonderful park with plenty of parking and a beautiful spot to picnic and enjoy the views of the pond. We will have to bring the boys here some day, I think they would have fun, running around.

Our plans were to go to the Connecticut River for a walk along a bike path, but as usual, we got off the beaten path and found places along the way that we stopped to enjoy. We never did get to the river but we enjoyed a stop at a town, we were passing through.

There was a nice park where we enjoyed views of the town and the foliage lined hills, along the way.

A train came by as we were walking in the park.

Since it was getting later, we headed back home and a spot I found on the map. It was a place called Eagleville pond, but no eagles. We did get to see a blue Heron.

Today, rain was predicted. I was almost out of apples so we headed to the orchards. We got two large bags full and since we had time, stopped at the hill to get a little upward hike in and a few views. I wasn't up to the full hike to the top, so maybe next weekend when more color comes in.

Tomorrow will be another day and I am not sure what we will do, it all depends on the weather. I hope you are all having a nice week and enjoyed following along with me as we explore new places in our area.

Weekend Wanderings!

Another two days of adventures so I will put day one up today and Sunday will be on Wednesday. A few weeks ago we went to the castle with Nick and he is too young to do much hiking, so we decided to go back and enjoy the day, just at the castle.

We always start out with the castle, the views are spectacular from the balcony area and I was looking forward to seeing the foliage from that viewpoint.

Bill enjoying the views, Bean is people watching as usual. The hills were alive with color, harder to see with the distance but I think I could live here, just love the views and the river.

As we headed to the paths, we went through the picnic area where you can see the cats on the top, the owner loved cats. If you would like to learn more about William Gillette, click on his name for some fun information about his life.

From there we headed down the path which used to be the old railroad trail. The owner built a small scale rail that ran through the property and he took his guests on rides. Covered bridges and train stop platforms, are along the path.

We followed one trail that led to a dead end. I guess the years took their toll on this cliffside, so we had to turn around.

Coming across the road bought us to the other side of the rail trail, some areas are closed, and I don't think I would trust walking across this bridge.

The trail led to the tunnel, it goes under the hill, the owner's guests must have loved staying with him.

It is pitch black inside the tunnel, but my camera has night vision, but spooky, none the less.

We passed by the pond, the drought has really effected the ponds here, but still beautiful with the fall foliage.

Crossing over the bridge by another pond, the grounds are so beautiful.

We decided to head back and enjoy another look at the river and Bill and Bean were having fun exploring the castle alcoves.

As we headed down to the cars, Bean got the attention of a group of sisters. He loves all the attention and I think half the time was spent stopping, to let people pet him. It took 10 minutes for the father to notice his girls were talking to an old guy with a dog, lol. I will never understand parents who spend more time on the phones than enjoying the time with their kids, every moment is precious.

It was a wonderful day and wonderful to spend more time exploring the castle grounds. We headed home and stopped in Norwalk by the river to enjoy the views for a rest break. There were a few families and the kids were feeding the birds, so there were hundreds of birds flying about and swimming around the docks. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and some adventures of your own.