Busy Week!

 

This week I have been busy, always something to do around the house and yard, but I have been working on my projects. I also made an Americana wreath, but it needs the finishing touches. I have set up a new garden area for the birds with a bird bath and it has had a lot of new visitors. My resident Hummingbird is back and still territorial.

Today we finally got out on the bikes. We went to the bike path that starts at the train station. It goes through woods, marshes and ponds and we ended up in town since the last part goes across busy roads. The area has bridges and a pond, so we took a break there to enjoy the wildlife.

Lots of turtles in the pond.

The floats are a favorite place for the cormorants to hang out.

On the way back we took a side route to visit the farm. 

Lots of cows in the field and they were fun to watch. Lots of young ones.

This one was running all over the place, just having fun. 

And this one was taking a lunch break.

Tomorrow will be rain, so we plan on having the kids over for dinner, for an early Mother's Day. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Holiday Finish!

 I was able to finish my Christmas quilt, just in time. I machine quilted the edges around the blocks and then I hand quilted around the mittens with black and used white in the patterned blocks. I didn't use any pattern, just made up a mitten template and used a variety of wool textures. It was a fun way to use up wool and some fun fabrics I had gotten, last year.

Last weekend we went to the mill to pick up corn meal. I spotted this guy, outside of the mill.

We also made a stop at the thrift store. This store always has fun things and great prices. I found fun snowmen to add to my collection.

And a nativity set, that I couldn't resist.

After some shopping, we drove around the salt water ponds and I spotted this guy. He was busy fishing, so he didn't mind me, taking photos.

Yesterday we went to the island and walked on a few beaches and around the lighthouse. Lots of Common Eiders and a few Harlequin ducks, braving the surf for a meal. A Downy Woodpecker was enjoying the berries at one parking lot.

We also got to spend time with the kids. Mom and dad went shopping, so the boys stayed with us. While here, we did a family shoot so Ivy could sent photos to her family in Malaysia. This was one of my favorites, the background is AI generated.

Now it is time to get ready for Christmas. We have the kids on Christmas Eve and go to their house on Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, in whatever way you may celebrate. May you find peace, love and joy in the coming days.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I finished a Thanksgiving piece. I needed something for the holiday, for the front entry area and this was perfect. The design is by Cheri Payne and a fun one to do. 

Last week We went for a drive to see if we could find some fall foliage. Not as much yet, but we did find a few spots with splashes of color. The first stop was a reservoir with a dam, but with less rain, less water coming down. It was still beautiful though.

We took a walk along the path to the old bridge. 

Our next stop was Old furnace park, across the border in Connecticut. It is a bit of a climb up to the cliffs, but worth it for the view.

There are more trails that run along the side of the pond, so we took a walk part way to enjoy the views.

The next day we took the boys out. We took them to the bird sanctuary for a shorter walk on the pond side. They enjoyed walking along the paths.

And seeing all the critters along the way.

And we spotted two Praying Mantis along the paths. Love the look this one was giving me. It is always fun to explore with the boys and good to get them away from their electronics. 

This weekend we have a storm coming in and of course I seem to have gotten a flu from them, so taking it easy for a few days. I hope this finds everyone well and enjoying the cooler fall weather.

Working on!

 

This week I have been working on a Thanksgiving piece at night and I was able to finish the mittens and cut out the extra blocks. I almost had enough to finish, but was one short. I stuck another block in the center and then I can add a border with the same print, to blend them a bit. Not perfect, but I want to use what I have, so it will do.

Last week we took our walk around the lighthouse. We can get in 3 miles around the road and back path and lots of beautiful views and wildlife.

We are seeing more butterflies coming through.

Lots of Mockingbirds are coming back.

We also took a walk at the bird sanctuary. With the warm weather, the turtles are still out, sunning.

I also was able to spot a Flycatcher at the pond.

When we got to the point, I looked up and was lucky enough to spot a Gray Frog.

A Buckeye Butterfly along the path.

As we were leaving, a Merlin flew overhead, and landed in a tree. I was able to walk back to the spot and catch a photo of him.

As we headed home, we stopped at the marsh. Lots of Egrets and Blue Herons, are still coming through and taking a rest in the marsh.

Today we were heading to the island and noticed the traffic was backed up on the bridge, so we turned around and headed back to walk to the point. I was hoping to spot some seals, but they haven't  come back yet. The walk is nice, through woods and out to a point, with views of the bay.

And I spotted this guy, enjoying a very large fish. Very ugly Vulture that looks comical in the photo. I hope you all enjoyed your week and in areas with nice fall weather. We actually have warm weather coming in again, so we may do some paddling.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I finished a painting I had been working on. I had a photo of the boys at the beach, so I removed the people and just added the umbrellas and houses in the back. It was fun to do and good practice. I will need to get better paper, since this paper tends to pill when you add too much water, but it is good enough for practice.

Last weekend we got a nice walk in at the park. We spotted a turtle, half way in a hole. Not sure if it was resting or laying eggs.

I also spotted a female Eastern Towhee.

Today we did our walk at the lighthouse. It was a beautiful day and we lucked out, when the Newport Regatta came by.

These two boats were neck and neck.

When they come around the lighthouse, the waves get rougher. 

It was a nice walk, though we went back and forth and side to side to watch them. They race around the island, so we got to watch the last of them coming around the other beach. I always enjoy getting out in the fresh air, and always a fun day for Bean. 

I hope you all had a nice week and aren't stuck in the rain. We have rain coming tomorrow, so hopefully we can get out on Sunday.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I tried a new project for Easter. I saw a coloring book design on the web and thought it would be a fun design to needle felt. I used a mix of my good variegated roving with some cheaper ones for the bright colors. The backing is a dyed piece of white wool. I put another piece behind it to stiffen it up and then another thick piece for the backing, finishing with a blanket stitch.

Last weekend we did a ride to Connecticut to visit the owl sanctuary. They had some new birds, so it is nice to see ones we don't see in the wild, but sad to see them in cages. Some will be released when they recover, others have injuries that keep them from hunting, so they live there. The nice thing about the sanctuary is, they have beautiful paths to walk along and enjoy birding and nature. I didn't catch any birds but I did spot a lone turtle in the pond.

The paths have boardwalks and bridges in the wetlands. 

After that we stopped at Barn Island, and got another walk in. No birds were in the marsh, that I could see, but always a nice place to walk and enjoy the ocean views.

Our last stop was at the ocean drive. We spotted an Osprey in the nest, waiting for his mate.

On Sunday we went to Connecticut to shop at the mill store. I didn't find anything I was looking for, but I did get a fun stitchery and tea towel to do. We drove around the river areas but no eagles. We stopped at the park for a quick walk along the river, but this day killed my foot, so we didn't do much more.

This week we went to the island to see what Ospreys were in. A lot of the nests had pairs, but I was surprised that the one at the forts was empty. The nest was blown apart by the winter storms, so I hope he gets here soon and fixes it up, before his mate comes in. A few Ospreys that I spotted along the way.

And when I got home, I saw a big bird fly off, something with large black wings with white bands. I watched the area and finally saw what it was, a Pileated Woodpecker and not one, but two, so maybe this year they will have young that will visit. This is the female, the male has a red band on the side of his face.

I hope everyone had a good week and not in the bad weather that seems to be hitting so many areas. We have rain coming in, but we may get enough dry periods to enjoy being out.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I have been getting my energy back, so catching up around the house and yard. I made another heart sachet, something I enjoy doing while watching tv at night. It is fun to do something with bright colors and something cheerful. You can find this design, along with others at  Pinker N' Punkin.

This week I had a new visitor. The first time I have seen a buck, not sure where its mother is.

And more birds are coming to visit. Lots of young and the new jelly feeder, has bought the Baltimore Orioles.

Last weekend we got in some walks at the lighthouse. It is always cooler there and a good way for me to get my strength back.

We got out for a walk at Ninigret park. I was able to catch a Common Yellowthroat.

And I was able to catch a few others along the paths.

Today we got to Trustom Pond. It is a 3 mile walk and always full of wildlife. The humidity was gone and we had a nice breeze, so it was nice to get out for a longer walk.

The Osprey was giving me the eye, they do not like it when you get near their nesting grounds.

I saw a lady, taking photos of something and she showed me the Swallows in the nest. I would have missed it, if she wasn't there. The mom was feeding her baby, a large dragonfly. The other two were fledged and out on their own.

More of the critters we saw along the paths.

Afterwards we heading to a nearby beach for a short walk along the shoreline. I almost missed the baby Piping Plovers, they blend in with the rocks and are tiny. They are so fun to watch. The moms were close by, watching and if you got too close, the mom would feign a broken wing. The males fly over head and dive bomb you, if. you are in their area.

The Fishing boats are coming back to bring in their daily catch. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon and unwind. I hope you all have a nice weekend and are not in the paths of the storms.