Rain Rain, Go Away!

I guess I can't expect every day to be perfect, we had three in a row, lol.
Yesterday we stayed home and walmart was the big fun for the day;)
Today it was overcast and rain predicted, and my back feels like someone ran over me with a truck, guess all that paddling finally set in. But, I had to take a walk at least, so we went to the point to get out before the rain came. The rain never did come but my back is so bad, a walk was enough for today.

I love to walk when it is cooler, the sea breezes feel so good and the air so clean.
How would you like to live on this island, talk about an ocean view.



The seals are gone and the cormorants have taken over the rocks. They seals leave, once it gets too warm.



I got a nice surprise in the mail from my friend Kelley. A box full of fabrics and a new book. Lots of homespuns, prim and some art pieces to have fun with and the book has some wonderful patterns I can make. Check out her blog, she has a free pattern that would be fun to punch or hook.

Anniversary Day Three!

Today, rain was in the forecast, so we thought we would slip out for a few hours. We went to Wickford Harbor which is right down the road, so we saved time by not traveling far. Our harbor has lots of coves, a couple of small islands and lots of wildlife. The day was overcast but the water was smooth, so nice easy paddling.



The geese really enjoy the area, flocks of them all over the islands.



Egrets seem to stay in pairs, each to their own island or cove.



The area has a lot of commorants. They sit on poles, buoys and rocks. I just love this photo, I think I might do it into an art photo and frame it for my daughter's new place.



Of course, you can't get too close, or this happens.



We paddled to the breakers and enjoyed the activity on the bay. The air show is this weekend, so we also got to watch the planes as they practiced their aerial acts. Unfortunately it started to rain, but that didn't keep us from paddling. We paddled into town and back around, until the rain got heavier and I decided it was time to go home;) Tomorrow there will be a break before the rain comes back, so maybe we will go for a walk to the point, my arms are really sore today.

This was the last shot I could get and it was just starting to drizzle. Leave a comment here and get a second chance to enter the giveaway. Thank you for all your well wishes and a Happy Anniversary to those of you who are celebrating their anniversary this month.

Happy Anniversary Giveaway!

Today is our actual anniversary, it has been 36 years, today.
I graduated from high school one weekend and got married the next.
I knew he was the one for me, so why wait and I think I made the right decision;)

Today we went to Burlingame State park to paddle. I camped there as a child, and we took our kids there, so it is a place filled with happy memories. It was a beautiful day, warm with a breeze and no crowds.


And I am sure this is what you all want to see, haha. This is the launch site, beautiful pond that covers 1,000 acres.
We paddled the entire shoreline, so not quite sure how long that is in miles, but it was a good workout.



Half way around the pond is a beach at the old campground. This was the wilderness side, pit toilets and no showers. They closed it down when someone almost burned half it down. It is a great place to stop, have lunch and take a swim and we were the only ones there.



The park is also home to over 250 species of birds. Of course they were all hiding today. That and the fact that Bill always has to paddle in front of me and startles everything away, before I get there. This guy was sitting on a rock, watching the world go by. I had to use full zoom in a rocking boat, so the picture looks a bit strange.




We went around the pond along to the campground side and stopped at the last beach which doesn't allow swimming. I wasn't swimming, I was just cooling off in the water;) This little guy found us as interesting, as we did, him.



Now for the giveaway. Guess how many years we have been married? You don't have to be right, just guess and I will draw a name from the entries. The winner will get a free epattern from my ecrater site. I will draw a winner on Saturday night.
Tomorrow the weather man said no rain till late in the afternoon, so I think we can get in one more paddle before the rain comes.

Vacation Paddle!

This is our Anniversary week and we usually go to Maine, but this year, we are staying home.
My husband has excess vacation time, so he still took the week off, so we can have some fun together.
Today we went to Pettaquamscutt River which is a tidal inlet that opens to the bay.

This is the view, looking towards the end of the inlet, where it opens into the bay. We plan on landing on the inside beach, since the outer inlet is rough and shallow and a good way to swamp your boat;)



This is where we stopped to enjoy the views of the bay, cool breezes and warm sun.



Looking down towards the main beach, a couple enjoying a stroll.



After we enjoyed the beach for awhile, we went back to the river area and explored the river and its sancturaries.
This nest looks like it has been in the making for years, not only is it home to an Osprey family, but their are smaller birds who have nested in the sides.



The area is teaming with wild birds, this egret seemed to content to watch as we paddled by.



It makes you wonder, who is watching whom.



There were so many birds today, but most were shy and did not want to stick around for a photo session;)
It was a wonderful day, perfect weather, but 3 hours of paddling and too much sun, so I know I will sleep well tonight.

Braided Quilt

I have been working on my braids and today I put the rows together, so I could see how it looked on the bed.
Not really thrilled with the design for my bedroom and it does match the couch nicely, so I am going to stop and keep it this size for the couch and that way it will be a nice throw if anyone has a sick day.

Next I will add a border around the outer edges and quilt it. Not sure how I should quilt it, any suggestions are appreciated.
I seriously need a new bedroom set, the bed is wobbly and i want a simple one with no foot board and my bureaus are the first ones we ever bought and falling apart.



One problem with making the braid with chisels is, my die seems to be off. Seems every die I get, has a problem, so I wrote accuquilt, but no reply yet. Maybe they are sick of hearing from me, lol. Can I help it if I have bad luck or the company I get them from, seems to get all the bad ones? I use my free rewards to get them, so it goes through amazon and depends on who has the best price.

You can see by the ruler, how the flat end, is cutting strangely.



And here is what some look like when I sew them together. It made it hard to sew them properly, since that edge was throwing me off. If I had to stop and cut each one as I went, it would have taken me forever. I did enjoy using the chisel die though, it went fast and made it a lot quicker to make a quilt. I think I might buy a cheap spread for the summer and then I can take my time and make a nice quilt for my bedroom. I would love to do an amish style with fancy quilting.

Fabric Stars and Kitty Stars!

Today I worked on my braided quilt, but got tired of sitting on the machine and decided to make some stars.
I made up a little display with my pillows and stars and added my patriotic mouse that I won from Joyce at RagPatch. The pillows and Patriotic punch needle doll, are made from Primitive Blessing's Designs. I think I need a patriotic mat for underneath.



And the star of the day is Moki, he is just too cute and sweet;)

Patriotic Pillows and Winner!

I decided I needed bowl fillers, so made up a bunch of pillows.
Not thrilled with the way they came out, might be the new, cheap stuffing I bought;)
The stain didn't soak and spread like it does with the softer stuffing. So, I will use the cheap stuffing on things I don't stain.

The designs are all from Primitive Blessings, she has some wonderful freebies, so well worth the visit and her regular patterns are worth a look too. I think I need to make some stars with printed fabrics to fill in the baskets and things.



And now for the winner of the giveaway. Actually no one guess right, what Dora was thinking was, "What new ways can she find to torment Moki". The winner of the free pattern is Ginger from Primitives by the light of the Moon! Ginger, email me with your choice of pattern.