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.

Friday Finish!

A new month means a new design from Kathy Schmitz's, One Stitch at a Time club.  Be sure to click on the link, she also has a free pattern this week. I decided to make two smaller pillows to decorate for fall. I like to keep some halloween things out that work for fall, but it is nice to have something less Halloweeny for the rest of fall.

I used tea stained muslin and one piece had a nice streak in it, then I added a bit of walnut to tone down the brightness of the other fabric. For the back I used an orange colored fabric with a fall print, including acorns. I may see if I can find some acorn buttons to add to the corners.

 I am enjoying the nicer weather. Yesterday we went for a walk on the bike path, we start in the middle, which is a nicer section with views of the cove. The trees are turning here, always wonderful to walk along paths in the fall.

And since we got an earlier start, we were able to walk to the end and along the beach. No people around so we could let Bean off leash and let him play on the beach. The sun was in and out and the bay was covered in fog, but so peaceful. I love walking off season, hopefully we can do more hikes this weekend and catch the end of the foliage season.

I wanted to take a photo of the pilings, and was thinking, it would be better if there was a seagull at the end. And just as I walked up to shoot, a seagull came, he made my day;) I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Wanderings: Part two

On Sunday we went for another Drive in Connecticut and into Massachusetts. There are so many scenic roads and old towns, you never tire of exploring. This time we went on a familiar route to revisit some places we had been to before. I was hoping to catch the foliage before it was gone, but most areas in the upper areas, was already fading away.

We started with a stop at a North Grosvenordale Pond to enjoy the views and go for a walk. The foliage was turning nicely here and watching the kayakers, makes me want to come back next year to paddle on the pond, which continues on into rivers.

We walked along the pathway and enjoyed a good hike, views of a hidden pond and found this old fireplace from a home, long forgotten.

Our destination was Southbridge, a town just below Sturbridge Village. The town was fun to explore and we enjoyed views of the dams and waterfalls around the old mills.

You can't help but see Spires from all the old churches in the area. You can't walk a block without running into one. I wish we could have gone in this Catholic church, I can imagine how beautiful it is inside.

This one was across the street, as well as a Dunkin Donuts and we were due for a coffee refill. So while Bill was getting coffee I was able to get a shot of this church. Just love the architecture of the old churches.

And while I was waiting I spotted a fun house across the street. Talk about bright colors and the birds seemed to enjoy making it their home.

As we headed down the road, I spotted this church. It was massive and this is just the front, and it had signs for no trespassing, so I couldn't walk around to the back.

Our final destination was the graveyard. I had gotten some beautiful shots last year with the foliage and I wanted to try it with my new camera. Unfortunately, the foliage had faded but it was fun walking around and looking at the gravestones.

On the way home I had planned a different route but we took so long in town, that it started to rain on the way back, so that was the end of our exploring. It was getting late and we were getting tired and hungry;)

Yesterday I went to our old town, Wickford, to take photos of the church. There was a little color, but we have not gotten full foliage here and it is spotty, so not sure if we will get a full array before it is gone. No matter what, the church grounds are always beautiful and peaceful.

Today I tried my video on the camera. Bean likes to do flips and funny things when I throw the balls, but of course he would not cooperate and it is hard to throw well, while holding a camera. I put them in the computer to view them and guess who decided to hop up and watch them, lol. Izzy heard the birds in the background, she still doesn't get that they are not in the computer. I hope you enjoyed my photos and maybe you can explore your own areas, and always fun to get lost in the backroads of america.

Haunted Wanderings!

This weekend was another whirlwind of driving and exploring. Saturday I decided I wanted to check out some haunted places in Foster, Rhode Island.

We weren't sure if we could find the places so we drove to the area and got lost down some roads, and at one point ended up at a bridge on the reservoir. As we turned around, I noticed the graveyard on the hill, so we got out and took a few photos.

Not a lot of foliage in this area, it seems some areas turned early and some are still turning, but it is still a beautiful view.

I finally figure out where the haunted graveyard was. The area is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who drowned in the river nearby.

We had to park on the side of the road, and walk down a path to the graveyard, the bad thing is there is a shooting range nearby, so you could hear the guns but luckily not near the graveyard. It is an old graveyard, most of the stones are worn out and falling down and some are even sinking into the damp, mossy ground. No ghosts and it didn't seem spooky to me, but it was fun to find it.

We never did find the stream and bridge where the hauntings have been seen, so we went back to the area of the old mill. It is said to be haunted the ghost of one of the owners, who hung himself one night. You can read more about the story and see the ruins of the mill at, New England Folklore.

We started down a trail by a graveyard, seems to be a lot of those in the area. No trespassing signs were posted all along the sides, but I assumed it meant in the surrounding woods, but I may have been wrong. It was a nice walk along the river and it wasn't long before we came to the path across the inlet and pond.

The problem was, they had a lot of rain and the small pond was overflowing into the larger pond, so we could not cross. I was really disappointed but I took a photo of the area where the old mill area was.

When we turned back and I looked up, I swore I saw something long and blue and I kept walking when it hit me that it looked like a man in uniform, so who knows, maybe I did see something;) When I zoomed into that area, it looks like the remains of a skeleton or maybe a creepy ghost, not sure if i want to go back there;)

I didn't get a shot of the small falls on the river, so I stopped to get a photo with my new camera. Just as I came up to the area, I saw the small bush across the river move, not like blowing in the wind, but bending branches one after the other, like when someone brushes by them, a ghost? Sadly all this walking in the brush covered Bean in ticks and after this walk we noticed them when they got on Bill. He had one that day and the next day another that left a big mark, luckily I have lyme med, so I made him take that to be safe.

After this we decided we wanted to go for a relaxing walk and see if there was more foliage at the Old Furnace cliffs. It is a climb up, but short, so not too bad. The foliage wasn't as vibrant as I had hoped, and we never did get to see who was at the end of that rope.

I was still in the mood to walk, so we took the path along the peninsula and it was nice for Bean since it was a wide path and he could go on full leash. It was a nice walk and we found this Teepee hut that someone had built.

All in all, it was an interesting day and aside from the ticks, we had fun. Sunday we had another day of exploring, so I will post on Wednesday and tell you all about our adventures.

And my son sent a photo of Nick, he is too cute trying to be serious. Happy Halloween!

Friday Finishes!

This week I got an idea that I had to try. One of the things I love to do is, stop at old graveyards and photograph unique stones. For some reason this one caught my attention and I always like the designs on the stones. I was going through my files and thought, wouldn't it be fun to reproduce it in stitchery and make it a gravestone shape, so I did.

I was going to make it thinner and hang on a wall, but once I turned it inside out, I thought it made a fun pillow and I could stand it up, that way. I did the design exactly like the original stone, mistakes and all, thought that made it more fun. I was thinking I might do a booklet with gravestone designs and this would be a fun way to finish them and have grave pillows to decorate with, what do you think?

I used a darker stain on this piece, I wanted it to look like an aged stone, but my stain had a mind of it's own and kept pulling into the center when I dried it. I loved making this and will try some more and redo some designs to make them more fun for decorations and add my own touches. It will be something I can work on for next year.

Another piece I made was a mini pillow with a design by Cheri Saffiote. She was part of the Buttermilk Basin's blog hop and this piece was fun to do. I used coffee stained muslin by Moda for the background.

I also took my camera back, decided it was not smart to buy the floor model, too many dings that I hadn't noticed. They ordered me a new one and I got it in two days, so fast service. The photos today are with the new camera, taken outside since I have to buy an external flash, but I think the quality is much improved over my other camera and since it is lighter, I don't shake so much and the photos are clearer. I took it out yesterday for a practice run and this is one of the shots I took.

I Took a full photo of the boats in the harbor and cropped out these two boats. Another thing I like about this camera is it has a much higher resolution so you can take regular photos without zoom and crop out the section you want and it still looks close up. I got a Sony mirrorless camera, they come in different models so not sure which ones are good in the lower price range, this is one of their newest ones, but not the newest since that is double in price and this is just right for me. It is an early Bday present from Bill;) I am hoping we can find some nice foliage and new places to take photos tomorrow.

Weekend Wanderings and Surprises.

We had rain on saturday, so no day trips. Instead we went to Best Buy to look at cameras. I wanted something small and simple and of course nothing fit the bill. When you have a good camera, it is hard to compare with the smaller models, but I found the new mirror less cameras that give the same quality with a lot less weight. The camera fits perfectly for me and I can hold it without shaking, and it does take beautiful pictures. But, I am noticing by comparing online, that I am missing some parts and cords and since I took the floor model to save money, I am realizing, it looks more beat up than I thought, so considering taking it back. The following photos are taking with the phone and the new camera, so you can tell me what you think. I do need to learn the settings better, I am sure I could get better quality if I get that figured out.


Since we were getting high wind gusts in RI and Massachusetts, we decided to go to Devil's Hopyard and avoid the winds. The foliage hasn't turned much, but it was still beautiful and we got in a good hike, mostly uphill.

Lots of old bridges and underpasses in the park. Taken with new camera.

The main feature of course, is the waterfall, never fails to amaze me. I would love to just sit there and relax, but it seemed everyone was at the park. Trying to  take a relaxing walk with Bean and people and dogs, can be rough on my arm. Taken with my IPhone.

Of course we have to cross on the covered bridge. Taken with the new camera.

And for fun, a crop of the above photo, the new camera has a higher resolution so it is great for cropping to get close in.

Our final destination, the overlook. You can see the foliage is just starting in the valley areas, so we will have to go back when it is full. We hiked a new path which was going in the wrong direction, so we had to hike up, then down and back up to get to the main path, so we did over 5 miles. Taken with the new camera and a filter, I think the filter washes out the colors a bit.

To end our day we stopped at the apple orchards. They are nearing the end of the season, so all the apples were at the end of the orchard. They offer free rides, so we too advantage of a little fun ride. Of course I felt bad since Nick missed out on a tractor ride;) Taken with my iPhone.

The rest of the photos are from the IPhone. The other bad thing about the new camera is no built in flash and my old flash doesn't fit the mount, so another thing to buy, it does add up.

Kelley has been working on some gifts for me. I wanted to make hit and miss chair pads with stars to use up my stash, but Kelly wanted to make them to get back into hooking again and use up her worm stash. She read my mind and made them better than I imagined, here is one on the extra chairs. The others go at the table and I need to design a nice table topper to match them.

She also made me two runners, love them both and surprised me with some sand colored hearts sachets, perfect for the beach room. I put them on the table for the photograph, but they do look nice there too. They look much better in person, bad lighting for photographs in that room. Kelley does such a beautiful job with prim cuts, and she is also offering free designs this week, so be sure to visit With Hook and Needle.

And I also won Sandi's giveaway, she sent me a beautiful fat quarter. I guess I need to start planning some quilts and table toppers.

Friday Finish and Hikes!

Last week I was shopping at a discount store and they had needle felting kits. They were only 4.00, so I thought it would be fun to try one. It came with all the materials, a needle and a small foam block to punch on, so the extra tools are worth the price.

The stocking comes all cut out with the printed design, so all I had to do is punch in the roving. I used a bit of my own roving to give it more variation, and swapped the blue for the light green they had. I thought it was too close to the back material. The stocking is felt, so for me it was hard to felt on. It was fun to do and I Think I will embellish it a bit, before I put it together and decide who gets it, so I can put a name on it.

I think it would be fun to get another one and make them for the boys, maybe the baby blue for Alex and I can do Nicks with a gold.

We had some nice days this week, so we went for some walks. The first one was at the park, we walked around the lake and put in 3 miles.

Today we went to the bike path. We hiked down the bike path, which follows the cove.

Since we got an early start and had time, we walked further down and decided to follow an old road path into the woods. It was a nice walk, surrounded by woods and no people around. It came out the the other side of the harbor. Looking back to the area where Bill is standing in the first photo.

Of course Bean was thrilled with coming to a beach and since there was no one around, he got to play off leash. This is the bay side, you can see the ship at port in the distance. On the other side of that dock is the dog beach, that we usually go to. We will definitely come back to explore the area and enjoy walking along the beach, when we have more time. Today we walked 3.7 miles and I didn't realize it was going to be hot, so I  was in jeans and a sweat shirt, definitely a good workout today.

I hope  you all have a wonderful weekend. We are getting rain and high winds, so not sure what we will be able to do in that. I do need more apples before the orchards close, so hopefully we can go apple picking on Sunday and maybe take Nick and get him on a tractor.