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.

Friday Finish!

This week I was resting but I needed something to keep my hands busy, so I made up a little piece to work on. It is from a Kindred Spirits book and was part of a grouping of pieces, that would be hung on a stick. I decided to take the reindeer appliqué and add the saying to that for a small wall hanging. 

It was fun to do and I am thinking I might do another, but this time, use a different reindeer and make it more fun, for a piece for the kids. I have a lot of projects I want to finish and start, but I can only stand for so long and sitting isn't much better, but my tailbone is a bit better than earlier in the week. 

We got out for a bit on the weekend. We went for a scenic ride and stopped at a bike trail, this time I walked a small part of it. The views were spectacular from the top of the aqueduct, but hard to envision in a photo. We also stopped at a pond, that we pass by and enjoyed the fall foliage that was coming in. Not sure why, but I guess you could call it a delayed reaction from my fall. The pain got so bad, I could not sleep and I had to get a butt cushion so I could sit. 

The next day we stayed closer to home and visited a reservoir. The views are beautiful and they have a nice walk around the pond. We walked a little way to a bridge before turning back. It was a painful walk, but nice to get out for a little while.

And I finally felt up to going to the beach for a bit. I only walk up and down for a bit and stick to looking for large pieces so I don't bend too much. The fresh air always makes me feel better, but I do limit myself for now. I actually found a huge hunk of white, just sitting on the beach, it is 1/2" thick. Bill always finds a few pieces too, so just finding some nice ones, makes me happy.

Tomorrow the kids want me to go with them to a park, an hour away and take photos for their Christmas card. Then Sunday it will be a drive to find more foliage. It is popping in some areas and some are still green, so hopefully we will have a few more weeks to enjoy the colors. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

 

I made my last piece for Halloween this week. It as a free design by my friend Kelley and it was just right for a little wall hanging for an empty space on my wall. I seem to have fewer of those, with all the pieces I have been making.

I colored it for a fun look but still kept it prim with the fabrics. The pumpkin fabrics was gifted to me, years ago, from Kelley, as well.

Last weekend we were able to get out for some bike rides. The first was in a town in Connecticut, along the Quinebaug river. It was a nice ride, not too long and it ended at the dam.

Since it was a short ride, which I later learned was over 5 miles, we decided to go to the trail we did last week, but from the other end. It was a nice trail, fairly flat and went by several ponds and mostly wooded.

I had a destination, to end at the reservoir that we stopped at, from the other end. I did not realize how far we had gone on the first ride and this one was longer than I realized, so I was getting tired each time I had to try to go up hill on the cross overs and of course I fell, not once but twice. The first time I fell on my tailbone, but I have no sense and kept going. Then I fell again when I died on the hill and fell over on my knee, so I realized it was time to give up, lol.

Luckily I always carry bandaids and taped up my cuts and walked around the area to relax before we headed back. I found a beautiful farm on the road we stopped at and took some photos. The lady came out and told me about her farm and what they do. They have rescue horses and also a working farm with meats and fresh produce. They have programs where you can learn about the horses, have a picnic and they even have bikes if you want to ride a portion of the trail. If you are ever in the Connecticut area and looking for something different to do, you can visit their website, Hidden Springs farms.

After that day, I decided that riding was out for now and we went for drives. The first day we rode up the Shetucket River and visited a few waterfalls, along the way. The first stop was the boat launch at BUtts Bridge. The scene was beautiful from the main bridge, but at the launch, it was so overgrown  that I had a hard time finding a spot to shoot from.

The next stop was in Occum. The views were beautiful but the river was high, so another place that was hard to find a place to stand.

Next was Baltic, the river was just as high there and the places we usually sit to relax and enjoy the river, where flowing with water.

And on the way home, we stopped at our favorite falls. It started to rain at this point but I was able to get a few shots before it got worse.

Our last day, we headed to Coventry Connecticut. Our first destination was the Nathan Hale Cemetery. It was was a beautiful old cemetery and of course I took photos of all the interesting stones.

 

Our last stop was the Nathan Hale home. I was surprised at how big the area was, lots of land to walk around on and they even have trails you can hike on.  The museum was closed but we enjoyed walking around the grounds. The rides we take are nice this time of year since there are pops of colors every so often. 

This weekend will depend on how much I can walk. My tailbone hurts if I bend too much and my knee hurts if I use it too much, but I will still get out and enjoy the scenery and maybe find some new places to explore. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finishes!

 

This week I had more rest time, which meant more stitching time. I was able to finish two pieces this week and started a third. After this I need to start thinking about Christmas, I have gift ideas with my glass and quilts I want to make and finish, so hopefully I can get more done this year. I tend to make more gifts and I think it is time to get back to quilting and make some for my house and for the kids, I love the idea of having seasonal quilts around the house.

This is a design by Kathy Schmitz for the One Stitch Club. I made myself a pillow but not sure if I like the bright colors, or if I should antique it. It does look out of place since most of my halloween decorations are darker. The colored pencil orange, was a bit brighter than I like. I will have to see if I can find some darker shades and also have more for blending.

I also made another, this one for the kids. They like bright, so perfect for them. The stars and coat strips are done with glitter threads. I had old halloween fabric that was gifted to me, so it was perfect for this piece.

I did get to spend some days at the beach and as always, hunting for beach treasures. Sometimes I find odd shaped items and take them home, not sure what I will do with them. I do plan on making ornaments for my family so they have a piece of RI to hang on their tree. 

The last few days seemed to be calmer, so not as many larger pieces were thrown up, but I did find a few nice ones. A long weekend ahead, so hoping to get out and try some biking and scenic drives. Some places are starting to turn, so hopefully we can find a few places to enjoy the foliage. I hope. you all have a good weekend.

Friday Finish!

 

Another week has come and gone and I was able to finish my stitchery just in time, for the new one that came out today. I love this one since it was fun to do and will make a nice gift. I do enjoy coloring them, but I think I need to get more pencils to widen my color palette. It is fun to do brighter colors though, it makes me happy when I work on them.

We got to spend an afternoon with the boys. They love our beach, fun to treasure hunt and play at the beach. We bought the trailer so they were able to have lunch and then go back to the beach.

Unfortunately we got rain, so we waited it out and took a walk around the park, before we left.

The next day, Bill and I went for a bike ride on a rail trail in Connecticut. It goes through the woods, and past several ponds. It was a wonderful place to ride but I realized my seat was a bit too hard for my bony butt, lol. I was able to order a seat cover with cushion, so that should do the trick.

And of course, we spent a few afternoons at the beach. This was a beautiful day and there were a lot of wind surfers on the bay.

The last day we spent there was Wednesday. I had to wear a sweatshirt with the cooler weather and of course, now that I can't swim, the water was nice and calm. I wasn't feeling great and of course got worse for the rest of this week. Lots of meds and vitamins and so far I am fighting off, whatever I have. I am hoping I am up to getting out this weekend, the weather is cooler and it is so nice to get out for walks and maybe get some photos.

We didn't stay as long but I found some nice large treasures that were washing up on the beach. I hope you all have a wonderful week and stay safe and healthy.

Week of Exploring!

 

This has been a busy week with day trips and keeping up at home, so no crafting time for me. By the time we get home and get things done, I am too tired to do much else.

On the weekend we started with a drive to the beach. I wasn't expecting it to be so nice, but it was warmer than I thought, so we spent more time walking and enjoying the ocean breezes.

The waves were high this day, so I enjoyed watching them, too rough for me to swim in.

We enjoyed the birds, running in and out of the surf, as well as a fly by, for some colorful planes.

Lots of rocks are on this beach, perfect place for glass, but I only found a few pieces. 

Our  first trip was to Harkness park in Connecticut. We were able to park the RV on the lawn in front of the bird sanctuary. The perfect spot to relax and enjoy the birds, who frequent the area.

A pair of Great Blue Herons, rested in front of our spot.

A young Semi - Palmated Sandpiper along the rocks.

We also walked around the grounds. The mansion sits on a large grassy area, with views of the sound.

The gardens are still in bloom and beautiful to walk through.

I was hoping to catch the butterflies, but there were only a few and they are always on the move.

On Tuesday we headed to Windsor Locks. It is a place where you can see eagles and other birds that frequent the area. Of course there were no eagles around and the rest were hiding in the bush. I was able to catch this silly guy, a Cormorant.

And we got a nice long walk along the bike path. It follows the old path from when they pulled boats along the inner side of the locks. We weren't able to do the whole walk, so we will have to bring the bikes the next time.

One day was more of a rest day. We got things done at home and it rained a bit, so once it stopped, we spent some time at the beach. Bean has been loving all the time out, as well.

 

I was able to find some nice treasures, with the lower tide.

And I finally got on my bike. It has been years but we went on a bike path that was paved and mostly flat. I was able to do 12 miles and enjoy some beautiful scenery along the way. And the nice thing was, it is only a few towns away, so we can go back anytime.

Today was another rain day, so we got things done around the house and once the rain stopped, we headed to the beach. Always nice when there are no crowds, and I have the beach to myself. It was a bit cloudy and a bit sunny, but the rain held off.

And of course I found some new treasures. Each time I find some interesting shapes, it gives me ideas for art pieces, so I will have plenty to keep me busy when I finally stay home and sit still, lol. I had such a nice time biking that I am hoping we can get out some more this weekend. I hope everyone has had a nice week and enjoyed my photos of the places we visited. 

Friday Finish and Finds!

 It seems each week goes by faster than the last, but I also seem to be busier than usual. I was able to finish my. newest creation, even if it wasn't exactly how it started out. When I work with roving, it is like reverse carving, I start with an idea and change things as I go.

This gnome is made with wool roving that a friend gave me,  a large hank with mixed colors and some glitter. I ended up going with a wizard for a halloween theme and I made him a little broom with craft twine.

We were able to get out for a hike last weekend. The trail starts a few feet away from where I grew up. When I was younger, we walked along the old stage coach road that went all the way past a farm and back onto the new route for cars. Now most of that is overgrown and they have made new trails in the area, that go to the old Girl Scout camp on the river. It was nice walk, but a bit wet and buggy.

One day took us to the Ocean beach, not a lot of treasures, but it was nice and cool and I enjoyed watching the Sandpipers,  running back and forth, in the waves.

Of course we spent more time at our favorite beach, a late afternoon stroll along the beach and a few treasures.

Another day I spotted the Egrets in the cove, but of course they flew off before I could get a close up.

And our best day this week, Bill had an appointment, so we got there at low tide. We got to spend more time as the tide was coming in and she was generous in what she threw up for us. You can see how high the tide was, as we left. That area is where the boys usually sit and hunt through the stone piles.

You can see that we got quite a bit of glass, especially some large pieces. Those came up with the higher tide. The large yellow-green piece is almost 3" long.

I hope you all had a good week and enjoy the upcoming weekend. We are taking next week off, it looks like a nice week and hopefully we will be doing some trips into Connecticut this time.