Technology saved my butt today!!!!!

Everyone including me was quite happy to just relax in bed yesterday morning. No need to get up early as we had no place to go. The first store we were hitting didn't open until 10 AM and it was about 1 hour away.

Little Sammy is making herself right at home in the hotel!!!!

Sparky slept nicely on the floor - Little Sammy had to try out BOTH beds - silly girl

So we started the day off with something that I haven't had in a LONG time - breakfast at Tim's.  It was just down the road. Then off to the first quilt shop which was in New Maryland, New Brunswick.  Oh yes - no one is allowed to see the roads I've crossed. I was going north to go south, then west to go east.  Yes - best to NOT look at the map.  Remember this is an adventure and all about FUN!!!!!


ACK - I hope this isn't going to cause trouble, but I see a slice in my tire. Must have cut it with a rock/stone or a curb?????   Doesn't seem to have damanged the integrity of the tire, but will keep an eye on it and take it in when I get back.

Cut in the tire

Oh yes as I was driving to the first store yesterday, I noticed something.  Another GOOD reason to only travel between the hours of 10 AM and 5 PM (the hours of the quilt shops!) . There are lots of moose around and god forbid you hit one.  But they only seem to be out at night - so just another good reason to not travel at night.   Staying safe!!!

Caution Moose - signs everywhere in New Brunswick

We arrived at the first quilt store in New Maryland, New Brunswick at 9:30.  So we sat outside - it was a glorious day and waited.  Once the shop opened, the girls went into the car and I went into the shop.

The Christmas Crab Quiltery

Me picking up my kit for the row

 Lovely store - I saw so much I wanted, BUT I held out. OK - I did pick up one thing. Thanks for the heads up Linda!!!  It is very cute!!!!


Someone told me a while back that as you get older, you should never give up an opportunity to visit the loo.  So I did and I LOVE that the quilt stores have quilts in the bathroom.  NOTE  TO SELF:   get something fun and quilty in the bathroom at home.

Quilt in the bathroom

 This pattern is from Buggy Barn - I saw it on someone's Facebook page a while back - loved it very much and found the pattern in Orillia.


That is the end of the stores in NB.  Now if they will let me across the border - I am off to the US.  And herein lies the problem.  I had DH bring down my passport (I know - why I left it at home - I have no idea).  And he brought the papers for the dogs.  However, I realized that I only had ONE rabies certificate, not TWO.  What to do - what to do?????   OK - I had almost two weeks to figure this out, but of course, I left it until the last day.  I e-mailed the vet and asked them to text me a picture of the certificate.  That was the night before.

Then on the way to the border, I decided to call them and ask them to do it in case they had not seen the e-mail.  And a few minutes later - I had a picture of Sparky's certificate on my phone.

Arriving at the border

Hmmmmm - what line to pick???   There were two lines open.  Hmmmm - OH - I'll grab the one on the right.  Sure - Mr Interrogation was in that line.   It was slow and what the heck was he asking everyone????  First off - he looked really grumpy, I forgot to take off my sunglasses, but didn't notice until I left.  He asked what all the STUFF was in the car.  I told him DRUGS!!!!!  No - I said I had been on vacation for a month - he didn't ask what it was specifically.  He checked to see if my license plates were valid. Thank god I am up to date on that! Then he asked how often I come to the US - good god - my passport would show that I haven't been here in a LONG time. Then he asked what I did - quilt teacher. Next up - have I ever been fingerprinted. NO - well why not - you are a teacher - no - I'm a quilt teacher!!!  Asked for papers for the dogs and accepted the photo for Sparky. Did I own the car?   Any food in the car?  Yes - apples and carrots. No citrus???  NO. Any alchol or cigarettes? NO  It was several minutes that we were in line, but then we were on our way!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to MAINE!!!

Oh my god - Maine is BORING.  I-95 is nothing but..............

TREES

I would swear that I was in Northern Ontario except there are no rocks.


First quilt store that I stopped in had something that I have wanted, but did NOT want to pay the shipping. so that went in the car.  I'll take pictures when I get home!!!!    Great little shop including yarn.  Got a license plate and a couple to share.

Rather-B-Quilting

Then we were off to Bangor where there were TWO shops.

The Cotton Cuboard Quilt shop

 This shop was HUGE!!!!!    They had a ton of stuff here including an ENTIRE big stand up rack of EVERYTHING Marti Michell. I even picked up a FQ of a busy background light for my project.


Of course - I had to check out the bathroom and look at the quilting on the quilt in there!!!!

Quilt in the bathroom!!!

Getting my plates and row

I love what they do at this store.  You can purchase a little charm pin and for every $75 you spend in the  store, you get a small quilt block charm that you can put on your pin.  I love it and so unique!!!!   I didn't get a charm in case you are wondering!!!!

Charm holders and charms available and look at that Row by row pin!!!!!

The girls (Sparky is behind the white car) waiting patiently

 Normally when I leave the girls outside, they bark, but I think they are getting used to the idea of waiting. At least tied to a tree is better than in the car!

I love my GPS - it is awesome and I certainly could not do this trip without it.  However yesterday I got a bit worried.  As we headed off to the second store in Bangor, the GPS tells me that we are arriving at destination "on the right" as I am headed up a very steep hill in the downtown sector with NO stores of any kind anywhere.  Shoot - I pull off to the side after turning right at the top and glance around -  wondering what to do and then I spot this across the street.  So the GPS was off slightly, but close enough to find the store.

Choppin' Cotton Quilts & Creative Sewing

Another awesome store - I think I got plates and pins and patterns at this store.


Then something BAD happened.  Oh nothing serious - but I went to listen to my iPod  - dead battery. And of course - my AUDIO cable that I need to listen is NOT capable of charging.   Then the camera battery went dead and although I had a spare in the car - and in the front seat, no less - I couldn't be bothered to dig it out. And to top if off, my FitBit needed charging!!!!    Let's just say that this morning, everything is charged up and ready to go!!!!!


So I didn't get pictures of the other stores that I visited.


But I went to The Fabric Garden.   I think I got plates and pins and patterns????   But I also found a neat treasure and another busy print background.  Oh yes - very nice store.    And I got to put a PIN ON THE MAP for Canada.   They have a map in the store of where they ship to and who has visited the store for Row by Row. FIRST for Canada!!!!!

Next up was Pinwheels Quilting.  Had a bit of trouble finding this one. The GPS went really whacky or perhaps I mixed up the address which I think is more like it. But when I arrived - there was this big building, a sign out front, but seemed pretty dead. I opened the door and yep - quilt store is DOWNSTAIRS.


Well - I was hoping to make TWO more shops before they closed for the day.  Only 26 ??? to the next store.  I set the GPS - oh crap - that is MILES, not KM. I won't make it.  But I drove anyway - have to get there so might as well be ready for the next day.  Then I realized that I had NOT reset the car clock to the right time when we crossed the border - HEY - I have an EXTRA hour!!!!!   So we were off to the next shop.

Pin & Needles in Farmington, Maine

Pins & Needles

This shop was fabulous. Gorgeous gorgeous stuff.  I found these amazing little kits and as I was raving over them, it turns out that the owner is the designer. They are ADORABLE.   Had to order the plates as they had not arrived yet.  I have managed to pick up a couple of last year's plates which is great as I needed a couple more for my project.


Check out her patterns and kits here - they are gorgeous.


Then the next shop was a bit weird.  They had no hours listed on their web site. They were part of an INN that was pet friendly.  I was about to take a chance, but decided to stick with the Comfort Inn where I knew I could get a room.  So that is what we did. I did send an enquiry to the shop in the inn and they were open until 6 so we could have made it, but oh well. Another time.  If it were just me - I wouldn't care - I could get accommodations anywhere, but with no phone while here in the US and the dogs - I went with what I knew.

And Little Sammy is making herself right at home!!!!!

Little Sammy!!!!

On that note - I had better get my butt in gear for today.  It is very hard to travel with two dogs and a bike (that I won't leave on the rack outside over night).  My dogs are NOT good on the leash and are constantly zipping left and right and getting tangled around me.  But they are good in the car so I can't really complain.

OH and I have somehow lost my clip on sunglasses. I am certain that I had them right up until I arrived at the hotel, but where are they????


Have a great day!!!!!!   Hope to be back in Canada by tonight and where I'll end up - I'll see how tired I am.


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!