Moved!

Hopefully you checked out my other two QUILTSocial links for the new series on "50 ways to keep a quilter happy while on vacation".

There is a new installment and here is the link.  check it out.   Even if you are NOT on vacation - you could plan a vacation around many of the items I chatted about or will chat about!

OK - I am in a foul mood today so watch out!   It just starts with one little thing and then another and another and pretty soon - you are yelling at everyone or everything and well - it just isn't good news. I feel much better now but my spin bike this morning took a beating. 32 K - it was protesting at the speed and the tension, but I sucked it up!  Now I am much calmer!    Breath one two three...................

The bottom line - I had to move my laptop back into the dining room from the basement. Ever since we moved the router and the printer up to the main floor (because it is better!!!!  - right for whom????) - I have had issues and just when I really really needed it yesterday - no go. We have three networks iin this house and I keep getting the slowest one and - well I could go on and on - but I won't. My laptop is now sitting amongst piles of crap on my old desk so I can function, but now I need to address this mess and I really didn't want to.  OK - I do want to address the mess, but I don't have time????

I am so tempted to get a dumpster to the house and just pitch anything that isn't nailed down - except in the basement of course!   There is stuff in the garage and I keep saying "today" is the day I will make a trip and then something happens. Hopefully some time will be freed up now that I am not struggling with the internet connection.

I am going to post the LAST set of pictures from PEI.  Yes - I know they are more beach pictures - deal with it!!!!   Then I can get back to all the show n tell that has accummulated the last couple of weeks.

These pictures were taken on that other beach we went to on PEI.  The one on the channel - the girls and I were out geocaching. It was a hot day and for some reason, I didn't bring water for the girls, so we didn't stay too long.

Beach in PEI

Fishing boat on its way back to the harbour or do we say dock?

Sammy and Sparky!

Funny how they were very comfortable on OUR beach and a bit out of sorts on this one. New place I suppose.

Little Sammy

 Because this beach was protected and although not far from the other beach, it was very different.

Low tide - we could walk very far out. Even Little Sammy was brave although she may have been looking for water. 

Driftwood on the beach - we had NONE on our beach

The pilings of an old dock across the way

See that geocache hiding in the tree????  

 This one took a bit of bush whacking to get to and then it was right on top of the sand dune so had to be careful to not take misstep or down I would go!!!!

A light house in the area

 There was a geocache in that tree beside the lighthouse, but I couldn't find it.  As I was looking for it, I noticed a vehicle stop and they kept looking in my direction. I thought "oh crap" they are going to come over and ask what I am doing. I lost my nerve and we scooted back to the beach. When I drove past the vehicle later, they weren't even from PEI!!!!!

But we almost lost Sparky at this beach.  I was hunting for another geocache and she was wandering around. Then when it was time to go, I couldn't find her.  Oh oh - did she go into a yard of one of the houses nearby????   Not a good scene. And she has very selective hearing!!!!   But at last she came and we headed home.

Sparky finally coming back!!!!   See that big black dot!

I was looking at this picture and wondering what it was, but now I remember.  This was a spot on the floor where the dogs had lain AFTER they had made a trip to the beach.  Can you see the sand????

Sand from the dogs

Yes - I think the wind drove that sand into their fur and then when they would lie down in the house - it shook out onto the floor.  Let's just say that frequent floor sweeping was in order.


That is IT!!!!   NO MORE PEI pictures.



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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

A MYSTERY is solved!

I WILL get caught up with all these posts.  I had better stop taking pictures!  Anyway - here is one more post from PEI.  You can skip it or at least skim the pictures - some fun ones!!!!


In case you think we stayed on the SAME beach all the time - we did not.  This picture was taken a couple of miles away from the beach we were staying at. That was the day that we geocached on this other beach. You can see that it is a  much more protected beach.  It is actually a channel that the fishing boats came through.

Little Sammy snuffling on a new beach!!!!

Sammy and Sparky BOTH looking at the camera!!!!

Our foot/paw prints in the sand!

We did get down to the beach a couple of times later in the day.  ACK - I miss those walks!!!!

Late afternooon walk on the beach

Oh yes - this day was pretty funny.  Sammy and Sparky (who received absolutely NO ATTENTION from me)  got friendly with a couple of people on the beach and rather than follow ME - they started to follow these two ladies!!!!

Sparky and Sammy - running away!!!!!

Late afternoon on the beach

Rock colour is just spectacular

 I am certain in one of my other posts that I mentioned the fishing net on the beach.  At first I thought the net had escaped from a boat. But upon closer inspection, it was obvious that the net was there on purpose. It was anchored down. So what was this net doing there????

Another time when we had walked around the rocks further down our beach, we came across another small stream and another net.

Fishing net at the mouth of a stream AND the small motor boat

The fishing net

The fishermen's truck

 This particular afternoon, I saw this truck arrive (I had seen it numerous times) and they unloaded their boat and off they went.  AHA - they were going to check the OTHER net that was around the rocks.

I hung around until they came back and then I went to chat with them.  Yes - they had a couple of nets - they set up the nets to catch a small fish called gaspereau.   Apparently the fish swim UP the stream so the nets were placed to catch the fish which are then used as lobster bait!!!!    There you go - the mystery of those nets on the beach SOLVED!!!!!

While on the beach - we had time to kill. Time to try another USIE.  Those girls were NOT interested at all. I meant to get a better picture by a HUMAN, not the self timer, but we just didn't get a chance.

Me, Sammy and Sparky!

Little Sammy and Sparky

Sunset from the house

My favourite view of the beach!!!!!

The girls had so MUCH FUN!!!!!!

That little stream changed EVERY DAY.   Look at the picture above with the truck and see how DEEP the channel (the edges of the sand are) compared to this picture!!!

Edges of the stream are SHALLOW

Seagull

Another beach picture

 Thank goodness you can skim through these VERY FAST!!!!

Little Sammy - camo dog!!!!!

Little Sammy having a great time eating lobster claws!

I have ONE more post from PEI and then it is over. Maybe I am trying to hang onto that vacation. It was one of the best vacations (besides my bike trips) that I have ever had.  Can't wait to see what I do next year!!!

Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!


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

North Cape Coastal Drive - PEI

ACK - back to PEI for this post. I know - you can skip it, but this is the day trip that Nancy and I took around the North Cape Coastal Drive.  We had a hoot and just goes to show that you should ALWAYS STOP and ask questions.


We had the GPS and a map and NO PLANS.  I just love those kind of days. I think the only thing that was a MUST STOP at our trip was the quilt shop in O'Leary.

Signs for the North Cape Coastal Drive

Of course we had to stop and take pictures of any of those quilt signs that represent stops on the Arts and Heritage Trail.

Acadian Museum of PEI

As we started to go up the coast, we looked back and I snapped this shot of the general direction of where we were staying. 

Farm land on the North Cape

Most of the roads were well marked with the North Cape Coastal signage, but we goofed once or twice.

NO EXIT - duh - guess we shouldn't have turned down that road

This dirt road was part of the Coastal Drive, but well maintained

Stunning design for a church.

There are a LOT of churches on PEI - almost felt that I was in Quebec.  This one in particular was gorgeous. Painted a soft yellow with white and black trim - it was unusual, although I think we did see another church in those same colours somewhere else along the way.  


Then we came across this place.   Green Gable Alpacas

Nancy spotted the alpacas and we almost drove past, but decided to stop and take pictures.

Green Gable Alpacas

The alpacas had just been shorn and they have the most adorable faces.  They looked like big poodles.

Alpacas

Baby alpaca

OK - so I took a "few" pictures of the alpacas

Look at the pattern left on his neck after his wooly coat is gone

See how long their necks are????  Like a mini giraffe

The little baby one standing up!!!!

Then it was back to the car. Ooops - I think I left in a hurry - I didn't even bother to shut the door.  We got a chuckle out of that.

The "getaway" car

WAIT  - we are both textile artists or quilters and this might be a cool place to visit.  The sign does say that visitors are always welcome. So we went in. We were greeted by a nice little dog named Otis and then we met Janet. Wow - Janet's story is mind blowing.  There is a video on her web page - you should watch it - it is a tear jerker. Janet lost her daughter in 2007 and this is her story.   Janet is truly a remarkable woman and we were very moved by her and what she has done with her life.   Turns out that Janet and Robin have become good friends - they have a lot in common - both "from away".   Anyway - watch the video on the Green Gable Alpaca site.  

We did spend some money in the shop and bought inserts for our boots. Nice and warm and SOFT!!!!!!   A must stop if you are in the area.


Another quilt block -

Bideford Parsonage Museum

There are NOT a lot of trees on PEI.     Here we are going through a FOREST!!!!!

A PEI forest

We stopped for lunch in Alberton. This was going to be the furthest north we would go.  There just wasn't time to do the entire drive in one day. Too many stops!!!!

Mural in Alberton

Having lunch at The Albert & Crown Pub & Eatery

Had a great lunch in Alberton. Nancy was good at chatting up all the locals.


Another quilt block

Alberton Museum

We headed south on the main highway so we could get to our next stops.  OK - after we were on the road a bit and I browsed through the brochure and we saw the time - we started making plans.

A truck loaded with potatoes

Ok - I admit - we were hoping to see some potatoes fall off that truck - but no go.


We had to stop at MacAuslands Woolen Mill

MacAuslnds Woolen Mill

What a fascinating place.   We didn't have time to take a tour, but we poked around on our own. They take the raw material from the sheep/alpacas.

Raw wool

Part of the cleaning process

Historical info on the MacAusland's Woollen Mills

 

Part of the spinning process

This was a neat set up to get a thicker rope material

Since we didn't have the tour - we just guessed at what the stuff was.  But a pretty cool place.  Not only could you look, but you could buy!!!!!

Bags and bags of wool rovings - you pick the colour!

How about those socks - looks like a John Deere fan would love those!!!!

They did have gorgeous blankets, but they also had seconds. Smaller ones with some minor flaws - we bought those. They were very reasonably prices.  And toasty warm!!!!


Back in the car we were off.  We did stop at the quilt store in O'Leary which I don't have any pictures of - well not here.

Very different beach from the one we had

This beach was on the Northumberland Strait - so protected beach.  Our beach was on the Gulf of St. Lawrence which wasn't protected.

We were going to stop and visit this lighthouse, but we couldn't find the road to get there.

One of PEI's many lighthouses

Our last official stop of the day was at the bottle houses.  And look another quilt block. 

The Bottle Houses of PEI

Wow - these three buildings were amazing and so neat to see how the builder constructed the house using various colours and sizes/shapes of bottles.

Inside the chapel

Nancy waiting for the service to begin - I'm kidding - I made her sit there!

From the outside!!!!

Bottle sculpture

Fish in the pond

Nancy relaxing outside The Bottle House

A lighthouse on The Bottle House property

The bottles on the inside of the houses

And then it was time to head home. We stopped to watch these guys on the beach.  They were kite surfing - the perfect place for it as it was windy like crazy.  The only thing I do not understand is how they can go BOTH directions in the wind. They would go with the wind and then they were able to use the wind to come back as well.   I need to understand that so the technique could be used on a bike!!!!!   I'm not against rigging up a sail on the bike - imagine that!!!!

Kite surfing

Hard to see but there was a farmer in his tractor right by the ocean - just so weird for me. 

My farming experience  - there is NO ocean anywhere nearby!!!!

A challenging fence to escape over!

That was probably the most touristy day we had on PEI.  It was a fun day and I will keep those memories forevery.  Not to mention, my wool blanket and my alpacas inserts for my boots!!!!!


If you get a chance - all three places are worth a stop.


Have a great day!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!