Hand project needed

Since we just bought a new camper, I find myself really wanting to get a hand project going so that I can have something to work on while we are camping.  I know if I find the right project, it will be very relaxing...  And I also know if I find the wrong project, I'll stress myself out!

I've never been really good at or drawn to applique, but it's something that tends to lend itself toward hand work.  And as you can tell by some of the things that I've posted that I don't really go for traditional patterns.  So I'm looking for something a tad different.

Does ANYONE have ANY suggestions???

Thanks!
AMW

I'm losing it!

Literally!

About a month ago, I went to an event a couple of hours away in a cute little town called Victoria, VA.  They have a great Rails to Trails trail, and we spent the better part of the day on this trail geocaching.  Sometime during that day, I lost half of my pen.  Big deal, right?  But it was!

In 2004 my "dog" gave me a Space Pen for Christmas.  This pen writes on any surface, at any angle, in any temperature, every time.  The cap has a carabiner attached to it, and I've used it for years without losing it.  Until that fateful day in April when the pen part went missing.  I was so sad!

Last weekend, I went to an event at Twin Lakes State Park about 20 miles from Victoria, VA.  Sometime during the day on Saturday, I lost my glasses.  My regular glasses.  I have prescription sunglasses, which I wore most of the day, but somehow, someway, somewhere, my regular glasses made a break for it!  And I didn't realize it until Sunday, so there really was no "retracing my steps" except those that were close to home.

But here's where it gets strange........

As I was getting in the car at Twin Lakes State Park to head back home on Saturday, a man I had met at the first event in April came up to me, and HANDED ME THE PEN PART OF MY SPACE PEN!

Yes, he did!

Now, I know this will be hard to believe, but I was speechless.  I didn't know what to say.

I can't hold out much hope that my glasses will appear so easily, nor could I possibly go over a month without them, so I started wearing an old pair.  And placed an order online tonight for a couple of new pairs.

It's hell getting old!  LOL!  I wonder what I'll lose next?  I'll have to start putting tracking devices on anything important.

AMW

Osprey Day

The other day, we went for a drive to the Lion's Bridge.  This is a bridge on the James River that is flanked on both ends by statuesque lions.  It really is a beautiful site all it's own.

But just as we got to the area - I looked up and saw Osprey.  Not just one or two, but at least EIGHT of them.  And probably more, but that's the most I counted at one time, and that was with them flying in and out of the area directly above me.

I made D pull the car in the parking area and grabbed my camera.  It was a little overcast, but I was determined to get a few shots of these super cool birds of prey.  And in the process, also got some great shots of a couple of Great Blue Herons.

Now, I don't claim to be any kind of photographer, but I had fun...  Here ya go:

Five Osprey in one picture!

Great Blue Heron

I didn't get this Osprey's head, and it wasn't the angle I really wanted, but it's way cool that I got him with the fish in his talons!

Great Blue Heron

Another Great Blue Heron

Hard to see, but there are actually two GBH's in this shot.  One at the top of the tree, and the other at the water at the end of the path.

Finally, a half way decent shot of the Osprey!

And some idiots who completely disregarded the sign after I pointed it out.  And scared off the GBH's that were hanging out there.  A$$HOLE!

GBH in flight.

This is a view of the James River Bridge from the Lion's Bridge. 

The Osprey's nest.

Wouldn't you want to live here?

Osprey in flight.  Actually, I think he was hovering - focussing on the fish below!

A relaxing hour just hanging out watching them fish.  

And one last picture that caught my eye as I was heading back to the car:

He's airbrushed on.  An airbrushed rat....  Go figure!

I'm sparing you the "outtakes" or "bloopers", and there were a ton of them.  

Hope you enjoyed a piece of my weekend morning...

AMW

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I noticed on another blog a link to a Quilt Festival.  I decided to check it out, and join in. Check it out for yourself here:

I decided to highlight this Tie-Dyed quilt, because it was one of my favorites and also one of my most challenging to date.  The full background story and who it went to can be found here, but in short - it was made for a Christmas exchange called "Make My Christmas".  We draw names and make something for the recipient.     

The front.

Close up of a few blocks...

The back.

Close up of the back (with a little of the quilting).

Folded on the pool table.

The recipient LOVED this quilt!  It personifies her personality completely.  And I loved that she was so happy with it.


Stop on over to the Quilt Festival and check out all of the other entries!


AMW

FTF - New toys

It's Friday, so that means Favorite Things Friday again inspired by Shay over at Quilting in my Pajamas.  Check it out, and join in!


We've had a pop-up camper for a few years now, and it served us well to upgrade from a tent.  We bought it used on Craigslist and really got our money's worth and have really enjoyed it.  Although we have enjoyed it, it was certainly a lot of work and we still had to deal with canvas when it rained.  Not that it leaked; it never did.  But as you know, you can't put canvas away wet or it will mildew.  So you would have to pop it back up when you got home from camping, let it dry, and then pop it back down again.  And of course - it rained every time we went camping.  Of course.

We accidentally sold it a couple of weeks ago when D was at work and a coworker/friend said they were looking for one.  They came and looked at ours, and wanted it.

It needed an inspection, so we took it to our favorite RV dealer.  And while there, we talked to our favorite salesman.  The same one that has put up with us over the last few years as we go to EVERY RV/Camper show in the region.  And we looked at campers.  Specifically - the same one we continue to be drawn to at these shows.  BUT!  We said maybe we'd wait a year before we replaced the one we just sold.

UNTIL we found out that it was still on sale from the last show we went to AND Scott would be willing to throw in some *extras*.  Now we really had something to think about...

Which of course didn't take long.

So today, for Favorite Things Friday, we are picking up our new camper!  Our new TOY!

It even has it's own POTTY!  YEAH!

We're still not 100% sure how we're gonna tow it, as neither one of us has ever towed anything of this size...  But it should be fun learning it all.  As you can see - it's completely hard-sided, so we just pull in, and we're done.  

When we actually get it home today, we're going to camp in it this weekend in the back yard.  Then Memorial Day weekend, we'll take it out for it's *real* first camping trip!

I plan on making sure I can connect to the house internet this afternoon and visit all of the other FTF posts, from the comfort of the new camper!

AMW

Another Random Update

What'd you expect with a title called "Random Thoughts of AMW"???  

I feel like my work meeting went pretty well last week.  That meeting was for the other party to gather information to take to another meeting, this week.  So I haven't heard anything from them yet, and that's ok.  Most likely, it will lead to more meetings, and then more meetings.  Not really a fan of meetings, but they are a necessary evil sometimes.  Work itself is pretty stressful as I share a space with someone I don't really care for and don't really respect.  

I've been keeping an eye on the eaglets from Norfolk Botanical Gardens that I've shared about numerous times on this blog.  The quick update  is that the 3 eaglets were removed from the nest, and placed at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.    It was determined that while the dad would continue to try to provide for them, it would soon become too much for him (3 rapidly growing eaglets eat a LOT of fish) and still provide enough to nourish himself.  This solution saves the lives of all three eaglets and dad.  They are being "rehabbed" so to speak to prepare them for release into the wild hopefully in August.  They have set up webcams at their facility and still broadcast at the former webcam site:  www.wvec.com/eaglecam

I "rehabbed" an old T-shirt quilt that a friend had done back in high school, and wasn't crazy about.  She gave me the old quilt and asked me to do *something* with it.  Her birthday was last week, and I was going to give her as a present, but didn't see her.  I'll post pictures of it when I get it to her (since she hasn't seen it yet!).

In other quilt news - I've got a couple more in line to finish the tops, and then I'll make a run to rent the long-arm again.  Don't want to wait too long so I don't forget al the stuff I learned!  Could certainly happen in this over-crowded mind of mine....

And there's one other piece of big exciting news, but I think I'm gonna hold that one close until Favorite Things Friday!  So stay tuned!

AMW