August is Ending...

This has been the fastest month this year!

I've had many visitors come & view the water from the kitchen window or their bedroom window & watch many a beautiful sunset over Bay du Vin Island.

This week was for the birds, many ducks were in the water, many, many ducks. I have never seen so many ducks.

Then the Canadian geese were parked out in the backyard for a few hours.

 The upright goose always stayed in that position whilst the others pecked away.

                                    I was hoping that they were not feasting on the grass seed!

                                                 Whatever it was they were enjoying it!

                                                                           Attention!

                                                Then they all nestled in for an afternoon rest.

Then these fast moving birds, I think they were Sandpipers, joined in by the large evergreen.

                     It was hard to get a good photo of them as they were moving very quickly!

So that was the wildlife in the backyard this week!

 Before my girlfriend Sandy left, she gave me this handmade wrought iron orb! A couple of months ago, my girlfriend Elizabeth texted me a photo of it from the new antique shop that had opened in Chatham. She said it made her think of me! Oh, how my girlfriends know my style!!

 It is a twelve candle orb & will hang in the sun porch from a pulley. I saw Sarah Richardson do that in one of her shows. Mine will be battery operated candles, maybe IKEA votives on chilly fall nights.

It has such detail & will hang lowered from a steel hanger to the ceiling. Photos to follow after Bill's visit next week.

The detailing is beautiful & the hit of green on the leaves really brings it to life. Thank you, Sandy! 

It was an early birthday present as in two weeks I am turning the big 6-0! Wow, where has time gone?!! I've sure been blessed with good friends along the way!

Kathleen, a neighbouring girlfriend, asked if I wanted to go to the Beaverbrook Garage Sale, it was not what we thought, however, I did come away with a few finds.

This embossed tin really caught my eye at $5, the vendor then asked if I would be more interested in it for $3?

                                                                 It came home with me. :-)

 Then I spied this vintage flannel with the horses that made me think of the Alberta son, there were 2 yards of it & the other cotton fabric made me think of the Civil War prints. Kathleen gave the man $1 & both were now mine!  She sure knows how to haggle a good price! Thank you, Kathleen!

My handsome middle-son Mitchell a photo in 2012 at the Calgary Airport, when I went to visit him for the first time. Yes, the flannel horse fabric,  made me think of the Alberta bound boy of mine!

Another Birthday Surprise!

 Kathleen presented me with this antique hardcover story book. It is a true story of a Welsh girl & how the Bible Society began, nearly 200 years ago!

This is the 1924 version of the book & I have been enjoying reading it & hope to have it finished by my birthday! Thank you again, Kathleen, a very unique thoughtful, gift indeed!

Bridget & Baxter the Boston Terriers

                                These two play fight with each other & are very noisy doing so!

 They roll & grab & play...

Tug of war with bones...

 And bite one another...

 Then everything stops & they look...

And see Mr. Boots! They are so afraid of this cat & the cat knows a preys on them. I sing the Dr. Suess song, 'You're a mean one, Mr. Boots, you're lurking in the halls, you're preying on young puppies, they are terrified of you! Mr. Boots... I need more lyrics lol
This 22-pound cat rules the puppies, especially Bridget.

Alone Time~~~~~~~~~~~

 With everyone gone, my evenings are quiet so I have been knitting my Christmas Swedish Gnomes.
I did the large one this week & hope to start the medium one soon.

I also did some sewing & creating with four orphan blocks left over from the Crazy Stars Quilt that I did with my girlfriend Deb. I need a small quilt on the back of the deacon's bench as the pups stand on the back to look in the yard.

 I was auditioning it over the summer Lone Star Quilt.

 I'm going to put a 2 1/2" finished border around the outside with some Primitive Gatherings fabric that is on the right of the photo.

I just love Beth's Lone Star Quilt on the back & the other part is viewed when you're in the yard!
I use it in the summer as it enhances the blue & white dishes in the kitchen/dining area.

Well, thank you, for stopping by for a visit. Don't be shy & stop by again to see what is going on in the yard or just on the northeastern coast of the Atlantic. Fall is just around the corner for us!

The season of colour & my favourite time of year is coming!

Take Care,
And smile, it's contagious!

Cynthia

Mid-August Ashpalt Done!

Wow,  August is flying by!

With the company of friends & the renovations nearing completion, it has been very busy here in the northeast.

 Paulette talks to Bridget & Baxter about being good.

 She has their full attention, hurry Paulette, it's like talking to a two-year-old! lol

 Yes, yes, we're listening...

 Listening & being really good...

 Yes! The treats are released to the 'good puppies'. lol

 Please, please... more please! lol The puppies had a full two weeks of socializing with people.

 Another Dollarstore lily has bloomed! I'm going to transfer them to the garden for next year.

 I do hope they come back for an encore!

 Best $3 I spent this summer!

 The Morning Glory is now in bloom & what a beautiful colour they are!

How can you describe natures beautiful colour?!  A deeper warm, purplish colour in the shape of a star!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My friends, Paulette & Dave left last Saturday for more holidaying in Maine, USA.
And Sunday Sandy arrived!

 We have been having a lot of fun visiting the different thrift shops & antique stores with the vast area. Most of the antique shops are at Sussex NB, a huge outdoor gathering of antiques.
We went to Blissfield & the finds we found!
Sandy has now sent home 4 boxes of antiques. She likes to have just a carry-on, to travel with.

Here are my finds!

 For that sweet 1910 sailor boy, I found a wicker stroller & a baby sister for him!

 She was cute as a button & has the same coloured eyes as him! Meant to be, what a find!

 I love the whole buggy in its original colour & the buggy's, braking system caught my eye!

 It was in very good shape & Sandy said she too would have purchased it if she had not come by plane! What a find!

 The back has a woven detail in it & there are eye screws to attach a string of something, to further enhance this little beauty!

Then I saw a cream & sugar, with a dish to hold them in place! This would go so well with the glass set from Cynthia! Yes, it sure did! The Christmas dinner table is going to sparkle this year!

I saw this mermaid as I entered The Big Wheel Antique Shop & thought how wonderful it would be at our new home by the water. She has not gone outside yet as I like her in the center of the table.
It is made of cement, maybe next year she will find a place outside!

 Tom Cat got a new basket, I saw this basket & knew just where to put it!

It sits on top of my sewing desk, where I use to have my cutting mat!

 Tom Cat has his food, treats, & water on that desk too! It is 'our place' to be together.

He is very vocal when he wants something & lets me know. He's entering his 19th year now, so he gets whatever he wants! He is enjoying his new basket, I'm not being productive getting his fabric one done! Maybe this winter I'll line that basket with it, how custom would that be?!

Some sewing was done.

Waiting to go pick up Sandy on the 13th, I saw a pattern on my perpetual calendar & thought it would look good done in Christmas fabric. The block finished at 18'' without any borders.

 The calendar was a Connecting Threads purchase years ago & I just love it!

I used Christmas fabric & will be adding a couple of borders & cornerstones to finish it off before I quilt & bind it.

Here is the little dress for Alexa that won first place!

 I sewed pearls into the satin flower center & placed pearl strings down the center with the navy satin ribbon.

 The underlining was done properly this time & the tulle & lace added much fullness, supporting the bias skirt. So sweet!

 Alexa will like the satiny feel of the underlining on her legs.

Years back, I found the Louis Vuitton lining  & it was perfect for this project!

 I opened the backup after I made it as it did not fit over her head, so a keyhole opening was added. I hope it fits now, fingers crossed!

Such a pretty little dress for a pretty little girl! Did I mention that she was a ginger? How sweet is she going to look?!!

So much activity last Thursday, the asphalting was done!

 

 Well that my visiting friend, was Men At Work! It was so hot that day & the black smoking asphalt was too much for me. Thank you, North Shore, for a job well done!
It looks so beautiful!

 How perfect is this black asphalt?!!

 We plan to put grass right up to it to make mowing easy & the sound of the loose gravel no more, yes mowing will be more pleasurable without all that noise!

This winter, the snow plowing will be easier too! I can wait till then, it seems like I just got into the summer groove & all the stores are displaying Fall & back to school supplies!

 Mr. Boots the 22lb beauty, loves to nap in the afternoon on my bed.

 I love the way he covers his head, with light getting into his wee eyes...

 He just covers them! lol

 

 The Dog Days Of August!  It looks like these guys are in jail! lol

 When they stick their heads out like this it reminds me of cattle going for their feed! lol

 Bridget loves the new sausage toy, there's a squeaker in each of the three sausages!

 Oh, the noise that is coming out of that toy when they play! lol

 Tug of war is fun with the sausages too!

I found a KONG that is a soother! It is used daily as a play toy.

 One of the pups took my mohair teddy & removed its eyes & soaked the hair!

 I found the eyes, what was left of them, inside the couch! Bridget & Baxter are like two-year-old toddlers right now. The good thing is that they are potty trained now, if I remember to remind them to go out! They're now letting me know, when they want out, such progress for us!

Thank you for visiting & I hope I didn't bore you with all the activities of this week.
This summer, the time has really flown by for me!

Hope you too are enjoying your summer as it is winding down!
Stay safe & healthy.

Cynthia