June & July Projects

I spent the month of June stitching my brains out.  It's all I want to do.  I've gotten so many projects done.  

First let's start with the yummy stuff.  I did Canada Day and July 4th cupcakes.  I was too lazy to make them from scratch so I used a mix but made my own cream cheese frosting.

I did these strawberries dipped in chocolate for Marsha for her bday.  I used crushed peppermint candy, nuts, coconut, sprinkles and red sugar on some of them.

Also decided to try my first banana cream pie.  It was really tasty but next time I'm going to make a graham cracker crust instead of the Pillsbury pie crust.

On to the crafting portion of our program.

This beaded cross stitch took 2 days.  It's a Jim Shore design.

I also got the Hummels design completed for my friend Fernanda.

Got this paisley needlepoint done too.  Not sure what I'm doing with it but I'm thinking of going the pillow route.

This beaded cross stitch gave me a lot of trouble. It was just 'one of those projects' that went wrong right from the start.  I didn't realize till I was half done with the stitching part that I was supposed to be using three strands of floss instead of the normal 2.  I made tons of mistakes that required ripping out sections to start over.  The top row stitches didn't meet...one side was a row higher than the other so I had to try and figure out what I did wrong.  It is pretty though and I'm glad I stuck it out.

I picked up this small needlepoint in a thrift shop a couple years ago.  The center four leaf flower was stitched, as was the gold border around the blue.  It took about 3-4 days to finish it up.  Not sure what to do with it.  Kind of an odd shape for framing.  Maybe I'll make a coaster or something.  Or sew it to the back of a jean jacket.

I had hoped to feature my peacock needlepoint but they didn't include enough fiber in two colours I ran out of.  Then I requested they send more, and I got a completely different dye lot of fiber and it was too light.  They are trying to match it now and hopefully will have enough for me to finish.  I've also started a Halloween themed beaded cross stitch that will be very colourful!

His Very Own Corner

Russell's Corner has been at Jarves Street x Route 6A time out of mind, in Sandwich.  Here's a really old picture when it was the original meat market & grocery store.  Judging by the cars I'd say this was taken in the 50s or early 60s.  

Naturally, I've been threatening to take Russell's picture under the sign ever since I moved back.  I finally had both him and my camera in the car one day and as we were traveling down 6A, the following conversation  occurred:

Me:  Hey! I just realized!  I wanna take that pic of you at Russell's Corner!

Him:  No.

Me:  Yes.

Him:  HELL no.

Me:  Yes.  Oh this is soooo happening

*pulling into the parking lot*

Me:  This is gonna be so great!  Come on.

Him: .......

*walking to the corner*

Me:  Now stand right there and smile!  

Him:  .......

Me:  *laughing*

Me:  Ok now we have to get the pic of you making the Cape Cod with your arm with that other sign around the corner.
Him:  *sigh*
Me:  Now do the Cape Cod.....NO! That's Walk Like an Egyptian.  Do the Cape Cod!
Him:  "It's a good thing I love you so much"

Needless to say he was like....

Sandwich Trout Hatchery

Russell really likes this place so we stopped for a few minutes one day.  We didn't have any quarters, however, so we weren't able to feed the fish.

This hatchery started in 1912.  They grow trout to stock the ponds for fishing purposes.

Rainbow trout.

It was hard to get a good pic with the netting over the tops of the large tanks.

Water is pumped into the various tanks.

This one was dry.

As I said, neither of us had any change for the feed pellets.

Wildflowers & Upper Shawme Pond Dam

On the way home from Sandwich one day, we made a quick visit to the Shawme Pond Dam.  The upper pond is a bit higher up than the lower pond, which is seen here from the short trail that leads to the dam.

There was an old, and small, dam between the ponds but it was completely redone in 2008, including a herring run.  This is looking at the lower pond from the top of the dam.

Mom & Dad swans with their five cygnets.

The wildflowers are spectacular.

 The little waterfall.

Upper Shawme Pond, which is actually really large but we didn't feel like hiking down the trail to the viewpoint, as I'd hurt my ankle over a month ago and it's still bothering me.

Trail off to the right goes downhill to where you can see the upper pond.

One of these days I will take this trail which goes down to Quail Hollow, near the old elementary school.

 

Sunset

Had another stunning sunset after an afternoon of rain.  All my friends posted pics of a gorgeous double rainbow, which. sadly, I missed.  But at least I got pics of the pretty clouds.

Life has thrown us a major curve ball and we are in massive anxiety/panic mode, so if I don't post for a bit, that's why.  I won't be going on any day trips, or my whale watch or anything until we can get this problem sorted out.  I've been throwing myself into needlework to try and keep me from curling up in a catatonic ball.  I know our track record for surviving these things is 100% but this one's really blindsided us.