Camping & Crafting!

Had a wonderful 3 day weekend camping in southern Minnesota.  Great weather, perfect company, excellent lodging and tons of activities! Our little home away from home....

Also saw a bunch of these little floating houses/cabins/cottages-wouldn't these be fun to have as a retreat???

Had some time to read and complete that wool project I have been working on forever!

Actually I have to put a backing of some kind on it and then it will be done after a good pressing.  But here it is!

Also started another project out of felt- supposed to be out of wool felt but I have tons of the regular felt so this little candle mat will be out of regular felt.  I cut these pieces and did the initial hand sewing on them this weekend.

Well, that's the update from a great weekend!

                                                                         

Camping again...

A wonderful weekend camping in Minnesota!  High water on the St. Croix River and my 2 mile hike had some deadends where the river covered the path!

None-the-less it was a wonderful hike and the high water made it interesting.

The forest was lush with undergrowth.

Our little home on wheels served us well as always. We gave 4 tours this weekend!

I also found a bit of time to work on my wool project-

Just have the stems and leaves to put on and then finish the back somehow.  There are 8 of these baskets in all and each is a different color basket and floweres with 8 leaves.

                                                                       



Craft Group & Camping

Thursday evening was a wonderful night with my craft group!  This time we were treated to a group craft taught by my good friend Carol.  She had found a wonderful card to make that included paper folding.  At the end of the evening we had each made one or two interesting cards.  Here are the finished ones.

I hope to spend an evening and make a bunch of these using some of my many scrap book papers and try some other mediums as well as I love how these turned out!

Friday after work we headed out camping for our second time this year.  We are in our 6th year of owning our little trailer and it is so cosy and fun!  We had some weather on Friday and Saturday of 87 degrees so it was quite warm as well as very windy!

I brought along some projects to work on and make repairs on and ended up making a few extra items.  Here are the finished projects on the trailer table.

We had a visitor in our campsite on Saturday who stayed for quite a while...visited the trailer kitchen and took a peek inside my shoe.

It was another memorable weekend.

First Camping Weekend 2012

Headed out of town Friday after work and had a wonderful, cool weekend of camping!

You can see my new walking stick in the photo.  I was able to use it on a hike that was a couple of miles through forest, by the St. Croix River and on leaf covered paths.

Not a lot of leaves on the trees yet but the trillium were out in full bloom!

It was a great weekend and I even made some yo yo's!

Seems as if the road less traveled does make all of the difference....

                                                                     

34th Anniversary Camping

Spent the weekend at Wild River State Park.  Set up camp by 8:30 friday night. 

 Lovely night, full moon.  Saturday spent going through Interstate State Park on the Wisconsin side and remembering lots of good times both growing up in that park and Michael growing up at St Croix Falls and

good times camping with the kids.

Also explored the town of Taylors Falls (bead shop and a store called the Mad Hatter). Then to St Croix Falls and a quilt shop and Treasure Alley. Tomorrow I will show you what I bought.  The weekend flew by and I was able to share it with my best friend and lover of 34 years...

This morning while we relished in the quiet of the campground I worked on a bible study of Ester and also started another little basket.  This one is made of colored wire!  It is pretty tiring to work with so we will see how far I am able to get.

A tough week

Tough week here.  Still, there are good things to think about and do.  Went to my 2nd Twins game (they lost) but got to go to the Leaders Club- that's where the seats were!  Also had great food.  Here is what my view from my seat was.

This weekend I went camping (and to a family reunion in Wisconsin).  We were at St. Croix Wild River State Park.  Amazingly, we had NO RAIN!  The mosquitos were horrible at the reunion but it was very well attended this year.  This was our campsite.

We camped next to my brother-in-law and his wife and ate together, had 2 great campfires.  Worked on an American Indian costume with my sister-in-law for a branding party they are going to.   Had time to make one little fairy house in the woods.

I also snatched a few moments to start another of my miniature baskets and clean out my box of supplies for basketmaking.  This was at the picnic table.

When we got back home this evening I got out our tall ladder and went to work on the grapevines over our pergola on the back deck.  Have I mentioned the problem with raccoons we are having??? Anyway, they love grapes so I cut off all of the grapes that I could get to in hopes that they will stop hanging out here and having parties on our roof!  Look at how many grapes I cut.

Well, that about brings you up to speed on all of the good things happening in my little corner of the world.

Rainy, wet week of camping!

Stayed for 6 days at Bearhead Lake State Park by Ely, MN and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  It rained for all but one day of the week! Here was our campsite. The conversation of the week was figuring out wether or not it was raining, drizzling, or misting....

Wild lupine at its peak growing in the ditches.

Spent about 4 hours one wet day at the International Wolf Center which was fascinating.  There were 2 wolves that you could watch in their 1 1/2 acre natural habitat.  Many speakers, movies and informational displays to take in also.

Also visited the Soudan Underground Mine State Park.

Did some yo-yos, cross stitch, reading.  Our one sunny day Micaela went kayaking on Bearhead Lake.  We saw loons, deer, and a bald eagle.  She saw fish jumping in the lake.

As we packed up to leave, Micaela made a fairy house to leave at our campsite.

First Camping of the Year!.

Left after work on Friday and got to Wild River State Park and set up by 8:00.   Then it started to rain.  It rained all night and all Saturday until about 3:00 pm.  Wind came up and it was cold.  Awoke to 33 degrees Sunday morning and on and off sleet.  Stayed snug and warm in the trailer.

A couple of indoor shots.

Took a walk.

A tiny sign of spring.

I finished my "Dream Big" book too.

Day 245 - Weekend at St Croix State Park

Quiet Sunday with a lazy day feel to it.  This is our last camping weekend of 2010 and there is a bit of sadness that comes with that.  The state parks turn off their water the end of October so there isn't much time left anyway for us to camp.  This is the end of our 4th year of owning the T@B and what a wonderful trailer it has been for us to start memories of camping without the children... Gave tours to 4 different people this weekend which is always fun.

Made some more yo-yo's on the way home....

Day 244 - Weekend at St Croix State Park

Slept in and had a wonderful breakfast.  Drove into Hinkley and looked at the little town.  Many trees turning colors up north already!  Checked out the RV park at Mistic Lake Casino on the way back to the park- definitely NOT for us!  Had a fire and roasted hot dogs and coconut marshmellows for dinner.  When the  wood was gone it was chilly andwe headed in for a Netflix movie.  Bed by 9:00 and 75 comfortable degrees!

Rare, old classic sign in the park-

even has some bullet holes in it!

Hot dogs over the fire.

Some more yo-yo's make it a perfect low key day.

Day 243 - Weekend at St Croix State Park

Drove up to Hinkley, MN after work on Friday to have a quiet weekend trying to recouperate from this pneumonia and Michaels cold.  Took 2 1/2 hours and was down to 52 degrees when we arrived!  Luckily we had reservations and electricity which is a treat for us!  Got set up and headed in to watch a movie in our little T@B trailer where it was 75 degrees and so cozy!

Our little T@B trailer.

I made yo-yo's in the car on the way up.