An October Weekend - Part II, Beachcombing

Everyone loves the beach!

it was not really cold, just balmy and windy - just perfect

gosh, a bit of storm detris, eh?

I am fascinated with the sky as much as the water

there must have been over a 1,000 birds...I believe they were sandpipers

what a couple of cheesers! haha!

An October Weekend - Part I, On the Canal

Got the cameras out this weekend, just for fun. 

love these little lily pads

just when I went out to snap some pics, Mr. Heron made an entrance to fish in his favorite spot

lookin' down the canal

caught in the act...

Wrap it up.

Another weekend comes to a close...and, as usual, I don't want to leave.

The sun is setting, but it is obscured by clouds this evening. 

It always seems as though the weather is just as sad as I am for leaving. 

As I pounded away at religious studies, my companions were hard at work.

Went out to snap some of their work prior to the daylight completely fading.

"I really enjoyed weeding!"

 Yes, she really said that. I know...weird.

We are planning on lavender and coastal strawberry plants eventually replacing what is in there now. I like the idea of different herbs, too, like mint, basil, thyme, and rosemary. 

The deer should really love those choices! 

Hahaha! The Super-Handy-Man-Fix-It-Guy!
Truly, he can fix anything! Today, he moved rocks to turn our
defunct water-feature into a succulent garden.

here is the stairway to the canal...
Fix-It-Man is creating a land-based dock for our kayaks

the photog's R2 slippers - random shot!

This weekend the surf was supposed to be exceptionally high, but I didn't get a chance to take it in. Too much studying to do. But, we did manage to relax a bit with a Fred Astaire movie that was highly entertaining, and indulged in a good discussion about my essay about Catherine of Siena. Our tradition of Sunday pocket meals was yummy, as usual, and I can't even begin to express my gratitude for this peaceful, wonderful place to experience and enjoy.

The wind is starting to blow and I can hear the waves crashing in the distance.

My guardian seagull, who was floating serenely in the canal in front of my study, 

has left for the evening, and I need to pack up my stuff to head back to civilization.

But, I will leave you with the beautiful shot of the moon I captured Friday evening upon our arrival - 

Until next weekend.

Our place to escape

It is perfect.

No, the sun is not shining. Periodically the mottled clouds overhead decide to spit a little to scatter drops on the windows of my newly constructed study. But, it is still perfect.

my study

Through those rain-speckled windows I see the water of the Grand Canal. Ducks and seagulls float nonchalantly by, the heron and kingfisher make their presence known, and I can hear the crashing waves in the distance. Oh yes, this is perfection.

The air is pure and clean.
The wind chimes are clearly tuned and designing their own melody with the breeze.
My love is busily working on a project nearby. The music is comforting in the background.

This is perfection. A nice contrast to the week.

the view of our place from the canal (on a sunnier moment)

We only get to escape to our retreat on the weekends. But, oh my, what a treat.
And a blessing of sanity.

The crash of waves awakens my senses.
The wind in my face fills my lungs.
The sand between my toes brings me back to a reality
that sweeps away the stress of the week.

Baruch HaShem.

Beach Walk

Kayak

Sweetie checks out my new kayak

water-level view of the Grand Canal

the kayak gives a unique opportunity to 'sneak' up on a fishing heron

coming up on the golf course bridge across the canal

A Sweet Quilt Show

even the prize ribbons were quilted!

quilting is an amazing precision art form that I will always appreciate

those sweet birds were added with an embroidery machine

and here is the Mr. drooling over a newer model of embroidery machine...

those fish were 3-D...very cute!

I just loved the colors of this one - the brights paired with the grey was delicious

this one was amazing (the photo does not do it credit!) -
it won 1st place, and it was easy to see why.
So much piecing and the dreaded MATH!

love the vintage feel of this one...I was told the middle medallion thingy is called a 'yo-yo'

my mom would have loved these hand-quilted Hawaiian designs

amazing machine quilting

my favorites were the beach-inspired designs, of course *smile*