Home in Florida

 I arrived home around 8:30 last evening and was happy to have a nice sleep in my own bed! I leave in a few days for another couple of weeks, but we have a house sitter in to watch and take care of the animals while we are on vacation.

I was surprised to learn that The Rock of Ages visitor center in Graniteville Vermont closed last year! I'm not sure how I missed that. Granite is the industry there and I grew up with blasts in the quarry around noon and 4:30 PM so the workers had stone to retrieve for monuments, tombstones, etc. The extra granite is called grout and there are plenty of grout piles around where I grew up. We actually have a granite basement in my parents house! They do find some nice uses for it, like along the walking patch here to help deter mud slides with the rain/snowfall.  The Vermont Granite Museum in Barre Vermont is a nice spot that tells of the history of granite in the state. It also has some hands on exhibits and one is the table my Mom used when she helped 'rub letters' for a local artist who designed monuments and tombstones for cemeteries. I brought the kids a few years ago and showed them the things their Grammy used when she worked part time when I was a teenager at Mr. Dandurands house with his wife. Gerald was quite the artist. 

I snapped a couple of photo's before we took off. The welcoming 'Green Mountain Boys' air force hanger at the Burlington Airport.

The green mountains. 

I managed to add 2 rows of crochet into the blanket I started on Sunday. Then more people were added  onto the plane at a stop in NC, and I put it away and played games on my phone. I did watch someone doing cross stitch a few rows ahead of me. Nice to see some crafts being worked on a plane. I think I'll be doing that on Saturday with some of the 12 hours of travel I have ahead of me to get to Alaska!

Photo's from Vermont

 I got home around 12:20 AM with no issues. There were severe storms predicted in Vermont but the areas where my family lives were spared this time. They have been getting hit repeatedly with lots of rain and it is taking out roads and bridges all over the state. Monday was the St. Johnsbury and Lyndon areas in the northeast kingdom of Vermont. Thankfully my sister was able to get to me at camp and deliver me to the airport just fine yesterday afternoon. The car temp read 86 degrees at 11PM when I found it in the lot. Welcome back to Florida with that temp!

Emily had gone in early to band camp this morning so the woodwinds could practice outside before it got sweltering, so Greg was home before 8AM. The dog was whining at my door at 7AM wanting a walk. He was a happy camper when I got up and dressed and took him. The cats were happy I was home with Ollie sleeping on the end of the bed and Peanut was curled up next to me all night (once I kicked him off me!)

I did not bring my personal computer with me this time, so I only had my phone. This is a photo heavy post as it is much easier to do on the computer!

I did finish the second towel top in blue and knitted a dish cloth. I forgot to get photos though. I left knitting needles and the big cone of sugar n cream yarn up there with towels and crochet hook and yarn for those as well. We are flying up next time I think so I figured it would be easier to leave stuff there. I also left a small cutting mat and a sewing kit with all the necessary things that I got at Aldi this year for $5. threads, pins, needles, threader, thimble, pin cushion, scissors, seam ripper and pins and buttons. 

Sunday my sisters were out at camp and we went on a boat ride. This is my older sisters - Joanne sitting and me in the middle and Terri. They are 6 and 7 years older than me.

My sister got this great photo of one of the loons. I decided my phone (camera) really needed updating after seeing her great shot. Mine was blurry and could not get this detail being 6 years old. I mentioned the phone to Greg, and it was by my recliner when I got home! =) he is a keeper. I had a Galaxy 9 and now have a Galaxy 22 Ultra. (well, once I swap the SIM card.)

This is the ladies. Joanne, Terri, Mom and me. I guess I should get a hair cut and maybe color some of that grey as I look older than them!

On a walk last week I was snapping some pretty flower photo's along the roadside. It is on a dirt road and so pretty. I love seeing the wildflowers in the summer.

These have a pod that when you press it, it pops. We called them Johnny jump ups? Not sure of their real name.

bee on a clover. The state flower.

It was an overcast day, this is looking back at the mountain at my turn around point.

Apples!

Love these pretty bright yellow flowers.

Taken yesterday afternoon on my last paddle before I got picked up for the airport. 

When I left, my parents were doing well. Dad's bleeding had been stopped for 2 nights and they were both back to a normal routine for them. So glad I was up there to help out with all the night time issues and cleaning up all the blood from the pillows, pillow cases, towels and sheets from his uncontrolled mouth bleeding. Oxyclean spray is an amazing thing! The Plavix must be out of his system now and things are back to normal. 

I suppose I need to check and see what things are in the house for meals and restock as needed.

A little hand stitching on the baby quilt and maybe some RSC sewing will happen. I am a few months behind on things. 

The mountains are calling and I must go....

 We arrived at the camp in Vermont last night. We had a good trip and saw a lot!

We left Ocala on Sunday morning with the plan to drive all the way up to North Carolina with one stop in Georgia to see St. Simons lighthouse. 129 steps to the top. Oh my legs the next few days!

There might have been a Buc Ees stop this day too!

Monday we had tickets to see Mt. Vernon in the afternoon. We did the tour of the house and the National Treasure Tour and learned of the planning and ideas from scoping out the property and how they filmed the one scene there on the outer lawn for the Presidents Birthday party in the movie. It was very hot! I kinda wanted to stay in the basement as it was nice and cool..... although a bit short for my tall boy!

This was the real marker in the basement.

Mt. Vernon. There is a beautiful view of the Potomic. So glad the ladies bought this land and preserved it for all to see and enjoy. 

We travelled over to DC and checked in to our hotel. Ironically, it was located across the street from the Department of Education! I work for a student loan company in Vermont to assure that Vermonter are able to procure a higher education. Two projects at work are waiting on clear documentation from this department - one being a complete rewrite of their system! That one will be 'fun' with a go live of December. 

Tuesday we walked all over DC from one end to the other and I got 26,000+ steps. We saw a lot of the monuments, walked the mall and went to 2 Smithsonian museums. Turns out we needed timed entry tickets to the Air and Space museum, so I booked that for the return trip. 

We saw 2 albino squirrels on the Mall. 

This is the one I really wanted to see. 

We found a great deli and pizza place that we visited multiple times. Yummy food! Wednesday we drove to Gettysburg, PA and enjoyed a bus tour of the battlefields with a guide. 

Then we drove to Hershey PA and visited the factory. We did the tour after walking through and marveling at all the candy and things in the store! We had dinner there and then did the make your own chocolate bar.

This was Emily and her self decorated bar. It was pretty neat to pick and choose the base, the fillings and how to top it with or without sprinkles. It came in a neat metal box.... which will be perfect for sewing!

Aidan and his with lobsters on his design.

I created mine from scratch instead of picking the generic ones!

Yesterday, we visited Ft. Ticonderoga in NY and then crossed the bridge into Vermont. The kids wanted to go to Al's French Fries in Burlington. We hit that for dinner and then headed to the camp. 

The view this morning. I see my brother has not gotten the boat here yet. I might have just sent this photo to them and asked what was missing from the photo! It is a little foggy here, not smoky too much although there is a warning for air quality. Not as bad as PA was where we could barley see the mountains through the smoke. 

We are all relaxed and enjoying the cooler weather her in Vermont.

Sunday in Vermont

Today is our last day in Vermont before we head home. The weather has been beautiful (Mom says it's too cold but I love the 70's and lows at night in the 50's - well 48 this morning was chilly!). 

The loons had twins. They have been hanging out in front of the camp. This is Mama and babies.

We took Grammy and Grandpa to the North Branch falls for a walk and to see the waterfalls.

We have been enjoying Maple Creemees and went to a Mountaineers baseball game in Montpellier.

The kids and I have been kayaking on the lake quite a few times.

I managed to hit the wrong button and the wifi was down for a bit so some puzzle making happened. This is the family puzzle my sister put together from photo's from my nieces' wedding last fall.

Emily has been baking - she has made a cake, brownies, pecan scones and pecan pie, then chocolate chip cookies!

Some photo's of the mountain views from the road between Elmore and Stowe. 

Mama duck and 3 babies.... we only saw one with her this morning though.

Aidan on the swing by the lake waiting on the boat ride.

We climbed the mountain on Saturday. All I can say is, boy am I out of shape BUT I did make it up there with lots of stops!

The kids went ahead with my niece and her boyfriend and their uncle.

I hung back with my sister Terri! Here we are at the top.

On a boat ride yesterday afternoon with the mountain that I climbed in the background.

I have not dipped into the hand work bag much while here. I did hand stitch the binding on the RSC Squares quilt, and have been doing a little crochet - with a few granny squares to add to the pile. A knitted wash cloth got finished and I found another in the hiking bag yesterday (from October encampment with girl scouts I think!) and Emily is working on that now. Maybe some quilting will happen down by the lake this afternoon.... we will see. I know a kayak paddle is planned and I need to pop into town to get waters and snacks for the drive home as well as something for dinner tonight.

Not much stitching yet.....

There has been game playing. The kids found a Bonkers game (1978!) and yesterday was Michigan Rummy with everyone.

Tuesday night the kids wanted to drive the boat - so I took them out after Uncle David and Aunt Donna left. We had a visit earlier Tuesday with Aunt Terri and Sally.

There has been ducks visiting. I think there is a family of 9 ducklings, 7 ducklings and 5 ducklings. They all visited one day. 

Wednesday was an quick trip home with the parents. Dad was turning in his vehicle so they are down to 1 for the 2 of them. These are the chickens that they get to watch out their dining room window.

Her roses are in bloom. I picked some of the heritage ones from another spot to have at camp and they smell so pretty.

Angela announced July RSC is blue! Yea! I prepped dark blue hexagons to work on up here and might have taken the 12 flowering snowball blocks in blue and green up here as well. Since it is cooler - 60 degrees on the porch this morning I might get a little stitching in today!