Thursday, June 30, 2016

Summer Journaling

This week is going way too fast!  Its Thursday already.
And already the last day of June.
Yesterday I spent close to 5 hours driving to my mom's and back, but we had a good visit. She is 86 and has some short term dementia, and we're not sure if it will progress to full bloom Alzheimer's disease or not. I will say she has developed this really good sense of humor.  We had a good visit and laughed a lot. Of course, she asked me the same questions several times, but I guess that comes with the territory.
So today I have some random journal pages to show you from from summer memory journal I am keeping.
There's all style of pages in my journal, because that's the way I like it.  :)



So today I am hanging home with pups, going for a walk, making some more journal pages, maybe doing some more solar printing,reading my latest book.
It sounds like so much fun!

Thanks for visiting.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Star island

Hi everyone, Thanks for stopping by my blog.
I have one last page for Art Journal Journey this month. The theme has been maps (hosted by Mary), and so I used a map of Star Island to make both my big hotel building and the clouds. The clouds are actually the key for the place numbered on the map. I did paint over the map with some watered down acrylic paint, and they way my photo is, you may not see much of the map underneath.
You can see it a bit better here.
This is made in my summer journal. If you've been by this past week you've seen my post of the Star Island, but if you missed it, here's the link: Island Hopping.
Thought I would share my last few photos from my visit.
 These little stone cottages are so quaint, aren't they?

 The island is pretty bare. I don't know what the settlers who lived there  year round through the 1800's burned for fuel in the winter. Maybe they burned whale oil or dried seaweed. Hmmm.



And if you don't have a boat, this is how you'd travel to the island.
The ferry is really full because a crowd  were on their way for a week retreat.
Anyhow, that's all for me today. I'm off to visit my mom.
Have a great day!





Monday, June 27, 2016

On the Water

Happy T day everyone. Today my T drink is  this cold beer, enjoyed on the boat after island exploring last Saturday. I'm not a huge drinker, but on a warm sunny day, relaxing on the water, it tasted wonderful. This is one of my favorite microbrews out of Vermont.
And the other day Elizabeth  commented how she wanted to know more about my one of my photos of  some bridge construction, and since she is our lovely hostess, today I have a few more of those photos to share.




Hope you enjoy them Elizabeth.
Stop by Elizabeth and Bleubeard's blog-Altered Book Lover to see what the T Gang has been up to this past week. I'll have some art next time I post, promise.
Thanks for stopping by.

More Views from When I was Out Island Hopping

Let me see if I can write today's post without so many spelling and grammar mistakes as I had in yesterday's post.  Anyhow, I'm still mentally out on Star Island today, and I have some more photos to show you.  If you're a little confused, you can look back to yesterdays post for clarification.
Island Hopping
I mentioned there was an art barn on the island.
This is something I dream about having, a studio in a barn. Lots of space for a big table to work on, and other tables and cabinets all along the walls. Can't blame a girl for dreaming, can you?

 And if I could have everything, I'd want this view. I think this view would inspire me to create great art.
But I'm OK not having everything, because I have enough to be happy about. But still, what a view.
 There's also a little marine lab on the island.
 I have a lot of these little natural treasures in my happy place. I think in a way this little marine lab is all about art too. Nature is art as well as science,
 Did you know scallops has all these light sensitive blue eyes on the edges of their shells? You can see all the little dots in the photo.
I couldn't capture this with my camera, but these scallops were squirting water out and it would have made a fun photo.
And did you ever wonder what a seagull nest looks like?

 Worn bones  are very cool.

I think this shell makes a great display dish for these sea urchin skeletons. I'll be including some of these wonders as inspiration in "my barn".
Even if it is just a hope and dream.
Hope you enjoyed your views today. I'm off a for a day of shopping with my sister-in-law.  We're both off to Costco to stock our larders so to speak. Yesterday when people were complaining they had to go to work, we joked that we had a hard day of shopping ahead.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today. As always, I appreciate it.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Island Hopping

We had gorgeous weather yesterday. Our friends Dick and Tammy joined us for a cruise on the boat. Dick was a really good friend of both my husband and myself back in college. In fact, we were such good friends he was the best man at our wedding. Tammy came along later but we liked her. Of course over time we'd lost track of each other, somewhat reconnecting with emails and  then since life is always busy, we'd lose track again. This past winter Dick reconnected with us, and it was like the 20 years we hadn't hung out together hadn't gone by and we'd always been hanging out.  Anyhow, to make a long story very short, we got together yesterday and took them for a boating trip. Since it was calm and warm and sunny, we headed out to the Isles of Shoals and took the launch from the harbor onto Star Island.
Those of you who read my blog last summer might remember some of the photos I showed you when we visited last summer.
The Isle of Shoals is actually several small rocky islands 6 miles off shore in both the states of Maine and New Hampshire. Star Island, which is in New Hampshire, is where we were. The whole island is owned by the Unitarian Church and they have a cool old hotel from the 1800's from which they run conferences. You can visit the island even if you aren't there for a conference, which is what we did.
 This hotel might look familiar to some of you from last summers posts.

 The island is about 60% off the grid in the summer, 100% off the grid in spring and fall. Its empty in the winter, except for the supposed ghosts.

 Dave and Dick. 








I love the old rusted through nail marks on the old white paint. Its fun to be taken back in time, away from the hustle and bustle, because there is no hustle or bustle on these islands. We discovered the old wagon wheels, and I love that vintage fire hose, which they would probably use if they needed too since everything on the island is wood.
Since all the islands are small, you can walk Star island's perimeter in less than an hour-(if you don't stop to gaze or sit and watch sea gulls or clouds that is).  :)
Anyhow, more photos another day including bridge construction for Elizabeth and submarine noses for anyone who is interested. Oh yes, and there is an art barn on the island  too. And a little marine center with a sea life museum which was really cool-I hadn't been either of those places before.  I will show you that too.
Have a great rest of your weekend!

Saturday, June 25, 2016

On The Water

I'm heading out on the water today. A good friend of ours from collage and his wife are going out with us. 
Here's a few other photos I took last Sunday.
 Kayakers with the shipyard before them
 The World War II fort to herlp protect the coastline
 Those chairs are sure yellow
 The Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion
 Bridge under construction
 Enjoying the day
 Lobster bouys
Hope you have some beautiful weather this Saturday and are enjoying this day.
Thanks for visiting.