Outdoors

I love the outdoors (who doesn't?!), and here where I live in Ontario the fall colours are only just beginning.  But just a little further north of us, the colours are at 100%.  Every year within the last two weeks of September, we plan a weekend camping trip to Algonquin Park to hike the trails.  This year we were treated to amazing colour, and got in two good hikes ... 10 km through the woods!  From the lookout points, the trees just look like a massive brightly coloured quilt!  We forgot our good camera(!!) and the phone just doesn't do it justice, but here you are:




Jack Lake, Algonquin Park




This little lake is always so pretty with the waves gently rippling and the colour (not picked up in the phone!) is a sort of greenish slate colour.  I wish I was there right now.

In my own backyard I took the camera out this morning and snapped a few end-of-summer shots of the flowers early in the morning, still wet with dew:



My miniature rose ... still blooming in October!!




Miniature rose buds ... so cute!!




Weigela a "spring" blooming shrub has fresh new blooms this week!

 


My mother's Redbud, replanted in my garden, now tinged with fall's colour





Fall is my favourite season - no more mosquitoes, crisp temperatures and beautiful colours.  What more could you ask for?  Here's a shot of the lake where we camp taken last year (with a proper camera):




Canisbay Lake, Algonquin Park


Wendy

Rocking Basket

I picked up this little wooden rocking basket for a few dollars at the thrift store recently:

It needed a bit of cleaning up, and even now I can't decide whether or not to completely sand it down and thereby remove the painted decoration (on both sides).  The painting is a bit tacky (really poor looking strawberries & daisies), but the small burst of colour sort of adds to it.  Anyway, for now, I've decided to make a lining for the basket in this cotton fabric:

I've had the fabric for a few years and it would look really cute with the wood.  I think I'll make it quite fitted with an overlap on the ends and some sort of ties around the handles to keep it in place.  I'll make sure I can easily remove it should I decide to sand the whole basket down.  I can never make up my mind!

One sad point about this basket that I didn't realize until I brought it home and put some things into it ... it rocks ... literally.  Everything I put in the basket makes it top heavy, and with the curved bottom it all rolls out again!  Oh well, perhaps I'll put sewing/knitting projects in it as they'd be somewhat lightweight and less likely to tip the boat!

Wendy

Scarecrow Puppet

I have a few young children in my care during the day.  We do a lot of crafts throughout the week.  Last week we made a little scarecrow puppet.  I made up a pattern (rather too small for my hand to go in, but perfect for the 3-year old in my care).  He's made out of muslin, and I stitched him up and then set him before the 3-year old to make into his own puppet.  This is the result...

The 3-year old glued on eyes, silk leaves for hair, pom-pom nose and fabric scraps for clothes.  He drew the mouth with a permanent marker.  I stitched the small sunflower button onto his hat, stuck the bee's wire through the hat, and tacked the hat on his head with a couple of stitches.  The little basket was painted by the child and I tacked that on the puppet's hand with a couple of stitches around the handle.  Perfect for the fall season now upon us, and a great little decoration for both the Thanksgiving table this weekend, and right into Halloween at the end of the month.

Enjoy!

Wendy