Hiking at Hunting

After Thanksgiving, Todd and I decided to take a little time off and drive to the coast.  After much deliberation, we decided on Hunting Island, a semi-tropical barrier island off the coast of Beaufort, South Carolina. 

I'm not as interested in the normal white-sand beaches of the Atlantic, although they're pretty...

I just love to see the water...

...and the wildlife!  We saw all sorts of birds.  Willets...

Gulls...

Egrets...

Snowy plovers...

...and pelicans!  I loved to watch them dive for fish.

Lots of unusual wildlife!  ;)

Fishermen lined the shore, hoping for a nice haul.

Dogs frolicked...

...and surfers aimed for a good wave!

I found horseshoe crabs...

...and pretty shells.

By the way, those horseshoe crab tails aren't venomous.  They use them to help navigate through the water!

Hurricane Matthew caused terrible damage to this island.  Even two years later, many of the trails were closed, and trees were uprooted along the coastline.  It had a very stark beauty. 

We clambered over the trees and hiked to the salt marshes, just slightly inland.

We saw more birds, and kayakers, too.  This place is a kayaker's dream!

It was nice to get some hiking miles under our belts in such a nice location, and the 70 degree temperature was perfect. 

Have a great week!

turkey flap and sock wrap (up)

Ack!  I'm falling further and further behind with my photos.  I've taken hundreds since last week.  It's easy to do, since it's so beautiful outside.

Mornings are delightfully cool - usually in the 40s - and the afternoon sun is warm.  The cats love to take advantage of that bit of heat!

I'm doing my best to bring a little of the outdoors inside.  Last week, I gathered up leaves from the yard and made some leaf garlands to hang around the house.  Nothing fancy, but it adds a nice splash of color over the sink, windows, and fireplace.

It is officially candle season, too.  I have about a thousand IKEA tealights to run through, so we have candlelit suppers nightly.  I've got them in little glass holders, sitting on a pottery dish.  Simple fall tablecloth over the middle of the table, and 2 taper candles.  It's light enough to read by, but doesn't feel "cluttered" like it has in the past.

We bought our Christmas tree...

...but we're going to try to hold off on decorating until after Thursday's feast!

Meanwhile, I've been crafting like crazy.  I wanted to make some Christmas-themed quilted pillows, but so much of the fabric lines feature maniacal Santas or scampering elves.  I was really pleased to find a Nordic-themed line:

I used it to make a nice throw pillow. 

It measures, I think, 18" x 18". 

I also finished piecing together the blocks for my quilt.  Without sashing, it looks too bright and busy...

...but the sashing adds just enough "calm space."

It's not done.  I have to make over 200 tiny gingham triangles for the border, then sew on another 2.5" border, then the edge binding, THEN the actual quilting.  But my goal is to complete it - or at least everything but the final quilting - before 2018.

Speaking of gingham, I finally finished knitting these socks!

I didn't think I'd ever finish them, and I'm taking a serious knitting break now.  I'm still struggling with the proper finger positioning and on these, switched around between 3 different styles (resulting in 3 different tensions) before finally slogging through the last toe.  The fact is, I've damaged my hands through improper holding of the yarn over the years, and have never given them a chance to really rest.  I'm going to take a multi-month knitting break and then start off slow again!

Meanwhile, I'm going to work on other projects and enjoy the leaves...

...turkeys...

...and the ornamental kale I'm starting to see everywhere!

Have a great week!

Bogs, Ponds, & Dog Yawns

It may be cooling off, but we still have a few insects around!  This cluster of Niesthrea louisianica (or the scentless plant bug) cluster on a hibiscus pod. 

A leaf-footed bug heads for safer territory.

We're still seeing lots of geese...

...and ducks.

Birds are really out and about lately!

We haven't seen any herons for a while, but their shaggy nests are pretty obvious.

This weekend, when it was blustery and 40 degrees, I couldn't wait to get outside and hike.  It's been so hot for so long, and it feels like I just can't soak up enough of these cooler temperatures. 

Beautiful bogs...

...and berries.

Borga likes to hike...

...but she is pretty worn out on the way home.

Back at our house, the leaves!  The leaves!!

Our turks are back, too.  Every morning, they scurry out of the way as I'm pulling out of the driveway. I see them at night, too, picking around in the meadow.

Our kittens love the colder weather and react by moving into full hibernation mode. Unless a certain someone, annoyingly, wakes them up for a photo op.  ;) 

Have a great week!