Rugged Shores and Majestic Trees (Bullards State Park, OR)

We drove into Northern-Cal for a day visit to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park before we left Harris Beach SP. 

We spent a couple of hours driving on a dirt road through the Redwoods.  (A mild off-road test drive for our new jeep.)😁

The best part was walking the trails among the majestic giants while listening to the wind high above us.  I had a kink in my neck the next day from spending so much time looking up and sore toes from tripping on roots.

We had some light rain, but the drops coming off the branches created some big plops on our heads.  We are getting plenty of use from our raincoats this winter.

The sun finally showed up towards the end of our walk.  I was sorry we had to go.  It was so peaceful and quiet. 

The trails were not too busy.  There were a few families and couples walking through the redwoods.  Everyone looked relaxed and happy to be outdoors.  The kids especially were excited to be outside right down to a toddler with a big smile on her face waving at us as they passed by.  So cute!

Our next stay was in  Bullards Beach State Park.  The park has trails leading from the campground to the beach area.  We found out that the one going through the woods was not a good choice with all the recent rains.  We had to navigate around a lot of swampy areas full of noisy frogs only to come to a dead-end where the dune had become a 30 ft cliff drop to the beach.  In the nearby town of Bandon, we came across Henry the Fish made from debris washed up on the beaches.  

Washed Ashore is taking plastic trash from the ocean and turning it into a learning artwork while helping to clean the ocean.  People can volunteer to help by collecting, cleaning, and prepping the plastic for the artist.  Visit the website to learn more about saving our oceans.

A close-up to show some of the debris in Henry's tail.

I blew a year's worth of dust off my camera and went crazy taking photos.  After visiting the redwoods and different beaches, I had way too many photos to look through especially after our visit to Shore Acres State Park.  Going through row after row of beach scenes took more time than I care to think about!  

No worries with the estate's garden since it was winter.  I only took...hmm...around fifty shots...oh okay...closer to a hundred.😊  I promise not to post them all!

The few winter-blooming flowers were beautiful and unique to see.

Where I really went crazy taking photos was of the waves breaking along the shore.  It was so fantastic to watch the waves and wonder what it would have been like to live here in the early 1900s.

Man in red jacket standing at one of the viewpoints.
We were standing in the same spot earlier.

Trails lead to more spectacular views along the cliffs.

As you know, I love gnarly and unique trees.  This one is a survivor refusing to let go by hanging on by its roots. 

From the other side, the tree looks like it is trying to crawl to the more solid ground while leaning towards its companions for support.  

Okay, back to all those photos I took.  I can take videos with my phone, but I haven't figured out how to transfer the phone video to my blog.  With still shots, it's hard to capture the raw energy of the waves breaking on the rocks and along the cliffs when we are standing high above them.  I decided to gather together some of the continuously photographed waves crashing and make them into a slide show.  I wish I could insert the roaring sound of the wind and waves to go with the video.  Hopefully, it will give you a visual of what we were seeing.  And if you are curious as to why the waves are so big in this location, here is a link to why Shore Acres has such Big Waves all the time.

The cats seem to be enjoying the travel days, but on this day Dusty was looking a little bummed out when he realized we were getting ready to move and did not have time to take him outside.  I can assure you that he was the first one outside as soon as we stopped and before I had unpacked.😻  By the way, that is long thick fur, not fat.  He is very fluffy!

Hitch on the other hand was more curious about what was for lunch.

While Max was happy with a good chin scratch.

On The Cutting Board

All the blocks have been assembled.  I plan to layer and quilt them later after I get the scrap bags under control.  I  would like to make another Disappearing 4-patch.  It is so quick and easy to make.

The Wonky Log Cabin is now assembled.  The fabrics in this quilt must cover more than10 years of saved scraps.  Quilting this one might prove to be more challenging with all those seams.

I sewed the A to Zzzz Snowmen blocks and

I have started embroidering along the seams.

I forgot all about my Fancy Sue blocks.  They were buried under the snowmen and log cabin blocks.  I just so happen to have the perfect pink floral fabric leftover from another quilt project.  It was just enough for the sashings and border.  

Seeing the four photos of the finished tops makes me feel a little better.  Yes!  Two bags of scraps - Gone! One storage container for quilt blocks - Empty!  Now to get back to the rest of the scrap bags...

Happy Quilting!

Shopping Spree for Me!

Delicious!

Look at what I bought at Whole Foods.  My favorite fruit tart.  This is my main reason for going to this one store that is a good 15 minutes or more depending on traffic away from our motorhome. There are other grocery stores along the way, but this is my all-time favorite fruit tart and Yes! This is as delicious as it looks!  It was so good, I had to buy two of them.  Yea, this one is gone!  I will save the other one for tomorrow.  Okay, I'll admit it...I did buy other items from Whole Foods, but this was my main mission.

I also stopped by Joann's Fabric store.  I need backing for the Fancy Sue blocks and since they were having 30% off, I thought I would take a look.  It is not an excuse!  I really need backing!  I found some wonderful floral prints.  I think the pink floral is a good match, don't you?   I did not need the tan fabric, but I like the print.  Maybe I'll use it for the cornerstones in the sashings.

Fancy Sue's new backing

I found my salsa at the Commissary and stocked up on some good snacks from Trader Joe's along with some hummus and veggies.  Yum!

When I grocery shop I like to use my reusable canvas bags so I don't end up with a lot of plastic bags. I get asked quite often where did I get my shopping bags.  My Mom gave them to me several years ago from the Miles Kimball's catalog.  They are still available if you are interested in getting some for yourself (please see the link below). They are holding up very well.  When I remember to use them, I get a lot of comments from the store's employees.  They love my bags because they are clean and hold a lot of groceries.

Many people are using the recyclable shopping bags, but they are not keeping them clean.  From what I have seen used in the stores, they are big and bulky not to mention, they do not look like they can be machine washed.  I guess they would need to be mopped out by hand.  What a pain!  I know I would not be cleaning them very often. I have heard some horror stories from both the cashiers and the baggers.  Sticky, smelly bags with dried juices, old forgotten vegetables, and ..well, you get the idea.  How can people use a dirty bag to carry home their fresh groceries?  Yuk!  It is not much fun for the person bagging the groceries into dirty bags either.

I like my white bags for several reasons.  A dozen bags fit into one.  They are lightweight and don't take up a lot of room in my shopping basket or in our motorhome.   I also love the fact that I can toss all of them into the wash machine with a little Clorox, detergent, and hot water.  So far all of the stains have washed out including some cherry juice stains.

They get used for other things as well.  I often carry my laptop, books, drinks, camera equipment, or quilting projects in them.   Great to use at the Farmer's Markets too.  They are very handy for all sorts of things.

The price is right and I'm just sharing this information because I have been asked several times while shopping.  You can Google "White Canvas Bags" or go to this site -- Miles Kimball's:  Canvas Shopping Bags Set/4

 Happy Shopping!