Solo Fall Kayaking

Tuesday late afternoon I took my first solo kayak outing at Lake Jericho. There was only one other kayaker on the lake and he was fishing. I think it was the most peaceful trip I've ever taken out there. It was nice to paddle around leisurely and watch the wildlife. I found that slow paddling and waiting and watching yields animals that don't even know or care that you are there.

A video posted by Christy Mesker (@christymesker) on Nov 3, 2015 at 2:28pm PST

Before I even got to the lake I ran into a minor detour. This little guy got out of the farm fencing and was just hanging out in the road. He finally moooooooved on and I could pass by. I was sure to tell the park worker that he was out and she informed me they were trying to contact the farm owner, so apparently he'd been hanging out for a while.

I was surprised to see turtles still out and about with how cool it was, but I suppose they try to absorb as much sun as possible while they have the chance.

And then I came upon this small hawk. I couldn't get a great photo of him, but it's clear enough to see what he is.  I came across another very large bird in a tree but it hopped onto the ground and out of the tree before I could tell if it was an eagle or a vulture.

I'm hoping to get back out again before I have to shelve the kayak for the winter.

Decorative Fabric Pumpkin

My second sewing project went MUCH better than the first baby-bib project attempt - so much better it can actually be displayed in my home as a decorative piece, as intended.

I'm a PInterest fiend and I came across this cute Fabric Pumpkin sewing tutorial by Danielle Thompson and had enough of the necessary supplies to give it a try.  It was very simple and the only supply I did not have was the plastic yarn needle, which as Danielle states, would have made this project much easier. I will have to get one of those as I plan to make more of these.

I ended up using an 18" x 9" piece of fabric, which resulted in an ending pumpkin size of roughly 17" around and 7" tall ( including the felt stem ) - a perfect size for decor on an end table or shelf. The fabric I used was a light linen. I don't know who makes the fabric as it came from a rummage box of remnants I purchased. The stem is made of a cream colored felt. I topped it off with an orange shimmery ribbon from my ribbon stash and some autumn artificial berry stems that I swiped from another autumn arrangement I have out for the season.

I like that the fabric I used is neutral and the ribbon and berries can be swapped with other colors and items for different seasons, allowing it to remain as a decorative piece year round.