The reason I must make a new purse...............

The reason to make a new purse..............Racoons!  My purse didn't survive the attack of the Tim Horton's drinking Raccoon.

This is what my purse looked like before the run in. I had used Noodlehead 241 tote pattern  I really like this purse as I could fit everything in it. As well I liked the fabric I used for it.

How the purse had the run in you ask.  Well when you go camping we all know that you must not leave food laying around your camp site other wise you will have animal visiting. Where we were you have chipmunks, skunks and raccoons.

So we packed up all the food for the night and locked it in our SUV for safe keeping.......or so I thought. I heard the raccoons fighting outside of the tent around 3:00 in the morning.  Then I heard what I though was our dishes and coolers moving around.  DH went to check by walking around the SUV with his flashlight looking around on the ground no raccoons there so, he headed off the the Washroom.  While he was gone I heard them again, he came back climbed in the tent. I told him, he said it was fine. Once they started up again I sent him out again,  this time he looked up higher and saw a racoon on the passenger seat of the SUV. He then realized that the driver side window was down all the way.

He had me come out to help, send me to the passenger side.  I wasn't going to open the door till I saw what I was dealing with.  Flashlight to the passenger side yep that's a big guy, then lets see if there are any more.  One sitting on the booster seat in the middle of the van and three in the back.  Great the whole family.  I opened the front door to get the big guy out, he got out after a little while but the other ones aren't moving.  DH had opened up the hatch but they weren't in a hurry to leave their food behind.  So I figured if you slam the front door that will get them moving.  The problem with the plan was I never told DH so he heads for the hatch at the same time the rest of the raccoons are rushing the hatch to get out. He jumps and yells and they stop.  So now it's time for me to start throwing things, one well thrown water bottle square of the butt of one of them gets them moving.

They didn't get into the coolers, but the Butter tart squares were fair game, Marshmallows, Jube Jubes, and all the other candy and chips we had for the trip. Other food was in open boxes so they sat on them as well as our potatoes and left some presents so that had to go as well. The biggest mess was on my purse. The raccoon had knocked over the last of the Tim Horton tea. It still had the bag in it as well. So between the tea the food mess and the mess of the raccoon there was no help for my purse.

So I cleaned out all the stuff and threw out the purse. I spent the rest of the week without a purse. I have started using one that I made before since I got home. I don't mind it but I really need to make something else up.  So I will have to look around the fabric stashes I have as well as the patterns and figure out something.

Traveling in Ontario

We had a great summer of traveling.   On our way to Sudbury we went to the Bonnechere Caves in Eganville.  It was a fun place to explore and it was a great break from the  heat of the day. We visited Dynamic Earth and the Science North, once we got to Sudbury.  What great places to visit, the kids had lots of fun.  We went into a mine under Science North. Mining certainly has changed over the years.  I can truthfully say that I could not handled being under ground for 8 hours a day.  Hats off to the Men and Women that are miners.

The most fun I had was panning for gold, that I could do for long periods of time. It is set up at Dynamic Earth just a large box full of sand and water with some gold dust thrown into it.  I was able to find a fleck for each of us to bring home.
 

The boys after the visit to the caves. The caves are a guided tour, there is one branch that you can climb into one end and come out around the corner from where you started.

I would have loved for this to be my ride......but alas I have to take 3 other people with me and all of the stuff we had along for the trip. The boys weren't so sure about it.  So it was back to the SUV, it would have been so much cheaper on gas.

 Holding up the Big Nickle with just his fingers. The biggest coin in the World.

The boys checking out the Honey Wagon, don't worry it was never used. You could roll this around the mine all day for a $1.25 or do hard labor and dig out the mine for the same wage. 

 

 

 

My new pet, this snail was so big. For some reason the Boys and my Sister wouldn't hold it.

I think our trip to Sudbury was a hit, certainly a fun part of our summer vacation.

England, Canada and New York............

I had a very busy week last week sewing, trying to get as much done as I could.  Since now we are into school summer vacation and gone are the days of sitting at the sewing machine and sewing the day away.  I will try to get some done, but it will be in between traveling with the boys.  We just came back from our first trip of the summer we went to Sudbury, Ontario.

I finished sewing 5 bags last week.  I used Lisa Lam's Compact Groceries Tote Pattern, I made a Beach Bag, and a Bag I call The New York Bag I got the tutorial from thimble.ca. www.thimble.ca. The fun thing with these bags is I used some themed fabrics England, Canada, and  New York.

I made four bags with 980 London Blocks, The Henley Studio, Makower UK. I used fabric that has Canada on it for the inside as the bag is reversible.  I really enjoy using Lisa's patterns.

I use a lot of outdoor fabrics as they hold up so well. This one is a heavy canvas that you would use in for making an awning.  I purchased rope that you would use for lines on your boat, so again it will hold up very well at the beach.  I want to make a few beach bags that are larger then this one. It hold a fair amount,  but I know you can never have a big enough one when you head to the beach.

I got the tutorial  for this bag that I call The New York Bag at www.thimble.ca. Laural wrote a great tutorial for it.  It is big, it should hold lots of stuff for the gym, beach or what ever. I added some grommets on the handle and the metal hardware to add some bling. This is a surprise bag for one of my friends, she heads to New York when ever she can.  It is fun coming up with different ways to change up patterns.

Strawberries Yummy

 

I have enjoyed picking Strawberries and Raspberries this week.  It has to be the best time of year, it ranks right up there with the first corn on the cob of the season.  I did see corn in the field but........the stalks are only about 5 inches tall so I think I will have to wait a bit for it.

I went Strawberry picking twice this week, in all I picked 20 litres of Strawberries and about 2 litres of Raspberries.  I have put about 15 litres into the freezer for the winter and the other ones have been eaten already or will be shortly.

I don't do anything exciting with them, like making Jam.  We just don't eat enough Jam in a year to use it up.  I use up the frozen fruit, making lots of yoghurt smoothies for the boys. ( OK I admit I will make myself some as well.) Of course I make fruit crumb with all the fruit as well, the Rhubarb was picked last mouth for it and I will get Blueberries in late July or August.  Nothing better on a cold winter night then a fruit crumb with all the fruit you picked in the summer. 

My bunnies have been still hopping around the yard, I like to see them around.  Except when I see them chewing on the fence that is around the vegetable garden.  The fencing wasn't something that it could chew through so we still have the vegetables in there.

I found some time this week to sew a bit too.  I got some Queen's Jubilee fabric, it is called London Blocks.   I have made one bag up already and I have 3 more to do.  They are a reversible shopping bag that can fold up  and be put in your purse.  The pattern is Lisa Lam's from her new book.