MORE from CAPE MAY

As you know I was in Lucille Festa's class and had never met Donna Hrkman until Cape May.   I found Donna to be very approachable and happy to share her knowledge.  While I have seen some of Donna's works of art via the internet, there's no comparison to seeing them in person.

All of her rugs have an emotional connection and for me some were more intense than others.  The Painted Lady was an interesting rug.  Years before color photographs some people chose to have them tinted vs. the generic black and white.  So her plan was to replicate that old style photo.  Donna is holding the rug so I could take a photo of the back.  The white wool ends you see tied at the eyes is to keep the loop for the spark in the eyes from coming undone.

The front of that wonderful Painted Lady was painstakingly done as it required her to paint a small section at a time so the dye didn't run into the other color.

The real Helen Keller had no sight or sound but she did still have her sense of smell and touch.  Donna wanted to bring attention to those facts in her hooked piece.  Notice the wording at the top of the rug "Knowledge is love and light and vision".  Donna googled the braille translation for that and hooked it at the bottom.

Christopher Robin and Pooh.

You  may be interested to see the real Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh photo circa 1927.  Look how detailed Donna hooked the sweater.  Well heck, everything!!!  But you can get that detail when you're hooking with dental floss thin wool, lol.

I would love to know more about Red Bird as I'm sure there was a powerful message in this piece too.  But I couldn't monopolize Donna's time forever.

Women's Voices, below, speaks for itself.  We have the right and privilege to vote and that time is coming up again soon.  

Running out of space to display rugs, these three were placed on the wicker seating.  The WWII Soldier is the rug which tugs at Lauren's heart strings.

The Semper Fi rug is the one which does that for me.  I cannot talk about or look at the rug without getting choked up or teary eyed.  Donna hooked it in the shape of a dog tag complete with hole on the right side for the neck chain.

Donna had a few of her steampunk rugs but there was no room for all of them.  This one did make the show, Steampunk Polly.

Years past I would walk the halls of the entire Chalfonte Hotel taking random photos in hopes of capturing a ghost (which didn't happen) or at least a few orbs.  While I didn't roam the halls last year or this year I did notice a few small orbs.  They are hard to see and I've circled them so you will have to tap on the photo and strain your eyes to see them.

Years past they have been much more prominent.  One such great year was 2016 and you can see that blog post HERE.

Hope you enjoyed Donna's rugs as I did.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

WHEN IT RAINS ....

.. it POURS.  I did a previous post showing the rain from last weekend.  Then there was more intense rain from Sunday afternoon until this morning to the tune of over 5" in this area of Sussex County, Delaware.  

This is what I woke up to this morning.  With a cloudy sky but during a brief break in the rain I took these photos.  Each of these photos have orbs in them and was taken by surprise when each was downloaded to the blog.  If you tap on the photo they enlarge to give you a better view of the orbs.

The water goes far into the woods on both sides and to the farm behind me.  There are two orbs in the picture below.

Sorry this next photo is blurry but it also has two orbs.  Was going to take another photo but it is dark now and can't. 

This is to the left side of the yard and goes into the woods on my property as well as the woods to my neighbor.  And yes there is an orb in this photo also.  No doubt about it some entity was quite inquisitive with my situation.

Am sure you don't even need to enlarge this next photo to see that strong orb; wonder if that is my boy Ben, Shadow, Panzer or his mom Shumba?  Or maybe my mother who came to check on me, or perhaps my spirit guide telling me "you're gonna be okay, I got ya"?  There ae 3 orbs in this photo.

Then around 10:30 when it appears the rain had stopped ~ maybe, I decided to head out to the grocery store as I've a follow-up doctor appointment tomorrow.  And this is what I encountered at the development entrance.

I got out of the car and took a couple photos.  I chose not to drive thru the water but was able to get Saturday's mail walking on the dry areas.

There is a stream which surrounds the development and which you can see across the road.  The water gets deeper to the right of that road blockage as there is a bridge across the road.

Have heard that there is heavy flooding in Salisbury,  MD too and where my appointment is.  Two routes I could take to my appointment were on the news as being flooded:  Route 13 and Zion Rd.  So I will call the doctor's office to see if they know of the road passage safety. 

Guess I'll go pull few loops on my rug.  Can you sense a lack of enthusiasm with that prospect?

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

POND DEMOLITION

Remember last October when I slowly but consistently removed all the rocks from my pond?  If you need a refresher you can read about it HERE.  Happily I learned a neighbor wanted rocks for a walkway so he purchased my two pallets for $350, which I was told was a bargain for him and gave me some pocket money too ~ a win-win.

The two men went to look at the pond area and they said they had a use for the wood and would come this spring and remove the pond.  This is what the pond looked like yesterday morning just before they brought the backhoe.  That black thing on the deck is the water filtering reservoir.

Unfortunately they couldn't remove the fencing on the side they wanted to enter from but on the rear corner one split-log was out of the post so made that the easiest side for them.  Sadly many of those daylilies you see in the back were crushed as the backhoe entered and left several times to take the wood to its destinations.  But guess that is a small price to pay for this year's ornamental flora.  Hope the damaged ones return next year.

See all those sandbags?  Actually that isn't all of them, but they were the walls under the heavy liner you see behind Lamar and Chris.  

The guys opened up all the sandbags and dumped the sand in the area where the hole was.

Before leaving for the day Chad (on the backhoe) leveled it best he could with the backhoe.  Today I'll go out and cut those roots and rake the area.  This is what it looked like by about 1 p.m., just 4 hours later.

At dusk thought I'd go outside and take a photo of my damaged daylilies.  When looking at the photo almost deleted it since it is a dark photo.  But then I saw something which stood out above all.....ORBS.  So decided to post it.  If you click on the photo it should enlarge more.

Today between 11 and noon two of the guys are coming back to put up the fence and replace my clothesline.  Yes, am embarrassed to admit in the electronic age we live in, but I do use it.  Hopefully it won't collapse when I hang  my sheets on it next  time.

Next post I'll show my progress on the Primitive Monochromatic Floral.  And for those of you who may be wondering, I haven't yet put Mother with Fishbowl on my frame yet.  Happy hooking, knitting (Elaine), stitching (Robin) or happy yard work, which ever it is you're up to today.  I'll be in and out working in the yard raking the backhoe ruts, shoveling dirt in low places, etc.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Happy Halloween

Tis fright night, and time for ghosts, goblins, superheros and princesses to appear.  Don't think I'll have any visitors again this year as all the kids in my neighborhood have grown beyond the age of trick or treating.

You may or may not know when I go to Cape May rug camp will go in search of orbs.  People either believe or not they exist.  I do believe they are a spiritual energy.  Could be someone who has passed and attached themselves to the location or just a departed spirit roaming the halls.  

Last year at camp the book above came home with me as there is a chapter on ghosts of the Chalfonte Hotel.  So this year my search for orbs went into a part of the hotel I'd never gone before...the annex just off the restaurant side.

When Craig McManus visited the Chalfonte for ghost activity he found strong energy near room 24 and 25.  Those rooms are locked closed and never used.  Below is a photo of the landing between those two rooms.  Didn't notice any orbs or strange sensations.  Wish I had felt cold or creepy, but didn't.

I visited that area several times during 2 days to see if I could find orbs.  Many times I didn't.  Except this time........

If you tap on the photo to make it larger you can see 2 faint orbs on the stairs.  These are the stairs leading to rooms 24 and 25.  One orb is in the center toward the top and 2 stairs below on the right is another orb.  I'm very tuned into orbs but if you need help noticing, I have put a box around the same two in the photo below.

Those are not light stains on the stairs as they weren't there at other visits but then appear at will.  

Leaving the annex after visiting near rooms 24 and 25 I discovered an orb on the screen to my left. It is along stud and screen.  This is the walkway toward the dining hall.

I find most orb activity if there is a band or music in the King Edward room.  That is when I grab my digital camera and go for a walk-about.

In the photo above there is an orb on the wall just above center of the curtain.  Guess the spirit enjoyed the music because below is another orb photo taken in the King Edward room.

Notice how strong that one is under the foot of the guitar player.  Spirit must really appreciate his music.

Above you can see an orb in front of me on the right side.  

And above another orb a little closer to me on the right.  If you tap on the photos they will enlarge but these are easy to see.

Above is the class room I was in which everyone refers to as 'the dungeon' because lighting is not so good and requires Ott or other lighting to help.  Notice the two orbs on the wall between the two wall hangings.

Some orbs show more brightly than others, as you saw in one of the photos above.  

Another very strong orb in the hallway and was so excited to see it.

No tricks folks, just treats of the spirit world for you to enjoy, Happy Halloween.

Saundra

Off to the Vet We Go

Today was another follow-up vet visit for an ultra-sound of his spleen. Thank goodness no nodules or growth on the spleen of the 'low grade mast cell' which was removed from his belly some months ago.  And that is why the vigil on regular ultra sounds, as a mast cell could develop again anywhere ~ and better to find out early if something is growing internally.  

As soon as Ben heard the 'certain' fur saver chain move he ran to the garage and immediately jumped in the back.  He beat me to the van and was already with his butt on the back seat and all fours on the floor.  By the time I took the picture he had jumped up and was telling me 'lets go'.

Okay, some of you will think I'm crazy, for those of you who followed me for some time know my awareness of orbs showing up in my photos. I've put a black ring around all the orbs noticed and some thought were orbs but didn't put a circle. Frankly I think it is awesome but with all the orbs showing up in the van around Ben am wondering if they are departed pets/family of Ben or mine.  Okay.... on to the vet.

The ride to the vet wasn't as horrible as in the past, perhaps age is mellowing my boy.  They even said he didn't grumble (growl) even when they applied the muzzle.  

My other two rotties were never muzzled nor was Shadow.  But Ben was adopted by me so perhaps there was a history before my adoption and they want to be cautious.  Ben is a gentle lover dumplin'.  Uh, except he wants to kill moving vehicles.

If the visit today had been just for the ultra sound it would have been an inexpensive visit.  The exam re-check was only $37 and the Ultrasound only $50.  They even trimmed Ben's nails for free.  

BUT, it was Heartguard and K-9 Advantix purchase time so..... total of bill was $282.  Actually, that was a great deal because I got 2 free Advantix for buying 12 months worth and will get a rebate of $12 for buying 12 months of Heartguard.

Ben was starved when we finally got home as he is used to eating his breakfast around 7 a.m.  So he gobbled it down, drank a full bowl of water and plopped on the kitchen floor.

Notice the circled orb on the wall above.  

Today I reminded Ben that I am his social security check, his Medicare payment, house keeper, handler and one who loves him.  But don't think he needs reminding that he is loved.  And I love my boy.

Saundra

October, My Favorite Month of the Year

As far as weather, October is my very favorite month of the year because it doesn't require heat or air conditioning.  Normally it is sunny and mild during the day and crisp at night.  Have often said that I could live with 12 months of October but then there's something to be said for the spring and beginning of new buds.

In a previous Cape May rug camp post I mentioned some of the gals going on a Ghost Tour.  While being invited to take one of the tickets declined to stay back and hook.  Not that I was afraid, just wanted to hook.  Perhaps one day I will go.  More on the things the gals told me about the tour later.

If you have been reading my blog for a while then you have seen photos where I've captured orbs.  In 2014 there were numerous orbs which appeared also an image of a woman (I thought) elevated in the curtain in the bar area.  2015 however, although I would call for the ghost or spirit to join me was only able to capture one orb. Interestingly enough, there was no band or music at the Chalfonte last year.

This year there was music and I went to different floors, down hallways, during daylight and evening as well, trying to get the spirts, angels or ghosts to appear.  Guess what, orbs appeared.  So maybe they like to see people have a good time and enjoy music.

I have never seen a ghost and 2014 thought the image along the side of the curtain was a woman but in checking other photos at night realize it may have been a reflection from the light outside.  Dang!  I wanted so much to see a human image.  To enlarge the photo to see more clear just tap on the photo.  There are more orbs from 2014 all you need to do is type the info in the search engine of my blog.

Okay here we go for 2016.... the photo below is obvious and a very dominant orb found in a hallway on the second floor but cannot remember which side of the Chalfonte it was taken.  No I didn't see it while there but only after I checked out the digital photos.  But was definitely calling them to show themselves to me.  Ladies and gents that is no speck of dust on my lens.

 There is an orb on the guitar player's right hand.

Below there is an orb in the top center of curtain on the wall.

There is an orb to the left of the guitar player in the light colored clothing.  This was the impromptu band who started playing earlier in the evening.

 On the wall to the left of the curtain on the left is a faint orb.  I always find orbs in this room, even last year.

A definite orb at the bottom of the foot of the guitar player in grey.  Is it the same orb but it moved or a different one?

See that brown cabinet in the back?  There is a faint, but large orb in the center.

In the photo below there are a couple orbs in the ceiling. 

Guess these spirits/ghosts get around in quick time.  

Okay, what the gals told me standing in chow line at Cape May about their Ghost Tour.  The tour director told the gals that a couple years ago he took a group to a particular spot (maybe the one they were visiting at the time) everyone walked in and within a few minutes a woman ran out screaming and refused to go back in because she saw an image.

The guide also said that some people commented they could feel the hair of dogs rubbing against their legs as they entered a house.  Am sure there would have been other interesting talk if the chow line hadn't moved so fast. 

They also informed me of a book which I purchased in Cape May and immediately read the section on The Chalfonte Hotel.

Here is the Table of Contents.  I'm looking forward to reading it all.

Oh man I'd love to know who those orbs are and wonder if one of them is Theodore?  To learn about Theodore you'd have to get this book by Craig McManus.  

Oh, am sure some of you followers recall my speaking about the floral aroma of the hooked pieces purchased at a thrift shop.  Well I believe that orb which is often in a photo upstairs is that lady enjoying my craft and hooking room.

Believe or not, it is okay with me.  But I believe spirits exist and sure hope that the only ones encountered are the good ones.

S