Texas offered us some glorious sunsets.
Each night at Wright Patman Lake, we would watch thousands upon thousands of pelicans fly to the middle of the lake. Unfortunately , I did not spy any during the day.
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| Pelicans flying to roost on the lake. |
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| Deer print on the sandy beach at Wright Patman Lake. Deer season was opening soon. |
We enjoyed several days at Sardis Lake. The weather was nice, and we were able to enjoy a walk on the beach. During the weekend, there were many riders enjoying the fall days on their off road vehicles.
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| Beautiful Sardis Lake in Mississippi. |
One day we went to visit the Sardis Dam. There were many people fishing . We watched some of the fishermen casting nets for bait. Do you see the rainbow above the water? 
We drove for miles upon miles on end. The backroads offered beautiful landscape and magnificent farms to enjoy .
Many cotton fields were harvested and some were in the process.
The cotton bales were wrapped in orange , pink or blue wraps.
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We went to our first Buc-ees in Hillsboro , Texas. It was a busy busy place- too busy for me to take photos.
I would like to go again but at a less busy time. Mr. Pinker and I picked up a salad and sat in the truck and ate.
In Arkansas, we camped at Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge.
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| The view from our campsite . |
The next morning we visited the visitor center which had a nice museum.
Now you would think with all of the time away that I would have made progress on some stitching projects. But nope ! I took lots of projects along with me, but I barely picked up the needle . 🙄😏 I guess I do have to make up for lost time, but first I have unpacking to do, and I am weeks behind on my Christmas decorating so that is going to be a priority as well.
Have you started decorating for Christmas ?
I guess I better get busy finishing my chores so I can pick up my needle and thread . I am on a mission to finish my Strawberry quilt . Until next time... Love ya'!
As always,
Happy Stitching and Quilting, y'all
Melisa
"Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost. "- Erol Ozan
Hugs and Stitches!!! 🤗🧵
Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy who was always up for an adventure. I miss and love you so much. ❤👼
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| This little tag was on the ground at Sardis. |
Hi and welcome back. It sounds you had a good time. Nothing important happened here with me. Xmas deco still in boxes but will be out after Nov, 17. That's a traditional date in our family. And then the run for presents begins.
ReplyDeleteHave a happy sunday,
Gabi
Hi, Gabi. I hope you have been doing well. We did have a great time and is sort of hard to get back into routine when I get home. LOL. I think it is neat that you have a specific date to pull out the Xmas boxes. I have been working on it this week. It is a busy time of the year isn't it? I wish you a lovely rest of the week. Hugs.
DeleteWelcome back!!! You had my kind of trip - just meandering and enjoying our beautiful country. Enjoy your time back home and stitch when you have a few minutes. Hugs!!!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you so much, Darlene. It is nice to be back home. We were so blessed to have good weather as we traipsed about and our campsites were not very busy as well. So it was nice and quiet. Hugs and Blessings.
DeleteGood to have you back! Glad you had a lovely relaxing trip away!! Love the photos of the cotton fields! I haven't started decorating for Christmas yet, but my sister has... I will get there in a few weeks hopefully...!! xx
ReplyDeleteOh thank you so much, Joy. We had a wonderful time especially visiting family. Aren't the cotton fields amazing. I wish I could have gotten photos of the harvested fields. It was fascinating to watch the farmers at work. I pulled out my Christmas this weekend so I have a late start but it is getting there. LOL. Enjoy your week. Hugs.
DeleteWelcome back Melisa. Sounds like you had a great break. You’ve been much missed. 😁👍🙋♀️xx Barbara @flashinscissors
ReplyDeleteAaaaw shucks, Thank you so much, Barbara. It is good to be back . I can not wait to get back on IG an see what you have been up to. I bet you have been staying busy yourself. I wish you a lovely week. Hugs.
DeleteWelcome back. You were greatly missed. I love to see the cotton fields. Sounds like you and Mr. Pinker had a great time. I haven't started decorating for Christmas yet. I have the Halloween taken down and packed up and have started deep cleaning preparing to put out Christmas. Maybe next weekend.
ReplyDeleteAaw thank you so much, Joy . It is good to be back. I am fascinated by the cotton fields. Some looked like fields of snow. When I got home, I had Fall and Halloween to take down too. I am working on sections and doing the deep cleaning too. It's a job getting ready for the holiday season isn't it? LOl. I wish you fabulous and productive week as you get ready to decorate. Hugs.
DeleteWelcome Home! What a grand adventure you had! I haven't started decorating for Christmas -- that's usually saved for the day after Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteAaaw thank you so much, Donna. It was a grand adventure. I look forward to visiting the area in the near future. We found lots of pretty campsites to enjoy. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving; it will be upon us soon. I used to wait till Thanksgiving to put up my tree too. Enjoy your day. Hugs.
DeleteI'm so glad you had a fun trip and the fact you didn't sew means you were really enjoying yourself. :D Unfortunately, I don't think there are any less busy times at Buc-ee's! It is crazy popular.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you so much, Linda. We had a fabulous time. We marveled at all of the foods at Buc-ees. My daughter loves the brisket which we need to try next time. We bought 2 southwestern salads which were pretty tasty though. Have a blessed day, Linda. Hugs.
DeleteLooks like a wonderfully relaxing trip thru lots of different landscapes. Buc-ee's is an adventure all it's own. Hopefully you can find your place with your stitching stuff and get your decorating going. I don't do any Christmas till after Thanksgiving. My Guy would have a fit if I started earlier!
ReplyDeleteIt was a relaxing trip . We took the back roads for most of the trip and yes lots of different landscapes and small towns to enjoy. I am slowly getting back into the groove of quilting. Stitching is lagging behind though. LOL. Have a blessed week, Kate and thank you for dropping by.
DeleteWelcome home, Melisa! It sounded like you had a wonderful wandering adventure with Mr. Pinker. Thank you for sharing your pictures. What a beautiful country we live in! I won't start decorating for Christmas until mid-December. Have a blessed Sunday.
ReplyDeleteAaw thank you so much, Robin. We did have a great time and was able to spend several days just relaxing. I agree- we do live in a beautiful country. My Christmas decorating is coming along ever so slowly. LOL. Hugs
DeleteStop the War on Thanksgiving!!!! In other words - no decorating for me until after Thanksgiving. I still haven't gotten all the Halloween things packed up yet.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been a good vacation if you didn't get much stitching in. Glad it all went well.
Gobble, Gobble ! LOL, I love Thanksgiving too. I usually have both holidays out in respect to decor. Hee! Hee! Turkeys in the kitchen and Santas in the living room. LOL. I have been packing up my Halloween too. All my pretties are ready to be packed away until next season. I wish you a great week, Gail and thank you for the sweet visit.
DeleteWelcome home and back to blogland! Your stitching may have been on hold but your trip sounds perfect!! No Christmas decorating here, I do have a few Thanksgiving decorations out.
ReplyDeleteAaah thank you so much, Vicki. We had a blast while meandering about the country. We found several "new to us" free campgrounds too . Since being home I have been packing up Halloween and working on Christmas. I still have a few turkeys out for the Thanksgiving season . I wish you a wonderful week. Hugs.
DeleteGood morning, Melisa! It sounds like you had a wonderful trip and saw lots of amazing sights. I would love to see all those pelicans flying! We get a lot of them on our lakes here in Colorado, but in smaller groups. Have fun getting started on your Christmas decorating - I'll enjoy seeing what you share!
ReplyDeleteHi Diann. I hope you have been doing well. Oh yes, we had a grand time on our vacation , but it is good to be home . Well I did not know that pelicans were in Colorado too. I learn something new everyday. Every night at 7 like clock work the pelicans would fly over our camp. I wish I could have seen them during the day, but I guess they go to another section during the daytime. I wish we had pelicans here. LOL. We have a lot of Canadian geese. Have a blessed day. Hugs.
DeleteIt’s a small world. I live thirty minutes from Wright Patman and often camp at Rocky Point. Glad y’all had a good relaxing time. Smithcindyk@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteOh how fun, Cindy! It is a small world. We just ran upon that campsite and went to it twice. Hunters were moving in for the upcoming deer hunt when we left. It is such a beautiful and peaceful area. We will definitely camp there again. Thank you for the sweet visit . Hugs and blessings.
DeleteGood morning Melisa. I sure did miss you and I am so glad you got to get away and have a wonderful time with family. I am so glad you're back and I know you made a lot of happy memories. Don't get too worn out by unpacking. It's time to stitch, stitch, stitch. Blessings and love are on the way to you. Have an awesome day and I know there's going to be a "hutch" show very soon. I can't wait. I've had my Christmas tree up for about three weeks now. I love the beauty of the glowing lights. It brings such peace to my soul. Hugs,
ReplyDeleteDebra Broyles
quiltingprettyquilts@cox.net
Hi , Debra. I hope you have been doing well these last few weeks. Eeeeh ! You already have your tree up! I am like you - I love the Christmas lights. They lift my spirits. I finally have one tree up and am slowly working on the mantle. Boy it is a job, isn't it? Lol , but worth every minute. Thank you so much for bringing a big smile to my day. I hope to be picking up my needle and thread very soon..Hugs and love.
DeleteWelcome home Melisa, you were surely missed. So glad you had a wonderful time traveling and visiting family. It’s great to get away but it’s so stinkin nice to get back home. I have my Christmas villages set up and will start decorating my porch in about 10 days. Thanks for sharing your pics with us. ❤️💚
ReplyDeleteAaw thank you so much, Patti. It feels good to be back home though I had a wonderful time with my daughter. Oooh I bet your Christmas village looks wonderful. I pulled out a few of my houses for the mantle. This will be the 1st time I have put the there. How exciting that you will be decorating the porch. Do you put out garlands and wreaths and such? I have been looking up ideas on how to make my patio more festive. Have a blessed day, sweet friend. Hugs.
DeleteWelcome home Melisa ! What a trip the two of you made. Thank you for your beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteNo Christmas decorations yet, first we have Saint Nicolaas in The Netherlands.
Oh thank you so much, Annelies. We had a wonderful time and got to see a lot of amazing things. We hope to visit the area again in the near future. I wish you a lovely week . Hugs and Blessings.
DeleteWelcome home from your amazing adventure. You sure covered so ground. Thank you for taking me alongs on the trip to places I will most likely never get too. Wonderful pictures! I have not started decorating but the itch is starting :) (nwpaintedlady)
ReplyDeleteAaah thank you so much, Sharon. We sorta "flew by the seat " of our pants while traveling knowing our end game was to visit our daughter. We particularly enjoyed exploring the back roads. We had a great time . As soon as I got home, I started to clear out some of the fall things for Christmas. I hope you have a great time decorating when you get started. Have a wonderful week, sweet friend. Hugs.
DeleteWelcome back from your wonderful adventures with Mr. Pinker. I missed you!--TerryK@OnGoingProjects
ReplyDeleteAaah thank you so much, Terry . I missed you too. It is so nice to be home and I am slowly getting back into my routine. I wish you a lovely day. Hugs.
DeleteWelcome home. I private messaged you a few minutes ago on IG. I was concerned I had t heard anything out of you in a while. Glad you had a good time and glad also you are home safe. Take care , Kimberly Delano Martinez
ReplyDeleteAaaw , Kimberly thank you so much. I have not been on IG in a blue moon too. I can not tell you how much it means to me that you checked on me. We had a wonderful time - lots of down time. LOL. Hugs and Blessings.
DeleteSo glad to see you made it home safely ❤️ looks and sounds like such a nice slow paced vacation. Thanks for sharing the beautiful sights you saw. All Buc-ees are busy 24/7. I love stopping there and getting their warm toasted cinnamon pecans. You must get some next time you stop at one. Hope you get caught up in your to-do list. I’m going to wait until closer to Thanksgiving to dismantle fall and put up Christmas.
ReplyDeleteHi, Chari and Happy Wednesday. It is good to be home after such a long trip. I am slowly getting back into my routine but the unpacking and chores takes some time . LOL. It is good to know what to expect at Buc-ees now. We went in the middle of the day around lunch so I didn't know if it was a surge at lunch time or not. Oh I saw those cinnamon pecans and almost bought some. I will definitely try them our next visit. I have heard their brisket is yummy too. Thank you for the sweet visit and have a blessed day. Hugs.
DeleteWelcome back! I missed you 😊
ReplyDeleteAaah thank you so much, sweet Gail. You brought the biggest smile to my day. Sending you warm hugs and blessings.
DeleteWell, you were in my neck of the woods again, lol! Sardis, MS is not far from me either like Holly Springs, MS. I'm so glad that you find the South a pretty place. Yes, tons of cotton have been picked here. Those white cotton fields are so pretty. Happy stitching and Christmas decorating! I find out tomorrow if I'm going to be having knee replacement surgery. If so, plenty of time for stitching and crocheting, lol. I so appreciate you sharing your stitching, patterns and adventures with us!
ReplyDeleteWell how fun, Terry. We just love Sardis and camped there for several days. We got supplies at Holly Springs and of course I had to stop at the Goodwill at Oxford. LOL. I love seeing the cotton fields. They were like fields of snow. I think I could stop and watch the farmers all day long. LOL. Oh gosh, knee replacement! I hope you receive good news and if you are going to have to have surgery that all goes well. I do hope you will keep me posted. Sending you warm hugs and love. You are in my prayers
DeleteI was just thinking today, I hadn't heard from you in quite a while, and I was hoping I hadn't somehow been removed from your email list. So, it was great to open my email tonight and see your blog post. It looks like you had a great trip! No Christmas decorating here yet; I'll start right after Thanksgiving. Welcome home!
ReplyDeleteHi, Cheryl . I hope November is treating you well. Thank you so much for thinking about me. We have been enjoying longer vacations since hubby has retired . It is nice to sit at the campgrounds and just relax. Since being home, I have been not only working on the chores, but trying to decorate too. It is a busy time of the year. I wish you a wonderful day. Warm hugs.
DeleteWelcome home, Melisa and Mr. Pinker!! We've missed you, but it sounds like a lovely time of getting back to nature. Relaxing and visiting family is definitely time well spent! We have a Buc-ees about 45 minutes from our house, though we've only visited one time. Yes, they are busy...always! But I loved it and had some good food from there too. Your photos of your adventures are gorgeous. I'm sure you'll get unpacked and all caught up soon. Have a great week! Hugs!!
ReplyDeleteAaw thank you so much, Brenda. It warms my heart to be missed. We did have a grand ole' time though. It was fun to see what Buc -ees was all about. I did not know that Alabama has one too. I think one opened up in middle TN , but I have yet to go. We ate a yummy salad , but next time I will try one of their sandwiches and a sweet. Have a wonderful week. Hugs.
DeleteSo happy you had a good trip but, happier you are home. The Buc-cees here in Royse City, Tx is always busy like a bee hive. They are so fun to visit and prowl around the treasures. We have another about 12 miles away in Terrell, TX. Are we lucky or what?
ReplyDeleteWell how fun! You are lucky! That was the first time I had been to Buc-ees. I had heard all about them though. I think one opened up here in TN not so long ago. We went during lunch time and you could not stir them with a stick. LOL. It is good to know what to expect the next time we visit. Brisket and a big Icee is on the list the next visit. Hee! Hee! Thank you for the sweet visit, Twyla. Hugs.
DeleteIt sounds like you had a great time traveling and camping. Beautiful landscapes. No quilt shops on the road? ;)) Hugs
ReplyDeleteOh yes, we did have a grand time while on vacation. We saw lots of pretty landscapes and enjoyed the peaceful campesites. I only saw 1 quilt shop but passed it up to go to a antique store. I found 2 quilts and a quilt top and lots of fabric though. So I was one happy camper. LOL. Thank you for the sweet visit, Frederique. Hugs.
DeleteThank you for the update and beautiful pictures. Glad you had such a fun, safe trip. No Christmas decorating for me until after Thanksgiving, but I do work on holiday cross stitch and crafts, and look at Christmas books and magazines.
ReplyDeleteAaah thank you so much , dear. We had a long vacation . I had meant to pop in for a visit, but we did not have much service. Oh, I love to look at Christmas books and magazines this time of the year too. I pulled out my old Leisure Arts Spirits of Christmas books the other day. They always get me in the Christmas spirit. I love looking at recipes too. I wish you a wonderful day and thank you again. Hugs.
DeleteI enjoyed your travel photos, Melisa, having never been to any of those states except Texas. There is so much of the US that I haven't seen--especially down south and in the west. Some day :) Glad you had such a nice road trip and are home safely to enjoy the holiday season with your family! ♥
ReplyDeleteOh yes, there is so much to see in this great country. I hope you are able to visit these beautiful areas in the near future. I marveled at the varied landscape that we traveled through. We stayed on the back roads so we could enjoy all of the beauty. Hugs and Blessings.
DeleteWelcome home! Glad to hear that you had such a wonderful time. So what if no stitching happened. It is obvious by all the wonderful photos you shared that you were very well occupied and enjoying yourself. No decorating here. Plenty is every store I enter. My Christmas gift making has been my focus. So much to do and so little time. Why do we do that to ourselves? You'd think I would learn! LOL Anyway, I'm glad you're home. I missed our visits.
ReplyDeleteHi , Ginny. It sounds like you have been staying busy these last few weeks. I do need to work on my Christmas gifts as well. Yes, I wait to the last minute. LOL. Well , guess what I moved a tomato plant into the greenhouse before I left and when I came home I had a few tomatoes to greet me even though the plant is now looking ragged. It was good to get one more picking though. I wish you a wonderful week, sweet friend. Hugs.
DeleteWelcome home!! So glad to hear that you and hubby had a restful time visiting family and just wandering the outdoors! My favorite way to travel, just came back from Tucson, visiting friends and some Breweries and Wineries. The summer was a little hard on the vines and hops but all is doing well. No stitching??? Oh well, you will catch up and be way ahead of me, I am sure. lol I am doing some presents for family but of course, I over plan what I can do and then I am rushing and not sleeping!! I see that others are in the same boat at this time of year, so I don't feel alone, tee hee! Welcome back, you were missed. Hugs from sunny Arizona.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you so much, dear Mary. We had a grand ole ' time while traveling the backroads. Now it is time to get back home to the nitty gritty. LOL. I can not believe I did not stitch either especially when I had so much down time. But like you now I will be scrambling to finish Christmas gifts. It sounds like you had a good time in Tucson. Is there vineyards in that area? Hubby and I traveled through there in January and hop to go back this next year. Have a wonderful day. Hugs and Love.
DeleteFun, fun trip, Melisa!!! I want to visit a Buc-ee's!?! I've heard about them so much on quilter's blogs!?! Welcome back to blogland! Decorate for Christmas yet? We have to do Thanksgiving first, right?!?
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was a fun trip, Nancy; we had a ball. When we found out there was a Buc-ees so close we had to visit. I hope to visit another and next time get something other than a salad. Hee ! Hee! Oh yes, I have to decorate for Thanksgiving too. I am jumping in with both feet and decorating for both holidays- LOL. Crazy I know. Have a blessed day and thank you for bringing a big smile to my day. Hugs.
DeleteThere are quite a few Breweries, Wineries and Tasting Rooms in AZ. We visited Copper Hop Farm in Elgin, AZ . They are still open but the hops are being grown elsewhere, great place with outdoor seating out of the way. Look up on google when you are ready to travel this way again.
DeleteOh thank you so much, Jenny. We had a grand time and spending time with my daughter was the best. I am glad that I brought my projects even though I did not get to them. I left some of them in the camper for our next camping trip so perhaps I will get to them then. Have a blessed day. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteBucees is never not busy! LOL! Glad you had a nice time!
ReplyDeleteLOL I didn't know that. It sure was a happening place. I look forward to visiting another one in the near future and trying some of the yummies that they offer. Thank you so much, Rosemary for the sweet visit. Have a great evening. Hugs.
Delete