My grandson, Patrick, and his mother watch a baby giraffe at Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island.

The Black African Crowned Crane at the zoo is quite interested in Patrick’s finger. Good thing there is a plexiglas shield between them!

Patrick had the largest sand box of any kid around, on that day in the Lakes Region, New Hampshire. The kid “gets around.”

“Sterling,” the German Shepherd shown here, is related to “Emma,” Patrick’s dog. Here he is giving the pet a hug at Mormor’s house.

Footprints in the sand in New Hampshire. “I am so little, and the lake is so big.”

We enjoy Patrick so much. He’s our first and only grandchild and he’s special. Hope you enjoyed seeing these recent pictures. Every now and then, I have to share a few photos. He’s growing so fast!

Photos courtesy of Rebecca and James Gorham.

Grandmother Cummings

Yesterday was a family day in Rhode Island, that is, we chose to spend Memorial Day with my son and his wife, and our little grandson, Patrick. The day was very warm, but there was a strong breeze blowing, making the air a comfortable temperature. Our first stop was the park playground for youngsters, where Patrick enjoyed sliding.

“Here we go!” Sliding at Roger Williams’ Park Playground

That area was becoming very crowded so we went over to the zoo. The grounds are enormous and 156 different species are protected there. There is an amazing array of creatures. I just love zoos!

Kangaroos, resting on a hot day

Snow leopard, on a cliff perch

This Moon Bear was elusive to photograph as he kept going in and out of a high den. The Asian bear is so named for the crescent-like white spot, on its chest.

These two American bald eagles had injured wings that were cosmetically-repaired, but now they cannot fly. They seem to enjoy their habitat at the zoo.

A miniature donkey whose ancestor carried the Virgin Mary.

James holding Patrick who is pointing at a new and unusual creature … to him!

Penguins of different kinds inhabit this watery space.

My favorite animals of the days were the giraffes, the red panda, the red-headed cranes. The Bison lazily grazed. They are a seemingly docile animal, until provoked! There were camels, elephants, emus, seals and so many more species. We plan to go back another day to see more of the zoo animals. This zoo is touted as one of the ten finest zoos in the country, and I’m sure that when all the improvements are made, it make even go higher in ranking.

Hope you enjoyed this little photo tour. Thanks to Jim Cummings for always having a ready camera!

Patricia Cummings

During the past year, Charlotte Croft has delighted us with the photos she has sent. Being residents of the state just over the river, the Connecticut River, that is, we are always so happy to catch a glimpse of Vermont! Charlotte has sent us photo images of landscapes, sunsets, lilies, pumpkins, quilts, her son and grandsons, butterflies, spider webs, “Flat Stanley,” and her nephew home safe from the military. You will see her photos on a number of pages of our website. Today, I have more photos to share.

A Christmas wreath is a sign of the season that is upon us, and what better frame for this pair of smiling faces of Charlotte and Bert Croft!

Charlotte’s church in E. Barnard, VT looks like it’s in the Christmas spirit, all decked out with snow.

When Charlotte is not busy with family, church, and work, she makes quilts. This particular one is a “Quilt of Valor” quilt that she helped to make.

Just to remind us all that snow season is not forever, here is a photo of Carrie, Charlotte, and Pat, last August.

We’d like to take a moment to thank all of our readers who send us photos and questions and who share our enthusiasm for all things textile. Hope you are enjoying the holiday season!

Pat and Jim Cummings

Charlotte Croft is fond of taking photos to record nature, as well as the events of family and friends. We are blessed that she is always delighting us with the images that she sends. Every time I see her self-portrait photo, I have to smile in a gleeful sort of way because, for some unknown reason, it reminds me of a very cute, nineteenth century design, of an owl with a camera. That design is offered as a free pattern on .

Photo of Charlotte Croft with her camera, at the ready!

During the summer months, Charlotte and her family like to spend time at Caspian Lake in Greensboro, Vermont, near Hardwick. The following photo is a very interesting shot of Silver Lake in Barnard, Vermont, in which a house is reflected in the water.

Do the ripples suggest that a bug or a frog has been creating waves?

The next view is that of a tall steeple of a church in Woodstock, Vermont. This building is situated across from the park that is bordered by the two main streets in downtown Woodstock. In my opinion, churches like this one, painted white, and with tall spires reaching toward the heavens, are quintessentially New England. One can often see churches like this rising up from little villages, as seen from a road, at a distance.

As the summer season begins to greet autumn, goldenrod plants appear by the roadside. This photo captures a patch of them near a rusty mailbox in E. Barnard, Vermont.

We hope that you have enjoyed seeing these glimpses of the area. Most of us who live here in northern New England couldn’t envision living anywhere else. Right now, chrysanthemums are the flowers of choice in formal gardens and planters, the pumpkins are ready for making into jack-o-lanterns, or for baking a pumpkin pie, and the apples are crisp off the trees. The nights are cooler, and as our thoughts turn to the harvest, as we begin to envision the comfort and delights of Thanksgiving.

We all have so many blessings! Jim and I are certainly thankful for friends, like Charlotte, who share their talents with us, here at Quilter’s Muse Publications.

Patricia and James Cummings