Cherry and the Hoot Archives - Page 3 of 3

Hiking alone is probably something most wouldn’t dare consider. The good thing is, I’m not most and I actually prefer to hike solo. My family for sure doesn’t agree with those choices but hey, I choose to not live my life in fear. Hiking gives me a sense of happiness and peace so going alone is best. So yes, I hike alone most of the time.

Lately, since the weather has been warming either I’ve been terrified of running into a rattlesnake or thanks to this particular trail- BEARS! Plus, due to Covid19, California keeps shutting down trails so I haven’t been able to explore too many new trails.

Monrovia Canyon Park is located in Monrovia, California. The waterfall can be found deep in the park making it an “out and back” trip. Before this journey I was pumped and excited. I went early in the morning before work thinking it was going to be refreshing. As I’m preparing myself in the parking lot, I notice a huge bear statue and that to me was a red flag. I’m well aware wild animals happen to be throughout all or most of the trails I hike. Seeing a bear was not something I was prepared to encounter especially being by myself. I honestly did not get concerned until I headed towards the start of the trail and a warning sign read, “ATTENTION, YOU ARE ENTERING BEAR HABITAT.” Ha!

It took everything for me continue and I had no choice because I had to get to work on time, and I didn’t drive all that way to just leave! Luckily, I did not see any bears, rattlesnakes, or mountain lions and I felt more comfortable seeing other women walking alone. I stopped one Asian woman to ask her about bears and she said, “Oh honey, it’s no scary! You’ll be fine, I’m here everyday”. Okay, that was relieving and I was able to enjoy the remainder of my trip with no worries. I did see a cave but I kept it pushing as fast as I could!

When I successfully made it to the waterfall the short expedition was well worth it. The waterfall was so beautiful and I was able to relax alone on a boulder for a few minutes to admire the scenery. Although I was able to capture a lot of amazing photos my favorite part was walking alongside the stream and listening to the peacefulness of nature. I had to stop a few times to take videos of the soundscapes for memories. I will definitely be returning to the park (especially now that I have a new iPhone with a much better camera).

Enjoy the journey!

Blog

White Sands National Park- Alamogordo, NM

July 5, 2020August 4, 2022 Cherry and the Hoot

Visiting and exploring New Mexico was pretty interesting. My aunt took me all over the whole city of Alamogordo and it had a lot of nice places to see. White Sands National Monument (before they switched it to Park) was probably one my favorite places to visit. I referred to it as, “The Beach With No Water” because that is literally what it reminded me of. There was nothing but cool waves of sand dunes throughout the entire park. Entering the park I was not sure what to expect but the deeper we drove, the less vegetation and I felt like we were somewhere in the Middle East- just no camels or the excessive heat. No, I’ve never been but I assume that’s how it would be based on pictures and movies.

Overall the park is a, “must-see” so add it to your bucket-lists because my description, pictures, and videos, give no justice!

*A small fact, the sand isn’t our ordinary “sand”, it is actually a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate called gypsum. You could always research elsewhere to find out more information- I stick to the basics.

Crafts

Simple and Cute Mason Jar Crafts

July 5, 2020September 17, 2026 Cherry and the Hoot

Being miles away from home you have to get a little creative when communicating with family and friends. What better way to do so than a crafting FaceTime session?

Last week I had a FaceTime date with one of my little sisters and she chose piggy bank mason bars as our initial craft. I loved the idea because they were inexpensive, cute, and simple to make. These days I use debits cards for everything but the idea didn’t hurt for my existing loose coins. There are so many ways to design the jars, she hand-painted hers, and I made a design using E-6000 (not shown because it looks horrible) and then spray painted once dried. I will be truthful and let you all know, I have yet to cut the small insert but I’ll get to that!

Since it took forever for the spray paint to dry I decided to use materials from another project to make a second mason jar craft. This time I used Twine, Mod-Podge, and seashells- so simple! The supplies were originally meant for a string-art and liquor bottle project that I will present in a later publishing. The twine jar was as easy as applying the glue, wrapping the twine, sealing the twine with the glue, and attaching the seashells! At first, I added fake flowers but since my birthday just passed, I added my birthday flowers and they look phenomenal in the jar.

Take a peek and see for yourself.

*As I’ve explained before I will not go in too much depth with crafting directions. More-so because this craft is simple to follow just by looking at the photos. If you’d like additional assistance please feel free to email using the Contact tab.

Crafts

Quarantine String Art

June 28, 2020September 17, 2026 Cherry and the Hoot

String art has always been on my “Crafting Bucket List“. The craft has seemed complicating since I first discovered it- probably the reason I did not attempt sooner. Of course, during “quarantine” I had nothing else to do and plenty of time to build my patience. When choosing my crafts, I can either be inspired by tutorials on the web, home decor, television, or crafting stores. Home Depot inspired me to execute this project!

When we went in to grab supplies for my sister’s new sewing table, seeing all of the wood immediately sparked my “crafty” fuel. Strolling down the wood aisles made me think of all things I could possibly create. Since I currently have no desires of using super tools, I needed something easy, simple, and cute. String art popped in my head and I knew it was a done deal! I started to search all over Pinterest and Google images for inspiration and then the games begin.

Hammering all of the nails into the wood was time consuming and extremely annoying due to the noise. BUT… the outcome was a success once I did get the hang of it! I’m very happy I was able to accomplish the project but even more excited one made a great gift for a very special someone.

Take a look at the process below (please keep in mind I do not go in depth with details):

*Supplies needed for the base of the project- minus the sanding block.*

*Print or draw a design of your choice*; *hammer the nails along the perimeter.*

Crafts

Dollar Tree Vases

June 21, 2020September 17, 2026 Cherry and the Hoot

Dollar Tree, Family Dollar Modifying Store Hours During ...

For those who don’t know me, I’m an extreme crafting freak. Since I was younger I’ve always had the gift of being creative. Crafting has always been one of my “happy places” but I will say I have been slacking due to work. I can’t express my gratitude of the coronavirus pandemic enough. I was very appreciative of my time off from work because I was able to do everything I loved the most. Please keep in mind, I will not be explaining each step in depth for my crafts but rather posting simple descriptions and pictures of the process.

One of my first crafts included all items from my local Dollar Tree store. I came across the tutorial a while ago on one of my favorite DIY YouTube channels, Dazzling Designs By Denise. It was a cheap, simple, fun, and easy craft to make with my sister plus, it was super cute! Very pleased with the added decor to my bathroom.

Check it out:

*Clean the vase and apply the gem stickers in your desired pattern.*

*Spray the vase with your choice of Rust-Oleum and allow it to dry- mine were slightly ruined*.

Stuff those bad boys with filling and decorative flowers of choice.

Uncategorized

Towsley Canyon Loop Trail- Newhall, CA

June 21, 2020August 4, 2022 Cherry and the Hoot

Hiking or walking trails will always be one of my favorite recreations when possible. I tend to love most of my destinations and all they have to offer. The magnificence of nature, the mindblowing views, the serenity, the fresh air, etc. are all cool bonuses of exploring trails. I will be truthful and admit; I’m not too fond of the “creatures” that come with outdoor nature (weird? I know). When I arrive at a new site, the first thing I locate and review is an information board for animals. Most of the warnings are typically for rattlesnakes and coyotes. Alright, I’m okay with that as long as I don’t see either because what are the odds, right? Luckily, I had never encountered either until recently.

One of my latest hiking adventures officially scarred me for life. This trails located at Ed Davis Park at Towsley Canyon near Newhall, Santa Clarita. Of course, there were signs for rattlesnakes and now the weather had warmed up- I was expecting to spot one or two. At first, I was not nervous because the trail appeared heavily trafficked. Los Angeles had just reopened all trails and parks so the paths were incredibly overgrown. No biggie, let’s get this 5.6 mile travel knocked out and enjoy the rest of my day. Ha! With only a few feet into the hike, you immediately hear the snakes rattling their tails. Talk about being freaked out! My biggest concern was catching one camouflaged within the overgrown shrubs off guard. Sheesh! I attempted to move expeditiously (T.I.’s voice), but moving fast wasn’t it because although I walk consistently, apparently, I’m still out of shape!

As I’m walking, I approach a swampy mud puddle infested with bees. I’ve never been stung by a bee; I try to avoid them at all costs- PERIOD. Due to fear, I didn’t have the strength to jump, but my sister and brother-in-law accompanied me, making them my motivators for leaping across the puddle. I was terrified, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and went for it. As I successfully jumped over the pool and opened my eyes, lo and behold, a big ass black rattlesnake magically appeared out of NOWHERE. I almost pissed my pants jumping around and screaming my head off! Talk about a panic attack. I had never been so scared in my life. I just knew I was about to have a heart attack, but I survived (barely). At that moment, I accepted I was officially on my scariest hike!

Besides the snakes, the hike was enjoyable. It seemed like we were in a jungle- just missing Tarzan. The views were beyond amazing. Had I been more fit, I would have been able to enjoy it more because those hills were killer, and my breathing was entirely off. Most of the struggle with my breathing was due to being scared of possibly running into another rattlesnake. And we did run into another snake, but he wasn’t a threat. I was trying my best to prevent an anxiety attack because I was paranoid. Once we arrived at the top, I was able to relax and calm my nerves drastically. The remainder of the excursion wasn’t as terrifying with me worried about more snakes because I knew the end was near!

I’m glad I was able to experience the hike but probably won’t return until the temperature changes, and I’m more fit!

Enjoy a few pics of my journey:

Tag: Cherry and the Hoot

Monrovia Canyon Waterfall- Monrovia, CA

White Sands National Park- Alamogordo, NM

Quarantine String Art

Dollar Tree Vases

Towsley Canyon Loop Trail- Newhall, CA