Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Waking in Sunshine...but not for long!

I awoke surprised to see the sunshine pouring in through the blinds last weekend.
The other surprise was the time...
9AM!
Sleeping in is so rare these days that when I realize that I have slept in
it comes as a SHOCK!


My morning luxury is to brew an espresso and serve it in a bowl with foamed milk.
This habit started in Paris and I have never looked back.
For me this starts my day off on a positive note.
I take a few minutes to check out Instagram, Facebook and read blogs.

After my shower I dress in my walking clothes...
this helps me stay motivated to go for my walk.

If I dress up in "going out" clothes right away 
I can find a million excuses NOT to go for a walk!

black yoga pants
a long top
puffy vest or puffy jacket 
(choice is dependent on the forecast)
sock and athletic shoes

 I took an alternate route
and ventured into the Ross Bay Cemetery.
It is very beautiful, peaceful, and full of all kinds of wildlife...
birds, squirrels, deer.


Heritage Trees form a canopy over the lanes.


The seafront is just beyond the edge of the grass...
you can see the seawall and ocean if you look closely.


Spectacular Autumn colours


Inside a crevice in a tree 
I spy fungi...


Not sure what kind of toadstools or mushrooms these might be but they look quite happy here...if fungi can actually be happy in its environment.
I would like to think that happiness on some level can be felt by all living things.

Speaking of happiness...


I must confess that I had my knickers in a twist...
not my usual comfortable happy place and I had to snap out of it.

I started going for my walk...
on the regular route.

Dozens maybe Hundreds
 of people running towards me.
Dear reader I had encountered a marathon!

A loud rock band was playing under a tent at the corner
there was a water station set up where runners were grabbing cups 
guzzling down the water and then tossing the cups willy nilly on the street.
I feared that I would be knocked over so I grumbled a bit under my breath and took off in another direction...the direction of the cemetery.

All in all it was a lovely walk and I felt totally refreshed when I came home.


~ Crunch crunch crunch crackle ~
the sounds under my feet as the dried leaves collapse.


~ water droplets on a leaf ~



~ the veins in these leaves are so pretty ~

There is so much beauty in the ordinary 
it is worth looking closely at every day things that we encounter.
What surprise might we see?


Orange and yellow dinner plate sized Dahlia 
still blooming in mid October in a garden on Hollywood Crescent.


This is Chester 
the little rascal will not stay off the table.
This is where I have my lap top and where I write my blog posts.

Perhaps this pose is his way of saying I am cute, really I am, 
and you know that you love me despite my hi jinx.


There are 3 storms forecast to hit our coast in the next few days and the weather experts are advising us to charge up all our devices, buy extra food and batteries and brace ourselves for power outages and possible flooding.

So if you don't hear from me for a few days 
you'll know why!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

37 comments:

Sheila said...

Ha, you forgot about the marathon? I avoided town until later in the day. I hope the storms miss us - I don't want to lose another Gary oak in our front yard like last year. Stay safe, hon!

LPC said...

I hope you enjoyed your lie-in!

Good luck in the storms.

Unknown said...

I love your posts....hello from the other side of the world, Sydney, Australia, where it should be getting warmer.. but today is a reminder of winter..brrr!

Lorrie said...

Yes, get out to enjoy the sunshine while we can, for the wind is rising (or will later). Walking in autumn is full of beauty and you've shown many delights in your photos here.
Stay cozy!

Anonymous said...

What a lovely cat!
Beautiful,rich fall colours. Your cementery looks nice and peaceful-here is the custom to build marble or stone graves and monuments
Good luck in the blustery days!
Dottoressa

Patricia said...

Autumn is the best weather for walking, no matter which country we are in. Your pictures are beautiful, especially that fabulous dahlia - Wow! And I love your white pumpkins and pretty plant arrangement, very elegant indeed. Like you, I rarely sleep in, and I would get a surprise if I awoke at 9.00 am - perhaps you needed a bit of extra rest. I hope you enjoyed the remainder of your day.

DaniBP said...

What a gorgeous walk, thanks for sharing it with us. I was watching the weather forecasts last night on the cbc and it looks like you have three different storm fronts coming your way, tuck in and stay safe. Hopefully they'll blow over quick. XO

Kristien62 said...

I love the planter near your door. Did you put this together for fall? And the white pumpkin is a very unexpected touch.

I love the idea of dressing in walking clothes for motivation. I go to exercise classes twice a week, but on the other days, I find my motivation lacking. I think I will try this, too!

Madame Là-bas said...

The rains have started! Workout/walking clothes are what gets me moving too. I stocked up
on books from the library and planted bulbs and winter pansies in the parking lot garden to keep community spirits up during the grey days. The colours are indeed beautiful right now but I suppose that the storms will change that. Perhaps a soup-making day would be in order.

KSL said...

I hope it's not too bad, but I'm a bit envious - feeling like I'll never see rain here in LA again.
I also get dressed in workout clothes even if I plan to exercise later - keeps me motivated too. Make some soup!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Fingers crossed that your other oak trees are safe...it scares me when the CBC is interviewing emergency preparedness officials and that the winds are predicted to be 90 !

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you Lisa...we have rain now and are expecting winds to pick up later this afternoon. Hope it is not too destructive...

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Welcome Jan...hope your weather improves.
Our darling daughter and her husband are going to be enjoying some spring and summer weather when they visit Australia and NZ for their honeymoon soon...I am looking forward to seeing their pictures.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I loved seeing those pretty little flowers on your blog and I love how you have styled the hydrangeas in those recycled bottles.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

There are many grave stones and monuments in this heritage cemetery...the space is very beautiful and I love walking through and enjoying the birdsong.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I was tired after prepping the Thanksgiving feast for two days so I must have needed the extra rest...
I have never had white pumpkins until this year...they are very versatile and I purchased them at the nursery where I found the wee pot of plants.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Sounds like the 3rd storm is going to be the worst...it is going to be gusty gale forced and at times possibly hurricane forced winds. Yikes!
Hoping that too many trees do not crash down...

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I bought the planter at The Root Cellar Nursery where I also found the white pumpkins...it was a nice combination and I could not resist!
Good luck staying motivated!
Think of this tactic as "dressing for success!"

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Soup making sounds like a great idea...as long as we still have power!
Hope you stay safe and warm.
Planting those cheery bulbs and pansies are a lovely thing to do for your neighbours, such a generous "feel good" gesture.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I know that LA is experiencing drought and if I could send you some rain I would be more than happy to share!

Our French Oasis said...

Beautiful post. I love taking my coffee in a bowl. The children love hot chocolate in a bowl so they can dunk their croissants, totally acceptable here in France! Lucky you finding some funghi, it has been so dry here that our usually foraging has proved useless. have a great weekend xx

Patricia said...

Your posts are so inspiring - makes me realize what is truly important when I read your words - the beauty of nature, the enjoyment of everyday 'simple' things - (simple in a good way !)...being content and happy with what we have...you seem to be truly a 'grateful' person. I have to add that I've never had the pleasure of living with a cat due to my dear daughter's allergies but the beauty in Chester's lovely face....he's adorable !

Jeannine said...

Be safe.

Sue Fogarty said...

Ah the vagaries of weather! It was 30 on Monday and only 19 yesterday in Sydney. Stay safe and cosy.

Anonymous said...

Your walk through the cemetery provided very nice Fall scenery. Sometimes these detours work out well. The cool Fall is picture perfect for walks, especially after our 90 degree very hot summer. I hope the storms predicted are not severe. Chester is a real cutie and very photogenic. Susan

Anonymous said...

Cemetery/ death, mushrooms, and storms, what an exciting blog post

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I am not in the habit of harvesting mushrooms...I know very little about what varieties are safe to eat and just this week a 3 year old child ingested a death cap mushroom and unfortunately the toddler died.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you Patricia...I try to live life with an attitude of gratitude.
Chester is very affectionate and mischievous, but we love him despite his antics.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

So far we have the rain and the gale force winds are supposed to be on their way. I hope it is not as bad as they are suggesting.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Dare I assume that you are being facetious?

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Will certainly try!

La Contessa said...

BEAUTIFUL WALK!I LOVE OLD CEMETERIES...........
CHESTER IS A HANDSOME DEVIL.I have THEODORE who sits on my lap!
STAY SAFE and some rain has HIT HERE LAST NIGHT!!!!!!!
SEND IT DOWN HERE!
XX

La Contessa said...

I LOVED IT!!!!!!

Rosie said...

Beautiful pictures as always. Lovely to have a surprise lie in :)
Hope the storms aren't as severe or as long as predicted.
Take care, keep safe.
Rosie

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

This particular cemetery is very picturesque. I quite like strolling through it as it is so peaceful...the rain is hammering our bungalow as I sit and type this...the winds are not too fierce right now but they are supposed to increase tomorrow.
Good to hear that California got some rain...hope that is going to help your garden plants!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

So far the two storms have not been that bad...lots of rain and wind. We are expecting the most powerful of the 3 storms tomorrow...so fingers crossed we do not have a mess.

Unknown said...

Hi. Beautiful pictures, lovely walk you had...