OOTD, cocktails and Beautiful Blooms...

 

White rose on John Paul ll

Pure white blooms are very elegant...

they remind me of Coco Chanel's simple white gardenias.

I have been so distracted by Donna Leon's mystery books of late...

I am reserving them at the public library and are reading my way through 

her series with Guido Brunetti.

I highly recommend her books.

So this post will be a wee one and once I hit publish

I'll be back in my chair in the living room with my nose in her book.

OOTD

I wore a Cut Loose crinkly tunic top with black capri tights.

An artisan necklace

Josef Siebel red ballet flats

Vintage wicker Ann Taylor bag.

We met up with friends On Friday evening in the sunshine.

Cocktails on the patio at The Snug at The Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

So wonderful getting together with friends.

It has been many months since we were permitted to go out to eat with friends.

The vaccinations and our recent "circuit breaker" that was set by our provincial health officer has helped reduce the number of active Covid cases and the rules are once again eased...

This week while I was

walking in the Cook Street Village

 I popped into Mercedes Lane.

A large shop with oodles of fun clothes...many are beautiful Italian linens.

The skort is by UPP and The dress is made in Turkey by Sassy.

I had not planned to buy anything I went in merely to peruse their stock.

Slightly risky because you never know what you'll find.

Spanish Lavender

potted in an urn out front of The Humble Bungalow.

The bees just love this plant.

I like the feathery "hat" atop of the blooms.

Hope that you are enjoying your weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

The last "Mother's Day" with Mom.

May morning vista from a walk in Oak Bay.

My sister and I got up early

and soon found ourselves dressed and ready to head out the door.

Yesterday was a very important day for my sister and I

 as we said our final goodbyes to to our Mom.

We spread Mom's ashes

enjoyed massages

dined in The Snug

drank a few flutes of bubbly 

swam in the outdoor mineral pool several times.

The Buddha Bowl was amazing!

Mango, tofu, veggies atop quinoa

drizzled with a soy sauce balsamic reduction...

this is so tasty that I am planning to find an excuse to go back very soon!

The Oak Bay Beach Hotel is opulent and elegant 

very well appointed which provides the ultimate in comfort...

beautifully located

on the edge of the shoreline looking east to the San Juan Islands.

The mineral pool was so inviting and warm...

we swam twice on Monday and once today. 

This is the view that overlooks McNeil Bay

a few short blocks from the house where I grew up.

The snow capped mountains of the Olympic Range in Washington State.

Freighters use the international shipping lanes located in Juan de Fuca Strait.

Trial Island and the lighthouse are a short boat ride from shore.

The currents in this narrow passage can be fierce...

they are often referred to as rip tides.

My uncle Owen used to be the lighthouse keeper.

My aunt, uncle and cousins spent quite a few years on the island.

My cousins were home schooled and there was a supply ship that delivered their groceries.

There were some amazing stories of sea rescues. 

The Ham radio was the essential lifeline...

which linked my family to the boats, the Coast Guard and others in Victoria.

If you look closely you will see the Native flowering camas

which is happily growing in the Garry Oak Meadow and rocky outcroppings.

Memories and thoughts are often jogged by scenery...

the power of suggestion is so powerful

that it can transport us back to the past.

The neighbourhood where I grew up has changed quite a lot.

Houses, new and modern, are mixed with the traditional and the heritage styles.

The workers next door are building the forms 

for the foundations of the new homes under construction.

The sounds of saws and nail guns repeating are louder than the drone of the bees or the hummingbirds staccato chatter.

It has not been as invasive as I first expected...

or perhaps

I am getting accustomed to the noise.

Muguet des bois in The Humble Bungalow Garden 

is thick with fragrant blooms.

A handful of flowers popped into an icy vase

make a room fresher

and more beautiful.

These wee white bonnets are so delicate and dainty...

perhaps the loveliest of May flowers in our garden.

My sister and I may make an annual pilgrimage to the OBBH and Spa

sometime close to Mother's Day 

to celebrate our Mom

share memories and relax.

I had never heard of this book.

 I saw it on the shelf at the book sellers on Pender Island...

and was immediately intrigued by the description on the inside cover.

It is a delightful story...

easy to read and very entertaining.

It's "light enough" to be considered a Beach Book

and very hard to put down.

Fingers crossed it is a quiet week...

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

XO

Bye Bye Big MAC...

Good Morning!
I am saying farewell to my old MAC laptop and a sweet hello to my new MAC...

The new one is smaller and much faster...

way faster than the operator at this moment in time.

There is a bit of a learning curve but thankfully with a MAC there is so much familiarity that we can bravely navigate with very little fear.

(I have a very capable young tech just a phone call away which helps too!)

I am going to test drive this new machine by taking you all on my recent walk in Oak Bay.

I walked past one of my favourite gardens in all of Victoria.

If you ever get the chance please visit this magical place...

have lunch or afternoon tea and walk about the grounds

it is a little piece of heaven on earth.

I passed by a quiet lane where this beautiful white wisteria was growing along a cedar fence...

I love wisteria and think it looks so elegant, almost enchanting.

There were 5 deer eating their breakfast in a garden beside the path.

The birds were singing and it was very quiet.

I felt like I was in the country.

I posted a video of one of the deer to my Instagram page and judging by the amount of times it has been viewed it must be worth watching.

I took this "secret path" tucked between two houses.

I am in the area of Oak Bay where I grew up and when we were young "adventurers" we used to pretend that these paths were very secret and known only to the children in the neighbourhood.

I wandered up towards Oak Bay Avenue on a dead end street.

Ah but there is another path that winds itself through the area...

this one is known to many as there has been a booklet published detailing the route...it has been lit for night time use and safety on the rugged rocky steps.

Here is the view from the bottom of the steps...

looking onto a lovely little byway just off the beaten path.

Someone lost a bootie...

The mighty oak has fallen and the municipality knows that the Garry Oak Meadows are better off when the tree trunks are left as they fall...

(they have cut off the limbs that would have blocked the path)

I am hoping that this post will be in the Blogger feed as soon as I hit publish...

if not I need to do some sleuthing to find out what I need to fix.

Please keep your fingers crossed!

Thank you for stoping by...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~