April snippets from Quarterdeck cottage

Love these pretty pink blossoms on the tree out front of the cottage.

I am tempted to pick a sprig and pop them into a vase.

They are so delicate and frilly, almost frothy in their form.

A subtle scent gently fills the air when you are standing beneath the branches.

A yellow primula and a variegated iris for the garden.

I planted the iris out front of the cottage and hope that the deer will ignore it!

The primula will come home with me to be planted in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

The Pender Island Garden Club had a sale at the community centre.

I purchased the plants from the garden centre and the shell was from their sale.

I quite like shells and have a few that I have collected over the years.

They reside on the window ledge of the guest room.

This one will be headed there soon.

I found this arts and crafts Ruskin pewter brooch at the Nu To Yu thrift shop.

I purchased it for a friend who collects these pins.

It amazes me what treasures can be found in this tiny little shop.

Speaking of treasures look at this sweet little toadstool!

We walked 3 km along a road under a magnificent canopy of trees.

Our destination was Gather a new cafe at Hope Bay.

They serve tea, coffee, beer, wine, baked goods and light meals.

There are musical events held here on occasion in the evening. 

It's been open for 3 weeks and already has a loyal following.

The local Pender Island knitting ladies were there for their meeting.

I could not help but to eavesdrop and sneak a peek at what knitting projects they were sharing.

It is very similar to the knitting group that I attend at a local Victoria cafe.

We both had a cold beer...

mine was a light IPA and Mr. HB chose a dark stout.

I opted for the curry vegetarian bowl served on brown rice.

It was incredibly tasty but I could not eat it all!

After lunch we walked back through the woods to the cottage.

We did a lot of walking so we felt little guilt 

relaxing and reading our books on the sunny deck.

April has been a blur...

so many things have kept us busy.

The cottage makes us slow our pace and we really relax and sleep soundly.

We go to bed earlier and get up before 7 most days.

The fresh air, 

peace and quiet, 

long walks in nature

 put us into this zen zone.

It's a beautiful sunny morning here at the cottage.

Hope wherever you are, that your week is off to a great start!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Colourful tidbits...flowers, a book and a recipe for a comforting meal.

The rain and fog have set in and there is a definite chill in the air...
a perfect time to cozy up in a chair and read a wonderful book.

Frances Mayes latest novel "Women in Sunlight" is set in Tuscany

it revolves around a group of women who are renting a Villa 

 exploring new possibilities...

I am enjoying the descriptions of the food, wines and the countryside

if you liked Frances Mayes previous books this one will not disappoint!

The dahlias are providing us with some bright colour on this misty morning.

When the weather changes and the skies turn to grey 

I opt for pops of colour to infuse energy and positivity.

I do not grow dahlias in our garden.

The road side stands and local farmers markets 

are a great place to find these colourful gems...

many varieties all so different and some the size of a dinner plate!

We went beach combing on Pender Island last weekend 

look what we found!

A HUGE amount of beach glass

a few pieces of porcelain

The aqua vintage Mason jar on the left

was empty

waiting 

for a few pieces and now its almost half full!

We invited dear friends to share the cottage with us this past weekend...

we had oodles of fun 

both my husband and I remarked that we had not laughed so much in a very long time.

"A good laugh heals a lot of hurts."

~ Madeleine L’Engle ~

Last night I roasted a chicken in the oven

it was so tasty that I want to share the recipe...

Roast chicken

 Wash a roasting chicken inside and out then dry with paper towel.

Cut a whole lemon in half and stick inside the cavity add a few cloves of garlic

lightly baste the outside of the chicken with olive oil

sprinkle with a generous amount of fresh pepper

then lay a few sprigs of fresh rosemary on top

Roast in a moderate oven (325) for about and hour and a half.

Make a simple gravy with the drippings 

whisk in some flour and stock.

I served our chicken with roasty potatoes and fresh green beans.

It was a wonderfully comforting meal...

I am planning on making some soup with the leftovers.

Hope that your week is off to a great start.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~ 

Pender Island Snippets...

We have been relaxing here at Quarter Deck Cottage and our days are moving very slow...
We have a simple routine, slow walking, swimming in the pools, beach combing reading and we try to eat healthy meals.

We spend a lot of our day and early evenings on the deck 

 the weather has been marvelous

even HOT!

I posted a picture of these pretty periwinkle blue flowers on my Instagram page

and a reader mentioned that they were called wild chicory.

They grow tall and line the roadsides here on Pender Island.

So delicate and I love the colour...

they remind me of the South of France 

where the doors and shutters are painted a similar shade of blue-y mauve.

Queen Anne's Lace grows wild

 it is frequently growing right next to the wild chicory.

Another plant that thrives here is Yarrow.

I love the mustard shade and the bees like it too.

This bush is found dotting the landscape...

I must find out its name...

if you know its name please leave me a comment.

I have been enjoying fresh fruit and yogurt for breakfast.

It is so quick to prepare and the juicy nectarines are full of flavour.

Dahlias and fresh strawberries from the Farmers Market

I read both of these books and I highly recommend The Lost Vintage...

if you enjoyed The Nightingale I think you will love Ann Mah's book.

The Three Things about Elsie is about the elderly...

  it delves into dementia but it is actually a fun read.

The characters are interesting 

plus a mystery is woven into the text with an unexpected outcome.

I really liked Joanna Cannon's first novel The Trouble With Goats and Sheep 

which I also recommend.

I have started reading Kristin Hannah's Home Front...

will share more on that when I have finished it.

We discovered a sandy beach at the bottom of a steep trail...

I found more sea glass here than on any other beach so far!

I love the aqua glass chunks as they are not as common as the brown and whites.

I am test driving a new nail polish...

this one claims to be chip free and I am tough on my nails as I garden so much and my hands are rarely idle.

I indulged in a wee bit of pampering yesterday afternoon.

A lovely pedicure by a delightful young woman who lives on the island and runs a small business.

 The shade that I chose is a vibrant pinky OPI polish called California Raspberry.

It's a breezy day here...

the laundry is whizzing around in the machine.

I've tidied up, watered the outdoor garden by hand and am about to put my nose back in my book.

Hope that you are enjoying some restorative lazy days of summer.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

I heart summer holidays...

Isla was given the opportunity to choose three marbles when we went to the Antique Store on Pender Island.

This large blue one, another in green and a smaller blue one which she gave to her brother Henry.

Milada Huk from Renaissance Studios on Pender Island designs and makes jewellery using Swarovsky crystals.

This necklace caught Isla's eye...

it is called Fairy Garden.

Grammy was delighted when she saw how Isla swooned when she spied this piece so we bought it!

Grampa found this stone heart on Hamilton Beach near Port Browning.

Isla took it home.

Beach treasures!

In dire need of a pedicure after a week at the cottage.

Days filled with swimming, hop scotch, beach combing, games, boating,

and other fun activities.

I posted this picture on my Instagram page...

"when your breakfast matches the book cover" 

it makes for an easy photo opportunity!

A parting gift from the family...

Two thrift shop finds from the Nu-To -You shop.

Tennesmed desigend Swedish pewter pendant 

Danish bird pin.

This Summer the weather has been fabulous...

sunny and warm

actually 

HOT!

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

We are on holidays so my blog posts may be sporadic!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Savouring the good things in life...

We are surrounded by beauty...
one need not look too far afield to glimpse these special gifts that cross our path.

Embracing the positive, simple things in life, keep me grounded and content.

If I get on the "I want this, I want that" tangent
I am not at ease...stress and anxiety are sure to follow.

Simple living...

getting back to nature
walking
taking time for peaceful pursuits
mindful healthy eating

valuable self care tools
that really nurture and feed my soul.

"Highlights" worth sharing from the past weekend...

Roesland Park

on

Pender Island, BC

a lovely walk with an abundance of natural beauty.

Calypso Bulbosa

aka

Lady Slipper Orchids

Lilies

A bench on which to sit and pause...

 count my blessings 

while surveying the views across The Salish Sea....

Skunk Cabbage

The Nature Sanctuary at Medicine Beach

we were there for the Earth Day beach clean up.

Fresh radishes from Raven Rock Farm stand 

at the Farmers Market

love these "red ravishing radishes"

Speaking of red...here is the Encore Red.

We went to the award winning Sea Star Vineyard for a wine tasting...

we purchased some red and white wines.

We invited our neighbours over for a drink and a nibble...

Sitting on the deck later watching the sun slip behind the mountains

taking note of the light 

the subtle changes 

of the intensity and tones.

The sunrise and sunsets are the gentle rhythms

that guide us through our days here at Quarter Deck Cottage.

Hope that your week is off to a gentle start...

Enjoy the gifts as they present themselves to you on your daily round.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Life in the slow lane....

Quarter Deck Cottage 

a new tablecloth

 a bouquet of cheery yellow flowers

in an icy Modernist Finnish vase

These unusual daffodils...

were for sale in the Hardware store where we purchased the new tablecloth.

 $3 a bunch 

 only two small bunches left 

 to fill our vase we would have needed about 10 bunches

so we headed to the flower shop instead

and found the chrysanthemums

The vintage sealer jar is home to our growing collection of beach glass.

It is my goal to fill this jar and then find another vintage jar 

and keep on collecting...

Am reading this book about a young woman with Alzheimer's disease

I am in the first few chapters and enjoying it so far...

In between reading our books

we walk

we walk along narrow roads in the woods

we walk facing traffic

sometimes there are a few cars that pass us

other times 

there are none.

Eagles soar above 

ravens call

the wind rushes through the trees 

clouds float by

I can hear my breath speed up as we climb the hills

and 

on the downhill slope it feels like I have a surge of energy!

Grimmer Bay near Port Washington on Pender Island

Boat house and the public beach access

drawing in the sand...

Beach combing on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Such a lovely spot for a walk and a meander about looking for beach glass.

Mr. HB outdid himself and found a piece of amethyst beach glass.

I picked up the shell and the other two pieces of glass.

I think this might be my first piece of amethyst glass...

Hope that you are enjoying your weekend and thank you for taking the time to pop by and visit The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Until next time...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~