It felt a wee bit like summer.
So I walked to town to meet a friend for lunch at Milestones on the Inner Harbour.
Beacon Hill Park has many native lilies growing in the grassy sections naturalized under the mighty oak trees.
They are putting on a spectacular show.
a closer look...
I had to get down low to capture this view
they are so delicate
stunning in their simple form and beauty.
The walk was invigorating but I wore fashionable shoes and by the time I had walked around all afternoon and then walked back home I had a blister on my heel and now I am limping around, grimacing with every step.
The silly thing is that I thought I "should" wear my walking shoes, but opted for fashion over function...a mistake I will not make again!
I sat in the sunshine waiting for my friend to arrive and "played tourist" in my own town.
Observing the scenery and people watching.
clear blue skies prevailed
and you can see how crisp they were against the clock tower above the Victoria Visitor's Information Centre
people were out enjoying the sunshine
whale watching boats were loaded with passengers
the little harbour ferries were busy
the street vendors had their kiosks loaded up with wares
buskers were performing
the bag piper was playing and the sound carried across the harbour
the clip clop of the horse drawn carriages as they made their way along the causeway
this pretty combination caught my eye
I might steal this idea and use it here in our garden
We shared a meal...both of us watch our weight and so we opted to split a burger and a salad.
We did indulge in a glass of wine which we normally do not do but it felt like we were on holiday so we thought it would not hurt.
She is planning a trip to San Francisco so we chatted about what to see and do and where they might want to stay. It has been over 10 years since Mr. HB and I enjoyed a week in that lovely city.
SF is a walker friendly city with charming vintage cable cars that you can hop on and hop off on several downtown lines.
I remember that we walked for hours and hours every day exploring the sights and we ate really delicious meals and I did not gain any weight!
I spied this sign on my walk while going to visit Mother.
Mom is on a Spring cleaning and de-cluttering kick.
Helping her sort, pack and donate what my sister and I do not want.
I think she is grappling with her own mortality
her 89th birthday is coming up this June
and several of the elders in her condo have recently passed away.
Here in Victoria we are having a real estate boom.
The prices have sky rocketed and there are bidding wars.
It is not uncommon for a home to sell for over 150,000 over the asking price.
On our street VERY close to The Humble Bungalow
a wee 1912 home that straddles two lots is listed at 1.2 million dollars!
We saw on the news that a 1950's bungalow facing the Fairfield Plaza parking lot sold for a cool million!
I cannot help but think that with these prices there will be many young people who will never be able to afford a home and many will have to move away.
Spring sunshine
has persuaded the blooms of this lilac to open up and flower.
This week should yield some answers on my shoulder issue...
part of me wants to stay in the dark and not know
because IF the diagnosis is surgery
or something more sinister
ignorance might be bliss.
One thing that has come out of this experience
is that I have SO much more empathy for those who live with chronic pain.
Our health is something we should never take for granted
for many many years I have been guilty of this...
Mother has very few aches and pains
she had a bout with breast cancer and has arthritis in her hands but she has a great attitude.
I wonder if it is her nursing career that helped her put things in perspective or if she is just very accepting of her circumstances and presses on...
she rarely whinges or complains about her health.
Get her started on how much tax she pays or politics
and fasten your seat belt as she will be on a tirade and her rant can go on for a LONG time!
Well this post just went sideways...
it started out with one thing in mind and now has gone off on a tangent.
Thank you for stopping by...
~ Be Well and Be Kind ~
