Showing posts with label beach combing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beach combing. Show all posts

Monday, August 30, 2021

Quarterdeck Cottage ~ an oasis of peace.


We are at Quarterdeck Cottage this week...
we arrived with a bucket of fresh cut flowers from The Humble Bungalow Garden.

I couldn't resist bringing some of our roses.
Jude the Obscure, Julia Child and The McCartney rose fill the vase. 


Sunshine and the expansive views of the Salish Sea are such a tonic.

We went for a drive and walked along two different beaches 
beachcombing...collecting feathers and pieces of sea glass.

An artist has been busy creating some interesting carvings...





Building 
Driftwood structures are popular with many at the beach.





Our cottage time is so peaceful.

We sat out on the deck last night and gazed up at the stars... 
watched the brightly lit ferries as they passed by the cottage.

Feeling immense contentment here at the cottage.

Nature continues to amaze...

it renews our energies
inspires us
refreshes and invigorates.

The sound of the waves as they hit the rocky shore

the various bird songs
my favourite of which is the song of the purple martins

the breeze as it swishes the branches of the trees

all things that I have come to love and appreciate.

I've got a post to share with you soon...
we were fortunate to be able to host a dinner on the deck here with a fashion blogger and her husband and her lovely daughter.

We didn't take pictures of us all but I can share the menu.
If you want to get a sneak peak check out my Instagram post.

In closing, here's a picture of the other flowers that we brought to the cottage.


Sweet Peas
this summer we have enjoyed a bumper crop of these fragrant beauties.
The more we picked the blooms the faster they grew.
I cannot remember a summer when we had so many sweet peas.
They are cheap and cheerful and so worth the effort of growing them.

Hope that you are doing well and staying safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Holidaze...The Humble Bungalow Garden Roses

 


Jude the Obscure Rose


Buttery yellow Julia Child Rose


Golden Celebration


Jude the Obscure up close


Jude the Obscure Rose is full of blooms.

We took our son and the grandchildren up island to Nanoose Bay for a getaway.
It is located 2 hours (driving) north from Victoria.
We stayed at Pacific Shores, which is s time share on Craig Bay,
 just south of Parksville.


Early morning views from the patio on Craig Bay up island.
We sat outside most mornings with our coffee and soaked in the pristine scenery.

We watched paddle boarders as they moved about the bay...
motor and sailboats, 
kayaks
swimmers and waders all playing in the sunshine.

Many families stayed at the resort so there were lots of kids.
 Our grandchildren enjoyed meeting and playing with some summer "friends."


Large rocks and sandstone 
warmed by the sun.


A few treasures from my beach walk.

We kayaked in the bay, swam in the pools, walked along the beach, played Monopoly, cards, read our books, went to mini golf and rode in bumper boats.
Lots of laughter and fun were had by all.

Summer is winding down...
today we have refreshing and much needed rain.


Reading Santa Montefiore's new book...
Here and Now
about a woman and her family 
as they navigate a journey involving memory loss.

I have read all her books and enjoy her style of writing very much.

How is your summer going?
Have you been away or are you enjoying a staycation in your own town?

We don't plan to travel very far in the near future.
The rates of transmission of the Covid Delta variant are rather staggering.

The Canadian borders are open to the vaccinated visitors.

Vaccinations continue to be offered and I hope that the children will be able to get their shots as school will be starting in early September.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.
Stay Safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Escape to the Cottage

 


We escaped to the cottage for a few idyllic days.
The weather was mostly warm and sunny albeit a bit breezy.


The first night it rained late in the day 
we had a perfectly lovely stroll around the complex after dinner.
I spied this beautiful fuchsia magnolia bloom with luminous raindrops.


We love seeing this boat go out to sail.
The owner must love sailing 
 we see him set sail almost every time we are at the cottage.


We spend a lot of time reading and walking.
I read The Bookshop of Yesterdays
Some Women 
The Keeper of Lost Things

I absolutely LOVED The Keeper of Lost Things.
Ruth Hogan also has written another book called
The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes
which I immediately ordered from my favourite bookshop Ivy's.

Found Son of a  Trickster by Eden Robinson 
in a little free library box on South Pender.
It's my next book...


We enjoy beachcombing here on Pender.


I spied a lovely red spotted scrap which I thought was a scarf or a rag...
turns out it is kelp and it is so beautiful!

I received a note today that Feedburner is being discontinued 
so the Follow Me Widget that sends an email of every post to you directly 
will no longer work.

You can follow my blog on Bloglovin if you so desire.

Hope that you are well and staying safe.
We are experiencing a third wave of Covid cases here.
My husband and I will have our first shots before the end of the month.
In the meantime we are wearing our masks, washing our hands a lot and only seeing people outdoors.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Monday, March 30, 2020

Come along for a Walk...fresh air, scenery and some inspirational quotes.

My daily outing is a walk in the fresh air with beautiful scenery.


Serene looking intertidal area at the end of the beach.
Sea Glass is mingling with the rocks 
one only needs to peer closer to find some.


View across from Victoria to Port Angeles in Washington State.

Freighters in the distance are anchored and waiting 
for an opportunity to offload their freight or load up in The Port of Vancouver.

Many freighters anchor in among our Gulf Islands 
which has become a problem for many 
 they run their noisy generators.


The beaches are littered with driftwood from the winter storms.
Many people collect it and burn it in their fireplaces.
Some creative artists make things from the various pieces.


The BC flag flies on a tall pole at the edge of a cliff.


A heart of stones

Many families are seen at the beach
kids throwing stones into the ocean
moms and dads drinking coffee and reading books
dogs frolicking in the water retrieving sticks
people collecting wood
some, like myself, are searching for sea glass
some are constructing huts and shelters out of logs


Someone carved a face on the old roots of this vast tree.


Can you see the heart with wings on the tree stump?


On the way home 
I walked past a lovely garden with many whimsical accents.
The beds overflow with yellow daffodils and hanging planters are hung atop the fences
with cheerful purple and yellow pansies.

This face was attached to a tree...

In the quiet moments and a tea time
I've been thinking a lot about our current situation.

Staying home and staying safe.
Staying positive.

I reached out to some of our elder neighbours to see if they had enough food.
It turns out that they were running low on lots of things and had been trying to order groceries online for home delivery but could not log into the website.


Many stores are 2 weeks behind with their orders so I went to the grocery shop for them and dropped the bags on their front porch.

At the grocery shop we were directed to line up outside ~ a metre apart.
There were strips of green tape that indicated where we were to stand.

When people exited the store one at a time we were given a disinfected cart and allowed inside...
there were not many people inside and so we were able to grab the groceries fairly quickly.

We then stood on discs with footprints a metre apart waiting for our turn 
to put our groceries on the check out stand 
the clerks scanned our goods behind plexiglas partitions.

After each customer the check out was disinfected.

Some of you may be feeling anxious...
maybe you have been watching far too much of the grim news?

I only listen to two programmes,
the daily announcement from our respected BC Disease Control 
specialist
Dr. Bonnie Henry 
and the local evening news.

If I watch too much I go down a "rabbit hole!"

~ Self preservation ~
controlling my own reaction to things that I cannot control are key.


Sharing
 some inspirational quotes with you.


Soap on a bed of rocks
Wash your hands.


"You have power over your mind - not outside events. 
Realize this, and you will find strength."

~ Marcus Aurelius ~



"When adversity strikes, that's when you have to be the most calm. 
Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on." 

~ LL Cool J ~


"Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces."

~ Judith Viorst ~


"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. 
You are able to say to yourself,  I lived through this horror. 
I can take the next thing that comes along."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~


Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

I'd love to hear from you and perhaps you can share what you are doing to keep yourself amused during these days and weeks of staying home cocooning.

(Please use a Google search engine as Safari no longer allows comments.)

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

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 ~ 

Thursday, August 2, 2018

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 ~