Summer roses...and the goings on here in The Humble Bungalow

Summer is my favourite time of year...
the weather is usually sunny and warm and the garden is looking its' best.
I find my days slip away quite quickly at this time of year.
Busy with the garden chores,
keeping up with the domestics, walking, and cooking.

There is a feeling of weariness after a long hot day and so I am content to sit and read or watch some TV.

The roses are at their peak of perfection...

Days are busy spent dead heading the spent blooms to encourage repeat blooming.

Black spotted leaves are removed and discarded.

So important that they do not come in contact with the soil and spread to other roses.

One of the luxuries of growing roses is that you can pick a bouquet for the home or to give to others...

The fragrant arrangements that I share are always well received and appreciated.

Jude the Obscure and William Shakespeare mingle together and make for a frothy marriage of petals and scents.

Our garden helper has moved to Sooke 

(which is about a 45 minute drive out of town)

she is not longer able to help me once a month 

and I have come to rely on her...

I am in the process of searching for someone to come once a month 

 help with the heavy work, weeding and generally tidying up.

The hydrangeas are making a big statement this month.

These are by our north patio and there are many more limelight hydrangeas 

out front of the Humble Bungalow.

Last weekend our son took us to Sidney Spit in his new speedboat.

We arrived one day after our prime minister Justin Trudeau was there kayaking.

Cuddled up with two of our grandchildren...

we are ready to scoot across the Salish Sea to Sidney Spit.

And we did scoot...40 mph!

Fortunately my hat has a strap under the chin or it would have blown away!

We found a lovely little pool of water near the beach 

Our beach umbrella stuck in the sand, beach towels laid out and the cooler at the ready.

Beach combing, wading, a few games of Frisbee and horse shoes followed before we tucked into our picnic lunch.

Isla and I are chatting and taking in all the scenery while waiting on the bench. Henry, Grampa and our son will bring the car and trailer back to the boat launch.

The bungalow is super dusty right now as we have a stone mason on site.

Our chimney was in dire need of some repair and he is installing a new liner to make it safe for us to light fires in the fireplace.

He is almost finished...

while I have had to stay home more

 I have been busy 

washing the slipcovers and sorting through our linen drawers

rearranging some bits and bobs

gathering up a bunch of things to take to the charity shop.

Oh and I started a new book!

When I was donating at the thrift shop I took a few moments to cruise through the aisles...

I found something that I could not pass up.

a silver tray

love the intricate details

I must close for now and get dinner started...

thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

How is your summer going?

Have you found any treasures at the shops?

What are you reading?

Greetings from Telegraph Harbour....

The last week of our holidays finds us moored at the scenic Telegraph Harbour Marina on Thetis Island.
The WIFI is decent but there are so many boats using it that it has been rather hit and miss. Today after many boats left I was able to go online and check my email and as a result found that if I worked quickly I could sneak in a blog post!

Here is a view of the docks from the cafe.

Boating 

the way that we do 

 is relaxing.

Meals are simple

our days have a lovely rhythm 

rising after a restful sleep in our cozy bunk

coffee is the first order of business

showers 

then breakfast.

Books are the main source of entertainment

 and watching the boats come and go.

A leisurely walk perhaps

cocktail hour 

and a simple meal before bed.

Our small boat is the perfect size for two people.

The chores are quickly accomplished and there is ample time to just sit and enjoy the scenery.

Fried egg jelly fish which looked to me like something from outer space!

I am loving this new tote bag which was a gift from our lovely DIL's mom.

I am using it for my books and magazines.

We met a couple here at the marina that live in the Seattle area and it turns out she reads my blog!

Dennis and Nancy invited us aboard their boat for a visit

and we discovered that she and I have very similar tastes in books and she loves Paris and France.

It reminded me that we really do live in a very small world.

This tiny local Tree frog is no bigger than my thumb nail!

Bees were busy buzzing as we strolled by this shrubby plant.

Thistles line the roadside

Breakfast for this Hostess onboard is fresh fruit...

a juicy nectarine this morning with my coffee

pure bliss.

I gave this book to Nancy to read as she was leaving...

we exchanged contact info and hope to meet up with them again...

perhaps at Otter Bay next summer.

I like having fresh flowers aboard...this lavender plant is my wee garden! 

I must close for now as there are many more boats in the marina and the WIFI is getting slow...

Take care and Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Cruising recap...The Long Weekend in May

The long weekend weather was given a favourable forecast so we took to the sea.

Snug and Cozy tied up at a little marina at Genoa Bay.

Mother's Day flowers made the trip.

Tasty Lime Margaritas on the deck of the cafe.

Floral lined lanes nearby made for some spectacular walks.

The bees were busy working in the hot sunshine.

Dinner plate sized tree peonies were in full bloom.

It was lovely to get away and relax in the peace and quiet.

Healthy meals, a comfy bunk, friends nearby, a good book.

Simple luxuries while aboard our small boat.

Feeling grateful and thankful as I write this post...

reflecting on all the good things in life.

I have some garden photos to share with you soon.

Until next time...

XO

Labour Day Long Weekend...

We have been out on our boat for the past few days enjoying a relaxing time with friends and family.

Port Browning on Pender Island

Many boats drop the hook and anchor in the bay.

We tie up at the marina as we do not have a generator on board.

There is a lovely beach just over this rocky outcropping.

Beach combing while walking along the shoreline is an activity that I quite enjoy.

I heard that Ellie passed away...

so sad 

she fought long and hard battling ALS.

I hope that she is at rest and that her family will be supported and surrounded with friends and family to help them cope with their grief.

I read her blog and bought her book and hope that she will now be at peace.

I thought about writing a tribute to her here on the blog but after reading 

The Vintage Contessa 

Stephen Andrew Jones 

 Heather from Lost in Arles 

 I felt that they said it best.

I thought of Ellie on my beach walk.

Clam shells were scattered along the stretch of beach...

A driftwood shelter

Rock with a heart on it...

Heart shaped rocks...

might be a strange thing to collect but I do!

Mr. HB found the last two heart rocks.

Queen Anne's Lace and Chicory line the paths...

such a pretty combination Mother Nature has painted for us to enjoy.

I have been savouring every word of Louise Penny's newest mystery novel.

She is a brilliant writer and I absolutely LOVE her books.

I have several chapters left to finish and so I will close for now...

Hope that you have had a lovely weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

What I packed for 18 days living out of a tote bag....and a weight loss series.

Summertime holidays cruising on our Sea Ray
are simple, easy and streamlined.
We avoid any drama or stress.

Living in small quarters means that we both must live out of our large Lands' End canvas tote bags.
I take another small tote bag with my toiletries and books.

OOTD's fall into the category "comfy casual."

I wore the grey baroque pearls that darling daughter gave me every day.

Storage is at a premium on our 27 foot Sea Ray Sun Dancer so we pack light.

What I packed in my large canvas Lands' End tote bag:

Two bathing suits ~ Lands' End

serape black ~ white seashell and starfish print 

(also used as a shawl with the bamboo dress)

two bras 

6 pairs of knickers

(I washed these and hung them discreetly inside the boat head to dry)

6 pairs of bamboo sox to wear with my walking shoes

2 linen tank tops ~ one in a light grey shade and the other a lime green

striped blue and white nautical Tee

Adidas skort in a black knit 

(I do not like wearing shorts)

two pairs of black yoga style skinny knit cropped pants

DKNY faded denim boyfriend jeans

Banana Republic ~ faded blue chambray shirt that doubles as a jacket

Gelco bright yellow warm puffy jacket 

yellow rain slicker 

(always keep it on the boat)

Columbia lightweight walking jacket black "Omni-Heat" technology

Saucony walking shoes

Clark flip flops

Sperry deck shoes ~ espadrilles

for dinner and lunches out I wore:

Click ~ white linen short cropped wider capri style pants 

Royal Robbins ~ white long cotton top with a V neck and an asymmetrical line

Gilmore ~ black bamboo dress

black cardigan style jacket with a 3/4 length sleeve

Waterproof Tommy Hilfiger watch.

I leave my silver bangles at home as they are a safety risk.

I wear my wedding rings and two pairs of diamond studs in my ears.

Hand washing is quick and easy.

A few pieces of the laundry hung on the rails of our boat

in the hot sunshine and most things were dry within an hour.

Dressing in appropriate clothing for boating safety and ease of movement is necessary as there are situations that require that I climb around on deck and hop off with ropes to tie up when we arrive at the dock.

I insist on neat and tidy outfits that work together in a similar colour palette.

This casual nautical wardrobe is not unlike what I wear in my day to day life here in The Humble Bungalow.

Classic black and white were the colours that made up this holiday wardrobe.

I could have used a second bamboo dress in another colour as it was the coolest item I wore on the hottest days...

I will check out the sales and see if I can find another one!

Stay tuned for a new series...

I am going to focus on losing 8 ~10 pounds...

The Weight Watcher's weight range for my age and height is 132 ~134 pounds.

(I am currently weighing in at 142)

I am not trying to lose weight for unrealistic "vanity" reasons...

I want my clothes to fit better as they are currently tight 

and ensure that my blood pressure stays in the healthy range.

Besides I worked diligently for 2 years to shed 30 pounds...

if I let myself slide 

I will be back in the unhealthy obese range...

my doctor will be admonishing me as he doles out his advice

plus I will feel disappointed in myself.

I am embarking on upping my walking and counting my WW points,

tracking what I eat and how I move every day.

I may even write down how I feel and when and if I get hungry between meals.

Perhaps we can do it together and share tips and encourage each other along the way.

Enjoy your weekend!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~