Holiday snippets and snapshots...part three.

We met up with friends who have a boat and we all cruised to Genoa Bay.
The Marina is quaint and small but very protected from the wind and is quite near Cowichan Bay where they hold a sailing regatta every year.

The winds were blowing about 25 knots so the sailors were happy.

Spinnakers made an appearance on part of the race...

the reason these photos are rather blurry is that I took them from inside the window of the GrayLing shuttle boat.

The wee lapstrake hulled boat ferries passengers (and dogs) to Cowichan Bay.

The main street is not long but is jam packed with

shops, a chandlery, several eateries, a bakery, deli and a small grocery store.

We spent about an hour and a half perusing the shops and eating lunch before hopping back on the shuttle to Genoa Bay. 

It was super hot in Genoa Bay so I used my personal fan...

O 2 Cool

which mists water and helped me stay cool.

We ate simple fare...

fresh home grown tomatoes from The Humble Bungalow Garden were harvested before we left and carefully spread out in a basket so they would not bruise.

The taste of these heirloom varieties are out of this world!

I was "roughing it" and had to use a soup bowl for my cafe creme every morning.

It tasted good but looked quite tacky!

You know what they say...

Necessity is the Mother of Invention.

(so much for keeping up standards...it has gone to the dogs)

Walks in the morning were kept short due to the extreme heat and it was uphill all the way from the marina. 

I saw a family of quail with about a dozen babies and a couple of wild bunnies that were nibbling in the gardens.

Flowers catch my eye and turn my head every time I go walking.

We ate lunch out with darling daughter and her husband.

They had the loan of Mr. HB's BMW and drove up from Victoria to show us the elopement pictures.

Sipping an icy cold margarita on the deck of The Genoa Bay Cafe.

It is a fabulous place to dine, most of the boaters go up for a meal or two while they are tied up at the docks and many other diners come by car.

Our friends joined us for dinner on the deck on another evening...

Impromptu concert from the boat on the dock across from ours...

we were asked to sing a line and be the chorus.

I am not sure that our sound was in tune but what we lacked in sound quality we made up for with enthusiasm!

all the great food and beverages have added some extra pounds and I will be starting a series of posts on what I plan to eat and do to get rid of the holiday weight gain...

I also plan to write a post on what I wore and how I packed for 18 days on a boat living out of a canvas Lands' End tote bag.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Holiday snippets and snapshots...part 2

The mountain of laundry has been washed, folded and ironed and it feels so good to be back on top of the chores.

Chester has definitely warmed up and is back to his former tricks...
a few more snapshots from our holidays.

Port Browning Harbour on Pender Island.

Mr. HB and I have been going there since the 1970's

when it was called Scot's Lair the bagpiper would play the pipes at the raising and lowering of the flag right atop this rocky outcropping.

The Marina is close to the Driftwood Centre which has a fabulous book shop, a gift store, pharmacy and a well stocked food market...

basically all the things we might need are a 10 minute walk from the boat.

This horse saw us walking by the fence and came over to say hello.

After checking us out it proceeded to munch on some dandelions.

The view from our walk along Razor Point Road.

This windmill was beside a farm stand that sold veggies, jams, wool and eggs.

We walked briskly for an hour in the hot sun to visit the Sea Star Winery.

I had worked up quite a thirst and the wine was chilled!

a lovely glimpse of the ocean from the top of the hill

There was a food truck from the Hope Bay Bistro on site and a Farmer's Market with veggies, breads, jewelry, pottery, flowers.

An acoustic guitarist played while we dined...

 I had tasty fish tacos for lunch with a glass of wine.

The Ortega is especially nice for al fresco summer time dining and BBQ's.

When we pack for our cruising holidays on our SeaRay 

we plan ahead and bring lots of books.

One of the luxuries of being away from our usual demands and routines mean that we can devote a good chunk of time to reading.

There are no distractions like TV or the Internet as WI-Fi coverage is spotty and unreliable.

Colm Toibin's Nora Webster is a gem...I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jude the Obscure

I have another couple of instalments of the holiday snaps coming up...

with so many photos I need to break them up so that they don't bog down the Blogger site!

Hope that your week is a good one.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Holiday snippets and snapshots...part one.

Mr. HB and I just returned from our annual holiday aboard our Sea Ray.

          (Julian's newest novel did not disappoint, both Mr. HB and I enjoyed it)

We spent our days aboard our boat relaxing, reading, eating simple meals and walking and exploring the Gulf Islands.
I have to lose some weight as a result of too much rich food and wine...
I will be organizing a series of blog posts on how I plan to lose 10 pounds.

Perhaps you'll follow along on my journey...

There is a pile of laundry downstairs...the machines are going through their cycles as I sit here in the Humble Bungalow kitchen with my cafe creme typing this post.

The cats seem happy to see us...lots of meowing and purring.
They were left in the capable hands of a friend who has been taking care of them for our holidays for several years now and knows them well.

Chester seems a wee bit put out that we left him for so long and he is giving us the cold shoulder. I hope he forgives us soon, but thankfully Pepper the elder cat is her usual affectionate self.

Beach combing is one of my favourite things to do when we are out on our boat.

Sea shells and beach glass are often found along the shoreline.

A very large barnacle which we use for our coins...

showers, laundry and ice at the Marina's call for coins.

Loonies and Twonies

kept handy inside this vessel.

The view going through the gap between North and South Pender Islands.

Jude the Obscure rose was a stalwart on the trip...

even fading in the heat 

the fragrance was a welcome reminder of our Humble Bungalow Garden.

Stay tuned for more holiday snippets and snapshots.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Hope that your summer is ticking along nicely.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Weekend wrapped up... back in the Humble Bungalow.

After a particularly hectic week Mr. HB and I stole away on our boat and tied up at the dock at Otter Bay Marina on Pender Island.
We were in dire need of some "down time" and find that boating is the perfect remedy for what ails us...
Otter Bay is well maintained and features two pools, cottage rentals, a small store and a cafe. You can rent, kayaks, paddle boards, and scooters...if you want to do more than just relax!

~ OOTD ~

DKNY boyfriend jeans

Sperry Topsiders Espadrilles

Striped Tee

Straw Hat

Sunglasses

Canada Day was spent relaxing, reading, swimming and knitting.

Later in the day the Pender Island Pipe and Drum Band marched down the dock, bagpipers in kilts and full regalia.

Despite the heat they put on quite the show.

You can watch a video of a portion of the performance on my Instagram page.

The rocky shoreline had some interesting details...

Pretty flowers in planters along the docks brightened up the Marina.

Drought tolerant plants were chosen as the Gulf Islands have a limited water supply...we all need to be mindful of our water usage as there are drought conditions all over the province of BC and in many of the US states.

Both Mr. HB and I sleep better on our boat.

It could be the fresh air

or that our bunk is super cozy

and

  there is that gentle rocking motion of the boat as it bobs upon the ocean

which swiftly lulls us into dreamland...

The laundry is on...thankfully the LG machines are doing all the dirty work which frees me up to type a blog post while dinner is simmering on the stove.

Tomato Sauce for Spaghetti

Fresh basil from the greenhouse...garlic clove chopped.

Simmering and it smells so wonderful.

 ~ Tomato Sauce ~

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil

add

2 1/2 pounds chopped tomatoes

1 diced onion

cook until softened.

Add in rest of ingredients:

small can of tomato paste

(fill the can with water and pour in)

1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. sugar

2 tbsp. minced fresh basil

1/2 small carrot grated

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 clove garlic chopped fine

salt and pepper to taste

Simmer for 45 minutes.

Boil pasta and cook until al dente and serve with a salad.

Time for me to fold some laundry so I must sign off...

Hope you had a great weekend.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

The recipe that you have been asking for...a boat ride and a new book.

Sidney Spit Marine Park is a short cruise from our Marina so it is a great spot for a day trip and a picnic lunch.

After a relaxing ride we tied up at the dock...

there are buoys available to tie up to 

and one can always opt to drop the anchor.

There are sandy beaches and trails in the forest.

Sidney Island is serviced by a small ferry for landlubbers who want to come for a day trip and there are campsites for those who wish to stay longer.

Sunday was a scorcher and there was not much wind so we kept cool by hydrating with water and lemon drinks and I stayed in the shade.

We enjoyed a simple lunch.

 Salad, buns, egg salad, olives, fruit salad and some deli meat.

Mr. HB got some reading time and I played a few games of Sudoku.

My skin burns easily and I suffer from rosacea which flares up when exposed to too much sun. 

I wear big hats, sunglasses and I use Eminence powdered sunscreen which is gentle on the skin and offers decent coverage.

I saw this vintage book in the shop Kay's Korner in the Cook Street Village.

This book is intended to be read while one is "in the head."

"In the Head"  is not a state of mind, 

it is the term that boaters use to indicate the lavatory on board ship!

~ Nana's Bread Recipe ~

1 tbsp. fast rising yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

3 cups warm water

 6-8 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. salt

(makes 2 loaves)

In a large bowl pour in 3 cups warm water and stir in 1 tbsp. sugar

 sprinkle 1 tbsp. yeast over top and let sit for 30 minutes

Stir in 3 cups flour cover bowl with saran wrap

let stand about 1 hour

(it will look fluffy and bubbly)

Ad 3 cups of flour 1 cup at a time stirring well after each addition.

add 1 tbsp. salt after the 3rd cup

add about 2 more cups of flour

when dough is too hard to stir place on floured board and knead in more flour

Knead until no longer sticky.

Grease the large bowl and place the dough back in the bowl. cover with saran and lay a towel over top to keep free from drafts

and leave to rise about 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size

(dough rises faster in a warm kitchen)

Punch dough down to get all the bubbles out and grease two bread tins

shape dough into two loaves 

 let rise on counter until it is just above the bread pans 

about 1-2 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45- 60 minutes

(I often need to bake them for the full hour)

Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Enjoy!

This bread is quite dense and tastes great with some butter and  jam.

You might be surprised just how fast it gets eaten!

This pretty and delicate honeysuckle flower is attracting the hummingbirds...

they love to flit about and sip the nectar.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will be back soon.

In the meantime...

Fiona Ferris's new book arrived in the mail and I have started reading it.

I am not going to rush through the book

 as each chapter offers a lot of "food for thought."

I will review this book when I have finished but already I can tell it is going to be a best seller...Fiona writes the lovely blog How to Be Chic.

Pop over and pay her a visit and please tell her I sent you!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Victoria Day Long Weekend...aboard ship!

This past weekend was a long weekend so we took to the sea...

Our "humble" boat is a 27 foot 1996 Sea Ray Sundancer.

We can cruise fast or slow depending on the weather and our mood.

I always take flowers from the Humble Bungalow Garden.

My all time favourite David Austin Rose is Jude the Obscure.

I know it is not fair choosing just one rose but I cannot help myself...

as Jude is sheer perfection in a rose

Fragrance, form, and colour all exceptional.

I use silverware on the boat.

It might strike you as odd but there is a reason that we have this on board.

When I went shopping to outfit the boat with the few necessities that we needed I was trying to keep the costs down...

when one buys a boat it is usually a tad expensive so I tried to cut corners elsewhere...

I ventured into the big box stores looking for stainless sets and the ones I liked were around $100 a set.

I saw this one in the antique shop for less than half that and it is vintage WMF from Germany...I only need to polish it twice a year to keep it looking good.

I pack my tote bag full of books and magazines 

there is plenty of time to relax and read.

We eat simple meals.

I have a one burner stovetop, microwave and BBQ.

Our small fridge prevents us from bringing too much food!

I eat oatmeal with a wee bit of honey for breakfast and Mr. HB prefers V8 juice and a bagel.

Dinners and lunches revolve around salad and some type of protein...

maybe a few new baby potatoes with butter and fresh mint.

"Snacks" are often naughty...

chips and popcorn...

 chocolates.

We try to walk or swim everyday.

I read Motherland by Maria Hummel.

It is a well written story about the hardships that women and their families had to live through during the Second World War. 

It held my interest right from the very first page...

I highly recommend it.

I am a magnet for mosquitoes so I need to wear these bracelets!

Here is the beautiful morning view at Poets Cove Resort on Pender Island.

The roses in the morning sunshine.

We went for a hike in the forest.

It was cool in the shade and there was a lot of buzzing so I was glad that I wore my mosquito bracelet!

The rocky shoreline is mostly sandstone.

The weather was much better than we had anticipated...

blue skies and sunshine and very little wind.

My favourite kind of weather for cruising!

This is the view the last morning 

before we packed up and came home.

Today I am doing laundry...and the skies are grey and the weather cool.

I am so grateful that we had such nice weather for our getaway.

Our house and cat sitter made the weekend possible and I am so thankful.

I am still trying to figure out why my blog will not appear on the Feed as soon as I publish it and I have contacted Blogger but have not heard anything yet.

I am using smaller images on this post to see if that is what is the delay...

so please bear with me as I work on sorting out this issue.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~