Silk scarves ~ a pop of colour and a wander about in several gardens...

 

~ Playfair Park ~

The native Camas is in bloom...

there are shooting stars, buttercups, and chocolate lilies.

Camas 

Prolific Pink Rhododendron 

There are many other azaleas and a perennial garden in the Park.

Many families were enjoying the idyllic space...

children were playing in the playground, a birthday party was underway 

and a family were having a picnic.

My friend Michelle and I had a picnic Friday in the Government House Garden.

The sun shone, the views were spectacular and the birds serenaded us...

The gardens are vast and many flowers are native to the site 

growing in the Garry Oak Meadow.

A large group of volunteers tend these gardens.

If you live in Victoria you most likely know of this gem,

 but if you are visiting our fair city try to include this on your visit.

It is a beautiful greenspace...

Humble Bungalow Front Porch 

our fresh new red geraniums are planted in pots and planters.

Tea break mid afternoon...

grabbed my new book We All Live Here

by acclaimed author JoJo Moyes.

Such an engaging story...

SO GOOD

I read it late into the night :-))

Auriculas are blooming...

These darling plants are so prolific...

I love the varieties and am keen to grow more.

Our garden is getting a big tidy up 

in readiness for the Hospice fundraising Teeny Tiny Garden Tour this June.

Wee corner of the laundry room...

I spend a lot of time doing laundry and love that I have a view 

out to The Humble Bungalow Garden.

I have been wearing silk scarves to add a pop of colour to my basic classic black and white wardrobe...

I gently washed this vintage Hermes silk scarf in my Aveda shampoo...

Vintage Hermes Scarf from my daughter Jennifer.

This scarf was purchased from the Hermes shop in Vancouver many years ago...

I chose the black and white H pattern 

as it was a good choice with my simple black and white wardrobe.

Do you wear scarves?

Many people think that the scarves are difficult to style...

they can be be a versatile and creative accessory.

I once owned a box of scarf tying cards from Hermes...

the clerk gave the cards to me when we bought one of my scarves...

Last August I thrifted a silk scarf in White Rock...

not all scarves are expensive.

They seem to be quite easy to find in second hand

and thrift shops.

Picture from the Archives...

Last August...

(Before the Fringe Trim)

A

Simple Scarf Tie

I've got to close now as I need to prepare dinner....

a stuffed pork tenderloin, lemon orzo and steamed carrots.

Hope that you are keeping well and are embracing Simple Joys.

With so much uncertainty we all must try to keep our spirits up...

Smile, listen to music, read a good book, get out for a walk in Nature

 keep in touch with friends and family.

Do something FUN everyday!

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

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?

Beach walks...scenery snippets

The vibrant blue native camas is in full bloom.

This plant grows in and around the Gary Oak Meadows here in Victoria.

The First Nations Peoples used the root for food.

My walking partner and I went out for lunch at Lure

then we sauntered along the ocean front near Victoria's Inner Harbour.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and there were lots of people out and about enjoying the fine weather.

The scenery is aways changing on the waterfront...

boats, sea planes, kayaks, the Coho Ferry,

seals, otters, gulls, blue herons

Along the wide walks

we jostle for position

 baby carriages, joggers, walkers, and runners all share the space.

People sit on park benches and admire the view.

Picnic blankets are spread with snacks.

Tourists take photos.

The snow covered peaks of the Olympic Mountain range look so close

their stunning beauty frames the vista.

We chatter as we walk and gather speed...

I made the mistake of wearing my new periwinkle blue shoes without socks and today I have blisters on my heels.

(I should have worn my Merrell walking shoes with socks.)

I wore the same shoes to the beach on the previous day outing with the grandchildren.

They were fine on the sand and easy to transition back to the gravel lined playground where we played on the swings.

Mount Baker, which usually is in full view, was shrouded by low lying clouds.

The afternoon was chilly and the sky was grey.

The Willows Tea Room reopened for the season on April 29th.

This was where I would take mom.

Often we would sit with a pot of tea 

watch the passers by and sail and power boats on the sea...

Mom would smile

she was happy here.

Mom always loved an outing to Willows Beach.

 The Esplanade was a picturesque and gentle walk...

on a windy day she'd laugh at us braving the walk

in the rain with our brollies

she'd say how silly of us to try and walk 

in this beastly weather

Yet we would finish the walk and somehow feel energized.

When I revisit places that Mom and I regularly frequented

I feel a sadness creep in...

it is

not anything too overwhelming 

but my throat gets tight

and then I breathe as I picture her there beside me.

Our summertime picnics at Willows were always an adventure.

My basket with silverware and fine bone china

made passers by stop and comment.

My sister and I will be spreading Mom's ashes this coming week.

We have finished most of what we need to do for her estate and are ready to toast to Mom and dine in her favourite spot.

First we will swim in the pool

followed by a massage

and relax...

perhaps we'll even hop in the hot tub after dinner.

Mom and Dad in the early 1950's.

Dad died in 2007 and Mom in 2017

I'd like to think that they have been reunited and are watching over us as we remember, honour and celebrate their lives.

~ Love and Family ~

 the greatest gifts that I will cherish forever.

Hope that you have a lovely weekend.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

XO

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 ~

Pretty Garden Pinks, a road trip and a picnic...and it is only Wednesday!

Oh the weather these past few days has been so hot!

Darling daughter celebrated her birthday on Monday.

Here she is on one of her first walks.

In 1979 we lived on Marlborough Street by Beacon Hill Park which is just off Dallas Road 

in a big old rambling house which still stands today.

I love this picture of the two of us 

with the snow capped Olympic Mountains in the background.

So much time has elapsed...

Our daughter has grown into a lovely woman and she will be tying the knot with her Kiwi fiancee this summer.

Darling daughter and I drove up island for the day...

poking our noses into 

antique shops and a couple of thrift stores.

This is the view from the Bridgeman's Bistro at The Mill Bay Marina.

The water was so calm...

just like a "mill pond" which by the way is not usual for "Mill Bay!"

The crab cakes were delicious!

We came home with a few bit and bobs...but no "big" treasures.

It is aways fun spending time together.

I wore my bangles...

she says it makes me easy to find in a shop...she just listens for the sounds of the bracelets jingling!

The lilacs are blooming and it is not even May!

I have had to venture downstairs to my "out of season" closet
to find some summer garments to wear in this heat...

It is "slim pickins" down there too....not much more than a couple of dresses, a few Tees and a couple of pairs of pants. I must have done a major cull last season when I put the summer stuff into storage.

Thank goodness I had the peace of mind to keep my Italian black linen dress...
it is loose and very cool..perfect for this weather.

Last year I noticed that In the south of France loose linen dresses seem to be the preferred choice of women of a certain age...so I promptly went out a bought one when I came back from my trip...a very sensible choice too and one that makes sense as the fabric breathes in the heat.

I love to wander around in the garden in the morning before it gets too hot... to see if there are any major weeds that need pulling and to see what is in bloom.

The roses are starting to bloom...this Pavement series rose has an intoxicating scent...

unfortunately it bears lots of thorns which make it hard to pick.

These sweet little "money plant" volunteers have seeded themselves in the front beds.

This area is "under construction"

Our clematis is very old and woody but is a stalwart when it comes to putting on a spectacular show.

This picture was taken before the clematis came into bloom.

We planted variegated iris, several hostas and black mondo grass in this shady bed. 

The patio was redone by our garden gals.

The clematis has twined itself high up into the neighbours Dogwood tree.

Close up of a rhododendron...like a jewel box inside.

I bought a few geraniums to put on the front porch.

They are a great value

 inexpensive

will last all summer 

look so cheerful.

My sister and I took Mother to the beach for tea and a late afternoon snack yesterday.

Inside this basket I keep 3 pretty china cups and saucers, 3 matching side plates, assorted silver wear.

Picnic ready 

with a tablecloth, napkins when the sun shines on Willows Beach.

I've got some more posts on the back burner so I will be back soon.

Thank you for your kind and thoughtful emails after the recent shenanigans...

I did not think that the post would have generate so much discord among readers...

if I have personally offended any of you, 

I humbly apologize.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~