Snippets from Quarterdeck Cottage

 

Beautiful view from Medicine Beach

the walks along this rocky beach are breathtaking...

~ A soothing scene helps to unkink the knots of anxiety ~

The seas were so quiet and calm that I could feel my body relaxing.

The views toward Vancouver Island remind me of a Tony Only painting.

The weather here has been a mix of sun and fog.

No wild winds or rain.

Feeling grateful for these gifts...

The glorious sunny afternoon was an invitation to enjoy happy hour on the deck.

Evenings are dark and lighting candles adds ambiance and warmth.

These "Ethel Wood" scented soy candles are lovely.

They are sold at a farmstand on South Otter Bay Road here on Pender.

I purchased some for our home and cottage and they have quickly become my favourite.

These wee fungi remind me of that quote from Mary Engelbreit...

"Bloom Where You are Planted"

I finished The Doocot Sweater that I started knitting before the pandemic!

The project was a steep learning curve for me...

It was quite easy knitting baby blankets, dishcloths, shawls and scarves.

Sweaters are much more complicated... 

as I found out!

I have learned many new techniques and have gained confidence.

You Tube Videos and The Vogue Knitting book 

helped me 

as in person tutorials were few and far between.

Now I am excited to get going with my next project...

a simple sweater, very much like a shrug.

It is knit mostly using garter stitch.

 When we get back I plan to go shopping for the yarn...

I am just not sure what colour to use?

Basic black always calls to me...

I discovered that knitting in a cheerful colour has been such fun! 

especially using the Brooklyn Felted Tweed yarn 

and 

their yarn colours are brights and brilliant.

Seen on my beach walk at Port Browning...

a chain of rusted iron juxtaposed against a weathered log.

Seeking out and finding something on my daily walks

helps keep me motivated to continue taking steps.

Hope that you are staying healthy and finding inspiration in your daily round.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

October musings...

Fall is in full flourish...

we are enjoying

 the beautiful palette of Autumnal Shades.

Berries 

Leaves 

a pop of colour

red juxtaposed against grey stones.

Mother Nature's Paintbrush is showing her talent and liberal use of colours this Fall.

Rain and a fierce wild windstorm 

knocked out our power for 17 hours

at Quarterdeck Cottage.

We had to tough it out 

we kept the gas fireplace on and hunkered down with our books.

Unfortunately we had to throw out most of the food that was in the fridge.

I read this book in a couple of days...

set in Cornwall

I enjoyed the story.

The local Pender Island ferries were able to run even during the wind.

Several of our neighbours went home early due to the power outage.

I am back working on The Doocot Sweater pattern.

It has been sitting in my knitting bag for the better part of a year.

Not sure why I left it so long before picking up my knitting needles again?

Do you put aside projects?

The yarn is Rowan Tweed and is soft and easy to work with...

I am absolutely smitten with the colour!

There are a few more inches of ribbing before I can start on the sleeves.

I have learned many new techniques while working on this pattern.

My husband gave me The Vogue Knitting Book and that has been invaluable.

Trying something new without help "in real life" can be daunting 

so books and "You Tube" Knitting Videos have been great!

We will be packing up and back home tomorrow.

Halloween is only a few days away!

We've got the candy treats ready for the Trick or Treaters on Sunday.

Our friends from France will be staying with us for a few days.

How are things going with you?

Thank you for dropping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

 

Mr. HB has retired from his role as a senior partner in Continuum Architects...

His career spanned 43 years at the longest running Victoria architectural firm.

He is looking forward to new hobbies, longer walks and more book time.

We spent the first week at Quarterdeck Cottage on Pender Island.

Friends joined us for the weekend and we rented another cottage...

we enjoyed their company immensely.

So great to be able to see long time friends, 

one couple we had not seen in over 2 years due to Covid.

The weather was lovely so we were able to sit out on the deck.

We went for walks, played crib, read our books and reminisced...

lots of laughter filled the cottage as we went down memory lane.

It was quiet after they left.

We went for walks and read our books.

Rain fell and the fog rolled in...

Fall is here !

We indulged in a "naughty Coffee" and it was delicious!

The Marina store is getting ready to close for the season.

They told us they plan to open earlier next year and serve more food options

and introduce music performances.

We're home now and busy putting the garden to bed for the season.

We gave away plants to friends who are establishing a new shady bed in their garden.

We have a few more plants to give away and other friends are happy to take them.

Mr. HB is outside right now tidying up the beds by the patio.

I have laundry in the wash and am going to make us lunch when I finish this post.

Fall feels like a transition in so many ways...

I took some summer clothes downstairs to the guest room closet.

Then I brought up some winter garments.

My basic wardrobe continues to serve me well and despite being small it works.

There are a few pieces that I am considering buying but not that many.

A new cashmere sweater is on the radar as well as some pretty new lingerie.

Cashmere socks are so cozy...

BTW this author, William Trevor, writes very intense stories!

I wasn't sure what would happen in this thriller and was on the edge of my seat as I read on...

I picked a beautiful bouquet of roses.

These are frilly frothy and fragrant...

Graham Thomas a stalwart David Austin Rose.

It grows out back in The Humble Bungalow Garden near my potting table.

The hydrangeas are drying, 

hostas are fading

but thankfully 

the roses continue to bloom.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

I appreciate your comments and readership.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

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 ~

Holidaze at Quarterdeck Cottage

The lazy daze of summer...

Simple meals

family

pooltime

Sun

Gazing at the Bees collecting pollen from the flowers 

can hold the attention of a sweet girl.

Sunshine 

 a bright bold yellow flower.

Buzzing Busy Bees...

bees on almost every bloom.

We had the grandchildren here for a week and it has flown by so fast.

They left on the ferry on Friday...

I will miss their happy laughter and energy.

Simple daisies

blooming at the side of the road.

Love these humble beauties...

there is something so classic about these blooms.

I like to pick a few and pop them in a jam jar.

Behold the beauty of this gorgeous Dahlia!

Mom grew dahlias when we lived in Oak Bay.

Her garden was quite lovely and she spent many hours every week tending to the perennial beds.

She had a dedicated section for her beloved Dahlias.

Some of the flowers were as big a dinner plates.

When dahlia season was at its' peak 

mom would pack a variety of dahlias to bring inside the house.

There would be vases in almost every room.

Oh those were the days...

We've got my sister and her husband coming to the cottage today for a visit so I will close for now.

Hope that your summer is ticking along nicely.

Stay safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

 

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 ~

Cottage Time...

We have escaped to the cottage...

which is located on a Southern Gulf Island just a short ferry ride away from home.

We stayed inside our car on the ferry and brought all our provisions with us.

The Salish Eagle ferry runs several times each day and services three Gulf Islands.

I bought some cheery yellow tulips at the grocery store before we hopped on the ferry...

Not sure that we would have such sunny weather...

  thought they would bring the sunshine indoors!

Love the flotsam and jetsam on the driveway of this home.

One of our regular walks close to the cottage is about 3 km.

There is a beach at the end of the road...

we like to walk down and gather sea glass,

the tides were so high that there was no beach to be found!

We also gather feathers on our walks...

Some sea glass from the beach after the tide went out...

the vintage Ball Sealer jar is almost full.

We have two jars filled at home.

Time to buy another vintage jar for more sea glass.

Yesterday, we were ambitious and took a longer walk to Hope Bay.

It was almost 7 km return.

( I managed to clock over 10,000 steps)

Saw this festive gate at The Old Manse near the Bible Camp.

We saw very few people and even fewer cars...

so quiet, it was like we were all alone on the island.

Very peaceful and serene.

Life moves slowly here at the cottage...

Eat, walk, read, sleep

repeat.

Sipping Murchie's Paris Afternoon Tea 

gazing out at the view over The Salish Sea.

Relaxing

Thinking, pausing, feeling fortunate and grateful

while writing this blog post...

Lots to think about in these strange times.

How are you keeping? 

How are the Covid numbers where you live?

Are you managing to keep yourself busy and amused?

Hope that you are staying safe, wearing your mask and taking care.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~