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 ~

France, French Food and Friends...

This month is the anniversary of my trip to Paris and the SW of France...
While recalling the details of my trip...I cannot help but smile.
I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Paris.
It was a dream come true.

I looked at all the France travel snapshots that I have on my lap top...
and they brought tears of joy to my eyes.

The love locks now removed as they were causing the railings to break.

Notre Dame

Saint Germain Des Pres is where I stayed and it was a lovely neighbourhood for walking,

 shops, boutiques, cafes, bistros, boulangeries and markets.

This classic bookshop is popular with tourists and has been in business for many years.

My love for Paris is very much alive and while a future trip is not in the works

 I want to read a few books that are set in Paris.

"Armchair travel" can transport you if you use your imagination...

Looking for books and novels that are set in Paris online has been fun and I and have complied a substantial list.

Many are available at our local library and a handful are in stock at my favourite book shop, 

Ivy's on Oak Bay Avenue.

Auvillar France

this wee house is where our friends John and Cheryl live.

They are moving to France on a permanent basis and we went to Vancouver to say our goodbyes...

Cheryl is a very talented artist.

She had a sale and sold most of her paintings and all her supplies from her studio.

They have sold their boat, car and are selling or giving away most of their things.

This week they are finishing up the packing and will be flying off to France.

We snapped up one of Cheryl's paintings as soon as we heard that she was having a sale.

We will miss them dearly.

The weather was sunny and hot while we were in Vancouver.

We walked for many hours exploring the city.

I had a "bee in my bonnet"

looking for a sunshine yellow printed silk scarf 

to wear with my new navy and white polka dotted trench coat.

(and my sunny yellow walking shoes)

Shopping for a scarf proved difficult as the shops are not showing much yellow.

I might have found one at Hermes 

but thought I would be patient 

and look in the consignment and thrift shops for a vintage one.

Candles were an easy fix.

Holt Renfrew keep these lovely scented Diptyque candles stocked on their shelves.

Laduree opened on Robson and there are line ups out the door!

Macarons are a sweet indulgence and now that they are readily available 

one has no excuse not to enjoy them on a regular basis...

a wee bit of Paris has come to Canada!

We dined at Vij's at their new location on Cambie.

Vikram Vij was on hand to greet us and we savoured a delicious meal.

The Bistro Wagon Rouge is the tiny little French restaurant where we enjoyed a flavourful feast.

The bistro is very popular and they do not take reservations 

so they send their diners down the street to a distillery called The Odd Society 

to have a cocktail until the table is ready.

We spent the weekend walking, shopping and eating with our friends.

My current novel...almost finished.

My Paris Book List

The Hotel on the Place Vendome

Tilar J. Mazzeo

Lessons in French

Hilary Reyl

Books, Baguettes and BedBugs

Jeremy Mercer

I'll See You in Paris

Michelle Gable

A Moveable Feast

Ernest Hemingway

My Paris Dream

Kate Betts

Bonjour Tristesse

Francoise Sagan

Madame Bovary

Gustave Flaubert

The Flaneur

Edmund White

The Dud Avocado

Elaine Dundy

The Only Street in Paris: Rue de Martyrs

Elaine Scilini

I have read so many books on Paris but there are lots still to discover.

I have a favour to ask...

if you have read a book that is set in Paris that you would recommend  

please mention it by sending me an email or by writing a comment.

Merci Beaucoup

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Thinking of Paris...

The Friday the 13th events in Paris have been shocking...
(and I humbly apologize for the unfortunate timing of my previous post.)

I published a post on Paris several hours before hearing the news and many readers wanted me to pull it down.

Mr. HB and I were stunned as we stared at the large TV screen aboard a BC Ferry.
We were going to visit friends who had just returned from France.

While we were stuck in gridlock traffic we listened in silence to the CBC and learned more details of the violence as more information emerged from Paris.

Grieving for those who lost their lives and those who have been injured...
listening to the news of people lining up for hours to donate blood and attending candle light vigils...singing...
Parisians are showing such dignity and courage.

I hope that people will not be afraid and continue to visit Paris.

It is a beautiful city with so much culture, charming cafes, galleries, museums, parks, monuments, churches, shops, restaurants, wide boulevards, bridges and the Seine running right though it.

J'adore Paris.

Blogging can be a tonic to what ails you...

There have been so many interesting and beautiful scenes along my walks these past few days.

I think of these images when sitting in the chair at the dentist.
I am not very calm when I am at the dentist, especially when having my teeth drilled and prepped for new crowns...for an hour and a half!
I tense up.

My dentist is a kind and gentle practitioner...he works efficiently and talks me through any procedure.
Thankfully today my visit was short as the permanent crowns were put on and I hope that this will be the last major work that I will need...at least for a long while!

My jaw is sore and the crowns are feeling rather sensitive right now,
so writing a blog post should be a tonic and help take my mind off the discomfort.

An absolutely stunning view looking across Juan De Fuca Strait towards Washington State.

I could sit and stare at this vista for hours

 watching the light on the ocean and the changes in the tide.

Deep blood red Hollyhock blooming in a garden nearby our Humble Bungalow.

I would love to have a few of these tall plants in our garden 

they don't seem to thrive where I have tried planting them...

or maybe our soil is not to their liking.

This pretty pink flower caught my eye...

I am not too sure what type of plant this is so I will settle on "beautiful!"

Ross Bay Cemetery

a great place to wander

heritage trees

busy squirrels

song birds

deer

Emily Carr is buried here and people come by to adorn her grave with flowers and natural offerings.

She was a very prolific artist and quite the eccentric character...

she led a very interesting life and has written books as well as her paintings and pottery.

You can read more about Emily Carr here.

She was an amazing woman and one who was quite independent at a time when women were expected to lead traditional lives that consisted of marriage, motherhood and domesticity.

In my bridge group there are several amazing "older" women...

one woman in particular stands out

I am going to call her M.

M is head and shoulders above most women her age that I have met.

 M is 94 years old. 

(maybe I should say 94 years young!)

M plays an excellent hand of bridge, 

she counts and keeps track of ALL the cards that are laid and played.

M will critique a bid or a response if she knows it was not the best choice.

M freely compliments when a great play is made or a contract is bid and made and especially when making over tricks! 

M dresses in classic clothes and wears beautiful vintage gold jewelry.

M wears several diamond rings on her left hand...

they glitter as she plays.

M sits tall in her chair, has great posture and walks gracefully.

M's eyes sparkle and twinkle and when she smiles her wrinkles all crinkle together!

M shares funny and cute jokes and tells us about her past.

I have a lot of time for M and am eager to learn more about her.

 M is a wonderful and gracious example of how women of a certain age can be

 vibrant, energetic and intelligent.

Do you know any amazing older women?

Please enter the giveaway from the previous post before October 30th.

Good luck!

The Humble Bungalow Garden ~ A Picture Gallery of Changes.

As promised I am sharing images of the on-going garden changes...
the projects are proceeding slowly as I am doing most of the work myself.

Deer, drought, over grown plants, and high maintenance borders have necessitated these changes.

The David Austin Roses...

greedy for water and slightly high maintenance 

are staying put!

There was a bed in the middle of the gravel driveway that took a lot of work and the plants were not too happy.

I laid down some landscape cloth and covered the base of the rose with bricks and filled the gaps with gravel and then spread a cubic yard of "screenings"over the cloth so none of it shows.

This will pack down nicely with time and blend in with the rest of the drive.

The romneya coulteri likes "living on the edge."

The dry gravel and sand are it's best friends!

The rampant invasive violets were pulled and the bed dug deep and we have laid black garbage bags in hopes that they will not come back.

This bed in the back side yard will be replanted after a few weeks or possibly months.

this bed is also under wraps...

ugly I know but I couldn't bear to spray with toxic chemicals.

This patio is in the side yard

and features two dwarf apple trees and a riot of Lady's Mantle and Limelight Hydrangeas.

It's shady part of the day and a lovely spot to sit with a cup of tea.

Look what we found nestled under the overgrown lilies!

It was a slow release "frog" fertilizer and now it looks prehistoric!

The view from the kitchen...

The slide is in the space where the greenhouse is going to be placed.

The grass is full of clover, buttercups and violets...we hope to find a hardy grass that will be green in winter and gold in summer as we will not be watering it much, if at all depending on the water restrictions.

The bed with the asparagus and two climbing roses will be modified and the hydrangeas will be dug out and the rhubarb and strawberries will be relocated near the green house.

Pots were planted up to add colour and interest.

The intimate patio area just off the back basement door.

Out front we planted more deer and drought tolerant plants...

in the front of the bed we chose Blue Fescue grasses.

The bees love the prickly blue eryngium and the lavenders.

Blue Russian Sage and Salvias are mixed in with yellow rudbeckias

and at the front more Blue Fescue Grasses.

Pots were replanted...

Feather Grass

Boxwood

Black Mondo grass and a Lime Green succulent.

The deer have so far, resisted munching these hydrangeas and I am so grateful!

I have several of these out in the front yard and I love them.

I'm considering swapping this blue and mauve hydrangea for another limelight...

Roses planted with lily of the valley as a ground cover.

I have kept a few Hostas which the deer love to dine on...

(as do the slugs)

I will see what happens over time and if they are munched too often I will place them in the back garden.

At the end of the drive against the fence we have a drought tolerant bed of mostly grasses.

Montbretia, sedum, hostas, black mondo grass, hellebores, variegated iris and planters with succulents.

We are planning to install a greenhouse and redo the grass in the back yard which are major projects that are a bit more of an investment and require hiring the professionals...
So they are not going to happen for awhile...
in the meantime I putter and chip away at the tasks that I can do myself.
It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing what's happening in our patch.

These flowers look like a smiling face...

do you see it?

Hope you have a fabulous weekend.

We're on "Baby Watch" this weekend.

Fingers crossed that wee one comes soon.

We can hardly wait to meet her!

Cheerio

XO