Summer Hollidays

The Humble Bungalow Garden

We have been away on the boat...and had motor trouble.
Repairs need to happen before we can go out on it again.

Midweek I drove upisland for a few days
with our son and 3 grand children.

Oodles of fun in the sun and a crazy thunder and lightning storm!
Mini Golf, bumper boats, pooltime, crafts...

Fresh veggies from The Humble Bungalow Garden and Greenhouse.

The garden is looking wonderful and we are starting to harvest vegetables.

Limelight Hydrangeas 

and

Himalayan Honeysuckle

I love the combination of colours and textures.

This wee green grasshopper hitched a ride from Victoria all the way to Parksville.

The views from our suite.

Sandy beaches and many lovely homes.

Abraham Darby

a stalwart David Austin Rose

very frilly and frothy 

a beautiful fragrance.

Second flush of sweet peas...

Monty Don said to cut ALL the flowers off and expect a flush of new ones.

I was skeptical but it works.

BTW 

I had an email from a reader 

saying that ads are popping up in the blog side bar 

that are related to the US election and the NRA.

I do not live in the US.

My blog is not political in any way, shape or form.

It is my understanding that any ads that do pop up 

are related to searches by the users of the device.

North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is located in Errington, BC

near Parksville and Qualicum Beach.

The centre rehabilitates animals that are injured and then releases them back into the wild.

There are a few animals that are permanent residents. 

Their injuries were so severe

that they will not be able to fend for themselves.

The centre is clean

the cages are large 

the habitats inside are similar to the wilderness

that the animals call home.

Look at this precious owl.

Farley cannot fly, he was hit by a car in Prince George BC.

He underwent an operation but has never been able to regain the ability to fly.

We are enjoying hosting outdoor "Happy Hours" with friends and family.

It is a wonderful way to stay connected and remain safe.

How is your summer going?

The time seems to be flying by here...

I've got lots of things planned for the next few weeks.

Catching up with friends and a spa date with my baby sister who just turned 60!

Take care and stay safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Summer snippets 2020...

My neighbour's garden has some rare and unusual plants.

Artistic touches are evident throughout her garden. 

Her choice of colourful flowers make a bold statement and are often dramatic.

Our poppies are still putting on a spectacular show.

I am saving the seeds for next years blooms.

My neighbour across the street and I were out chatting and watched a doe

as she grabbed one of the seed pods and swallowed it right before our eyes!

The urban deer are a hot topic of conversation among the gardeneres at this end of the block...

(5 deer reside in the back yard of a home nearby)

Mom and her fawns are enjoying our front garden "salad bar" so much this year!

No amount of Bobex is stopping their munching.

A dear friend and I went out to an antique store last week.

We wore our masks and perused the shop

before we decided on purchasing these Canadian vintage sap buckets.

We both thought of creative ways that we could use them...

ice buckets, flower vases, planters, 

My friend is planning to use them to collect sap from her Elm tree.

John Paul II Rose

reblooming after getting planted in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

He shares the bed with Crocosmia Lucifer...

I wonder how they are getting along?

Dierama aka Angel's Fishing Wand

 in my neighbour's garden...ours has not yet bloomed.

Bought some new buckets and shovels for the sandy beach at Sidney Spit.

Hope we have some sunny days when we are there with the grandchildren.

We plan to build some sandcastles...

A friend dropped off some books the other evening.

I had run out of books to read.

To me that is a very dire situation...

I purchased The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

it is a delightful book ~ a perfect beach read.

Am excited to read these other titles. 

They should keep me entertained for the next month or so.

Jude the Obscure with Lady's Mantle

Love the form and fragrance of this beautiful David Austin Rose.

Hubby and I are celebrating our 46th anniversary.

We were married young and were high school sweethearts.

So we have actually been together as a couple for 50 years!

Our friends treated us to a lovely dinner on their porch the other evening.

Look at the rhubarb pie!

Hope that you are staying safe, 

are wearing your mask when you cannot self distance...

our active Covid cases on Vancouver Island 

have increased since Phase 3 has been enacted.

It is quite unsettling hearing the double digit daily cases in BC.

We need to keep our bubbles "small"

and as Dr. Bonnie Henry reminds us

"more faces in bigger spaces."

Fresh air, blue skies, sunshine, birdsong and buzzing bees

just some of the 

JOYS 

of Summer.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

September snippets...

Jude the Obscure 

still putting on a marvelous show ~ blooming non-stop since May.

Gosh I so love a hardy and reliable rose that encourages me to keep dead heading long after my early spring enthusiasm and energy has waned.

Hand watering is a daily job here in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

We don't have an automatic system so we use old fashioned watering cans, nozzles and sprinklers.

People walk by when I am gardening out front and they always stop to comment on the roses.

Some I invite in for an impromptu garden tour 

 they occasionally leave with a wee bouquet.

The Climbing Royal Sunset Rose is a challenge to dead head 

as it grows up the side of the deck so ladders are required.

I am not a fan of climbing up high on ladders 

so I dead head what I can reach from the ground below and from the deck itself.

Gertrude Jekyll

Prickly thorns can be a hazard when dead heading this rose.

Such a beautiful shade of pink with a seriously heady fragrance.

She blooms all summer long.

School starts this week which traditionally has signalled the end of summer.

I love the warm sunshine and hope it continues through towards Autumn.

The bedroom renovations are almost complete.

I have purchased a bed skirt, new sheets, and velvet slim hangers.

Am excited to get the closet organized and the rest of our bungalow 

"back to normal."

I am tired of sleeping in the double bed in our guest room.

It's a comfy mattress and very quiet downstairs 

but its too small a bed for the two of us to get a restful night of sleep.

Last night I actually fell out of bed.

I was sound asleep and it woke me up with a start!

Today 

Feeling achy and stiff, glad I didn't break any bones.

So I am slowly moving about my day...

doing only what really needs doing.

Am totally immersed in Louise Penny's newest book 

A Better Man.

I try not to read her books too fast.

It is difficult slowing down once you are gripped by the plot

they are such wonderful mysteries.

Must go pop the kettle on and make a cuppa

then open my book for an hour or so...

Hope your September is off to a great start.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Snippets from Quarter Deck Cottage

We've been enjoying our summer time stint here at Quarter Deck Cottage.

The first week our son and three grandchildren were here at the cottage so we slept on our boat at the marina...
we had full busy days with swimming, crafts and pool time.

Our grands made fast friends with the neighbour's grandchildren from the cottage across the street. They had oodles of fun together...made some great memories.

After the family left it was very quiet but we manage to keep ourselves entertained with the usual routine...

lazy mornings with our mugs of coffee
gazing out at The Salish Sea watching for sea life and birds

our habit of looking for 5 ferries at once...we call it Ferry Yachtzee!

I finished this fabulous book last night before dinner 

will be starting the next one sometime today!

reading our books


walks along the beaches

beach combing for sea glass

going to the Farmer's Market

swimming in the pool

eating tasty simple meals

Cottage Fruit Crumble 

4-5 cups fruit

I used blueberries and Gravenstein apples

place in a buttered deep ovenproof pie pan

add a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

a sprinkle of cinnamon

Topping 

1 cup flour 

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

Cut the butter into the flour

when blended add the brown sugar 

Cover the fruit mixture

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes

Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or yogurt.

Enjoy!

going to bed early
waking soon after the sun rises

a simple routine

We saw 2 humpback whales swimming past the cottage last night!
Big excitement!
We shared the binoculars...saw their water spouts and they were breaching!

This morning the sun is shining and the seas are calm...
we will let the day unfold slowly while we quietly sip our coffee.

I will hit publish before I have my second cup of coffee on the deck...

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.
Enjoy your weekend!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Some summer reads...

Summer Reads...

Loved this murder mystery by Jessica Fellowes.

She's the niece of Julian Fellowes from Downton Abbey and Gosford Park.

I've also read Julian's novels

Past Imperfect, Snobs and Belgravia  

Ami McKay writes wonderful books

I read her previous two novels

The Virgin Cure and The Birth House

This novel was very rich in atmosphere and painted a wonderful picture of what it might be like to be a "witch" in an era when witchcraft

 the unknown and unseen world were being explored.

 Ami transported me into the fascinating world of Gilded Age in New York 

set in the late 1800's...

I've promised this book to mabon moon a reader who lives in Victoria.

I hope she will enjoy it as much as I did.

My current book The Seagull by Ann Cleeves

fresh from the local library...

suggested by the well read Madame La-Bas 

writer of the blog New Year New Dreams.

It's a well crafted mystery and a real page turner!

The most recent book from our local library 

This novel is set in a lovely little village in Provence

the characters are rich and the story evolves slowly over the years.

I've just started reading 

Etta and Otto and Russell and James

by Canadian born author Emma Hooper

What are you currently reading?

Have you a favourite book that you care to share?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~