Walks, the kindness of neighbours and more....

The weather has been unsettled this Easter weekend...
we have had sunshine
rains
high winds.

Mr. HB and I were out in the garden doing some light weeding and he mowed the lawn.
I picked some flowers.

Grape hyacinths

We visited the nursery and checked out the new plants.

Have you ever seen a Jack in the Pulpit plant?

The flower is SO unusual!

I love the vibrant shade of this rhododendron.

On Saturday the sun was shining and it was warm so we went for a long walk.

Oodles of people had the very same idea and there were lots of people strolling along the seafront.

Smiles and greetings were the order of the day.

Sunshine has that effect on us after the "rainy daze."

Fairfield still sports a few streets lined with their names in blue tiles. 

This pretty little blue flower caught my eye.

I had to stop and take a picture.

We cut through the Park on the way to our destination....

Beacon Hill Park is a large park in Victoria.

It is located not too far from Our Humble Bungalow.

The petting zoo is very popular with families and was crowded on this sunny afternoon.

There are goats, pigs, donkeys, bunnies, ponies, birds, and many other farm animals.

Gobble Gobble

Turkeys wander freely.

Mr. HB treated me to a soft ice cream cone at The Beacon Drive In.

The line up was long but it moved quite quickly...

we walked back home licking our cones before they melted.

Nom Nom they are SO rich and creamy.

The BEST in Victoria!

One of our elderly neighbours down the street has been in the hospital.

Sadly he has no family.

 While he was hospitalized a young couple who live close by

 have gone in and cleaned and painted his home.

Other neighbours have been involved.

We all have been aware that his situation has deteriorated and we have been concerned.

He has some health issues and suffers from dementia 

the young couple have taken him "under their wing" 

How lovely that this couple is helping him out in a time of need.

I applaud their Kindness and Generosity.

We do not know what kind of care he will need in the future 

but he has been assessed and there will be some changes and supports put in place.

He is certainly happy to be back in his own home.

It was more than obvious as 

he was smiling and laughing when we walked by his house on our way home.

I must get my apron on and cook something to take to him.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Snippets from The Humble Bungalow...

This week has flown by...
we were very busy and it feels like a bit of a blur.

Monday started out with a visit from our darling grand daughter Isla.

We decorated an apron for her to wear.

It fits perfectly!

We ate comforting macaroni and cheese and nibbled on some grapes.

We needed to recharge as there were cupcakes baking in the oven.

Isla was definitely up to the job of decorating...

She got so good at it that she used both her hands at the same time!

Yummy 

We read some books and made some fairy wands.

Our daughter, Isla's mom, brother, and baby sister arrived for a late lunch and a visit.

I went to see my RMT 

she provided me some pain relief and more mobility to my "frozen shoulder." 

We are still not totally sure what the final diagnosis might be...
 I am on a wait list for an ultra sound.

There is a backlog, which I am told is 4-5 months!

 I continue to be proactive and positive while I wait.

Mom, my sister and I walked the Esplanade and had a casual dinner at Mom's condo.

Walks have been sporadic due to winds and pouring rain.

This blue door reminded me of the blue doors and shutters that I saw in France.

It has almost been a year since I ventured off to Paris and Auvillar...

I have so many great memories of a fabulous trip.

Good friends came and stayed with us and we had a great visit.

They brought us a gorgeous bouquet of lilies.

I will take another picture when the buds all are in bloom and share it with you on Instagram.

The sun is shining and we are planning a day of pottering in the garden.

The lawn needs to be mowed, the edges trimmed and a few weeds need to be pulled.

After that I hope we can go to the nursery and peruse the new plants.

The weekend is going to be relatively quiet after such a busy week.

We have a few Easter treats to deliver to the grand children 

darling daughter and I are going to a collectibles show

 some easy meals are planned 

 I hope to find some time to read my book and walk with my husband along the seafront.

Best Wishes for a lovely Easter Weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Mother Daughter getaway...new clothes for Spring and summer.

Last weekend our darling daughter accompanied me on a trip to Vancouver.
The focus of the trip was to shop.
And shop we did!

The first day we walked and shopped for 5 hours and the second for 6...a marathon of walking and shopping yielded quite a few bags full.

I love these shoes.

Ferragamo Varina flats...

IF I were to plunk down the cash I would insist on a pair in red.

They are quite pricey at $625 but they are beautifully made and so classic, perhaps iconic.

A gal can dream....

Aritzia is a favourite shop of darling daughter...

we have one here in Victoria

the Robson shop has three storefronts and loads of stock.

We perused the shop both days as it was on the same street as our Hotel.

Milestones restaurant was the perfect casual spot to stop for dinner.

Lots of variety and healthy options for dinner.

OOTD

Calvin Klein ponte knit pants

Style & Co. black top

Clarks boots

Burberry print infinity scarf

(My hair is a mess as we got caught in a torrential downpour!)

H&M navy and white striped top

London Fog navy and white polka dot trench coat.

White NYDJ jeans

Black flats by Pegabo with gold accents on the heels

H&M striped top

We sipped Perrier and munched on popcorn while we watched the award winning movie Brooklyn.

(I highly recommend it)

We also watched the English film Man Up.

(funny and entertaining ~ cute)

There was a gale force windstorm Sunday 

when we left the dock at the ferry terminal the wind was really intense

The crossing across Georgia Strait was lumpy but we made it to the island without incident.

Later that same day there were some ferries that had mishaps...

one bumped into a concrete dock and some sailings were also cancelled.

Are you old enough to remember Lamb Chop and Shari Lewis?

These little lamb chops were for sale in the onboard shop.

Like lamb chop I am embracing a bright paw.

Dior Adventure will do the trick.

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Walks, weather and the weekend.

The sun came out on Friday and it is amazing how it lifted my spirits.
I decided to walk to town...

Cyclamen blooming in a rustic vessel on the front porch of The Humble Bungalow.

The sun illuminating the trunk of the Arbutus tree beside the front porch.

Lime green and sienna bark mingle...

a few puddles remain

I look taller in the shadows...

I daresay that this is not the original concrete ball atop the wall!

Looks suspiciously like a bowling ball to me.

The building that houses the Bike Shop looks crisp set against the blue sky.

Street tiles from many years ago still remain on a few streets in Fairfield.

I took a zig zag route to town and enjoyed looking at the heritage houses that line the streets.

I pottered about in the shops and looked at the sales.

In the end I opted for a new pair of NYDJ in a dark wash in their skinny style.

Not on sale but I had a $50 credit so they were a better price, one that I can live with!

All that walking and shopping made me thirsty so I stopped for a cup of tea and enjoyed the view of the Inner Harbour.

Victoria Harbour views looking west...
a seaplane taxiing out for take off

masts just visible above the rooftops

the Victoria Clipper high speed ferry at the far left middle of the picture.

The weekend is going to be full to the brim...

on the agenda

lunch out and shopping with lovely daughter

brunch with our son, DIL, and grand children

dessert here with our neighbours and their month of holiday snapshots from Australia

routine domestics

tea

coffee

baking 

 a few walks.

What are you doing this weekend?

Be Well and Be Kind.

Vancouver getaway...

Last weekend we hopped on a BC Ferry and visited friends in Vancouver.

Blue Horizon Hotel on Robson Street

The Marina on False Creek is where our friends moor their boat.

They served us a delicious dinner and we sat looking out facing this beautiful view.

The next morning the weather was cool and breezy, a typical Fall day.

Wind, rain and a wee bit chilly...leaves at our feet.

Perfect weather to visit The Vancouver Art Gallery

Exhibits by the Canadian Group of Seven and Lee Bul were highlights.

I was very impressed by the art installations of Lee Bul.

She worked with mirrors in Via Negativa and the effects were really interesting.

Walking through this mirrored installation I felt dizzy and slightly disoriented...

there were twists and turns before arriving at the lights.

It seemed quite popular with the people who were viewing this exhibit.

I ventured through the maze of mirrors several times!

We stopped for lunch in the cafe before going upstairs to explore more exhibits.

"Between Object and Action:

Transforming Media in the 1960's and 70's."

artists

Kate Craig, Eric Metcalfe, Gathie Falk, Carole Itter and Evelyn Roth.

We shopped a bit along South Granville...I found something on sale at Eileen Fisher!

                                        Later we met up at La Quercia for a fabulous meal.

Sunday morning Mr. HB and I went to check out the new Nordstroms and popped into Holt Renfrew before heading to the ferry.

We took our books up to the on board buffet and sat at a window table for the duration of the trip.

A beautiful setting sun

 appeared just as we were about to disembark the ferry.

All in all it was a fun weekend and the cats were happy to see us when we got home.

Hope your week is ticking along nicely.