The view from here...

The view from here..

The Humble Bungalow Garden

Hydrangeas in front of the freshly painted exterior of our heritage home.

Since taking this picture Mr. HB has hung up our heritage plaque, 

house numbers, mailbox and the porch furniture is back in place.

The view from here...

the back deck door and steps.

Our first sweet pea bouquet cut from the garden.

I love sweet peas...

their form, colours and scent are all exquisite.

I wonder if anyone makes a sweet pea perfume?

The view from here...

walking snippets

Hollyhock up close and personal

growing on a street just off Dallas Road.

The water was calm, 

not a breath of wind 

the clouds hung like a puffy white curtain overhead.

Two handsome bucks were leisurely munching on the seaward side of Ross Bay Cemetery oblivious to the passing cars...

I stopped and watched them from just across the street.

They were more interested in lunch than taking any notice of me!

More signage along my regular walking route...

The view from here...

We enjoyed dinner out last evening with our friends at the Flying Otter on the Inner Harbour in Victoria.

This is where the local seaplanes take off...

There are the traditional Victoria hanging baskets on the dock.

On Fridays The Flying Otter offer a 2 for one appetizer special 

which I plan to order next time I go...

my BFF had the Tuna Tataki and the crab cakes and they looked amazing!

The view from here...

I started reading a new book by author Elin Hilderbrand.

Her writing style is very engaging and I have a feeling that I am going to want to read her other novels after I finish this one...

they are all set in or near Nantucket.

Our darling daughter and her fiancee are set to elope this weekend and I am feeling very emotional as my " first born ~ baby girl" is getting married.

She and her fiancee will be taking a ferry to a beautiful Gulf Island 

where they have an intimate ceremony arranged to take place in a natural setting.

~ Wedding flowers need to be assembled ~ 

after I pick them from the garden...

I hope my tears do not fog up my glasses too much.

I feel Happiness and Joy for them both...

I am certain that it is

the heart tugging mother's love

that is responsible for my mood.

I will show the bouquet and boutonniere on my next blog post.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Sea Ray Adventures...and wildfires.

We went out on our SeaRay this past weekend and left the cats at home with a friend.
 The forecast was for record high temperatures...and records were broken, we were glad that we didn't take them along as they would have been miserable in the heat.

OPI : "This colour is making waves."

Polka dot PJ's and our new nautical mat.

A trio of blues...

Breakfast is blue too.

Our wee Galley.

Ah...

it's Dusk at the Maple Bay Marina...

and we are finally cool.

Keeping hydrated was tough and we had to seek out shade from the mid day sun.

Taconite is the lovely Fantail Cruiser from the 1920's that you can see in the middle of this image
and to the right a tug that has been converted into a live aboard vessel.

Metal wall art on a house boat at the Marina.

In the afternoon...

the water was calm so we went out in our dingy for a ride to explore the cove.

Pretty orange Nasturtiums

I love the variegated leaves.

A wee bit of whimsy...

some one has been busy carving.

We had asparagus with our BBQ steaks, mushrooms and salad.

We went to bed early and had a sound sleep.

When we woke up there was a fire red sun, smoke in the air and ashes all over our boat.

There are quite a few wildfires burning out of control in our province and the wind has carried the ash and spread it all over the lower mainland and the south of Vancouver Island.

It feels very eerie...

there is a red glow in the sky and you can smell the smoke.

We stopped on the way home at Mill Bay Marina and had a bite of lunch.

This family of Canada Geese and a lone seagull greeted us...

you can see the strange colour of the sky.

Ferocious Forest fires have displaced many people who have had to flee from their homes...

it's very alarming and I can imagine how upset they must feel.

Many brave fire fighters are risking their lives to help get these wildfires under control.

Alaska and the Yukon have dispatched experienced firemen to help our Province.

Hope that you are safe and sound where ever you are...

The Sounds of Silence on a Sunny Wednesday Morning.

Hush
it's so quiet...
So quiet that I can hear my breathing and the beating of my heart.
Days with no breeze or wind are rare in our area...it's because the ocean is nearby.

 I tip toe outside...

the warmth and light of the summer sunshine

on my back.

our deck is bathed in sunlight

one of  summer's gifts

shadows come out to play 

The garden is a chaotic riot of greenery

the side yard has been taken over by Lady's Mantle 

it's a massive lime explosion!

our local deer wander by for a nibble here and there

if I left the back gate open perhaps they'd help me out...

dead head a few plants and do some weeding

but if I did I am sure that they'd head straight for my roses!

Jude The Obscure a David Austin Rose

sits out front in our Humble Bungalow Garden

vulnerable to the deer...

a doe and her two babies have been dining here.

One of the stags in our vicinity

and we live fairly close to town

the deer are thriving here in Victoria as there are no predators

(other than man)

urban development has taken over their habitat

forcing them to be resourceful and creative

in a city with so many gardens that offer up a salad bar 

the deer seem quite happy.

the neighbours are building fences

placing nets on their favourite plants

erecting chicken wire barricades

Oak Bay has performed a deer cull and it has been met with a lot of criticism.

There are signs up in the areas where fawns cross the roads... 

"slow down fawn crossing."

It's curious how when we are in a peaceful and quiet setting

 that our thoughts can wander

as we take time to ponder 

life's bigger issues and questions

being in the moment

focusing

changing

shifting

adapting

attempting 

to live in harmony with nature.