Rainy daze....

 "Money Plant"

Also known as Lunaria or Honesty, the silver dollar plant is rather like a weed.

It self seeds and thrives on neglect here in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

The Pilgrims brought this plant over with them on the Mayflower.

Thomas Jefferson grew it in his garden at Monticello.

What a difference a day makes...

these rose blooms were looking lovely until this stormy weather blip hit us.

Jude The Obscure wearing raindrops

The soft sand at Willows Beach as seen earlier this week when the sun was shining...makes me want to take off my shoes and walk barefoot in the sand!

There is an eagles nest in this massive oak tree.

Mount Baker is seen off in the distance.

Loads of kelp has washed ashore.

Snow capped Mount Baker is seen across Haro Strait.

Few people were out walking on this sunny afternoon so I had most of the beach to myself.

This toddler was exploring the beach structure

I can just imagine what fun he is having...

This beach scene looks completely different today...

torrents of rain are falling and the waves are crashing along the shore.

I am escaping this positively beastly weather by dreaming...

Enjoying making notes from this beautiful book on Provence.

Janelle McCulloch has written an informative book on the area and the photographs of the enchanting villages are so lovely.

There is a pot of soup simmering on the stove

the cats are snoozing in their respective spots

it is cozy inside our Humble Bungalow.

Pelting rain and the winds are howling just outside the door...

I will don my boots and raincoat and venture out into the storm.

I have a cheque to pop in the post and I could use some fresh air...

Thank you for stopping by...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Waking in Sunshine...but not for long!

I awoke surprised to see the sunshine pouring in through the blinds last weekend.

The other surprise was the time...
9AM!

Sleeping in is so rare these days that when I realize that I have slept in
it comes as a SHOCK!

My morning luxury is to brew an espresso and serve it in a bowl with foamed milk.

This habit started in Paris and I have never looked back.

For me this starts my day off on a positive note.

I take a few minutes to check out Instagram, Facebook and read blogs.

After my shower I dress in my walking clothes...

this helps me stay motivated to go for my walk.

If I dress up in "going out" clothes right away 

I can find a million excuses NOT to go for a walk!

black yoga pants

a long top

puffy vest or puffy jacket 

(choice is dependent on the forecast)

sock and athletic shoes

 I took an alternate route

and ventured into the Ross Bay Cemetery.

It is very beautiful, peaceful, and full of all kinds of wildlife...

birds, squirrels, deer.

Heritage Trees form a canopy over the lanes.

The seafront is just beyond the edge of the grass...

you can see the seawall and ocean if you look closely.

Spectacular Autumn colours

Inside a crevice in a tree 

I spy fungi...

Not sure what kind of toadstools or mushrooms these might be but they look quite happy here...if fungi can actually be happy in its environment.

I would like to think that happiness on some level can be felt by all living things.

Speaking of happiness...

I must confess that I had my knickers in a twist...

not my usual comfortable happy place and I had to snap out of it.

I started going for my walk...

on the regular route.

Dozens maybe Hundreds

 of people running towards me.

Dear reader I had encountered a marathon!

A loud rock band was playing under a tent at the corner

there was a water station set up where runners were grabbing cups 

guzzling down the water and then tossing the cups willy nilly on the street.

I feared that I would be knocked over so I grumbled a bit under my breath and took off in another direction...the direction of the cemetery.

All in all it was a lovely walk and I felt totally refreshed when I came home.

~ Crunch crunch crunch crackle ~

the sounds under my feet as the dried leaves collapse.

~ water droplets on a leaf ~

~ the veins in these leaves are so pretty ~

There is so much beauty in the ordinary 

it is worth looking closely at every day things that we encounter.

What surprise might we see?

Orange and yellow dinner plate sized Dahlia 

still blooming in mid October in a garden on Hollywood Crescent.

This is Chester 

the little rascal will not stay off the table.

This is where I have my lap top and where I write my blog posts.

Perhaps this pose is his way of saying I am cute, really I am, 

and you know that you love me despite my hi jinx.

There are 3 storms forecast to hit our coast in the next few days and the weather experts are advising us to charge up all our devices, buy extra food and batteries and brace ourselves for power outages and possible flooding.

So if you don't hear from me for a few days 

you'll know why!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Thanksgiving...after the gathering.

Today is officially Thanksgiving Day in Canada.

Flowers from our son and DIL.

We had our family feast yesterday
I was busy in the kitchen for two days and had fun preparing the dishes...

a hodgepodge of chairs

a mix of napkins and glasses

Our fairy lights are turned on for special events here in The Humble Bungalow.

Lots of dishes to go with the prime rib of beef.

Carrots served with a mix of grated ginger, melted butter and parsley.

Balsamic glazed roasted Brussel Sprouts

(Barefoot Contessa Cookbook ~ Foolproof)

Tortellini with cheese sauce for the grand children and vegetarians.

Yorkshire pudding

(recipe from Joy of Cooking)

Scalloped Potatoes

Roast Prime rib of Beef

Gravy

Peas

Pumpkin Pie for dessert courtesy of Mother who baked them from scratch...

(she is 89 so I think that is quite impressive)

The window in my laundry room overlooks the back patio and garden.

Ironing done while gazing out the windows of the french door.

 Today I cleaned up the rest of the things, put away the good china, crystal and silverware. Washed and ironed the linens and went for a leisurely walk.

I will post pictures of the glorious walk in the autumn sunshine very soon but for now I am going to put my feet up, brew a pot of Lapsang Souchong Tea and browse through the newest UK Country Living magazine.

Hope that your week is off to a great start!

Thank you for stopping by...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving...

The roses are just about finished blooming in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

This summer has been a splendid year for the roses here in our garden.

They have loved the heat and the sunshine and we have managed to keep them hydrated and happy.

Jude The Obscure 

My favourite David Austin Rose

has a few blooms clinging to the bush.

McCartney Rose

a fragrance Hybrid Tea Rose

a few sprays of flowers left but are slowly fading into Fall.

The Hydrangeas are a mix of fresh blooms and dead heads.

I picked a few to bring inside and hope that they will dry slowly so I can keep a bunch in a vase for a few months.

I think I may have already shared this photo with you.

I know I posted it on my Instagram page.

The blue and mauve hydrangeas are cut from the same plant.

Unfortunately these blooms wilted quite quickly after bringing them in the house.

I love this vintage blue and white jug.

It is made by Woods and Sons.

Peppers Market in Cadboro Bay Village 

is hosting a contest.

 $100 gift voucher for guessing the weight of this huge pumpkin.

I have no idea... so I have not entered yet.

Any Thoughts?

These hairy "things" are on hanging on a clematis near our bungalow.

I think they look like Thing One and Thing Two...

perhaps from a Dr. Seuss book.

Speaking of books, I am reading a great little one right now.

Halfway through it and am keen to read more.

 I have a busy day here in The Humble Bungalow as we have all the family coming for the Thanksgiving feast and I need to focus on the menu.

Earlier this week I took my favourite recent thrift shop find, 

a pristine vintage Canadian made leather bag

 out to tea.

I am loving this new bag!

I will try to take a few pictures of our table and dinner if I get a chance later today...

Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

October sunshine...a day in my neighbourhood.

If you are tired of seeing pictures of the seafront where I walk you maybe want to click away now...
The views are the same but the colours and subjects that frequent the area change throughout the day. I never get bored and always find something of interest to capture. I feel very fortunate and grateful to be able to walk in such beauty.

The temperatures were hovering around 13 degrees Celsius this afternoon when I went for my walk. I wore a long sleeved T shirt, jeans and my Barbour vest and I was very warm once I got going...I had to unzip my vest and other walkers were in short sleeves!

There was enough of a breeze to launch the hang gliders off the cliffs.

I've often wondered what the views would be like from a glider.

Can you see the freighter out on the water?

That has been sitting there for weeks as the company that owns it apparently has gone bankrupt. I wonder what will happen to the boat? I would think it could be a hazard to navigation as it is very close to the shipping lanes.

With the foggy mornings of Fall it could be a disaster waiting to happen.

After I came home from my walk I noticed how dirty my windows were...

I started to wash them and dear reader I am absolute RUBBISH when it comes to cleaning windows!

Then I got onto my hands and knees and washed the kitchen floor 

which I am much better equipped to do!

I picked some hydrangeas this week and popped them in one of our arts and crafts vintage vases.

We are hosting Thanksgiving dinner and I am going to be busy preparing the family feast. 

We are looking forward to having everyone here in our small bungalow to help us celebrate.

A friend recommended this book...

it is quite different, 

not sure what is going to happen 

but it all takes place over dinner at a high end restaurant 

two couples and something terrible has happened involving their children

 that is about to be revealed...

Nerine Bowdenii blooming in various beds in Our Humble Bungalow Garden.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~