Showing posts with label ocean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ocean. Show all posts

Monday, March 30, 2020

Come along for a Walk...fresh air, scenery and some inspirational quotes.

My daily outing is a walk in the fresh air with beautiful scenery.


Serene looking intertidal area at the end of the beach.
Sea Glass is mingling with the rocks 
one only needs to peer closer to find some.


View across from Victoria to Port Angeles in Washington State.

Freighters in the distance are anchored and waiting 
for an opportunity to offload their freight or load up in The Port of Vancouver.

Many freighters anchor in among our Gulf Islands 
which has become a problem for many 
 they run their noisy generators.


The beaches are littered with driftwood from the winter storms.
Many people collect it and burn it in their fireplaces.
Some creative artists make things from the various pieces.


The BC flag flies on a tall pole at the edge of a cliff.


A heart of stones

Many families are seen at the beach
kids throwing stones into the ocean
moms and dads drinking coffee and reading books
dogs frolicking in the water retrieving sticks
people collecting wood
some, like myself, are searching for sea glass
some are constructing huts and shelters out of logs


Someone carved a face on the old roots of this vast tree.


Can you see the heart with wings on the tree stump?


On the way home 
I walked past a lovely garden with many whimsical accents.
The beds overflow with yellow daffodils and hanging planters are hung atop the fences
with cheerful purple and yellow pansies.

This face was attached to a tree...

In the quiet moments and a tea time
I've been thinking a lot about our current situation.

Staying home and staying safe.
Staying positive.

I reached out to some of our elder neighbours to see if they had enough food.
It turns out that they were running low on lots of things and had been trying to order groceries online for home delivery but could not log into the website.


Many stores are 2 weeks behind with their orders so I went to the grocery shop for them and dropped the bags on their front porch.

At the grocery shop we were directed to line up outside ~ a metre apart.
There were strips of green tape that indicated where we were to stand.

When people exited the store one at a time we were given a disinfected cart and allowed inside...
there were not many people inside and so we were able to grab the groceries fairly quickly.

We then stood on discs with footprints a metre apart waiting for our turn 
to put our groceries on the check out stand 
the clerks scanned our goods behind plexiglas partitions.

After each customer the check out was disinfected.

Some of you may be feeling anxious...
maybe you have been watching far too much of the grim news?

I only listen to two programmes,
the daily announcement from our respected BC Disease Control 
specialist
Dr. Bonnie Henry 
and the local evening news.

If I watch too much I go down a "rabbit hole!"

~ Self preservation ~
controlling my own reaction to things that I cannot control are key.


Sharing
 some inspirational quotes with you.


Soap on a bed of rocks
Wash your hands.


"You have power over your mind - not outside events. 
Realize this, and you will find strength."

~ Marcus Aurelius ~



"When adversity strikes, that's when you have to be the most calm. 
Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on." 

~ LL Cool J ~


"Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces."

~ Judith Viorst ~


"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. 
You are able to say to yourself,  I lived through this horror. 
I can take the next thing that comes along."

~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~


Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

I'd love to hear from you and perhaps you can share what you are doing to keep yourself amused during these days and weeks of staying home cocooning.

(Please use a Google search engine as Safari no longer allows comments.)

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

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 ~

Monday, August 8, 2016

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 ~

Saturday, July 9, 2016

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 ~

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

More snapshots...OOTD

We are going for a walk along Hollywood Crescent.
It is the street that snakes and curves along the waterfront past Dallas Road.


Ross Bay Beach just across the street from the Ross Bay Cemetery.
This beach is open to the Straits and fierce storms are common in the winter.
The beach is vulnerable to the gale force winds and the crashing waves.


Large rocks were brought in and placed on the beach to help alleviate future storm damage.
There was a serious threat that the road and the graves would be eroded and washed away.

You would never know that this idyllic scene could be whipped up into a boiling frenzy of white caps and rolling waves...the water crashes over the seawall and onto the road.
When there is a storm of this magnitude the road is blocked off.
Logs are thrown high up into the air like match sticks and land "willy-nilly" on the sidewalk.


Driftwood is washed ashore along the beach.
An artist carved this on the roots of a huge log.
Art for all of the beachcombers to enjoy! 


Beach combing on a calm day is very meditative.

The sound of the waves as they greet the shore
the call of the gulls
the gentle salty sea breeze




many interesting stones and logs intertwine in muted shades


stones feature prominently in this garage
look at the "green" roof
this structure has been here as long as I can remember


A fence of flowers...all dahlia blooms.





the stone wall along the boulevard
inside is a large vegetable garden


This enchanting home and garden just oozes charm.
I like to think of it as "Dahlia Cottage."
The couple who live here are often seen tending their garden and flowers.
Geraniums run riot in the Spring and Summer and come Fall the Dahlias are the stars.


I stepped on the scale after the weekend and my heart nearly skipped a beat...
I have to get back on track and count my WW points!


OOTD
Saint James Top
Eileen Fisher Ponte knit pants
two strands of Opera length pearls
Coach loafers

Hope that your week is off to a great start!