Friday Favourites: Here and There with Rain and Sun

 

Our front garden is awash with colour these days. Driving or walking up to the house makes me smile inside. Hydrangeas are at their best, and the roses are flourishing (and need to be dead-headed). There's lavender and daisies in the opposite corner. 

This morning is cool and damp after yesterday's almost steady drizzle. Oh where, oh where is summer? I don't want to complain too much because I know that some of my readers are suffering with intense heat. Such strange weather across the globe. 

We took the boat out for two nights this week, to Mayne Island, one of the Gulf Islands the ferry boats pass en route from the mainland to Vancouver Island. There are a couple of small villages and several marinas. 

We anchored in Horton Bay and took the dinghy to shore for a long walk across the island. Eight kilometres there and eight kilometres back.

There were fun and lovely sights to see along the way. The Briary sells gourmet preserves, made locally, from the cutest little stand full of whimsy. It looked like a fairy house in the forest. 

There are a number of farms on the island with golden fields recently cut. One farmer passed us in his tractor with a bale of silage stuck to the front. We joked that it looked like a marshmallow on a giant stick, ready for roasting. 

Cattle grazed peacefully in fields of dappled sunlight and shade. I always enjoy seeing a zig zag split rail fence and there are many throughout our province. 

Along our walk we caught glimpses of the water, here a bay with light filtering through the trees. 

At last we reached the goal of our long walk - Mayne Island Lighthouse. Here is where boats enter Active Pass a narrow-ish passage of water with lots of treacherous currents, and one of the busiest waterways of Canada's West Coast. A lighthouse here has guided ships since 1885. The light is now automated and the house closed up. 

We purchased sandwiches in the village store at Miners Bay and ate them while enjoying the expansive view. Bald Eagles, Kingfishers, Starlings and more entertained us along with the waves lapping the rocky shore. 

Another view of Active Pass, with two large ferries passing each other, and one smaller ferry ahead. A lovely sight on Canada Day. 

We walked back across the island to our little boat and I was happy to take off my shoes and wriggle my toes. Thankfully it was a cool day. That night we moved our boat to another island to be closer to home for the next day in order to catch the proper tide for taking the boat out of the water. 

It was an unsettled night with the boat sloshing about in the waves and neither of us slept well, so we got up at 5 am and headed home. I'm glad we left earlier than planned for the wind picked up and it was a rocky trip home, with the wind increasing throughout the day, and rain beginning mid-morning. 

The Boscobel Rose by David Austin is one of my favourites, a steady bloomer with a deliciously sweet scent. 

This morning is a wee bit brighter with no rain, but lots of puffy clouds allow for only small patches of blue. Hopefully the blue will prevail as the day goes on. 

I plan to sew this morning, pick blueberries once they dry a little, and generally putter here at home. Deadheading the roses is also on my mental list. And I hope to send out the invitations for my mother's 90th birthday party in August. 

Friday Favourites: Gardens, Bees, and Jam

 

A Rose from Government House - no names were provided

I love summer at home. Every day I wander through my garden to see what's blooming, where buds are forming, and how much everything is growing. I pull a few weeds, clip dead flowers, and encourage the vegetables to grow well. A few blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries find their way into my mouth. 

For me, the sensation of standing barefoot in the grass, bathed in warm sunlight while savouring the sweetness of a fresh-picked berry is the height of summer luxury. 

We've had some really lovely warm summer days, but today the clouds moved in. The temperature is 10 degrees cooler today than yesterday, not quite 20 degrees. A bit of rain has fallen and the ground welcomes it. I am glad for a sweater and socks.  

Yesterday I met with a cousin visiting from afar and we strolled through the gardens at Government House, home to our Lieutenant Governor, the King's representative here in British Columbia. The gardens are open to the public. There are ponds, vistas across the Strait, two formal rose gardens, and several areas with more casual plantings. 

Tim has taken up beekeeping and the bees arrived a few weeks ago. He's taken courses and belongs to the local beekeeping association, while I absorb tidbits here and there. The bees will live on our daughter's property and her two little ones have named the hives - if you look closely at the photo you'll see one is Dandy and the other is Lion. Clever girls. 

Tim set them up in one spot, but has since decided that they need more sun, so he will move them. I didn't realize that moving bee hives is a big deal. The bees adapt better if they are moved a greater distance than just 20 or 50 feet, unless he moves them just a foot or two over time. So he brought the bees to our garden this week. He sealed the hive at night and set them on the grass, then unsealed the hives early in the morning so the bees could orient themselves. When they first come out in a new location, they orient themselves by flying in loops and circles not too far from the hives before they zoom off looking for food. In a week or so, he'll do the reverse and take them back to the farm where they will re-orient themselves there.

We're replacing our raspberry canes this year, so we don't have many berries of our own. I bought a few to make raspberry jam. Oh, the sweet fruity fragrance of jam cooking! I don't remove the seeds as I prefer them on my toast, but my mother likes to make jelly and removes them all. 

Granddaughter Sadie turned 14 a few weeks ago and she had requested watercolour paints, which we gave to her. Now that school is done, she came over this morning and we played with paints, learning how to mix colours, and use the correct amount of water. We had fun together and the above projects are hers.

Last week was very busy with the book launch and company. Preparing food ahead is something I like to do, and I made this tart/sweet Frozen Lemon Dessert that we all enjoyed. You can find the recipe by clicking on the link. 

There was a Book Launch!

 

On Saturday good friends hosted a Book Launch in their lovely garden. The book Life is Short but Wide has been available for about a month, but this was the official launch. I confess to rather dreading all the fuss as I'm more the person who likes to stay in the background rather than be a guest of honour. 

However, It was a beautiful occasion and I felt very honoured, and had a lot of fun, too. Other friends brought the vase of pink roses and yellow snapdragons. They are lasting a long time, and I think of the book launch when I see them.

Having never been to a book launch, I didn't know what to expect. However, my friend, who has been to at least one launch, said that someone needed to introduce me. So I asked my three children to each say something. They were all born in Ecuador and grew up there; we returned to Canada when the youngest was 15. The older two had started university in Canada. 

One spoke of all the moves we made and how we created homes wherever we lived. Another spoke of how we shared our home with so many people over the years - for meals, as houseguests, and so on. And the last spoke of home being an ambiguous term. For them home was Ecuador. For me, home was Canada, yet I made a home for my family wherever I was. It was interesting to listen to their well-expressed thoughts.

There was a fabulous spread of appetizers to enjoy, and a gorgeous cake, decorated very thoughtfully by my daughter-in-law who researched the flora of Ecuador and created a cake with elements such as eucalyptus, roses, vines, and orchids. It was also delicious!

Our friend Jules paints as a hobby and he created this thoughtful piece as a gift to inspire me to keep on writing. How gorgeous it is. I love the colours. There are little fireflies around the lamp post. I'll treasure this gift.

The weekend passed in a flurry of activity. My parents and sister and brother-in-law left on the Sunday afternoon ferry. Yesterday was spent puttering. A little laundry, a sewing project completed, and a few small garden chores including clipping more sweet peas. I have a variety of colours, but felt like creating a softer bouquet this time, with soft blue and palest pink blossoms. The photo is taken outdoors on the patio, but the flowers now sit on my bedside table where the scent wafts over me as I sleep. 

Today, Tuesday, I've been out and about. A physio appointment and grocery shopping. This evening I'm going to a farewell party for my school principal who is moving on to other things. I'm looking forward to chatting with my former colleagues. 

Friday Favourites: Roses and Visitors

 

Spring being a tough act to follow, God invented June.

Al Bernstein

June is such a beautiful month. Roses, Sweet Peas, Lavender, even Dahlias grow almost visibly. We've enjoyed pleasant temperatures, not too hot, and clear evenings where the light lingers until well after 10 pm. The garden is a tangle of leafy growth and bright blooms that hide most of the weeds. 

Lichfield Angel, a David Austin rose, is showing off just now with large creamy blossoms. I see it from my kitchen window and admire the plethora of flowers. It's a large shrub, and I've removed other plants I had nearby to give it space. Working in the garden is such a joy and I come in with scratches and dirty hands and clothes, but oh, so happy. 

I read about berry cages in English books and wondered exactly what they were. Did people really build cages around their raspberries? It seems so, and I now know why. We've had a couple of very pesky robins eyeing the blueberries and strawberries and pecking at many of them. So much so that we built our very own berry cage! It's just tall poles with cross supports over which we've draped netting. It has kept the birds out. How funny it was to watch the robins shortly after we installed it. 

They swooped down from the sky and pulled up abruptly when the sight of the net registered. They marched about on the ground all around the cage looking for an entry point looking very cross. As Tim said to them, "There are plenty of worms in the garden, go eat those!" 

Sweet peas fill the air with such fragrance and colour. And I love the fact that they need to be clipped to keep blooming. I snip away, making bouquets for various rooms in the house. 

This weekend my sister and brother-in-law, and my parents are visiting so I'll put fresh flowers in their rooms. They are coming for my book launch party, hosted by a friend. I've never been to a book launch party, but my friend has, and has arranged everything. 

Hydrangeas are another summer favourite that are looking well these days. There is so much choice for cutting and filling vases. 

Molineux is my newest rose, purchased late last summer and settling in well. 

We've had a busy week. My brother and sister-in-law were in town earlier in the week and we took a trip to Botanical Beach to see the tide pools, and also to Butchart Gardens on another day. 

As well, last night was the graduation ceremony for our youngest daughter who has completed her Masters of Counseling degree. It's been a long three and a half years for her, being a mom to her two young daughters, as well as working with her husband on setting up a new business. We're very proud of Ashley. 

What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, 

the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet

no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.

Gertrude Jekyll

For fans of Anne of Green Gables and similar stories, I discovered a collection of L. M. Montgomery's stories online which are free to read. There are many I've never read. L. M. Montgomery short stories at Online Literature. 

My own reading these days is a biography of Jo van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent Van Gogh's sister-in-law, who, after his death and the death of her husband, dedicated her life to making Van Gogh's paintings known to the world. 

I'm off to finish the laundry and do some last minute things before the company arrives. Wishing you all a most beautiful weekend!

Friday Favourites: By the Shore

 

The sun shone this morning and it was a good day to do something different. We visited two spots on the water, Sandcut Beach and Fishboat Bay. Two places not very far apart on the shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but they couldn't be more different.

Walking through the forest was a wee bit chilly, but full of fresh woodsy smells. A choir of birdsong floated down through the tree canopy as we walked. I used the Merlin app to find out just which birds were singing. Pacific Wren, Brown Creeper, Western Flycatcher, Golden-Crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush, and the ubiquitous American Robin. The birds were high above us and we didn't see one of them. 

We rounded a corner on the trail and met this fellow, created with a bit of charcoal and two white rocks in old springboard notches. The notches were created long ago to hold a piece of wood out from the trunk to stand on while cutting the tree. I learned today that often the bottom of a tree is where the knots are, so loggers would cut the stumps quite high, hence the need for a springboard. 

Soon we heard the sound of waves rolling up onto the shore, but the sun was hidden by patches of fog obscuring most of the view. A Belted Kingfisher stood on a rock in the water, perhaps waiting for the sun to come out so he could go fishing. They are such quick birds and rarely in one spot for any length of time but this particular bird sat for a long time. 

Sandcut Creek winds its way to the ocean on a shelf 12-15 feet (4-5 metres) above the shoreline and then falls onto the tumbled rocks below. The flow varies with much more water in winter and just a trickle by late summer. 

This beach is a rocky one with curves and hills formed by the water. The smoothly rounded loose rock takes some effort to walk on, and there was little sand. 

We clambered up above the falls and walked upstream along the creek bed. Round pools and channels have been carved out by the water over time. We were startled by a dog who came from the woods barking loudly at us. A trail led to the creek and we could see the roof of a building in the woods, so I assume someone was living there. The dog was watchful, but not threatening. Still, we decided not to venture any further. 

Just down the road at Fishboat Bay the water looked almost tropical in the sunshine.  

A few patches of fog hung over the water, but the beach was clear. In contrast to the rocks at Sandcut Beach, here was beautiful smooth sand. It would be perfect for lounging on a warm day, or bringing children to enjoy the sand and sea. 

The tall pilings are the remnants of a dock where fishing boats came ashore, hence the name of the Bay. 

In sunny patches along the roads daisies bloom along with blackberry bushes and orange poppies. Summer weather seems to be settling in now, and for that I am very happy. 

I'm looking forward to -

* evenings on the patio

* bouquets of roses and sweet peas and dahlias

* summer food - watermelon, hearty salad dinners, and fresh fruit

* not wearing a sweater

What are you anticipating in the next months, be it summer or winter? 

Friday Thoughts of Roses, Birds, and Peonies

 

It was June, and the world smelled of roses.

The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside. Maud Hart Lovelace

The first roses are blooming in the garden. John Cabot, above, is one of the earliest. It's a thorny plant, a climber that we cut severely last year and moved due to the construction of a new patio. It seems to be recovering nicely, and should it develop the tall growth it previously had, we will train it along the fence which is at the back of our property. 

While I work in the garden, birds come and go. A bright male House Finch sat on a lilac branch and watched me for a few moments, giving me time to take a few photos of him. 

There is another bird who has discovered our garden, and I'm not so pleased about this one. It's a very cheeky American Robin who seems to think this is his property. He comes regularly and pecks at the strawberries. I planted pole beans this week and the very next day saw him peck them out of the ground. I've now covered the bean trellises in cloth to prevent him stealing the ones I replanted. 

Today I saw him perch on a blueberry branch and eye the berries up and down. He's just waiting for them to ripen. Something must be done for he is voracious. 

Our elderberry tree has grown very tall recently, and I hope it fills out a little. Meanwhile the lovely floral fragrance of the blossoms wafts across to where I weed sometimes, making the chore just a wee bit sweeter. 

I make Elderberry Cordial and we've enjoyed it on the rare hot afternoon with lots of ice in either water or club soda. I'm hoping there are plenty more hot summer days ahead, for just now there is a chill wind blowing in from the Pacific and over the past hour, clouds have covered the blue sky. 

As the roses begin to flower, the last of the peonies blooms. This is Sarah Bernhardt, who always shows up last. I don't mind, for I believe she is my favourite, pale pink with flashes of deeper colour here and there. 

Peonies are long-lived shrubs and can bloom for up to 100 seasons, hence their association with long marriages. I love their femininity and extravagant ruffles and can't get enough of them. I've taken photo after photo to try and capture their magic. 

Book news: 

My memoir, Life is Short but Wide, is now available via online platforms such as Amazon. I am still working on getting the print book available on Indigo (Canada), as only the e-book shows up for now. 

If you would like to support your local bookstore, the book can be ordered. Here's the information. The ISBN is not necessary but might help if there are difficulties.

Life is Short but Wide

Lorrie Orr

ISBN 978-1-0675121-0-1 

Also, for the month of June, I will send a signed copy to Canadian addresses, postage included. Just send an email to (lorrieorr @ gmail.com) without the spaces. 

Anyone who has purchased a book (throughout the month of June) is eligible to win this original matted (4 x 6 inches) watercolour. Just send me a quick email (or comment below) and I'll put your name into the hat for the draw. I will mail it anywhere in the world. 

Something to remember - we are all beautiful. When I taught, I would look at my students while they worked on an assignment and I would occasionally think of how beautiful they were, each one with unique gifts and talents, and years of life ahead of them. Youth has its beauty, as does each stage of life on up to old age. Think of the peony that continues to produce beauty throughout its long life.  

Tonight there's a birthday celebration for two darling granddaughters, born within a day of each other. Other than that the weekend will be fairly quiet, with gardening, housekeeping, and reading. 

Friday Favourites: Peonies and Strawberries

 

After dinner this evening, (grilled chicken, potatoes and carrots bundled in foil and cooked on the grill, and coleslaw), I spent some time in the garden. Birds sang sleepy songs as the light softened. Everything is looking lush and green. Now, nearing 9 pm, the sky is streaked with backlit clouds along the horizon. 

I so look forward to peonies in May. There are several varieties in the garden and they bloom at different times. I love their extravagant ruffles and slightly spicy scent. I'm so pleased that there are plenty of blooms so I can cut bouquets for the house. 

Now that my book is finished, I'm doing some serious cleaning. My sewing room, which is also my writing studio, has suffered from a lack of tidiness recently so I spent two afternoons pulling things off the shelves, reorganizing the cupboards, dusting and vacuuming. It looks and feels so much better. I have another storage cupboard that needs the same treatment and I'll start that soon. 

A friend of a friend stayed with us for five days recently. She lives in another province and was in town for a garden tour, but needed emergency surgery. She stayed with us until she was able to fly home. I found myself cooking differently to accommodate her diet and made some old favourites from my growing up years. Scalloped potatoes, homemade macaroni and cheese, hamburger gravy on mashed potatoes, baked custard, and bread pudding. I enjoyed it all, but the first meal I made for the two of us was Shrimp Creole which has punchier flavours. It made me think about how my cooking has changed over the years. 

"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. 

"I don't exactly want to make people know more...

I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time 

because of me...to have some little joy

or happy thought that would never have existed 

if I hadn't been born."

L. M. Montgomery (Anne's House of Dreams)

I've been reading the third book in A. J. Pearce's Emmy Lake series, set during the Second World War in London. Emmy works in a magazine office and it's a fun and unique setting. There are four books in the series; I've read three and will be looking for the fourth. Very enjoyable!

We watched Remarkably Bright Creatures recently. I had no expectations and didn't know what it was about. It's heartwarming and lovely, a very easy movie to watch, and told from a distinctly different perspective. There is a book upon which the movie is based, but I've not read it. 

Strawberries are ripening! The price of local berries in the stores is eye-watering and I am glad that we grow enough for the two of us. They are sweet and juicy. We enjoy them with our breakfasts. I like to freeze some in two-cup amounts for fruit sauces and desserts in the winter. So far, just one bag has made it to the freezer. 

I wish I spoke bird so I could have a little chat with the ones who are pecking at a few of the berries, but leaving the majority of the berry behind. "Bird," I would say, "you are welcome to a few of the strawberries, but please finish eating what you start. Wasting food is not ideal." 

Tomorrow we are meeting friends for brunch at a local restaurant, and on Sunday afternoon, another group of friends is joining us here for a barbecue. Tomorrow is also my parents 71st wedding anniversary. My mother says she can hardly believe it! 

June is just around the corner and I've included one photo of a rosebud that will soon join many others in bringing colour and beauty to the month. 

Friday Favourites: On Flowers and Dreams

 

In the morning, as soon as I get out of bed, I pull aside the curtain from one window and look at the sky. How wonderful it is to see blue sky with just a few puffy clouds. Bright mornings definitely lift my spirits. We've had a long run of those days that fill me with energy. My mouth seems to smile without effort, just because of the beauty of the day. 

Evening light is also magical with its soft glow and deepening shadows. Can you believe that sweet peas are already blooming in my garden? A couple of seeds sprouted from dried pods and self-seeded, growing slowly through our very mild winter, and now with the warmer weather, they have burst into fragrant flowers. I clipped the long stems and set them in a vase on the kitchen windowsill alongside a ceramic rooster that was a wedding gift to my parents over 70 years ago. It sat atop the fridge of my childhood home. My mother gave it to me a few years ago, and it brings back fond memories. 

The garden is relishing the sunshine and warmth. Columbines, Cornflowers, and Peonies are blooming their hearts out. I planted three alliums years ago and each year they come back, just three of them. This year they are all leaning noticeably.

There are so many buds on the peonies! The Duchesse de Nemours is blooming wildly just now, all elegant white frills. A vase of them stands on the dining room table and fills the room with spicy fragrance. Soon the pink varieties will bloom. They are such heavenly flowers. 

A dream came true this week. My memoir is now published. It all seems a bit unreal. It's a scary thing to write and let other people read my words. For those interested in reading it, information is here in my Substack account (no subscription needed). I'll be adding it to the sidebar of my blog, as well. 

A week or so ago I cut back the dry, brown sword ferns to allow fresh growth some air. How intricate the curled fronds are, and how quickly they open to the light. Elsewhere in the garden I've planted out the tomato starters, along with squash and zucchini. The potato plants have been covered with more soil. Basil and dill are emerging and we're enjoying salads with fresh lettuce, spinach, radishes, and green onions picked just before eating. Such luxury. 

We have no plans for the weekend and I hope to garden (the weeds continue to grow) and do the necessary house fluffing chores. Tea on the patio is sure to happen on a sunny afternoon, except the tea might be exchanged for a frosty glass of elderflower cordial, made from last summer's flowers. I sort of forgot about it and it's been sitting on the pantry shelves, well sealed. It's high time to enjoy it. 

Happy weekend to each of you!