Current Entries July 31, 2010. Looking for a terrific building opportunity, on the waterfront, on tranquil Pender Island? Or, keep as a significant holding property, and develop later? This gem enjoys easy access oceanfront, serene views over Browning Harbour, and one can walk to the Driftwood Mall, if desired! Moor your boat in front of your land, or, tie up at Port Browning Marina, nearby, and dinghy home. Sunny, area of fine homes, one of Pender's most desired neighbourhoods, this beauty awaits your pleasure! Pender enjoys good ferry service, either from Tsswassan (Vancouver's terminal) to Otter Bay, on Pender, or from Swartz Bay (Victoria's terminal) to Otter Bay. Four marinas on Pender: Port Browning, Otter Bay, Bedwell Harbour (now renamed Poet's Cove), and Thieves Bay (in Magic Lake Estates). A golf course, too! The Driftwood Mall offers shopping, and the rural calm of Pender is very appealing indeed. More information? Call me! July 30, 2010. Mark your calendars, and don't miss the exceptional show of Diana Dean's paintings and sculpture, 1980 to 2010, at Starfish Gallery and Studio (in Grace Point Square). Opening receptionn is Friday, Aug 6th, 6 to 8 p.m. Show runs Aug 6 to 22. Catch the Salt Spring Painters Guild show at ArtSpring, 10 to 4, daily, "Summer on Salt Spring"...show runs to Aug 2nd. Live music at Treehouse: Sunday, Aug 1st, enjoy Fretwork, Monday it's Wallabee Indeed, and Tuesday it's the talented David Jaquest and Open Stage. Wednesday, it's Velvet Band! This Saturday, be at Ango Retreat on Lepage Road, and enjoy Don Conley's Summer Romance musical array! Beginning at 4:30, this piano concert of classical music will charm and entertain you! Iced tea is served and dancing is encouraged.... Catch the folk-rock duo Silk at Aug 4th Music and Munch, an inspired weekly series showcased at All Saints by the Sea...12:10 starts the concert! On Aug 6th, at ArtSpring, enjoy Alison Crowe's SPCA benefit concert...call ticket office for details! Yes, the Rocky Horror Show starts tonight, at Fulford Hall -- have fun! Harbour House Hotel: great food and live music, too! Tonight, it's Folk with Richard Cross, Saturday it's KC Kelly, and Sunday enjoy Jazz with Alvaro Sanchez. ArtCraft is showcasing Carl Sean McMahon and his show Awakening. Opening reception is tonight: 6 to 8 p.m., and show runs on Mahon Hall's Stage until August 11th. Enjoy this B.C. Day holiday weekend -- Saturday Market, great galleries in Ganges Village, studio tours around the Island, al fresco dining (lunch or dinner) at Harbour House Hotel, Bocados Bistro, Calvin's Bistro, Seaside Kitchen, Moby's, Cafe Talia, Rendezvous Cafe, Auntie Pesto's, Treehouse Cafe, Rock Salt Cafe, Piccolo's...hikes and picnics at Ruckle Park, Mt. Maxwell Park, Fernwood Dock beach, Beddis Beach, Vesuvius Beach, Burgoyne Bay Park, Drummond Children's Park....kayak to Chocolate Beach....enjoy! Lucky us! Summer on Salt Spring! July 29, 2010. Looking for an amazing building opportunity? Here's a terrific small acreage, with exceptional panoramic views of ocean, islands, and mountains (Mt. Baker's majesty from here, too!), plus very sunny, private, & close to lake and ocean beach accesses, to park hiking/walking trails, & to all amenities, yet retaining a wonderful sense of "apartness". Septic has been approved, excavation for a foundation has been accomplished, drilled well in place, driveway roughed in....bring your architect, and walk this beauty, soon. In an area of very fine homes. Sometimes, opportunity actually waves at us....doesn't just "beckon". This is one of those occasions! July 28, 2010. Summer pleasures continue, in this lovely Pacific Northwest Coast island gem....yes, it's about the sea, and sailing or kayaking or power boating between the islands, enjoying lunch at Montague Marina on Galiano, or at the Springwater Lodge on Mayne Island, or at Currents on Pender's Otter Bay or at Hope Bay in Navy Channel, or at Rock Salt at Fulford on Salt Spring Island, or at Lyall Harbour on Saturna...all easily reached via pleasure boat, and all with nearby docks and a short stroll or "right at dockside" convenience.... On a hot day, it's great to enjoy riding your horse (or one you have "rented" for a trail ride) in the leafy forest, and to wander down onto a nearby beach.... Lots of lovely outdoor activities in this entire region...it's the summer season, short but sweet, and here we are half way through...by August, we'll be getting the ads for "back to school" in the media. In a recent survey, 23% of Canadians said that the second thing they would leave out of a holiday/camping experience, right after wishing mosquitos weren't around, was the "let's drop the mobile"! I'm with the 23%....the blurring of the corporate and personal lives continues apace, and it is the technology that allows it, as we morph/mesh into "always on"/time erased/always time.... Hmmm....I keep humming the great Brubeck's message "Take Five"! July 27, 2010. It's easy to imagine that the people who own this dock have just set sail, to explore the Harbour and the nearby islands. I also imagine that they have a great picnic packed there, that they might drop anchor off one of the tiny islands in the Harbour, dinghy ashore, and swim from the crushed shell beach they'll be enjoying their picnic on. Maybe they'll even catch a breeze, and have a spinnaker run out the Harbour...its stays late till around 10 p.m. in our summer season, and that might mean they're off to explore a nearby Gulf Island, what about fish and chips at a neighbouring island cafe....hiking a park reserve and enjoying the vistas.... The sail home is always a treasure, with the sunset crimsoning the western sky, the moon shimmering tracks right to the boat, and the knowledge that another perfect summer day awaits on the morrow.... Hmmm...that day dream seems like it could become a reality, and right now. What does that old adage say? Ah, yes....take five. Even kids get to enjoy a time out, so why not busy realtors? Will tell you about the picnic next time! Enjoy your summer..... July 26, 2010 "Being able to "think outside the box" presupposes you were able to think in it." (automaker, Bob Lutz) July 25, 2010. Looking for an oasis of calm, in a location that offers an enticing year round lifestyle, plus easy access to major centres, and yet with an alluring "yesteryear" ambiance? Here it is, on Salt Spring Island, on almost 7 acres, with arable land (an amazing deer-fenced organic garden is in place, with orchard (yes, those are peach trees!), plus a custom designed and built unique "west coast contemporary" home, with ocean, islands, mountain vistas, and sunrises and sunsets! Old growth timbers in the exposed beams, vaulted ceiling, dramatic living (feature stone fireplace), library/den off, terrific cook's dream kitchen, with ocean view dining, plus dramatic solarium/ breakfast area, master sitting with ensuite in its own wing, guest accomodation, full bath, in its separate wing (great loft for children or grandchildren to enjoy!), plus separate laundry and powder room...all on main level. Lower (garden) level offers games room, full bath, spacious storage, wine room, great workshop. Expansive decking, with ocean vistas, hot tub with a view, plus sunset patios. Garden walkway leads to a gazebo with firepit...watch the moon rise and shimmer across the water, dancing towards you.... Very private, and yet close to all amenities, and just a short stroll to a lovely beach (can keep a boat on a mooring buoy, in the protected bay). Enjoy tranquility! July 24, 2010. Summer pleasures..... For some, it's going out in the boat. That might mean a two week bare boat charter to Desolation Sound, on B.C.'s amazing Coast. For others, it might mean a picnic plus water skiing on a mid-continent lake. For some, it might mean a hammock, a novel, iced tea down by the pond (swimming later!). It doesn't really matter the scenario (did I mention camping, with marshmallow roasts at the campfire, and ghost stories in the best oral tradition?)...what matters is the moment of "pause", the letting go of the carapace of adulthood and "choredom". Here's the alert...it's a very short season, that elusive and long awaited suumertime...we're half way through. You did say you were taking a break, right? What was that? A week at the cottage? Go for it! July 23, 2010. Looking for the perfect cottage retreat, on special Salt Spring Island? Here it is! Across a quiet country road from a wonderful walk-on beach, with seasonal moorage potential via mooring buoy, in front of your home, this totally renovated one bedroom cottage, with expansive decking, peaceful rear garden with workshop, enjoys superb ocean, islands, mountain vistas! On community water system. This is truly a "best buy" opportunity on the Gulf Island that offers a terrific year round lifestyle -- step into this gem...it awaits your pleasure! July 22, 2010. Sunday Concerts on the Lawn continue at Hastings House...the music this next concert, July 25th, is supplied by Millionaires, playing a mix of Blues, R and B, and Top 20...tickets are $40, and include a gourmet picnic. Arrive at 12:30, with your blanket or lawn chair, collect your picnic, choose your spot on the lawn. Next concert after this Sunday's is on August 29th. Catch Allison Crowe's concert, 8 p.m. on August 6th, ArtSpring, to aid SSI BCSPCA. Enjoy! Moby's live music choices: tonight it's Live Blues with Gary Preston, Friday it's the amazing Sunyata, Saturday catch Cheek, and Sunday it's Jazz, of course, with the Lloyd English Trio. Thursday the 29th be sure and enjoy John Lefebvre and the Stonehouse Ravens, and again on the 30th! The 31st it's Emily Spiller and Cory Woodward, and August 1st welcomes Sunday Jazz with the Norris Clement Trio. Lucky us...all this talent! Gallery 8's upper level is showcasing the work of David Jackson...read about this show in the current issue of Aqua, too! The solo exhibit continues till Aug 7th. Tree House Cafe's nightly live music continues: tonight it's Mike Alviano, tomorrow the terrific Billie Woods, Saturday enjoy Daniel Howlett, Sunday the wonderful Alan Moberg, Monday catch Terry Warby, and Tuesday it's Open Stage with David Jaquest. Wednesday: Sean Ashby. Mark your calendars, and enjoy this summer institution...Tree House, the original live music venue! Tuesday, July 27th, be inspired by an all-Chopin recital: 8 p.m. at ArtSpring. Yaron Kohlberg, direct from Chicago, performs. Salt Spring's Annual Chamber Music Festival offers four concerts: can still catch tonight, Friday and Saturday concerts. Call ArtSpring's ticket office for more details. Going off Island? The 2010 Sooke Fine Arts Show runs from July 24 to August 2, at SeaParc Leisure Centre. An easy day trip from Salt Spring -- maybe work in tea at Point No Point, too! Summer on Salt Spring, the annual Salt Spring Painter's Guild exhibition can be enjoyed at ArtSpring's Gallery, July 24 to Aug 2nd, 10 to 4 p.m., with opening reception this Saturday, 5 to 7 p.m. Harbour House Hotel's live music lineup: Friday it's Jazz with Randy and Karen, Saturday enjoy Folk and Rock with Paul Bram, and Sunday go Latin with Alvaro Sanchez. Enjoy! Foxglove Farm Festival, Sunday, July 25th, at the Farm on Mount Maxwell Road -- noon to six p.m. So many displays/events to take in, and the Jose Sanchez Cuban Band will be there, too! Don't miss this! Lots to do and to see and to enjoy, during "summer on Salt Spring"...wave, if you see me! July 21, 2010. People often ask me what it's like, to live on Salt Spring Island. A valid question! It is not a "small town"...yes, geographically it's not large (the Islands Trust capped growth, on all the Gulf Islands, back in 1974), but so many people have moved here, over the years, from so many different places, and they've all brought their creative "hum" with them, and so it's actually an exciting and energetically empowering space to "be". It's also scenically beautiful (that was the point of the Trust's inception -- to "preserve and protect the environmental beauties of all the Gulf Islands, for the benefit of all B.C. residents), plus it enjoys a microclimate (it's called "cool Mediterranean") that encourages vineyards, olive groves, apple orchards, organic gardens...sheep and cow's milk cheeses that win global awards...it's an amazing place! The 10K diet is alive and well, here! A strong artistic life: painters, potters, sculptors, fabric artists, writers (novelists, poets, playwrights), film makers and editors...live music venues, choirs, dance and music events...a rich cultural life! Easy access to Vancouver, Victoria, and Vancouver Island communities, yet wonderfully "apart"...a "safe haven" environment. Truly, it's an exceptional place, with a year-round lifestyle. More information? Call me! How may I help you to buy your special piece of this Island paradise? liread33@gmail.com July 20, 2010. Here is a waterfront experience without the taxes associated with waterfront ownership! A completely renovated home, with one of Salt Spring Island's best builders -- effectively a new home. Not a big lot, but so much visual space that you will think you are on an acreage! A beautiful and easy care garden landscape design creates privacy and beauty, to feed your soul. Terrific outdoor kitchen and entertainment patio! Sunny, quiet area, on community water and sewer, exceptional ocean and island panoramic viewscapes! Across a very quiet country road from the ocean -- when the tide is out, walk for miles! Just minutes to all amenities, and yet in its own serene world! Main level offers formal entry/foyer, dream kitchen, open plan living/dining, all with those panoramic ocean views, plus master/ensuite "wing". Lower (garden) level enjoys a recreational/media room, office area, guest bed, full bath, spacious laundry room/storage, plus access out to the garden spaces. Extra storage areas, too! Property is fenced. An ocean side and a garden side...both are alluring! A splendid retirement opportunity awaits your pleasure -- just move in and enjoy, and begin your special Salt Spring Island lifestyle! July 19, 2010. We're always being encouraged to "do" what is our passion, in life. Sometimes, though, it's a gift to see that ethic in real and palpable form! Yesterday, I zipped over to Victoria on the ferry from Salt Spring, to check out the annual Deuce Coupe car show, and wow, what a display down by the Inner Harbour, on the lawn of the Fairmont Empress Hotel, in front of the B.C. Legislature building, and down the sidestreets around the B.C. Museum -- anyone who has visited Victoria will know where it was held. Such beauty, if you're "into" classic cars. Some of those paint jobs made you want to give them a lick! No touching, though. One car went by as they were all leaving, in a sort of a parade: for sale, asking $120,000. Well, if you're into classic cars, and you've reclaimed to stellar status an old junker (those Deuce Coupes are from 1932), then you're probably into it for more than list price! Sound familiar, if you're a seller or a realtor?? It was a pleasure to see this array, on a summer Sunday afternoon...that design was terrific, and the revamping of same is stellar. I can see the point of going with one's passion! July 18, 2010. So many changes being delivered our way, no matter who we are/where we live/or what we do. As Marshall McLuhan stated, back in the 60s / 70s, "the medium is the message". By 1999, the Internet Revolution had begun to be "mainstream". Today, we are emerging from the transition period (1999 to 2010??) between 20th and 21st century lives. Technology, created to perform what the Information Age needs, is rewiring our brains, I think. We are becoming different people as we step up to meet the challenges of this profound time of change. McLuhan may have been the first to note that the new methodology would erase time and geography, and turn our worlds into a "global village". The still existing tribal cultures, with strong patriarchal emphasis, which did manage to hold on in insular pockets up till now, may not be able to withstand the pervasive interruption in all our lives of the current technological revolution. Power has been delivered into the hands of the consumer of information...we are very close to a totally mobile experience, where each person's point of view may be shared with the world, but so will all other points of view -- the top down control, then, will disappear. The bottom up approach, from each individual mind, with the tools to share that individual response, will be the starting point. Both a vehicle for freedom and a potential for misuse...the usual yin/yang of life, then. As Kierkegaard reminded us, in the 19th century, it's always "either/or". So...profound change, bigger perhaps than the Gutenberg invention of the printing press, although that 14th Century invention did lead to the Renaissance (16th century) and to Humanism (18th century)), and maybe right now is the final outcome of those ideas? Short-view, and just about the real estate industry, (which like all businesses has become a consumer-centric model, and thus marketing of property has profoundly changed, too), please call or email or drop by my office in person, and discuss how connecting of buyers and sellers can best be accomplished. Change is everywhere! Ah...but in change lies opportunity! Look forward to connecting with you.... liread33@gmail.com July 17, 2010. Wow...a very best buy oceanfront property on special Salt Spring Island, and awaiting your enjoyment! Totally renovated/updated country retreat home, with sunny patio and deck areas, very private, space for guests to be comfortably "apart" and a master retreat for the owners. Open plan living/dining, spacious for entertaining and for being cosy when on one's own...great kitchen! Tranquil marine vistas, dock in place (year round moorage, here), plus mooring buoy for guests. Easy care landscaping....forest surround for privacy....beach when the tide is out (beachcombing pleasures with the visiting grandchildren, perhaps?), and nice swimming here, too. In an area of fine homes, close to Ganges Village and all amenities, and yet wonderfully "apart". Quiet retreat awaits your pleasure! July 16, 2010. Looking for a day-trip suggestion? Tomorrow is Thetis Day -- an easy trip from Salt Spring. Catch the ferry from Vesuvius to Crofton, take the lower road through Chemainus. Enjoy the "town of murals"...the ferry to Thetis leaves from Old Town in Chemainus (follow the signs). Take a picnic...there are some places on Thetis to try, but it's a small and rural island, so be prepared with snacks and water. Take your bathing suit -- warm ocean swimming in this area, and some nice beaches. Have a boat? Two marinas at Telegraph Harbour... It's summer, and fun to explore some of the "less discovered" Gulf Islands! Thetis is on Salt Spring's doorstep! Enjoy! July 15, 2010. "Cat sits in the sun. Dog sits on the grass. Turtle sits on the rock. Frog sits on the lily pad. Why aren't people so smart?" (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") July 14, 2010. ArtCraft, at Mahon Hall, is showcasing Byungjoo Suh and Michela Sorrentino, "on the stage", for the next several days. I am really happy to sponsor this "Elsewhere: Travel to Metaphorical Spaces" exhibition. The opening reception is Friday, July 16, from 6 to 8 p.m., at ArtCraft's Mahon Hall location, and the artists will be in attendance. Sponsored, too, by the Salt Spring Arts Council. See you there! Live music at Treehouse, as their 111 evenings of live music (started on May 24th, with a tribute to Bob Dylan, on his birthday), continues...such musical talent on this Island! Tonight it's Terry Warby's 2nd Annual Blues Fest! Tomorrow, catch Chamigos, and Friday it's Julia Beattie & Kris Hansen. Saturday, enjoy Sara Brudner, and Sunday it's Let It Beatle. Monday: Half a Quorum, and of course Tuesday is always the great Open Stage with David Jacquest. Be inspired on Wednesday with Fiddleworks! Lucky us! Don't forget to tune into Randy's Vinyl Tap on Saturday Nights, 7 to 9 p.m., CBC Radio 1 or Sirius Channel 137. Gallery 8 is showcasing David Jackson with a Welcome Back Exhibition, July 16 to August 7th. Opening reception on Friday, the 16th, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you haven't been to Gallery 8 yet (formerly J. Mitchell Gallery) in Grace Point Square, you will be amazed at the space changes, here, including the upper level area. Enjoy! Don't forget that the great Cuban group Wil Campa y su gran union plays ArtSpring, on Friday the 16th, show starting at 8 p.m. Be inspired! Also, every Friday and Saturday evening, from 9 to midnight, enjoy the Summer Lights illuminated sculptures at Salt Spring Woodworks. Not to be missed! Tomorrow, the 15th, starts ArtSpring's biggest fundraiser, the annual ArtSpring Treasure Fair. Also on the 16th and the final evening, the 17th, is the much anticipated Live Auction. Support this gem of a community theatre and gallery space....so many great events, here, that enrich the community's lifestyle. Remember: the arts feed our souls! More live music: Harbour House Hotel, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., in the lounge, with Friday showcasing Tanya Lipscomb, Saturday it's Mowbray & Mills, and Sunday, the 18th, enjoy Norris Clement & Diane Bessell. Hot out? Enjoy the patio...great view all the way down Ganges Harbour, to Theives Bay on Pender Island! Cool place.... Check out the website for the community radio station (www.cfsi-fm.com) for program lineups. Some great shows, here...all volunteers, and definitely showcasing the wonderful "mix" that makes up the fabric of Salt Spring Island "life". On Island? It's at 107.9 fm. The Chefs Across the Water event continues at Hastings House, with a special dinner on the 19th, featuring John Bishop, of Bishop's Restaurant in Vancouver. These dinners help to support Salt Spring agriculture....be there! Don't forget the gourmet picnics on Sunday afternoons, with music, too, on the lawn at Hastings House...something special to do for yourself. Wander their Sculpture Trail, too. Live music at Moby's, of course, with Sunday jazz a very appealing feature. Barley Brothers play Fulford Pub, every Sunday, too. We are so lucky...great restaurants, incredible galleries, inspiring musicians...lots of al fresco pleasures, too. It's summer, right?? Enjoy! July 13, 2010. Here's a treasure of a rural / pastoral property, on tranquil Denman Island. Fronting on a peaceful marsh area, that allows for canoeing through the channels and into the main "lake" of the marsh...a peaceful way to glide through a summer evening! A bird sanctuary par excellence, too! New home, with many unique features...radiant infloor heat, custom windows, crafted doors, easy access out to spacious and sun splashed patio areas (barbecue heaven, here!), custom bathrooms, climbing wall for the kids...great kitchen! Some finishing aspects that will allow you to put your stamp on the home...a gift to you. The plus? A "wow" workshop space. Very very unique, and lovingly crafted -- the family calls this "the mansion". Perfect home occupation or space for an artist. Large installations would be happy, here. A short stroll to a great beach, too. Very sunny property, arable areas, deer fenced, and with the allure of Denman Island's peaceful ambiance. A gem! July 12, 2010. Here is a very rare offering on special Salt Spring Island! Low bank oceanfront, with warm ocean swimming, and a rich sealife and birdlife. Tucked into Booth Bay, and close to Booth Canal, you can enjoy eagles teaching their young to fly, watch seals cavort and otters play, and one also enjoys both sunrises and sunsets from this beauty. At Swan Point, there are only 5 properties, here, all waterfront, all very privately sited, and on a cooperative water system. Park greenbelt area, for their common area use in this bare land strata, ensures a wonderful "natural" surround to all of the properties. This gem is a restored Arts and Crafts cottage, with new (and seamless blending) of lower (garden) level and upper level master sitting, with dramatic ensuite. Fir floors, custom window treatments, the original flair of the character dining room has been retained, cook's dream kitchen, and the Ottawa architect, who designed the additions/restoration of the original, linked the levels via a dramatic oceanview glass tower. So many exquisite touches, here...has to be seen to be appreciated. Although a dramatic vista from the quiet country road access, it does not "show" the surprises within...make an appointment and view this gem, soon. Zoned for separate stuido...perhaps build a garage and do the studio above? Just one possiblility.... Sunny, private, quiet area of fine homes, and yet just mere minutes to all of Ganges Village's amenities. Pleasure awaits you....step in ready, to enjoy. July 11, 2010. Yes, it's summer and the living is easy! Finally, the "juneuary" time has dissipated and we are enjoying the summer season weather that makes the Pacific Northwest Coast an amazing place "to be". From the U.S. San Juans through the Southern Canadian Gulf Islands, we have some of the best protected boating waters in the world, and a sailing trip (on your own boat or via a charter) can be a terrific summer adventure. If you have the time, it's off to magical Desolation Sound, and maybe a sojourn up dramatic Princess Louisa Inlet. On Salt Spring? Sign on as crew at the Sailing Club and enjoy those Wednesday evening races. Kayak out to the crushed shell and sand beach on Chocolate Island (one of the Sister Islands grouping, in Ganges Harbour). Pack a picnic and enjoy the Ruckle Park trails, or perch at Mt. Maxwell and "see forever". Take time to discover Burgoyne Bay Park! Not much time? Off to Beddis Beach -- just 8 minutes away, on a quiet country road, and the feeling is that you're wonderfully "apart". The beach at the end of Churchill Road is another nearby gem...can walk here from Ganges Village. Take Salt Spring Air up on their suggestion to fly over the Island on a 1/2 hour floatplane adventure...the bird's eye view of the Southern Gulf Islands is not to be missed! Lots to do and to see...get out there in Nature's gift of "real summer", and enjoy.... July 10, 2010. What does peripheral vision do? It gives the wide-angle view of anything, as opposed to the tunnel vision view. With tunnel vision, we bore down with focus, we really keep at that one perspective, and so our whole body language is hunched forward, peering immediately in front of us...looking down the tunnel. With peripheral vision, we see the 180 degree vista, and there, on the edges, we have interesting and often unthought of issues shimmering and flashing for our attention. In this 21st Century, with minute by minute change, an avalanche of new discoveries and technolgy, along with the resulting shifts in expression to utilize same, it's more important than ever to be exercising that peripheral vision expertise. That will allow us to use our editing function, to sift through all the raw data to come up with the "ping" thing that will feed our creativity, and will create our paths. Tunnel vision keeps us stuck, keeps us on a loop like a cable network, and no new thoughts or discoveries can get in, to show us another way. So, back up, right now, from whatever it is that has caught you in its tunnel perspective....that's it....there, see it? Right there on the edges....yes, it's the creative impulse that will help us all. July 9, 2010. Wow! Summer just erupted, one day to the next...Sunday, it was in the 50s, and Tuesday it was in the 90s. Finally........ Al fresco dining in full swing -- Calvin's Bistro, Harbour House Hotel, Treehouse Cafe, Salt Spring Inn, Seaside Kitchen, Bocados Bistro, Auntie Pesto's, one fish/two fish, Moby's, Rock Salt Cafe, Piccolo's, Oystercatcher, Stonehouse Pub...lunch or dinner, decks or patios, breathe the summer air, and enjoy! Mark your calendars: at Fulford Hall it's The Rocky Horror Show! July 30, 31, August 5, 6, 7. Midnight, August 21st. Tickets at: Acoustic Planet or Stuff and Nonsense (limited seating). Live music: - Moby's: Planet Claire, at 8 p.m. tonight, Sunday it's jazz (7 p.m.) with Alfons Fear Trio, and on Friday, July 16th, it's The Left! - Tree House: Tonight, catch Tom Hooper, tomorrow it's Stephanie Rhodes, and Sunday enjoy Vaughn Fulford and The Folke Fiendes. - Harbour House Hotel another venue that offers live music on Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays. Enjoy Billie Woods tonight! - also enjoy the magical talents of the Barley Brothers every Sunday at the Fulford Inn! Yes...be there at ArtSpring's annual Treasure Fair (15, 16, 17 -- with live auction on 17th). It's the biggest fundraiser for ArtSpring, and always lots of fun! Friday, 16th, ArtSpring showcases Wil Campa y su Gran Union, direct from Cuba -- be energized. Show starts at 8 p.m. Catch the show at the Point Gallery -- runs till August 15th. Called Idyll, there's an opening reception on Sunday, the 11th, 2 to 5 p.m. Check out ArtCraft -- we are so lucky with the artistic expressions on this Island. Open daily, at Mahon Hall. So much to see and to do...lucky us! July 8, 2010. I've really been enjoying my "radio experience". Last August, the owner of the new community radio station asked if I would advertise on his newly certified/licenced community station. I agreed to do this, as am always looking for ways to get the information on my listings "out there" -- our buyer profile, since about 1999, is not "local". The Driftwood monthly real estate supplement is only seen when the buyer gets here; it doesn't "bring them". Essential, then, to present where the buyer actually "is" -- otherwise how will they discover us? Thus, the "yes" to the radio station -- will see if that style of advertising works. Too soon to decide! I did suggest, though, that I do my own ads, and that experience, plus reading station "ids", led to the Monday morning radio show. I was the first show "on air", in mid-September, 2009, on a Monday morning, with a show called Potpourri with Li, and now have expanded to Wednesday a.m., too. Now called All Things Salt Spring, it's a blend of music that appeals to me (70s, opera, jazz, blues, folk), and interviews with islanders, poetry and "happenings" offered by islanders. So many talented writers, musicians, artists on this gem of an island, and so many stories to share. My show is not about real estate, then, but is about the Island and the Islanders. I'm very lucky to live on this special island, and that's the flavour of the show -- we're all lucky to be here! Hope you will listen and enjoy! Catch it off the internet (www.cfsi-fm.com), click on "playing now", below photo on website home page. Or, if in signal range, it's 107.9 fm -- you can also find podcasts of interviews to date at: www.liread.com/radio.htm (email me, if you enjoyed these -- thank you!). Mondays and Wednesdays, then, from 7 to 9 a.m., Pacific Time -- please, join me! Appreciated! July 7, 2010. Superb opportunity! Here are the oceanfront properties of noted Canadian wildlife painter, and international environmentalist, Robert Bateman! On one oceanfront property, there is an amazing home, designed and built by H. Schubart, who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright, and who moved to Salt Spring in the 1960s, from California. This beautiful rendering of the authentic "West Coast Contemporary" design ethic offers that alluring Zen/Scandanavian sensibility of Schubart's design flair. Designed and built in the mid-1980s, this classic design retains its modern and "natural" ethos. A recreation of a Clayoquat landscape enfolds the home in nurturing privacy. Master "suite", guest or children's wing, nanny suite, exceptional living, stone feature fireplace, dining, library, den, country kitchen with stone inglenook fireplace and breakfast area, superlative studio space, generous storage, writing room, double garage for those classic cars, kayak boathouse, easy care landscaping, crushed shell beach...this is a treasure! Expansive decking and patio areas to encourage that blending of inner and outer spaces. The adjacent oceanfront property offers a Schubart designed and built studio...easy to reconfigure as a guest cottage! Lovely land, a blend of west coast forest (cedar, fir, maple) and arbutus (madrona) and garry oak groves, this prestigious Reginald Hill location awaits your pleasure! Sunny (s/sw/w -- sunsets, here), and dramatic ocean, islands, mountain viewscapes from all principal rooms. Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy the very private space of renowned Robert Bateman! July 6, 2010. "Nothing is meant to be. There is no predestination." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") July 5, 2010. Here's a superb builder, with design flair and quality construction, that I'm happy to bring to your attention. The interesting thing is that it's a family business, with Bruce Gamble and his sons involved in the design and execution of very fine homes. The Pringle Farm Road gem awaits your pleasure -- wood floors, accents, custom window treatments, ocean vistas, spacious decking to expand summer living pleasures, triple care garage for those classic beauties, easy care landscaping, privacy and peaceful surround, very sunny (sunsets from here, too!)...."as new" home, and you will love the stone entry. The Sunset Drive property enjoys a pond feature, and has a stellar guest cottage nestled into the gently sloping pastoral landscape. The main home offers wood floors, custom accents, great kitchen, a warm family opportunity...would also suit a professional couple, working from home. This parcel is a short stroll to a beach access (warm ocean swimming in this area), and it is adjacent to significant park land....walk trails for miles, if desired! Meet the Gambles...these new homes are ready to just move into and to enjoy, and they welcome calls on your land parcels. July 4, 2010. Have you considered beautiful Mayne Island? Learn more about Mayne Island. Summary of my listings on Mayne Island: Mayne Active Pass Views Mayne Waterfront Beauty Mayne Seaview Character Home Mayne Oceanview Home on 16 Acres Mayne Oceanfront Paradise Happy July 4th to all our American friends!! July 3, 2010 Holiday Weekend "buzz" continues, Canada Day this past Thursday, and the U.S. July 4th tomorrow, Sunday...lots of people on Island, and lots to see and to do! Catch John Lefebre's free live concerts at ArtSpring on Sunday, the 4th....a musical mix, something for everyone's pleasure. The rally for the Islanders for Self-Government takes place in the Park, in Ganges, on Sunday the 4th, too. Today, Raffi is entertaining in the Park, and the Saturday Market in the Park is underway, too. There's a "live remote" from the local community radio station, at Bruce's Kitchen, adjacent to the Park....drop by between 11 and noon and catch my segment! Something new for the summer season on special Salt Spring Island: The "musical barn". On June 30th, the first in a series of concerts took place at Ango Retreat, on Lepage Road. Two grand pianos, playing Mozart, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt. About 30 people sat on the grass outside the barn at Ango Retreat, and enjoyed the musical potpourri. The afternoon began with tea on the lawn, and then moved to the barn for the musical part of the event. The idea behind this series is to be of service to the community. Teaching, workshops, music as healing, concerts -- all adding to the celebratory and healing spirit of Salt Springers. A Steinway in the barn, and a second grand, a harpsichord, organ and digital piano. An extraordinarily beautiful and peaceful setting awaits your pleasure. The next concert is July 30th. Contact Don Conley at Ango Retreat for more details: 250-537-0022. Enjoy! The 8th Annual Lavender Festival takes place tomorrow, the 4th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Sacred Mountain Lavender's location, at 401 Musgrave Road. Entry fee: $5.00. 12 yrs and under, no charge. Door prizes drawn throughout the day, for those with entry tickets. Don't miss the extraordinary photo exhibition at ArtSpring's Gallery. Show runs till July 10th: 5 photographers/5 visions. You will be amazed! Birgit Freybe Bateman, Gillean Proctor, Eric Onasick, Steven Friedman, and Janet Dwyer (wow, scanography!) are represtented at this Photo Lumiere exhibition. Pegasus Gallery of Canadian Art, seaside at Mouat's, just off the Boardwalk, is presenting a sale until July 11th....Little Gems. Everything under $2000 is on sale. Sunday, July 4th, is the first in a series of gourmet picnic/Sunday Concerts, at Hastings House. Tomorrow features Departure, a quartet redefining the sound of West Coast jazz. Call Hastings House at 250-537-2362, for more details. Remember, too, Hastings House and the Chefs Across the Water. Next one is on July 16th, with John Bishop from Bishop's in Vancouver. July 8th, at ArtSpring, it's Jeremy Fisher, Hannah Georgas, Said the Whale, and Aidan Knight, Canadian Indy artists, performing as the collective known as The Malahat Review. Performance starts at 8 p.m. July 10th, at Beaver Point Hall, doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m., catch Award winning German singer Nessi Tausendschoen, accompanied by William Manx, on guitar (yes, Harry Manx's brother). Tickets at Stuff and Nonsense & at Salt Spring Books. Enjoy this one! Salt Spring Woodworks is showcasing illuminated sculptures, and a nightime exhibit, Fridays and Saturdays, from 9 to midnight, throughout the summer, is something to take part in. The Woodworks is open daily, in the summer season, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Extraordinary work, here....don't miss it! Tonight, at Treehouse, catch the terrific Sunyata, and tomorrow, the 4th, it's Simone and the Soul Intentions. Monday, it's the Wandering Buddha Project, and Tuesday is always fun with David Jaquest's Open Stage. Wednesday, catch Lee's Hill. Still mixed weather, but rumour has it that summer heat will be with us by Wednesday...I'm ready! Enjoy your holiday weekend, and wave if you see me! July 2, 2010. Here we are, at the midpoint of the year, and in the heart of our narrow sales window. Although it's a "seasonless market", in the sense that people do randomly turn up throughout the year, and do buy properties at any point in the calendar year, it's also a fact that the bulk of the physicality (actually on island, viewing, and not just phoning or emailing) does take place between end of June and middle of October. Offers may be made in November, December, even January of following year, but the viewings most likely took place in that short (but intense) "summer season". From mid-July to mid-September can be the busiest "grid of activity". Throughout 2009, and the first months of 2010, the "rural areas" (Vancouver Island, outside of Victoria, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, and B.C. Interior communities) did not experience the uptick seen in Vancouver and in parts of Victoria throughout 2009/early 2010. The sales that did take place on the Islands, in 2009, were mainly in the entry level residential price category. Undeveloped land, commercial, and upper tier pricings, residentially, remained without action. On June 8th of this year, a "click of change" occurred. Suddenly, the emails and phone calls became very active, and physicality began to follow, a good 3 weeks earlier than "the norm". All property types were suddenly finding interest with potential buyers, and in all price ranges. A sign, perhaps, that a healthier market pattern is just beginning? Fear can "stop" action (and I do think this was the outcome of the "fear market", unleashed by the economic meltdowns in Fall, 2008, in all discretionary areas. It was "global". The buyer simply stopped acting). Fear can also propel action. If the fear of cash becoming valueless continues, combined with a "safe haven" search, this blending of a desire for physical safety with a preservation of capital concern may drive forward a hard asset purchase wave. This kind of fear, then, may be what lies behind the growing interest in ownership on Salt Spring Island and on the other Gulf Islands. We are very lucky, here. A temperate climate (vineyards, olives, apple orchards, organic gardens galore), a scenically beautiful area with easy access (ferry and floatplane) to major centres, a year round lifestyle that allows for a community based ethic, and the Islands Trust control of growth, with its government designated mandate of "to preserve and protect". Nothing is ever totally perfect, but life on Salt Spring Island and the Gulf Islands does seem "practically perfect". Markets go up, go down, rarely are at "even", and are always in flux. The only certainty in life is change, as Heraclitus reminded us, centuries ago, in Ancient Greece. The internet age has delivered huge societal shift, which continues as we speak. No business will remain untouched by the technology revolution that is the inevitable outcome of the digital age, post-internet. Culture is affected by such major shifts, and we all become different, as a people, as we respond to the challenges of change. Within that broader societal shift, with its own dynamics, we have the more insular shifts of our real estate marketplace. That rhythm now seems to be experiencing an uptick in interest/activity. Important to be tracking the "now", in any market driven business. One has to be in the immediacy of the moment -- the past is not to be relied on, as a "given". The future isn't clear. The "now" of the market appears to be showing an uptick. Hmm...sounds a little Zen, doesn't it..."be in the moment"...maybe that's the real message of this 21st century post-internet shift? If you're looking for up to the minute information on Salt Spring Island and Southern Gulf Islands properties, please call me! How may I help you to discover and to buy your dream Island property? Look forward to your call. liread33@gmail.com July 1, 2010. It's Canada Day! Celebrate, wherever you may be, throughout the country. We are so lucky to live here, with all the many advantages we enjoy, as Canadians. If you're on Salt Spring, enjoy the celebrations of the day, and don't miss the fireworks at the Boardwalk area/Rotary Park, at Ganges Harbour. Wave, if you see me! Happy Birthday, Canada!

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