March 31, 2008. "Without too much trouble, One can keep to the main road. But people love to be distracted, And perspective is difficult." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
March 30, 2008. Pegasus Gallery has been undergoing a major renovation (in Mouat's Boardwalk location) -- open again, now, and welcoming all. Drop by and see what they did -- a very different space! Their major show, A Century of Collecting Canadian Art Works from 1908 to 2008, open on May 4th (opening reception from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.). Mark your calendar! Don't forget the Gumboot Gala, at Fuflord Hall, tomorrow night -- tickets available at Acoustic Planet and at Salt Spring Books, in Ganges Village, or from Stuff and Nonsense in Fulford Village. It's an annual tradition -- don't miss it! Today, at 2:30 p.m. (pre-concert chat at 1:30 p.m.), at ArtSpring, enjoy Trio Verlaine & Friends, harp, flute, violin, viola, cello. Hear five of B.C.'s most gifted musicians play Mozart, Francaix, Ravel, Saint-Saens and Villa-Lobos. (Tickets at ArtSpring). Eclectic Fridays and Jazz Saturdays continue at El Zocalo restaurant, in Harbour Centre. Check it out! Tonight, at 7 p.m., at Fritz Cinema, there's a special fundraiser screening of Margaret's Museum, with director Mort Ransen in attendance, to talk about the making of the movie -- it's a fundraiser for Graffiti Theatre. See you there! Don't forget the J. Mitchell Gallery Spring opening on April 4th, reception from 5:30 to 7:30! If you haven't seen the Salt Spring Woodworks sculpture garden, then make certain you go along and view. From April 4 to 20th, at ArtSpring, it's the Salt Spring Painter's Guild Art Show & Sale, with an opening reception April 4, between 5 p.m. & 7 p.m. The show's title is "Inspiration". Tomorrow is the last day to give to the Rainforest preservation group -- drop off donations at the Salt Spring Books, or contact the Conservancy! If you pledged, earlier, make sure you send in the pledge money. This has been an example of the community in action, and the preservation of this magical acreage, on Creekside, is something that will benefit the Island "forever"! Lots to see and do, as the Island wakens into Spring -- enjoy!
March 29, 2008. Mark your calendars for J. Mitchell Gallery's Spring Show! In Grace Point Square, this Gallery is noted for showcasing the very best of Salt Spring's artist community. Between April 4th and June 24th, six different artists will be especially presented, with their own individual shows within the larger groupings. Opening reception is Friday, April 4th, between 5:30 & 7:30 p.m. See you there! While in the neighbourhood of Grace Point Square, make sure you drop into Steffich Fine Art Gallery, too, and take in their special room dedicated to the works of Michael Hames. Sculpture, drawings, paintings, both landscape and portraits, display Michael Hames' incredible talents. Enjoy! Frankly Scarlet, also located in Grace Point Square, has unique and beautiful items from around the world, and this little boutique shop should be on your list, too, for unique gift ideas. Bocados Bistro (formerly Artist's Bistro) & Auntie Pesto's, in Grace Point Square, offer lunch and dinner selections, with seaviews and good food! Some other ideas for lunch or dinner? Calvin's Bistro Restaurant, the Salt Spring Inn, Piccolo's for fine dining, plus Hastings House for fine dining, and don't forget to add the Rock Salt Cafe, in Fulford Village (a ten minute drive from Ganges, on a lovely sunny evening). The French Bakery is open, across from Moby's, at the Salt Spring Marina location (French Pastries by Brigitte). Pomodoro's Pizza, in Ganges Village. The Seaside Kitchen at Vesuvius (best fish and chips? maybe!). Your suggestions? Always welcome! Stroll the boardwalk, enjoy the trees blossoming all over the Village, check out the boats in the marinas...it's a great place to simply "be". If you see me, wave!
March 28, 2008.
Here's an exceptional oceanfront estate style property, in beautiful Reginald HIll, at Salt Spring's special "south end". The home of noted Canadian wildlife painter, Robert Bateman, this "west coast contemporary" home was designed by architect H. Schubart (who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright, and who came to Salt Spring from California, in the 1960s). The home is positioned on a knoll, that gives it exceptional ocean views and excellent all day sun exposure (s/sw/w -- enjoy the sunsets!). A lowbank crushed shell and sand cove, with kayak/canoe boathouse, plus deer fenced flower and veggie garden, plus natural landscaping that mirrors the drama of the Carmanah area. Very private, yet close to all amenities, and one can hike/walk one's own forest trails. The dramatic entry/foyer leads to a wonderful living room, with sea vistas forever (feature stone fireplace), formal dining, plus to a large family oriented kitchen, with breakfast area and stone "inglenook" fireplace. A bedroom "wihg" offers private master/study with ensuite, plus three guest bedrooms/bathroom and "family room". There are two den/study areas, plus wine room, generous storage, & guest bath. The plus? A fantastic studio space -- artist? yoga retreat? exercise space with a panoramic view? You decide! Separate guest/inlaw or nanny suite, too. The double garage enjoys large workshop and storage. If desired, the undeveloped adjacent w.f. lot, with oceanside studio, is also available. This is a gem, with a unique home and an authentic "west coast" charm. Enjoy!
March 27, 2008. BBC news reports : Memory trick breaks PC encryption Microsoft targets the mobile web Why the future is in your hands Web desktop targets 'cybernomads' Final goodbye for early web icon Scientists advance 'drought crop' Warnings over future food crisis How well did Shakespeare know history
March 26, 2008.
A lovely Cedar cottage, wood floors, new kitchen, new bathroom, lovely sunny deck with oceanview panorama, and terrific walk-on beach (easy access) awaits your pleasure! This one plus acre property lies width-wise to the ocean, so lots of frontage, here, and very private from neighbouring parcels. A quiet area, close to all amenities, yet with an ambiance of woodsy calm. Approximately half this property remains in forest preserve, with beautiful stand of Cedar and Fir. The cottage is a true "sweetie", totally renovated recently, and offering immediate use as a great summer/weekender, and either expand the cottage later, or build a new home. A definite "best buy" opportunity, here!
March 25, 2008. "From a bud, only a promise. Then a gentle opening: Rich blooming, bursting fragrance, The fulfillment of the center." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
March 24, 2008. Time Magazine (Canadian edition, March 24th issue) has an interesting profile series of articles on the 10 ideas that are changing the world. Their emphais is on the environment, the economy, technology, and society. Some interesting thoughts, here, and worth a read. The articles recognize the pivotal nature of this moment in history, and also point out the need for individual action. Your thoughts?
March 23, 2008. Happy Easter!
March 22, 2008.
Looking for that very special oceanview acreage, to build that dream? Here's a gem at Salt Spring's quiet "north end", close to several ocean beach and lake accesses, to miles of hiking/walking trails through park reserves, and with spectacular sunsets! Panoramic ocean & islands & mountain vistas -- beautiful! Roughed in driveway, drilled well developed, and awaiting your further ideas -- bring your architect, and walk this one soon!
March 21, 2008. "I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils." (William Wordsworth: English Romantic Poet, 1770 - 1850).
March 20, 2008. It's Spring! (Officially). Tuned Air's "Songs of Morning" was reslated for performance on March 28 - 29 weekend. Tickets at ArtSpring (537-2102). Hastings House has reopened, with dining from 5:30, nightly, and something new this year -- Sunday Brunch, served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Easter Sunday, Mother's Day, and each Sunday from Canada Day (July 1st) through Labour Day. Don't forget the Elvis Elite & Patsy Cline Tribute, at Meaden Hall (8 p.m. on March 22nd). Tickets available at the Legion Bar (537- 5822). Easter Sunday at the Cheese Farm sees their annual Open House (baby animals to pet, plus Easter Egg hunt at noon on Easter Sunday). March 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 285 Reynolds Road. Through a Glass Darkly is showing at ArtSpring until March 25th (12 writers & 9 photographers with their interpretation of a passage from Corinthians). April 3, at 8 p.m., Salt Spring Jazz & Blues presents Eugene Smith, at Moby's (joined by the Dave Roland trio). Don't miss the Salt Spring Island Art Tour (25 Fine Art Galleries, Artist Studios & Special Exhibits), this Easter Weekend (March 22, 23, 24), 10 - 6 daily. The Special Exhibit at Mahon Hall has an opening reception on March 21st, 5 - 7 p.m. Self-guided tour maps available at Mahon Hall. Pegasus Gallery's renovations are almost complete, and their reopening is scheduled for March 29th! Check out the gallery's new look! Gumboot Gala is held this year, at Fulford Hall, on March 31st. Tickets ($15) available at: Acoustic Planet, Salt Spring Books, Stuff and Nonsense. Soups, suppers & sweets by Fiddlehead Catering. Enjoy!
March 19, 2008. "Sun and moon divide the sky, Fragrance blooms on pear wood bones: Earth awakens with a sigh. Wanderer revels on the path alone." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
March 18, 2008. BBC news reports : $200bn Fed move over credit fears E-mail is ruining my life! Why flu strikes in cold weather Is depression good for you? Heart risk link to eye condition Snoring 'linked to heart disease' Vitamin E linked to lung cancer Blood test hope for mood disorder Take cover by saving urban trees Creating a "phone-book for ET"
March 17, 2008. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
March 16, 2008.
Looking for authentic character, with all the amenities desired in the 21st Century? Here's a gem, on special Salt Spring Island! Four bedrooms, four bath, with entertainment sized formal living room, formal dining room, renovated country kitchen (2004), library/den, separate laundry, master "suite", office. Irreplaceable red and yellow cedar panelling, wood floors, high ceilings, the charm of "yesteryear". On ten private acres, zoned for main home, separate guest and separate studio, this property is totally self-sufficient (generator back up system, organic veggie garden & orchard, easy-care landscaping. Idyllic! Don't miss this treasure!
March 15, 2008. An interesting article in the Life Section of Time Magazine's March 10th issue (Canadian version): it's about the attraction and the growing market segment of private island purchases. Part of the message of the article, along with the need to be a self-sufficient personality, to be able to live successfully on one's own private island, is the fact that it's easier to do so, due to technology -- today's "off the grid" lifestyle can offer all the "necessities" (including cell phones and surfing the Net, via satellite). The Pacific Northwest offers many unique private island properties, and most of them offer a year round lifestyle, if desired (the climate here is very temperate). Check out some of my current private island listings, at: Pym Island: Pym Island Oceanfront Estate Vargas Island: Vargas Island Oceanfront Second Sister Island: Second Sisters Island Round Island: Round Island Oceanfront There are some other "almost Island" properties, too: St. John Point, on Mayne Island: Mayne Oceanfront Paradise "Paddy's Point", at Maple Bay, on Vancouver Island: Paddy's Point Oceanfront Enjoy!
March 14, 2008. Mixed messages. The hallmark of the 21st Century? Maybe...at least in its beginning years. Yes, there are grave difficulties in the wake of the subprime issues/credit crunch, which may have had its beginnings in the U.S., but which has spread globally, with the bundling of such mortgages into vehicles sold by stock brokers, and bank financial investment wings, to investor clients. Yes, the subprime began the unravelling of the housing "bubble" in the U.S., again with tentacles that reach around the globe. All of this immediacy reminds us, yet again, of the true effect of the Internet. It erased geography and time, and created that "global village" described, back in the 60s and 70s, by futurist Marshall McLuhan. At the same time as the butterfly effect of the Internet's immediacy is in evidence, we have a "regionality" to the outcomes, too. Mixed messages. When the Canadian dollar was at 64 cens against the U.S., in the early part of this century, a lot of buyers turned up, from around the world, using currencies that were valued much higher, and purchased a lot of hard assets, including real estate in prime areas. Perhaps they were using funds garnered from the heady tech days, pre bursting of that investment bubble (in 1999 / 2000). Today, we see U.K. pounds and European euros purchasing prime real estate offerings in the U.S., as their currencies are higher compared to the U.S. dollar, and prices have come down substantially, due to the bursting housing bubble. Transactions are still occurring, then, just as they happened in Canada, during the Canadian "down" economic times. The buyer, though, just happens to be from elsewhere. Again, an outcome of the "global village" phenomenon created by the Internet. So, it's global, and yet it's also regional. Mmmmm.....a good description of real estate, always. In change, lies opportunity. We live in a "shift" time, a rubbing through of two different paradigms, the 20th and the 21st centuries, and we are "middle people", straddling two cultures. Bridge moments don't last long, perhaps barely a generation, and then the "new" is firmly entrenched, and the "old" has passed into history. (Does anyone study that, anymore???). In change, lies opportunity. It means, though, that one has to exercise the intellect, to be able to creatively imagine the arrow into the future. Any thoughts? Your ideas are always welcome!
March 13, 2008. "When admiring a painting, Don't examine the paint. When meeting an artist, Don't look at the brush." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
March 12, 2008. Don't miss the "Through a Glass Darkly" presentation at ArtSpring, showcasing 15 writers, 9 photographers, and 1 passage from Corinthians as their "muse". The show runs from March 16 to 25, with an opening reception on March 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. Flying Dreams, Aerial Arts Productions, is offering a new session, for adults and teens, from March 17 to April 24. Call them at 537- 2973 for more details. See them at www.flyingdreams.ca Steffich Fine Art Gallery (formerly Thunderbird Gallery), in Grace Point Square, showcases the incredible work of Michael Hames, in a separate adjacent space. Check this out! An amazing artist, Michael Hames offers several different interpretations of his gift. J. Mitchell Gallery, also in Grace Point Square, has new works by several local artists. Check out Michael Robb's incredible sculptures, with their homage to ancient Egyptian and Greek myths. Frankly Scarlet offers unique and "one off" design pieces, with "wearable art" motif. Don't overlook this little treasure, in the corner at Grace Point Square. Windflower Moon continues to offer a terrific selection of metaphysical items -- clothing, jewellery, wind chimes, organic chocolate, books, CDs, cards...it's all here, and Laura, the owner, has a "great eye" for the unique. Pegasus Gallery is doing a total renovation of its space, just off the Boardwalk, at Mouat's character store. They'll be opening soon, and the changes are great! Volume 2 bookstore, also off the Boardwalk, next to the floatplane and Coast Guard dock, has the latest arrivals, and an excellent choice of books for your pleasure. You have a list of great places to browse and to enjoy? Look forward to your choices! Let me know!
March 11, 2008. Some new places are opening -- check them out! Brigitte and Bruno, who sell Brigitte's Treats in the Market in the Park (both on Saturday and on Tuesday), are opening Rendezvous, a French Pastry Shoppe and cafe, across from Moby's, at the Salt Spring Marina location. Close to the Harbour House Hotel, across the parking lot from Moby's, and close to the marina itself (where there's the little passenger "ferry" to Ganges Village's government dock), this is a space to put on your map -- enjoy Brigitte's authentic and delicious French Bakery offerings. Artist's Bistro has changed ownership, and is now called "Bocados Bistro", and will be open for lunch as well as for dinner. Opening day is March 15th. For casual fine dining, their menu offers fresh locally caught seafood, European, Mediterranean and West Coast fare. Ample wine list of Gulf Island and international favourites. Lunch menu features Luncheon Tapas. Check it out! Great location (outdoor patio, to enjoy those Harbour Views), in a quiet corner of Grace Point Square. Enjoy! (Reservations: 538-1622). If you haven't tried Rock Salt Cafe, in Fulford Village, make sure you enjoy their dinner offerings -- more than just a breakfast or lunch treat! Lots of specials, and Bruce the Chef is cooking! Now that daylight saving is with us, it's a pleasant drive to Fulford, and you can dine with a Harbour view. A quick lunch/takeout? Harbour Centre's "TLC -- Take Out Comfort Food", in Ganges Village, has lots of items to tempt you. Take out pizza (with flair)? Don't forget Pomodoro's (next door to the Love My Kitchen store). Calvin's, open for lunch and for dinner, and with an outdoor patio for fine weather, is always a good choice. The Salt Spring Inn, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is also a great space for a good meal -- fine weather opens up their outdoor deck, too. Piccolo's (again, al fresco dining when the weather is fine) remains the Islanders choice for fine dining, and Hastings House also offers that true fine dining experience. Piccolo's is open, year round, and Hastings House is open between mid-March and end of October. The best fish and chips, and fun oceanside dining? Try Seaside Kitchen, at Vesuvius. Ask for Carol's cake, if you've room for dessert! Another lunch and dinner choice, with a fan club, is Auntie Pesto's, in Grace Point Square. Coffee and dessert works here, too! Need to meet someone early, for breakfast? The Harbour House Hotel offers a full dining room service, and they're open for breakfast at 7 a.m. Dine outdoors, with a view, when the weather is fine. More choices, when looking for a pleasing place, with good food? See Li! Some recommendations from you? Always welcome!
March 10, 2008.
Want to do an oceanside B & B? It's possible, here! Lovely "California style" beachside home, pleasingly renovated, with master "wing", plus guest/ensuite, plus further bedroom/bathroom, in its opposite "wing". Cook's kitchen, with a view and a breakfast area, and family room off, plus open plan living (feature stone fireplace) and dining with a view. Large entry/foyer welcomes one into the home. Patio areas, oceanside, and in the private (fenced) garden -- all day excellent sun exposure, here, and outdoor living areas that follow the sun (sunrises and sunsets, in the summer). Orchard, easy care landscaping, easy access to wonderful walk-on beach, and superb panoramic oceanviews, with sea, and islands, and mountain vistas to enjoy. The plus? Separately sited character cottage, a super place for guests, with its own entrance to the property. This is truly a gem, and not to be missed! See Li for further details, and appointments to view.
March 9, 2008 BBC News Reports: Mortgage woes hit Sydney suburbs Q&A: Rising world food prices HSBC 'to unveil $16bn writedown' Buffett defends sovereign funds Waterfront reflections on India Credit crisis claims hedge fund Breakfast 'keeps teenagers lean'
March 8, 2008. Today, and tomorrow, finds the Our Island, Our World film festival playing at both The Fritz (Salt Spring Island's movie theatre, in Central Hall) and at the Gulf Islands Senior Secondary (GISS) School. The Fritz will show three movies per day. Check out the schedule and the showings at the Driftwood's site (www.gulfislands.net). See you there! Driven by Hastings House lately, and been startled with the grouping of sculptures, in the upper field? It's a collaboration between the Salt Spring Woodworks and Hastings House, and "The Gatherers" is just the first to be displayed, in this venue. It's striking and powerful! More will be arriving, tied into the sculpture garden at the Woodworks location, across Churchill Road from Hastings House -- the show begins on March 15th. Check this out! Talent! Did you know that Shaw is now offering its digital phone service on Salt Spring? Call 310-SHAW (7429) for more information! Remember the Songs of Morning, presented by Tuned Air, at All Saints by the Sea, with 8 p.m. performances on both Friday and Saturday(March 14th & 15th), and a 3 p.m. performance on Saturday, as well. Tickets ($20) available at ArtSpring Ticket Centre. This Friday, the 7th, sees the Jose Sanchez Latin Trio at El Zocalo, as part of their Eclectic Fridays offerings. Music 7 to 10 p.m. This Sunday's Dinner Jazz, at Salt Spring Inn, offers Jan Stirling on keyboards and Dick Smith on Saxophone. Six to nine p.m. Enjoy! Can't sleep? Better check into Anna Haltrecht's Sounder Sleep workshop, on March 15th. The workshop is at Cats Pyjamas Studio from 1 - 4 p.m., and costs $40. Call Anna at: 537-5681, for more details! A heart yoga workshop at Ganges Yoga Studio, on March 9th, will help participants learn to focus their energies in situations where it is easy to lay blame or feel anger towards others. The cost is $85 and the workshop goes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register, contact Matthew Coleman at 537-2378. The 4th Annual Quilting Bee, for Island Comfort Quilts, will be held on March 16th, at Farmer's Institute, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Info? Call 537-5302. Jobs for everyone, from helpers to sewers. A free series of "conversations" at Angio Retreat takes place this coming month. The focus is on retirement, identity and dreams. March 9th, March 15th, and April 5th. For more information: www.angioretreat.com Blackburn Meadows Golf Course has opened for the season (537-1707).
March 7, 2008. An interesting article in the February 25th edition of Time Magazine (Canadian edition). Called The Short March, the article is about the expansion into the suburbs of China's newly affluent & newly emerging middle class. Parallels are drawn to the surge to the suburbs in post-World War II U.S.A. This ability to own one's own home, and to move to an area offering space and personal freedom, helped to reshape America. The implication of this Time Magazine article is that a similar dynamic is underway, right now, in China. The subprime issues/credit crunch, unleashed in the U.S., and affecting American and Canadian housing markets, plus housing markets in the U.K., may not be creating any short term meltdown in China or in India, the two newly emerging economic "giants". For those who studied history, the Suez Crisis in the 1950s signalled the end of Britain as a major power, and highlighted the emergence of the U.S. as the predominant power force in the world. Perhaps this economic meltdown, currently afoot in the U.S., will be a signal that the power baton has shifted to another country/another era? Maybe...maybe not. History students will remember the demise of the Egyptian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the...you name it, someone was "up", and now they're "down". If the middle class burgeons in China, and the expansion of their country's power base continues to evolve throughout the world, then it could be that the time of the Dragon is the call signal of the 21st Century? Lots to ponder! Anyone for a night school class in Mandarin?
March 6, 2008. "Life acquires meaning When we face the conflict Between our desires And reality." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
March 5, 2008.
Here's a lowbank oceanfront gem, with a terrific walk-on beach, and lovely kayaking harbour. Currently a popular B & B, this pretty home is easily transferred into a family home. A separate one bedroom upper level suite offers rental or family oriented accomodation. Open plan living/dining, with country kitchen/pantry off, plus master study/ensuite, and formal entry foyer is offered on main level. Lower (daylight) level offers two ensuite bedrooms, a further guest room, plus potential for another bathroom. Large laundry/storage is also at this level. Easy care landscaping, hot tub with a view, privacy and serenity, beachside -- don't overlook this "best buy" for Salt Spring Island oceanfront!
March 4, 2008. It's definitely crawling towards Spring. On the Coast, it's been a grey and cloudy and rainy (with a few short bursts of snow) winter season. The daffodils are now in bloom, though, in many gardens, as are the crocus and snowdrops, and the early flowering cherry trees are puffing into "pink". Tulip stems are pushing up, and their tight buds are just waiting for a week of warm temperatures to unfurl. The bushes that rim the roadways around the Island are frothing into green, some buds actually unrolling, others tightly waiting for some consecutive sunny days. The wild rose bushes, in some areas, are budding out. One can see where the protected areas are, by how far the foliage has loosened into its Spring moment. The real estate market has busied up, too, and I would say that the action is earlier than might have been expected, in our secondary home marketplace. Traditionally, the main sales window here runs from March Break to the Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend (early October). This year, though, it's been active in all price categories, since early January, and that is unusual. The one item that doesn't get enough showings is undeveloped land. It seems that the buyer profile isn't interested in a holding property, nor do they want to immediately get involved in a construction project. Some sort of dwelling, and one that can perhaps be used as a rental, until the buyer can get here, has the most appeal. The lengthy "pause" time that characterized the marketplace in 2006 and for most of 2007 (almost a 15 to 19 month "stable/inactive" period, for different reasons throughout the timeframe) has dissipated. The interest in purchasing real estate in a protected investment area (there's that Islands Trust, with its strict controls on density/zoning), could be driven by the simple need to preserve capital. The listing inventory remains very "thin", with most owners preferring not to be sellers, unless they "have to". Buyers are back, and Salt Spring's wonderful community lifestyle holds a great attraction. Prices have generally remained stable. With all the worry over the health of financial institutions/banks, the concern that the volatility in the stock market just makes it a place to lose assets, the fear about the validity of cash (whose cash? how much are they printing? what's backing same? what about inflation?), and the general malaise about the uncertainties of the 21st Century, all seem to be reasons why a buyer might simply be looking for a place to conserve/protect his asset. A purchase may not be, then, in the short term, about appreciation. Looking for some suggestions on how to make a purchase on Salt Spring Island, or on a neighbouring Southern Gulf Island, work for you? "See Li for Successful Solutions!" Ask for Li at 1-800-731-7131.
March 3, 2008. Mark your calendars! On Saturday, March 22nd, there's a tribute to the King of Rock and Roll, with Elvis Elite (plus a tribute to Patsy Cline). Tickets are $20, and showtime is 8 p.m. at Meaden Hall (Legion). Call 537-5822, for more details. Have you paid a visit to Rona Robbins, at Upstairs Bears? By appointment only (538-0964). Purveyors of Fine Teddies! Say hi from Li! The Salt Spring Folk Club presents Quartette, at Fulford Hall, on March 10th (show starts at 7:30. Fiddlehead Catering and opening act is Buck (of Barley Bros.) Tickets: $15 (at Acoustic Planet, Salt Spring Books, Stuff and Nonsense). Looking for that rural view? Take in the Guild show at ArtSpring's lobby exhibit (runs till March 31st). Tuned Air presents "Songs for Morning" on March 14th, at 8 p.m. & on March 15th at both 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. (at All Saints Anglican Church). Tickets at ArtSpring ($20). Salt Spring Vineyards is open again for tastings, on Saturdays -- from noon to 5 p.m. Additional hours will be added, as summer approaches. Enjoy!
March 2, 2008. "Alternate between the solitary and the social. Whether alone or with others, keep serenity." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
March 1, 2008.
Dramatic oceanfront, with a perfect "West Coast Contemporary" home, ready to just move into and enjoy! Foreshore licence in place; build your dock and keep your boat at home! Warm ocean swimming in this area, too! Original architect designed home (from the late 80s), was totally renovated in 2002. Open plan living/dining, custom kitchen, den/library, master ensuite, plus two further bedrooms/bath. The plus? A separate one-bedroom guest suite -- a perfect B & B option, if desired! Easy care landscaping, totally fenced property, double garage, on community water, and in an area of quality homes. Sunny (s/sw/w exposures), and meticulously maintained. Shows "as new". Don't delay, here! A best buy price!
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