October 31, 2006. "Be kind to yourself. As the Buddha wisely said, "If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." Be aware of the judgments that you cast upon yourself and gently seek to dismantle them." (from "1001 Ways to Relax" by Mike George)
October 30, 2006. "I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door -- or I'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present." (comedian, Joan Rivers)
October 29, 2006. "For the first time I have lately become aware of the fact that the period of our earthly existence is limited. During the whole of my life this idea has never actually come into my mind. It occurred to me very distinctly when I was looking at an old tree there in the garden. When we came it was very small, and I looked at it from above. Now, it waves high above my head and seems to say, "You will soon depart, but I shall stay here for hundreds more years." (composer, Jan Sibelius)
October 28, 2006. Don't forget the fireworks on Hallowe'en night! Starts at 7:30 p.m., and is sponsored by the Salt Spring Island Volunteer Firefighters' Association and Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District. Done from the Coast Guard dock, the show can be seen from the Boardwalk and from the end of the Harbour. Free hot dogs and hot chocolate served at the fire hall, afterwards. (Note: no fireworks at Fulford, this year). See you there!
October 27, 2006. "I wasn't as smart then as I am now. But who ever is?" (singer, Tina Turner)
October 26, 2006.
Looking to build your dream? Here's a special 4.70 acre parcel, on special Salt Spring Island, mainly level, with serene & panoramic ocean views, over other Gulf Islands towards the Lower Mainland mountains. A level "ridge", the property controls its view, and gets excellent all day/year round sun exposure -- can get sunrises and sunsets from this gem. Zoned for main home, plus separate guest cottage and separate studio, there's a roughed in driveway and a drilled well. A great holding property! See Li for the details!
October 25, 2006. "Il n'est pas interdit de preferer le bonheur." (ecrivain, Albert Camus)
October 24, 2006. "I believe the second half of one's life is meant to be better than the first half. The first half is finding out how you do it. And the second half is enjoying it." (editor, Frances Lear)
October 23, 2006.
Gabriola Island, a twenty minute ferry trip from Nanaimo, & the most northerly of the Southern Gulf Islands grouping, offers a wonderful array of thoughtfully developed oceanview acreages. On a level "ridge", with viewscapes across Georgia Strait to the Sunshine Coast, and right around to Richmond, a Vancouver suburb, with all of the dramatic Coastal mountains in view, too, these properties also enjoy vistas over the Southern Gulf Islands, down towards the Olympic Mountains in Washington State, and across Southern Vancouver Island. These are spectacular offerings, and the developer is carefully creating "natural" driveways, and doing what might be termed "landscape clearing". A wonderful place to create your dream home, and with easy access to major Vancouver Island communities, and to Vancouver, via the B.C. Ferries or via floatplanes out of Nanaimo Harbour. See Li for more details!
October 22, 2006. The local weekly newspaper's (Driftwood) monthly real estate supplement will no longer be delivered with the paper. Canada Post will no longer accept 100% advertising items as deliverable in newspapers. The Driftwood's response is to increase numbers of these realty booklets in drop boxes on ferries and around the Island. If you've been used to receiving same in the newspaper, if you're a subscriber, just be aware that it won't arrive that way, anymore. For the first month, only, this next issue, the supplement will arrive separately, by mail, but the Driftwood will not be doing this as a regular feature. The Driftwood does have an online version of all of its publications, including the quarterly Aqua magazine, and the monthly real estate supplement will also be in this format. The Driftwood's website is: www.gulfislands.net and you can find the online version of the entire paper, there.
October 21, 2006. "Put forth your effort With no thought of gain." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
October 20, 2006.
Spectacular Mayne Island lowbank oceanfront point of land (64+ acres), with first growth trees, historic apple orchard, walking trails to several beaches/coves, and including St. John Point. Sunny (e/s/w exposures), superb panoramic views of ocean/islands/mountains (see Mt. Baker and towards the Olympics), and totally unique anywhere on the Southern Gulf Islands or Southern Vancouver Island. Potential for subdivision, or leave "as is" (has been owned by same family since early 1950s, and remains unspoiled/undeveloped), and treat as your own private nature preserve. Wonderful property! See Li for more details.
October 19, 2006. "Age to me means nothing. I can't get old; I'm working. I was old when I was twenty-one and out of work. As long as you're working, you stay young. When I'm in front of an audience, all that love and vitality sweeps over me and I forget my age." (comedian, George Burns)
October 18, 2006.
Looking for an authentic character home, on a serene Gulf Island, with oceanview panorma, and easy access to a beach? Tranquil Mayne Island, with easy ferry routes from both Vancouver and from Victoria, offers what you're seeking. Vistas over dramatic Miner's Bay & Active Pass, this 1920s home has been lovingly restored to its authentic self. A busy B & B, with an excellent water supply (reportedly, 8000 gallons a day), this gem allows for the perfect summer/weekender retreat, or keep the business aspect going and enjoy the off season yourself. See Li for more details!
October 17, 2006. "The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It's doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile. I think of my strawberry souffle. I did that at least twenty-eight times before I finally conquered it." (chef, Julia Child)
October 16, 2006. Fear of public speaking? Salt Spring Toastmasters is your answer! They meet Monday evenings, at 7 p.m., at ArtSpring, and anyone is welcome to drop into their meetings. See you there!
October 15, 2006. This is my "techie nephew's" birthday, today. He's an integral and important part of my "team", and looks after the website maintenance and also helps, hugely, with ad copy that you may see in various magazines. Happy Birthday, Scott!
October 14, 2006. Ever wanted to fly through the air? Did you know you can learn this wonderful skill on Salt Spring Island? Salt Spring's Flying Dreams is offering a series of aerial arts workshops and special one-time classes for newcomers who have only dreamed of flight, as well as for the serious aerial acrobat. The beginner to intermediate adult workshop, set for the weekend of Oct. 21/22, is "ideal for those who are curious about aerial arts and want a taste of the cirque experience", noted a recent press release. The following weekend will offer a more advanced level of training for adults, focussing on act creation and perfomance skills. Call Mihaliyi at 250-537-4840, for further details.
October 13, 2006. Did you remember the first annual Salt Spring Business Awards? Nominations close on Oct. 16th -- there are seven categories: * business of the year award * new business of the year award * business ambassador of the year award * home base business of the year award * green business of the year award * citizen of the year award * chamber of commerce member of the year This first annual event is supported by the Driftwood newspaper and the Chamber of Commerce. You can contact the Chamber (at the Visitor's Centre in Ganges) with your nomination. Be involved!
October 12, 2006. Imagining our Future is what the Islands Trust on Salt Spring is asking Islanders to do. The Trust is striking various focus groups, and are asking for dedicated community members to take part in same for the review of the current Official Community Plan. The focus groups will be on the following topics: * Ganges Village, including Ganges Harbour. * Fulford Village. * Environment. * Economic Sustainability, Jobs and Tourism. * Population, Housing and Settlement Patterns. * Potable Water. The groups will be established by month's end, and be involved until March or April, 2007. Contact the Trust, no later than October 13th, to be involved. Participation is important. This is your Island!
October 11, 2006. Jill Louise Campbell has just launched her first complete art collection in a show geared for touring through Western Canada over the next two years. Called "Tibet -- a heart wisdom collection", it showcases 24 original watercolour paintings, inspired by her travels to Tibet in 2003. This first show is being held in the Chemainus Gallery theatre space through to November 5th. Worth the ferry trip from Vesuvius to Crofton, and the ten minute drive to Chemainus -- it's on our doorstep! See you there!
October 10, 2006. "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail." (philosopher, Confucius)
October 9, 2006. Monday is the Canadian Thanksgiving Day. Check the Driftwood newspaper for the restaurants that are offering a turkey dinner, with all the trimmings. Some restaurants offer their holiday menu on the Sunday, as well as the Monday. In this Harvest season, we have much to be thankful for, whether it's friends and family that we will be celebrating with, whether it's pleasing elements in our current lifestyles, whether it's the fulfillment that comes from volunteer work, whether it's satisfaction that we are lucky to all be here, on this beautiful Island, enjoying both its natural beauty and its eclectic lifestyle offerings. No place is perfect, of course, and there are many worrying insecurities facing the world today, but it's important to stop, look and listen, and to recognize our fortunate state and our many blessings. Enjoy the day! Share its pleasures! (As of Today, I have being doing this Realtalk feature for one year. Thanks for reading!)
October 8, 2006. "I used to believe that you can design your own destiny, until I realized that you're like a surfer, taking the wave that comes, riding it and negotiating the different things that happen in the sea of life. What occurs to me now is that I'm far more ready to go with the flow of things." (actress, Raquel Welch)
October 7, 2006. Are you planting bulbs? If you want to see those Spring delights...daffodils, tulips, lilies, scilla, alliums and more -- then now's the time to be planting! Vines? Clematis, passion vine, honeysuckle and more. Check out Thimble Farm, Foxglove, Garden Faire for your Spring delights.
October 6, 2006. Artist's Bistro is offering some different dining ideas, this Fall. Today through Oct. 9th they're inviting one to celebrate Octoberfest with them. Bavarian food and beer are featured on the specialty menu (Bavarian pork roast, crispy duck, Octoberfest ribs, Bavarian "Brezals"). Regular menu available, too, of course. On Friday nights, throughout the Fall, there will be a candlelight dinner & dance, with a five course dinner ($70 + tax). October 13th will be Tango Night and Dinner and October 20th will be Vienna Waltz and Dinner, and October 27th will be "Hallowe'en Night and Dinner). See you there!
October 5, 2006. "Human life -- indeed all of life -- is poetry. It's we who live it, unconsciously, day by day, like scenes in a play, yet in its inviolable wholeness it lives us, it composes us. This is something far different from the old cliche, "Turn your life into a work of art"; we are works of art -- but we are not the artist." (psychologist, Lou Andreas-Salome)
October 4, 2006. Into Swing? Dal Richards, an icon on the Vancouver music scene, will be playing at ArtSpring on October 8th, at 2:30 p.m. Dal and his seven piece band turn the clock back, bringing alive the great swinging classics of yesteryear. A wine-tasting, with Garry Oaks Winery, takes place at 1:30 p.m. See you there!
October 3, 2006.
Super spectacular Salt Spring Island! Here's a point of land, with an original H. Schubart designed home, recently renovated (2006). Hank Schubart studied under Frank Lloyd Wright, and he arrived on Salt Spring, in the mid-60s. This beauty is on a point of land, on Scott Point Drive, with views of ocean/islands/mountains that are without parallel! Wonderful vistas! Sunny (e/s/w exposures), easy care landscaping, lowbank deep water oceanfront, and a wonderful open plan west coast design, three bedrooms/3 bathrooms, office, den, wood floors, skylights, decking to follow the sun, hot tub, and the best oceanfront lot on Scott Point. Wonderfully private, too. Don't delay on this gem! If you're looking for exceptional waterfront, it doesn't get any better! See Li!
October 2, 2006. Just met Peter Judd, on Mayne Island -- he's looking to make Mayne Island a "cool community". Yesterday, he had an information meeting at the Mayne Island Community Centre, with a workshop on how to make Mayne a cool community, combating global warming. For more details on Peter's ideas of personal responsibility, to lower the effects of global warming, on an individual basis, contact him at: 250-539-2244. Let him know that you heard about him from Li! Thanks!
October 1, 2006. "When Goya was eighty he drew an ancient man on two sticks, with a great mass of white hair and beard all over his face, and the inscription "I am still learning." (writer, Simone de Beauvoir)