September 30, 2007.
Authentic character home, with superb and irreplaceable finishing details. Red and yellow cedar panelling, original wood floors, formal living room, formal dining room, den/library, renovated (but in keeping) kitchen, master/ensuite, office, two guest bedrooms, bath, powder room, main floor laundry, plus lots of storage in full basement. This home was designed by someone from England, and mirrors his ancestral home -- a "Georgian inspired" design. On ten acres, potentially subdividable, with organic garden, orchard, easy-care landscaping, sunny (s/sw/w), close to lake and to ocean accesses, and very private. Enjoy! Did you like the film Gosford Park? You'll love this home and property! See Li for more details!
September 29, 2007. "What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." (T.S. Eliot -- English poet)
September 28, 2007.
Wonderful and authentic character restoration/addition. Formal living, formal dining, country kitchen with eating area, master/ensuite, with sitting area, plus sewing/craft room, lovely guest room/separate bath, den/library. Balcony/decking, plus patio areas. Almost 5 acres, orchard/fenced veggie garden, ponds, seasonal creek, private forested trails, pasture area. Zoned for separate guest cottage and sep. studio, too! Lower (garden) level offers further expansion, if desired, in main home. This is a gem, in a quiet and rural area, close to all amenities, yet in its own serene space. Close to both lake and ocean accesses. Sunny (s/sw/w exposures) and private. Enjoy!
September 27, 2007. We exercise our bodies, to keep agility and our health at optimum. Do we exercise our "editing function"? With all of the bombardment of information, the sound surround of constant data, an ever present wave of "details" on any subject, at any time, with an undertone of fear and insecurity, it's easy to fall into the sloshing in the swimming pool motif, with no sense of how to strike out to the ladder, and surcease from confusion. What do you think? Have you exercised your mind, lately? There are no experts, in the 21st Century. Things are being invented, now, that will shape how we construct our lives, in the near and the distant future. Your ideas are as valid as the next person's. Are you being thoughtful? Are you asking questions? Are you seeking the real ground, under the news and the snippets of knowledge, the sound bytes? How about a course of ethics? There are some very important issues facing us -- old dynamics no longer work. Do you have some ideas about what might be valid? Share! Question, question, question -- don't accept anything without bringing your mind to the process, and using that all important editing function. It's vital to separate out what is true and universal from the merely transitory. Any night classes in your area? Philosophy? Check it out!
September 26, 2007. "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." (T.S. Eliot -- English poet)
September 25, 2007. Salt Spring Woodworks is showcasing paintings by Kathy Robertson, and New Studio furniture from The Maltwood Museum (show continues to Nov. 15th). Salt Spring Woodworks goes "on the road" to Victoria, as a part of the Out of Hand Fair, Nov. 22nd to Nov. 25th, at the Victoria Conference Centre. If you're in Victoria, on those dates, be sure and check this out! The Third Annual Cowichan Wine & Culinary Festival is on from Sept. 27th to Sept. 30th. The festival launch is at Averill Creek Vineyard, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40, and can be booked by calling 250-709-9986. On the 28th, there's a Gourmet Gala, presented by the Duncan-Cowichan Chamber of Commerce at the Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre (time: 6:30 p.m., tickets $65, book by calling 250-748-1111. Saturday, the 29th is the Wine and Culinary Seminars, at the Oceanfront Grand Resort, in Cowichan Bay (10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free admission, no reserved seating). Sept. 30th is the A Taste of Cowichan Dinner, at Steeples Restaurant, time: 6:30 p.m., tickets $89 (plus taxes and gratuity), book by calling: 250-743-3566). One of the great things about living on Salt Spring Island is the ease of access to Vancouver Island communities. The Cowichan Valley is on our doorstep, and the vineyards in this area predate those on Salt Spring. Enjoy the events! Another Cowichan event, that also has a Salt Spring connection, is the Cowichan Chef's Harvest Table -- a fundraiser for the Providence Farm. Bruce, the chef at Rock Salt Cafe, in Fulford Village, is a participant, here. It's $125 per person, for a 7 course feast, with local products & paired wines. Sunday, October 14th, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone 250-746-4204, for more details/reservations. Enjoy! (The vineyard pairings will also include wine from Salt Spring's Garry Oak Vineyards). September 30th is the 9th Annual Apple Festival on Salt Spring Island! See you there!
September 24, 2007. "To Autumn 1 Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-leaves run; To bend with apples the mossed cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells With a sweet kernel; to set the budding more, And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they think warm days will never cease, For Summer has oer'brimmed their clammy cells. 2 Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store? Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find thee sitting careless on a granary floor, Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; Or on a half-reaped furrow sound asleep, Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers; And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep Steady thy laden head across a brook; Or by a cider-press, with patient look, Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours. 3 Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, -- While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue; Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn Among the river sallows, borne aloft Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft The red-breast whistles from the garden-croft; And gathering swallows twitter in the skies." (To Autumn: John Keats, English Romantic poet).
September 23, 2007. I've been very fortunate, and have been invited to attend a major global conference, to be held in Vancouver this year. Two days in Vancouver, and two in Whistler -- during which I get to present my listings/area, to a global attendees list. I look forward to the event, and to presenting all of my listings/this wonderful area, to people from South America, from the U.S., from other Canadian provinces, from the U.K., from Europe, from Hawaii, from Australia & New Zealand, from Asia, from India, etc. Will report in, post- event! This kind of personal promotion is of benefit to all sellers, in this secondary home marketplace. Our buyer profile is from "elsewhere", and so it's important to connect with my counterpart, in these off island/out of province/out of country venues. More information? Give me a call! Thanks!
September 22, 2007. "Kicking a pebble by the side of the road, Watching it tumble pell-mell. Chance and randomness become order." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
September 21, 2007. "Black Bean, Squash, and Root Vegetable Casserole: Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus soaking. Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes. 2 cups cooked black turtle beans 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoons coriander seeds 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 2 teaspoons dried oregano 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 - 2 fresh red chili peppers, seeded and chopped 1 butternut squash or small pumpkin, weighing about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and cut into chunks 1 yellow yam or sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks 2 large carrots, thickly sliced 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 celery root, weighing about 1 pound, peeled and cut into chunks 3 ounces frozen sweetcorn kernels 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) 2 tablespoons lime juice * Heat the seeds in a small skillet for 1-2 minutes. Add the oregano and heat for a few more seconds. Remove and crush. * Heat the oil in a casserole and fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and chili peppers, and fry for 2-3 minutes. * Add the seeds and the remaining ingredients, except the coriander (cilantro) and lime juice. * Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the herb and juice before serving." (A Harvest of Healing Foods, Recipes and Remedies for the Mind, Body, and Soul: Christine McFadden, Kathleen Zelman).
September 20, 2007. It's official! It's Fall. The Canadian Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend is coming up (Oct. 8th is Thanksgiving Day). Craft Fairs are underway throughout October and early November, as the lead-up to Christmas shopping. The Apple Festival is a Fall gem, and shouldn't be missed (9th annual, on Salt Spring). Time to put the cottage to bed for the "winter", and, if you're resident all year, time to service the furnace, check the fireplace chimney, after the summer, put the lawn furniture away for the year, and do the other oddjobs in the garden, so it's ready for "winter". Fall can be a wonderful season, here, but it does get darker earlier, and it's cooler in the mornings and the evenings. Boats are back at the dock! A lovely time to visit the Islands, too, as they really are "seasonless" destinations!
September 19, 2007. The current issue of Time Magazine (Can. version) has an article there reminding potential buyers that it might be a good time to consider that purchase in a secondary home/vacation area (with a view to retirement there, later on). It's noted that many people in their late 40s to late 50s are doing just this -- buying now, creating the second home as the destination place for the far-flung family members (it becomes the gathering place for family and holiday occasions, for now), with a view to becoming familiar with the community chosen, so that retirement to it will be an easy segue from current living patterns. It's an interesting article! Since Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands are just such a "secondary home for now/permanent later" option, this article struck a chord! The same sort of analysis has been done by two major Canadian real estate companies, as they noted that people are willing to pay more for their secondary home, now, than for their primary residence, as the expectation is that they will retire there, in the near future. Again, interesting! For more details on how this kind of a "country move" can work for you, "see Li for successful solutions!".
September 18, 2007. The financial insecurities in the world are feeding into the general climate of fear that seems to be the underpinning of most people's thoughts. This general malaise can show up with stress related illnesses. The vanishing of time (which allowed time outs, too), which is the downside of the connectedness of the 21st Century, means that we, as people, need to remind ourselves of our "editing function". In the endless wash of data (it's not always "information"), it's important to be able to rate same, or else we will be continually bombarded, and suddenly "at sea". Rating, or editing, information may be the thing that will allow us to keep our lives both energized and pleasing. Your thoughts? "Il n'est pas interdit de preferer le bonheur". (Albert Camus)
September 17, 2007.
Here's a superb example of the work of architect H. Schubart (who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright). This Frank Lloyd Wright inspired gem was Schubart's own home. A wonderful oceanfront point of land, the home's "west coast" design is organic to the topographical features. The views are panoramic and "forever". Excellent sun exposure (s/sw/w), private and quiet, this Old Scott Road address is one of Salt Spring's premiere locations. Don't delay on this beauty -- it's totally unique, totally beautiful, and totally irreplaceable! See Li for appointments to view.
September 16, 2007. Flying Dreams, aerial acrobatics, is offering both beginner and intermediate classes, for adults and teens,. from Sept. 24th to Nov. 1st. Contact number: 250-537-4840 or: flyingdreams@telus.net ArtSpring's 2007-08 programme of theatre and dance is now out -- check with ArtSpring for information and ticket reservations. Coming Up For Air, Live Radio Theatre, Hockey Mum Hockey Dad, Born Yesteday, Traces of Emily Carr, Anastasia, The Late Edition...enjoy the line-up! Salt Spring Folk Club's 11th season line-up is announced -- contact www.saltspringfolkclub.ca for info, and performer bios. (The incredible Gumboot Gala, held in March, is a part of this). The biannual Zen retreat is offered on Sept. 21 to 23, at The Gatehouse on Stowell Lake Farm. For more info., contact Rowan Percy at 537-2831 or Chris Smart at 537-2258. Peter Levitt is the meditation group leader. The Salt Spring Public Library begins this season's children's programming, on Friday, Sept. 21st. Call the Library for details of events. Don't forget the Terry Fox Run on Sept. 23rd! Call 537-8331 for details.
September 15, 2007.
Here's a superb lakefront opportunity, awaiting your pleasure! Beautiful hand-crafted main home, exquisite wood features, plus two guest cottages (both wonderful "west coast" gems). A meditation building, nestled into the forest, plus a privately sited office space. A path leads to the lakefront (dock and recreational space), through a forest preserve, with a year round creek. This is a private and irreplaceable property, 11+ acres, with orchard, natural landscaping, and the "plus" of the lake at your doorstep. Don't delay on this one -- a perfect family retreat/compound, or an unparalleled corporate retreat. Enjoy!
September 14, 2007. With the cap on growth, through the very strict zoning/density controls brought into being in the mid-70s, by the Provincial Government, as the Islands Trust preserve, it may be that the outcome of such strict controls will be an interest in shared ownership of prime properties. The Islands Trust's mandate, for all Gulf Islands, including Salt Spring Island, is to "preserve and protect" the park-like ambiance of the Islands, for the benefit of all B.C. residents. This is accomplished by strict control of growth. If one owns a family property, handed down through generations, it might be of interest to share same with kindred spirits, and therefore to also share the expenses of ownership. Perhaps family members would be interested in purchasing a property, as a shared ownership option, both for investment appreciation and enjoyment. The old "hippie" ideal of shared ownership, within a commune style lifestyle, is experiencing a resurgence of interest, too. Shared ownership involves both a protection of individual investment and a relationship with the co-owner(s). It's important to seek legal advice as to how the property is legally held. It's also important to acknowledge the idea of "right of first refusal" by other owners, in the event of a death or a divorce, of an owner. This implies that owners should have a will, which outlines the ideas of the owner. Long term goals should also be in the "shared ownership" conversation -- is the property seen as strictly an investment? Is there room for the concept of personal enjoyment? What about a "parting of the ways"? A formula should be established, in the beginning, to cover off the eventualities of divorce, death, moving to assisted living. What about disputes? A resolution procedure needs to be in place, right at the beginning of the co-ownership. It's important, no matter how one loves the property in question, that it be seen as a business proposition, with a budgetery requirement. What about maintenance?? Who is in charge, and what is the schedule of same? Rules and Regulations, governing useage of the shared property? Here's an important part of the agreement! More ideas for a checklist, for shared ownership??? Welcome your thoughts! Thanks!
September 13, 2007. Mark your calendars for Birgit Freybe Bateman's new show and sale, at Seth's Gallery, on October 6th (Thanksgiving Weekend). The official opening is from 3 to 6 -- artist is in attendance. Thanksgiving Weekend is early this year -- several local restaurants do special dinners (check the Driftwood for locations and times), and it's a pleasing thing to do, to "go out". A family occasion, Thanksgiving is also a signal for moving into what I call "real Fall". The Packard Club of the Pacific Northwest is having a rally of their wonderful classic cars, on Salt Spring, from today through to the 16th. Fall Fair is this weekend, too (15/16), so lots of activity on Island! Enjoy!
September 12, 2007.
Looking for a super weekender/summer retreat, for now, and a retirement gem for later? Here's a "sweetie" cottage/home, with a Scandanavian/Asian flair, with pastoral views, and a calm and lovely ambiance. Close to a beach access, with trail to a lovely cove (almost totally private!), and close to Ganges Village and all amenities, but quiet and sunny "enclave". Good tenants in place, who would like to stay, if new owner desires. Best buy price, here! See Li for appointments to view.
September 11, 2007. In our busyness, today, let's take time to remember the victims of 9/11, and the World Trade Center's collapse. "Although they may have to kill Or suffer themselves to be killed, A person of composure remains dispassionate. Nothing is ever destroyed. Nothing is ever created. All is infinity." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
September 10, 2007. Mark your calendars -- the annual Terry Fox Run For Cancer Research is on Sunday, Sept. 23rd. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., at Salt Spring Elementary, and the Run begins at 11 a.m. For info., contact Jean at 250-537-9507. I was really lucky, and saw Terry Fox in person, on his historic run across Canada. It was shortly before the Run was cancelled. He was running along a highway in northern Ontario, there was very little traffic, and his support van was a good twenty minutes behind him (at his request). The figure, with the hop-scotch gait, the determined visage, clearly in pain, clearly motivated to finish his run, came into view. He was heading West. I was driving East. It's not a sight that I will ever forget, and it gave a clear message about being a "triumpher" and not a "victim". Everyone in my car emptied all the money we had into the support van, and we drove on. Terry Fox didn't make it from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but he inspired others to do that, and to go around the world. His family, in his name, has raised huge sums to benefit cancer research. Terry is a true Canadian hero. Give generously, and remember him on the 23rd. Walk, run, cycle...be a part of this annual fund-raiser.
September 9, 2007. Thinking of taking an evening course? Check out the Society for Community Education's Course Catalogue for Fall, 2007. Some items on their calendar: * Cookery: Asian Fusion * Cookery: Sushi * Basic Carpentry: Power Tools * Energy Conservation in the Home * Digital Photography 1 * Bridge 1 * An Armchair Tour of Historical Downtown Ganges * The History of Beaver Point * Early School Days of Salt Spring Island Pioneers * Writing Your Memoirs * Communications: Small Business and Non Profits * Volunteer Boards: * T'ai Chi Chih * Forest Ecology * Species at Risk * Water Quality Monitoring * Publication Design * Power Point * Word * Excel * Introduction to Felting * etc. Something for everyone...call 250-537-0037.
September 8, 2007. The new owners of the Tree House, in Ganges, are expanding the live music timeframe to include weekends, into September. Check the blackboard for who's playing! Have you checked out the camera obscura show at Galleon's Lap? Don't miss this! It runs until Sept. 22nd. Open studio, Thursdays and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., & by appointment, for Luke Hart-Weller, with Copperwood Gallery -- don't miss this, either. Don't delay on checking out Michael Hames' latest work, at Steffichfineart, in Grace Point Square -- the show continues until Sept. 15th. The ArtCraft XY Men At Work continues until Sept. 16th, at Mahon Hall. Check it out! Today and tomorrow is the Open Studios at Deon Venter and Kathy Venter, showcasing New Work, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Merchants' Mews, on Upper Ganges Road. Bly Kaye's work is showcased at J. Mitchell Gallery, in Grace Point Square -- if you haven't been to this Gallery in a bit, you'll be impressed. Enjoy September's artistic offerings! See you there!
September 7, 2007. Check out my Fall Newsletter -- it's under the "Li Read" category on the main menu of my website (www.liread.com), under "Newsletter". Comments are always welcome! The September "Market Analysis" is also "up", on the "Listing Portfolio" category on the main menu of the site. Email me your thoughts, too! Thanks!
September 6, 2007. "Crawl to begin. Triumph to complete. Renounce to leave." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")
September 5, 2007. The schools are back in, hope you are remembering it is 30 km/h in the school zones. Speeding in a school zone is probably one of the most expensive tickets you will ever get. On Salt Spring Island in Ganges, it is first part of Rainbow Road up to Aktins Road, that is the School zone. Drive safe.
September 4, 2007. It might be early, but mark your calendars for October 14th -- Shirley Graham will be reading from her first full poetry collection (What Someone Wanted, which is published by Black Moss Press). The celebration and reading will be at the Lion's Club on the corner of Drake and Bonnett, on Sunday afternoon, October 14th, at 3:30 p.m. Official announcements will be later, but don't miss this event. Poetry is a pure form of expression, with cadance and wordsmithing that touches our souls, and although it can be read, silently, as a play, it carries a resonance when spoken. The oral tradition is evocative. Don't miss Shirley's event!
September 3, 2007. Make sure you catch Michael Hames' new work at Steffichfineart gallery, in Grace Point Square. Termed: "Michael Hames...new works in graphite", the show runs till Sept. 15th. Through a Pinhole Brightly is the description for the current showing by Murray Polson, at Galleons Lap, Fine Art Photography, Atelier. ArtSpring is showcasing, in the Gallery, new photographic work by David Baughan and Kevin Steinke, until Sept. 8th. ArtCraft and the Stage Gallery showcase "XY Men At Work", until Sept. 16th. Ron Smith, Paul Burke, and Gary Chernoff present -- don't miss this! Have you contacted ArtSpring yet, about their 2007/2008 season of Classical Music, Jazz, and Special Performances? A new brochure is out, with dates and details of the music@artspring season! Call the ticket office at: 250-537-2102. Don't forget to catch The Nylons, in concert, Sept. 7th (at ArtSpring)! Fall Fair weekend (Sept. 15/16) is almost upon us -- this is a huge treat, so if you've never been before, don't miss it! Kids,Critters and Crops, is the "header" for this year's Fair. See you there!
September 2, 2007.
Looking for the very best? Here it is, on special Salt Spring Island! Terrific dock -- keep your boat at home! A Schubart designed home, with all of the wonderful attributes of this architect's vision (Schubart studied with Frank Lloyd Wright), and with superb finishing details. Wood floors, custom windows, feature stone fireplace in the dramatic living room, master bedroom "wing", lovely guest, separate from main living spaces, and nestled into a private and sunny acreage (s/sw/w exposures), with an historic orchard, forest preserve surround (walk your own trails), and totally self-sufficient (excellent well, fenced veggie garden, if a power outage, a generator is in place). Ready to just move into and enjoy. See Li for appointments to view this beauty!
September 1, 2007. "We part at the crossroads, You leave with your joys and problems, I with mine. Alone, I look down the road. Each one must walk one's own path." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")