Current Entries September 30, 2008. "Rain dripping from eaves Sounds nature's poetry. We speak and write to Explain to ourselves." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") September 29, 2008. Looking for an English Country Estate waterfront property? Here it is, on special Salt Spring Island! Two adjacent waterfront parcels, being offered as one unit. Lovingly maintained European style home, with formal living, formal dining, comfortable den/library, country kitchen with breakfast area, plus powder room, formal entry, and self-contained bed-sitting room/ensuite, on main level. Full lower/basement level, with office/family room. Upper level (storey and a half design) offers two ensuite master bedrooms, with sitting areas, plus guest/study. The plus? Roughed in area, on upper level, could offer two further ensuite bedrooms, if desired. Attached garage, plus terrific workshop (home occupation? artist?). Orchard, fenced veggie garden, easy access to sandy beach/oceanfront. The plus? Adjacent lot has foreshore licence (build your dock and keep your boat at home!), plus cedar cottage and orchard, outbuildings. The two together create a true estate style property. Offer on both, keep both, or sell one. The choice is yours! Call Li for appts. to view this exclusive listing. September 28, 2008. BBC news reports : More cash is injected into banks Women are key to fighting poverty US leaves rates unchanged at 2% Consumer inflation rises to 4.7% Heart fears over common chemical Clean living 'slows cell ageing' Solar wind blows at 50-year low Collider halted until next year Sun and global warming: A cosmic connection? No 2008 record for Arctic sea ice Google's Andriod mobile unveiled Odierno warning on Iraq security September 27, 2008. Here's a truly "best buy" opportunity on special Salt Spring Island! Architect designed home, custom built in the mid-1980s and totally renovated/upgraded in 2002. Just move in and enjoy this gem! Open plan living/dining, cook's dream kitchen, adjacent t.v./library space, lovely master/study with ensuite, and sliders out to expansive decking. Office area, off living. Completely self- contained one bedroom suite, with oceanview deck, totally private from main home, with separate entry -- guest/inlaw accomodation, or, weekly rental option. Two guest bedrooms, bath, plus lots of storage. Double garage (keep those classic cars at home!). Easy care "natural" landscaping, property deer-fenced, and easy access to lovely Duck Bay (foreshore licence in place -- build your dock, and keep your boat at home!). Warm swimming ocean waters, here! This "best buy" gem offers privacy, excellent sun exposure (s/sw/w), plus expansive oceanviews. The very best waterfront buy, today, on special Salt Spring Island! Call Li for appts. to view. September 26, 2008. J. Mitchell Gallery, in Grace Point Square, is showcasing newly released estate oil paintings, by LeRoy Jensen, alongside new portrait paintings by his daughter, Gabrielle Jensen. The show runs through to October 8th. Check this out! October 11, on the big screen at ArtSpring, enjoy Salome, live from the Metropolitan Opera. Starts at 10 a.m. Call ArtSpring Ticket Centre: 250-537-2102. Catch Stephanie Denz' new art exhibit at Salt Spring Woodworks -- show can be viewed throughout October. Live music, this weekend, at Treehouse Cafe (Man Cubs on the 26th and Donn Tarris & Tess Fama on the 27th. Enjoy! Sept. 28th, the Salt Spring Chamber Players present Mozart, Poulenc, Rossini and Stravinsky to Salt Spring Islanders -- catch this at ArtSpring, at 2:30. $20 for advance tickets; $25 at the door. Don't miss this! Community Education options await your pleasure -- how about "Make it and Take it Xmas Gifts"? Or, "Bridge Intermediate"? Or, "Art & Science of Photography"? Or, "Intro to Calligraphy"? Lots more choices! Get involved and get that intellect ticking over! More info? Check out the website at: www.ssicommunityed.com October 3 is the opening of ArtSpring Gallery's presentation of Island artists, exploring "identity". Mark your calenders! The show runs through to the 12th, with an opening on the 3rd, from 6 to 8 p.m., at ArtSpring. See you there! Sept. 27th is Jami Sieber's benefit concert for SOLID, with show starting at 8 p.m. (ArtSpring -- reserved seats only). Enjoy! September 25, 2008. The financial crisis worsens. People who thought they had planned well, and done everything "right", find that they're out of work, or their "nest egg" has vanished, so retirement is out of the question, or it's not possible to find the discretionary income to take that trip, or buy something for the kids, or splash out on a new dress, or...you name it, it's "up for grabs", and the loss of a house in a foreclosure is the ice berg itself, not just the tip. In times of struggle, it's essential to remember ourselves as saavy humans, the ones who got out of the cave & the hunter/gatherer mindset and onto the farm, into a village, morphing into a city, a nation, a lifestyle that includes watching blast-offs to a space station and a Mars rover trying to find signs of life. The experiment to replicate the "big bang", deep in the earth below part of Switzerland, has been imagined into existence by humans. It's ok to lie down on the floor and wail and moan for a bit; it gets rid of our inability to think. It lets us weep away the screen of disbelief! Maybe a day or two of moaning is allowed. Then it's time to look around, and see what's still standing, and what we can do to create a positive outcome -- if not this week, then maybe next. If not next month, then maybe three months down the road. We are the architects of our fate. If it takes a couple of years, that's ok, too, as long as we have our health, our family, our friends (that includes the four-footed ones), and are actively pursuing positive growth. What about planting a garden? Growing one's own food can be satisfying, and at least we can trust what we put into our mouths. What about helping disadvantaged, in nursing homes or in hospitals or in half-way care facilities. We will remind ourselves that there are always those worse off than ourselves. Compassion, and a helping nature, are healers of wounds. What about going back to school, taking a philosophy course, or a writing course, or a photography course, or learn Spanish at long last, or.... What about walking places, not just to save gas but to create healthier bodies, and to release those elements that bring about a positive attitude. Stop watching the endlessness of cable news reporting. Nothing is to be gained, and everything is to be lost, by that repetition of scratching the sore. Sit around, and you'll become depressed. Exercise, and positivity comes in with the increased breathing. Make your own wine, walk as many places as possible, grow your own food, learn to sew and create your own clothing line, remember what made our countries great in the first place -- it was people moving to a "new world", without all the conveniences of the old, and creating a "new life", and they were self-sufficient and created what they needed. It's in our cellular levels, somewhere, and it's up to us to remember the simple things of life, and to get back on track. Here's the opportunity. Everyone is in the same boat, which means anyone of us can "repair", and bring benefit to our entire society. We're all in the same place of indecision and momentary fear. I once read a book by the German writer Herman Hesse ("Steppenwolf"). It was interesting on many levels, but the one thought he stated, towards the end of the novel, was along the lines of: "we can't get rid of anything; it's in our baggage. Treat life as a chess game. The same pieces, the same board. All we can do is to tip the board, every now and again, and rearrange the pieces." An interesting concept. Sometimes, if we're slow, life itself tips the board. Now comes the opportunity moment, which all change brings: and you are going to do....????? September 24, 2008. Superb 9 + acre property, in "natural" unspoiled state -- a mix of coastal forest (Cedar, Fir, Maple, Alder) and Garry Oak and Arbutus groves. 700 + feet of easy access oceanfront, with lovely swimming cove. A terrific dock system -- keep your boat at home! Dramatic ocean and island and mountain viewscapes -- a true panorama of loveliness! See the majestic Olympic range from here, too. Architect designed home has been significantly renovated/upgraded, and all principal rooms enjoy those views. Walk your private trails, enjoy the pond at property's entrance, develop further to your desires (zoned for main home, plus separate guest cottage, plus studio). At Salt Spring's special "south end", this beauty is waiting for you to enjoy. Call Li for appointments to view. September 23, 2008. BBC news reports : Bush defends US debt rescue plan Judge approves $1.3bn Lehman deal Bush hails financial rescue plan Shares surge on US bail-out plan Central banks move to calm nerves Baby paracetamol asthma concern Worldwide survey seeks MS answers Study into near-death experiences Hadron Collider halted for months X-ray pulse seen in biggest holes No plant CO2 relief in warm world Will the real dinosaurs stand up Yahoo starts front page overhaul Hong Kong recalls dairy products Pakistan in sovereignty warning Cuban storms damage 'worst ever' September 22, 2008. "Imagine a sculpture You work on every day. If you stop, the beauty Will slowly fade away." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") September 21, 2008. A delectable oceanfront beauty awaits your pleasure, here! Easy access to a wonderful sand and crushed shell beach, plus foreshore licence in place (build your dock and keep your boat at home! Mooring buoy in place, for now). Master/study, dressing room, ensuite "wing", with ocean vistas. Living room, dining room, country kitchen, all with ocean views, plus expansive decking off (expands those summer living pleasures!) -- hot tub, here, plus al fresco dining choices. Cosy den/library, plus guest bed and bath, separate laundry/mudroom. Lower (daylight) level offers bedroom/bath plus family room. Double garage, with office off. The plus? A lovely oceanside studio space (artist?). Oceanside decking, too (enjoy those sunsets!). Very appealing gated garden area, at entrance to this pleasing architect designed home, plus orchard Private, close to all amenities, sunny (s/sw/w exposures), with true rural charm. Call Li for appointments to view this beauty! September 20, 2008. Looking for a day trip off island? This weekend is the Cowichan Valley vineyard tours and organic farm tours -- a harvest feast from the wineries and the organic farmers. It's a short ferry trip from Vesuvius to Crofton, then turn left on Osborne Bay Road, and right on Herd Road, and go right out to the Island Highway, and turn left. The vineyards are in the Glenora Valley, on the Victoria side of Duncan, and in the Cherry Point area. There's also the "meadery" off Cobble Hill Road, en route to Shawnigan Lake. An event to enjoy! Looking to add dinner off, before returning to Salt Spring? Try the Grapevine Restaurant in "old" Maple Bay, or the Genoa Bay Restaurant (a lovely 5 mile drive beyond Bird's Eye Cove/Maple Bay marina), or the Masthead Restaurant in charming Cowichan Bay. So many interesting places on Southern Vancouver Island, for your day trip "adventuring", and all of them are close to the Vesuvius/Crofton or to the Fulford Harbour/Swartz Bay ferry connections. It's terrific to "come home" to special Salt Spring Island, always, but it's also fun to explore new areas, see new things, and it's all very close to "home". Sidney's art galleries, book stores, restaurants (Haro's at The Pier is a "winner"), plus Butchart's Garden in the "off season", plus vineyard tours on the Saanich Peninsula, plus Mattick's Farm boutiques, plus the Provincial Museum in downtown Victoria, maybe dinner at Niche or at Cafe Brio, and don't forget the Victoria Art Gallery and the antique shops on Fort Street. Oak Bay Avenue has some good strolling, too, and there's the Penny Farthing for lunch. More ideas? Give me a call, and ask about "Li's List"! September 19, 2008. Here's a super Arts & Crafts "original", totally restored, with new additions that blend seamlessly with the charm of the authentic original. On the oceanfront, with both sunrises & sunsets, and enjoying the warm swimming waters of this part of Salt Spring Island! Formal living, feature fireplace, formal dining, dramatic kitchen, "morning room" den/study, office/library, guest bath on the main level. Private master/study with ensuite on upper level. Daylight garden level offers lots of storage, plus self-contained one- bed/one bath "suite" (perfect as a B & B or for guests or an inlaw situation). Easy-care landscaping, easy access to a walk-on beach, with oceanside deck (al fresco dining here!). Patio and deck areas expand summer living pleasures! Close to all amenities, yet in its own serenely private world. You will love this treasure! See Li for appointments to view! September 18, 2008. "The actual Is only actual In one place And one time." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") September 17, 2008. Interested in working with a renowned entertainer, who is bringing his vision for a child honouring centre (something he's been working towards for the past ten years) to Salt Spring Island? If so, email me, and will send along further details, and connect you with the people involved. It's a very dynamic blueprint for creating a wholistic environment, which would act as a healing mantra for society, on a global basis, by ensuring a healthy environment for the very young. It will be a teaching facility, to model the program to the rest of the world. Salt Spring is such a dynamic place itself, that it seems totally "right" that this would take place, here. Email me, for more info./who to contact. Thanks! September 16, 2008. Here's a lovely little oceanfront Cedar cottage, pleasingly renovated (one bed/one bath, plus loft area, and open plan living/dining, galley style kitchen (woodstove in living), and sunny ocean vistas (s/sw/w exposures, here). Easy access to oceanfront, with deck at water's edge. Foreshore licence in place; build your dock and keep your boat at home! In protected Welbury Bay, with views out to Ganges Harbour. Prestigious Scott Point location! Walk to Vancouver ferry from here, and close to all of Ganges Village amenities. This is a gem! September 15, 2008. The Salt Spring Folk Club 08/09 season lineup starts off with Jez Lowe on Oct. 6th -- check out their website at: www.saltspringfolkclub.ca for more info. The finale of their season is always the Gumboot Gala (to be held on March 30th). Season passes can be had for $85. Enjoy! On the 18th, there's an exciting art sale & exhibit at Cafe Italia on Hereford Street (from 6 to 8 p.m.). Don't miss this! Hope you're tuning into Randy's Vinyl Tap, on Saturday nights from 7 to 9 p.m., on CBC Radio 1 & on Sirious Channel 137. Check out ArtSpring's lobby area for A Sibley Affair -- paintings and photography, from family members. Be sure to catch this! Larry Melious' photography show runs through to the 20th, at ArtSpring (called Here and There). Enjoy his vision! The Women in the Round folk group performs at Lion's Hall, on the 20th, at 8 p.m. -- bring your enthusiasm! The last weekend this month is the 9th Annual Apple Festival -- this is definitely an event to participate in! Lots to see and to do, in these wonderful warm September days. The Saturday Market, the Tuesday Market, the Island wide studio tour, the live music venues, the al fresco dining pleasures, the Sunday race schedule at the Sailing Club...get out there and enjoy it all! Wave, if you see me! September 14, 2008. Here's a totally lovely little gem, flooded in all day sun/year round (s/sw/w exposures), with good early morning light, too. Designed by a famous Canadian artist, this cottage/home offers a great summer/weekender retreat, or, add onto the very workable floor plan, and create a larger home. Private property, with lots of space & a sense that it is much larger. Main level offers stone fireplace surround/wood stove, plus galley style kitchen (renovated/upgraded), spa style bathroom, open plan living/dining, and sep. laundry. Spacious decking in front and rear gardens expands summer living pleasures! Upper level offers a wonderful master "suite", with stone fireplace. Wood floors, custom window treatments, very pleasing finishes, new roof/new decking, sweetie studio/workshop, separately sited...it all adds up to a true treasure, awaiting your enjoyment. Just move in! On comm. water, close to tennis, lake, beach accesses, theatre, and all amenities, yet in its own quietly serene world. A true "best buy" opportunity on special Salt Spring Island! September 13, 2008. Today is Day One of the Salt Spring Island Fall Fair, at the Farmers Institute, on Rainbow Road. A bus leaves the Chamber of Commerce office, on Lower Ganges Road, and does a round trip service, all day long, to the Fair grounds. Saturday's events are quite different from Sunday's, on this two day affair, and if you're here for the weekend, or a resident, make sure you take in some of the displays and special events. The old and the new Salt Spring Island meet and mix, here, and it's a wonderful event! Enjoy! September 12, 2008. "Banish uncertainty. Affirm strength. Hold resolve. Expect death." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") September 11, 2008. Let's remember, today, the horrific events of September 11, 2001. People simply going about their daily business, saying goodbye to families, going to work, flying from one city to another to visit friends, relatives, return to school, on business...a simple day, like any other, and the weather was a superb September-still-summer morning....the victims of the terrorist acts committed that day were simply living their lives, and none of them could foresee the tragedy about to erupt. Cell phones had already altered the landscape of communication, though, and the victims were able, in many cases, to call loved ones. People on the second plane may therefore have known about the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center. There's a shot, in the film Moonstruck, of Cher walking down a street, kicking at a can, and in the background those two towers are reaching into the sky. Whenever I watch a rerun of that film, it makes me sad. Life does go on, and one doesn't "remember" on a daily basis "anything", whether global or personal, with that kind of immediate aftermath intensity. Maybe that's why humans need specific dates, for that kind of large picture "remembering" (Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, etc.). Wherever you are today, and whatever you are doing, take a few moments to remember the brave acts of human courage and kindness that occurred that day. Although there may have been warnings, with earlier events, the 9/11 events cut the 21st Century off from any vestiges of the 20th, and we were pushed into a renewed sense of life's fragility. Decisions since have been different than those taken before, even at an individual level. In understanding the fragility of life, and its impermanence, it makes one more aware of the importance of living each day to its fullest, & the importance of letting those near and dear to us know that we value and love them. Maybe today one could buy a rose, and keep it on a desk at work, or on a table at home, and with this emblem remember the bravery and the sadness and the fear and the kindnesses of that day. A remembering as "homage" to those most deeply involved.... September 10, 2008. Looking for a truly "best buy" opportunity, for oceanfront, on special Salt Spring Island? Here it is! Good access to waterfront (in protected Duck Bay -- there's a foreshore licence in place, so you can build your dock and keep your boat at home!), privacy, excellent year round/all day sun exposure (s/sw/w), easy-care landscaping (deer fenced property!), plus an exquisitely renovated/updated home (architect designed/custom built in mid- 80s and redesigned/updated in 2002), in an excellent location (Mountain Park Drive address) of quality homes. Guest bedroom/bathroom "wing", plus separate & self-contained one bedroom "suite" -- perfect for guest or inlaw situation. Beautiful master/study with ensuite, dramatic living and dining, a cook's dream kitchen...the benefits go on! Lots of decking to expand summer living pleasures. Ready to just move into and enjoy! September 9, 2008. "Meaning in life is arbitrary. Why ruin the universe with rigidity?" (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") September 8, 2008. In late July, the owner of RE/MAX Salt Spring had thought of relinquishing ownership of the business. Health was the issue. However, she has recovered and prefers to remain the owner of the local RE/MAX franchise, on Salt Spring. As her Managing Broker of this local office, I had been offered the business itself, by the owner, in late July, and had seriously thought of doing so (I may have mentioned this in an early August "blog" entry). I'm really glad, though, that the owner has recovered, and is back as the broker/owner of this office. She has owned this business for almost 20 years, and it is good that she is still in the "main seat". At the moment, I continue as her Managing Broker at the RE/MAX Salt Spring office, something I have done for her for several years, too, without recompense, and with a serious desire to manage the office for success, for the benefit of all the realtors there. The real estate industry is changing dramatically, with many different business models coming to the fore, and this is quite in keeping with the shifts in the industry, as it changes totally from the 20th to the 21st Century style. The Victoria Real Estate Board (which is the Board area that encompasses Salt Spring Island), for example, is completely redoing its database model, and moving from a "hard" version to a web based version. Realtors and support staff are learning this new model, and it will be up and running, totally, by end of this month. As I always remind people, change means opportunity! September 7, 2008. BBC news reports : US jobless rate near 5-year high US bankers facing fraud charges Fresh troubles for US car giants Pound dips further against the dollar US housing sales increase in July Financial slowdown 'to drag on' Hearing risk for festival goers Cholesterol drug cancer warning Aggressive TB treatment 'success' Exercise 'tackles flawed memory' Sea level rise by 2100 'below 2m' Warming boosts strongest storms Major ice-shelf loss for Canada Enviroment needs dose of bold reform Sky survey yields new cosmic haul Google launches internet browser September 6, 2008. Here's a lovely retreat home, awaiting your pleasure! Across from the sea, just off a quiet country road, with privacy, sun, and a tranquility you've been searching for. On comm. water! Close to town, and to all of Salt Spring's many amenities, and yet truly in its own serene world. Walk the beach when the tide is low, enjoy the flower and veggie garden, read by the fireplace on cosy evenings, let your friends enjoy the privacy of the separate guest/studio (with oceanview), wake up to the seagulls and the sunrises...this gem is one of the best! The perfect retirement choice, or summer/weekend for now. Enjoy! September 5, 2008. Mark your calendars! On Sept. 12th, Peter Levitt presents his new collection of poems (Within Within) at the Lions Hall. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. -- everyone is welcome to help celebrate the launch of his full-length book, published with Black Moss Press, a Canadian house. Don't miss this special evening, and be ready to be captivated by Peter Levitt's evocative wordsmithing. Enjoy! Interested in acting? Scott Hylands is looking for two male actors to present Waiting for Godot -- contact Scott at 250-537-4650, if you're interested. The new season for the Salt Spring Painters Guild begins on Sept. 10th -- if you're interested, be at ArtSpring from 9 a.m. to noon. Tonight is the opening, at ArtSpring, of the Salt Spring basket- makers & potters second collaborative show -- opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The show runs through to Sept. 20th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Larry Melious' Here and There photography gallery show opens tonight, too, at ArtSpring, and also runs through to Sept. 20th. The Second Annual Firefly Lantern Festival is on tomorrow, Sept. 6th, starting at Centennial Park, at 7:30 p.m. Enjoy this extravaganza, with the Lobby Dancers appearing at Rotary Park, and fire spinners in ArtSpring's parking lot, and singing back at Centennial Park, plus a shadow puppet show. The evening ends with a percussion performance, including Cuban percussionist Jose Sanchez. Have fun! Check this week's Driftwood (online, too) for the Fall courses offered by the SSI Society for Community Education. Lots to choose from! Call 250-537-0037 for more details! J. Mitchell Gallery, in Grace Point Square, is pleased to be showcasing the works of David Jackson -- don't miss his exhibition of new sculptures in wood, clay, and bronze along side the paintings that are his most recent passion. The Salt Spring Folk Club's 2008/2009 season starts on Oct. 6th with Jez Lowe. Check out their website at: www.saltspringfolkclub.ca for more details! Fall Fair is fast approaching, plus the 9th Annual Apple Festival. Don't miss either of these wonderful annual events! September is here, and lots to do and see in the Autumn Season. Enjoy! September 4, 2008. "I want to make myself an empty room: Quiet whitewashed walls with slant sunshine And a fresh breeze through open windows." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations") September 3, 2008. Looking for an incredible adventure? Here's a beautiful and historic Pacifc Northwest Coast ship, ready to charter and to go explore the Southern Gulf Islands & San Juan Islands archipeligo. The 125 foot yacht was built for the Boeing family, in the early 1930s, and has been completely restored for your pleasure. Weekly charters by the owner (also the captain!), with crew and incredible chef on board, ensure your enjoyment. The name of this jewel is the Taconite, and you can arrange charters with the owner, at: 1-604-290-2290. Eight to ten people can be accomodated, and this would be an exceptional family or corporate retreat idea. Contact the owner and ask for further details (let him know that you heard about this beautiful yacht, via Li's blog -- thanks!). Enjoy! September 2, 2008. Looking for a superb oceanview acreage, zoned for main home, plus separate guest cottage and separate studio, in a quiet and private area of quality homes, close to beach accesses, and with wonderful sunsets? Here it is! Drilled well developed and driveway "roughed in" to potential building site. Bring your architect and walk this beauty, soon. Extravagant panoramic ocean and islands and mountain viewscapes...to rest your soul! A great holding property, for later, or build your cottage now and retire to this gem when it suits you. Lots of options! September 1, 2008. "Though life is a dream, Act as if it isn't. Act with no weight." (Deng Ming-Dao: "Tao...Daily Meditations")

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