Paddy's Point, 10 oceanfront acres in Maple Bay, on Vancouver Island....wow! - 08/30/10 04:15 PM

Such a beauty, and it's in dynamic and pristine Maple Bay, on Southern Vancouver Island! Maple Bay has long been a yachtsman's destination....great moorage, yacht club, Bird's Eye Cove Marina, rowing club....for anyone from West Vancouver, it has echoes of West Bay, on Marine Drive. This gem of a property is almost ten acres, an oceanfront point of land, with thousands of feet of easy access beachfront (bays, sandstone, with great swimming areas), plus year round moorage potential at the dock. 1912 character cottage and a 1940s era boathouse are negligible but show the charm of a property that has … (2 comments)

"Time out" to observe, really "see", Nature...the best way to recharge! - 08/29/10 11:38 AM

How often do we forget to "look"?    Muddling along in our own worlds, busy in our heads with our agendas, we rarely get beyond our skins and "really look" at our surroundings.
No matter where we live, whether in a rural calm or in a purposeful city, there is beauty constantly around us...patterns of light through an office window, splashing onto desks, or sky reflecting from rain puddles, or a butterfly hovering above a flowering plant, or a sunset over the ocean, or a moonrise across a lake.....it can be anything, anywhere, but are we "looking"?
The 21st Century seems … (8 comments)

Summer days on the wane....oh, oh! - 08/28/10 06:33 PM

Ah....a summer house!    Sit beside the seaside, lots of room for relatives and friends, barbecue beside the beach, hot tub with a view, swimming when the tide rolls in across that hot sandy beach, wind surfing and sailing, kayaking out to islets at the Harbour's mouth, lolling in a deck chair, umbrella shade, lemonade and a good book at hand....we all have our own recipe for summer days.
Such a short season, though.    Media full of "back to school" ads, shorter days on the way, maples turning early, hmm....haven't checked the Farmer's Almanac yet, to see what Fall has in … (2 comments)

Entering the final third of our seasonal marketplace..."thoughts".... - 08/28/10 06:12 PM
Here we sit, heading towards the final third of our seasonal year. For some markets, it's a quarterly report, but our secondary home/discretionary and resort-based market has always seemed to split into three natural parts. Spring:  Early February to end of May. Summer: June to end of September. Off Season: October to January. This thin "rim" on the Pacific Northwest Coast does not experience the cold winters seen in the rest of Canada -- our microclimate (known as "cool Mediterranean", on Salt Spring Island and on the Southern Gulf Islands), means that our "off season" can still experience buoyancy in sales. … (1 comments)

400 acres, exceptional views, a true "wow" property, & on Salt Spring Island! - 08/28/10 12:08 PM

Incredible land, sensational views, three titles (160 acres, 80 acres, 160 acres), all adjacent, and all being sold as one unit. Seasonal creeks, ponds, some cleared, some forested, natural meadow areas, amazing views of ocean, islands, mountains (Lower Mainland mountains, Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, Olympic Mountains...an inspirational panoramic vista!). Several terrific building sites...choose your special one. Access off Anna's Drive for one parcel, and access off Musgrave Road for another. Park reserve on one boundary line, and an area of very fine homes (all on acreages), on another. Excellent sun exposures (e/s/w), privacy, quiet -- truly unique property anywhere, and … (2 comments)

More radio fun....live remote at Saturday Market on Salt Spring! - 08/27/10 12:14 PM
August 27, 2010.
Down at the Saturday Market, tomorrow? Look for the community radio station's live remote -- interviews with market vendors. Equipment set-up outside Bruce's Kitchen, and roving reporters speaking with the vendors...community radio is all volunteer. Catch the different programs on the station (details on the website: www.cfsi-fm.com). Streaming audio off the website, plus 107.9 fm, if you're nearby. Listen to my live show on Mondays and Wednesdays, 7 to 9 a.m., Pacific Time...All Things Salt Spring (music, musings, interviews). Listen to podcasts of some interviews on my website: www.liread.com/radio.htm (thank you!). My show was actually the first … (4 comments)

Late August/early September "happenings" on Salt Spring Island! - 08/26/10 11:10 AM
August 26, 2010. Don't miss the 10th Annual Photosynthesis show at ArtSpring -- it runs till Sept 7th. Such talent! ArtCraft is showcasing, on the stage at Mahon Hall, 100 Mile Basket (local basketmakers, local materials) -- opening reception on Friday, 6 to 8 p.m. (artists in attendance). Presentation runs till Sept 18th. Pegasus Gallery presents Kenyan artist/naturalist, Sav Boro, showcasing Salt Spring Landscape Paintings, Sept 1 to 15th. Tonight, at ArtSpring, catch the legendary bluegrass/roots/jazz band John Reischman and The Jaybirds, 8 p.m. Treehouse Cafe's live music continues nightly: tonight it's Daniel Howlett, Friday it's Sunyata, repeat performance by the … (2 comments)

Amazing 9 + acre oceanfront property, exrtravagant views, rustic gem of a home, dock in place! - 08/25/10 06:58 PM

It doesn't get any better! And, it just happens to be on special Salt Spring Island! The absolutely best deep water dock! Sail up to over 700 feet of forested oceanfront. Use the custom crane to lift your boat into a cedar shingled boathouse beside your private driftwood cove. Or bring your larger yacht alongside the float, and walk up the nature path to the house overlooking a panorama of islands. This 9+ acre property, with luxurious privacy and a gorgeous driveway, winding through your private forest, features coastal forest, plus treasured Arbutus and Garry Oak groves, and with natural … (4 comments)

Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home, oceanfront "point of land", on Salt Spring Island....awaits you! - 08/24/10 12:15 PM

Looking for an authentic H. Schubart designed home (he studied with Frank Lloyd Wright, and made Salt Spring his home, in the 1960s)? Then look no more...here is a beauty, and the features that make a Schubart home "sing" are all here! The property is an amazing point of land, with a dramatic panoramic ocean, islands, and mountain vista. Sunny (s/sw/w exposures), easy access oceanfront, a foreshore licence so you can build a dock, and a level entry main level that offers many unique design features....it's a treasure! Main level enjoys formal/entry foyer, master (with ensuite bath), plus adjacent office … (5 comments)

Best protected boating waters in the world? Right here! - 08/23/10 06:46 PM

This is just one example as to why mariners describe this area as the best protected boating waters in the world....
This photo has the mountains on the east side of Vancouver Island, as the horizon, and this part of the oceen is known as Sansum Narrows...it's between Salt Spring Island and Vancouver Island, and I'm looking down Saanich Inlet from this vantage point, towards Victoria.
Although there are much wider sections of sea, in Georgia Strait itself, between the San Juan Islands, in the U.S., and the Southern Canadian Gulf Islands, nestled in the lee of the much larger … (2 comments)

Extravagant view at your doorstep! A "wow" home awaits your pleasure on Salt Spring Island! - 08/22/10 12:17 PM

Here is a delectable opportunity on special Salt Spring Island! An architect designed beauty, with an extravagant wrap-around panoramic view of ocean, islands, mountains (Lower Mainland mountains, Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, Southern Canadian Gulf Islands, San Juans in the U.S. -- truly dramatic!), plus privacy and great sun exposure (sunrises and sunsets). Two master sitting rooms, both ensuite, with private laundry, dressing room for each, and gas fireplace for each. Off one master, there is this super lap pool! Guest bed and bath, stylish living room (feature gas fireplace), cook's kitchen, pantry off, oceanview dining, easy access to morning and … (10 comments)

Ferrries are a part of an islanders life, in the Gulf Islands! - 08/20/10 08:35 PM

When you live on an island, you carry different kinds of schedules around in your head....ferry schedules (on Salt Spring, there are three different ferries, going to three different places, and they all have different schedule times), plus floatplane schedules (again, three different companies, serving different routes, and all with different schedules), and yes, there's a summer and a winter schedule, too!
After awhile, though, you just get used to it, and sitting on the ferry, waiting for the short trips to be "done", it's great to just sit and watch the beauty of the world go by (pretty exciting, … (10 comments)

Lakefront home, privacy & sunshine, on special Salt Spring Island! - 08/20/10 01:01 PM

 
Looking for the perfect lakefront retreat home on special Salt Spring Island?
Here's a gem on St. Mary Lake, with privacy and sunsets! At the end of Bradbury Road, with farm fields at its rear, with a lovely winding driveway through forest to arrive at the well built home (at a mid-point on the property), and with lawn and easy-care garden leading to the lakeside dock.
A lovely quiet area on the lake, and the home enjoys s/sw/w exposures.
On community water system, this gem has main level living, plus garden level suite potential....B & B opportunity? Rental until … (4 comments)

What does it mean, to say that a property is an "estate"? - 08/20/10 12:07 PM

What does it mean, this label, "estate style property"?   
I leaf through luxury real estate print media, magazine format, and some of the amazing homes showcase marble and stellar tiles and amazing design elements and....very "splish", and almost like mini-Florentine palaces of old.
In the Pacific Northwest Coast area, the definition of "estate" might mean a private beach, such as this one, on a private island.     It might mean a home that is a blend of "west coast contemporary" and a forties "hunting lodge" ethic (a formal rustic, if that makes any sense!).    It might mean guest cottages that also … (2 comments)

Ganges Village "fisherman's marina"....protected year round moorage in the heart of town! - 08/19/10 07:41 PM

 
A tiny town (this is one third of Ganges Village, on Salt Spring Island), which can't get any bigger (the Islands Trust, a B.C. Provincial Government body, created in 1974, to protect all of the Gulf Islands for the benefit of all B.C. residents, as a "preserve" area, capped growth and "fixed" the boundaries of Ganges Village), offers beauty, all amenities that make life in the 21st Century pleasing, and enjoys proximity to major centres while still retaining that yesteryear allure...vert special!
Post-internet, which erased time and geography, Salt Spring has become a global destination venue.
In the heart … (4 comments)

Things to do & to see, as summer winds down, on Salt Spring Island.... - 08/19/10 12:38 PM
August 19, 2010.Lots of "back to school" notices in newspaper and t.v. ads, suddenly.    In our coastal area, the weather seems to go into premature Fall mode, too, right around now....some say it's because it's the P.N.E. (Pacific National Exhibition) parade on Saturday, and it "always" rains that day!     The forest fire threat, with the heat waves and the very dry conditions in all forests, though, would welcome some rain.     People with children return home to the cities, at this time, to get ready for that school start, and people without children often prefer to wait to travel to our area … (2 comments)

The incredible Pacific Northwest Coast offers beauty....enjoy! - 08/16/10 07:51 PM

 
This is a very typical scene in the lovely Canadian Gulf Islands and the east coast of the much larger Vancouver Island.
A natural meadow area, Arbutus (Madrona) and Garry Oak trees, firs and cedars, grouped around sandy coves with rocky spits....
Boats can anchor on mooring buoys, and it's warm ocean swimming (unbelievably, it's true!).
Ferries access the smaller Gulf Islands off Vancouver Island or the Lower Mainland terminals.
Micro-climates abound...vineyards, olive groves, orchards, the 10 K diet is a given, here....wonderful veggies happily grow.
This inner water way, sheltered by the length of the very large Vancouver … (7 comments)

Second Sister Island is for sale...your private island awaits! - 08/16/10 12:30 PM

Ever thought about owning your own island?   Here's Second Sister Island, nestled in Ganges Harbour, on Salt Spring Island.    The tiny islet just to the lower left is called Twilight Island, and it's a "summer place".   This islet gives protection to the dock on Second Sister Island.    The "prow" of the neighbouring island, First Sister Island, is privately owned and has not been developed.    The famed Chocolate Beach is on First Sister, a quick kayak ride away.  
In the background, one can see Scott Point and Nose Point, to the upper left, which enfold Long Harbour, a narrow harbour that … (5 comments)

Foggy times do return to sunny days...in life, not just in Nature. - 08/15/10 07:35 PM

A photograph?    A painting?  
Sometimes, Nature delivers a lovely blend of real and an artist's imagination...good to be up early, and to be able to catch this vista, with the purple of early morning, drifting fog....
Speaking of fog...remember, it does burn off, and there's the great sunny day again.
Right now, with so many conflicting statistics and upsets, both economic and naturally caused, it's easy to become inanimate with fear.
Good then to hold that idea that the fog does dissipate.    Important to keep doing what we are good at doing, and to only momentarily be deflected.    It's human … (6 comments)

Summer, summer, summer....hot hot hot! - 08/14/10 04:23 PM

 
Hot hot hot....time to throw oneself into the lake and submerge into the cool that swimming brings!
Summer pleasures are always the simple ones...watching the star filled night sky (right now, on the hunt for the annual meteor shower), the seemingly forever glow of the slowly erasing sunset, the sounds of children enjoying their early evening fun, distant music from outdoor decks, barbecue simplicity...ah, summer!
Such a short season.    I hope wherever you are that your are remembering to enjoy it.
It's fun, it's short-term, it's worth waiting through Fall, Winter, Spring, for its return!
Did someone mention sailing?    … (6 comments)

Oceanview, dramatic home, private...has everything! - 08/14/10 01:12 PM

 
Here's your view!     Stylish custom home, with expansive and dramatic living room, vaulted ceilings, custom window treatments, and easy access out to this entertainment size deck.    Wood and tile floors, formal entry/foyer, plus mudroom/laundry entry, guest powder room, cook's dream kitchen, dining off, walk in pantry, library/den or guest bedroom, with solarium off, plus a generous sized sauna.    Master/sitting, with ensuite, plus large walk in closet!     Level entry to this main level, plus upper level (storey and a half design) offers library/loft, plus second master-sitting with ensuite.   
Fenced veggie garden, double garage, tool shed/garden equipment separate storage, workshop area, … (4 comments)

Saturday, August 14th, happenings on Salt Spring Island! - 08/14/10 01:02 PM
Jazz Fest is on! Catch the acts today and tomorrow at: Mistaken Identity Vineyards, at Salt Spring Cheese, at Salt Spring Vineyards. Also, live venues at: Harbour House Hotel, Treehouse Cafe, Moby's, bandstand in Centennial Park...an annual event, and awaited, always, with eagerness! We are so lucky, on Salt Spring, with the talent that resides here, by choice, musically -- this weekend it's the jazz aficianados turn! Enjoy! Looking for a lovely al fresco lunch, by the seaside, with vistas of ferry, pleasure boats, beachcombers at Vesuvius Beach? It's the Seaside Kitchen's oceanside deck, of course! Take a mini-holiday, in your … (4 comments)

Tuscany on Salt Spring...with oceanfront, too! - 08/14/10 12:10 PM

Looking for a hint of Tuscany, with a "west coast" flair? Enjoy this rural pastoral gem, nestled into Fruitvale Bay (crushed shell and sand beach -- great beachcombing at low tide, and nice swimming here, too), and with foreshore licence in place (build your dock!), and geothermal heat option, too. Main level: formal entry, from welcoming stone patio, leads to dramatic living (window wall opens fully onto oceanside deck, for expanded summer living pleasures), plus entertainment size dining, large country kitchen, with pantry/office off, guest bath, and oceanside master-sitting with dramatic ensuite bath. Easy access to oceanside lawn/sunset beachside deck/stairs … (2 comments)

Things to do on Salt Spring Island this weekend...music, music, music (Jazz Fest)! - 08/11/10 04:40 PM
"Celebrating the good life on Salt Spring!" is the header on the ads for this weekend's Salt Spring Jazz Fest!    Lots to enjoy!   Great musicians, food, and wine -- 8 concerts, 3 feature venues.  Mistaken Identity Vineyards, Salt Spring Island Cheese, Salt Spring Vineyards.  Plus, 13 exciting shows at 7 local pubs and eateries.   Aug 13 to 15: check the website for exact times, specific locations, who's playing where and when (www.saltspringjazzfest.org).   Weekend passes available!  Wow...such talent!   Don't miss this annual event. Photosynthesis opens with a reception on Aug 18th, 5 to 7:30 p.m., at ArtSpring, … (4 comments)

Pastoral beauty...walk to a great beach! On beautiful Salt Spring Island! - 08/10/10 07:04 PM
Here's a pastoral dream for your pleasure! A custom designed Zen/Scandanavian cottage home -- huge storage areas, plus a yoga-meditation space, plus screened covered decks to expand summer living pleasures. One bedroom cottage core, to entice your summer/weekender self! Large natural swimming pond, barn/garage structure, pasture, arable land (a garden in your future? Be self-sufficient/sustainable, here!), and a great building site for a main home, when you're ready! Sunny (s/sw/w exposures), very private, with a wonderful sense of "apartness", yet only 7 minutes to all services/amenities. A gem! Don't delay on this one!
www.liread.com
 
 
… (6 comments)

Musings....poetry speaks! - 08/09/10 07:09 PM
Summer. A state of mind... Something about beaches, or maybe it was a lake. Sand, anyway. So hot! We had to throw ourselves into the water at 10 p.m., or sleep, up there under the eaves, in that Edwardian vacation house dream, would have evaporated. Do we all have the same dream? Is it based on endless Hollywood fantasies? Maybe even t.v.? It was white, a verandah full of wicker... Yes, I know, you've been there, too! I remember frogs,,, their song resonates,,, it must have been a lake... there was lavendar, gone wild, thigh-high.... Whatever. We all lie in wait, … (2 comments)

Walk to the ocean from this hobby farm acreage! Sunny, quiet, private...close to town! - 08/09/10 01:00 PM

Wow...terrific opportunity, here! 7 + acres, half in fenced pasture, with outbuildings, barn, pond, and the remainder in forest and trails.
Oceanview from the substantial home!
Fenced veggie garden, lovely easy care landscaping, with flower garden in season, plus orchard.
In an area of fine homes, and a very short stroll to a great beach access, this beauty awaits your pleasure. Home would suit a professional couple, working from home, and would also be a terrific family home option.
Thinking of B & B? Easy to create a very viable business here, too! So many unique and irreplaceable features, here, … (4 comments)

Oceanfront acreage, on Salt Spring Island, waiting for your dream home.... - 08/06/10 02:41 PM

Here's a wonderful opportunity to own a 6 + acre oceanfront property, with 450 +/- feet of easy access beachfront, on special Salt Spring Island!
Sunny (e/s/sw exposures), private, quiet, in an area of fine homes (estate style properties), close to all services/amenities, and yet wonderfully "apart", in its own serene world, this land has drilled well in place, a roughed in driveway to good building site choices, and the land is zoned for main home, plus separate guest cottage, plus separate studio. 
Expanisive panoramic views of ocean, islands, mountains!
Share in park reserve (only 5 oceanfront acreages in this … (5 comments)

Market "thoughts", early August....a half way point in our business year.... - 08/06/10 01:04 PM
August, 2010. Here we are, beginning of August, and half way through this calendar year. Some exciting events this year in B.C. -- the Olympics definitely put Canada front and centre in the world's attention, and Vancouver and Whistler were the focus. From Spring-like weather in February (trucking in snow to the Vancouver mountain Olympic venues!) to Juneuary weather pattern (very cool throughout that month!) in what should have been "real Spring", we are now enjoying a wonderful Coastal summer season...hot, clear, sunny, definitely beach and sailing weather! Along with these pleasures, we had the introduction of the HST tax in … (2 comments)

Radio show fun continues...live every Monday & Wednesday, 7 to 9 a.m., Pacific Time. - 08/05/10 08:07 PM
Am enjoying the live radio show that I do every Monday and Wednesday (7 to 9 a.m., Pacific Time), on the new community radio station (107.9 fm if you can hear it that way, or, www.cfsi-fm.com, via streaming audio.    Just click on the 'playing now' highlighted text, below the Salt Spring photograph).   I've been doing this, now, since mid-September, 2009, and find it very interesting and also a lot of fun.    It's called All Things Salt Spring, and my producer is Dave Gordon.    It's a mix of Salt Spring events, interviews, music that appeals to myself and to Dave, and … (4 comments)

Gates mark boundaries....protection is a trend? - 08/05/10 12:18 PM

 
Gates are interesting statements....
This one opens onto a seven acre equestrian property, with lovely pasture for horses who are loved "pets", and who wander this property along with five Irish wolfhounds, for company.    The owner of this sweetheart also runs an online teddy bear business, with antique and new bears to entice us.
The gate, here, is partly to keep those wandering Shetlands where they belong, of course.    A gate is a kind of wall, and does alert the person "outside" that they shouldn't just enter the space beyond, without an appointment.
Gates are about defining boundaries, about … (2 comments)

Early August events on Salt Spring Island....it's still summer....get our & enjoy! - 08/04/10 08:35 PM
August 4, 2010.   Don't miss this!    The 22nd Annual Fulford Day takes place at Drummond Park on August 14th (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).    Good music, good food, and good family fun is the promise....lots to enjoy, here, and it's definitely a quintessential Salt Spring experience!    Wave, if you see me!   Piano and vocals at the next Music and Munch series August 11th), at All Saints by the Sea.    Pianist Graeme Wilkinson, with special guests Christian Tatonetti and Sylvia Rickard, on stage for your pleasure.   Concert begins at 12:10 p.m., admission by donation or free, and an optional light … (0 comments)

Half way point in the summer season...get out and about and enjoy! - 08/03/10 12:26 PM

We're at the half-way mark, in the "summer season" on these beautiful Gulf Islands! Lots to do and to see, and if you're a boater, this is some of the best boating weather to explore these unique island oases. Boat names are often very evocative, and a lot of them sum up the sense of pure pleasure that time on the sea always delivers. Whether you're doing the "big voyage" up to Desolation Sound, or whether you're just gunkholing around the Southern Gulf Islands, there are lots of unique coves to explore, bays to anchor in, picnics to enjoy, swimming … (9 comments)

Gardens give pleasure....a living painting! - 08/02/10 05:13 PM

 
Gardens give such pleasure.
This is a tiny one, just the rear garden on a .15 of an acre property, and yet the owner has created his own tranquil and private world, done with layers of plantings. 
Easy care is not a phrase associated with gardens, but this one is pretty close to 'turn key'.
When I see this kind of beauty, it makes me realize that a true gardener is really like a painter...instead of capturing a scene with water colours or acrylics or oils, he/she is creating the living version of a painting of Nature.
Perspective is … (3 comments)

Swan Point oceanfront gem, on special Salt Spring Island...Arts & Crafts beauty! - 08/02/10 04:23 PM

Wow...authentic and restored Arts & Crafts centrepiece, with seamless blending of new upper master "suite", plus garden level guest "suite"...all with exceptional vistas. This oceanfront beauty is one of only five homes in this Swan Point enclave...surrounded by forest and park reserve, and yet mere minutes to all amenities/services. Quiet, rural area, with warm ocean swimming at your doorstep, a beachcomber's delight when the tide is low, and potential to keep a boat on a mooring buoy farther out in Booth Bay. Nestled in the lee of Booth Bay, this home also enjoys vistas down Booth Canal, plus sunrises and … (0 comments)

Every area has its scenic beauties, to inspire us all.... - 08/01/10 01:21 PM

I love looking at the Florida and Arizona and California photos from realtors in these areas...the cacti and the palm trees whisper of exotic spaces and places....at least when compared to the Pacific Northwest Coast colours!
This kind of British Racing Green shade is typical of our forests (Cedar, Fir, Hemlock, Maple, Alder), and our oceans are not really crystal clear...maybe the first twenty feet or so, but then it's a more opaque ocean that we sail upon.
Beaches are pebbles or sometimes sandy swaths, or maybe a cove of crushed shell, but in the main they are "shingle beaches", … (10 comments)

 
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Li Read

Salt Spring Island, BC

More about me…

Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring)

Address: # 4 - 105 Rainbow Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2V5

Office Phone: (250) 537-8763

Cell Phone: (250) 537-7647

Email Me

real estate, b.c. real estate, salt spring island real estate, Canadian real estate, luxury real estate, waterfront specialist, private islands specialist, estate style properties, secondary home marketplace, active rain, Li at Sea to Sky Premier Properties, Mayne Island, Galiano Island, Pender Islands, Saturna Island, Salt Spring Island, southern Vancouver Island.


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