New Year's Eve on Salt Spring Island.... - 12/31/11 12:38 PM
December 31, 2011.
In Ganges?  Enjoy Salt Spring's New Year's Eve offerings.... Special celebratory winemaker's dinner offered at Harbour House Hotel's dining room (from farm to plate food and amazing wine pairings from Garry Oak Vineyard!), and also fine dining choices at Marketplace Cafe, Hastings House, Piccolo's as well. More casual? Salt Spring Inn & Rock Salt Cafe at Fulford are hard to beat! Dine and dance at Harbour House Hotel, too...good band playing in the "old Pub" location!
Catch the Pinkerton's at the Legion's Meaden Hall. Staying at home?   Welcome the New Year with food on the table and … (8 comments)

New Year's Eve ideas...stay in or go out.... - 12/30/11 02:40 PM
December 30, 2011.

Going to cocoon and watch movies on New Year's Eve?
If you're on the west coast, watch the fireworks from Seattle's Space Needle...in same time zone and inspiring! Click on a Seattle station (King 5??) around 11:45 p.m., & enjoy the show! And the movies? Here are some suggestions: Some Like It Hot Stranger Than Fiction Billy Eliot My Favorite Year A Month At The Lake Moonstruck Local Hero Babe Sense & Sensibility Gosford Park LA Story My Blue Heaven Four Weddings & A Funeral Bowfinger
Cold Comfort Farm
A smile in every one of them! Not … (9 comments)

Hogmanay...a Scottish welcome to the New Year! - 12/29/11 12:26 PM

We're coming up to New Year's Eve...the traditional time to look back and take stock and then to look forward, with élan! The Celtic tradition in Scotland is an interesting one to follow: fire in the hearth, food on the table, the old (Christmas decorations) out of the house and everything cleaned & ship shape to welcome the New Year. Called Hogmanay, it's about light and feasting and family and friends...a mix of rue for those now gone and an effervescent welcome to the new, for those still present. (Think Auld Lang Syne...by Scotland's poet and voice, Robert Burns). Singing, … (4 comments)

Saturna Island oceanfront farm...point of land! Beauty! - 12/28/11 12:33 PM
Ah...a softer lifestyle, easy access to all the worldly amenities of the 21st Century, and with that yesteryear charm.... 11+ acres, a point of land, with a rural/pastoral ambiance...be self-sufficient on this Oceanside farm! Restored authentic character home enjoys all the necessities of the 21st Century lifestyle, yet retains the aura of the turn of the last century. Separately sited guest cottage, nestled next to a sweep of enticing beach...dock for your yacht...a wildflower strewn point...dramatic ocean, islands, mountain vistas...sunsets to inspire the soul! A second home, with private entry drive, and separately sited from main residence offers extended family or … (2 comments)

Best buy oceanview property on Salt Spring Island...call me! - 12/27/11 12:38 PM
Looking for a best buy opportunity on special Salt Spring Island? Here's an exceptional lot, private and sunny, with dramatic ocean, islands, and mountain viewscapes! Enjoy Mt Baker's majesty! Three bed/two bath (master ensuite) post and beam rancher style home, with view decking, offers a retirement lifestyle at an affordable price. Open plan living/dining, stone feature fireplace, country kitchen...covered entry.
On community water system, close to all services and amenities, and yet quietly "apart". In a neighbourhood of fine homes.
Yes, some soft TLC will lift this home into the 21st Century...meantime, motivated sellers will entertain offers...and an excellent rental option.
… (6 comments)

Boxing Day...a day not to go shopping? - 12/26/11 02:22 PM
December 26, 2011.
The English called this Boxing Day...a name that lives on. It's also known as St Stephan's Day...part of the Twelve Days of Christmas, in the English tradition. A day to visit friends and extended family, to check up on those who live alone...to practice the attitude of gratitude, and a remembering of those who need our spirit of inclusiveness, of largesse. Leftovers from the Christmas Feast, watching of movies that make us laugh and so enjoy the camaraderie of this festival time...seasonal music to soothe...reading a good book in front of the fire...lots of ways to appreciate this … (6 comments)

Christmas Eve is here.... - 12/24/11 01:19 PM
December 24, 2011.

Ah...the moment of wonder and allure has arrived...it's Christmas Eve! For those with a French background, it's the Reveillon...a pleasing tradition, and one that can be emulated.   The feast with family and friends, special traditional recipes, finishing with that delicious Yule Log cake, takes place on Christmas Eve.  
These festivals are all about light, whether we follow the Christian tradition or other cultures...special recipes, memories of past celebrations, seasonal music, gathering of our nearest and dearest if possible, and, if not, remembering them in spirit...it is a moment to pause and to reflect and to be grateful. … (13 comments)

Some Boomer thoughts.... - 12/23/11 02:42 PM
It's interesting to note that we are now at the beginning of the "boomer" retirement age. If we accept that the "boomer years" are framed by the years of 1947 to 1959, then the first wave of retiring boomers is with us. That bulging population now known as "the boomer generation" created something new in each segment of time they inhabited. Now, it's retirement time...or not. The boomers have been characterized as trailblazers, as group oriented, as creative recasters of accepted norms, as people with a social conscience...hmmm...now they're retiring, and the idea of retiring to societal non-being isn't in the … (6 comments)

Award winning vineyard for sale on Salt Spring Island...call me! - 12/22/11 12:23 PM

Superlative opportunity!   In the heart of the Fulford Valley/Burgoyne Valley, with excellent sun exposures and dramatic valley, mountain, and ocean viewscapes...a short stroll to beach and to miles of riding andwalking/hiking trails...this land is superb. 
 
The gift?   This ten acres is the home of renowned Garry Oak Vineyard...award-winning wines, often showcased at Hastings House and other luxury venues, and featured in fine dining establishments.  
The home is a custom architect designed gem (Osborne & Clark, from Vancouver...famed for their country ethic)...you will be immediately eased into the Salt Spring lifestyle as you enjoy this stellar property.    The Fulford … (6 comments)

Shop local...support your Island businesses.... - 12/21/11 12:39 PM
December 21, 2011.
Last minute gift lists...check out Salty Shop, Houseboat, Salt Spring Gallery of Fine Art, Black Sheep Books, West of the Moon, Volume 2, Off The Waterfront Gallery, Salt Spring Books, Mouat's Clothing, Mark's Wear, The Source, Watermark Books, or how about gift certificates for lunch or dinner: Marketplace, Piccolo's, Harbour House Hotel, Rock Salt Cafe, Hastings House, Treehouse Cafe, Salt Spring Inn...enjoy! More gift certificate ideas: Deb Fit Studio, Figs & Honey, Gallery 8, Steffich Fine Art Gallery, ArtSpring, Solace Spa, Pegasus Gallery of Canadian Art, Frankly Scarlett...what about tickets to Salt Spring Folk Club concerts, to … (6 comments)

Best buy oceanview retreat, on lovely Salt Spring Island! - 12/20/11 12:37 PM
Here's a great little retreat property... a good rental option, or a summer/weekender retreat for now... a sunny lot, ocean views, quiet "south end" location also make it a good future development opportunity, too. Seller maintained the cottage/home and it has been in same family for several years. Check out this Isabella Point Road cottage home soon...a very best buy price!
It's not always easy to find an authentic diamond in the rough, particularly in a secondary home/discretionary area, where there will always be a limited inventory of properties, due to the government body known as the Islands Trust...back in 1974, … (8 comments)

New Year's resolution...practice periphery vision! - 12/19/11 01:32 PM

So...the year winds down with turmoil continuing.
The U.S. has left Iraq. Now the commentators can decide whether the past 8 years have been worth it. At the same time, we have the continuing unrest in Europe...the eurozone struggle to remain an economic base, with the threat of the demise of the euro experiment always in the background.
The emphatic growth of Asia is an undertone. The Arab Spring revolutions, the global occupy movements, the Russian population's response to an orchestrated election, change in North Korea...the Twitter opportunity makes it possible for those on the street to have a voice … (4 comments)

The four candles of Advent...a good message for all. - 12/19/11 01:20 PM

For those who celebrate the Season of Advent, yesterday was the fourth Sunday in the Advent preparation for Christmas Day. It has become a tradition to light a different candle for each Sunday in the Advent season (four Sundays), with a fifth candle for Christmas. The candles stand for: Love Joy Hope Peace
Thoughtful images, regardless of one's personal traditions or beliefs.
It's good to think about what these iconic words stand for, especially as we seem to be caught in the eddying waters of a very turbulent sea...with economic and physical insecurities afflicting everyone. Is this the Age of … (7 comments)

Commercial opportunities on Salt Spring Island! - 12/19/11 01:02 PM
Looking for an investment opportunity on Salt Spring Island? Here's an option with future appreciation, as Ganges Village develops! Two adjacent buildings on Ganges Village's busy "second street", McPhillips Avenue, await your development ideas...commercially zoned and well-positioned in location. Currently, five tenants in two eclectic character buildings (a fine art gallery, a courier service, a bike shop, a book shop, a soap company's retail outlet), with parking behind the buildings. The adjacent property is the home of the new Library...now under construction. Both driveby and walkby high visibility, here...bring your architect and your development concept...a worthy property holding! Another idea? Here's … (0 comments)

Musical events to enjoy, on Salt Spring Island! - 12/16/11 12:24 PM
December 16, 2011.

The Carols for Christmastide is on Wednesday, Dec 21st, at 2 p.m., at All Saints by the Sea...enjoy this beautiful seasonal concert! This Sunday, Dec 18th, at ArtSpring, at 2 p.m., be inspired by Bach on the Rock's first annual Singalong Messiah presentation! Pick up your copy of Copper Kettle's whimsical Community Partnership calendar...a worthy fundraiser! Available at Embe Bakery and at Salt Spring Books. Don't miss Alan Moberg's concert tomorrow evening, at 7:30 p.m., at All Saints by the Sea. The concert will highlight songs from his latest CD: Christmas on the Island. Pick up a … (4 comments)

Day trip festive places to visit and to be inspired! - 12/15/11 01:35 PM

Looking for some off island day trip destinations? Vancouver Island treats to enjoy: Don't miss Ladysmith and its amazing lights...they win the "best decorated town" prize! Definitely worth timing a visit for early evening. Victoria bound? Butchart's Gardens is not to be missed...enjoy dinner here, too. Wonderful Christmas decorations and lights! The Fairmont Empress showcases the Festival of Trees...beauty! Wander the lobby areas and into the attached Convention Centre...vote for your favorite! Donations are welcomed...proceeds to the B.C. Childrens Hospital! Meander through the B.C. Museum...interesting gift shop! IMAX, too. Going as far as Qualicum? The Milner Gardens are decorated for … (8 comments)

Radio show hiatus...tune in again in New Year! - 12/14/11 04:53 PM

Have so enjoyed doing my live radio show, on the local community station. It began on a Monday, in early September, 2009...actually, was the first show to air, on day one of the station's broadcasting. This past Monday was last show for the 2011 year...picking up again in early January...for now, a holiday hiatus begins. Show has evolved from one to three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, from 7 to 9 a.m., Pacific Time, and can be picked up via streaming audio over the Internet or on the fm band, if listening locally. It's also evolved from just me … (4 comments)

Private Island dreaming? Here's one! - 12/14/11 04:24 PM
A dream that can come true! Always thought of retiring to your own private island? Here's a gem, just for you! Johnstone Island lies just off Canoe Cove, a private marina close to Sidney and to Victoria...all amenities at hand. A 22 foot ranger boat plus a leased boat slip and two leased parking spaces also go with this purchase. The island's dock is approximately 170 ft long, and offers small boathouse moorage for approx a 30 ft boat, too. Main home, snug and shipshape, with master bedroom/ensuite above spacious living. Oceanview dining adjacent...country kitchen with solarium breakfast area. Cosy t.v./library, … (4 comments)

Some thoughts at the holiday season.... - 12/12/11 12:12 PM

This is both an exciting and a mellow time of year, with traditional pleasures, & family and friends occasions...photos with Santa, cookie baking, gifts for kids & pets, caroling with friends, school concerts...choosing gifts with love & wrapping them with pleasure...seasonal delights! It can also be a difficult season for those newly on their own, or far from family...friends busy with their own families or away on a holiday...for whatever reason, one is alone. The commercials and the popular Christmas songs all mirror togetherness...what to do? Give respect to the holiday...it is about light and feast and spirit. Sharing with … (6 comments)

Ahh....superlative retreat home, on the ocean, on Salt Spring Island! - 12/11/11 02:10 PM
This is an amazing opportunity...approximately 7000 sq ft of sensitively designed and custom built home...on 6+ private acres, with dramatic panorama of ocean, islands, and mountain viewscapes! This oceanfront gem enjoys warm ocean swimming and sunny exposures (s/sw/w)...wow sunsets! Level entry home immediately welcomes one...formal entry/foyer, with spacious dining off. Oceanside living with easy access to appealing covered verandah style decking! Library, too! A cook's dream kitchen, with office off, and butler's pantry adjacent. Master wing, with sitting area, custom closet, spacious ensuite...a private retreat, to restore and to soothe! Grand staircase links upper and garden level to main...as does a … (4 comments)

Santa on his ship, arrives tonight...see you there! - 12/10/11 12:58 PM
December 10, 2011. See you down at the Coast Guard Dock this evening, around 6 p.m., to catch the annual arrival of Santa by ship...thank you to the Lions Club! The Santa ship visits islands in the San Juan chain and then drops by Pender and finishes his ocean stops on Salt Spring! Enjoy the carols and the fireworks as the ship glides down Ganges Harbour...enjoy! Tonight, at Treehouse Cafe, it's a Christmas Singalong with David Jacquest! See you at ArtSpring on the 18th, at 2 p.m., for the first annual Singalong Messiah concert...presented by Bach on the Rock, under the … (8 comments)

Affordable oceanfront retreat, with dock, on Salt Spring Island! - 12/10/11 12:52 PM
Buy now, and be ready for Spring & Summer fun! This easy-care and sunny property enjoys Oceanside pleasures and forest surround...the perfect year-round retreat home! Protected year-round moorage here, with super dock...keep your boat at home! Mooring buoy, too, for overflow yachting guests. Serene marine vistas...sunny decking at Oceanside and private patios, too! Renovated cottage/home with flair: master / ensuite in its own wing, guest bed and full bath, plus entertainment size living/dining, and cook's kitchen! Garden level offers separate guest/inlaw "suite", plus storage & workshop.
Here it is...close to all services/amenities, yet wonderfully apart...a "south end" feel just minutes from … (1 comments)

Oceanfront to rest the soul...award winning home for you! - 12/08/11 12:11 PM
Looking for an exceptional oceanfront opportunity, with dock for your boat, privacy, inspiring panoramic views of ocean, islands, mountains, and with excellent sun exposures (s/sw/w)? Here it is! Award winning design, from one of Salt Spring's best builders...a lovely blend of West Coast Contemporary openness, and East Coast allure. The property enjoys a dramatic Oceanside impact and also offers a rural/pastoral ambiance. Rare.... Spacious patio and decks to expand summer living pleasures...windows that draw open to invite Nature. A lovely meshing if inside/outside! Green ethic choices in construction...bamboo floors, custom windows...main level: entertainment size dining, enticing living with feature stone fireplace, … (9 comments)

More seasonal delights, on Salt Spring Island! - 12/07/11 03:48 PM
December 7, 2011. The season's festive spirit continues.... Today, at 12:10 p.m., be inspired by the musical journey through varying traditions, with Rasma Bertz...part of Music & Munch, at All Saints by the Sea! Santa's Ganges Workshop continues behind Mouat's...photos with Santa (kids & pets). On Dec 10th, from 11 to 3, & again on Dec 17th, from noon to 4. Fun! Also on Dec 10th, at ArtSpring, starting at 8 p.m., enjoy the Salt Spring Concert Band...It's a Wonderful Life (and it is!). Santa arrives by ship on the 10th...don't miss this! His ship glides down the Harbour, with fireworks … (1 comments)

Time...are we in control of it? - 12/07/11 03:24 PM

Time is an interesting concept. The post-Internet age appears to be about the erasure of time, no time as it's always time, no longer about time on or time off, the off button is seemingly missing from technology's timeless flow. Post-Internet life is about time famine, then? One thing that is becoming increasingly important is that we need to recover our editing function, so that we can make our technology work for us again. What happens when we say "no" to continually "being on"? Things are so tremulous economically and geo-politically right now, that it all adds to the fear … (4 comments)

Traditions...part of the holiday season delights! - 12/05/11 12:29 PM
December 5, 2011.
Traditional observances are a treasured part of this holiday season. Today is the Christmas event in Holland, celebrating St Nicholas. On the 14th, it's the Santa Lucia celebration in Sweden. The English celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas...the tree goes up on Dec 24 and remains till January 6th, known as Twelfth Night. The Scots clean out all vestiges of the old year, in order to celebrate Hogmaney...New Year's is the key festival for them. The French enjoy their Reveillon, on December 24th...Yule Log, anyone? Special menus, baking, toys, family gatherings...singing, games...a fire in the hearth, and the … (6 comments)

Oceanview, "as new", on special Salt Spring Island...call me! - 12/04/11 01:36 PM
Looking for a step in ready premier home and property? Here's a delight on prestigious Scott Point, on special Salt Spring Island! Private 1.1 acre "point", with all day/year round sun (e/s/sw/w exposures), this oceanview home enjoys vistas towards both Long Harbour and Ganges Harbour. On community water system, this property also enjoys an easy-care "natural" aspect.... The home, originally a west coast style architect designed retreat, was completely renovated two years ago...a noted Seattle based architect and one of Salt Spring's most accomplished builders, created this Zen/Scandanavian gem! Three bedrooms (2 ensuite), three bathrooms, plus a Japanese style spa room, … (13 comments)

The season for sharing...the attitude of gratitude! - 12/03/11 04:22 PM

This is the time of year when it's good to remember all of the many positive elements in our lives...and to remember to include others in our more insular worlds.   The simplest way of helping another is to share a smile...in a line at a store, say...one never knows what is happening in the life of the person next to us...we go through our days in the company of strangers.    Did they just come from visiting someone in the hospital, in an extended care facility, are they caregivers in a home situation, is there a developmentally challenged child in their … (6 comments)

Seasonal delights on special Salt Spring Island...weekend events! - 12/02/11 06:39 PM
December 2, 2011. Tonight is Light-Up in Ganges Village...also the judging for the most creative store windows! A fun event.... Gallery 8 is showcasing their amazing roster of artists with their Christmas Exhibition of Small Works presentation...opening reception tonight, 5 to 8 p.m. Show runs through January 1st. Christmas on Salt Spring is being presented by participating businesses...pick up your Official Passport...gift certificates plus grand prizes! Passport at Driftwood or at Chamber. Get Your Glow On! Wintercraft starts today...an annual 3 week long Christmas sale of art & craft, at Mahon Hall, 10 to 5 daily. Annual Fulford Artisan Fair begins … (2 comments)

Some end of year thoughts...on the market, the future...just my thoughts. - 12/01/11 01:13 PM
December, 2011. The end of the year is a time to both look back, as a kind of summing up, with the benefit of hind-sight, and also a time to look forward, to dare a little, to make some projections. The hind-sight part: On looking back, it's clear that entry level residential was the flavour of the month, IF a buyer could be encouraged to act.    When I look at the "solds to date" info, for 2011, I can see that the bulk of the sales have been below $650,000.   What doesn't show on my "solds to date" info … (8 comments)

Seasonal pleasures on Salt Spring Island.... - 12/01/11 12:44 PM

Meander the village and enjoy the Christmas lights, the creative window displays, the special gift ideas offered by our local shops...check it out! Special and seasonal menus in our great restaurants...lots to enjoy here, for lunch or for dinner. Craft fairs (Beaver Point Hall, Fulford Hall, Mahon Hall, ArtSpring), gallery openings/studio tours, choral concerts of inspiring seasonal music...lucky islanders!   ArtSpring, Music & Munch series, craft fair locales...sing along or just enjoy! Day trips in your life? Festival of Trees at Empress Hotel, Gingerbread display at Laurel Point Inn, Butchart's Gardens lights, the whole town of Ladysmith decorated for your pleasure, … (2 comments)

 
Li Read (Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring)) Rainmaker_large

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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