Li's Blog: January 2011

Looking for an arable acreage, where one can farm or keep horses or sheep or plant an orchard or....you decide!

In the heart of the beautiful Fulford Valley, and on the doorstep of Burgoyne Bay park, this timber peg home is a perfect retreat or retirement home!

With ten plus acres, approximately half in pasture/field, and half in forest, this property is unique and alluring, indeed.

The home is a custom build, a timber peg design, and could easily be added onto, if desired.    At the moment, it offers a formal/entry foyer, an open plan living and dining, with country kitchen, wood and tile flooring, vaulted ceiling, with loft/office or guest bed above living. 

Master ensuite, plus guest bed and bath.    Basement area has a laundry, plus cold storage space, plus could create a media room, here.

Spacious covered decking, easy access from living, dining, and master bedroom to this pastoral view deck, plus fenced veggie and flower garden (pond feature), with lovely greenhouse.   Be self-sufficient, here!

The plus?   A woodsy studio space, for extra guest or for a "writer-in-residence".

The plus/plus?   Terrific barn/workshop or garage...you decide!

Walk your own trails, open up more of the forested area and create further pasture...it's all here, for you to shape to your desires....

Very rare to have this mainly level property, in such an appealing area.    Valley and mountain vistas, keep a boat on a mooring buoy in nearby Burgoyne Bay, and just mere minutes to ferry at Fulford, and over to Victoria.

Pastoral tranquility awaits your pleasure....

This is the oceanfront home of Robert Bateman, Canada's renowned wildlife painter and environmentalist.  

The property is located in Reginald Hill, on Salt Spring, and this neigbhourhood was designed by H. Schubart, an architect who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright, and who moved to Salt Spring, from California, in the mid 1960s.

Robert Bateman also owns the adjacent undeveloped waterfront lot, and both properties are being offered for sale as one "unit".   

One owns the properties "free hold", and also has a share in the private park-like acreage that creates wonderful privacy in this area, with private hiking/walking trails throughout.    Call me, for details!

The property enjoys sunny exposures (s/sw/w -- enjoy the sunsets), plus great privacy and a wonderful sense of "calm".   

The home was designed by H. Schubart, and offers that very appealing authentic "West Coast Contemporary" style...a blend of a Zen/Scandanavian ethic.

Formal entry/foyer, with vistas of a coastal forest garden surround, leads to a main level open plan living and dining, country kitchen with breakfast area, plus spacious laundry/storage (wine room) off.   Guest powder room, too.   

The master sitting with ensuite is in its own private "wing".    Three guest bedrooms/bath, with library/den area off, would be perfect for a family or a guest "wing"...privately sited.   

The upper level offers an extraordinary studio space...many options, for this amazing and light-filled area.

Withdrawing rooms, perfect for a writer's "think tank", guest bath, storage and mudroom entry complete this level.

All principal rooms enjoy the panoramic ocean and mountain vistas...beauty everywhere!

The plus?   Detached double garage...those classic cars will be happy!...and a separate entry nanny or guest/inlaw "suite".   

Another plus?    On the adjacent w.f. lot, there is a Schubart designed studio space....

Ah...a lifestyle to allure one....

Call me, for your private viewing.    24 hours notice essential.

Am truly enjoying my radio shows on Salt Spring's community radio station (www.cfsi-fm.com).

Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 7 to 9 a.m., Pacific Time, I do the "All Things Salt Spring...and More" show: music, musings, and interviews with Islanders.

I could talk about real estate, but choose not to. I've been very lucky to meet with so many interesting, eclectic, and passionate people in my real estate career (since 1989), and I wanted to showcase what they do!

Check out the podcasts of some of my varied interviews at: www.liread.com/radio.htm

If you're thinking about Salt Spring, wondering who else is here/what goes on, then listen to the many different interviews, on my podcasts. It's the flavour of the Islands!

Check out my daily blog, too (www.liread.com/blog.htm) -- have been sharing my thoughts and showcasing Islanders since 2005, on a daily basis.

Am so pleased to be able to be a part of this Island lifestyle. I believe in the concept of "paying it forward".

We are part of the tapestry of community, all of us. None of us arrive where we are without the help of others, on our path. We don't always get to thank those who helped us...we "pay it forward", then...that is our gift of gratitude.

If you're looking for real estate on Salt Spring Island, I would be so pleased to guide you in your search, and to represent your best interests in the connection with "your" special property! Please call me.

It's also important to me to support and to nurture my community...as a part of this, I have accepted an invitation to serve on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce.

I believe that the entire community benefits when the business core is healthy. This is my focus...any ideas/concerns you want brought forward? Let me know!

Here we are, close to February...Spring is whispering its way to reality....

Ahhh...the softness of the season, pre-Spring, is with us...enjoy!

Townhomes are a limited option on Salt Spring Island....this one is a sweetheart, close to both seaside and "upper" villages, and to golf, to indoor pool, to all services/amenities.    It's private and sunny, too!

Recently upgraded by one of Salt Spring's best builders, the kitchen and bathrooms have all been brought into the "21st Century".    Private rear patio area.    Master/ensuite on upper level (storey and a half design), with guest bedroom/bath on main level (level entry, here).    

Pleasing formal entry/foyer, open plan living/dining (gas fireplace, vaulted ceiling, wood floors), with kitchen/breakfast area, plus mudroom/laundry off.   Attached one car garage.

Stylish, quiet area, close to everything, can walk everywhere!    It's a gem!

A very "best buy" price, too.

Note:  good tenant in place; 24 hour notice required, re all viewiings.

Summer cottages...lots of different styles!    It's an idyll based on a retreat...someplace to kcik back, be barefoot, there's usually water in this scenario somewhere...ocean, or lake, or river or pond...it's about calm in the midst of our flurried lives.    This first one is right across a quiet country road from a great beach...walk for miles when the tide is low!

The second opportuity has a mountain vista, with 3+ private acres...ocean, islands, mountain viewscapes!  

The third option is right beside the seaside, with a year round dock...keep your boat at home!

What about a "sweetie" that looks like it came right off a page in Coastal Living magazine?   This is it!

Here's one where a great dock comes with a cottage, too! 

What about a water access only opportunity?   Arrive by sail or power boat, or kayak...a different kind of "being apart".

Many variations on a theme...the theme being "let's get away from it all!".    Sound interesting?   Call me for some more suggesions...your release awaits you....

We have such great bookstores on Salt Spring Island!  Volume 2 is found next to the Coast Guard Dock, where the floatplanes arrive.  Black Sheep Books (formerly Sabine's Bookstore) is at the entrance to Grace Point Square.  Salt Spring Books and Watermark Books are on McPhillips Avenue, across from each other.   All with a little different focus, they promote the works of our amazingly talented novelists and poets.

So many art galleries to feed our souls!  In Grace Point Square, be inspired by Gallery 8, Steffich Fine Art Gallery, and Starfish Gallery.   On Mouat's Boardwalk, discover the esteemed Pegasus Canadian Art Gallery.   Wander a little farther up McPhillips Ave, past the two bookstores, and enjoy the Salt Spring Gallery of Fine Art.   Also,   ArtSpring's gallery and lobby showcase artistic presentations throughout the year.

Coffee houses also showcase local artists: Cafe Talia, TJ Beans, Salt Spring Roasting Co., Barb's Buns, Rendezvous Cafe (by Salt Spring Marina).

Restaurants, too, showcase artists "oeuvres":  Bocados Bistro, Harbour House Hotel, Calvin's Bistro, Marketplace Cafe...an amazingly diverse and talented artistic flair is available on this Island!

Pick up a copy of the Studio Tour map at the Chamber, in Ganges Village.   Enjoy the many studios open to you...discover the talent right under your nose!

Live music venues keep our vibrant musicians talents front and centre: Treehouse Cafe, Harbour House Hotel, Moby's...catch them when they play!  A "wow"....

A very rich cultural life is enjoyed by Islanders:  theatre, films, concerts...it's all here!

More info?  Call me!

January 27, 2011.

Great to know that Sunset Magazine has named Salt Spring Island as one of the top 10 places to live in the West...Salt Spring is the only Canadian location to be included. Lucky us, to already be a "citizen of the Islands"!

Check out Galiano Island's community lending initiative...an innovative option that is redefining the way locals lend and borrow money, in a friendlier and more personal light. For more details, visit: www.galianofund.ca

Live music at Treehouse Cafe: Friday, the 28th, it's Richard Cross and Special Guest. Saturday, enjoy Ramesh Meyers. (5:30 to 8:30 p.m., for music). Enjoy A Taste of Morocco on Feb 2nd.

Don't forget the Salt Spring Folk Club offering on Monday, Jan 31st...the April Verch Band! Opening act is Kelly Burk. Soups, Suppers, and Sweets by Fiddlehead Catering. Doors open at 6:15, at Fulford Hall, with show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets at Acoustic Planet, Salt Spring Books, Stuff and Nonsense. Enjoy!

Harbour House Hotel live music venue: Friday, it's Sweetwater and Co. Saturday, jazz with Lloyd English and Friends. Sunday, the Barley Brothers. Not to be missed! Always wanted to paint? Here's your opportunity! Gillian McConnell is offering a series of colourful art classes, beginning in February. Call Gillian at 250-537-4439 or email at: gillian@artbygillian.com

Music and Munch launches its 15th year on Wed, Feb 2nd -- it's a nautical theme, with a male a cappella octet known as Hector's Friends. Noon at All Saints By The Sea. Be there!

Looking for a new path to fitness? Contact Deb Leblanc, the famed DebFit, and "go for it"! Deb's new facility on Park Drive is up and running...contact her at: info@debfit.com

Am very pleased to have been invited to be on the Board at the Chamber. I've been a Chamber member and supporter for several years, and look forward to bringing to the attention of other Board members, and to the Island as a whole, the concerns of small business owners on the Island. I do believe that a strong business core delivers a viable and strong community.

Interested in tea? The annual Victoria Tea Festival takes place on Feb 11/12. Interesting event...tea tasting can be like wine tasting! Did you know that the nearby Cowichan Valley has a tea growing enterprise? And a cranberry growing concern? Lucky us!

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual Galiano Literary Festival, on Feb 25 to 28th. Call 250-539-3340 for more info/registration.

ArtSpring's offerings for Feb/March: George Ehring (yes, one of our trustees) is offering "Music and Society in 19th Century Europe: Music Appreciation Course", Sundays, Jan 30 to March 6th. Enjoy the Afiara String Quartet on Feb 10th, 8 p.m. (Pre-concert chat at 7 p.m.). Augustin Hadelich and Angela Cheng on Feb 22, at 8 p.m. (Pre-concert chat at 7 p.m.). In The Steps of Django Reinhard, with Denis Chang, at 8 p.m., on March 4th (Garry Oaks Winery tasting at 7 p.m.). Tim Ward Literary Reading at 7:30 p.m. on Feb 12th (readings from: "What the Buddha Never Taught"). Don't miss the show "Seeing", in the Lobby, a showcase of David Baughan's black and white photographs blended with Metis artist Johnny Lee's drawings. Salt Spring's Film Festival plays March 4, 5, 6th. Mark your calendars!

It's the Year of the Rabbit coming up, in the Chinese Horoscope tradition...starts on Feb 3rd. Perhaps a little surcease from the hurly-burly of the almost gone Year of the Tiger? I'm ready!

Ah...here we are, in the last moments of January...February ushers in "very early Spring" in this region...snowdrops, daffodils, early rhododendrons, early cherry blossoms, tulip bulbs in readiness to follow on behind...keep an eye on the lengthening days of growing light, on the softening of the air, of the unfolding of buds...we're on our way to that beautiful awakening of our coastal Spring...ah...so lovely!

It is the best of all worlds to be here, in the midst of this Pacific Northwest Coast gem of the Gulf Islands, swimming in the Salish Sea...breathe it in. Enjoy this treasure!

Very sunny acreage, zoned for main home, separate guest cottage, and separate studio!

Walk to a lovely beach, where you can keep a boat on a mooring buoy in a protected bay.

This mainly level land offers arable potential (be self-sufficient, here!), and privacy.    Gets sunrises and sunsets!

In an area of fine homes, with proximity to all services/amenities, and yet serenely "apart".    Land is a mix of forest and meadow areas, and a drilled well is developed, plus a driveway roughed in to a potential building site.

A great holding property, and a truly "best buy" price for a quiet and sunny acreage, with oceanview, on this special Southern Gulf Island.

Bring your architect, and let's walk this one soon.

liread33@gmail.com

January 25, 2011.

This is Robbie Burns Day...celebrated by Scots around the world!

A poet noted in his own time, for his call for social equality, and for his compiling and saving of Scottish poems in the vernacular, Robert Burns is also remembered every New Year's Eve, with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

Read a poem or two...enjoy his wit and charm...his romantic spirit (My Love is Like a Red Red Rose)...and his recognition that we are all "brothers", globally, regardless of circumstances of birth.

In his time, he was known as a Pre-Romantic, foreshadowing Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Keats and Shelley...and could be viewed, in his own era, as a revolutionary.

Enjoy his writings!

French countryside?   No, this is in the beautiful Cowichan Valley, the famous "warm land", in the Maple Bay neighbourhood of Southern Vancouver Island.

A turn-of-the-last century barn was renovated as a wonderful home, in the early 80s, and current owners have continued a restoration/renovation that has retained the yesteryear feel, while delivering on the amenities required in this 21st Century.

This acreage enjoys both a pastoral and a lake view, and is mere minutes to boat moorage in Maple Bay itself.

Mature landscaping, ponds, seasonal creek, a barn structure that would be ideal for that classic car storage, or for sheep, or as an antiques/collectibles locale, or...lots of options, and even sheep or horses would be happy here.

Very charming guest cottage!   

The home offers formal entry/foyer, dramatic guest powder room, formal living with library/office off, country kitchen with breakfast area, formal dining, music room, and guest bedrooms/bathrooms in their own private "wing".   This floor plan configuration would also lend itself to B & B / "country inn" options.   The master sitting area/ensuite, enjoys the upper floor "aerie"...

Lake, garden, pastoral vistas...sunny, close to all services/amenities, and yet wondrously "apart".

Waiting for you to move into and to enjoy.

Call me...this one won't last!

liread33@gmail.com