Li Read

July on Salt Spring...not always about the sea. Hiking a trail I met two curious beasties...lucky us that we get the real reality. Not virtual, not augmented, not a metaverse. We observed each other.

February. Every day a little lighter, a little longer. On Salt Spring? Enjoy the "cosy season", with its tagline: "nothing is the new something". An invitation to enjoy our companion natural world and to remember the hippie ethic (just "be")? I'm in!

New is always fun...a new year holds promise. January comes from the Roman god Janus...he had two faces, one looking back and one forward. As we stroll into this new year, let's make sure we are looking ahead, and that we enjoy our beautiful surroundings. Lucky Salt Springers!

November: speaks the tongue of grey. Remember to catch up with the soup recipes, to light lamps, fire in the hearth, candles on the table...keep the light shining on. Fire up the summer memory, too. A bird's eye view of Salt Spring to enjoy...beauty in this Salish Sea.

October...amazing weather continues. Harvest time: Apple Fest, Canadian Thanksgiving, farmgate stands, Tuesday and Saturday Markets, wine tastings, cidery tastings, craft brewery. Harvest menus at great restaurants. Art Gallery openings. Wow, feed the soul on Salt Spring!

September smiles a sunny hello, on special Salt Spring Island. Labour Day Weekend: the Saturday Market is on, the Ganges Galleries are open, the patios and decks are waiting for you to enjoy lunch or dinner with a view. Summer-summer is still with us. Enjoy!

July: beauty all around, on wondrous Salt Spring. Take in the wild roses, the wild daisies, the lush green spaces everywhere. Canada Day celebrations on the 1st, Saturday Market in the Park, Tuesday Farmers Market, wine tastings, cider tastings. Explosion of summer delights.

Fly in or ferry forward...catch Salt Spring's beauty (rain or shine!). Markets (Saturday & Tuesday), galleries, ArtCraft & ArtSpring openings, farm stands, hiking trails...the island is open for your pleasure.

May 1st on special Salt Spring. Catch the agricultural world happenings at Ruckle Farm. Enjoy Salt Spring Cheese. Meander Ganges Village, check out the galleries, latte time at Treehouse, seaside deck at Kitchen at Vesuvius, Moby's outdoor deck. Yes! It's called Spring...

April,,,dances between Winter and "almost summer". Blossom trees meet us, gardens flourish, remember to pay attention to the annual eruption of life. The surround sound of our global days can be troubling, but April's beauty is there to enjoy...do so!

March: well, comes in like a lion and out like a lamb is a toss-up. What we do know: real Spring is underway. Beauty erupts everywhere on special Salt Spring Island. Clean windows, gift on items from your closet, switch from soups to salads. You know the drill. Be ready.

February...whispers of Spring in the air. It brings B.C. Family Day weekend holiday, Valentine's Day, and snowdrops in the garden. Time to shrug off the winter cocoon, hike the trails at Erskine or Ruckle, get moving...Salt Spring is waking up.

January...just like its namesake, the ancient Roman god Janus, this month has two faces...one looking back and the other forward. Rain, snow, sun and already a few shoots of early flowers poking up in sheltered gardens. Choose the forward facing path...always. Happy New Year.

December: says celebrate, invites meandering Village, keeping shopping local. Check out WinterCraft (ArtCraft), Fulford & Beaver Point Halls craft fairs, light-up in the park, seasonal store windows, the pleasure of mixing up rain, and wind, and sunsplashed days. Winter smiles.

November...real rain is the surround sound of Salt Spring's late Fall. Time to feed the mind...catch the gallery openings and craft fairs. Time to get out and about, between storms (trails to explore). Savour sunny days!

October: harvest time! Saturday Market, Tuesday Farmers Market, farmgate stands, Apple Fest (thank you Harry Burton). Arts to feed the soul: SNNAP (Salt Spring National Art Prize) at Mahon Hall. Lucky Saltspringers!

September...an alluring mix of late summer and serious Fall. Fruition time. Enjoy those farmers markets, patio/deck dining, special Fall events, yes, with masks. Salt Spring smiles hello to the "softer season". Enjoy!

August: fruition month. Saturday/Tuesday Farmers Markets, farmgate stands. Dine out: patio or deck, superb restaurants, with view, live music (Moby's, Treehouse, Auntie Pesto's, Piccolo's, Rocksalt, Hastings House, Salt Spring Inn, Kitchen). Artcraft feeds the soul. Enjoy!

July...real summer is underway (the calendar says so). Sailing, kayaking, hiking, swimming, enjoying this amazing island and all its beauties. OK to lounge in a hammock, too, and just "be".

It's official...summer starts on June 20...it's arriving with a special weather alert about hot hot hot...wear a hat, sunscreen, stay hydrated. Wish it would make up its mind. From Juneuary into heat wave, just like that. Enjoy some beach time. Longest day of the year.