I took this photo last Saturday while on a bicycle ride down the old CP Rail line from the Paulson Bridge (on the way to Christina Lake) back into Castlegar. This is a view from one of the trestles, as we look at Arrow Lake.
Here is another view from the same trestle, this time looking down on the tops of the trees below.
You've heard of the light at the end of the tunnel? Well, in this case it is not an oncoming train, but our support vehicle (a 4 wheel quad), loaded with snacks, water and emergency support, which, fortunately, we didn't need. This tunnel, called the Bulldog Tunnel, over over 1.5 km. long and there is a curve in it, so once you are inside, it is pitch dark. It's also cold and damp, but if you travel with a friend and have a good flashlight or headlamp with you, it's a great experience.
More bicycling details later . . . .
Do you know where you were 40 years ago today? This is the day (July 16th) that Apollo 11 blasted off from Earth, the first manned flight to the moon. I remember being in York, England when they announced that they had safely landed on the moon. (That was July 20th). Here is a link to a YouTube broadcast of that incredible event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77vwVH7iLzU
I get more and more amazed by YouTube every time I go there. Looking for an obscure song? You'll probably find it. Something you remember from television? It's likely there. I was listening to CBC Radio this morning, when they were talking about the space shuttle launch yesterday, and tied that event into the lunar landing 40 years ago. They then played the song "Man In The Moon", which was actually about the life of actor/comedian Andy Kaufman. So, I decided to do a bit of digging because Andy Kaufman does the best Elvis impersonation I have ever seen. Here it is, if you're interested: YouTube Andy Kaufman - Elvis
Don't be put off by the quality of his first 2 impressions.
Since it is summer, I should mention some of the great festivals that are going on in and around Nelson in the next few weeks. This coming weekend is the Starbelly Jam over in Crawford Bay (July 18 & 19). Nakusp Music Festival also goes this weekend, beginning tomorrow evening. The Kaslo Jazz Festival happens in two weeks, July 31st to August 2nd and the Shambhala Music Festival follows that from August 6 - 9. If music is not your passion, you might take in the Nelson Flight Fest on July 25th. There's also Market Fest, with an eclectic mix of all kinds of things happening on Baker Street (300 Block) in the evening of July 24th and then again on August 21st.
Time for a bit of my usual sappy humour:
A lady had been exposed to strep and needed to visit the doctor's office just to have her throat swabbed for a culture. She sat in the waiting room for quite a while with her legs crossed, reading a magazine while other patients came and went. Suddenly her turn was called, but when she stood up to go in, she discovered her leg was "asleep". Not wanting to keep the nurse waiting, she limped and staggered toward the inner office door. She noticed one elderly lady nudging another who sat beside her, as the two of them sympathetically watched her painful progress . Two minutes later, her procedure completed and her leg back to normal, she walked easily back into the waiting room. As she strode past the two elderly ladies, she overheard one whisper triumphantly to the other, "See, Myrtle, I TOLD you he was a wonderful doctor!"
*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!* http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh
This press release came out this week, and I thought it was very good information. Please keep in mind that the recovery they mention is taking place in most major markets in Canada. We haven't yet seen this kind of activity in Nelson, but we expect that our market will be just a few months behind.
Recovery underway in key Canadian markets ends
buyer dominance in resale housing, says RE/MAX
Kelowna, BC. (July 13, 2009) – Pent-up demand for residential housing has bolstered sales in Canada’s major markets—a clear signal that the housing sector has shifted into recovery mode, says RE/MAX.
More balanced market conditions have emerged, effectively ending the stronghold that buyers had on the market over the past six to eight months. Canada’s largest markets, Toronto and Vancouver, led the charge—with June sales among the highest in history for both local real estate boards. Close to 11,000 properties changed hands in Toronto, up 27 per cent over one year ago, setting a new record for sales in the month of June. The figure was just slightly off the all-time peak of 11,146 units. Residential sales in Greater Vancouver increased 75.6 per cent over one year ago, to 4,259 units, just short of the record breaking 4,333 sales, which occurred in June 2005. Overall, major markets began to recover in March, posting escalating sales in April, May and June. The impetus is expected to continue throughout the remainder of 2009, with most centres now forecasting year-end sales on par or ahead of 2008 levels.
“While sales are the leading indicator, there are other clear signals that recovery is indeed underway,” says Elton Ash, Regional Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of Western Canada. “Renewed consumer confidence, albeit cautious, has been key, supported by improved economic news. In addition, we’ve seen sale price-to-list price ratios climb across the country, rising as high as 105 per cent in some communities. Vendor incentives have also come off the table, both for resale and new housing stock.”
“The strength of the market, amid the most significant global recession in recent history once again underscores its relevance to the nation’s economic engine,” says Michael Polzler, Executive Vice President, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada. “Canadians believe in homeownership --a fact best illustrated by the purchasers who ventured forward in recent months and snapped up some of the best real estate deals this market has seen in years. Those who chose to sit it out on the sidelines are now facing a market in transition, characterized by the threat of rising interest rates, low inventory levels, and upward pressure on housing values.”
Although the current pace may be unsustainable, all markers point to greater stability in the market, leading to healthier activity in the long run, with inventory levels a key variable influencing pent-up demand.
Now for a couple more bicycle trip photos. You may know that I participated in the Ride To Conquer Cancer last month, cycling from Vancouver (Surrey) to Seattle. There were 1,700 riders, and together we raised nearly $7 million for the B.C. Cancer Foundation. It was an awesome ride. I managed to complete it (270 km. over 2 days) with no injury or break-downs. I was plenty tired by the end, and a little sore. The photo below was taken in Mt. Vernon, Washington at the end of Day 1. The support on this ride was phenomenal. This tent city was already set up when we arrived and they fed us well and even entertained us in the evening. Most of us were in bed by the time it got dark and up again by 6 for breakfast and preparations for the 2nd day of riding.
A good part of the 2nd day was along paved biking paths, which I think were mostly on abandoned rail lines. It was a great ride with reasonable weather, good company and a great cause to be involved with. Thanks to all of you who were able to provide some financial support for the B.C. Cancer Foundation.
I have included the following article from the Vancouver Sun because I thought it was interesting, and because you may think that you have already missed it (July 8, 2009), but depending on how you write the date, it may not happen until August 7th.
123456789 . . . Mark it on your calendar. Or not
The moment -- which some people have suggested is a momentous and fascinating confluence of time and date, while others have suggested that people who think that ought to get a life -- arrives on Wednesday.
Set your alarm. It comes a little early in the day.
The moment arrives Wednesday morning at exactly 12:34:56 a.m.
Wednesday, of course, is July 8, 2009.
This would place the moment in the seventh month and eighth day in the ninth year of the century.
In other words -- or more precisely, in other numbers -- put it all together and you have 12:34:56/7/8/9.
(If you happen to be a nitpicker who would insist that the moment should properly be notated "12:34:56/8/7/9," in which the day comes before the month, as is the North American habit, rather than the month coming before the day, which is the European habit, you should probably stop reading now.)
Why is this moment significant?
This moment is significant because this confluence of numbers will be the only time this happens in your lifetime . . . unless, of course, you happen to live until 12:34:56 a.m., Aug. 7, at which time the calendar will again offer up the 123456789 combination. (Again, nitpickers should see the note above.)
Nonetheless, the 123456789 moment has attracted growing attention in that wastebasket of popular culture, the Internet.
It's gone viral. Twitter.com, for example, is atwitter over it. As one twit tweeted (inaccurately):
"Shortly after noon on July 8, comes the moment that can be called 12:34:56 7/8/9. Happens only once over the course of history."
"It's official," another tweeted, "the world is coming to an end."
"Cheers! to that," responded another with a death wish.
And in his blog "philly blunt," freelance writer and web-video producer Brian Hickey, of Philadelphia, noted:
"Once tomorrow night turns Wednesday morning, allow 34.56 minutes to pass and, if you're still awake, you'll either be there for when the machines officially rise up and overtake us all, the world itself ends, or a very cool math moment happens. Yep, the time and date will line up numerically from 1-9 for the first time since 12:34:56 a.m. on July 8, 1909."
Hickey then mentioned another milestone in time:
"And, as we all know, July 8, 1909 was the day on which the first minor-league professional-baseball game was played under lights."
Anu Garg, founder of Wordsmith.org, expanded a little more accurately on the 123456789 phenomenon.
"It's not exactly true that this sequence of time/date happens only once. If you follow the day/month/year convention, you can observe the same sequence next month, on August 7. And even though it appears to be a rare occurrence, such interesting patterns aren't that unusual. Consider these from the past:
"01:23:45 6/7/89
"12:34.56 7/8/90
"01:02:03 04/05/06"
Once Wednesday's moment passes -- quietly, we hope, so we can all get some sleep -- there will be other moments of note arriving in a few years' time.
On what will be the exact moment of the minute of silence on Remembrance Day, 2011, we will experience 11:11:11/11/11/11.
And then, a year after that, in December 2012, the world will come to an end.
It's all there in the Mayan calendar, according to some. Apparently, many believe the calendar predicts the Apocalypse.
You can read about it on the Internet.
pmcmartin@vancouversun.com
Do You Know A Buyer For This Home?
This classic styled home from the mid-1950s has 3 bedrooms on the main floor, fireplace, hardwood floors + 2 more bedrooms and a 3 pce. bath downstairs. Situated on a corner lot in the desirable Fairview neighbourhood, this home has a carport, garden and a wonderful view. Priced at $359,000 you can check out more details and photos on our web-site at: Featured Home
Just briefly, I want to give you a few statistics for real estate sales in an around Nelson. If you would like more detailed information, don't hesitate to call me or drop me an e-mail.
In the City of Nelson there were 8 home sales last month, and 41 year to date. Comparing to 2008, there were 9 sales in June and 44 in the first half of 2008. The average price (yr. to date) in 2009 has been $342,348, a drop from $368,977 last year.
In Rural Nelson, combining single family homes, and homes on acreage, we had 10 sales last month and 45 year to date. Last year in June there were 13 sales and 59 for the first half of 2008. The average price has dropped to $368,287 for the first 6 months of 2009 compared to $414,447 for the same period last year. However, it is worth mentioning, that part of this price drop is due to the lack of waterfront sales in 2009. So far this year, for the area from Nelson North Shore through to Balfour, including Harrop and Procter, there are only 2 sales of waterfront homes on the Multiple Listing statistics.
With a reasonable inventory of available properties, very low interest rates and a favourable outlook for housing, is this a good time for you to get into the market? Call me to discuss.
Finally, with thanks, I share this article. The timing is very good, not only because of the ongoing conflict and sacrifice in Afghanistan, but also because we have just celebrated Canada Day. That's another thing I love about Nelson. If you watch the fireworks on July 1st, you find that the noise is extra loud here. That's because the sound echoes off the mountains on both sides of the lake and you hear that reverberating effect of the explosions!
British newspaper salutes Canada. . . this is a good read. It is funny how it took someone in England to put it into words... Sunday Telegraph Article From today's UK wires:
Salute to a brave and modest nation - Kevin Myers, 'The Sunday Telegraph' LONDON:
Until the deaths of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops are deployed in the region.
And as always, Canada will bury its dead, just as the rest of the world, as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does.. It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored.
Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped Glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again.
That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States, and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts.
For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved.
Yet it's purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle.
Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, it's unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular Memory as somehow or other the work of the 'British.'
The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone.
Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and the fourth largest air force in the world. The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time.
Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness which, of course, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a separate Canadian identity.
So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they are Canadian. Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Alex Trebek, Art Linkletter and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British.
It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite unable to find any takers.
Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves - and are unheard by anyone else - that 1% of the world's population has provided 10% of the world's peacekeeping forces.
Canadian soldiers in the past half century have been the greatest peacekeepers on Earth - in 39 missions on UN mandates, and six on non-UN peacekeeping duties, from Vietnam to East Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia.
Yet the only foreign engagement that has entered the popular non-Canadian imagination was the sorry affair in Somalia, in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two Somali infiltrators. Their regiment was then disbanded in disgrace - a uniquely Canadian act of self-abasement for which, naturally, the Canadians received no international credit.
So who today in the United States knows about the stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has given it in Afghanistan?
Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun. It is the Canadian way, for which Canadians should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost. This past year more grieving Canadian families knew that cost all too tragically well.
Lest we forget.
Please pass this on to any of your friends or relatives who served in the Canadian Forces or anyone who is proud to be Canadian; it is a wonderful tribute to those who choose to serve their country and the world in our quiet Canadian way.
Thanks to my friends in Crawford Bay for this last article!
And, thanks to you for reading. As always, your comments, critiques and submissions are always welcome.
Lorne & Drew
