Sooke Community and Real Estate Blog 642Blog.ca

Not exactly Sooke related, but if I was going to be in town next weekend I’d definitely make the drive up the Malahat to check out this show. Whole Lotta Led is quite simply the best Led Zeppelin tribute band in the world. Hailing from Whistler, BC, the band has played shows all over the world, thrilling Zep fans with their authentic sound and energy.

My pretty-much stepbrother Greg and the rest of the group will be at the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena on Saturday, June 12 for what promises to be a great show. Show starts at 8, and tickets are $20 per person or $35 per couple, available at Cowichan Lake Sports Arena, Youbou Hall, Curves (Lake Cowichan) & the Cowichan Ticket Centre (Duncan).

Check out the video below from one of their live shows. The sound is a little muted.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: band | concerts | lake cowichan | led zeppelin | whole lotta led

Image Credit: Jeffery Simpson on Flickr (Click for profile)

I was one of those people before. I had no interest in taking the ferry to Vancouver and braving the crowds, lines and security to hang out downtown. What’s the big deal?

I was wrong. I returned from Vancouver yesterday totally energized and excited about the Games. The city is simply buzzing with activity 24 hours a day. Yes it’s busy, yes it’s crowded, but that’s half the fun. If you’re complaining that the Olympics are a 2-week party for the rich, you’re dead wrong. I didn’t have a ticket to any events, nor a plan or a list of attractions I wanted to see. I spent next to nothing, but felt like I took in everything.

And it couldn’t be easier for us in the greater Victoria area. BC Ferries has added an early morning (6:00am) and late evening (midnight) sailing for your convenience. Bus to or park at Swartz Bay terminal, walk on the ferry. Take one of the many buses outside the Tsawwassen terminal and get on the Canada Line downtown. Quick and easy. There might be a lineup, but with trains coming every 3 minutes or so, you won’t be waiting long. I never had to wait for more than one train before being able to get on. Wander around, explore. Take in some of the free entertainment at the various pavilions. See the Olympic flame burning outside the convention centre. Feel the vibe and enjoy the spirit!

Watch the events unfold from numerous outdoor high-definition screens. There really is nothing like it – standing on the street, cheering on our athletes with 1000 of your closest friends. Everyone is smiling, waving flags and having a great time.

The Richmond O-Zone is great too. Just steps from the Richmond-Brighouse Canada Line station, this 60-acre site includes a large mainstage with free concerts all Games long, beer gardens, restaurants, arts and culture displays, the ever-popular Holland Heineken House, and BC Street, where you’ll find displays from all over our glorious province, enticing the world to come and visit. Sooke’s booth has really stolen the show, people absolutely love it.

Try out the Olympic line – an electric streetcar (with comfy leather seats!) on loan from Brussels, Belgium – and you thought sprouts were the attraction from Brussels. It runs from Olympic Village Canada Line station to Granville Island, where you can take in even more Olympic fun, including House of Switzerland, and Atlantic Canada House.

I had an awesome, exciting weekend and didn’t spend a lot of money. Transit is cheap and reliable, and with so much free stuff to do, you’d be remiss not to take it all in.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: 2010 | bc ferries | Bus | canada line | free | free events | free stuff | fun | olympics | transit | translink | Vancouver | Victoria

I love Twitter. I also love living in a town with a unique name. It’s easy to monitor the goings-on in the online world with a search for Sooke saved as an RSS feed or in one of the many Twitter desktop clients like Tweetdeck. A month or so ago I discovered that travel and lifestyle writer Reb Stevenson had found her way out to our little seaside community from the Center Of The Universe (Toronto), to stay a few nights in the Sooke Harbour House and see what our town was all about.  Reb’s column, Sleeping Around, runs in the Toronto Star the fourth Saturday of each month.

Below is the video she put together about her stay. Looks like you had fun, Reb, despite the cold and drizzly December weather. Hey, beats the snow in Toronto. Thanks for profiling Sooke and come back soon!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: harbour house | hotel | inn | reb stevenson | Sooke | tourism | Video | visit

Sooke Santa Skate

The annual Sooke Santa Skate, put on by our team at Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty and SEAPARC, will be held this Sunday, December 20th, 2009 at the SEAPARC Arena. Join us from 1:30 until 3:00 for a fun, family event. Admission is by donation of non-perishable food items, new, unwrapped toys, or cash to support Sooke families in need this Christmas.

Your local REALTORS® from the Royal LePage Coast Capital office will be on hand passing out free and tasty hot chocolate and hot dogs and collecting your generous donations. Skate rentals are also included if you do not have your own. Bring your camera and get a memorable picture with Skating Santa Claus!

Last year’s event was a success, despite having been postponed due to adverse road conditions brought on by the wild winter weather we had last December. Hopefully we’ll have a typically mild day, making it easy for everyone to safely get to the arena.

I hope to see you there!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: arena | christmas | family | free | fun | Santa | SEAPARC | skate | skating | Sooke

The Sunken Garden at Butchart

Last night, my wife and I got out and enjoyed the crisp December evening and headed out to world-famous Butchart Gardens on the Saanich Peninsula. Every year they decorate the gardens in thousands of lights, creating a truly magical Christmas experience. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, it was a gorgeous, starlit evening, and the lights were amazing. The gardens are decked out in a Twelve Days of Christmas theme, so along the garden paths there are little vignettes displaying the different parts of the famous song. It was fun to hear everyone reciting or singing “fiiiiiive golden rings” and so on as they approached the various displays along the route.

I brought along my camera, tripod and shutter release to get some long exposure shots of the lights. Lights at night are one of my favourite things to photograph, and I think the results turned out quite well.

A large cedar with lots of presents

There was a brass quartet playing Christmas carols, a carousel, and a skating rink set up for all to enjoy. The admission might seem a little steep at $23.50 for adults (lots less for kids, price list here) but if you buy a yearly pass and go more than twice it pays for itself (many will go once a season, or more if you have guests in from out of town).

I hadn’t been out to Butchart Gardens in about 5 years or more, and I had forgotten how lucky we are to have such a world-class attraction in our back yard. It truly is a top-notch operation and it’s no surprise how popular it remains, after over 100 years in existence.

Enjoy these photos – you can view the rest on my Flickr page.

Ponds are frozen over at the Gardens

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: activities | BC | butchart | christmas | display | events | gardens | lights | photography | things to do | Victoria | winter

This past Saturday saw the 2nd annual Sooke Spirit Festival which was a resounding success. What started as a small event in a snowstorm last year, grew into a well organized and well attended family affair this year.

I was driving the lead boat (the Coast Guard Auxiliary boat) in the sailpast, and managed to shoot a little bit of video to give you an idea what it looked like out there if you missed it. What a perfect night to be on the water. A little chilly, but the wind held off until after the sailpast, which was a big plus. There were lots of people on the boardwalk watching the dozen-plus decorated boats sparkle on the crystal-clear and calm evening on Sooke Harbour.

Check out the video I shot below. It’s mostly of the boats getting ready and of the beautiful harbour before sundown, as I was driving the boat during the actual sailpast. If anyone has any better video, shoot me an email and let me know and I’ll post it!

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: 2009 | auxiliary | BC | boats | CCGA | coast guard | festival | harbour | lights | parade | sailpast | Sooke | spirit | tim ayres

Ho Ho Ho!

The Sooke Harbour Chamber of Commerce and The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit #37 – Sooke invite one and all to the Sooke Spirit Festival, which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, December 5th, 2009. Right in the heart of the town centre, come join us in getting into the Christmas spirit!

What’s happening?

• Shopping: The parade route in the centre of town will feature concessions selling holiday treats and gifts, and many Sooke businesses will have special Spirit Festival deals!
• Santa Claus Parade: Starting at 2:30, the big guy in red will travel down Sooke Road through the centre of town.
• Sailpast: Led by the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, celebrate Sooke’s maritime heritage and enjoy the lighted parade of boats of all sizes from the Rotary Pier or Whiffen Spit.
• Music: The fabulous Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at the Sooke Community Theatre at 7:30. Don’t miss it! This is a paid event with a portion of ticket sales benefiting the Sooke Christmas Bureau. Info at SookePhil.ca

We have been blessed with fantastic weather this year, and while it will be cool and crisp, there won’t be rain (or a snow storm like last year!)  This is an awesome free family event you won’t want to miss.

Other family events this year in Sooke include the Sooke Santa Skate, put on by me and the team at Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty. Stay tuned to 642Blog for more information about this other wonderful Christmas family event.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: celebration | christmas | events | family | festival | lights | parade | sailpast | Santa | Sooke | spirit

We all do what we do because we enjoy it and we’re good at it. Sometimes there are days when even when it seems you can do no wrong – you’ve nailed every phone call, email, sales opportunity or customer service goal; and then, out of nowhere, an instance of FAIL takes over.

To illustrate, here is a video of an amazing goal… And an equally amazing fail afterwards:

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: celebration | fail | funny | goal | hockey | inspiration | motivation | sweden

Today I went to several sessions in the morning and spent part of the afternoon wandering around the massive trade show at the National Association of REALTORS® Convention in San Diego. There was quite literally just about everything you can think of that might possibly be related to real estate on the floor. Virtual tour companies, brokerages, MLS systems, lockbox suppliers, even plumbers, house inspectors and other contractors. I am going to have to go back and visit again to take it all in, it was that large. There were lots of contests and games and giveaways – I didn’t bring near enough business cards to enter! William Shatner was at the NAR booth signing autographs – cool! Below is a short video I shot about the trade show, including a pretty famous blast-from-the-past automobile that was at the DotLoop booth:

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: #nar09 | convention | de lorean | exhibitors | NAR | san diego | tim ayres | trade show | Victoria Real Estate Board | Video | VREB

As I watched the sun rising over the back fence and into my home office, I was reminded why I love this season so much.  The crisp, cool air, a bright blue sky, and the golden hue of the morning sun on the colourful autumn leaves prompted me to bundle up and shoot a few photos on a walk along the spectacular Sooke Harbour boardwalk.

Parking the car at the lot on Murray Road, I walked up Murray towards Sooke Road to capture some of the leaves in the trees. I had noticed this the last sunny day we had and had meant to get back there to capture it. Unfortunately the wind over the past few days has pretty much stripped the trees, but they still look pretty on the ground.

Walking down the hill towards the Rotary Pier/boardwalk access, I snapped a few photos of the sun shining through the leaves, and reflecting off the harbour.

I love looking at this house whenever I head out on the boardwalk.

The pier and boardwalk are framed perfectly by the trees

Just because it isn’t summer doesn’t mean you can’t toss a trap in the water for crab. It was deserted on the often-busy pier, save for this couple.

There were lots of leaves left on the trees along the water. The harbour was so still, it was like a mirror, reflecting the trees. Gorgeous!

The harbour boardwalk is a real gem, we’re lucky to have it. It goes from the bottom of Murray Road all the way to Ed Macgregor Park, where it switch-backs gently across the slope offering easy access to and from the water.

I hope you enjoyed the photos! If you’d like to see the whole set, you can view it on Flickr.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke Real Estate Professional

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Tagged: autumn | BC | boardwalk | ed macgregor park | Fall | harbour | leaves | park | photo walk | photos | Sooke