It's easy enough "talk the talk" but I am very grateful to have an office manager who also knows how to "walk the walk". Edie Haslauer is away from us for a month while she distributes bedkits to children in Kenya. Edie is the kind of person who doesn't say much about her personal values - she just shows them by example in the way she lives. At a recent staff meeting she told us that she would be away for a month and detailed who would be taking over her role in training sessions and staff meetings. Today I got an email from one of our admin staff that let me know more about what she is doing, and here it is: Sleeping Children Around the World (http://www.scaw.org/) is an organization that gives 100% of every donation to children in need. Here are some details from their website:"Sleepi... 03/06/2009

Twenty years ago the only way to share what you knew with a broad audience was to publish a book, write a magazine or newspaper article, or get on a radio or TV broadcast. In each case the barrier was that some "gatekeeper" (a publisher, editor, producer etc.) had to understand your material well enough to be convinced that there was value in what you had to say before they would put time, money and other resources to work giving you access to an audience. The effect of this was that information was highly isolated. When I was doing a thesis at that time, I spent weeks looking at catalogues of articles with relevant source material, then the task was to obtain and search through massive amounts of material on Microfiche film rolls. A lot of wonderful expertise was never shared on Microf... 03/06/2009

Winter can take a while to leave here in Ontario. In fact, there was one time that our family went to a reunion in Western Ontario on May 20th, and we had a sprinkling of snow! Overall, though, the signs of winter losing its power are already here. Longer days, strong sunshine and melting snow are all welcome signs. Before winter leaves, though, I thought you might enjoy a few pics: 1) A pick-up game of friends playing hockey on the mill pond in Stirling, Ontario.2) A Great Grey Owl. We had one of these that decided to feast on a dead rabbit near our driveway, just after dusk each day, for about a week this winter. If we were coming in late, we needed to drive slowly to persuade him to fly away. My wife and I each learned that after close calls when he almost became a hood ornament by f... 02/18/2009

I get warnings about Internet threats on a regular basis and I'm sure you do as well. Some are genuine, but many of them are sent by well-intentioned family and freinds who are trying to protect me who have been drawn into forwarding and promoting a hoax.  So how do you sort out which threat messages are real and which ones are hoaxes before you hit that "Forward" button? First, go to this website - http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/threatexplorer/risks/hoaxes.jsp The folks at Symantec are usually on top of both the new virus/ phishing threats and those messages that contain hoaxes. If you enter part of the title from the message you have received into the search function there and the message you received comes up, with a full description of a hoax, please DO NOT FORWA... 02/13/2009

I have lived through a very interesting period of time. When I was youngster I used to save a carrot for the milkman's horse, and rush out to give him a treat as the milkman delivered to our house. Now, my Blackberry alerts me anytime one of my email accounts receives a new message. My personal life carries parts of the old and new everywhere I look. I spend a fair bit of my time doing webwork on the sites I have created for my listings, but then I head our into our livingroom and throw more wood on the fire to banish the cold of a Canadian winter from our home. As I do this, and identify myself with humans who have burned wood for 10000 years or more, but I find myself doing a quick check for environmental concerns. Environmental is a word that only came into usage part way through my ... 02/05/2009

I just came to real estate last April after trying a period of retirement. Frankly, spending that much time in jogging suits wasn't my idea of how to live, so, despite all the warnings about how difficult it is to get started, and how awful the market is supposed to be right now, I took the plung and the result is ... ... I'm lovin' it! At the very top of my list of reasons why I love real estate, I would have to put "the stories". Real estate is not retail. We are not selling houses (only the owner of a property can sell it... we just help them do it) - we are selling a service, and that service is one that helps people as they make some of the most important decisions in their lives. I am constantly amazed at the diversity of situations in which our services are required and the richn... 12/02/2008

Hello everyone and welcome to my first post in my first blog in my first social-networking encounter! Let's just make it easy and start by introducing myself and paste in my profile. Enjoy - or not :) Ken. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am currently the owner of Quinte Technical Services, a computer service, training, support and consulting firm in Belleville, Ontario. My background, including over 31 years in technology design, leadership and consulting has enabled me to take on many new and interesting projects and challenges. Tech industry downturn (restructuring I was told - there are a lot of nice and not-so-nice terms for it!) led me moving to Belleville about 4 years ago to what I thought might be... 11/08/2008

The Lion's  Park on Station Street in Belleville, Ontario is testament to how well nature and mankind can work together to create a place of halcyon peace and beauty. It encompasses part of the Riverfront Trail and a visit there will stimulate so many of your senses, you'll want to visit again and again.The park has a different and more lush feel this year than last, due to the immense amount of rain we've been experiencing this summer. This year, unlike last, the river is rushing rapidly downstream. Last year many sections were completely dry. To see the difference between last year and this, make sure and view the pictures at the bottom of this post which show the same view of the Moira River taken in August '07 and August '08. Poet Hannah Moore once wrote "all the peace which springs... 08/19/2008

Flowers are blooming and the sound of birdsong carries over the soft evening air. Spring has arrived and love is in the air with the hope of new generations and the continuation of life's longing for itself. This is the time of year couples everywhere are dreaming of a special day where vows are shared in the presence of family and friends.If you are contemplating an upcoming wedding and the details of planning such an event seem overwhelming or time is of the essence, don't fret as professional and expert help is close at hand. Heather Mack, owner of Quintessential Parties, is a Certified Bridal Consultant and fully trained event and party planner. Heather's skill and passion for planning is a natural match for her 'love of romance and weddings'. Heather has always enjoyed entertainin... 05/16/2008

On a quiet, east-end, Belleville street, lives one of the area's finest artists, Joyce Empey Smith. Joyce, a retired teacher, grew up on a dairy farm east of Napanee and took art lessons from her Grandmother, Martha MacLean, beginning at the age of 9 for 4 years. Joyce's paternal Grandmother was an art instructor in the Kingston area and gave oil painting lessons in a studio in her home. Joyce remembers her Grandmother working on 5 paintings at a time due to the long drying times. Her Grandmother supplemented her living by selling her paintings, which were mostly sceneries. Joyce's Grandmother saw great promise in her young Granddaughter and had endless patience with her as she taught her how to paint.After finishing high school in Napanee, Joyce attended Peterborough Teacher's College ... 05/04/2008

                                          Charming 2 storey older Vintage residence on mature tree lined street in historic Port Hope. Many upgrades throughout & tastefully decorated. House re-shingled '03, garage re-shingled '06, waterproof flooring in garage, hi-efficient furnace '04, ducts cleaned '06 & home freshly painted. There are many perennials in both front & back gardens as well as a grand front porch 8' x 23'- great for relaxing. Wood burning F/P in LR is terrific on those cold days. Home is located within walking distance of downtown Port Hope. Patricia BurroughsReal Estate Broker, 613.966-6060Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty, Brokerage, Belleville, OntarioIndependently Owned and Operated www.patburroughs.com    pat@patburroughs.com 04/29/2008

        SOLD                                          Priced at $299,900.00 this well maintained, open concept bungalow, 3.5 year old home is well located in west Belleville. Main floor features a laundry room, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, cathedral ceiling and gas fireplace in the living room, the master bedroom has a jacuzzi tub and walkin closet, lots of cupboards in the kitchen with patio doors to a deck. Lower level is finished with 2 more bedrooms, 3 pc bathroom, large rec room and pool room, there is also a dry bar. Entrance from house to a double car garage. Patricia Burroughs Real Estate Broker, 613.966-6060 Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty, Brokerage, Belleville, Ontario Independently Owned and Operated www.patburroughs.com  pat@patburroughs.com 04/29/2008

                                                                          SOLD                             Very well maintained bungalow in East Belleville. Beautiful oak hardwood floors, large eat-in kitchen with lots of cupboards. Patio doors to cedar deck with electric awning and fenced yard. Entrance from house to garage. Main floor laundry. Basement is drywalled. Oak staircase to lower level. City water pressure backup for sump pump. All appliances and window coverings included.  Priced at $269,900.00 Patricia Burroughs Real Estate Broker, Belleville, Ontario Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty, Brokerage, Belleville, Ontario  Independently Owned and Operated www.patburroughs.com     pat@patburroughs 04/29/2008

Global warming is the most serious issue facing every single living being on the planet today and as awareness increases, more and more communities are taking action to combat the continuing degradation of our planet's atmosphere.Sydney, Australia demonstrated just how much of a difference one hour and one city can make last year when the residents turned off all of their lights for just 60 minutes. How much of a difference? The amount is staggering when you consider how many cities there are on earth and how many hours in a day, month, year. By turning off their lights for just 60 minutes, Sydney was able to stop 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the earth's atmosphere.What began in Sydney, Australia, has now spread around the globe as more and more cities and communities j... 03/16/2008

There comes a certain time of the year, when the light shifts and seems lower and paler in the sky, and when the crows can be seen busily flying from tree top to tree top with the great announcements they are spreading over the land, that I begin to be flooded with memories of the awakening earth. I sense the deep roots of the tall maples opening up their pores once more and beginning to drink deeply of the thawing earth sending sweet maple sap up through their great trunks to feed the tender tips of their branches.My mind goes back to childhood days spent in maple woods peering deeply into metal sap buckets where they hung on the trees and I recall dipping my finger into the dripping sap and tasting the clear, fresh liquid. The memory of the awakening earth beneath my feet as evidenced... 03/07/2008

International Women's Day week (March 2nd-March 8th) is now upon us and the week long series of events, remembrances and re-newed commitments to bettering the lives of girls and women the world over, has begun.What does it mean to me to be a woman in Canada today? It means that I have the opportunity to earn a living that enables me to support myself and therefore not depend on a husband or partner. This enables me to be in a relationship of my choice because I choose to be, not because I have to be. It means that I was brought up to believe that I could be anything I wanted to be, and so I chose science and then real estate, because my Father believed that women were just as intelligent and had just as many abilities to progress in life as men. I live in a free society where, although ... 03/02/2008

The continental (4 distinct seasons) climate of the Quinte area in Ontario is moderated by it's proximity to the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario. Belleville and region experiences warmer temperatures in the winter and slightly cooler temperatures in the summer due to these effects. In addition, the average snowfall is lower than many areas in Canada and the north eastern states of the USA.The average low temperature in winter is -11.9 C (10.6 F) and our winters generally pass fairly quickly with an average of 291 hours of sunlight. Oftentimes in winter we will experience a sudden thaw with a number of days reaching above 10C and into the 50s. The odd winter we experience very little snow and generally, January and February are the coldest months. The average number of snow days is 42.Spr... 03/02/2008

Winter is raging on and the Quinte Region is experiencing another snowfall as I write this. Don't let it get you down and for heaven's sake, don't go into hibernation! There's so much to do in this beautiful area that no one should be at a loss for a fun evening out or without an informative, lively social gathering to attend.Week of March 1st-March 8th, 2008 The Following Events Are Free or 'Donations Accepted', As Indicated: Loyalist College is holding it's Information Night on Thursday March 6th and all future students and their parents are invited to attend. It will run from 6:30-8:30pm in the Prince Edward Collegiate Institute (PECI) lecture room at 41 Barker Street in Picton. Future students will be able to learn about various program options, residence facilities, new careers, se... 02/29/2008

Genealogy has long been a fascinating interest of mine and many members of my family, both on my Mother's and on my Father's side, have done extensive research into our family's past. Searching for your roots can be both exhilarating and frustrating, all at the same time. It can lead you to far-off places, both in your mind and physically and once you are bitten by the genealogy bug, it can become an all-consuming passion.The Prince Edward-Belleville-Quinte region was one of the first settled in Ontario with many of the first settlers, after the original native inhabitants, being the United Empire Loyalists, or those who were loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution in the late 1700s.In such, there is an extensive trail of history in this area and a vast quantity of it ... 02/24/2008

My Granny saw the best in all people and she had a saying that she lived by, "Give to the world the best you've got, and the world will give it's best back to you." I take after my Grandmother on both counts and every day I see examples of how giving your best really does benefit everyone in the end, including the person who is giving their best. Last year I was out with my Mother for lunch at an oriental restaurant and when I opened my fortune cookie, it said "The man who does more than he is paid for, will soon be paid for more than he does." I kept that fortune as I do many of the more interesting ones I receive. Every now and then I'll read it and think of how interesting that concept is. Of course, I've heard the same things said in many ways and always it comes back to giving. Mar... 02/21/2008