relationships

Relationships can take many forms from just acquaintences and friendships to lovers. This can involve the opposite sex, same sex, old, young and all sorts of combinations. Most of all, its not for us to judge whether something is right or wrong for another person but to determine whether what we're doing is right for us as individuals. Judging and reacting to other's actions negatively is inappropriate in my opinion. All that manages to do is breed contempt and lessen understanding and tolerance for others. Love, combined with the latter two, understanding and tolerance, make this world a far better place to live in, more like heaven I'd say, but you determine this for yourself. As we explore ourselves and our place in life, we may learn so many things about ourselves, strengths we didn't realize we had or weaknesses that need attention. Just a few thoughts before I head off to bed for the night. - V.

banner or masthead photos and other stuff

Now that we are officially into the summer season here in the northern hemisphere this means more sunny, hot weather for us here along the west coast (British Columbia). We had some much needed rain during the latter part of the week but now the warmer weather and sunshine have returned. I had plans to go into Vancouver yesterday but a cloud cover was moving in, so I delayed that until today. Instead, I went down to the Fraser River to take a few photos despite the cloud cover. Once I download the photos from my camera, I'll post some of them. In the meantime, this is a post minus photos!

Someone sent me a question regarding the banner or masthead photo, so eventhough I've answered the question in my comments, I thought I would expand on those comments a bit. In September 2007 I took a Saturday to visit Gibson's Landing. That meant a bus trip from Surrey where I lived at the time, into downtown Vancouver, then over the Lions Gate Bridge and on to Horseshoe Bay. From there it was by ferry across Howe Sound to Langdale and then another bus ride to Cibson's Landing on a bus heading for Sechelt further up the Sunshine Coast. All the while on the ferry I was taking lots of photos with my Sony digital camera and more once I got into Gibson's. Some of the best shots were posted early on when I first started this blog. Those photos (other than the ones posted) were lost when my old hard drive died. I hope to retrieve the files at some point but its not a priority at the moment. I was in the process of backing up files onto disk at the time when the hard drive gave up the ghost. Such is life!

Anyway, I digress. If you look at the banner or masthead photo at the top of this webpage, I cropped it from a larger photo I took as the ship was crossing the sound. I believe that is Keats Island which is between Collingwood Channel and Shoal Channel as we head toward Langdale. We had just passed the north side of Bowen Island, so at this point we are about two-thirds of the way across. As I remember it, Gibson's Landing is just right off the frame and Langdale a bit further. Although I took the bus from Langdale to Gibson's, I had decided to walk back to the ferry port. This was a bit of a chore dodging the odd car coming down the narrow road but this afforded me a few views of Howe Sound on the way.

There are other banner photos saved but I have decided to keep this one up for a while. By the way, if you haven't guessed it, "saltwater blood" refers to my friend Brad and "spirit mountain" to me. Brad seems to have saltwater in his veins with the love of the sea and the outdoors he has. The words expressed in the introduction are rather fitting in that we are actually discovering more and more about ourselves as time moves forward. Brad has had to come to terms with his sexuality (as I did also in the past) and quite a number of other issues, such as his grandfather's passing last summer just being one of the others. I've encountered death several times during my lifetime but for Brad it is likely the first time. Time is a healing factor as we all know. The other issue we have both had to tackle is what our relationship means and how it should be expressed. This too takes time and I believe shouldn't be forced but develop naturally. We determine our place in life and the role we are to play in it. Some have the courage to do so while many do not. As Shakespeare once said in one of his plays, "life is a stage and we play our part" (or something to that effect), but you know what I'm saying!

Brad is a Gemini (sign) and they require time to think about what is the best course of action while I'm a Leo (sign), and while I too spend time to think about my forthcoming actions and plans in life, my emotions come from the heart. I put my whole being into a friendship especially when the effort is worth it in my eyes. The last photo I saw of Brad (not that long ago) looks real hot but I'd love to see him in the flesh. so we can share our experiences directly. He loves to sail, so that's something I'd love to experience with him, and at the same time he can experience my love of nature which is expressed through my photography. Again, give it time!

Before I ramble on and on, I'll close for now but I'll have more on all this later. In the meantime, keep coming back and enjoy the photos and the commentary! - V.

talky blog: How to get a boyfriend. : break the illusion

Davey gives us some unconventional advice on getting a boyfriend starting with yourself! Check out his talky blog to find out more, and check out his blog for more interesting posts. The link is in the sidebar. - V.

talky blog: How to get a boyfriend. : break the illusion

Radoslav Vanko

Radoslav Vanko comes from Slovakia and has appeared in the Australian gay magazine called DNA. What I can say just by looking at the photos I've seen, Rado looks best shirtless! He's 26 years old from Zilina, Slovakia and has worked on campaigns for Valentino, Dolce and Gabbana (my favourite fragrance), Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Prada and others just to name some. And with a physique like his its no wonder. Rado is currently living in Taiwan. It should be interesting watching his model career unfold. More later!!! - V.

Bailey Glandt

Model Bailey Glandt, age 21, from Fort Worth, Texas was one of Bruce Weber's discoveries and is a face on Abercrombie and Fitch. I really love that first photo! Bailey was born in Houston, Texas, went to Texas Christian University in Fort Worth where he was discovered. Now he's living in New York City where he can make more money than he ever could in Texas. He's 6'2" tall, weighs 185 pounds, has an 11 shoe size (that's mine too!), has short blonde hair, blue eyes and tanned skin. He is represented by Click Models New York. Check out Model Mayhem for more plus other models by going to http://www.modelmayhem.com/baileyg (MM #736488). - V.

Edilson

Last night before bedtime I spent a bit surfing the web after I'd read my emails. I checked out gussip.com to find that Edilson, one of my favourite Brazilian models, has appeared on the cover of Pref Mag, a French-language gay magazine. Above is a photo of that cover. Now I'll have to check it out when I'm in Vancouver tomorrow afternoon! Perhaps you might want to do the same (I know there are a lot of viewers of this blog interested in him!). - V.

photo shoot

Today I observed a photo shoot in progress at a street corner in town. I had a camera with me today and took a few shots of the activity. This photo is just one of nine taken. Unfortunately, I only had my small camera (HP) with me rather than the Sony camera though its better than nothing. The three guys in the centre of the frame (including the one spinning the basketball) walked from the bottom of the frame toward the cameraman (left side of frame) then back to where they had started. Then the cycle started again as photos were taken each time. One of the guys was carrying the basketball (or dribbling or spinning it) while another had a skateboard in hand but I have no idea what the third had, if anything. This was likely a shoot for some kind of advertising. It all reminds me that I need to get moving to get my own act in gear (photo shoots). The plan is to start during the summer. Currently I'm working on a business card before I get started. More on all that later! - V.

Chris Cuba

Chris Cuba, a 24 year old model from Manhattan, New York, is represented by Silver Model Management. He's been modeling for about a year and a half. Chris enjoys all kinds of work but his forte, as you can see, is underwear and fitness engagements (gigs). As far as statistics go, he is 6'1" tall, weighs 180 pounds, measures 42-32-32, has medium blonde hair, hazel eyes and is tanned. Whether he's clothed or barely so, he's hot, so I've chosen photos that best illustrate his well-defined physique. There are two photos here, such as the one below, that caused me to find out more about this hot model. Check him out at Model Mayhem at http://www.modelmayhem.com/chriscuba (Mayhem #1031023). And you might also want to check out Silver Models at http://silvermodels.com/ where you'll find Chris and many others! More to come!!! - V.

Anton

Last night before heading off to bed, I spent a little time checking out some blogs that I haven't viewed in a while, such as the one with posts from Anton Antipov (see link in sidebar). The photo above caught my attention. The photographer is Bart Baker. I prefer the smooth look but this is a nice compromise! Have a look at Anton's blog and see what he has to offer. Now its time to get ready to head out to work. More later! - V.

David Oliver - model

David Oliver is represented by Red Model Management. You can check this model out by going to ModelMayhem at http://www.modelmayhem.com/davidoliver (Mayhem #45962). I love the lean, tight physique and that's one of the reasons I'm posting these pics of David. He's another excellent role model for those who have similar physiques with an interest in getting into modeling. And for those that are into tattoos, he's sporting one as you can see. Other than that, I know very little about him for the moment. When that changes, I post some info. In the meantime, enjoy these photos and feel free to comment! - V.

Jonas Brothers - part 2

Well, remember the photo in the last Jonas Brothers post? Its the one on their latest CD called "Lines, Vines and Trying Times", one I took the time to buy at HMV yesterday while in Vancouver. I even listened to it twice. Great sound and there's a hint of country music in a couple of songs, though I wouldn't call it country. Its just a hint as I mentioned. Just because I'm older doesn't mean I can't listen to and appreciate the sound coming from a younger generation. Its worth watching where their music career takes them. Check them out! Now its time to get ready for work and head out the door. Have a great week!!! - V.

washing, suds and other things

Well, summer is upon us and so is the time for wearing minimal clothing, such as when washing a car! I've seen this pic a few times over the last couple of years, so I thought I'd post it for those who may not have seen it. So my immediate thoughts go to what the guy on the right might be thinking as he gazes at his buddy next to him who is wearing only a skimpy swimsuit. One could write a short story about it, couldn't we! If anyone is interested, well, you can write something of 1000 words or less (keep it "clean"), send it in and I'll post it giving you credit (first name but no last plus country or state). Give it a thought! My email is in the profile for this blog. Meantime, have a great Sunday, or week for those that have started their new one!!! - V.

more on Joshua

Here are some more photos of model Joshua Michael Brickman plus some background statistics. Joshua is 22 years old from Miami, Florida. He is 5 ' 10" tall, weighs 154 pounds, has short blonde hair and green eyes. You can find out more about him at Model Mayhem by going to the following link at Http://www.modelmayhem.com/juishe (mayhem #439277). - V.

Jonas Brothers

The Jonas Brothers have been in the papers and other media lately as I mentioned in my previous post, so here's a photo of them to drool over. Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas made up the trio, an up and coming pop boy band (USA). They're rather hot-looking but their interest in music gets my interest alone, not just their hot, sexy looks. Nick was discovered singing in a barber shop at age 7 and their musical career progressed from there. Their latest CD called "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" (2009) was released on June 15, 2009. Check them out on Facebook and MySpace. I've added them to my Facebook profile Saturday evening. The brothers have an official website at http://www.jonasbrothers.com or find out more about them and their music on Wikipedia. - V.

Metropolis

"Unless he extends the circle of compassion to all living creatures, man himself will not find peace." - Albert Schweitzer

Perhaps you've heard of Albert Schweitzer, perhaps not. He was born in Kaysersberg, Alsace (France), which at the time was part of Germany after the Franco-Prussian War. Anyway, to get to the point, I remember him for not only being born in Alsace but also for playing the organ and living out his life in Gabon, Africa. This learned and compassionate man is well remembered who was still living back when I was in my teenage years. In a strange twist of fate, someone at work mentioned to me that he may be a distant relation of hers. Interesting how small the world has become!

I spent the late morning and early afternoon getting three loads of laundry out of the way before heading out to Metropolis at Metrotown, one of the lagest malls in the region, if not one of the busiest! My first stop was the Superstore to get some groceries, items that I normally don't get elsewhere. This pleasure cost me about $75 after which I went to another shop to get some Dolce et Gabbana eau de toilette which cost me a little bit more than what I had just spent on groceries. But it was so worth it! Its one of my favourites. I guess I've finally succumbed to all those scents wafting from some of those hot guys I've seen over the years. Just a little dab in the right places is all that's needed. There's no need to bathe in the stuff. This scent is one of those that I'm not sensitive to (some cause me allergic reactions), which is a good thing. I may try a few others but I'll have to test them first before going to the trouble of purchasing any others.

So, it was a short bus ride and then a trip on the SkyTrain to get to the mall and then another short trip on the train and another short bus ride to get home. This mall is most always busy and today was no exception. After leaving home after 4 pm, I returned shortly after 7 pm, in time to have some supper and then get behind the computer for a while.

As I was heading out, I spoke at length on my cell phone with a friend of mine living in Vancouver. We caught up on news and made arrangements to perhaps meet up in the afternoon Sunday. He's a caretaker at an apartment building who I've known for over two years (going into the third). Tomorrow's the day he has work done on his bike before heading out to the seawall (Stanley Park) afterward. We'll see what happens!

The Jonas Brothers will be hosting the Much Music Video Awards (MMVA) on CITY-TV tomorrow and if I had cable, I'd probably watch it. The trio have been getting a lot of coverage in the local papers lately and likely also on tv (if I watched it). I've been watching Much Music since its early days but for the last year or so haven't been watching with cable lacking. That may change soon. I found a deal through one of the local cable providers, so may get that and an internet connection through the same provider. More on all that later.

Its rather dull stuff I guess but part of my reality. So how was your weekend so far??? I'd love to hear your story, so send me your comments if the mood strikes! - V.

sweet dreams

Another weekend has arrived. The dragonboat races are being held on False Creek tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday. Weather permitting I plan to see part of the races. Now I'm off to bed after a long day (and a long week). To get us in the mood for some awesome dreams, perhaps of what the weekend might have instore for us, here is model Joshua Michael Brickman! Pleasant dreams, and have a great weekend! - V.

from Sunset Beach to English Bay Beach

On Sunday I more or less retraced my steps from the previous day by walking the seaside walk on the north side of False Creek in Vancouver again. Just as the day before, it was gorgeous weather with warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine. I took a number of photos but for this post, Sunset Beach and English Bay Beach are the main focus. These present the promiss of a summer yet to come and only about a week away, or less. I couldn't help but to include some photos of the fan palms and the developing annual plantings found at both beaches.

There were lots of people enjoying each other's company, sunning, swimming or some playing beach volleyball. A couple of guys were out playing wearing only their colourful underwear (first pic below) and one of them is still playing in the second photo. At a distance they would have passed as swimwear anyway, unless one was up close to get a good look. I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Summer's not that far away!!! - V.

False Creek on a Saturday

Yesterday (Saturday), I decided to take a walk along False Creek starting at the winter olympic village currently still under construction but well advanced. From there I took the seaside walk on the north side ending at 2nd beach in Stanley Park (the walkway continues, I just decided to end the walk there!). These are some of the photos I took along the way. The first two photos were taken from a higher vantage point. As you can see by the clarity of the pics, it can get rather humid in these parts. This area is part of the temperate rainforest for good reason!

A couple of barges were brought in a while ago to bring construction material closer to where the work was being carried out. The top pic shows the olympic village in the background and the lower photo has ScienceWorld and highrise condos in the background.

At the winter olympic village (2010) still under construction many of the plantings have been completed. These plantings are suited to dry conditions as you can see.

Since it was a Saturday, some work was going on (see above). Thats Yaletown in the background in the photo below with another interesting planting in the foreground. There is another view below that of Yaletown as seen from the village.

Plenty of people were out walking, running or cycling. Above is a cyclist checking out what I was photographing with a closer view of the cyclist below. I'm looking at getting a bike myself, probably next year. Its been years since I rode one but I still know how. Its not been that long ago!

On the north side of False Creek you can get another excellent vantage point to view the village.

The seaside walk on the north side of False Creek had plenty of activity too and it was the first time on that route for me. I've taken plenty of walks along the southern route. Thats another scene of Yaletown in the photo above and those below.

I followed along behind this hot dude above (and pic below) for a bit before I continued on along the seaside route. Should we be in shape, yes, and can we be devilishly handsome, yes to that as well!

Above is another view along the walk in Yaletown. To my right off the photo, a wedding party was being photographed, a beautiful day for both a wedding and taking photos! In hindsight I should have taken atleast one photo of the photographer at work. What do you think?

The last photo, take a close look at what appears below the railing. There's a whole string under the railing that I haven't photographed but I plan to next time and post the results. As I approached Sunset Beach while continuing along the route westward, I noticed a guy taking photos from just behind a planting along the walk. He wasn't taking photos of the plants but was taking pics of the scene on the north side of the walk: people in various stages of dress! Some were even nude! One guy was wearing a bow around his penis and not much else. Some had tattoos, etc., but there was nothing particularly interesting to take photos of, for me at any rate. As I mentioned at the beginning, I ended my walk at the 2nd beach (I was getting tired by that point!) and so continued on off that walk and along the west side of Lost Lagoon and then back into town to complete my last errand before heading home on the SkyTrain. I hope you've enjoyed this little tour and the photos! More to come!!! - V.