New years thoughts

Right now I'm finishing up a bottle of French sparkling white wine, Veuve du Vernay, but if I had my boyfriend by my side or I was at his,it would be a case of us sharing the same, and I have a bottle of Spanish white to share as well (not even opened).  My thoughts are on Brad at the moment and I hope all is well, both for him and who he's with.

I am looking at properties in Nova Scotia at the moment (onlline). Once my debts are paid off there is money to invest and what better way to invest than in property that we can both benefit from.  Since the money that I came out here with is gone due to health issues, there are adjustments necessary.  Life is full of this!  Land prices here in British Columbia are insanely expensive, so the funds will stretch further back east than they will here.  I am looking at retirement and those years are not that far away.  Moving east to the Maritimes would be like a new adventure.  I'm still not to old for that nor is Brad by any stretch of the imagination.

Have a happy, healthy and safe celebration and all the best for 2012!  - V

New Years Eve

New Years Eve is fast approaching as is 2012 and all it has to offer.  Currently, its just past 1 pm here on Canada's west coast.  There is light snow falling which is melting on contact with the ground.  The ground is still too ward to have the snow stay, until in higher elevations such as the mountains.

I am planning to make a light lunch shortly but this evening it'll be a quiet, restful evening with some pizza and a bottle of French sparkling white wine (Veuve du Vernay) stretched out over several hours.

Most of the Christmas decorations have been put away though I have left a little out, something cheery and uplifting to start off the new year.

Have a safe and fun evening for those that are yet to celebrate, and for those that have, may you have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!  There will be more later...  - V

bi-polar

This evening after work I dropped in at the supermarket at the mall across the street from where I live and then went to the liquor store to get some wine and sparkling wine but while at the checkout in the latter store there was a lady ranting in the mall outside the store.  It sounded like she had mental issues (she was very excited and saying "f..." this and "f..." that).


It was familiar to me for some reason but I couldn't put a finger on it immediately.  Then when I left the mall it came to me.  I used to work with a lady north of Toronto who had mental issues (bi-polar I believe).  She was usually okay when I was around but usually men would get her excited (she didn't like them), into a rage, though not with me.  She was divorced and her ex had been a well known psychiatrist.  That experience had put her in an institution for a bit.  Since I was her supervisor and somewhat familiar with her situation, I tried to keep her on regular shifts and not have her work all over the clock at all hours.  


That wasn't the first time I worked with someone that was bi-polar.  I worked with someone in Thornhill (near Toronto) with the same condition.  While on his medications, he was okay.. Those with bi-polar are known for severe mood swings.  The medications are supposed to help reduce the extremes in moods.  Otherwise, life can be a challenge for them and the same for those they live or interact with.


Anyway, I arrived home without incident and put all my purchases away.  There was even a small bar of dark chocolate that came with the bottle of sparkling wine from Spain.  The second bottle is from France.  I didn't bother with champagne since its become rather expensive. The sparkling wines serve the same purpose and save on money at the same time.


Enjoy your celebrations what ever you decide to do.  Have a safe and rewarding 2012! - V


P.S. - Are you waiting for the new year to arrive like our guy above?  I wish you all the best.  So, have you made some resolutions for the new year that you can honour and keep?

Norbert

Today would have been my late brother's birthday and he (Norbert) would have been 57 if he had survived the event of early 1974.  I was fourteen months older than him.  This is a photo of us during the first Christmas in Canada in December 1957.  Norbert is in the foreground and I in the back.  I was able to suppress the emotions for years but since the last of our parents passed on in 1999 (mother), an event last year brought it all out and may have lead to the first of my two mini-strokes or may have been at the same time as the stroke.  Who knows!  I had been waiting for months for Brad to show up from the east coast.  When he didn't show up, I was scanning earlier photos of my brother and others.  The emotions came out and I wept for days in private as I was trying to make sense of everything.  I do not fault Brad  for anything.  I'm sure he had his reason and was dealing with his own demons!

Anyway, Norbert and I had spent most of his years sharing the same bedroom, so his passing was very difficult in the beginning.  Later as I was occupied with other situations and events over the years, the emotions concerning his death were pushed back in my mind.  The event of 2010 brought it all out again.  Such is life.  We take the good with the bad and make the most of it as best we can.  Its a difficult time of year so close to Christmas! - V

online

I slept in this morning and didn't get up until late.  It was after 11 am when I did.  Then I took a shower and slowly got dressed, and I do mean slowly, a T-shirt first and then more as time went on.  After brunch, I hit the computer.

I even had Brad on my mind for hours before I got up out of bed.  In cases like that, he's likely got me on his as well.  If he was here, we wouldn't be bored, not one bit!

After hours of online research on genetic mutations, mitochondrial DNA and related matters in the hope of finding the cause of my high blood pressure issue (well, one of many possibilities), I've decided to set that all aside and do something else to rest my eyes.

I may watch a movie or two.  I have enough of them on DVD when there's nothing of interest on TV.  So, what did you do on Boxing Day? - V

Merry Christmas!

Season's Greetings and all the best for the coming new year, 2012!  Have a safe and wonderful holiday season.

That's a photo of a small cypress tree I have on my dining room table.  Its foliage is of a lighter green than the tree in the dining room window.  That one needs repotting and is from last Christmas.  I'll do both of them in January or February.

Back east in southwestern Ontario I bought a little Italian Cypress tree before Christmas in 1999.  The foliage was a blue-green colour but I haven't been able to find that colour here on the west coast.  The tree ended up being repotted twice before it was left with the new owners of the house when I sold the property.  Anyway, before all that I had the tree outside the front door from the spring to autumn and brought it inside in late September (the winters were too cold to keep it outside).  It was set in the front bay window over winter and even dressed up a bit for Christmas.

So, this afternoon its off to get some laundry out of the way, three loads of it, and then I'll start supper, which today is duck leg with cabbage along with some potatoes.  I've had a German recipe for goose legs with cabbage since the 1980s (perhaps earlier) and use duck legs instead since they are easier to find unless you purchase a whole duck or goose.

I start off by softening finely diced onions in a large pan using olive oil (this time it will be butter since I'm out of the other).  Then I brown the duck leg with the skin side down first and then brown the other side.  Then I add diced green cabbage (I am using Savoy cabbage this time but you can also use red cabbage).  I add freshly boiled water to that, enough so it doesn't burn  and then slow cook it on low heat until done.  This time round I am also added some Riesling wine, a white from the Mosel River in north-western Germany.  If the wine is good enough to drink, its good enough for the stew pot!  I am also adding a bit of honey and some white wine vinegar to make the cabbage dish sweet and sour.  If I had more coming, I would add more duck legs to the dish but since its only me this evening, there is only one leg.  I use sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season the cabbage and have salted boiled potatoes with that when its all done.  The German dish its adapted from is called Gaenseschenkel mit Schmorrkohl.

Enjoy the season.  Have a safe and wonderful time! - V

Christmas wish

What I'd most like for Christmas is to have my favourite friend (Brad) with me even if its a short while.  I know things are a challenge at the moment for him to do so but I'm always hoping for the best and keeping my thoughts on the positive.  My cell phone is always with me, even at night.  Regardless, I hope you have your dreams fulfilled.  Have a wonderful Christmas! - V

Merry Christmas!

Regardless of where you are and how you plan to spend it, have a safe Christmas and enjoy yourselves!  I'll have some photos to post once they have been edited.  By the way, this image is one of a series that I took in Surrey, BC after a weekend snowstorm.  The header spot currently used is from the same time period (November 2006).  Have a wonderful holiday season, and spread that warmth and hospitality around!!! - V

do you feel lucky?

Bedtime is fast approaching.  Its been dark for hours and I set up my ironing board to press some pants for work tomorrow.  I'm just waiting for the iron to heat up before going to it.  The pair of pants were washed over a week ago and have been waiting on a hanger but time has been short.  Now I'll get to it.

Meantime, have a good night, guys!  Maybe you'll get lucky.  It seems Christian's rabbits foot can't hurt!  Later. - V

wrestling dudes and other stuff

You like this?  Well, you're up next!  Can you take the pressure sat on and twisted like a pretzel?

Speaking of pressure and such, I went over to the Metrotown Mall in south Burnaby this evening.  The trip was by bus and then the SkyTrain.  The mall was crowded and busy certainly with Christmas flying at us fast.  I got my stuff done as fast as possible and got out of there after I got my groceries.  I never like the energy when its that busy and have get out.  Are you ready for the holidays? - V

more abercrombie

This is more of the series that I showed you last weekend.  Quick, get the place cleaned up, we've got guests coming!  Well, I wouldn't mind if you don't... - V

winter is nearing but...

Although winter is nearing we haven't seen any snow on the ground here in the valley, well, anything that's going to stay that is.  This is how Queens Park looked like after a snowfall but this was a couple of years ago.  The best we can do now is a few frosty nights.  Well, we know Jack Frost has been busy!  The mountains on the other hand have had plenty of snow.

Friday evening after work I stopped by the pharmacy in downtown Vancouver to pick up the rest of my meds. Then it was a quick stop at Chapters before starting the homeward journey.  On the train I saw this cute blond-haired guy with green eyes sitting in the opposite row of seats, you know, a dark brown leather jacket, blue denim jeans and the hair swept forward.  I got off at Sapperton station to head over to the grocery store and he stayed on likely heading over to Lougheed station like a lot of other hotties!

Today has been spent taking it easy, not doing anything especially straining or stressful.  I bought another small tree to dress the dining room table for the season, a cypress with a lighter green foliage than the one I have had for a couple of years.  I once had an Italian cypress tree that was bought as a small 8 inch tree in 2000.  It had blue-green foliage and was re-potted twice before I sold the house and left it with the new owners.  I would leave the tree outside from early spring until late autumn (usually October) and then bring it inside for the winter to spent its time in the front bay window.  It was around 3 feet tall when I gave it away, like I did with my other plants, though I should have given some of them to my cousin, as I later found out.  He and his wife would have appreciated them.

So, how's your weekend been? - V

welcome

Well, the holidays are coming fast!  It would be awesome to have someone waiting for you at home.  I have someone in mind, do you?  I hope you all had an awesome weekend!  - V

Abercrombie

Well, Abercrombie recently opened a store in Singapore.  After these guys are done there, they can come on over to my place.  Well, we can dream, can't we?  What I want for Christmas is....   - V

Christmas Cactus

 My Christmas Cactus plant in the dining room window is in bloom once again.  I was thinking about when it might produce some flowers and then the following week the flower buds were produced.  That was three weeks ago.  This adds a little colour to the place this time of year.  The top image is a crop of an original photo and then lower one shows the plant on the window sill.  There is a Zebra plant next to it.  That one flowered about a year ago not long after I purchased it from the store.  They must all be comfortable where they are! - V

freedom

There's a certain freedom that we experience having a motorbike, a freedom you don't get from a car or other vehicle.  You'd have to have had a bike to know the difference.  Even a bike has its limitations, depending upon the situation and the season.  For one person its efficient on gas and covers quite a distance without breaking the bank but its not so great on ice and snow, there other modes of transportation are far superior and safer too!

I had a motorbike of my own back in the 1980s and have also driven a car, a variety of them, so I know the difference first-hand.  There are drivers that are nuts and perhaps shouldn't have a license and be on the road.  I've had my heart in my throat a number of times in the 80s and its not a pleasant experience.  If you have a bike, be safe and take precautions.  Riding within the limitations of this mode of transport will keep you living for a long time.

In the meantime, enjoy the freedom! - V

muscles and surf

Well, you guys in the southern hemisphere are lucky.  You get to see summer very soon while the rest of us suffer through winter and all it has to offer.  Enjoy the warm weather, the surf and the cute guys, but regardless of where you live or what season it is, make the most of it! - V

butt

There are some guys out there with such cute butts regardless of whether their pants are falling down or not.  In this image we even know his favourite underwear or have an idea.  Life is too short and over before you know it.  Live your life to the fullest and take the time to appreciate the beauty around you, regardless of the season or time of year.  And if you've got a cute ass, let's see it!  There are those that will appreciate it and even take the time to compliment you.  Enjoy life an all it has to offer! - V

warmth

There's something to be said for the warmth of companionship.  We can't  have enough friends and certainly close friends that we can call companions in our journey through life.  What do you say? - V

christmas and candles

Back in Germany in the mid-1950s we had a Christmas tree (Weihnachtsbaum) at Christmas (Weihnachten) which had candles. The candles were only lit when we were present and snuffed out when elsewhere, so it wasn't a case of leaving the candles burning on the tree and going elsewhere in the apartment or house.  That's a good way to burn the place down.  But I love the aroma of candles, especially when they are snuffed out and the little bit of smoke rises up along with the scent.

I still have candle holders for such an occasion but there will be no tree where I live currently.  Perhaps when I have a house of my own once again.  Have a wonderful Christmas but do remember to be safe about it all!  That time is not all that far away.  Time is flying! - V

P.S. - The top photo shows a Christmas tree in our apartment in Knittlingen, Germany.  The image below show me, a younger version, with my parents.  My younger brother was asleep.

the look part 2 - tattoos and sunglasses

I find this guy hot despite the tattoos which I'm not too fussy about.  For some reason the look of him wearing his sunglasses reminds me of my friend Brad.  Well, we can dream, can't we?

I'm taking another easy weekend.  Earlier in the week I developed a hangnail on one of my fingers.  This condition crops up in the colder months of the year.  Well, I took a pair of clippers to rid myself of the hangnail.  Unfortunately, I developed an infection and had to disinfect a needle so I could drain the pus that had developed in a pocket to one side of the fingernail.  The infection usually clears up after that from past experience.  The pain in that finger is much less since the draining too!

There are a number of Christmas themed movies on television now.  I guess that will be with us until the season has passed.  Meantime, we'll just have to put up with it until we're tired of it all.  Then we can always turn off the TV and listen to music or have a conversation with someone.  That would be a novel idea!

In the meantime, enjoy your weekend and have a great time of it! - V

the look

Clayton has the look that many of us want but need the inspiration and motivation to make a reality in our own lives.  Well, here's some more motivation to add to what you've seen for years.  Exercise and doing those things that will help us achieve that muscular look is the way to go.  There are all kinds of websites that offer tips on fitness training.  One such link is located in the right-hand sidebar of this blog.  Check what Scott Herman Fitness has to offer.  Meantime, those that are working on this, I wish you lots of luck and motivation.  Keep us informed on your progress.  If you'd like to have your photo posted here, let us know and we'll make it reality for you plus post the comments.  Good luck! - V

shower time, then bedtime

Its time to get cleaned up before bed.  Its been a rainy weekend but there was a little sun this afternoon.  We'll see what the week brings.  Have a good night, guys! - V

a kiss

There's a lot more to a relationship than sex or anything like it.  Being able to get along, have some common interests go a long way too.  Being there for each other when it matters is necessary too.    Than's Dallas and Riley to give us the idea.  It works for same or opposite sex regardless.  Oh, and anything worth having takes effort as well.  You don't get nothing from nothing! - V

hot dude for a Sunday evening

Well, as we head towards a pleasant Sunday evening, here's Todd to put us in the mood and give us some inspiration.  Have a good one, guys! - V

cars and stuff

Back in 2008 when Brad was first making plans to come out west and hopefully stay a while, he was driving this vehicle.  Unfortunately, the car broke down in the Gaspe region of Quebec.  In order to raise the funds necessary for the repairs, he and his brother worked as dishwashers in Montreal.  Later, Brad was working in the Gaspe region closer to where the car was working on a boat.  He was a mariner after all.

We messaged each other while he was in that latter region, as often as we could.   I guess after the repairs were done, he must have gotten homesick, so he drove east rather than west as I had expected.  I'm wasn't that hard on him and still am not.  We were all young once and emotions well up inside.  We do what we have to do.  Likely the car breaking down had something to do with it all.  Things were going great up until then.

At some point, when Brad is ready, he will get out here.  There's more than enough work out here, more than there might be back east.  All he has to do is make the move, even if someone has to come with him to make it all work.  He knows what I'm talking about.

So Brad, you want another car?  We can make it work here and arrange for it in the way we discussed.  Just get your ass out here and the rest will happen.  Perhaps December or early in the new year?  Love you!  What else can I say. - V

surfer

Who would like a surfer served on a surfboard?  Would you pass him up on the idea>  This is Justin by the way.  Enjoy! - V

morning mist

I take the time (and opportunity) to take photos when the mood strikes me.  In this case I was living on the 12th floor of a 16 floor apartment building in north London (Ontario) during the mid-1980s.  As summer starts to cool, they air may be cool but the ground is still very warm, so ground mist collects along the ground.  This is just one of many images I took during a morning that featured plenty of this.  Then there was the sun trying to burn its way through the next cloud layer.  Enjoy the photo, there are more if you'd like to see them! - V

clouds from the air

Here is another shot that I took as the plane was making an approach to Vancouver airport.  You can see a bit of the sun and the many layers of clouds in the sky. This was December 23rd, 1978.  The next day it was raining but it was the only such day.  Otherwise it was cold and mostly clear.  The children loved it since the ponds were frozen over which as I understand it, usually doesn't happen in this part of British Columbia.  Sun and cold pretty well described the rest of the 2 and a half week stay in Vancouver.

I stayed at the YMCA Vancouver on Burrard Street.  That place has since been completely renovated.  I met a young man from Hamilton, Ontario that was staying down the hall from me.  We went to a restaurant on Burrard and I accompanied him to the Greyhound Bus Terminal which in those days was in the downtown, not at the Train station on Main Street as it is now.  The last time I saw him he was catching a bus to Edmonton supposedly to work in the oil fields and I've not seen him since.  Such is life!  We meet people and see them for years and others we see once and never again.  That was just over 30 years ago.  So, what sort of adventures have you undertaken? - V

Vancouver Island - December 1978

I came out to Vancouver for the first time in December 1978.  I flew here that time and the plan was to fly back but I refunded the return ticket and opted to take the train back to Toronto and home from there.  The above photo was scanned from one of the many colour slides taken on that trip on Agfachrome slide film.  This image shows a view of Vancouver Island from the plane as we were approaching the airport.  The plane came north from the BC lower mainland, then over Georgia Strait before heading south to the airport for the final approach.  I returned home to Ontario by train in January 1979.  There will be some more photos later after they've been scanned.  Meantime, enjoy this one! - V

snow!

There's snow in the forecast for us here on the west coast, more in the upper elevations and just a dusting for the valley, but we will see how this all translates in reality.  It may be a different world by Monday evening but then the rest of the country has had its share of the white stuff, so its our turn.  With Cypress Mountain resort open early and likely others to follow soon, the skiers should be very happy!

Meanwhile, as the weeks go by it is getting colder and colder at night and the day time not as warm.  We've had a few frosty nights this month so far and can expect more.  I was just checking The Weather Network and temperatures on the prairies are cold, extremely cold, in the -20 to -30 range.  All this is on top of the snow they've had over the weekend.  For us it won't get as cold as all that but we have heard that our winter will be drier and colder than most winters previous.  Let's see what happens!

Good Night, guys! - V

another December image

Here's another photo I took in a series of shots from December 1988.  The scene is a second floor apartment in a house owned by a friend of mine from high school.  I shared the apartment with a friend from my high school days and a student from Newfoundland.  We all seemed to get along.  Then our landlord wanted to move into that unit because it had three bedrooms while his only had two.  His wife was expecting a child and the extra room was needed.  He offered his unit or another one for my friend and I but my friend wanted nothing to do with it, so no agreement was possible.  If I had known that from the beginning, I would have looked for another apartment.   As it was, this one was a short bus trip to work or a 20 - 25 minute walk away.  It was handy as far as the laundromat was concerned and shopping.  As with a lot of images, there are a lot of memories with this and the other one.

Like my previous image from the same period this one was taken on the second Advent in December, which in our case, that month is just around the corner.  My how quickly the year has passed.  I know the Christmas season will soon be upon us but have you made thoughts of what resolutions you might make for the coming new year, 2012? - V

summer's gone and soon the same can be said for autumn

Model Victor Bell briefly take our thoughts back to the summer we just had.  Autumn is just about over with December just around the corner.  We can begin planning for the next hot season but for now its winter and all it has to offer.  Meantime, we can dream, or head south to a warmer climate for a week or two of awesome weather!  Either way, work on your physique so that you're ready for what ever comes.  Have an awesome week, guys! - V

hotness for Sunday

Let Vincent take us through the rest of the day.  If you'd like to see more of him, check out MaleModel.us for a whole lot more.

Now that my laundry is almost dry, its time for me to drag myself away from the computer for a while and sort all that out.  Have an awesome Sunday evening, guys, and have the same as far as the week is concerned! - V

candles and some thoughts

This photo was taken in December 1988 at the second Advent.  I love candles, especially at Christmas time.  Even during the winter months they add a certain atmosphere.  This is a scanned image from a colour slide that I took at the time.  In the background you see a rattan chair called  a "King Chair" and to the right of that is a calamondin orange tree that I had bought as a very young tree back in the 1970s.  Each year it would be full of flowers in the spring time and even later.  When it was outside on a patio or balcony, the bees would love it.  The tree has been gone a long time.  The ants that got into the root ball likely caused its demise.  Like all things, there is a beginning and an end!  Cherish the things that matter while they're around and we're there to appreciate them! - V

thoughts on Brad

This isn't Brad but model Josh.  I spent a long time thinking about Brad last evening and this morning.  There isn't a day that goes by where my thoughts aren't with him in some way.  I wake up in the morning to one of his images posted up in my bedroom and also the same image as a wallpaper on my computer.  And I'm sure his thoughts are on me as well even though he can't communicate with me directly.  Easy access to a computer would solve that but he doesn't have that option at the moment.

We are both friends on Windows Live where he is my only favourite and also linked on my family listing.  I consider him like family anyway and treat him as such.  Its an awful thing to be from a child from a divorce, tossed from one parent to the other and then left to fend for himself.  The friends that I know that come from such circumstances haven't fared all that well in life, and its not confined to friends.  I have family members from similar circumstances, half-siblings, so I know better than most what he might be going through.

All that aside, where Brad lives jobs are difficult to find (the east coast of Canada, Nova Scotia in fact).  That's why many leave for central or western Canada in order to find employment and make a life for themselves which is what I've been trying to convince him to do, with my help of course.  I shoot off some funds now and then as I can afford it.  Keep in mind that I am still trying to get my own finances in order after the mini-stroke I suffered back in May.  It was around that time that I heard from him last.  I guess I would best describe myself as a father figure in his life.  Like every true father would I worry about him.

I suspect from his life experiences to date that Brad has trouble trusting people.  I mean, his very birth parents have let him down.  The reasons for that are varied and many I am sure but someway we have to find a way out of this mess.  Everything that I've promised, I have honoured, so at some point I hope that he will open his heart to trust the very person that feels the most for him.  This will certainly help him with other relationships.  We don't live in a vacuum, you know!

What I'd most like to do is wrap my arms around him and give Brad a great big hug letting him know that I love him and that I'm there for him.  Mere words are not enough.  We have a world full of people from different walks of life that say many things and never live up to them, politicians in particular.  Its action that gives it all meaning.  So, Brad, if you or someone you know has happened upon this post, take the time to comment.  You'll long not forget it.!

Be kind and forgiving of people.  Life is like a stage as Shakespeare pointed out.  We come, play our part and then exit.  While we're here (physical presence on Earth), we learn from our experiences and others learn from us, or so it should be, so those are some of my thoughts for the day.   - V

This is model Jamie Barnard.  I didn't know anyone by the name of Barnard but I do know someone by the name of Jamie.  In fact, I've known another guy by that name years ago when I was living in London (Ontario). He was slim and very handsome.  He even had a motorbike.  The fact he had a bike told me a lot about Jamie, the Jamie I knew. - V

hot muscles

This model is Ray Santiesteban.  When I lived and worked in Toronto during the 1990s, I knew a couple with the same last name.  In fact, early on we lived in the same house.   The husband was of native Peruvian background and his wife of European (Spanish) heritage.  They were from Peru and when I last saw them just had a baby boy after moving into their own apartment further south from where they had been living but still in Toronto.  The boy would be about Ray's age by this point.  So, guys, stay fit and keep up with activities that will motivate you to stay that way.  Any one interested in a hike up a mountain?  Have an awesome weekend! - V

A couple of days ago I was on my way home on the SkyTrain when I decided to change at Broadway Station and walk over to Commercial Station to continue on home from that point.  Once on the train I noticed a young guy seated ahead of me.  I was standing next to one of the doors not far from him.  He was wearing a cap with flaps similar to this but with cloth, not fur, a patterned design.  This guy also wore a red plaid jacket with a white background plus medium-blue cotton denim jeans and runners.  Under the jacket he had a dark blue cotton shirt with lettering on it.  His face was flushed red, from the colder temperatures outside no doubt.  Our eyes met briefly.  I'm partial to blue or green eyes but brown eyes are okay too.  What's most important is the energy coming from the person.  We can all feel a connection if we feel a positive vibe.  He was on the train when I got on, so must have gotten on at the college, VCC-Clarke.

Later the seat next to him near the window became free and he moved over.  A short while later I decided to sit down where he had been sitting but now next to him.  Busy on his smartphone, his right elbow lightly nudged me in the ribs each time his fingers moved on his device.  It actually felt pleasant, and he also looked a me a couple of times as if wanting to make contact.  Perhaps I should have!  He got off at Lougheed Station but I'm have to wait for another time to introduce myself.  Life doesn't have to be boring.  There are interesting things or adventures around every corner.  What do you think? - V

winter - l'hiver

This scene was shot in Quebec City near the campus of Laval University in February 1973.  Our French class from London, Ontario made a trip to the city in order to see the Quebec Winter Carnival.  Our motel was near the university campus.  A restaurant was also close by where we ordered our meals in French.  Getting into the old town was easy enough.  There was a local bus that took us into town.  The written language was easy enough to understand but the patois of the locals was a totally different story, and this was after I had been in Europe the previous summer spending some time in France.  But back to the weather and winter for a moment, I have no sympathy for anyone here where I currently live that says its cold.  They don't know the meaning of what cold really is until they've experienced it.  The scene above may look pleasant enough but it was actually bitterly cold after a very cold arctic air mass moved in from the northwest.  All that said, this winter scene in Quebec City reminds me of a French-Canadian song that anyone who has learned the French language in Canada will be familiar with, its "Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays."  French-Canadians would also be very familiar with this melody.  The words and song by Gilles Vigneault in the chorus go like this:

Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver
Mon jardin ce n'est pas un jardin, c'est la plaine
Mon chemin ce n'est pas un chemin, c'est la neige
Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver

or in English:

"My country is not a country, it is the winter
My garden is not a garden, it is the plain
My road is not a road, it is the snow
My country is not a country, it is the winter"

And so on.... Perhaps you'll look at winter and this country of Canada (and Quebec) differently from now on.  Something to think about!  - V

Quebec City - Winter Carnival - February 1973

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I have just started scanning some of the photos I took while in Quebec City to attend the Quebec Winter Carnival in February 1973.  The snow was pilled up about nine feet high on the side of the road near the motel we were staying at which was near the Laval University.  It was part of a high school trip the French class was making. I'll have more photos soon but enjoy these! - V

a kiss...

A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh...well, you know the rest or just use your imagination! - V

muscles

Here's some more inspiration to add to what we've been exposed to up till now. I love the muscle development, don't you? - V

Evan

Evan Cobb, age 21, took his own life earlier this year (April 28, 2011) for reasons unknown. I know all too well how this feels to those that knew him, whether family, friends or others. My own brother ended his life in 1974 and his passing still haunts me to this day and I'm in my late 50s. Have strength and know that one day we will have the answers to our questions, just now is not the time nor the place! - V

rumble

So, have you ever tumbled around with a favourite friend or wanted to? Rod and company will gives us lots of ideas of the advantages of this and why. Any ideas why you shouldn't? Have an awesome night's sleep, guys, and lots of awesome dreams! - V

cowboy

For those of you that love cowboys and the stuff they do, here's photo in line with that thought.

I'm just finishing up some tea but later I plan to sit down in front of the tv and watch a show or two plus perhaps watch a movie too. When that happens, I'll pour a glass of white wine (I started a bottle of La Veille Ferme from the Orange Region of the south of France yesterday evening). More later! - V

muscle

Here's another hot dude (Nic) to give us some inspiration. We can use all the inspiration we can get, right? I hope you're all having an awesome weekend! - V

spencer

There are a number of really good images of Spencer around, and how can he not take a good photo, he'd make a bunch of rags look great. You get what I'm saying, so enjoy another! - V

mirror

Brent shows us something that we probably do several times a day, look in the mirror. So, what do we see? Do we see what's really there or something else? Is there something that you'd like to change, then take the steps to make the necessary improvement. Perhaps its you hair. Shorter perhaps, or the colour? Or losing some weight? Changes don't come about without some effort on our part but here's no magic solution for everything. Something to think about. And good luck with your transformation if that's what you plan! - V

diversion

I've been following the debt crisis in Europe (Greece) for the last few days. And financial woes are not confined to Europe along! The United States is in the news again in that regard about something about investments. All that aside, here is Philip to take our minds away from those troubles, and others as well, for a while, if even for a moment! - V

a kiss

This is Brett and Topher having a kiss, the start of something hot and wonderful. You'll have to use your imagination, or check out more photos at Os meus garotos. The link is in the right-hand sidebar. Have a great weekend, guys! - V