Tuesday, March 15, 2011

new season

This is one of my early attempts at gardening, vegetable gardening in particular. The photo was taken in London, Ontario in 1973. That's a cold frame in the foreground on the right. That's where I started some plants early. Others, such as tomato and pepper plants, were started indoors and planted out after the danger of frost was more or less gone. The latter part of May or early June was usual for that.

I got the weeds pulled early to give the plants unhindered growth potential. In July 1972 I had left the garden to be tended by my father. When I returned home in early September, I couldn't see the vegetable plants for all the weeds. I tried to pull the weeds but when I was finished, I realized it was a lost cause that year. My father was working full-time and then tending to his own garden (flowers), so with everything else time was an issue. Such is life!

Usually I was able to get a good number of carrots, green beans and onions out of the garden along with tomatoes and some peppers. Later in the 1970s I added some alpine flowers in the one corner of the plot on the same side as the cold frame but the opposite corner to attract more bees for pollination purposes.

By the 1980s I also added some grapevines. Earlier I had also added a Northern Spy apple tree in the one corner plus had started several currant bushes from cuttings since I couldn't move the mature bushes to another location. The apple tree bore some excellent fruit until the next door neighbour cut down his pear tree with which the tree had cross-pollinated. I tried a number of options as you can see.

Now living in an apartment I'm restricted to a balcony where I have some potted plants and plan to add more. I'll let you know more about my efforts soon! Currently its raining and earlier we had a bit of thunder and lightning. Have a good night guys! - V

Monday, March 14, 2011

roses

We moved into this new house in southwest London (Ontario) in the late 1960s and that is when I began taking up gardening with great interest. I'm in the photo here taken in the mid-1980s when I was into my 30s. Soon after this I replanted the flowerbed in the foreground. The yuccas (the ones with the white flowers) found new homes in other parts of the front yard which was a chore. The roses in that bed had seen better days though the climber stayed on for some years. The bed was then replanted with alpine flowers which lasted until the late 1990s when the bed was replanted once again, this time with heathers. My interest in plants and flowers in general goes back to my early childhood. Anyway, have a great week! - V

shower

Why shower alone when you can have your friends join you, more than enough to scrub each other's backs wouldn't you say? I can see the glass getting fogged up now. Something to think about if your shower is big enough! - V

Sunday, March 13, 2011

hot dude - hot muscles

Let Sandor Earl, who's a hot 22 year old Australian rugby star and model, get us in the mood to improve our own physique. If he can do it, so can a lot of others given inspiration and motivation! Now sleep on that. Meantime, check out Caricias Gay MGZine for more of Sandor and other hot dudes. The link is in the right-hand sidebar. Have a good night, guys! - V

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

inspiration II

Before I head off to bed here's some more inspiration to help you improve your physique if you not already done so or to keep it that way if you have. Good night guys! - V

inspiration

Having some extra inspiration as we get ourselves in shape for this coming spring and summer can certainly help, so here's some more with Christopher leading the way. Check out Scott Herman on Facebook to find examples of how others are transforming themselves. Scott has some excellent before and after photos. Check them out, not to mention his website for more inspiration! The website's link is in the right-hand sidebar. - V

Monday, March 7, 2011

signs of spring

Well, there are signs of spring everywhere here in the lower mainland of southwest British Columbia. As I left the apartment complex to catch a bus to the SkyTrain station, I noticed the crocuses in full bloom. Later once in Vancouver there were snowdrops and spring heather in flower as well. The flower buds on the magnolia trees are swelling.

With spring on its way here is something to put you all in the mood. I guess its time to shed the winter pounds and get into shape for the spring and summer season. Get to it guys! Meantime, enjoy the eye candy and keep that as inspiration!!! - V