I felt very sad yesterday.... I got a blog alert from one of my good friends on BRAVENET LADY WOLFEN MISTS. Her SILVERHOOFS BLOG is one of the most inspirational and thought provoking on the web. On her blog yesterday she indicated she was all but done with blogging here as she got an email stating it was time for her to pay her yearly fee. She has decided, perhaps, it is time to close her journal down. I hope she doesn't because she has been instrumental in my personal growth and healing. I call her "MY ANGEL" because at my lowest ebb 6 years ago her encouragement and unconditional love helped me get throught the most diffucult time in my life. I was very ill... mentally, physically and spiritually. I felt dead inside, like the life, my family and my professional world had beaten me into the ground. She ALWAYS kept telling me to look forward, not back... that the future would be vastly different if I just hung on and believed in myself. She couldn't have been more right. There were times when I wondered why this lovely, articulate woman would even bother to comment on my blog considering I did nothing but bitch about my life. She never judged me, just sent positive energy my way. It wasn't until I was well again that I realized what a powerful force she had been during my darkest hours. I do understand where she coming from now. Blogging is different these days, not as many people interested in taking the time to read and comment, instead being obsessed with trashy, instant social media. The "art" of blogging has gone by way of Twitter and Facebook. Also the cost of having an ad-free blog is another reason LWM feels uninspired. In this economic enviornment I totally understand. I myself have never paid for my blog here on BRAVENET instead they have 2 ads and a pop-up on their free blogs. For me I feel that is fine as I try to make my online presence as cost effective as I possibly can. But to lose a great blog like SILVERHOOFS will be a great loss for the blogging community. To my LADY, my ANGEL I say THANK YOU for everything. I pray you continue to inspire us with your musings. I also want you to know you have made a life long friend here. I love you very much.
A warm and sunny Sunday... my buddy BRENTAGE and I realized that is 5 years since I moved back to VANCOUVER from EDMONTON after my near-death-experience with pheumonia and influenza. I am shocked that I am still alive, healthy and so full of energy. He suggested we go to CHINATOWN, buy some lobster & fixin's and celebrate. The both of us were also out of green tea. We first stopped at my herbologist, the one I have been going to over the past 20+ years. I love the place, great prices and some crazy stuff they sell there. The original herbologist is now very old and he just sit and lets his daughter take care of cutsomers. I remember when I first came in because of an ongoing issue with a hernia that he perscribed a GINSENG TONIC pill and ROYAL QUEEN BEE JELLY. He also said to me "YOU FAT!" LOL His daughter was just a young girl at that time, learning the business and she has become excellent in her field. Anyway, today I came for the tea and royal jelly and she quickly brought me over to the new jasmine teas that they recently got into their store. The brand I had been using is no longer being produced and the others I had tried tasted like swamp-water. She told me that this new brand was very fragrant compaired to the others and it was the one her family was now using. I bought it, tried it and it is THE BEST I have ever drank. I drink sometimes 3-4 pots a day...after that we walked down the street to the fish monger on GORE STREET and picked out 2 nice big lobsters, and then to the market to get the new potatoes and corn on the cob. After that it was back home to my place for me to prepare our lobster dinner. As you can see it was great!
lobsters kicking in the bag... YIKES!
this massive mural is spectacular
great words to live by
My herbologist hasn't chaged a bit in 20 years... except the prices
same funky stuff outside..
and in...
and another one down the street I sometimes shop at when mine is out of stock
anyone for a LIZARD LOLLYPOP?
the new tea plus some vials of tonic
one of the fish mongers we visited
smells fishy
it looks worse than it is
crabs assorted and lobsters in seafoam
prawn galore!
my bag-o-lobsters
they were feisty lobsters, putting up a fight. I felt like CONAN the BARBARIAN, killing my dinner before we ate it.
and the fixens, tools and the brand new butter warmers I just bought
DIE! DIE! DIE!
and the finished product
check out the lobster bibs I bought on my last trip to Victoria. I finally got to use them...
It was like the sun finally woke up and finally gave us a full day of beautiful sunshine. It has been trying to turn into summer but it has been a long, cold, dark winter. A perfect day to take a stroll down the seawall and attend an open house being hosted by SPENCER CHANDRA HERBERT. He is our local GAY MLA. I have to admit it is kind of hard for me to take politics seriously at all anymore since we have a transit fare evader for a Mayor, a chat-show hostess for a Premier and a wanna-be-king for Prime Minister. But one of the shining lights in the political world in our province is Spencer Herbert. He comes across somewhat soft-spoken and very charming, but can be a total pit-bull when he gets pissed about something. He is very articulate and rational, which is rare for a politician. He always goes out of his way to speak with us at the many events we have seen him at and never shys away from a picture being taken like SOME politicians do... [like Adrian Dix who got angry when I snapped a pic of him at a Women's March we attended last year] I am also impressed that Spencer boasts of his thrift-store fashion finds... a man after my own heart! He really is a fashionista, always looking dapper and classy. The open house had a large chalkboard for us to sign and, of course, some great nibbles. The walls were covered with a historic pictoral of the WEST END. The city has changed so much over the years. They showed a picture of the RODDE HOUSE, a beautiful Victorian home that has been fashioned into a museum. When it was first built, it stood alone... now it is surrounded by a beautiful park, gazebo and of course BIG hi-rises. We hung around until the room started to get too crammed full of well-wishers.
Spencer and me
outside his constituancy office
his sandwich board
the chalkboard we got to sign
the media was there
2 handsome guys
he is a great schmoozer
Granville Island in the background
Granville Street Bridge and the cement plant at Granville Island in the background
HUGO A GO-GO looking out on to False Creek
the rainbow flag behind me is a sign for the AQUABUS
a lot of people in and out of the water
the PIRATE PUB was featured this week on the REAL HOUSEWIVES OF VANCOUVER
the beach was very busy
I just can't resist a nice vagina
HUGO blends
the end of the day at BARCLAY HERITAGE SQUARE
HUGO THE GIANT
I thought this shot looked so tropical
my "PETUNIA BLOSSOM" my nick-name for HUGO
RODDE HOUSE... at the open house there was a photo of this house 100 years ago..
it's like HUGO made this car...
it is covered with magnetuc letter fridge magnets... GLUED ON! there were signs posted on it asking people not to try and remove the letters as they were pasted on.
posting my "GAYCANUCK.NET" business cards on one of the community ad poles. I'm SUCH a PROMO-SEXUAL!
I'm not sure if it's lack of motivation, inspiration or just plain laziness but it has taken me almost a week to get these photos on to my blog. Just haven't been feeling it lately. It's not that there is anything happening in my life right now to distract me, I just tend to go through phases where I get the blahs. Today I am feeling a bit more motivated. The weather has finally warmed up enough and sunny out to get me off my ass and grab life by the balls again. I do have plenty to be thankful for... my health, my peronal life, my home... all those things are in order... but living in a city where changes happen so quickly and months can go by without any sunshine for some reason takes its toll on me. When I first visited Vancouver and subsiquently moved here, the city has become a totally different place. The gay village is all but obliterated... the bars and clubs, for me, have become flat and mundane. There was a time when the gay village was alive and fun... it is now shrinking to the point where it is indistinguishable from there rest of the city except for the rainbow banners lining Davie Street. It is turning into a gay ghost town. It is also MY age... I am no longer feeling the drive to go out and party like I used to. What I have been enjoying over the past while is spending quality time with my buddies. Brent and I always spend Sundays together and when the weather is nice we take a trip somewhere near the water. THAT is something I never take for granted... living near the ocean and mountains. And we always seem to stumble onto some drama. At Coal Harbour we noticed an entourage of cameras and crew at one of the float plane docks. When I zoomed the camera in I saw what I think was one of the REAL HOUSEWIVES of VANCOUVER shooting some footage. I could only see her from behind but she looked and dressed a lot like JODIE, one of the biggest drama queens on the show. She is a fabulous self-made business woman that holds NO PUNCHES... She is very entertaining on the show, stirring up trouble and then standing back to watch the fireworks. She literally makes that show. We also saw people getting their party boats ready for the summer season. HUGO A GO-GO and I will probably go on a cruise or two this season. We didn't last year. This is also the time of year when there is different charity run every weekend. The VANCOUVER SUN RUN was last weekend and the AVON BREATS CANCER RUN and the CANCER BELOW THE WAIST RUN are happening over the next few weeks. Another indicator that summer is not too far away. Today is my day off. So I am going down to my storage locker and bring up all the camping and picnic stuff, sort through it and get it organized. HUGO and I are planning a few camping/backpack trips this summer. The first one is a visit to HARRISON HOT SPRINGS and HOPE/CHILLIWACK area. Then after PRIDE in August I am hoping to take a trip to WHISTER, PEMBERTON and winding up at the SHADOW FALLS gay campsite. We will see how HUGO'S health is before I etch any plans on to a stone tablet LOL.
more of the TERRACOTTA WARRIORS placed all around Vancouver. Each one is it's own art installation.
Brent outside the WESTIN HOTEL
the FUN RUN was going on when we were on our way to Coal Harbour
Was this a REAL HOUSEWIFE OF VANCOUVER? There was a TV crew boarding a float plane. She is dressed like one of the stars named JODIE. Wish she would have turned around so I could have gotten a better shot. of her
a different perspective... the clouds were as dramatic as TRHV!
a view of STANLEY PARK and the north shore mountains
you can see the WESTIN HOTEL in the background
Brent wondered what these buildings were on the water... they are plane garages
the big splash pool was on but it was a bit too cool for anyone to brave the water
the iconic CARDREO RESTAURANT
a new float home we hadn't seen before
and still more float homes
the party boats docked and ready for summer
more police out on the water as people start taking their boats out on to the harbour
WOO-HOO! PARTY TIME!
I remember when I was dreaming about living in Vancouver in the early 1980's this is where the stars would stay when they did talk and game shows...
later in the day at EMERY BARNES PARK one guy was taken into the paddy wagon and 4 cops busted these guys for drinking beer... they made them pour it all out. One guy wasn't having it and refused to pour out his beer. The cop had to do it for him...
Hi! Hope you're having a good weekend! 
Have a good weekend yourself and hope the weather stays nice! 
!There was also graffiti removal as well as the general clean up 
I love the CANADABIS FLAG! 
2 bears waiting for the march to begin 
this young man made a very passionate speech... and then handed out joints for everyone. 
the crowd was small in size but BIG in spirit. 
we both signed and then CARRIED this huge banner. 
these 2 were having a ball! 
when the sun finally came out I had to cover my head so I wouldn't get burnt... 
HUGO too. 
this guy was a hoot... 
definately stood out in a crowd. 
I love his PINK FLAMINGO! 
great banner of a huge BONG. 
me at ENGLISH BAY. 
our friend DOUG. 
check out the fatty they threw me. 
WTF? 
ahhh young [gay] love 
The volleyball net is up... summer's coming! 
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