Thank you and I am gratified that you would visit my page. Please note that this page is for adults only. If you are under 21 or offended by nudity, please leave this page.

⚠There is some nudity in my photo stream, however, there is much more among my favorite images. If you are unhappy about viewing nudity, it is easy to avoid by using the Flickr filter system in your account settings: www.flickr.com/account/prefs/safesearch/?from =privacy

I enjoy Flickr as I love seeing images from different places and enjoying all the wonderful photostreams. "Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing." Camille Pissarro

I am a man, retired military, retired from a second career, enthusiastic, fun-loving traveler and hopeful romantic who lives life to the fullest. I am a widower and share a fulfilling single life with my family, church and friends. You never stop grieving. I predicate happiness on the personal things of life: the satisfaction of helping others, the pleasure of friends, the comfort of family, and the joy of love. It is good that I have more time for my children and grandchildren. I train year round, and run a marathon once a year.

For me, the meaning of life is to be the heart of the family...the one who cares for loved ones when they are sick, helps to ease hurts of the body and the soul, comforts and makes sure to make home a comfortable and inviting place. I seek spiritual guidance in my choices to wisely spend my time and energy to fulfill these roles. I believe we were all meant by God to show love and compassion to others. By nature, I have a critical mind and a demanding heart, and I am impatient. These are both my gifts and my curses. Yet I can’t have one without the other, it seems. I can’t risk losing touch with either my angels or my demons. They are both good teachers. A life of solitude and silence allows them both, and invariably leads me to the second gaze. The gaze of compassion, looking out at life from the place of Divine Intimacy is really all I have, and all I have to give, even though I don’t always do it.

“It is absolutely true that to whom much is given, much is asked. I cannot imagine what would be asked of me when I find myself face-to-face with the one who made the world, because so much has been given to me.” Andrea Bocelli

I believe the human body, and most particularly the female body is a beautiful work of art. As it is often noted, pornography offends the nude model. Art, however, "respects, arises, loves the model."

People get lost in pornography because they are trying to recreate this fantasy that was created by another fantasy and only in a fantasy can it become “real.”

No matter what you think about porn, it has harmed people and their reputations. Many men (and a growing amount of women) in our culture “salivate” at any sign of skin. Why is that? Our minds have been conditioned by our culture to equate nakedness with sex. Wrong!

We are the pinnacle of God’s creation with a soul which permits us to be in relationship with Him. We are created in His image, unlike a tree. The human body is an unmatched artistic and engineering marvel and we should rethink our inability to appreciate His handiwork for the beauty that it is. Equating it to sexuality is our folly, not His. Many are aroused by nudity because it has been forbidden by the laws of man, but I find no persuasive evidence that God intended it to be that way.

“Grace is in garments, in movements, in manners; beauty in the nude, and in forms. This is true of bodies; but when we speak of feelings, beauty is in their spirituality, and grace in their moderation.” — Joseph Joubert

Flickr allows me the opportunity to praise people for their photography. The subject, technique, scene, and color accompanies each picture; I look for an emphasis on symbolism and meditation, a feast for the eyes and the soul.

Life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about how you feel about yourself. It's about trust, happiness, and compassion. It's about sticking up for your friends and replacing inner hate with love. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance, and building confidence. It's about what you say and what you mean. It's about seeing people for who they are and not what they have.

“Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.” — Rick Warren

"Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs." — St. Francis de Sales