THE SUNDAY LIST

 

I don't know where the weekend went. Yes I do. Friday night was spent starting the weekend at a happy hour to celebrate my longtime dear friend Vera Charles's 60th birthday, which turned into a drag show with hometown girl Stormy Sky and a very late night. The Mistress didn't even arise till yesterday till 2:00pm. When Ms Moorecock came into drawn the curtains I said, "How can you see with all the light?" Then some time spent in the garden cleaning up dead blooms and the start of some fallen leaves. Today, it's overcast and a misty day and lunch with a friend. Here is a snippet of tidbits on my mind of late and some things of interest that caught my attention. 

Tickets have been secured for the Arias with a Twist show for my own birthday plans. I've been a longtime fan of Joey Arias, one of the most creative queens in NYC in my opinion and can sing like Billie Hoilday extremely well. Now Joey is back for a curtain call in this theatrical return engagement with a blend of cabaret, puppetry and performance art. The show includes the diva herself along with master puppeteer Basil Twist. The plot? A madcap surreal journey where performer Joey Arias is kidnapped by aliens, navigates a psychedelic trip, and returns to New York to perform with a puppet big band. Yep, sounds about right for Joey.

Meanwhile in San Antonio TX, the city council approved a memorial street be named after drag performer and legendary pageant queen Erica Andrews, who we sadly lost years back.

 I first heard the news from her drag daughter Roxxxy Andrews when we crossed paths in Ptown. Now the good news is the city council passed it!  Might not sound like huge news, but for a street to be named after a drag queen, in Texas of all places, in a nice step. One of the council members considered Andrews a trailblazer and provided visibly for trans people. She is about the fifth queen I know of to have a named street after her, along with Sylvia Rivera, Swann Street in DC, Jose Sarria in CA, and Bianca Paige, of Nashville, who was incidentally the first queen to have the honor of a street named after her.

The human race is responsible. The northern white rhino is now on the brink of extinction. It is very sad to read that out loud, to see a species go extinct. Only two females now survive on the entire plant. An entire species reduced to its last two living beings, doomed to disappear, with no surviving males. For decades these animals have been victims of killing and poaching and trafficked just for their horns. The two females, Najin and Fatu are living and under 24-hour armed guard because of bastards.

Meanwhile in India, their beloved tigresses Collarwall passed on at 16 and a mother who gave birth to 29 cubs in her life. The tiger played a remarkable role in the huge growth of the tiger population in Pench and became a symbol of successful wildlife conservation and was almost revered as the Queen of Pench. Her final farewell was marked with flowers and traditional rituals, as the city citizens and forest officials gathered to pay tribute to a tigress who left an extraordinary legacy. 

Speaking of great mammals. The whale watch from Ptown. Great catch of the whales, a great moment caught on the boat with their nice music... with exception to the loudmouth next to me.

While on vacation, I saw snippets of news, the bullshit continues...the wars, the stupidity of the administration, tearing up of the legendary cherry blossoms, the threat of tearing down the Kennedy Center, stripping laws to protect endangered species and the rounding up and selling off of wild horses, to the Dump and the Wrestling Queen formally rescinding Biden era regulations, removing explicit federal protection for LGBTQ students from the regulatory text. They reinstated the dumps stricter guidelines from his first term, where they only see sex as male or female at birth. And it will also let the whole LGBT student body be discriminated at. Yes, I still hate more than ever the convicted felon, rapist, casino-bankrupting binge baron, reality tv game show host, war and court dodger, this microwaved circus peanut looking idiot, this hell spawned hemorrhoid, half-witted heat mizer, that sultan of self-worship, that crusty, calmy, neck folded cheesy scented cry baby toddler. Does that answer your question?

Speaking of wigs like the Dumps...

And the friend and neighbor I had lunch with brought me a bounty of his fresh eggs from his chickens.

They are so pretty, I almost hate to eat them!

FROM THE CANDY SHOP

This week in the Candy Shop is a mouth-watering delight!!!! Bruno, who is mixed with Mediterranean and South European, a nice mix of Spanish and Italian in his blood. It usually takes one thing to attract me to a guy...and while Bruno has many delights and assets, what grabs me and gets me going is his mop top of hair and that handsome face, with those thick eye brows, dark eyes and those luscious lips. I have the feeling Bruno has a warning...being too close to me may cause a sudden urge to misbehave. Kids, Bruno is hotter than my coffee I believe and just as addictive!

THE BELVEDERE

I'd seen the Belvedere before when on Fire Island but was never really there for any period of time let alone stay there, except when one year we went to a pool party there. It was definitely something. When Fire Island virgins first take the nighttime ferry from Sayville to Cherry Grove, it's a unique sensation that occurs as they approach. Towering above the multitude of tiny summer cottages is a baroque beacon, a shimmering palace that is so wonderfully out of place, that it seems to fit right in yet. But I wondered how an Italian palazzo ended up off the coast of this island?

Well after blowin the current owner, I got the story, Just kidding, just kidding!!! Or am I? LOL. I did ask and found out this iconic Venetian inspired guest house for men was established in 1957 by self-taught artist and set designer John Eberhardt. He has built over 50 of the islands homes too. Modeled after Venetian palazzos, the castle like white facade features ornate towers, domes and a consecrated baroque chapel.  Eberhardt hand painted interior trompe l'oeil murals and decorated the rooms with European antiques. I was even told the mayor of Venice even gifted the hotel a city flag. For nearly 70 years it has operated as a historic vacation oasis and one of the oldest continuously running queer spaces on the island. It wasn't till 1984 it transitioned into a male only clothing optional guesthouse right during the HIV'AIDS crisis.

Our room

Queens getting frisky?

Some of the clan, with the baring of MM #1 Fan's assets.

Naked yoga! My view with breakfast one day! Now that is a sight you don't see every morning.

This was Not my room to settle rumors.

Fire Island...such a fun place and nowhere else like it. The Belvedere has passed down through three generations, managed and owned by Eberhardt first, then adopted son and partner Craig, and now owned and managed by Craig's husband Julian Dorcelien Eberhardt, who sadly told me he is putting it up for sale as it takes all your time up running the place. It is listed in the millions currently. I hope it find a good owner and keep the traditions going. I mean, who doesn't like seeing men doing naked yoga while enjoying breakfast? And then the tea dances! 

FAIRYLAND

Look at the sunset taken from The Belvedere Hotel.

It had been two summers since I last visited Fire Island, the undisputed, glitter-dusted matriarch of the LGBT beach resorts. The place where heteronormativity goes to die and drag queens go to thrive. The whole island is a great time, but our clan this time was staying in Cherry Grove, who thanks to Preston got us three rooms at the Belvedere thanks to a connection. If you get the chance to go...GO! I said every gay person could benefit from a trip here once. I just adore it. The place is so special...all the troubles left outside from the world and then for this moment on the island for everybody to forget about it all and let loose. Because we have to have balance, otherwise the world is a misery, and I do believe serenity and peace are found on this island and the dances floors here. Everyone here has a good time and that's what it is all about...there is unity, and freedom and fun and festivity here. And if the Pines is the polished gym-sculpted young buff brother, Cherry Grove is the eccentric fun-loving aunt who mixes a pitcher of martinis at 1pm and has a story about Studio 54. It's lovely...you take a ferry there and one can ride a ferry that whole time there if you choose! There are no cars...just sand and a labyrinth of wooden boardwalks and an intoxicating sense of absolute freedom. You can wear a gown into town, a speedo to dinner or absolutely nothing at all on the clothing optional beaches.

Only on Fire Island

Pearly playing bartender, or just standing there.

Preston getting demure

My gams!

The Lad in our doorway. With perky nipples.

My unexpected delight to see ginger Brody! First time I met a reader naked. Took my breath away. That is all I'm saying on that!

Ah and darling, you want to talk the Meat Rack? Now we are getting to the truly legendary untamed heart of the island. The Grove is the open-air theater, the Pines is the runway, and the meat rack is the seedy backstage dressing room where the real magic, and mischief happens! Since the 1950's the meat rack has reigned supreme as the world's most famous, historic and delightfully racy and scandalous cruising ground of them all. And they ain't there looking at sea views darlings! It's a must!

Preston, the Lad, Brody, MM#1 Fan and myself came upon this in the meat rack!!!! The guy, Fred was kind enough to let me make him blog fodder! Another guy came along and that turned into quite the scene, while we enjoyed the popcorn. Or something like that.

Love this place. A great way to end the summer with the whole clan and joined by blog reader Brody for a meat up, huh.... I mean meet up, yes, hehe, and Pearly, who jumped Ptown and who talked the Mistress into a special appearance at the pool show at Ice Palace she hosted with resident queen... with my own brand of drone dramatics. No one expected the drone to bring me a lighter. I never leave home with at least one ensemble and wig. 

Another summer in the books.