Welcome Grasshopper

Welcome Grasshopper, Valley of the Temples, Oahu, Hawaii, USA, December 2012, Nikon D600 with FX 28-300mm
 VR lens, 44mm, 1/15 sec @ f4.2, ISO 1600, 0 EV, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Perhaps I should say, "Welcome Back, Grasshopper".

I've got a new approach for this site this year.

At least one picture per day, for 365 days.  Let's see how it goes.

I hope to hear from you along the journey.

Remembering Frito (2000-2012)

Remembering Frito, Tucker Pond, Warner, NH, September 2006, HP Photosmart R817, 
Exposure 1/155 sec @ f2.8, ISO 100, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

A tribute to the best dog ever.  RIP ... Don Frito el Bandito Crisp.

Frito, you will be missed, but forever in our hearts, memories, and ... photographs.

And speaking of photographs ... here are 100 photos to help you remember Frito and his family through the years.

Also, as I was reviewing my photo collection over the holidays, I see there are still pending Frito-a-Day photos to be posted.  I intend to do that until they run out, so you can check those out in the days to come over at Frito-a-Day.

I hope you enjoy seeing and/or remembering all of the fun times we had with Frito.

WotD: "Scrumptious"

Gone Fishin', Böblingen, Germany, May 2011,

Nikon D5000, 35mm focal length equiv. 300mm, exposure 1/320 sec @ 5.6 ISO 200, no flash 

 © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

OK, so maybe this isn't the best picture for a vegan to post, but hey, it's just nature.

And that is one happy-looking heron.

But this morning Carol picked this word as we dined on banana-nut waffles, covered with sliced nectarines and maple syrup.  Oh. My. God.

Even the day was a scrumptious one as well.  Carol was taking good care of me on Father's day, not that she doesn't every other day as well.

And the weather was equally scrumptious -- sunny but with periodic clouds to keep us cool, and a nice gentle breeze.

Yep, scrumptious indeed.  And yummy!

WotD: "Sublime"

Serene and Sublime, Tucker Pond, Warner, NH, October 2006,
HP PhotoSmart R817, focal length 5.6mm, exposure 1/354 sec @ f4, ISO 50, no flash 

 © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Now this is a great Word of the Day.

sub·lime /səˈblīm/
Adjective:  Of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe.

And it describes how we felt about our day as we lounged in bed, at a late brunch on the veranda overlooking our garden, reclined in lounge chairs under the shade of a cherry tree, doing nothing and simply feeling at peace and at ease with the world.  Then an afternoon run over rolling hills through the open fields and woodland trails that characterize every town in Germany.  Followed up with a home-cooked healthy and delicious vegan dinner of cuban black beans, rice and pineapple, with roasted green beans and shallots, along with a bulgar salad with cherry tomatoes and cranberries.  So perhaps you can see why the WotD is sublime.  Yes, indeed.

WotD: "Delightful"

Simply Delightful, Böblingen, Germany, May 2011,
Canon PowerShot S90, 35mm focal length equiv. 28mm, exposure 1/60 sec @ f4, ISO 80, no flash 

 © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So it's been forever, and for that I am sorry.

It's time to re-engage with Reflections of Beauty, but I need to find an easy path back in.

So I've decided to try a Word of the Day (WotD).  And with that, a picture -- that may or may not have anything to do with that word.  We'll just have to see.

My wife Carol and I are deciding on what our WotD will be when we wake up in the morning.

So stay tuned.  At least you will get some pictures, and hopefully they will be "beautiful", even if they aren't accompanied by too many "reflections".  We'll see how things go.

Resolutions good enough to eat

I'm not that big a fan of New Year's Resolutions.

But I've adopted one which I think is going to work out well.

I suggested to my wife Carol that we try one new vegan recipe each week.  Just as a way to expand our horizons.

And the good news is she agreed, since she happens to also be the chef.

So here she is with our first new recipe.  

It was a nice pasta meal with a white wine sauce.  Smelled and tasted delicious.

See, now that is a resolution that is good enough to eat.

I'm thinking this resolution might be an easy one to keep.  Thanks Sweetie.