The Hall of Fire

B-but I never win anything!

I'd like to thank the Academy. . . .

New Zealand? The photo certainly has the flavor of some parts of the films.

Some things are more beautiful than a photo can capture. For years I assumed pictures of Crater Lake were retouched to heighten the blue into impossibility. That was pretty common in the 1960s and '70s. Then I finally saw it: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/PrimBaggins/crater_lake_sig.jpg Yes, ...

Welcome, Ethel!

Truly astonishing!

I hope for Mrs. Whistler's sake that you didn't take the latter two.

Advent is a beginning. The first Sunday of Advent is the first Sunday of the church year, after a long summer and autumn full of Days after Pentecost and the final feast of Christ the King Sunday. In Advent in my church the winter decorations creep in, and the Advent Wreath that a child lights every...

Well, thank you, Voronwë—I would love to start that thread. I'll do it tomorrow—I just sent off a concert program I've been working on for three days, and I feel LAZY.

Well, "hoar" from "hoary" just means gray or white and can also connote age ("hoary-headed sages," "hoary old truism").

Somewhere we need a thread for poking away at interesting words.

What's the German word, hobby?

And would the English one be "hoarfrost"?

A photo from the Web site of a climber who is also a gifted photographer (link). His focus is documenting his climbs, but many of his images are stunning. I love just paging through the site—there is so much to see.

Sass, I love that garden picture above.

Imagine having a place like that to walk in every day, simply for the pleasure of it. And I know what's around that corner is just as lovely.

Engines of Saruman!

Athrabeth, I'll tell my son what you said! He always just glows when his work is praised. And yes, I will be using some of his photos here, I'm sure. He's much more gifted than I am (and now has a much better camera, which he earned doing yard work last summer). Here's one I happen to have on Photob...

<trembles>

<backs away>

to pick up salmon

Yes. Probably the loveliest thing I've ever had a real part in creating.

Thank you.

Last August at Yellowstone . . . two very beautiful bits of nature!