New Year Random Pics

You can have the beef egg takes boarder....the stone burns the beef to mix the rice....and attach rice/soup.

New Years was spent sedately around the island this year, with markets, hiking, and plenty of food.

Fengyuan market.

Strangely, the police came and cleaned out the vendors along the wall here. Even though 364 other days a year they are there, no problem.

The crowds were amazing, as always.

The weather this year was gorgeous, so we did some hiking on the local trails.

I thought I had shot every butterfly in the area, but I had never seen this one before.

These guys are all over the place now.

Banana tree plantings.

This gorgeous pavilion is entirely covered in firecracker flowers. We planted some along our fence and they sprouted beautiful blossoms after a year. Cheap, worry-free, and lovely.

We went up to Taipei this year. In recent years many of the local businesses have remained open or only closed for a couple of days.

Had to go out to the restaurant for an overpriced meal. The camera just loves all the reds and yellows.

My son caught the crowded restaurant.

My son. He's getting a mustache. His hands are bigger than mine. His voice is deep. Stormy weather ahead?

The food. Unmitigated crap. Nothing like going all the way to Mexico for abalone only to smother it in cheap mayo.

Vegetarian shrimp.

Taipei: my brother in law is parked in.

A betel nut stand.

Offerings for the new year.

Taipei: as we're leaving, several vehicles pass the line of cars waiting in the left turn lane and line up to make an illegal left turn, blocking the center lane. The head car in the illegal line is.....next to a police car.

[Taiwan] (Pictures hosted at Flickr)