My absolute favorite time of the year is now, when we still have warm sun, the days are getting shorter, the light is magical and the smell of autumn is there. It has not been a great tomato season here, but we do have many small golden beauties, almost overripe. It’s so easy to roast them with balsamic and garlic and enjoy them with a very simple pasta.

I will be taking part in the exhibition India Smiles: ‘From September 9, the photo exhibition INDIA SMILES by  Oscar van der Voorn can be seen in the GO Gallery. The exhibition is about the photographer’s love for India, about his encounters and adventures in the country he loves so much and has been traveling for decades.’

Ik heb wel vaker de neiging te dromen. Heldendromen.
De werkelijkheid blijkt altijd gekker.
En minder heldhaftig.

At the end of the day I sometimes write small poems with my camera. You have to put up with more than two hours of mosquito swarms, but I was prepared this time (I wore protective gloves in August! It doesn't get any crazier!).

Lobia Masala or Black Eyed Peas Curry is a popular dish in North India (and Pakistan), and very easy to make in a pressure cooker or instant pot (see boxed text below) . It is made in an onion-tomato gravy, with ginger, garlic and a tasty combination of spices.

Since I am the happy owner of an instant pot, I make many more Indian dahls, legume stews, soups and endless more (freezer friendly) meals. The ingenious device has a timer, so you can decide when your food should be ready. After a long walk in the woods, when you come home from an assignment, after chopping firewood or working in the garden for a few hours?

A very ordinary Saturday morning that couldn't be more beautiful. Rain was predicted again for the afternoon so I harvested ingredients for tonight's dinner (recipe below) in time and picked fresh flowers. Absolute beauty in the backyard.

Behind the scenes, I'm working updating my photo archive. Collections will be added all the time. So please bear with me, it will all become much more organized soon.

While adult kestrels are majestic hunters, it is equally intriguing to explore the growth and development of young kestrels as they transition from hatchlings to skilled hunters. I was very lucky to be around with my camera when the young kestrels left the nest. I spent an entire afternoon hiding under the goat hutch on legs, enjoying the first independent flights, their languorous gaze upwards in search of the parents, clumsy movements on fence posts and in trees.