I've now re-installed Safari 5.1.2 and will keep an eye on things. If my crashes go away, I'll let you know.
Running the 10.6.8 Update V1.1, which installed the older Safari (5.0.5), seems to have been the cause of my getting a couple of days with crashes. Installation of 5.1.2 has put me back where I've always been with Safari.
It's working fine, without incident.
ryck
"What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" The Doobie Brothers