A few nice nature image images I found:
Mallard Ducklings - Orlando, FL
Image by mlibbe
03/26/2011
I stopped by Lake Davis last month after visiting the eagles at the cemetery. There was a new batch of Mallard ducklings at the lake, so I stopped to take a few snaps. The light was dwindling and I didn't have my flash, so I set the ISO high and started clicking away. I went from 400mm to 100mm until finally they were so close that I couldn't focus any longer. They literally walked right up to me and weren't concerned about me whatsoever. They were so cute!
This is one of only a couple of images that came out. With the low light, I had an extremely slow shutter speed, even with the high ISO. The ducklings wouldn't cooperate by sitting still, so most of the images have too much motion blur to do anything with. It sure was a nice way to cap off the day.
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Green Man Cake with Roses
Image by garlandcannon
"A Green Man is [an image]. . . of a face surrounded by or made from leaves. Branches or vines may sprout from the nose, mouth, nostrils or other parts of the face and these shoots may bear flowers or fruit. Commonly used as a decorative architectural ornament, Green Men are frequently found on carvings in churches and other buildings (both secular and ecclesiastical).
The Green Man motif has many variations. Found in many cultures around the world, the Green Man is often related to natural vegetative deities springing up in different cultures throughout the ages. Primarily it is interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, or 'renaissance,' representing the cycle of growth each spring. Some speculate that the mythology of the Green Man developed independently in the traditions of separate ancient cultures and evolved into the wide variety of examples found throughout history." wikipedia
The Green Man cake is a key lime cake decorated with home-grown mint leaves. The recipe is slightly adapted from cooks.com:
KEY LIME CAKE
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1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter; or use salted; whatever!
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. heavy cream (canned milk works)
1 Key lime, with grated rind and juiced to make 1 tablespoon Key lime juice
1 (6 cup) bundt pan or 8 inch square cake pan, 2 inches deep [This was done as a layer cake with round pans used.]
mint leaves (optional)
FOR GLAZE:
1/2 c. Key lime juice
1 c. powdered sugar
Pam pan[s]. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the flour and the cream /milk into the egg mixture.
Mix in the Key lime rind and 1 tablespoon juice. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes. Cover the top loosely with a piece of the foil to prevent, burning and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.
The cake is done when a knife or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, and the cake starts to pull away from the side. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes. Turn out onto a cake rack to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by mixing the 1/2 cup Key lime juice and the confectioners' sugar together until smooth.
While the cake is still warm, slowly spoon the glaze over the top of the cake so that all of the liquid is absorbed. If you place a plate under the cake rack to catch the glaze that runs off, the drippings can be reapplied until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Before serving, sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar; to be like the photo, place an image of the greenman on top and decorated in 360 degree pattern with mint leaves.
Say 'Cheese'
Image by Distant Hill Gardens
I had set up my tripod to take a few shots of our garden, when this chipmunk stuck its head up to check me out. It proceeded to pose for me for a few minutes.
I am finding that my few wildlife images often come about by pure luck. Case in point is this capture of a warbler: flic.kr/p/9C1tT1
www.distanthill.org
