Sunset in Florida

 

Photos taken with minimal tweaking of ISO and and shutter speed.

Read More

Bruner Pond Park

 Bruner Pond Park, a half acre site on the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Dixie Highway in Stuart, Florida, was named after James Bruner a prominent and accomplished pillar of the community. Some of his accomplaishments were being the director emeritus of the First National Bank and Trust Co., one of the founders of North Stuart Baptist Church and founding member of the Florida Oceanographic Society, as well as the president of Bruner and Krueger Flowers.

James Bruner was also well known for being the first in Martin County to undergo experimental treatments using injections of a modified neutrotoxin from the venom of the cobra and krait snakes as a potential treatment for paralysis symptoms after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrings (ALS) disease in 1964. He was not expected to live more than a year, but Bruner’s positive mental attitude and determination would prove the doctors prognoses wrong. 

Despite the incurable illness, he kept busy with various projects, including running for office and being elected as county commisioner for district 2. In 1966, the bridge over the creek on Indian Avenue near Sandspit Park in Port Salerno would be named “Little Bruner Bridge” to honor the popular commissioner.

Sadly, James Herbert Bruner suffered a stroke and died in March 1999, almost 35 years after diagnosis of ALS.

In 2005 this piece of land and its two fountains in a small pond, was named after him.

It is one of my favorite little parks to visit because of the number of wildlife inhabiting the area.

On this particular day I did not see any snakes nor alligators but I did see quite a few birds.

But what kept my attention and clicks going for a long time were these two swimmers in the pond.

It looked like one needed the help of the other to swim across the pond.

I watched this show for a long time, until the turtle emerged all by his lonesome self...with the fish nowhere to be seen.

And so my attention was diverted to other clickworthy elements around the park.

(source)

Read More

Bottlenose Dolphin

 Never  fails! 

You are out strolling around when a scene arises requiring you to shoot with the longest lens you own, but sadly what you are carrying is not the longest.

Hence, you do your best.

The cormorant was just sitting out there minding his own business.

When out of the blue huged ripples appeared in the water.

 The ripples got bigger and closer.

Close enough for me to click but only to catch a glimps of the common bottlenose dolphin's fin.

A few fish jumped out of the water.

The dolphin came up a couple more times as he swam away.

And throughout all this excitement, the cormorant just sat there looking into thin air.

Guaranteed, if I had my 500mm lens with me.....none of this action would have taken place.

P.S. all photos were taken with Z 24-120 lens 

 (metadata: 120mm, f/5, 1/2000 sec., ISO 125)

Read More

Magic Ingredient

 Sometimes you come across a recipe in which the combination of ingredients, baffle you.

You wonder how could this particular ingredient get mixed with the other ingredients and create something good?

This beffudlement forces you to try out the recipe. Eventhough, you know that there are recipes out there (more so these days because so many want to have their 5 minutes of fame) that should never be tried.

Well this was the case for me.

I was looking for something sweet and chocolaty (the key word being chocolaty). Hence, I was perusing the internet when I came across this recipe which incorporated the following ingredient into the mixture.

If you are wondering what this ingredient is...wonder not.

I had a big box of Mejdool dates and since I am the only one in our household that enjoys these delicacies I was afraid they would dry out before they were all eaten.

Therefore, I turned them into date paste/puree. 

By the way for those of you not aware, date paste is an ideal natural sweetener, that's a healthier alternative to normal, white, granulated sugar.

I know, here I am telling you the benefits and uses of date puree but at the same time saying how baffeled I was with finding a recipe that incorporated this ingredient.

Truth be known I always saw date puree as something you would add to a pastry, just like jam or peanut butter or as in the case of these Palmiers (which I had made a week earlier).

But never did I think of them being combined with chocolate for the ultimate treat for a chocoholic.

The recipe is quiet simple to make and well worth your time.

It only takes just a few ingredients......

And creates the most chocolaty sweets for your taste buds...key word chocolaty.

 Fudgy Date Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
• 1 cup hot water
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter* softened (1 1/2 sticks)
• 2 cold eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• Sea salt for sprinkling

For the glaze:

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons honey or other natural syrup-type sweetener
• 1 tablespoon melted butter or coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Grease or line an 8x8 baking pan. Preheat oven to 350F.

In a food processor or blender, puree the dates and hot water until smooth. Measure out a cup of the paste (mine yielded exactly a cup,) and transfer to a large bowl with the butter.

Cream the butter and date paste until smooth.

Add the eggs, one at a time and vanilla extract, mixing until fluffy and smooth.

Add the cocoa and flour, and mix on low until well combined.

Spread batter into prepared pan, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top.

Bake for 18-23 minutes, or until edges are set. Allow pan to cool while you prepare the glaze.

Whisk together the butter, honey and cocoa powder. Add vanilla and whisk until smooth. If the glaze seems a little runny- add a dash more of cocoa powder. If it seems too thick- you can add a splash of milk. Drizzle over the brownies and sprinkle with more sea salt.

Brownies will last for up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge.

Footnote:

These chocolaty delicacies are a close relative to fudge rather than brownies. They are more dense than most brownies, but believe me when I say they have the right amount of sweetness and chocolate for anyone claiming to be a chocoholic.

 THAT WOULD BE ME!!😁😉

 

Recipe courtesy of The Baker chick

Read More

January's Cold Spell

 January came in very mild. No snow to be had nor cold weather, just pleasant.

Then all hell broke loose....ok maybe I should's say hell, since then it would be toasty warm. 

Instead l'd say the ice ages came upon us.

Lake Springfield was a solid sheet of frozen ice, at least the top layer.

The evening before this shoot the temperature dropped to -7 creating a perfect setting for some winter shots.

There is a beauty when everything is covered in white, but that beauty is only appreaciated for just so long....cold weather gets old real quick.

Read More