#he would eat the sea slugs and snails too | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hypmic-writings · 3 years

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could i request aquarium date hcs with otome and ramuda? (please... i just want to give my wife a cute otter plushie...) and please remember to take care of yourself and drink some water while you fill all these requests ok?

━━ ∘◦ ☆ ◦∘ ━━

Pairing: Ramuda Amemura x Reader; Otome Tohoten x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None

A/N: Thank you so much! I’ll be sure to take care of myself, so you should too! I live near a super huge aquarium and my favorite animals are the dolphins and the beluga whales! I should really take someone on a date there sometime haha this request gave me so many ideas. Hope you enjoy~

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Ramuda Amemura

it all began when Ramuda found a flyer for the re-opening of an aquarium downtown and whined that he had never been before

he hasn’t really had many fun experiences due to his past, so it doesn’t surprise you that he’s never been to an aquarium

as soon as you suggested having your next date there, Ramuda was all smiles and happiness, going on about how fun it was going to be

the moment he gets there, he’s like a kid in a candy store

his eyes go big and he’s walking towards the massive floor to ceiling fish tanks entranced

you end up staring more at him than at the fish because he just looks so cute when he’s enamored with the animals

he’s not the type to read any of the plaques or the information about the fish, instead saying that it’s more fun to watch them

he grabs your hand and practically runs through the aquarium, not really stopping for anything unless he finds a particular fish that catches his eye

he’s 100% going to the kid’s mini ‘tidal pool’ area just so that he can touch the snails and sea slugs and starfish

one of the staff asks if he wants to touch a stingray and that’s when Ramuda nopes out of there cause he knows how dangerous those things are and he doesn’t care that the stinger isn’t on it anymore

when the two of you go into the reptile area, he’s once again hypnotized by them, but this time he’s saying how scary they are

he’ll say that the crocodiles are scary and that he wants to go back to the cute animals that aren’t as dangerous

he’d definitely drag you to all of the dolphin and whale shows, regardless of whether or not you want to

“Oooo, look! It’s gonna hit the ball on the ceiling with it’s nose!”

also the type to buy you a poncho just so that you can sit in the front row and get splashed by the water

Ramuda loves the sea lions and the seals, saying that they look so cute and he might even cry, telling you that he wants to swim with them

you thank the sweet lord that Dice and Gentaro hadn’t come because if they had, there’s a high probability someone would’ve ended up in the water

at the end, he’s scouring the gift shop for the perfect gift for you and you end up getting him little chocolates that look like fish

the two of you sit on the steps of the aquarium and eat them together before going to find a place for lunch

Otome Tohoten

when Otome finally gets a day off work and asks you where you’d like to go on your date, she’s a bit surprised when you mention the aquarium

she’s in instant agreement though, and that’s how the two of you find yourselves surrounded by different types of fish from all over the world

she’s definitely the type to grab the map of the aquarium and look through all of the information to see which halls you should go to first

once she has everything mapped out though, all of her attention is on you and the fish

she likes to take her time at each of the tanks and look at each of the types of fish, commenting on them here and there while reading the plaques to learn more about them

the two of you would walk around the main halls, looking at all of the different fish, eels, amphibians, and other water creatures that were in each area of the world

she’ll have her arm wrapped around yours and would encourage you to lean into her every time you stopped to look at one of the animals

when the two of you are watching the otters swim, tell her that you think they’re cute and she’ll laugh and agree

Otome particularly likes the dolphins and will comment on how smart they are as she watches them play in the water

“Dolphins are particularly intelligent...they’re also quite beautiful animals, wouldn’t you agree?”

she won’t watch any of the shows unless you want to go to them, instead opting to walk through the darkened, quiet halls of the jellyfish

the luminescent light would highlight the soft greys in her hair making her look ethereal and you would be much more interested in her than the jellyfish

her gaze would soften and she would look at the slow-moving creatures with interest and wonder which of course would make you only stare harder

if you stare hard enough, you might even manage to make her flustered

at the end of the day, you’ll walk into the gift shop and buy her a cute little plush otter that’s just big enough to squeeze

at first you think she’ll think it’s childish but she simply smiles and takes it from you, holding it close to her before pecking your lips with a small thank you

afterwards she would want to take you out to an expensive restaurant to talk about your time at the aquarium (all the while clutching the stuffed otter)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

#hypmic #hypnosis mic #hypnosis microphone #ramuda #Ramuda Amemura #ramuda x reader #ramuda amemura x reader #otome #otome tohoten #otome x reader #otome tohoten x reader #imagine #headcanons #hypmic imagines #hypmic headcanons #hypnosis microphone imagines #hypnosis microphone headcanons

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gabriellapatterson-blog · 6 years

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donutpwns · 6 years

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Forduary - Paranoia

It was good to be back in Gravity Falls. Ford loved the sea, loved sailing it with his brother in the adventure of a lifetime and was looking forward to returning to their boat at the end of the summer, but Gravity Falls still felt like home. There was good memories and bad ones all over but he still loved the crazy town. Stanley did too; Ford suspected he missed being Mr. Mystery sometimes. He was sure Soos would be all too happy to let the original give a couple of tours while they were back.

The house had been modified since they'd signed the deed over to Soos. Stan's room was left untouched for the most part, sans what his brother had taken with him when they left, and the attic was likewise left bare for the twins. The room that had once been a lab before Stan had cleared it out for a museum of what turned out to be murderous wax figures had been converted into a bedroom for Soos’ grandmother. The room Ford had slept in last summer was now a bedroom as well, shared by Soos and his girlfriend. The couch had been moved into the basement room that had been a shrine to Bill, the various monitors replaced with a large TV, the tapestries with shelves upon shelves of those video discs that Ford couldn't remember the name of. It had been dubbed a “man cave” by the girlfriend.

Thankfully Ford's basement lab was more or less in one piece. Apparently Soos had scavenged a few things for his own projects but Ford was able to work around that. Stan had put a bed down there a long time ago, so that's where Ford would be sleeping for the next few months. He was excited to work in a stationary lab for a bit; he'd brought so many samples from the Stan O War II to study here. And Dipper was here to help him. As wonderful an assistant as Stan was, he didn't really share the level of joy at scientific discovery that his nephew did.

Speaking of his nephew, Ford hasn't seen the boy or his sister since the bus had dropped them off this morning. There'd been hugs and then everyone had been off to unpack. Ford feels a twinge in his gut and decides that seeing the kids is his number one priority at the moment.

Stan is in the gift shop when Ford steps out of the elevator and pushes the vending machine shut. Soos closed the Shack for the day so thankfully it's void of the obnoxious tourists that flock to hear outrageous stories. Stan’s looking at all the prices but keeps glaring at where the “no" has been crossed out on the “no refunds" sign. That will probably be an argument by the end of the week.

“Are the kids upstairs?” he asks instead of choosing to deal with his brother's money grubbing ways. He's learned to find such things like that or Stanley's insanely sticky fingers endearing over the last year. It was a survival requirement at this point.

Mention of the kids brings his twin out of his grump at least temporarily. He nods and jerks a thumb towards the stairs. “Dipper went out to visit Wendy, but Mabel just ran back upstairs with an armload of stuff from the kitchen. Wanna go make sure she's not eating pure sugar on our first day back? I'm too tired for that today.”

Ford hums and makes his way towards the stairs, bumping his shoulder to his brother's as he passes, just hard enough to make Stan stumble a step and shove him back with a gruff laugh that brings a grin to Ford's face. The opportunities to bug Stanley will be greatly reduced than when they're on the boat so Ford must take advantage of every small opportunity.

He expects to find Mabel seated among her multitude of stuffed animals, likely working on her new scrapbook while eating handfuls of sugar. What he finds instead is her pouring salt in a circle around her bed; Dipper's bed appears to have already been circled. There's also a...bag of oranges hanging in the window? Ford is confused. More so when he hears a crunch beneath his boot when he steps through the doorway, looking down to see yet more salt. “Um, sweetheart?”

Mabel lets out a startled little yelp and drops the salt container, sending more of it spilling across the floorboards. She scrambles to pick it up and hugs it to her chest, though she does smile wide for him. “Hey, Grunkle Ford! Wassup? Miss your favorite niece in the whole wide world? Understandable cause I'm great!”

“Of course I missed you, Mabel.” affection comes easy with Mabel, possibly because she just exudes it in waves. Ford's considered studying her to see if she was putting off some sort of aura or pheromone to make her so lovable but apparently running tests on family members is something “only a mad scientist would do" according to Stanley. The killjoy. He points to the salt in his great-niece’s hands. “What are you up to?”

Her cheeks go a bit rosier than normal and she moves the container behind her back, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. She stares at the ground, moving her shoe to straighten a part of the salt line that was a little wonky. “Dipper thinks I'm being silly. But I'm not. Well, not about this.” She huffs and Ford has to stop himself from chuckling.

He moves to sit on the edge of Dipper’s bed, careful not to disturb the salt around it. Clearly it was important to the girl. “I can see that. Why don't you explain to me what you're doing? Maybe I can help Dipper understand how not silly it is?” he offers while patting the mattress next to him.

Her face shifts instantly back to the joy that he loves to see there and she nods. She runs over to where her suitcase is laying open in the corner of the room. After a bit of digging through what appears to be a small mountain of fabric, she lets out a victorious sound and runs over to where Ford is sitting, wielding a small book in her hands. He scoots a bit so she can seat herself next to him.

The book, once she has it propped open in her lap, seems to be a guide of some sorts. It's not a handwritten one like the journals he and Dipper have, but a printed, store bought one. She turns to a page marked with a bookmark that looks like a cat biting the paper and points to a section highlighted in bright pink. “Salt is supposed to protect against evil. If you make a circle then evil can't get in.”

Ford feels a small tug on his heart even while his brain corrects her. Salt is helpful against some entities, mostly slug and snail based ones. But the idea that Mabel thought she needed to protect her and her brother against evil...it clenches Ford's heart in a cold, steel trap. “Sweetheart, that's very nice that you're trying to protect your brother, but you know the barrier is still up, right?” that had been the first thing Ford had checked once he'd gotten back, his own fears bubbling up.

Mabel seems to shrink next to him which is the complete opposite effect he was wanting. She pulls her feet up on the bed and starts to tug the collar of her sweater over the bottom half of her face. “I know. I know there's the barrier and you've got your nerdy sci-fi gun and Grunkle Stan is really good at fighting and Dipper is really smart at coming up with plans and he said salt doesn't usually work but it's what the book said and I just wanna help keep everyone safe.” She rambles while continuing to disappear into her sweater. Ford has to press a hand to her shoulder to stop her from fully going to what he had been told was called Sweater Town. She slumps against his side. “Bill hurt everyone because of me last time so I wanna help.”

Ford feels another jab to his heart, another stab of regret because it was his fault Bill was a problem in the first place. If he hadn't fallen for Bill's tricks in the first place…but Mabel didn't need his self-pity. “You're a very good person, Mabel.” he smiles softly, ruffling her hair affectionately while hugging her to his side. He nudges her until she looks up at him; another stab when he sees how red her eyes are. Still he smiles at her; Stanley taught him how important it is to smile for others. “What do you say you and I go make a big helping of Mabel Juice and then I can show you how to make a smoke bomb? Then you can use one with your grappling hook to escape with the family if anything happens.” a smoke bomb was safer than a crossbow, right? Eh, Stan would be fine with it. Probably.

Mabel's eyes go big and she practically explodes out of Sweater Town, Ford swears he hears a popping sound when she does. “Can it be a glitter bomb? That's like a smoke bomb with pizzazz!” she grabs Ford's hand and begins tugging. “And it would go with my attack glitter!”

“We can certainly try.” he laughs, letting himself be pulled up. Well, that was easier than he thought. He spares a glance at the window, one last question coming to mind. “Uh, Mabel, about the oranges…?”

She looks over and shrugs. “The book said garlic but that smells worse than Dipper's socks so I figured oranges would work instead.”

Ford chooses not to point out the flaws in that. If it makes her feel better, so be it. He'll make sure to put some wards under the window later, just to be safe. The last thing he needs is something happening to his family.

#forduary #forduary 2018 #gravity falls #stanford pines #mabel pines #kainichivonwrites

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evolutionsvoid · 6 years

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While Stomas is the caption of the Sea Goblin, every good pirate ship needs a loyal crew. When Stomas first set out into the field of pillaging and plundering, he gathered together a group of various sea creatures to join the party. Though their reasons for joining may vary, most of the crew enjoys the pirating life and loves the thrill of the hunt. With Captain Stomas at the helm, they stalk the oceanic trade routes in search of fat, cargo-heavy prey. When the goods are taken and the opponent is sinking to the ocean floor, the crew is always sure to bust out the good times and celebrate their victory. These are three out of the seven main crew members who follow Captain Stomas and run the dreaded Sea Goblin: Hal the Fachen - The moment Stomas pitched the idea of plundering and looting, Hal saw his destiny. When the captain talked about all the treasure and cargo they would haul in, Hal knew where is place would be. As an ambush predator, it would be perfect. Hal would be the guardian of their precious cargo, the watchman who would protect their loot from thieves and scoundrels. With his camouflaging abilities and endless patience, he would hide himself on the floor of the cargo holds, blending in seamlessly with the boards. Plunderers who slipped aboard to nab their treasure would be surprised and taken out by Hal's venomous spines and nasty iron hook. It was the perfect fit for Hal, and he eagerly took up the role, except there was one issue. Since it was a vicious pirate ship that was run by sea monsters, nobody would ever try to steal from the Sea Goblin (especially since a good chunk of their cargo is just garbage). Who would try to board a submersible ship that was filled with abyssal horrors to nick a few goodies? With that, having someone guard over the cargo was pointless, but that did not stop Hal. He believed that it was this oversight and false sense of safety that would lure in thieves, so he made it is duty to keep watch. If one did nothing to ward off robbers, then eventually one would show up to take advantage of it! So with an unbreakable determination, Hal took up post on the cargo hold floor, where he would forever keep guard of their precious loot. This is a duty that Hal takes quite seriously, as he will lay there motionless for weeks on end. No matter what happens, be it a naval battle, a port raid or a victory celebration, Hal will not move from his spot. Even when sailing on (or in) the open ocean, he will keep watch. He knows that the second he pauses from his task, someone will slink in and rob them blind. The rest of the crew know that it is impossible to convince him otherwise, so they just let him do it. They always make sure to bring down food and drink from their parties, as he won't even leave post for those. Though adamant in his duties, Hal is a pretty nice fellow. He appears to have an endless source of patience and is always happy to lend an ear. When the captain or crew need someone to vent to, they don't talk to a wall, they talk to the floor.

Glesni the Blue Sea Slug - Glesni is the newest arrival to the Sea Goblin crew, having joined them well after they had started their business terrorizing the trade routes. Prior to this, Glesni was just your average single mother, raising several hundred larvae and trying to keep things together. Recently, though, the last of her brood grew up and moved on, leaving her with an empty burrow and nothing to do. With this empty nest, Glesni started to think about what she was doing with her life. After all these years, she had not done anything crazy or adventurous, and though she was not the type for such brash rowdiness, she started to worry that she was missing out. Though it was a silly thought, Glesni decided that she would go out of her comfort zone and finally do something wild. So when the Sea Goblin came to down for trade and barter, Glesni took the plunge and asked if she could join. The life of a pirate sounded crazy and dangerous, which was intimidating to her, but she figured she would satisfy her worry by at least asking. She assumed she would be turned down, as she was quite the timid person, but after an interview, Glesni was welcomed aboard. Now offered a position and too scared to back down, Glesni found herself swept up with the Sea Goblin crew and suddenly made a pirate. She now helps run the ship and fights in their raids, which is rather exciting though a bit intense. As a rather nervous and shy creature, Glesni does not do a lot of fighting. Rather she is the last to leave the Sea Goblin when they are boarding, preferring to stay out of the chaos and chuck jellyfish into the fray. It turns out, lobbing gooey gobs of stingers at the faces of foes is quite the legitimate strategy! Though too scared to initiate close combat, she can defend herself quite well if someone comes at her. At first it may seem pathetic when she lets out a squeak and slaps at an attacker, but then the poor sap has to realize her limbs are coated in stingers and venom. Those who try to harm her often wind up running around the deck shrieking in agony as their face swells and burns. Outside of battle, Glesni remains just as shy and nervous, worried that she will screw something up or the crew will finally realize she isn't cut out to be a pirate. She often hangs around Chrystine (when she is around), Graller (as he is such a nice gentlemen) or goes down below to talk to Hal (he is such a good listener). She does keep her distance around Stomas, mainly because she is paranoid about making a blunder in front of the captain. No doubt he would catch on that she is not pirate material and kick her off (which isn't true, but that is paranoia for ya). She does her best to be a swashbuckling pirate, though she will be the politest one you'll ever meet. Many a foe will get a jellyfish to the face, and then promptly hear an apology for the deliberate act. Chrystine the Snail - Unlike the other crew members of the Sea Goblin, Chrystine has a rather odd arrangement. In career and passion, she is a blacksmith who loves to craft weapons and tools. She is eager to outfit everyone with her latest designs and creations (though they can be a bit strange). She even has her own blacksmith shop set up on the coast, which is how Stomas and the crew found her. Hearing about a sea denizen who made weapons on dry land, they sought her out to outfit themselves with the best gear. When she met them, she was excited to hear about tales of pirating and looting, and was eager to give such a lifestyle a shot. The problem, though, is that forging is not something that can be done on a submersible pirate ship. She would have to choose between being a blacksmith, or being a pirate. In the end, she chose both. Chrystine now has an arrangement with Stomas, where she will spend most of her time as a blacksmith, but will spend a few months out of the year riding aboard the Sea Goblin. On land, she can continue her career and make some new tools for the crew, which they can pick up with her when they swing by. Out on the seas, she can join in on the pirating fun, boarding ships and grabbing loot. As a heavily armored snail and a maker of weapons, she is quite the tough fighter. Very few weapons can injure her, and she often as a bigger weapon than her attacker. After a few months of sailing and fun, they will drop her back off at her shop, and she will take back up the hammer. As a person, she is a rather excitable and eager lady. She loves to chat and is always looking to try out new things, especially when it comes to forging. She is always coming up with new designs and techniques, often incorporating them, without permission, into client's orders. This love of experimentation also leads to some strange looking weapons, as she tries to make the next best tool. Those who don't reel her in while she is on a spree will soon find themselves armed with a hammer-axe-trident-staff, which she claims is a perfectly viable weapon. Though she likes to work with iron and metal, she also likes to eat it as well. There is a chance that when you enter her shop, she will be munching on a failed sword as she works. When with the crew, she is happy and cheery as always. She enjoys spending time with pretty much anyone, though the feeling may not always be mutual. Graller and Glesni are always welcomed company, and that Hexel thing is such a sweetheart! Lophiel always tends to be busy with other things when Chrystine is around, and Styles has given up trying to embarrass or trick her. Its hard to laugh at someone whose optimism is harder to break than a shield. Chrystine also has had some interesting customers come into her shop from time to time. A rather strange group of "knights" who are happy to have a blacksmith that serves their kind. Chrystine is always happy to have another customer, though she makes sure not to mention this new clientele to Stomas.

#monster #creature #art #drawing #pirate crew #snail #sea slug #flatfish #fachen #blue sea slug #blacksmith

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ntrending · 5 years

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11 gross animals you can eat in a survival situation

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/11-gross-animals-you-can-eat-in-a-survival-situation/

11 gross animals you can eat in a survival situation

This article was originally published on Outdoor Life.

If you have an adventurous palate, you may take offense at the list we have compiled here. Snails sautéed in garlic butter and freshly prepared organ meats are standard fare for foodies these days. For the rest of us, we’d need some serious motivation to munch on some of the creatures listed herein.

Personally, I can’t stand the crunchy bugs. Even though they’re standard fare in many parts of the world, just thinking about biting into a crispy cricket activates my gag reflex. But all that can change when you find yourself starving in a survival situation. No matter if you’re lost in the wild or fighting through an urban collapse, hunger is the best spice. And if push ever comes to shove, I bet you’ll be able to choke down a few bites of every animal on this list.

There are scores of different species of earthworm and all are considered safe for human consumption, but they should be purged of their “dirt” before you eat them. An easy way to clean their systems is to place them in a container of damp grass. After a few hours, the critters will be void of the dirt and sand they normally hold. Like almost all animal foods, worms should be cooked before you eat them. I recommend frying. The good news is that fried worms taste a little like jerky. The bad news, average-size worms are only about 1 calorie per gram (not counting any fat used for frying). Worms can be dug with a shovel, or located by quickly flipping over rocks and rotten logs. You can also “thump” for worms, which entails pounding a mallet, club, or staff against the ground to vibrate the soil. Many species of worms will respond to this by crawling up to the surface. You can even cut notches into the side of a stick, brace it against the ground and scrape the notches with another stick to vibrate worms up to the surface.

Let me say from the beginning, that this is not a choice I would relish: eating slugs or starving. I’ve eaten them before, and I hope I never have to repeat that experience. But they will pass for food in a pinch. Terrestrial slugs and snails (those found on land, not the sea) are generally safe for human consumption—after thorough cooking, that is. And their nutritional value certainly justifies the effort of collecting and cooking them. These critters have about 90 calories per 100 grams of “meat”, which is high in protein (12 to 16 percent) and rich in minerals. It’s a little hard to consider them as food though, when you consider their favorite meal is scat.

Now, if you had (or wanted) to eat slugs and snails, the safest choice is the snail. Slugs are more prone to eating toxic mushrooms. Snails tend to eat more plant material (when they’re not eating dung, of course). If you must eat slugs—and there are toxic mushrooms in season where you harvested them—put the slugs in a container for a week with some damp cornmeal or moist vegetation to allow them to purge. Find something else to eat in the meantime while you psych yourself up for a challenge, and try cooking these mollusks as a meal.

Each summer, the roar of the cicadas signals a feast in the animal kingdom. Why not join the other animals that are gobbling up this winged windfall of calories? The newly hatched cicadas (called tenerals) are considered the best for eating because their shells are not that hard yet. Your prep work for cicadas is easy: just harvest the slow-witted and slow-moving creatures in the early hours of the morning. They should be blanched (boiled for 4-5 minutes) soon after collecting and before you eat them. Not only will this solidify their insides a bit, it will also kill any bacteria and parasites they’re carrying. Remove the wings and legs. (At this point you can either freeze them for later use, or cook with them immediately.) When you’re ready to take the plunge, try frying them. To a certain degree, we naturally expect fried food to crunch, and it might help you stomach the texture of this crunchy bug.

Ants are tricky to collect in any great quantity, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. A 3.5-ounce serving of red ants supplies about 14 grams of protein, along with iron and calcium. Some have a lemony flavor, thanks to a sour acid that their bodies contain. When toasted, boiled, or eaten raw, ants can help you stretch out the hours until rescue arrives—or something bigger to eat comes along.

Grubs aren’t a specific species, but an insect that’s between life stages. No longer an egg, but not an adult, grubs can be a little tricky to identify. So it’s a good thing that 99 percent of them are perfectly fit for human consumption. Follow the example of bears and skunks: rip the bark off dead trees or tear into rotten logs to find them. Grubs, mealworms, and their kin can make good, ah, grub. Just one ounce of boiled grubs contains 124 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 16 grams of powerful protein. They also provide a little potassium and a few other minerals. The right ones can actually have a shrimp flavor, which is quite nice, since their cooked form resembles shrimp meat, too.

Ripping open rotten wood may seem like a lot of work, but the payoff might be worth the trouble. Termites are the highest-calorie bug on this list. These pale colored, ant-looking insects provide about 6 calories per gram. You’ll have to work to get them, though. These little guys go scurrying for cover anytime you damage the wood they reside in. Roast them in a dry pan, boil them as a stew, or bake them into dough for a protein-rich boost.

Crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers are a diverse group of insects that are generally safe to eat. Just make sure to avoid the colorful members of these families: red, orange, yellow, and blue colors are usually warnings. The heads and small legs should be removed, and the bugs should always be cooked thoroughly. Bugs with crunchy shells (exoskeletons) are often the most laden with parasites. Hunt for them in the early morning, when they are less active due to the colder temperatures. This group yields approximately 4 to 5 calories per gram. Their flavor ranges from flavorless to fatty.

The humble opossum has sometimes been called the “rat of the woods,” but this misunderstood creature can be surprisingly easy to catch and, occasionally, downright tasty. Okay, not always tasty, just once-in-a-while tasty. If you are lucky and kill the right animal, it can have a flavor a bit like pulled pork. The wrong ‘possom however, well – let’s just hope you don’t get one. Flavor varies from animal to animal. Carefully clean the animal and roast it over a smoky hardwood fire for a unique meal. Here’s my recipe.

Cook time: 45 minutes (Does not including butchering) Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

One cleaned ‘possum, cut into 2 inch cubes

Freshly cut hardwood skewers

Seasoning salt, to taste

Directions:

Sprinkle the ‘possum cubes with seasoning salt, and impale them on the skewers. Leave one inch of space between the cubes for even cooking.

Roast the skewered meat over the coals of the fire, turning often to avoid burning.

After the meat is cooked through, remove from the skewers and serve (or leave them on the skewers for serving). Sprinkle with more seasoning salt, if desired.

Gulls are the pigeons of the beach, eking out a living by scavenging dead fish and scraps that have gone rotten in the sun. But despite their questionable diet and fishy-tasting flesh, you can eat them, even live off them if need be. Case in point: three Mexican fishermen survived in an open boat on the Pacific for nine months in 2005, after the boat ran out of fuel and shore winds pushed them out into the ocean current. They floated nearly 5,000 miles in the deep ocean, surviving on raw fish, turtles, and, yes, seagulls. Salvador Ordóñez, one of the three survivors, was perhaps the best-prepared man onboard, as he brought his Bible and had taken a course on surviving at sea a year prior to the incident. His fellow survivors nicknamed him “the cat” for his uncanny stealth at snatching seagulls, which would land on the boat in the evening. After a nine-month voyage, they were finally rescued when their path crossed a deep-sea fishing vessel.

Snakes look disgusting and frightening to some people and mouthwatering to others. If you’re not sure where you fall on that spectrum, just imagine that snake meat is a very small (yet very long) rack of ribs. Hold the (preferably dead) snake down with a forked stick and cut off its head.

Make the cut a few inches back (15 cm) behind the head on venomous species. This keeps you from cutting into venom glands. Note: Don’t bother with coral snake species. They are too dangerous to justify their small amount of meat, and their venom glands run through a quarter of the length of their body. If it is another venomous species, bury the snake’s head to prevent accidents—severed heads can still inject venom if stepped on.

Slit the belly open and remove the contents. Use this for trap or fish bait, since it’s not too appetizing to humans. Pull the skin off and wash the meat. Cook the snake meat whole or cut into sections. If you’re roasting the snake meat, don’t overcook it. It will dry out quickly and become very tough to chew. While it tastes better roasted, the meat will be more tender if slow cooked as a soup or stew.

Mice, rats, and other rodents may not be at the top of your list for survival trapping, but in some places they are far too abundant to ignore. Aside from venomous snakes, rodents can be the most hazardous food source on this list. The viruses, bacteria, and parasites rodents can carry require us to handle them with extreme caution. But there’s an upside, too: many rodents taste like chicken. Rat kabobs and mouse soup may not seem like fancy fare, but when handled carefully and cooked until well-done, this meat can sustain a survivor just like any other. The meat of a 300 gram rat contains 648 calories, 63 grams of protein, 33 grams of fat and 14 mgs of iron. Yum!

Beggars can’t be choosers, and when times get tough, you may have to eat some foods that you would prefer not to sample. For many of us, animal organs are on that list. It turns out that, with just a few exceptions, edible animals contain edible organs. Hearts can be cut up and prepared in the same ways as muscle meat (since hearts are indeed a muscle). Liver can be fried, and while lungs are an odd flavor and texture, they are edible. Stomachs can be emptied, rinsed, scraped, and cut up into little pieces as tripe. Tripe is often used in spicy acidic soups, where their natural vomit flavor is camouflaged. Intestines can be thoroughly flushed out, and prepared into chitterlings or processed a little further into sausage casings. Kidneys are best slow-cooked until tender. And all the bones can be used as soup bones, which provide minerals that are vital to your health. Just skip any organs that look diseased, and avoid the livers of arctic mammals, which can contain toxic levels of vitamin A.

Written By by Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life

#DIY

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vikeith2 · 5 years

Text

Tuesday

I only really had 1/2 day left so I opted to see more beaches! At us and I had collected quite a few shells this week so we had a mission! It was a good chance for Marcus to see more of them anyway!

We started off at matakatia beach. Of course we found more shells . Tindalls beach was next. Here we hit gold as far as sea life. Walking along the water, Marcus found a total of 2 live starfish. One guy was in bad shape- a bit dry so he’d been out of the water for a bit. He carried the poor guy to the rocky area hoping he would latch on but Marcus landed up putting him in the water. We hope he was able to stay in the water ☹️. We kept walking and he spotted another starfish out of the waves but in much better condition. Marcus carried it all the way to the wave pools and found a safe haven 😊. Yea!

We kept walking when suddenly Marcus says “ whoa-what is that?” Thinking it was an eel or something I wouldn’t like, I walk over and he found a large creature, about 12 in., out of the water. It looked like a sea slug to me- long body with the antenna like snails. He had folds of skin covering the inner body ( kind of like a cape). He felt soft but slimy and could curl into himself. Waayyy cool! Marcus was brave to pick it up, (stating that there were no poisonous things in NZ and put it back into the water tucked under a crevice. Then I saw another creature under the rock ! It was another snail! Yea! We brought the two back together! saved! On this beach there were also a ton of oyster shells- Piha- on the beach. I got to thinking that maybe I could make an art project out of the shells so I collected at least 12. Along with the other unique shells I had in my hand, I had quite the haul!

Next was Little Manley Bay. Compared to Big Manley beach, this one was definitely a “baby” sized beach. The last beach was Fisherman’s Reserve. Not really a beach but had cool caves in the rock walls. Right away we noticed a lot of large scallop shells on the beach. It also seemed like the scallops were recently eaten- some of the meat and ligaments were still attached! There was a good amount of broken sea urchin shells too. It’s common on the beaches to find the sea urchins and eat them right there out of the shell! I gathered up some of the scallop shells - they were huge!

It was getting late so we headed out for food. Marcus really wanted me to try a meat pie- it’s the “thing” in NZ. We go to the bakery voted best in town, picked out the pie, only to find out that they only took cash or debit! All that salivating and I couldn’t eat! What a bummer. Had to settle for airport food

Have to say, both airports down here are high end. Thinks like Franke sinks, dyson faucets that blow dry hands from the same faucet fixture as the water comes out of we’re just a few details I noticed. Everywhere in both countries is so clean. People in NZ definitely laid back. So many international languages in the air at one time. Hardly any graffiti. I can see why people make the long flight ✈️ To visit!

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the-dashboard-burger · 7 years

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ALL OF THEM FOR DEMITRI

What position does your character sleep in? ( i.e; stomach, side, back, etc. ) Describe why they do this – optional.✴Demitri usually sleeps on his side or stomach. His tail is a bit sensitive at times.Bonus: he likes to sleep nuzzled against Terus’s side when he stays with him.Does your character have any noteworthy features? Freckles? Dimples? A scar somewhere unusual? Ect.✴He has 2 tattoos. One on his arm (Skull and Hour Glass) the other on his shoulderblade. (a small octopus) He also has several piercings: His ears, Dolphin bites, nipple piercings, and a Jacobs Ladder on his manhood.Does your character have an accent? What does it sound like?✴He has a very thick Russian accentDo they have any verbal tics? Do they have trouble pronouncing certain words or getting their thoughts across clearly?✴Since his accent is so thick it’s sometimes hard to understand what he’s saying. Other times he can’t quite remember words, so he’ll speak Russian.What are their chief tension areas? ✴His neck, arms, hands, and back.He works on vehicles and weapons everyday, it can wear on him at times.If you were to pick one song – and only one song – to describe your character, what would it be and why?

✴This song here✴It describes how he feels inside. He’s always felt like a bit of an outsider in his family.How does your character perceive themselves? Positive? Negative? Neutral?✴Most of the time he thinks pretty Negatively about himself. The only times he feels at ease is when he’s around Terus, Vladdy, or Anya.Are they a quick thinker or do they need time to sort through their thoughts?✴He’s pretty… dense. So he needs quite a bit of time to think things out. He is known to make impulse decisions however… especially when it comes to Terus.Does your character dream or are their nights filled with an empty blackness? Describe a dream they’ve had or a night they couldn’t sleep and what they did to preoccupy their time.✴He sleeps pretty deeply at times, not really dreaming about anything. Some nights he has trouble falling asleep, those nights he usually has horrible nightmares when he does manage to sleep.If they had a choice, would they prefer a subway or a bus for public transportation?✴He has an irrational fear of both Subways and Public buses. But if he HAD to choose he’d be more likely to pic a public bus.What do they think of creation? Do they believe in evolution or do they believe in God? What is their religion like?✴Its a very sore subject for him. His mother had her beliefs and forced them on his when he was small. Living with his Aunt has made him more open to such things. He practices the beliefs of “whatever God there is, it must be an alien lifeform”. He’s very open minded and he gets very sore when he beliefs are questioned. His Aunt fully supports him. Describe 5 unusual characteristics your muse has.✴When he’s in his slug form, he will produce a large amount of slime when startled.✴He’s a crybaby at times.✴He’s very interested in Octarians after meeting Terus, especially their tea.✴He likes eggplants. He doesn’t even know why.✴He doesn’t understand flirting. Like… AT ALL.Have they ever been so overwhelmed they had to stop and take a break from something? ✴Usually when he gets too emotional he needs to take a step back and calm himself down. He can handle large workloads, but personal feelings can overwhelm him very easily.Are they a team player or do they prefer to be solo?✴He’s a very big team player. Being a mechanic for Street Racers it takes a lot of communication and patience. He takes pride in what he does.Can they multi-task or must they focus on one subject at a time?✴He needs to stay focused on what he’s doing, so he can’t multitask all too well. He can have very short conversations at the most when he’s working on something.What are their best school subjects? What are their worst? List five of each.✴Best subjects are: Shop Class, Math, Science, Bio-Technology, and Physical Education.✴Worst subjects are: Home Economics, English, anything Advanced, Business Law, and Art.Is your character an introvert or an extrovert? How do they handle big crowds of people?✴Introvert for the most part. When going out shopping he’s very quiet and tries to avoid eye contact.✴When out watching any street race he’s more focused on the action, so he’s a bit more outgoing.Are they a leader, do they prefer to follow, or would they rather just stay on the sidelines altogether?✴He’d much rather keep to himself. He’s pretty passive and doesn’t like conflict.Bonus: He’d follow Terus if he ever became a leader.If your character was suddenly challenged, would they rather run away or stay and fight?✴Demitri may be passive but if he, his family, or loved ones are threatened or hurt, they better pray he doesn’t catch them. He’s dismembered limbs before. He doesn’t take kindly to that sort of thing.If your character was allowed to murder one person without any consequences, who would that person be and why?✴His Uncle: For belittling his baby cousin and making his Aunts life hell.Your character has been granted 3 wishes; what would they wish for and why?✴For Terus to be happy and get whatever he wants.✴For Vladdy to have all the Sea Snails he could ever eat.✴For his Aunt to be happy and to stop worrying so much.Does your character trust people right off the bat or does it take them some time to warm up to someone?✴It depends on the person. He’s a very good judge of character by just looking into their eyes. He still needs to build trust, but he’d be more open and friendly to someone with kind eyes than someone with cloudy eyes.Bonus: He saw many conflicting elements in Terus’s eyes. He could tell they’ve been through a lot. He chose to pursue the owner and fell in love with him.Do they prefer romance or affection? What is the quickest way to your character’s heart?✴He prefers affection whilst romancing his partner. The quickest way to his heart is soft touches with a bit of force.Does your character have any enemies? If so, who and why?✴Everyone his mom has ever screwed over wants to hurt Demitri. Due to his personality they tend to keep their distance.Do they have any weird bedroom habits? Any unusual kinks?✴More intimate kinks he likes his ears being rubbed before falling asleep. His Dad used to do this to calm him down. He enjoys the closeness, plus it just feels good.How does your character prepare for bed? Do they sleep at all or can they stay awake for days on end without trouble?✴He undresses, usually removing problematic piercings before laying down. He’s usually quick to fall asleep, and is good at staying asleep. He can only pull all nighters, but is very groggy and tired the following day. He passes out early on those daysIf your character had one thing to say to their parents before they died, what would it be?✴To Mom: “You deserved worse.”✴To Dad: Uncontrollable sobbing and many many, MANY “I love you so much.”Are they afraid of death? Do they have any regrets?✴He feels indifferent. He just believes when your time is up, it’s up. He isn’t afraid of death, but he’s afraid of not having enough time.Does your character get restless when things are too quiet or do they favour solitude and silence? Why?✴He enjoys the peace and quiet from time to time, especially with Terus. He’s around a noisy work environment, so the quietness is welcomed.Finally; if your character was forced to eat one thing for the rest of their life, what would they choose and why?✴Terus.( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) or Eggplants.

#ask meme #demitri #ladyalora-nerdprincealec #long post

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photomaniacs · 7 years

Photo

Finalist Shots of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017 http://ift.tt/2xjowV2

The prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is now in its 53rd year, and this year’s edition certain won’t disappoint. Today the competition offered a glimpse into this year’s finalists, which will be displayed in an exhibition that will tour museums and galleries around the world.

This year’s competition saw almost 50,000 entries from 92 different countries, with photographers all competing for the top prize of over $6,500. Here are the finalists along with their details and captions:

Animal Portraits

Sergey Gorshkov / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Carrying its trophy from a raid on a snow goose nest, an Arctic fox heads for a suitable burial spot. This is June and bonanza time for the foxes of Wrangel Island in the Russian Far East. Lemmings are the basic diet for Arctic foxes, but Wrangel suffers long, harsh winters and is icebound for much of the year, making it a permanent source of stored food for these opportunist animals. The food convoys arrive at the end of May. Over just a few days, vast flocks of snow geese descend on the tundra of this remote UNESCO World Heritage Site, traveling from wintering grounds some 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) away in British Columbia and California. Not only is this the biggest breeding colony of snow geese in the world, and the only remaining one in Asia, but it is also growing: from 160,000 geese in 2011 to about 300,000 by 2016. The Arctic foxes catch any weak or sick birds, but what they feast on are the goose eggs, laid in early June in open nests on the tundra. Though the pairs of snow geese actively defend their nests, a fox may still manage to steal up to 40 eggs a day, harassing the geese until there’s a chance to nip in and grab an egg. Most of the eggs are then cached, buried in shallow holes in the tundra, where the soil stays as cold as a refrigerator. These eggs will remain edible long after the brief Arctic summer is over and the geese have migrated south again. And when the new generation of young foxes begins to explore, they too will benefit from the hidden treasures.

Nikon D300S + 600mm f4 lens; 1/1250 sec at f5; ISO 800; Gitzo tripod + Wimberley head.

Animal Portraits

David Lloyd / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

At dusk, in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve, David waited for the herd of elephants on their evening trek to a waterhole. As they got closer to his vehicle, he could see that the mellow light from the fast-setting sun was emphasizing every wrinkle and hair. For a photographer who enjoys working with texture, this was a gift. When they were just a few meters away, he could see the different qualities of different parts of their bodies – the deep ridges of their trunks, the mud-caked ears and the patina of dried dirt on their tusks.

The elephants ambled by in near silence, peaceful and relaxed. The female leading the dozen-strong herd – probably the matriarch – looked straight at him, her eye a glowing amber dot in the heavy folds of skin. Her gaze was, he says, full of respect and intelligence – the essence of sentience.

Nikon D800E + 400mm f2.8 lens; 1/500 sec at f13 (–0.3 e/v); ISO 1000.

Behavior – Invertebrates

Andrey Narchuk / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Andrey was on an expedition to the Sea of Okhotsk in the Russian Far East, and his intention on this day was to photograph salmon. But as soon as he jumped into the water, he found himself surrounded by thousands of mating sea angels. Quickly swapping to his macro equipment, he began photographing the pairs, 3 centimeters (11⁄4 inches) long and swirling around in the current. Sea angels are mollusks related to slugs and snails, without shells and with wing-like lobes used as swimming paddles. They hunt sea butterflies – swimming sea snails – using specialized feeding parts to prise them from their shells. Each individual is both male and female, and here they are getting ready to insert their copulatory organs into each other to transfer sperm in synchrony. One is slightly smaller than the other, as was the case with most of the couples Andrey observed, and they remained joined for 20 minutes. Both would go on to lay 30–40 tiny eggs after fertilization. It was late summer and peak phytoplankton time, so there would be abundant food for the resulting larvae.

To photograph them mating, Andrey had to battle against strong currents and avoid a wall of gill netting, and when he was swept into the net and his equipment became snared, he was forced to make an emergency ascent – but not before he had got his shot. The following day, there wasn’t a single angel to be seen.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + 100mm f2.8 lens; 1/125 sec at f13; ISO 200; Nexus housing; two Inon strobes.

Under Water

Qing Lin / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The bulbous tips of the aptly named magnificent anemone’s tentacles contain cells that sting most fish. But the clown anemonefish goes unharmed thanks to mucus secreted over its skin, which tricks the anemone into thinking it is brushing against itself. Both species benefit. The anemonefish gains protection from its predators, which daren’t risk being stung, and it also feeds on parasites and debris among the tentacles; at the same time, it improves water circulation (fanning its fins as it swims), scares away the anemone’s predators and may even lure in prey for it.

While diving in the Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Qing noticed something strange about this particular cohabiting group. Each anemonefish had an extra pair of eyes inside its mouth – those of a parasitic isopod (a crustacean related to woodlice). An isopod enters a fish as a larva, via its gills, moves to the fish’s mouth and attaches with its legs to the base of the tongue. As the parasite sucks its host’s blood, the tongue withers, leaving the isopod attached in its place, where it may remain for several years. With great patience and a little luck – the fish darted around unpredictably – Qing captured these three rather curious individuals momentarily lined up, eyes front, mouths open and parasites peeping out.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III + 100mm f2.8 lens; 1/200 sec at f25; ISO 320; Sea & Sea housing; two Inon strobes.

Wildlife Photojournalist Award – Single Image

Justin Hofman / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Seahorses hitch rides on the currents by grabbing floating objects such as seaweed with their delicate prehensile tails. Justin watched with delight as this tiny estuary seahorse ‘almost hopped’ from one bit of bouncing natural debris to the next, bobbing around near the surface on a reef near Sumbawa Island, Indonesia. But as the tide started to come in, the mood changed. The water contained more and more decidedly unnatural objects – mainly bits of plastic – and a film of sewage sludge covered the surface, all sluicing towards the shore.

The seahorse let go of a piece of seagrass and seized a long, wispy piece of clear plastic. As a brisk wind at the surface picked up, making conditions bumpier, the seahorse took advantage of something that offered a more stable raft: a waterlogged plastic cottonbud. Not having a macro lens for the shot ended up being fortuitous, both because of the strengthening current and because it meant that Justin decided to frame the whole scene, sewage bits and all. As Justin, the seahorse and the cottonbud spun through the ocean together, waves splashed into Justin’s snorkel. The next day, he fell ill. Indonesia has the world’s highest levels of marine biodiversity but is second only to China as a contributor to marine plastic debris – debris forecast to outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050. On the other hand, Indonesia has pledged to reduce by 70 per cent the amount of waste it discharges into the ocean.

Sony Alpha 7R II + 16–35mm f4 lens; 1/60 sec at f16; ISO 320; Nauticam housing + Zen 230mm Nauticam N120 Superdome; two Sea & Sea strobes with electronic sync.

Animal Portraits

Klaus Nigge / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

After several days of constant rain, the bald eagle was soaked to the skin. Named after its conspicuous but fully-feathered white head (bald derives from an old word for white), it is an opportunist, eating various prey – captured, scavenged or stolen – with a preference for fish. At Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island in Alaska, USA, bald eagles gather to take advantage of the fishing industry’s leftovers. Used to people, the birds are bold. ‘I lay on my belly on the beach surrounded by eagles,’ says Klaus. ‘I got to know individuals, and they got to trust me.’

The species was declining dramatically until the 1960s, but reduced persecution, habitat protection, and a ban on the pesticide DDT have led to its recovery. Some threats persist, including lead poisoning – US prohibition on lead ammunition (which ends up in animals the birds eat) has recently been overturned. ‘As the eagle edged nearer, picking up scraps, I lowered my head,’ says Klaus, ‘looking through the camera to avoid direct eye contact.’ It came so close that it towered over him. His low perspective and simple composition, allowing full concentration on the eagle’s expression, created an intimate portrait, enhanced by the overcast light of the rainy day.

Nikon D200 + 200–400mm f4 lens + 1.4x extender; 1/80 sec at f10; ISO 500.

Behavior – Birds

Tyohar Kastiel / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Tyohar watched the pair of resplendent quetzals from dawn to dusk for more than a week as they delivered fruits and the occasional insect or lizard to their two chicks. Resplendent quetzals usually nest in thicker forest, but this pair had picked a tree in a partly logged area in the Costa Rican cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota. The additional light made it easier for Tyohar to catch the iridescent color of the male’s dazzling emerald and crimson body plumage and tail streamers, despite his fast, erratic flight pattern. But the light also made it easier for the birds to see Tyohar. So he would arrive before dawn, sit in the same place and wear the same jacket, with the result that the pair accepted his presence and continued to stuff food into their chicks’ beaks every hour or so.

On the eighth day, the parents fed the chicks at dawn as usual but then didn’t return for several hours. By 10 am, the chicks were calling ravenously, and Tyohar began to worry. Then something wonderful happened. The male arrived with a wild avocado in his beak. He landed on a nearby branch, scanned around, and then flew to the nest. But instead of feeding the chicks, he flew back to his branch, the avocado still in his beak. Within seconds, one chick hopped out to the nearest perch and was rewarded. Moments later the female appeared and did exactly the same thing, and the second chick jumped out. The family then flew off together into the rainforest, leaving Tyohar bereft – and thrilled.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III + 300mm f2.8 lens; 13200 sec at f4; ISO 800.

Behavior – Mammals

Laurent Ballesta / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

“We were still a few meters from the surface when I heard the strange noises,” says Laurent. Suspecting Weddell seals – known for their repertoire of at least 34 different underwater call types – he approached slowly. It was early spring in east Antarctica, and a mother was introducing her pup to the icy water.

The world’s most southerly breeding mammal, a Weddell seal gives birth on the ice and takes her pup swimming after a week or two. The pair, unbothered by Laurent’s presence, slid effortlessly between the sheets of the frozen labyrinth. Adults are accomplished divers, reaching depths of more than 600 meters (1,970 feet) and submerging for up to 82 minutes. “They looked so at ease, where I felt so inappropriate,” says Laurent. Relying on light through the ice above, he captured the curious gaze of the pup, the arc of its body mirroring that of its watchful mother.

Nikon D4S + 17–35mm f2.8 lens; 1/640 sec at f11; ISO 200; Seacam housing.

Black and White

Mats Andersson / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The red squirrel closed its eyes for just a moment, paws together, fur fluffed, then resumed its search for food. Winter is a tough time for northern animals. Some hibernate to escape its rigors, but not red squirrels. Mats walks every day in the forest near his home in southern Sweden, often stopping to watch the squirrels foraging in the spruce trees. Though their mainly vegetarian diet is varied, their winter survival is linked to a good crop of spruce cones, and they favor woodland with conifers. They also store food to help see them through lean times. On this cold, February morning, the squirrel’s demeanor encapsulated the spirit of winter, captured by Mats using the soft-light grain of black and white.

Nikon D3 + 300mm f2.8 lens; 1/320 sec at f2.8; ISO 800.

Plants and Fungi

Jack Dykin / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A band of ancient giants commands the expansive arid landscape of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert National Monument in the US. These emblematic saguaro cacti – up to 200 years old – may tower at more than 12 meters (40 feet) but are very slow growing, some sprouting upwardly curved branches as they mature. The roots – aside from one deep tap – weave a maze just below the surface, radiating as far as the plant is tall, to absorb precious rainfall. Most water is stored in sponge-like tissue, defended by hard external spines and a waxy-coated skin to reduce water loss. The surface pleats expand like accordions as the cactus swells, its burgeoning weight supported by woody ribs running along the folds. But the saturated limbs are vulnerable to hard frost – their flesh may freeze and crack, while the mighty arms twist down under their loads. A lifetime of searching out victims near his desert home led Jack to know several that promised interesting compositions. ‘This one allowed me to get right inside its limbs,’ he says. As the gentle dawn light bathed the saguaro’s contorted form, Jack’s wide angle revealed its furrowed arms, perfectly framing its neighbors before the distant Sand Tank Mountains.

Nikon D810 + 14–24mm f2.8 lens at 14mm; 1/3 sec at f20; ISO 64; Really Right Stuff tripod.

Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 11-14

Ashleigh Scully / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

After fishing for clams at low tide, this mother brown bear was leading her young spring cubs back across the beach to the nearby meadow. But one young cub just wanted to stay and play. It was the moment Ashleigh had been waiting for. She had come to Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park intent on photographing the family life of brown bears. This rich estuary environment provides a buffet for bears: grasses in the meadows, salmon in the river and clams on the shore. A large number of families spend their summers here, and with plentiful food, they are tolerant of each other (though wary of males) and of people. ‘I fell in love with brown bears,’ says Ashleigh, ‘and their personalities… This young cub seemed to think that it was big enough to wrestle mum to the sand. As always, she played along, firm, but patient.’ The result is a cameo of brown bear family life.

Canon EOS 5D + 500mm f4 Mark II lens; 1/1250 sec at f8 (+1 e/v); ISO 1250; Gitzo tripod.

Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 11-14

Laura Albiac Vilas / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Laura had seen many of Spain’s wild animals, but never the elusive Iberian lynx, an endangered cat found only in two small populations in southern Spain. Unlike the larger European lynx, the Iberian lynx feeds almost entirely on rabbits. So a disease that wipes out the rabbit population can be catastrophic. They also need a particular blend of open scrub and natural cavities for natal dens. Laura’s family traveled to the Sierra de Andújar Natural Park in search of the lynx – and struck lucky on their second day – a pair were relaxing not far from the road. There were many photographers there but an atmosphere of ‘respect’. Laura watched for an hour and a half, the only sound being the whirr of cameras if a cat glanced in their direction. ‘The animals’ attitude surprised me. They weren’t scared of people – they simply ignored us,’ says Laura. ‘I felt so emotional to be so close to them.’

Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Canon 500mm f4 lens; 1/250 sec at f4; ISO 1600.

Wildlife Photojournalist Award – Single Image

Steve Winter / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A back leg of this six-month-old Sumatran tiger cub was so badly mangled by a snare that it had to be amputated. He was lucky to survive at all, having been trapped for four days before being discovered in a rainforest in Aceh Province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The likelihood is that the snare was set by oil‐palm plantation workers to catch bushmeat (though tigers are also deliberately snared). The workers are migrants who have been given small plots to grow their own oil palms but who have to work on the big plantations for about five years until their own crops generate a return. To feed their families, they have to hunt, and this cub’s bones would have fetched a good price on the black market. The population of Sumatran tigers, a subspecies, is as low as 400–500 (the world population of all wild tigers is no more than 3,200) – the result of poaching to fuel the illegal trade in tiger parts for the Chinese-medicine market. Anti-poaching forest patrols are helping to stem the killing, partly by locating and removing snares (now illegal), which is how this cub came to be rescued. The cub, however, will spend the rest of his life in a cage in a Javan zoo. Today, there are probably more Sumatran tigers in zoos than there are left in the wild.

Canon 5D Mark II + 24–105mm lens at 58mm; 1/45 sec at f5.6; ISO 400.

The overall winner, category winners, and other finalists will be announced on October 17th this year.

The exhibition will be on display from October 20th, 2017, until spring 2018 at the Natural History Museum in London, UK. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.

Go to Source Author: <a href="http://ift.tt/2raE9IC Nicholls</a> If you’d like us to remove any content please send us a message here CHECK OUT THE TOP SELLING CAMERAS!

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September 13, 2017 at 12:01AM

#photo photography art camera cameras

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tottblog · 7 years

Text

Climbing the stairs to exit the Higashi-ginza subway station, I was vaguely reminded of NY, emerging to the more pleasant scents of the surface, the smell of specialty food shops. But I was looking for a particular smell- of the ocean, as it climbed into the air from the scaled and shelled offerings of Tsukiji Fish Market.

What was left of the tuna by the time I arrived.

Tsukiji is the site of Japan’s most famed tuna auction- and the largest such market in the world. The auction takes place in the dark of the morning, opening around 3AM. The conditions of my stay in Japan this time around will likely never allow me to catch it but that didn’t stop me from exploring the market that surrounds the tuna and other fishy favs.

The market was abuzz-

shuffling and stammering feet, heads on the swivel, an excited murmur. I would later read, in Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain’s enthusiastic account of freshness, quality, and quantity, exceeding that of New York City’s Fulton Street.

There were sea urchins, egg sacs, fish from all over the world. Giant squid as long as an arm and baby squid the size of a thumbnail shared space with whitebait, smelt, what looked like worms, slugs, snails, crabs, mussels, shrimp and everything else that grew, swam, skittered, clawed, crawled, snaked or clung near the ocean floor.

As I read, I couldn’t help but smile thankful for someone else who just gets it. Beyond the fishmongers and all the other food- ramen, umeboshi (pickled plum), nuts and dried fruit, green tea- there were glistening blades and cookware. Strangely there was also a taxidermy shop.

I made laps around the market to make sure I didn’t miss anything, wondering if I’d brought enough cash. I wished to take at least one fish home, as Tony had bagged his inspiration and headed to his restaurant, but my journey was much too long. I would be spending the day in Tokyo, culminating the night at atelier Morimoto XEX (post to come). Instead I lived in the moment, eating of the Tsukiji’s bounty in the here-and-now.

Ichigo Daifuku

One of Japan’s many preparations of mochi. A plump and chewy, almost dumpling like creation, covered in corn or rice starch, with a fresh strawberry piercing upward from its exposed sweet filled center. They’re usually filled with anko, the infamous adzuki bean paste- that stuff is ubiquitous; but the ones I encountered at the market were also filled with matcha, strawberry yogurt, and custard fillings. My favorite was the custard. Decadent, sweet, fruity, fresh.

Uni Steamed Buns

I love uni! Or sea urchin, the sweet pulp of the ocean, flush with the flavors of fresh corn and cucumber with the mouthfeel of (dare I say) butta! Having first felt it in the prep kitchen of Jose Andres’ Minibar when Jorge Hernandez was chef. The steamed bun, black with charcoal, wasn’t my favorite. The hot uni had a more intense– funk? I imagine it had been sitting warm for a minute. But I’ve seen it served hot before! There’s nothing like the first time.

Whitebait

And then there was whitebait! And ice cream! And whitebait ice cream! Nellz, my fellow foodophile had stopped to look, with puckered lips and squinted eyes, questioning the possibility of anyone ever eating the small fish- in her eyes- merely flakes of flesh with eyes. The vendor encouraged her in his rehearsed English, “Buy! Buy!”

“Just looking!”, she said.

He shewed us away. She stood there asking,

“But what is it?”

He sucked his teeth in disbelief at her reluctance and opened a pack to offer her a taste. She refused; I accepted. They were chewy, a bit salty and sweet, and of course mildly fishy. As we continued, we would see a number of other small and dried -some fresh- sea creatures.

Eventually we came to an ice cream stand. I didn’t really care for ice cream, having already passed a number of ice cream carts. Been there. Done that. But as we looked more closely, there was whale and Nellz’s new favorite- whitebait ice cream!. There was also the more commonplace vanilla, chocolate, peach, mango, and the seasonal sakura, and the regional sake and matcha. But because of Nellz’s upturned nose, I had to have the whitebait. (I was also curious about what made the whale ice cream. Chocolate? Fudge? Caramel? Nuts? Turns out its just whale, which they also offered as fried nuggets. I bought a cup. Taste like Popeye’s dark meat. Okay maybe a bit chewy, perhaps like beef fat or cartilage. Not bad.) But the whitebait wasn’t bad at all. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. After the first few licks, the allure had melted away. I noticed the feel of the fish swimming in my cone, but all I really tasted was the vanilla ice cream, subtly salty with the sprinkles of the ocean.

Before leaving, we made sure to have sushi, and chawanmushi– a hot seafood custard that kept me guessing. One thing’s for sure: Never have I experienced such maritime grandeur. But I would have to save some room for XEX.

Tsukiji Fish Market Climbing the stairs to exit the Higashi-ginza subway station, I was vaguely reminded of NY, emerging to the more pleasant scents of the surface, the smell of specialty food shops.

#Anthony Bourdain #bizzare foods #fish #japan #kitchen confidential #market #seafood #Sushi #tokyo #tsukiji

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