Vík í Mýrdal ~ Black Sand Beach on South Coast of Iceland
Photographer: Mari Wirta; Mari’s Web site
Summary Author: Mari Wirta
The photo above shows a black sand and pebble beach near the town of Vik i Myrdal, the southernmost settlement in Iceland. This sand originated from the basalt lava that covers much of the area. Because black sand isn’t routinely replenished like most beach sand when storms and tides wash the sand away, black sand beaches tend not to endure very long.
The geology of Iceland is comparatively young — it owes its existence to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that splits the island in half. Volcanoes along the ridge, such as Katla, erupt with some regularity continuing to add surface area and mass to the “land of ice and fire” and to augment the black sand beaches. Photo taken near sunset on October 3, 2012.
Photo details: Camera Model: NIKON D800; Lens: 16.0-28.0 mm f/2.8; Focal Length: 16mm (35mm equivalent: 16mm); Aperture: f/4.5; Exposure Time: 0.0040 s (1/250); ISO equiv: 400; Software: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.2 (Windows).
- Vik, Iceland Coordinates: 63.419444, -19.009722
The village of Vík or Vík í Mýrdal in full, is the southernmost village in Iceland, located on the main ring road around the island, around 180 km (110 mi) by road southeast of Reykjavík.
Despite its small size (291 inhabitants as of January 2011) it is the largest settlement for some 70 km (43 mi) around and is an important staging post, thus it is indicated on road signs from a long distance away. It is an important service center for the inhabitants and visitors to the coastal strip between Skógar and the west edge of the Mýrdalssandur glacial outwash plain.
Hedgehog Cacti in Bloom
Photographer: Kathleen Kiefer; Kathleen’s Web site
Summary Author: Kathleen Kiefer
The photo above shows hedgehog cacti blooming in the Ancient Lakes area of Washington State. I had always wanted to see the illusive crimson to cherry colored blooms of the “hedgehog,” which grow on rocky hillsides and flat lands, usually in lithosol areas. Because collectors have been known to dig them up, even though seldom survive under propagation, they’ve become increasingly rare where they were once common. The ones above were found in a rather secluded part of the Columbia Basin, pictured against a backdrop of lichen-covered rocks, larkspur, phlox, and sulphur lupine. Photo taken on April 13, 2013.
Photo details: Top – Camera Model: Canon EOS 7D; Lens: EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM; Focal Length: 22.0mm; Aperture: f/25.0; Exposure Time: 0.0016 s (1/640); ISO equiv: 1250; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Macintosh. Inset – Same except: Lens: EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS; Focal Length: 52.0mm.
~ Frozen Misurina Lake, Veneto, Italy ~
Photographer: Marco Zante; Marco’s Web site
Summary Authors: Marco Zante; Jim Foster
The photo above shows Misurina Lake in Veneto, Italy covered with snow and ice. The light conditions this foggy morning lent an ethereal look to the wintry landscape. Snow depths in wooded areas ranged from approximately 15-20 in (38-50 cm); the average thickness of the ice on Misurina Lake was perhaps 12 in (30 cm). Actually, when the ice thickness approaches 24 in (60 cm), polo is occasionally played on the frozen surface. Note the incremental contours that show patterns of ice formation and, in some cases, patterns of ice disturbance. Forest trees include, silver fir (Abies alba), Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra), larch (Larix deciduas), black pine (Pinus nigra), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies).
Photo details: Camera Model: Canon EOS 1100D; Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II; Focal Length: 35mm; Aperture: f/14.0; Exposure Time: 0.0025 s (1/400); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows).
- Misurina Lake, Italy Coordinates: 46.5819, 12.2539
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Codfish Vicenza-style
Time ~3 hours and 30 minutes
Ingredients
Servings 4
- 1 lb stockfish
- ½ lb milk
- 3 ½ oz onion
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 oz salted anchovies
- a pinch of parsley
- 2 oz all-purpose flour
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
30 minutes preparation + 3 hours cooking
Step 1
Soak the codfish for 24 hours. Remove the spinal bone and the other fish bones. In a casserole with oil, brown the onion, add a little salt.
Step 2
Add crushed anchovies and chopped parsley.
Step 3
Cut the codfish into chunks, flour the chunks then sprinkle grated cheese on them.
Step 4
Add a little milk to the casserole, keep on low heat, add codfish and cook.
Step 5
Add more milk if necessary, season with a little salt and pepper and cook till ready.
Chef’s Tips
The casserole with the codfish should never have the lid on because this will make the fish turn dark. There should be abundant oil, low heat, as it should not fry but cook lightly. Do not stir with a ladle as the fish tends to come apart, simply move the casserole in a clockwise direction.
more recipes @ original link Academia Barilla
//www.academiabarilla.com/italian-recipes/step-step-recipes/codfish-vicenza-style.aspx
Winter’s Weird, Frosty Fingers
Photographer: Ray Boren
Summary Author: Ray Boren
Eerie, alien-looking hands and fingers seem to be reaching out from layers of snow and ice above the Ogden River, east of Huntsville, Utah, on chilly January 16, 2013. The frigid digits in turn appear to be supernaturally turning the stream’s surface to ice! Is it any wonder that tales of frost giants sent shivers down Viking spines, or that modern writers have come up with equally ominous creatures dwelling in the Earth’s frozen regions – monsters like H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu or John W. Campbell’s Thing from another world?
Less fanciful scientists tell us icicles grow in below-freezing temperatures as melt-water flows downward, be it from a roof, a cliff or a shelf of snow. An icicle is generally warmer than its surroundings. Small-scale convective heating causes nearby air to rise. The lifting air removes heat from the chilled water trickling down the icy column, so some of that water freezes. As a result, the icicle thickens and elongates –- in this case reaching down to the water below for an even stranger contact effect. Photo taken on January 16, 2013.
Photo details: Camera Model: NIKON D60; Focal Length: 220.0mm; Aperture: f/10.0; Exposure Time: 0.0050 s (1/200); ISO equiv: 200; Software: QuickTime 7.6.4.
- Huntsville, Utah Coordinates: 41.2608, -111.7692
L'amore e forte come la morte 