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wildlife
#19/52: Buffalo on the Prairie
A lone buffalo stands guard between Omaha and Lincoln Nebraska at the Lee Simmons Wildlife park. While he may not be wild, or even real, the buffalo inside the park are real. It is ironic this buffalo stands next to a fence, which to me symbolizes how barbed wire and man civilized the prairie to the point where the only buffalo can only be seen in captivity.
The above shot is straight out of camera shot, a little over exposed. When I adjusted the exposure the scene was just too contrasted for the texture of the bronze buffalo. So I turned him to black and white in Lightroom 4. This is a reach for me as I LOVE the blue of the sky and high contrast.
I adjusted the clarity in the clouds and reduced the shadows in the grass.
What version do you like best?
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- #17/52: Holy Family Shrine (ndjmom.wordpress.com)
#6/62: Venison Stew Recipe
My husband was a very successful deer hunter this past fall/winter and as a result we have venison in the freezer. I’ve never cooked venison before and was a little hesitant. Always heard venison tastes “gamey”. So I started off with venison stew, figured all the flavors and vegetables would cover any gamey taste. To my surprise it taste identical to beef stew!
We are a big fan of jerky and the dehydrator has been going pretty much non-stop. ( I love deer jerky, but that’s another post) With so much meat, and beef prices going through the roof, I thought venison would be better used to stretch our meat budget.
I’m pretty confident with soup and stews, so it was a natural transition. Was it a success? Would I be posting it here if it wasn’t? My daughter loved it so much she would eat two bowls at each sitting. Needless to say there was no left overs. Venison stew really tastes like beef stew.
The following recipe is a guideline. I’m a dash of this and a dash of that type of cook. Pour some of this in, a little of this, a little more, and…that looks good. So use your own judgement, get creative and feel free to substitute.
Venison Stew Recipe
- 3-4 lbs venison (cubed into 1/2-1″ pieces)
- 32 oz beef stock (homemade from shank leg bones)
- 16 oz potato stock (water left over from boiling potatoes)
- 20 oz can tomato sauce
- Olive oil for browning
- 1 large onion
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 frozen bag mixed soup vegetables
- 3 potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 5 bay leaves
- 3 TBSP dried parsley
- 1 tsp seasoning salt
- 1 TBSP black pepper
Directions
1. Cube the venison, season well with seasoning salt and pepper
2. Pour 2 TBSP olive oil in skillet, sear & brown venison, do not cook all the way through.
3. Place browned venison in large stock pot
4. Alternate placing venison, vegetables, and seasonings in stock pot.
5. Add liquids and stir thoroughly
6. Heat to boiling
7. Set to LOW and simmer for 3-4 hours and stir occasionally.
8. The venison stew can be cooked, or left on low for many more hours as the flavors continue to blend. In only improves with time.
In the past few years I have learned to love the taste of deer meat. In Eastern Nebraska corn fed whitetail tastes just like Angus beef. Western Nebraska mule deer fed on sage need a little different seasonings and preparation. So my mother-in-law bought me a wild game cookbook.
If you don’t have home grown venison harvested by your favorite hunter with a rifle, muzzle loader, or bow then you can order venison or other wild game online.
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More Soup and Stew Recipes
Day 171/365: Gorillas in Omaha
Whenever we have friends visit Omaha for the first time we always take them to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. There are many parts of the zoo that is my favorite but one of the better exhibits is the Hubbard Gorilla Valley which opened in 2004. Here it is almost like the people are on display instead of the gorillas. One particular silverback male loves toddlers and it’s not unusual for him to bound over to the window and stare at them. He did that with my daughter when she was little in the previous gorilla building.
There are very large outdoor valley areas which encompasses about two acres of habitat which curve and zigzag around the exhibits and make it feel as though it’s much larger. Over twenty gorillas of different ages share a multitude of living areas and many visitors have their favorites.
Gorilla Messes With Visitors at Zoo
As I said it is not uncommon to see the gorillas interact, tease or “mess” with visitors. I’ve just been sitting on the ledge with my back turned and one of the males will just come up and bang on the glass and run away, just like up above. I think he just likes seeing the reaction of people, I know I jumped! Just search on YouTube for Omaha gorilla and you will find hundreds of videos of our gorillas “interacting” with the public.
The design of the enclosures is meant for human and gorilla interaction and many people feel the Omaha Zoo has the best gorilla exhibit in the United States. In 2014 they were awarded the Best Zoo in the World by Trip Advisor. In Nebraska this is old news, but when CNN and the travel channel highlight our city and zoo it’s an even bigger source of pride.
Gorilla Breaks Glass at Omaha Zoo
So in April of 2015 when the gorilla cracked the glass, during one of his stunts, it shouldn’t be any surprise to regular visitors.
But it surprised the country and the below video has gone viral on Facebook and other social media outlets. The activity of this gorilla is nothing new. Many people come to the zoo to interact with him. People who have never visited the Henry Doorly Zoo are criticizing how cruel it is to have gorillas in captivity, or even the ignorance of the little girl and her parents.
It is scary, especially to little kids. I have often cautioned parents with little kids that the gorillas exhibit this behavior and might lunge at the windows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdJVc1JxGhI
As you can see from the video and the photos the gorilla enclosures are very large. I have met with the keepers and veterinarians at the zoo and brought visiting veterinarians to the zoo. The enrichment program is very intense. Not only do they have a different activity every day, but they don’t repeat an enrichment program more than once a month. Some of the enrichment activities include pumpkins, phone books, boxes, perfume, and other manipulatives..
The gorillas are put together in social groups in environment with trees, boulders, logs and an enrichment program that is meant to challenge them on a daily basis. The natural habitat of Lowland gorillas is disappearing at a tremendous rate and Omaha is one of the premier world wide reproductive facilities in the world that houses the largest gorilla sperm banks.
I just love our zoo, and I think we’re going back sometime soon to take some other friends. It’s definitely a destination you can’t miss when you come to Omaha. Almost every year there is a new attraction and even though the Omaha Zoo is great now it’s just going to get better with an upcoming $175 million dollar Master Plan expansion planned in the next 15 years.
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Omaha Zoo News
Gorilla cracks glass at Henry Doorly Zoo, video catches fire online
Overnight, an Omaha gorilla went viral. Around 9 p.m. Thursday, YouTube user “BULL DOG” posted a video of a silverback gorilla cracking the glass at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. In the first 12 hours, the video accumulated about 750,000 views.
Best Gorilla Exhibit in the US? » United States – ZooChat
About the Omaha gorilla exhibits: as you may know two silverbacks cannot be in the same group unless they are related or have known each other for a very long time. Omaha, unfortunately, has 10 male gorillas and so they …
Stop what you’re doing! The Omaha zoo’s baby penguins now have names
No more tapping the aquarium glass and saying “Hey, you!” The penguin chicks at the zoo now have names. Penguin handlers chose Kirby, Puck and Maverick as the names for the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium’s three newest penguins. A naming contest …
Omaha Zoo Ranked Best for Animal Attractions
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium picks up more bragging rights. FamilyFun Magazine ranked the zoo the #1 spot for animal attractions in the U.S. for the second consecutive year. FamilyFun magazine surveyed 2,000 American families with children …
WATCH: Gorilla charges family at Omaha zoo, smashing …
OMAHA, Nebraska (PIX11) – A family visit to the gorilla exhibit at an Omaha zoo turned terrifying when a male silverback charged the group, slamming into the glass barrier. The only protection from the silverback’s fury …
Angry Silverback Gorilla Breaks Window & Scares The Heck …
Around the Web. Gorilla Breaks Glass at Atlanta Zoo – YouTube · Gorilla kicks glass at omaha zoo – YouTube · Polar Bear Breaks Glass at Zoo! – YouTube · Fed up gorilla gives taunting kids at the zoo a scare they won’t soon .
Why We Love the Omaha Zoo and Save with Omaha …
Hear why one Des Moines Mom loves the zoo and learn about Omaha Adventure Card, which provides more than $100 in savings to top Omaha attractions.