Happy April to you all! April showers bring May flowers and boy my camera and I can't wait. Really we can't wait, yesterday was beautiful sunny warm and begging to be enjoyed. So I packed Mom, the dogs and my camera into the car and set out to get lost. First stop Swan lake. Not really named that but there is always a swan swimming there so I call it that. Today of course the swan is eating popcorn instead of swimming, that didn't stop me I took pictures any way.
On the same lake I found a few ducks that liked the idea of being in front of my camera.
So far so good I have the camera on the 2 second self timer and I am using the light meter which is kind of tricky since I have started using the little view finder instead of the display screen, but doable. I lose my grid using the view finder as well as the light meter and a big lesson I learned yesterday with the view finder you can focus in and see your subject so well you think you can touch but that is not what the camera is seeing if it is out of the lens range. I lose a lot by not using the display lens in the way of help and an actual view but on Saturday at the recital my biggest problem was I couldn't see Madeline with out my distance glasses and couldn't see the camera display with them and without my reading glasses. I found out I only need the reading glasses to check my meters and grid then I can use the view finder to see in the distance to take the picture, if that all make sense. I also have learned that when shooting stills and slow moving objects like my ducks the self timer is a help beyond words but not when shooting fast moving Granddaughters dancing and little Wood peckers picking at bugs in a tree.
I can't tell you how many times Saturday and yesterday I had the perfect shot only to lose it to the timer. I was finally so frustrated getting nothing but tail feathers that I shut off the timer, by then it was too late and woody had moved to buggier pastures. Here is where I learned the strength of my lens VS the strength of my view finder. I wasn't worried that in the tree that I was closest to I only got tail feathers. I was sure thanks to the strength of my view finder and the clarity I had some awesome pictures of woody hanging upside down picking away at the bugs in a tree some distance away.
The same with my Cardinal he was way up on top of that tree just singing his song and I was sure I had taken great shots.
Until I got home and put it on the big screen. I had to squint and just short of get a magnifying glass to find woody and Mr Cardinal stood out as a red dot. With major cropping I got a picture or two for my bird album that I haven't made yet. Monday was pretty nice too and I got a few nice shots out in the back yard while I practiced, practiced, & practiced using the view finder.
The Blue Jay kept hiding behind branches on me but I kept at it and got one good one before he flew off. I seem to be getting a lot of tail feathers lately again I had the perfect shot and should not have had the timer on.
Lessons learned and I just can't wait for Spring to start popping.
" What Was Dinner"? Well the beginning of April brings more then showers it brings the start of my April activities as an Allrecipes Allstar. As always I am happy to be doing the activities but this month I am more then a little excited to be an Allstar and a lucky Allstar at that to be picked once again to work with Johnsonville.
I just love their all natural ground sausage. So I thought while I was getting geared up and ready to launch into this months fun and food I would share one of my favorite recipes from the Johnsonville collection on Allrecipes
Recipe collection
that I tried last year and repeat over and over again using their sweet Italian Sausage.
Garlic and Sausage stuffed Mushrooms. I have made these little buggers so many times now I don't really need to look at the recipe. So good and a real crowd pleaser as well, I barely get the lid off the tray and they are already gone. Next time your going to a party and want to bring a real winner of a dish along think of this one.
Garlic Sausage Mushrooms
I am sure you will love it.
Johnsonville is having a contest and would love for you to enter. It is fun, easy, and takes very little time and you never know you might win.
Johnsonville Sausage Presents the “6-Ingredient Or Less” Sweepstakes
What It Is
Johnsonville is hosting a 6-Ingredients or Less sweepstakes on Pinterest.
Who doesn't enjoy a great meal that involves few ingredients? The Johnsonville 6-Ingredients-or-Less
Sweepstakes invites Pinterest users to find inspiring recipes they’d like to make even better with
Johnsonville Italian Ground or Link Sausage. All Johnsonville Italian Sausage has a flavorful array of herbs
and spices conveniently blended in to make simple meals simply delicious! Find and pin any recipe with
6 or fewer ingredients that would provide a tasty, quick meal using any Johnsonville Italian Sausage
variety, tag it with the hashtag phrase #6IngredientsOrLess with #JohnsonvilleSausage, and register
your pin URL(s) for a chance to win!
When
April 1 - April 30, 2014
Who
-- Hosted and Sponsored by Johnsonville Sausage
-- Open to any Pinterest user (free to use Pinterest)
-- Also participating/promoting the sweepstakes are the AllRecipes Allstars
How to Participate
1. Follow Johnsonville Pinterest (hyperlink to:
http://www.pinterest.com/jvillesausage">http://www.pinterest.com/jvillesausage).
Johnsonville Pinterest
2. Pin any 6-ingredient-or-less recipe to any of your Pinterest public boards and tag the pin with this
hashtag phrase: #6IngredientsOrLess
3. Copy and paste the URL of your participating Pinterest recipe pin into the entry form
Prize
-- For 20 random winners
-- Simply Calphalon 12-inch covered skillet
-- Two coupons for free Johnsonville Ground Italian Sausage
Sweepstakes Microsite URL
http://6ingredientsorless.johnsonville.com
Johnsonville 6 ingredients
Since I am helping to host this contest I won't be entering but I urge you to give it a try. I will be making a 6 ingredient recipe later this month as well as an egg and sausage muffin that I am planning a brunch around this coming Sunday morning/afternoon. Yes I will be sure and share everything with all of you. This month is just so exciting food wise in my house.
Wonderful Weekend everyone! Thank you for stopping by.
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