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2024 was an interesting year to say the least. It had plenty of ups and downs, like most years. I spent quite a bit of time taking photos of plants, flowers, and insects in my own backyard (literally) and the adjacent Gothe State Park. There were also a number of trips to Cedar Key and Crystal River, both of which are places I will go again. I also hiked around Watermelon Pond a couple of times, and took two day trips to Payne’s Prairie State Park. Lots of photos were taken and a lot were discarded, but there were some keepers, too, so the video shows a few of the highlights from the year. I’d love to hear what you think and any recommendations for trips for 2025.

Back when I worked in the nature park, many years ago, one of our jobs at the end of the day was to walk all the trails and make sure everyone had left and that all the animals were okay before we went home. My favorite trail to walk, by far, was the one that went by our gator pond. The egrets and herons liked to roost there at night because the gators kept predators away. It was always entertaining to watch the birds, especially the younger ones, jostle for the best spots while the sun was setting. Then as the sun got lower, they would all quiet down and settle in. Everything became very peaceful and calm. You couldn’t help but get the feeling that everything was right with the world. With this piece, I wanted to capture a bit of the fun as they began to settle in, but the anticipation of the calm that was coming. The video helps to provide some of the closer details that are captured by using the stippling technique of drawing in pen and ink. This piece is available on my portfolio site at www.deeesler.com . Please go take a look. I’d love your feedback!