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(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) (Note: This visit to Colt Creek State Park occurred on September 17, 2024. On October 8, during the night and the following morning, this area received between 15-20 inches of rain and experienced the 100 mph winds of Hurricane Milton. The roads and trails we enjoyed were inundated and completely covered in water for days. Thanks to amazing work by park employees and… Read More

(Click to enlarge images, click again to zoom.) Winter solstice begins in two days. That may not mean too much, temperature-wise, to us here in central Florida, but in many areas of the northern hemisphere the date usually portends colder conditions with frost, ice and snow. I found a virtual binder in the corner of the digital desk drawer which was not reported on at the time. We apologize for its tardiness,… Read More

Header Image: Florida Scrub Jay It was a dark and stormy night. The day was bad, too. The last few days of September saw Hurricane Ian gain incredible strength in the Gulf of Mexico before roaring ashore in southwest Florida at nearly a Category 5 level with winds around 150 mph. Five months later, many areas of that beautiful coast are still reeling from the amount of damage the storm caused. Some… Read More

Header Image: Eastern Phoebe Eyes Bagworm Moth We seem to relish foggy days. For one, as Gini noted on this day, it just seems so quiet. The stillness of an early morning on the bank of a lake blanketed in gray with sight and sound limited heightens the senses. More importantly, we know clear skies lurk just above the mist and the natural world will soon be going about the business of… Read More

It’s a beautiful day in our neighborhood patch. The pink/purple/orange dawn sky was clear. Relative humidity was 45% (amazing for Florida!). No wind. Cool air invited one to breathe in deeply. Regular flights of commuters were right on schedule as flocks of White Ibises, Cattle Egrets and Double-crested Cormorants moved from roosts to feeding spots. Quartets of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks whistled at us as they swooped low overhead. Just like the animals we… Read More