“Watermelon Pond”

“Watermelon Pond” is a large, spring fed pond here in central Florida. I have a friend whose property backs up on this beautiful wetland pond. I love going there to hike around in the woods and along the water. There are always a great variety of birds and other wildlife out there, so you never know what you’ll run across. I took this photo from my friend’s yard as the sun was setting over the pond. I was facing the east, so the sky was reflecting the brighter colors from the west and then the color was reflecting off the water. There were a couple of gallinules still foraging for their last few tidbits before going to roost. It was such a quiet, peaceful evening and the only real noise was the sandhill cranes occasionally flying by on their way to roost. It was an absolutely perfect end to a fantastic day outside in nature.