Go For It!

For many people Christmas means snowmen, family gatherings, stockings on the fireplace, and even, in some cases, going to church. But for us this year, Christmas meant butterflies, birds, and blowing rocks.

For the first time in 72 years that we spent Christmas without our families. We spent quality time with family before and after Christmas Day, but this year we found our spiritual connections with nature, which we experienced through the lenses of our cameras.

Christmas Eve

First stop was New Smyrna Beach, where we went in search of Snowy Plovers and Purple Sandpipers. Did not see any this time – though we did see some familiar friends.

Sanderling with Jellyfish Treat

And we saw the magic of the nature-human connection in a very direct way.

Then on to Merritt Island, where we witnessed the miracle of Roseate Spoonbills – maybe a hundred of them.

We stayed at a Holiday Inn in Viera, where we were disappointed to find that the restaurant was closed. (Kim was especially disappointed because she wanted to see her husband drunk on the potent Rusty Nails they make there.) We dined instead at the Chick Fil-Lay next door, where Kim encountered a woman wearing reindeer antlers who told her companion that she was getting ketchup. Kim told her, “Reindeer don’t eat ketchup.”

“It’s for a friend,” the woman replied. Think about it.

Christmas Day

The morning at Viera Wetlands featured Hooded Mergansers strutting their stuff

and a cute couple of Great Blue Herons.

We missed our traditional Christmas breakfast of Genne’s Apple Fritters, but we did enjoy watching a gator enjoying his traditional Christmas breakfast of Coot.

We have a book of Florida State Parks that we use to guide the digressions that enrich our trips, so we headed off the expressway to Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, where we saw Black Skimmers and other old friends. Photography helps us to see even familiar scenes with fresh eyes.

Then further south to Green Cay Preserve. It was packed! On Christmas Day! Shouldn’t all those people be waiting in line for a movie? It’s a beautiful spot, though it did not lend itself to photography while we were there.

Boxing Day

In Florida City we met up with our gang of butterfly-seekers and headed for a special and rapidly disappearing south Florida pine rockland habitat, home to the very rare Bartram’s Hairstreak.

We found it – a late Christmas present.

Bartram's Hairstreak

Then out to Everglades National Park, where Barbara and her cohorts led us to more butterflies.

Silver-banded Hairstreak - we'd never seen one in Florida

The Third Day of Christmas

Saturday the 27^th took us to our primary destination: Lignumvitae Key State Park. We met at Starbucks and drove out to the Keys in a spectacular sunrise.

After a short boat ride we found ourselves walking through an exotic tropical island habitat. We had access because Barbara and Kay had obtained permission to do a butterfly survey, and we kept count of all the butterflies we saw. Florida natives assured us that the weather was not hot, but they were mistaken. Again we were successful in finding some late Christmas gifts.

Dorantes Longtail, Cuddling

Tree Snail

The butterfly below is extremely rare. It was a major goal of our trip. And we got it.

Florida Purplewing

The Fourth Day of Christmas

We decided to head for home on Sunday, again taking a leisurely route that took us to Dickinson State Park, where we were unsuccessful in photographing the Statira Sulphur, though we did see one flying by.

So we moved on to Blowing Rocks, a spectacular setting with the waves pounding into the rocks and exploding up in he air.

Surfing Ruddy Turnstones

And then back to our formerly favorite Holiday Inn, whose restaurant and bar were again closed.

New Year's Eve Eve Eve

Monday morning at Viera Wetlands yielded our hoodies again, plus a cooperative Glossy Ibis and Green Heron.

Then back to New Smyrna Beach, where we saw more surfers than birds.

It was not a Christmas like any others we have enjoyed, but it was Christmas nonetheless. We were not with family physically, but we were with them in spirit. And we received many gifts, including rare butterflies, stunning sunrises, and good times with friends. The photographs we take are the opposite of selfies, for in the beauty that we see and hear, in the Everglades, the Keys, and on the beach, as well as in our own back yard, reinforces our spiritual connection the natural world. We lose our selves in something much more grand and mysterious.