Back in December I took a wonderful trip to Payne’s Prairie State Park for an afternoon of hiking. I had quite a few cool wildlife and wildflower encounters, but the definite highlight of the trip was the beautiful lake. I shared the sunset over the lake with a great blue heron, but I also hiked around the lake earlier in the day, too (in fact, that’s how I found the perfect spot to watch the sunset). While I was out by the lake before sunset, I was very intrigued by the way the afternoon sun was interacting with the water and the clouds. It was a beautiful and peaceful way to spend the afternoon.