The drawdown transforms the Ocklawaha into something rarely seen. What once went underwater, to be swallowed by an industrial dream that never woke up, becomes visible again. This is the Rodman Drawdown, a brief window where the reservoir vanishes to reveal a landscape trapped between a man-made past and an uncertain future.

Rainy day at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. I spotted a rare Gray-headed Swamphen, a species native to Asia that found its way to Florida in the 90s. Tree Swallows painted the sky with their graceful flight, making it a memorable outing, rain and all.