A man holds the two cups of hot chocolate swirled whipped cream he took to his table to share with a companion on a cold winter afternoon in the warmth of Java Central. My Final Photo for January 4, 2025.

The last rake filled with detritus from the City Hall Holiday Tree is tossed into the recycling truck, marking a visible end to a portion of the holiday season in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for January 3, 2025.

After sharing a kiss at the corner of State and Main, a romantically inclined couple turns to the sunset lighting the eastern sky and skyline before crossing the street in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for January 2, 2025.

A family walks in the early evening on New Year’s Day past the 2025 sign displayed for photos and selfies in Rotary Park at Home and State Streets in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for January 1, 2024.

With their helium almost deflated, balloons celebrating the new year float close to the ground and blow in the wind across the sidewalk in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for December 31, 2024.

The smooth waters of Schrock Lake sit in a blue glow after sunset with the thin ice warning sign that might be more of a weather forecast and a statement of conditions as a series of polar storms are forecast to bring Arctic temperatures and winds to the Midwest. My Final Photo for December 30, 2024.

Three fishermen compare notes on the roiling waters below the Alum Creek North lo head dam after rains increased flow over the dam, increasing the opportunity for better fishing as all anglers hope for after a winter rainstorm. My Final Photo for December 29, 2024.

A family of five fishes and plays on the widened shoreline of Hoover Reservoir at Red Bank Park, enjoying a warm winter day on the lake with low water levels. My Final Photo for December 28, 2024.

A Columbia Gas work crew attaches a steel plate covering the hole that contained an old gas pipeline leading to a house demolished about twenty years ago. Originally capped at the house, the line needed to be capped in the street at the main pipeline. My Final Photo for December 27, 2024.

A photographer displays the IV to restore his fluids after a Christmas Day fight against pneumonia. My Final Photo for December 26, 2024.

Spending Christmas with the promise of a Beyonce halftime show with a small tree decoration to make the occasion. My Final Photo for December 25, 2024.

Bill and Shelley Morgan share champagne with Carida McCalla, left, over the nearly empty counter of Morgan’s Treasures in Uptown, where McCall was the jeweler’s first customer in his three stores in Westerville. The jeweler is retiring after 38 years of making custom jewelry. My Final Photo for December 24, 2024.