Done!
Journey Home is a film!
There are a few odds-and-ends that need to be done prior to its release...but the movie has been completed!!!!
Here are a few fun facts about the film...

Filming locations:
Fort Pierce
Hutchinson Island
Six miles off shore in the Atlantic
Ocean
Delray Beach
Juno Beach
Loggerhead MarineLife
Center

 282 Filming days

First shot: a fish tank in the LMC educational exhibit area (Oct.
11, 2011)
Last shot: “Poseidon,” a Kemp’s Ridley getting blood drawn (July
19, 2012)

Post production: 37 Days

I shot 24.5 hours of “raw”
footage.

I made 20 trips to LMC for filming (spending more than 50 hours at the center)

Original budget: $7K

Final Budget: $6 (slightly less than $6,000,
actually)

I drove 4810 miles to filming sites (mostly
LMC)

I used 138 gallons of gas during filming (for a cost of
  $483)

The bulk of the cost went to camera equipment, lighting and audio gear ($4,800)

More than $2,500 of the budget was raised via donations
  (Kickstarter)

Last fun fact: Facebook Friends in the final movie: 7! 

19 minutes and 25 seconds of the final film...complete!
There's still a lot of work ahead but the most "difficult" scenes to edit are now behind me.
My obvious problem is cutting the audio (being that I'm completely deaf in my right ear and have significant hearing loss in my left). I have to strain to hear the "highs and lows" of each track in the clip. Still, no matter how long it takes me, I do it.
Now, as I look at roughly half the completed film (and truly some very, very beautiful scenes), I think I can feel that slight tug of a smile at the corner of my mouth.
One interesting thing has been working on special effects in post production. Now you might be tempted to say, "wtf, special FX in a sea turtle doc???"...but - trust me - these additions work wonderfully in the segments. 
I would post more clips here but I'm going to make you wait for it. You don't have much longer to wait, though. I am on schedule to deliver the film by Aug. 25.

Cheers,
-Rick

I'm very pleased to announce that I have filmed the last interview - last primary footage, really - and I can now say, "Final Footage...Filmed!"
Journey Home is now in post-production and final edit phase. I guess, in some ways, the "easy" part is done.
I thought I'd be more daunted by the task ahead...but, actually, I can't wait to put the story together! The little bits you can see here - the few clips and photos - do no justice to the awesome story as a whole.
Now it's time to roll up my sleeves and dive into it...well, maybe after a short vacation to the Keys, that is.

Cheers,
-Rick