As 2024 winds down, I find myself looking back on the highs, lows, and little wonders that filled the year. It’s been a ride. Some moments felt like living in the pages of a nature guide or an astronomy journal, while others were quieter, spent in awe of the resilience and life around us. Here are the highlights that stayed with me:
Changes
I resigned from my job in February in order to prepare for future life changes. I didn’t look for another job until May and finally secured one in early December. Seven months!
Late April, we packed up our things and moved across the country (again) to the gulf coast on Cape Coral, Florida. I love it down here in the south and have missed it. It changes me mentally, physically and spiritually.
Celestial Marvels
Astronomy stole the show this year. The total solar eclipse in April was breathtaking—I was lucky enough to witness it with clear skies. Watching the day turn to twilight in a matter of minutes left me speechless. Later in the year, the Perseid meteor shower lit up the sky with streaks of light, reminding me of how vast and mysterious our universe is.
The auroras were unusually active thanks to increased solar activity. Twice! Even those of us far from polar regions got lucky glimpses of those shimmering curtains of light. And who could forget the rare comet that passed by in October? It was a large white streak in my camera, but imagining its journey across the cosmos gave me chills.
Space exploration added to the excitement, with rocket launches carrying people, satellites, rovers, and more.
Wildlife Wonders
Closer to home, the local fauna provided plenty of entertainment. The delightful nighttime antics from raccoons and rabbits, curious little lizards on the lanai decided to lounge in front of the lens like a seasoned influencer. Larger agama lizards with their vibrant hues of orange and black, the iguana families along the sea wall on the canal, a lonesome American crocodile swimming up and down the same canal, manatees, dolphins and a lone black shark round out the reptiles, mammals and fish discovered this year. The trail camera I purchased will come in handy once it is installed.
Moving on to the bird phylum– osprey, bald eagles, burrow owls, horned owls, ibis, egrets, herons, terns, red-winged blackbirds, Eastern phoebe, thrush, titmouse, eastern bluebird, Loggerhead shrike, black-crowned night herons, boat-tailed grackle, limpkin, pelicans, etc etc etc ad nauseam. There is a wealth of feathered friends to discover down here.
The variety of flora around here equals the fauna. Almost 100 different varieties of palm trees, the plant called “Bird of Paradise”, tiplants, crotons, and more and more and more. The avocado and citrus trees are bountiful here and produce delicious fruit.
Stormy Skies
This year’s tropical storm season kept me on my toes. Debbie, Helene, and Milton each brought their share of drama, with high winds, heavy rains, and some tense moments. While I prepared for the worst, I also marveled at the power of nature. Seeing the storm clouds roll in was humbling—nature reminding us who’s really in charge.
The Little Things
I read a lot, I’ve written quite a bit. I’ve explored more. I drained a lot of sweat on the trails. The creativity flowed with different avenues of both physical and digital art. The new home office where I can finally have an inner sanctum and create, has been influenced by a favorite author who was larger than life. Some of my favorite moments this year were small but no less memorable.
2024 was a reminder of how much there is to see, learn, and appreciate, from the vastness of the cosmos to the tiniest critter in the backyard. As I look forward to 2025, there is hope we all find more opportunities to pause, look up, look around, explore more and take it all in.
Here’s to more adventures in 2025—earthbound and beyond!