Looking Back On 2024

It didn't last long, but we actually had a White Christmas in 2024.

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I came down with a long-lasting cold the weekend after Thanksgiving. It hung around for a good three weeks. I had recovered, just enough, to take a walk in the snow on Christmas Day, but family festivities were out for me this year. I usually come down with something after the holidays, so I guess I got a jump on it this time around. Thems the breaks, right?

And now it's January, 2025, and I'm already struggling with the seasonal blues. January, in my experience, is always rough.  So, I'm going to try something different, and take a look back at some of the highlights of 2024, and conjure up some positive vibes.  

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JANUARY FREEZE - 2024

​A big snowfall and subzero temps added up to some pretty spectacular beauty in our parks and preserves. 

I bundled up and headed out to two local parks to enjoy and photograph the frosted scene.

Here are a few favorite photos to illustrate some of that winter magic.

The big freeze at Greenfield Park.

Kinsey Park draped in snow.

Snow covered evergreens at Greenfield Park.

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FEBRUARY LOVE

February is a great month to get out for some fresh air and hike a trail. The daylight lasts just a little longer, the holidays are long past, and it's prime time for new perspective.

I combined a little art mold to make snow hearts, and photographed them on shrubs along the trail.

Keep an eye out for hearts naturally occurring in nature, too.

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MARCH OF THE CROWS

I picked up a copy of the book The Comfort Of Crows - A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl, and, from the start, was in love.

This heartfelt diary of a year of noticing the wild world just outside her windows inspired me to appreciate even more the beauty of the natural world through mine. So much so, that I'm journaling my own way through the year with her latest release: Leaf, Cloud, Crow - A Weekly Backyard Journal If you're looking for a good read to get through the winter, to point you toward spring, pick up The Comfort Of Crows. 

I keep praising the works of writer Margaret Renkl.

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APRIL SUN

A solar eclipse was big news in April. I journeyed to Yerkes Observatory, in Williams Bay, to witness this monumental event with about 300 others gathered on the buildings south lawn.

​They also hosted an open house that day, with displays pertaining to the eclipse, and a tour with a view of the historic, Great Refractor telescope. They host other events and tours throughout the year. Check them out.

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A-MAY-ZING!

A first for many Wisconsinites - the northern lights made an appearance in our night sky, and were viewed all the way down to Southeastern Wisconsin. I actually got photos of them with my phone, from my West Allis backyard. What a thrill!  And the possibility of more of these events will continue for the next year or so.

Aurora borealis viewed and photographed through my smartphone from my West Allis backyard.

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17-Year Brood XIII cicadas rose to the surface in Lake Geneva in June, 2024.

JUNE-BUG JUBILEE

​In June the cicadas came to town! The 17-year Brood XIII arrived in the Lake Geneva area and caused quite a stir. Even a festival sprung up around the event. We didn't get to the festival, but we did drive down to Lake Geneva, and to Big Foot Beach State Park, one Saturday afternoon to witness this miracle of nature.

We heard them first! The wild buzz in the air as we got towards town was everywhere. We watched them climbing over tree branches and tall grasses, calling to each other, part of the mating process.

Once they mate the female lays her eggs  and then the adults die off. In another 17 years the new generation will rise and the cycle will repeat. I'm so glad we didn't miss it.

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OBSERVING IN JULY

I was working on adding astronomy observatories to the website listings, so I took a drive to an observatory in Racine County to take a few photos of the campus.

​When I arrived at Modine-Benstead Observatory, I was surprised to see that it was open. Several of the club astronomers were on-site, and they were kind enough to treat me to a personal tour. What a pleasant turn of events.

​They hold open to the public astronomy related events throughout the year. Check out the web profile, and their website for details, and make plans to attend one of their family-friendly events.

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On the trail for the Coexisting With Wildlife guided hike at Forest Exploration Center.

Celebrating Smokey Bear's 80th birthday at Forest Exploration Center.

AUGUST IN THE FOREST

I attended two great public events at Forest Exploration Center in summer. The first, a guided nature hike, with the theme of Coexisting With Wildlife. And the other, an 80th birthday celebration of Smokey Bear.

Both were fun, educational, and the attendees truly enjoyed them. I certainly did, too. Forest Exploration Center hosts a wide variety of nature-themed events throughout the year, a majority of them free.

Whether you enjoy hiking, wildflowers, bird watching, mushroom identification, the beauty of trees, or wildlife viewing, keep the FEC on your radar throughout the year.

Their 1-mile hiking loop is all-accessible to wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers. 

Dogs are permitted on the trail, on-leash only.

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SEPTEMBER HARVEST

I worked from spring, through summer, and into early fall, on growing our backyard garden. Always a learning process, there were some successes, some misses, and some things that just didn't get done. But the beauty of the blooms was worth the effort. The birds, the bees, the butterflies, and other pollinators would agree, too, I think. I even managed to harvest some seeds to share, and to sow this coming spring.

If gardening intimidates you, try it anyway. Begin  small. A patio pot with pollinator friendly flowers is a good start. If I can do it, so can you. :)

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R-OCTOBER RULES

October has always been one of my favorite months. Colorful, cozy, spooky, crisp and cool. I had a busy October this past year. Several highlights come to mind, including a weekend trip to Marinette County, in search of fall color.  There was plenty!  

My first ever visit to Old World Wisconsin's Halloween Legends & Lore event. There was just the right amount of fun and spooky. Good eats, great storytelling, and walking the trails in the dark. 

I hosted my first-ever Forest Photo Walk Scavenger Hunt in partnership with the FEC (Forest Exploration Center). We had a great group of nature and photography enthusiasts show up, and had a great time exploring the forest, and coming up with unique ways to photograph it.  I'm looking forward to hosting another of these soon.

And, to top things off, another northern lights event showed up in early October. This time we drove out to Paradise Springs in the Kettle Moraine Forest, and it was spectacular!

The aurora borealis lit up the sky at Paradise Springs one cold October night.

Fall color in Marinette County.

Old World Wisconsin hosts Halloween's Legends & Lore in October.

A great group of nature and photo enthusiasts at Forest Exploration Center in fall.

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WALKING THROUGH NOVEMBER

I made it out for some fall color walks in local parks and preserves throughout November. It's always fun to feed the photography nerd in me. And such a great way to document some fall color in Southeastern Wisconsin.

These photos were taken at Greenfield Park, and Forest Exploration Center.

Autumn is always beautiful  in  Southeastern Wisconsin.

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​SHARING DECEMBER

I was sick with a nasty cold most of December, but I was able to enjoy crafting some holiday ornaments, and packaging harvested flower seeds to share.

​It was a fun project, and I'm glad I was able to get it done despite being under the weather. 

Next year I hope to have even more harvested seeds to share with my friends in gardening.

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OTHER NOTABLES

TheParkNextDoor celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024. To commemorate it, I started publishing a quarterly magazine based on blogs and features of the website, and more.  So far, first issues for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter have been issued. As well as a special best of the blog compilation. They can all be found on the website, under The Magazine tab. These publications are all free to read online. And they can be downloaded to your tablet or computer as well.

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