As we enter a long holiday weekend in the United States, I have spent a lot of time thinking about gratitude and growth. 2022 has been an especially “not great” year for my family. We lost three beloved pets, have dealt with health issues and had to navigate an early retirement after losing my job in a career that spanned 25 years. By any measure, that’s a lot to deal with and I’m happy to say that I think we have handled it well. We will forever miss our pets, but it warmed our hearts with the memories and knowing we gave them a good life. We are tackling our respective health issues straight on and moving forward with intent and focus. And, well, early retirement isn’t for the faint of heart, but I am incredibly lucky to have the support of friends and family. I am also incredibly lucky to have this podcast. This podcast has given me a voice when I didn’t know what I wanted to say. It’s given me a platform to share wildlife recordings with a global audience and to find joy in creating something that brings people happiness and a brief respite from the daily grind of life in the modern age. This is the 25th episode of the Nature is my Jam podcast. Can you believe it? This is the episode I circled on my planning calendar because I felt it would be the next major milestone for this passion project. Do I continue or scale back? Do I choose another project to focus my time on? Do I still have the support of my family? Do I still feel that each episode provides value to my listeners? I thought about each of these questions as I recorded this episode. It was a beautiful day yesterday and I went back to one of my favorite places, Sleeping Bear Dunes. My plan was to check on the beaver family and maybe record more of their activities, but once I arrived, the sun and the brilliant blue sky called me to the beach. I spent a glorious 3 hours walking the beach while I recorded the Otter Creek tributary as it emptied into Lake Michigan. I also found a nice log to use as a backrest and let the sun warm my face as I decided the future of the podcast. The ultimate question I had to answer was, “Am I still having fun?” The answer is a definitive YES! I love what I am doing and I’m excited to keep moving this project forward. I have heard from so many of you telling me they appreciate the recordings and that it helps them relax, de-stress or learn more about the surrounding nature. I have made new friends in the world of field recording that are kind, supportive and generous with their time as I learn how to improve. My passion has grown stronger over the last several months and the self-confidence I lost, along with my job, is slowly coming back. I’m here for the long haul and am excited about the continuing to grow the podcast.Recording Summary:Date and Time: 11/23/2022 | 1:30 PMLocation: Sleeping Bear DunesLandscape/Feature: Otter CreekConditions: Sunny, Blue Skies, Warm, BreezyRecording Device: Zoom F3Microphone(s): Sonorous Objects SO.1 Microphone PairSupport the showThanks for listening! ❤️ Your support means the world to me. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for daily updates.