A Year Like No Other

Happy New Year’s Eve!! Where has 2020 gone? It goes without saying that this has been a year like no other. It has been a year of struggles as well as triumphs and I know that we all look forward to getting back to some from of normalcy in 2021. I wish you all the best for the New Year.

I close out this year like I did last year, staying close to home and not traveling west for the holidays. Luckily I had a few invites to spend Christmas with friends avoiding the “home alone” character. As luck would have it, it appears that New Years will be watching college football as BAMA plays once again for the National title. I am forever grateful to “my family” of friends for the invites to share the holidays with them.

It was hard to keep up my blog on a weekly basis in 2020 with the Covid pandemic looming around every corner but my goal was to carry on as best I could and as time and photographic journeys permitted. I hope this years blog provided something worthy of your time and interest and filled your social distancing hours. My hope for the last blog of the year is to offer a little of God’s Blessing, a bit of holiday leftovers, a promising look to the future and my last Santa wish for the New year.

In my opinion there is no greater mental blessing than what God offers each and every evening for us to view as we bask in his glory. This year there was absolutely no shortage of beautiful sunsets to practice our social distancing and maintain our sense of wonderment and belief in a heavenly power. This is just one of many that I had the great fortune to capture over the past year.

And as is the wonderful tradition of celebrating the Holiday’s, Huntsville continues to rise and shine or twinkle as it may be in offering up Holiday festivities. Added to this years celebrations was the Christmas Light Spectacular at the Trash Panda’s Toyota field. The drive thru event saw record breaking crowds and met all social distancing guidelines as the drive-in drive-thru showcase wowed each and every occupant riding thru in their vehicles. I am sure, given its huge success, it will be a staple for future holidays. Thank you to the Trash Pandas staff and Breland Homes!

Given all that took place with Space X and our nations space program this year, the future looks bright and it should give us all a sense of joy, fulfillment and pride. It was amazing to see us return to space with such an amazing technological accomplishment. There is no greater reminder of looking to the past to see our future than what our city has to show for with its involvement in the history of the space program. I feel a sense of pride every-time I pass by the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, having spent some of the best years of my life working as an Aerospace Photojournalist for NASA and the Marshall Space Flight Center. As I pass by the museum and look to the Saturn rocket, I know that the future looks bright.

I leave you and 2020 with one last the note and one last wish on my Christmas list. I have left with STANTA with my request to have the University of Alabama represent the state and the SEC in fine fashion as they venture into the unbelievable journey in search for an unheard of attempt to bring home the National Championship. Nick Saban is tied with the legendary Bear Bryant with six titles and if BAMA pulls this off, he will be in a league all his own. All I can say is ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Many thanks to Stan Miller and Jessica White.