What a very appealing tale. Perhaps because it doesn't involve tech, much of which is so sterile by comparison. Or perhaps to me because I had related interests in my youth - I did a lot of wildlife & macro photography, spent countless hours out on cold nights etc. I kind of let go of it for very accidental reasons, so your story has a kind of stochastic butterfly wing flavor to me. I ended up the opposite way - late 50's, poorer than ever, without $$ and on the verge of homelessness. But I take genuine vicarious pleasure in your trajectory.

> I’m probably just a lucky fool.

Lucky, probably. Fool, less likely. But in any case, "luck" falls where it will, and better to a photographer of bats and voles than a fintech spiv or arms dealer or .. many other things.