Monday, the 28th, was my two year blogiversary. Two years at these, not quite daily, ruminations. It’s hard to believe just how quickly time passes for it really does only seem like yesterday that I was typing out a post on how I’d reached the age of one. Over the past year, as I just wrote about, I had some 65,000 page hits from some 40,000 different visitors. Adding to last years totals that means that these pages have been read (or glanced at and discarded) some 90,000 times (Actually I suspect its been more than that. For the first year I relied on Typepads statistics which showed 25,000 site visits, but they picked up 22,000 fewer site visits for this year than Statcounter did, missing one in every three.). Wow! Most days I can’t believe I have anyone stopping by.
As, most of my regular readers know (Hi Mom!) I was inspired to start on this journey by the incredible nuthatch from Bootstrap Analysis, who writes what is, to my mind anyway, the best blog out there. Coupling incredible writing with clear insights, it is more than worth your while to visit every day. So, I have her to thank, not only for the inspiration, but for the friendship that we share, and for the advice that she gives me when ever I ask.
There have been many other friends that have come out of this, most of whom are listed on my sidebar, and I hope that we one day get a chance to meet. (I almost had the opportunity to meet the incredible Charlie Moores of Charlies Bird Blog, but for a change in my France trip itinerary). One day perhaps.
So let’s see. What happened this last year? Really, I’m not sure I know, as it really has been a blur, but I’ll try to pick out some of the highlights. I won a couple of First Friday birding fiction contests over at WildBird on the Fly. The first two actually, before anyone else started submitting things. The Nunavut Blogroll I started Nunavut Blogs! (which is a little more than a year old and receives over 4,000 hits a year) has reached some thirty-seven blogs on it. Thirty-seven! When I started two years ago Nunavut blogging was a pretty lonely game, but now there are a number of great blogs to choose from, most of which are written by people with a newcomers perspective of Nunavut. Perhaps a little less jaded than this view. I’ve even been called "The Elder Statesman" of Nunavut Blogging by the incomparable Townie Bastard. Not sure about the Elder part, but I’ll take any old accolade I can get. Oh, and a publishing company has started to send me books of theirs to review. Me. Dangle free books at me any time, and you’ll get my attention. Any other publishers of Natural History tomes out there can take note.
One of the main things that has occurred, slowly, over the past two years, is that I have begun to think of myself as a writer. That perhaps if I keep at this, and other writings, that I may actually churn out something worth reading. Maybe. Eventually. But I have discovered that it is something I enjoy and something I hope to continue.
So, if you’re a regular reader (Hi Mom!) welcome back. And if you’re new to the House, then welcome. In keeping with my last year’s blogiversary post here is a sampling from the last twelve months. To introduce you to some of the blog that you may have missed, or wish you had.
June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007
What a long strange trip it’s been.
Comments
13 responses
Many kudos from mom! I should have this special day marked in my calendar, too, as you always cheer me up (especially nice today, as I’ve been under the weather lately).
I feel I haven’t lived up to your (or my) expectations recently, but you always meet mine. House always provides a window into a world that is hard for me to imagine. I don’t comment here often enough, but I read every post and each time you describe even the most ordinary daily activities there, they make me shake my head in wonder. Extraordinary.
I truly hope we meet one day, Clare. You’ve been the nicest gift blogging has brought me.
Congrats on the two years of fun.
Happy 2 yrs! I missed my own 2 yr also. 🙂
I think that two years of blogging does make you an elder statesman of sorts, at least in the blog world. If it weren’t for your blog, I doubt that I would be conscious of Nunavut on a regular basis. And I am always impressed by what I read here.
Happy blogiversary!
Congradulations Clare. You blog is one of my regular stops ’round the arctic. I love seeing the similarities and differences between our two places.
Happy Blogiversary!
Always a favorite stop for me.
Happy Blogiversary! Your blog was my gateway to all the other fabulous arctic blogs out there through your links list. I’ve found it fun to keep up through the blogs with what’s going on in the various communities I’ve visited. I’m in Ulukhaktok right now and have run into Arctic Mark a couple of times, and passing through Kugluktuk I saw Larry’s ultralight tucked into it’s little hangar. It’s fun to feel part of the arctic blogging community, even if I am arctic-blogless myself!
Happy second blogiversary, Clare! The House is always one of my favourite stops when I make the rounds during my blog reading. Congrats on receiving books to review. How cool is that! (-:
I found it interesting to read about your sense of having become a writer. I’ve been visiting here for quite a while and have noticed that your writing has changed over time – I guess “evolved” is the best way of putting it. Anyhow, keep on keeping on! (-:
Wow…”incomparable”…that’s just getting me back for calling you “elder”, isn’t it? 😉
And congrats on two years. Considering many blogs die within a few months of starting, it’s quite an accomplishment.
Hmmm, I wonder if we can do a blogging year to human years formula?
Blogmom! Thanks. What not meeting my expectations? Unless you mean the one where I want two or three of your great posts a day. Thanks for the Kudos. Hope you’re feeling better soon.
Why thanks Kingfisher and Rurality.
Thanks John, its just this “elder” thing that troubles me 🙂
Thanks gary, It is pretty cool, just how similar but different our necks of the non-woods are.
Thanks dave, and you know that I always enjoy stopping by the American north. You’ve been busy of late.
Hi Nancy, next time you’re in Kugluktuk make sure you say Hi to Larry for me (and Arctic Mark, although we’ve never met), when are you coming back this way?
Thanks bev. It is super cool to have books delivered to your door without even asking. When I got back from France there were two waiting for me and I was a little overwhelmed (OMG I’ve got to read these books right now, when I’ve got so much else to do!) but, heck, any old excuse to avoid work and read works for me. And I also noticed the change in my writing, but I don’t necessarily think it is for the better. I tend to like my earlier posts better. Perhaps starting to “think” of one’s self as a writer sometimes makes one think too much about writing. It does seem harder now. One of the things I started to write was a screenplay (one of the millions of screenplays that will never see the darkness of a movie theatre). It has been an “interesting” experience, a much harder style of writing than I ever imagined. And BTW, although I rarely comment on your blog, it is one of the best things going on the internet. I learn so much from it, don’t ever stop.
Thanks Craig. I think it would have to be a sliding scale, with most of the first say 40 human years crammed into the first blogging year, and then slowing down after that. I’ll leave it to you to figure out the formula. And that’s a good “incomparable” BTW.
Happy Blogiversary, Clare! Looking forward to many more years of enjoying your insights and anecdotes.
Thanks, Clare! Regarding your writing, it seems more self-assured now — as though you are more comfortable with writing for an audience. If you’re finding it seems “harder” now, it certainly doesn’t show. (-:
Happy Blogiversary, clare. I always love stopping by and reading what you and the family are up to, your observations and thoughts about life, and life in Nunavut.