Monday, March 25, 2013

MORE CACTUS PLANTING & MAYBE SOME BLOG CHANGES

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IRIS’S THROUGH AN OLD WIRE FENCE

There was a touch of warm in the gentle night wind.  Pheebe brought her Ducky outside & we played a game of Ducks in the Moonlight.  She got a new funky rubber Chicken Friday but come to think of it I haven’t seen it around all day.  It had a loud dreadful squawk on it & I’m wondering if the neighborhood watch committee didn’t come by in the night & incarcerate the poor little fella.

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PHEEBS GETS SO EXCITED EVERY MORNING WAITING FOR KELLY TO COME OUT FOR OUR MORNING WALK

After 46 days Gaelyn from the GEOGYPSY TRAVELER is home from Africa.  Had to buy herself a small 4 wheel cart to carry all her African treasures.  Nearly had to buy a second cart to prop herself up after traveling 32 hours to finally reach her home in Yarnell Arizona.  PETER & BEA, on their way home to Campobello Island are hunkered down in an RV Park under bad weather somewhere around Memphis Tennessee I think.  Peter has probably built a big Snowman by now.  Looks like Judy from TRAVELS WITH EMMA may be spending her summer in Minnesota.  And guess what….Four year old Jake just found two RV Blogging DUCKS who love him. And to show his furry appreciation he not only likes to lean on them, but he likes to sit on them as well:))

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IRIS FLOWERS REMIND ME OF OUR HOME IN BAYFIELD

I see some fellow Bloggers bringing in a few nice dollars with their blog sites this winter & that has had me thinking.  I have always resisted putting any kind of advertising on my site.  Have always put the look & feel of my blog site first but am thinking how I can still maintain that & maybe contribute a little revenue to our lifestyle.  Talked to a few fellow Bloggers who have been bringing in some revenue with their blogs.  They are definitely making enough money to buy some bags of birdseed & gasoline to help with travels.  That is nothing to be sneezed at.  Recently received an offer from the nation wide GOOD SAM RV CLUB  about dropping an advertising logo on our blog.  That, some other offers, & some new ideas have me doing some serious thinking.  Any thoughts??

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NEIGHBOR MATTHEW OUT FOR A STROLL WITH HIS SHEEP THIS MORNING

Another blog change I have been considering is adding the Google Gadget that would let me respond directly to reader’s comments.  Noticed more & more fellow Bloggers are doing this.  I resisted that at first because of the time it already involves for me to put a post out every day. Reason that I am re-considering is the fact it would be easier for me to remember reader’s questions etc.  I generally read the comments in the morning & if someone has a question, chances are good I’m going to forget it by the time I start putting my blog together later in the day.  Same thing with all the nice emails we receive.  If I don’t answer them right away I’m probably going to forget & I always feel badly about that.  I’ve noticed some Bloggers answer every single comment but I don’t know if that is something I would or could do.  For me, the problem with all that is if I answer 5 peoples comments & not the 6th person’s comment I am going to feel bad about that.  I’m just not one of those ‘I don’t care what people think’ or ‘nothing bothers me’ kind of people.  Of course I care what people think & things like that do bother me.  Anyway it’s something I have been mulling over.  Wondered if anyone had any thoughts on that idea??

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OH OH……..IT’S THE DREADED WANDERING RED BEAD SNAKE 

Kelly’s 06 Toshiba computer went on a whizzle fritz & crashed this afternoon.  She is confident she can resuscitate it back to life except for one thing.  The XP recovery disc is in Bayfield:((  Luckily she has her new Acer Net Book which we picked up on our way south last October.  And fortunately her computer crash happened at the end of our southwest stay & not the beginning.  She uses that computer for her work.

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A LITTLE SANTA CLAUS BIRD OR JUST BRINGING HOME SOME NICE SOFT NESTING MATERIAL >>>

In our winter Snow Bird travels to the southwest we have always found that by about mid March we are ready to head for home.  Not as much this year with our home base here in Congress but other years we were generally on our northern trek by now.  We’re just too darn comfortable here this year.  But it’s one of the things about Snow Birding we have grown to like.  That twice yearly change from one environment to another.  Looking forward to once again seeing the trees & forests of the north.  Spring flowers poking through the ground.  Burgeoning buds on the trees & shrubs.  Southern song birds once again flocking to our front yard feeders.  Sighting the first Robin each year has always been a long standing tradition & back on our morning Pine trail path hiking past nesting Canada Geese.  Yes, it’s always good to get home to our reasonably quiet little slice of life in the tall Pine forest near Bayfield Ontario.  I look forward to once again settling into our cozy sunroom, writing my posts for awhile longer, & watching Mother Nature unfold her seasonal wonders before me through the big sunroom windows.  Ah yes, will be nice to be home for a bit & I wonder what adventures & changes this summer will bring.  We always seem to have a few irons in the fire……and I like that:))

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<<< MY QUARTZSITE 2008 JANUARY MOOSE SALUTE

Planted 19 more Nopal thornless Cactus Pads this morning.  Pads are the big green leathery round cactus parts that easily break off the main plant & can be stuck in the ground to grow a new Cactus.  That makes 42 pads our neighbor (Matthew the Sheep Shepherd) around the corner has given us from his large Nopal Cactus plants.  He generally just throws them out after they have broken off & fallen to the ground.  If I could find a tin sculpture that looks like a Moose I would put it in our front Cactus garden & call it the CactiMoose garden.  Cactus representing the American southwest & Moose representing Canada.  Above is a photo of me using the Canadian Moose Salute on the gusting north winds that were harassing us in Quartzsite Arizona back in January of 2008.

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SO NICE THESE NOPAL CACTI DO NOT HAVE THORNS, BARBS, & STICKERS…EASY TO HANDLE & THEY ARE EDIBLE, BUT NOT BY ME THEY AREN’T!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A little boy at school asks the teacher if he can go to the washroom.
"Okay" says the teacher. "But first you've got to say the alphabet." They boy slowly says the alphabet: "a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,q,r,s,t,u,v,w,x,y,z."
"What happened to the 'p'?" asked the teacher.
"It's leaking out of my shoes right now."

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

28 comments:

  1. Those big cactus leaves look rather odd sticking out of the ground, be interesting to see what they look like when you come back next Fall. Wonder if they will have little 'babies' on them in just one season, suppose depends on the weather/moisture.. Looks fun to plant and see what happens tho!!!

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  2. Ya know it wouldn't do any good to answer most comments right here, 'cause after most of us comment we never return...How we gona get an answer...
    Beautiful day, 'eh?

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  3. Ha Al look east big old moon coming up
    Not as low as last mo, but about 35 * cool
    sea ya

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  4. I do reply to most comments, just because it feels like we are having a conversation. And most people get replies if they want by clicking on follow ups.
    We did Google adsense for over a year and earned $135.00 they sent a check that we received, But promptly put a stop payment on it saying our earnings were invalid.
    Not real happy about that so no more adds.
    Hope you can find a better way to do it.

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  5. Al, I respond to some comments if I feel it is warranted. But as Mike said, most of us don't return to check on a responses. Besides, it is very time consuming to respond to everyone and that takes time from your own blog plus reading other blogs. Why change what works for you!

    Love the Santa bird...great shot!

    Pam
    ohtheplacestheygo.wordpress.com

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  6. To me the biggest drawback to answering comments right there on the blog is that the person leaving the comment has to check back in until they see the response. Others who might be interested in the response also have to keep checking back to see the answers to comments. It causes a lot more activity on the blog but it also takes a lot of time. Plus it drives the number of blog hits to an abnormal number, same as posting all day long. That's how Tioga George has millions of visits - he posts a paragraph, then a few hours later writes some more, and maybe an additional paragraph later in the day. His numbers have no relation to reality in my opinion, not that it's a big deal. If you want people to see your ads however, it might be advantage to have folks clicking on your blog a couple times a day. I'll always be a devoted reader of your blog no matter what you do.

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  7. Al, the Iris by the old wire fence is a beautiful picture. It wouldn't make difference to me if you made some money on here, ifact I wish you well. I like Gypsy's wording. I'm one of your devoted readers no matter what your page looks like.
    I hope Kelly can retrieve everything that was on the laptop that crashed.

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  8. I agree with Gypsy. I would also like if my "reply" would go directly to the persons email. That way they would not have to check back on the "old" posting. Maybe blogspot people read the comments and change things. There is always hope...
    What would you do if you got 80 comments? Answer to all? Way too time consuming!
    I have seen some do the answering in the next posting, like: to Tom, to Bob , to Suzy... That way nobody has to go "backwards" to read a reply.

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  9. I don't usually reply to comments. I have on occasion sent an e-mail to answer a question but more often, I will answer a question when I comment on the persons blog who asked it.....not sure all that makes any sense.

    I love your pictures and posts....so I will always try to your blog too.

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  10. I think it would be great if you earned some money on your blog. It takes a lot of work to do a blog might as well get some $$ for it. I didn't realize you could earn that much money advertising.

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  11. Hi Al,
    Ive been reading your blog for several years and enjoy it very much. I also read a number of other blogs and have become so accustomed to ignoring ads that I can honestly say I cannot recall which ones have ads and which ones don't so I'd go with it.
    Jim

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  12. I was thinking the other day how greatly I love following your blog. I had the thought that if you charged, I would pay. Would only be right. Many other bloggers have started with ads---especially Amazon. It wouldn't matter to me. About the comments, though....... I think you put so much quality time & thought into your blog--the content, your feelings, the wonderful pictures---that if you tried to answer comments it would be as you say. You, being you, WOULD feel guilty if you neglected to answer some. And having all those comments to answer would take so much time that you would have less of it to devote to the blog we LOVE THE WAY IT IS! I've noticed that your react quickly to Shout Box, so maybe that solves the problem of responses that are really needed?

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  13. I'm still in recovery, and didn't make a cent. On the blog either. Several choices how to monetize so it's whatever you, and your readers, can live with. I like the Good Sam offer, but don't give the space away.
    I like to interact with my readers in comments but don't always find the time.

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  14. Go for it Al, You put a lot of effort in the blog everyday, so if there is someone willing to give you a few dollars, I say why not?
    NH Jim

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  15. Al, I'm a "purist". I do NOT want ads on any of my blogs, and I have 3 active ones and a couple more...I don't want them cluttered by ads. Just my 2 cents...
    ~~Cheryl Ann~~ (enjoying spring break and waiting for my first granddaughter to arrive!)

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  16. I think if you can earn a few $$ by
    some advertising ..go for it. and I like the blogs that have the reply feature on them. I don't think that you would have to reply to all comments.

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  17. Those pads remind me of Moose ears...if they were free I'd probably have a village planted...I'm also anxious to see what they look like when they grow up! I vote Amazon shopping...as I try to purchase through bloggers...might as well pass the wealth. As for Blogger...I got hacked and it was a nightmare. Even had laptop crash so on the hunt for one. Moved to WordPress...not all the bells and whistles but loving the Dashboard.

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  18. I have no problem with you adding some advertisements along the margin of your postings. Pop up ads are a whole different issue and I would most likely not be a reader for long if I saw them popping up.

    You have managed to go this long without answering Comments why start now? There is also your temperament to be considered, would your replies become even more of an excuse for what you consider dis-respectful Comments. I say leave well enough alone.

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  19. I see no reason not to boost your income where you can. I would say "thumbs-down" to Google AdSense (I've heard many stories like George and Suzie's). Arbitrarily they may say you've clicked too many times, or a reader has, and then they pull your account forever - no recourse. I think Kevin and Ruth were doing pretty well with AdSense, and then they pulled the income out from under their feet.

    We got the invite to Good Sam, and it seemed reasonable. I explained that we weren't currently members and suggested that they offer a membership to giveaway. I got a polite response back to the effect of "we can work something out, we're still pulling the kinks out of our system..." which amounted to "no." I just didn't feel like I could say much about Good Sam without being a satisfied member, unless I had something to offer.

    You guys are also in a great position to have a Canadian Amazon link for all your Canadian readers. It wasn't practical for us, because we don't have a bank account there, but it could be nice for you. Amazon is the best I've found for consistent, reputable, desirable affiliate business. I don't feel bad about promoting them just because everyone uses Amazon - it might as well be through your link. And, they don't hold your earnings forever; $10 and you're over the threshold.

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  20. I put ads on my blog for a while... and it caused some criticisms. I stopped not because of the critics, but because the ads were not generating as much income as I had hoped... a hundred bucks in two months.

    It takes a lot of work to put out a quality blog with wonder photos such as yours. I think it has value, and that you should be paid for it. If you are successful, maybe I'll try again at some point. It's a tough call, because ads do kinda mess with the "artistic" qualities we all strive for... and it is somewhat of a contradiction of values.

    Still, I say try it... see if it works. Some bloggers are making 500 or more per month, and you have a large, supportive audience...
    Box Canyon Mark

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  21. Re: answering comments. This may seem very odd to some, but here goes anyway...

    I try to answer every comment on my blog knowing full well that the person who commented probably will not see it. It's nice if they do and we have a discussion.

    I reply anyway to add more to my blog. I try to make my replies contain more information or a different perspective or something new. I think it's a way to make the comment section more interesting. But that's me. It does take time and energy, so whatever's best for the blooger, I say!

    In defense of Tioga George (who is my inspiration), I don't think he blogs throughout the day to raise his numbers. I think it's how he likes to blog, period. Just like my replies to comments are not for the purpose of raising numbers. As someone said here, numbers are pretty meaningless!

    Try the ads, Al. You can always drop them if you change your mind.

    Sue

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  22. Ha! Ha! A new name for the nutty people who blog.... BLOOGERS!!

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  23. My own personal feeling about ads...I'm not into my blogging enough to take on one more reason to keep checking it...My blog is my story/book...no ads for me...But, I sure can see why some might like them!

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  24. If advertising is considered, forget about adsense. 1.The pay pr. click is minuscule, 2.they can pull your pay,
    3. you literally need "millions" of hits (and page views) pr. month to let it amount to anything.
    Offers like you got are a better way to make some bucks. The RV-Industry but also local tourist associations might me interested in advertising for a monthly fee.

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  25. I like ads on blogs about as much as I like commercials on TV. I never have, and never will click on an add on a blog. They just agitate me for some reason. I write my blog because I enjoy doing it, not to make money. If I become that desperate for birdseed, I'll try getting a job.

    I can't imagine having the time to respond to every comment.

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  26. Interesting. I'm reading this because of a comment on Tammy's blog. When I leave a comment on someone's blog, I click on ~ email follow-up comments ~

    I receive comments on such post from anyone who comments. I enjoy this from my favorite blogs. LOVE to read what people think of whatever the blogger wrote. as well as myself ... the feedback is great.

    Commenters who do this do not add to the site meter. And, if they just like to check back rather than click on comments ... then, well.. I don't understand that but whatever.

    When a blogger such as RV SUE and Murmurs... hilarious ... has 5 billion commenters ... I will simply click on stop it... on the last comment.

    Interesting why some folks blog and why and how they have it set up and what bothers or doesn't bother another...

    I say do whatever steams yer bean. I know nothing of ratings. I blog because I can and love to go back and read what the hey I was thinking or doing at a certain time...

    I would blog whether anyone read my stuff or not. As a matter of fact, when I started getting comments and saw pageviews? I thought... well. now! ain't this something. HAhaaa... I'm amazed anyone reads my stuff... I really am.

    BUT I love it and I love to reply to comments of my readers ... love the back and forthing and I could care less about a site meter reading or adding ads ... I just like the blogging friendships...

    yer welcome ... ;)

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