Monday, January 26, 2015

OH NO NOT ANOTHER LONG ‘BLOGGING THOUGHTS’ POST……..

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JUST A FEW PHOTOS FROM AROUND THE PROPERTY THIS MORNING

Knowing inclement weather was heading our way today I had hoped for a foggy morning so I could hop into the Jeep & cruise around Congress with our new KC fog lights cutting the way through a real thick pea souper. Same lights Janna’s Cowboy installed us for us Sunday:))

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Well no matter no fog cause we had to slide on down to Wickenburg for groceries so we took the new KC Foggers for a run anyway.  A bit of sun in the sky when we left Congress but totally clouded over by the time we got back later.  Saw a familiar yellow Jeep (Janna & Mike) with Montana plates in Safeway’s parking lot so left a Bayfield Bunch card under the wiper:))

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NOT ENOUGH ROOM IN THE JEEP WHEN WE GO FOR GROCERIES & PHEEBS IS ALWAYS SO SAD SHE CAN’T GO:((

Recognized our latest blog follower in our Friend Connect box this morning.  In fact we just met these folks a couple days ago at Blogger-Fest 2015.  Welcome to Kevin & Ruth from Travel With Kevin & Ruth.  Thanks for dropping by guys & I do have you folks on our sidebar now:))

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THE SHADOW COWBOY PRESENTS…….OUR BACKYARD CAMPFIRE RING

Turned out to one of those days best for staying inside stretched out on my recliner with a warm blanket while aimlessly bouncing around TV channels with the remote.  Every once & awhile one of these days comes along & it’s perfectly Okay.  Need some R & R after all this past week’s activities.

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<<< THIS IS OUR NEW OXYGENIC SHOWER HEAD MIKE INSTALLED IN THE RIG FOR US SUNDAY…IT CAN TILT FORWARD IF NEEDED

Stopped into the closing out sale of Wickenburg’s Alco store.  Saw some 50% off pants that caught my fancy but of course with pants a fella always has to try them on to be sure of a proper fit.  Don’tcha just hate that guys.  Maybe it’s one of the reasons I never go shopping for pants.  Just hate those broom closet size change rooms & all the struggling a feller has to do to even get turned around in there.  By the time you bend down to tie take off your boots or untie your shoes your rear end has poked a hole in the side wall.  Well I needn’t have worried this morning.  Only ever been in a change room maybe half a dozen times in my life & was surprised to find myself in a space big enough to blow my nose & then some.  Anyway I tried on a couple pairs of pants which didn’t come anywhere near fitting me so that was that.  Kelly tried to talk me into a another store of pants but one change room a decade is enough for this guy.  I’ll just have to flop myself around in my baggy blue jeans awhile longer. 

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ROOMIEST GOL DARN CHANGE ROOM I’VE EVER BEEN IN…COULD HAVE HAD ME A SQUARE DANCE IN HERE

This cloudy cool gray day has not left me with much to blog about so I thought it might be a good time to open my door just a tad further & invite you all in for another little look around into my world of blogging thoughts, ideas, opinions, & feelings.

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A question I have sometimes been asked & a question I heard repeated again to all the daily Bloggers at Blogger-Fest is, ‘how do you manage to write a blog every single day?’  It is a question I ask myself as well sometimes.  First, to be accurate, I haven’t blogged every day since I began blogging back in 2006 but I have blogged for most of them since those early years.  My next thought is, how can that question be answered without me being repetitive again.  My thoughts on this topic have appeared more than once in my posts over the years however with experience they have evolved somewhat since I first began.  But let me try it again with a new & ever changing awareness about who I am & why do I feel the way I do about this whole blogging phenomena.  In other words…………why am I a daily Blogger:))

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Most important for me is the fact blogging is something I can do totally alone.  No help from anyone, no human input but my own, no shared decisions, & no feedback while I’m putting it together unless I have to ask Kelly about something I can’t remember like a name or a place.  I’ve never been a team player & that’s why solitary blogging has always appealed to me.  I decide what to write, when to write it, & how to write it.  Same goes for all my photos.  Being able to do the whole process from start to finish alone is one of the key elements to my daily blog & why I enjoy it so much.  I like the hours I spend by myself whether it be out looking for & taking photos, editing those photos, writing each blog, putting everything together, & finally publishing something hopefully with the end result of entertaining readers with something interesting.  I love the daily challenge of creatively using my imagination to give myself a useful purpose, an enjoyable hobby if you will.  And in my opinion an active imagination is definitely a huge asset when it comes to writing.  I believe if one wants to put out a daily blog one really needs to enjoy what they are doing.  No point in causing oneself stress if one does not enjoy what it is they are doing. 

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WE HAVE SOME NEW GRASS GROWING

Summertime in Bayfield will often find Pheebs & I out in the Jeep by ourselves prowling around southern Ontario’s country roads.  Nobody riding along, just Pheebs & I as we cruise up this road & down that road, stop for a walk here, a hike there.  Always the cameras at ready looking for photos to put in my blog each night.  Always creatively thinking of things to write about.  It’s a great mind exercise for me each & every day.   An exercise much needed I may add.  Always alone with my own thoughts enjoying nature’s sights & sounds around me.   Just doing it in a way that works for me.  In a way which makes blogging each day enjoyable.  Well, that’s how it works on good days of course but realistically not all days are good days.

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OUR BACK GATE LEADING TO OUR NEIGHBORS PROPERTY…SEE THE JOSHUA TREES

I’m subject to mood swings, most introverted people are.  It just seems to come with the territory.  If I allow myself to swing into a sullen mood it is my blog where that mood may very well manifest itself by the end of the day.  For me when depression sets in it stifles any creative process & those are the days when I just want to push my chair back & turn away.  Countless days I have started out with one single thought in mind.  “I am not going to write a post today, I don’t want to, my interest is gone.  I’m finished with all this blogging stuff…..period!!  But I’m only fooling myself because often as not by the end of each day I have some thoughts to share, seen something interesting, taken a picture or two & before long the creativity, the interest, & the challenge begins to lift me out of that depression.  Before I know it I am back at my keyboard working away on another post eager to share what I have seen & what I have thought about for the day.  It  may not always be an uplifting kind of post but at least I am helping myself by maybe writing & sharing something that just may touch another person out here.  Just may help somebody else going through some down times as well.  Somebody else who  can identify with what I am writing about.  Not every day is happy-happy just as not every day is not doom & gloom.  I mainly dwell somewhere between those extremes first leaning one way then the other, occasionally touching the boundaries & my daily posts reflect those swings.  I believe it is important to write about the good & the not so good as well.  At the end of each day when I hit that ‘Publish’ button I just feel a little bit better knowing something I may have said or a link I may have included just might help somebody else out here besides myself.

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For an introverted personality blogging is just about as good as it gets.  I can sit here in the quiet comfort of my own home with nobody to interrupt my thoughts, nobody to interject theirs.  No face to face people stress……….   

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WE’VE HAD A FEW NICE BACK YARD CAMPFIRES HERE

So tonight I am relaxed sitting here writing/talking to you folks who read my daily posts.  I can talk to all you folks much easier this way & this is how it works for me.  Everyday I can share a large part of my world with you & I enjoy doing it that way.  In fact it is the only way I can do it.  If I had to verbally talk to you face to face & tell you the things I tell you in this blog it would never happen.  Too often if I try to convey my thoughts & feelings verbally to someone it just seems to come out all wrong.  Too often I am cautious & will not tell you how I am really feeling.  But here relaxed at my computer I can write freely & unimpeded.  I am safe here by myself & I like that.

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So there you have it, just a few relaxing thoughts rolling off my keyboard tonight.  Maybe a little on the heavy side for some but I also know there are many others such as I out here.  And I know that because I have talked & corresponded with them.  It’s just that many aren’t in the same position I fortunately am to share their thoughts & feelings publicly.  And I wouldn’t be in this position if it were not for you faithful readers……and I thank you all for that.  In another post shortly I will share some of my ideas on how to keep up the pace of being a daily Blogger.  Tonight’s point of view centered more on cerebral thoughts whereas next time I’ll focus more on the actual mechanics of writing a post plus when & how I do it each day.  Hope I haven’t scared anybody away or put anybody to sleep & I’m going to try real hard to write a shorter post tomorrow night………promise:))

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GROANER’S CORNER:((   I heard recently about a stay-at-home Mom. One evening she went to a PTA meeting and her husband and her oldest daughter got together and decided they would clean up the kitchen for her.
They put away all the food, wiped all the counters, washed all the pots and put them away, put the dishes in the dishwasher and ran it. They swept and mopped the floors and then sat down, awaiting her arrival.  Two hours later she returned from the meeting, took off her coat, hung it up, walked through the kitchen into the den, grabbed the remote control, and began watching television. They followed her over to her chair and stood by her side.  Finally she felt them looking over her shoulder and looked up at them and said, "What?"
Her husband said, "The kitchen."
"The kitchen. What?"
"The kitchen. We cleaned up the kitchen. Didn't you notice? It's sparkling clean. We cleaned it for you."
The woman replied, "Yes, I noticed. Thankless job, isn't it?"

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- 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. The gardens look so lovely! Great job.

    There is no way I could post everyday. I think it is a gift to be able to come up with topics to write about especially when you are not traveling. We only post when we want to let our families know what we are doing.

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  2. I'm only going to comment on the change room. I like the size of that one. I was in a smaller one just last week, in the one and only clothing store that I seem to ever go in. Well, maybe one of two. It's a one man operation, and he knows my size. Spent more time shooting the breeze with the proprietor than actually buying clothes, but that happens sometimes.

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  3. I definitely couldn't blog everyday, but I completely understand the way a blog can be therapeutic. My blog does that for me and will sometimes get me off my butt and out exploring when I might not otherwise. So it's a good motivator.

    Nina

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  4. Your yard looks fabulous! You have a good eye for landscaping and have really transformed that place. Kudos....

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  5. Enjoyed your thoughts today Al. Never thought about the link to being an introvert, but it sure fits me too. Some of your words about time spent out photographing things, editing, developing ideas, writing it, and posting things just fit so well. Couldn't articulate it like you have, but it fits. It's become part of my day and I rarely miss, but I don't worry about it if I do. Don't seem to find it difficult to keep posting daily, but like you I'm retired and have the time. It's actually a lot of fun to put something of yourself out there and see the comments. And it gets me out there exploring for things to photograph (almost) every day. Take care down there where it's warm; -23C here with a stiff north breeze this morning here!

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  6. My frequency of blogging has fallen off, and it most likely has to do with a lessening of enjoying what I am presently doing. I'm not the deep thinker that you are, but I look forward to being more enthused in a couple of months. This too shall pass...

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  7. Pretty heavy though about a daily blog. I know you create it through the the day and take pics to show, but I am just happy to put up twenty words or less ( I Pooped Today! ). I guess my goals are a lot lower. Great post.

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  8. LOVE seeing all the 'improvements' to the property there in Arizona!! The pathways look really great, so cleaned up and everything in it's place. You know blogging gets m out, I think of something that may be interesting, so I will go do that, then share... or a thought that sort of expands, like the gas and restrooms on the road :) So enjoy your 'thoughts', walks and gardens...

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  9. I, for one, am mighty thankful that blogging is something that gives you satisfaction! That you enjoy taking the pictures and writing the blog every day. And the miracle is how much enjoyment is on the receiving end. A real win / win! Thank you, Al.

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  10. Your gardens are so nice looking. You definately have a green thumb.

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  11. I started off blogging daily or almost but now don't seem to make the time. Blogging is personal no matter what so we all do it differently. Garden is looking good. I hate trying on pants.

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  12. I looked your place up on Google Maps. It would be interesting to be able to see the change in your landscape from whenever that photo was taken to what your property looks like now.

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  13. How is it that us guys seem to always have trouble getting a good fit from a pair of khakis, yet we can grab a pair of Wranglers from the shelf and they are fine every time?

    Jim

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  14. It is so nice to just write what you like and post what you want.
    Loosing weight is great but then the baggy pants just don't feel good, I have had to downsize a few times in the last 6 months, not real crazy about the change rooms either, especially here with wearing all these winter clothes.

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  15. Maybe... we who enjoy blogging and blog reading in another life, were old fashioned newspaper guys n gals running around with a pencil behind our ear and a notepad at the ready, we enjoy putting our thoughts out there sharing ideas with others and not necessarily sharing the same space with other people...oh the changing room is a scary place--I'm always afraid I'll end up on candid camera.

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  16. In the past I've blogged daily for a bit but then discovered I couldn't keep it up. Now I blog to keep current or sometimes just to share my thoughts.

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  17. Al, I completely understand your need for "alone" time. I'm nearly 1/3 of the way done with "Quiet" and I'm learning a lot about my own behavior and the behavior of extroverts. I loved her chapter on cooperative learning in schools. I have always hated that, as an introvert. I thought it was a waste of time, so her thoughts were interesting.
    Oh, and I HATE trying on pants. I just wear my baggy jeans, too!
    Cheryl Ann

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  18. What is it with guys?? The cowboy would rather have a tooth pulled than go try on jeans! Saw I had been visited by the Bayfield Bunch at Safeway! :))

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  19. Interesting post. Thanks for blogging.

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  20. I like reading other people's "personal" thoughts and have a lot of admiration that they can go public with whatever they're thinking... but I guess I'm reluctant to open up that much... and if I blogged everyday I'd probably let it all hang out ;-)

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  21. I would never be brave enough to take a camera with me to the dressing room.....just sayin' .

    Like anything done daily, I think it takes a certain mindset to keep up a daily blog. Recognizing the personal benefits and the community enjoyment are strong motivators for what is not always "easy" to accomplish. Selfishly I am glad it works for you!!

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  22. I blog every two to three days (mostly two) and for me it is definitely therapeutic (especially since I usually wake every morning around 5:30 - 6:00 am)

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  23. I think it's great you can write and share your feelings. Being an introvert myself I find it hard to open up and write about much of anything except documenting where we've been and what we've been doing so we have something to look back on and let our friends and family know where we are. That's the nice thing about blogging, though, there is really no right or wrong way to do it.
    Gayle

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  24. Al, with regard to the fitting room and the pants, I have two words: Farmer Overalls!
    I wear them whenever I'm not at work, can't beat the comfort and the fit is almost always perfect. Once you adjust the suspender part you never have to pull up a pair of pants again.
    Dick

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  25. Thanks for the welcome!

    We also blog every day. It's easy when we're on the move, but then we usually are! And, we find that it gives us incentive to get out there and do things so that we are able to talk about them on the blog. As one of our readers once told us "we like your blog because you actually do stuff"!

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  26. In a blog.. a long long time ago.. I used to write more fully from the heart and mind. As a fellow introvert, it was a great venue. But as our readership grew, I felt more and more trapped and judged.. something I have yet to resolve. I miss those days of just blogging from the heart. I so admire that you've been able to break past that, and be true to yourself and tell it like it is. Maybe one day I'll get back there. Thank you.. for being.. You.

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  27. I have posted every day since I have been on the road fulltime (approaching 2,000 daily postings). Prior to that it was maybe every month, every year or when I was on a trip. If I didn't spend the time writing a post everyday now I wouldn't be doing anything - as my postings show.

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