I started the Geogypsy blog October 7, 2008 on blogspot while finishing my first season at Grand Canyon. Then on March 26th, 2012–my birthday BTW–after three gruesome months of setting up a new theme for Geogypsy officially launched my own WordPress domain. Have loved my Suffusion theme ever since but the developer will no longer keep updating and warned the theme will crash eventually. Moment of panic. Oh no, do I have to start over!?
My long time web mentor Karen said it would probably just require a few tweaks. Easy for her to say with her knowledge of HTML code. That acronym just makes me shudder. I’m an instant gratification, turn key ready kind of person. I looked over several themes, some free some not. Dang, I thought, with the ability to change colors, type, layout and all they seem relatively the same to me. They’re not.
I started blogging to fulfill my own dream of writing, getting published, and maybe even paid. The last hasn’t worked out but that’s OK because I’ve learned I’m writing for you more than me. I love to interpret places visited and share the experience. In addition, blogging has inspired me to become a better photographer.
Plus blogging has brought such joy meeting other bloggers virtually and in real time. We are writing his/herstory as we see it, our truths. Probably more real and reliable than any history book. Sharing the people, places and feelings we are surrounded by in life. I appreciate every one of you taking the time to read my drivel and your comments not only feed my ego but keep me sharing the stories and photos. Thank you!
There will be bugs to work out on this new theme and if you notice any please take a screen shot or let me know if a link isn’t working. I’m certainly not done making changes and am open to suggestions. It would be nice to create a Geogypsy logo but then I’m a cheapskate not willing to pay a designer what they’re worth. Maybe someday. I already put enough money out paying for domain, host and now theme with no financial return. I want my site to be crisp, clean, easy to read and navigate, inviting readers back. Everything I’ve learned in the last 6 1/2 years blogging says it’s all about content, which I hope I’ve been doing OK. But it does have to look nice too.
Blogging is like a fun job. This is post #1587. That’s 1587 mostly original titles to think of. Times 5-25 photos each time to process and perhaps millions of words. I’ll let someone who likes to do math figure that out. (Yogi?)
My mother called me a “drama queen” in youth, I’ve always had the gift of gab. I get paid to talk during the summers as an Interpretive Park Ranger. Blogging feels like an extension of that.
Thanks to each and ever one of you who bother to read and/or comment. Without you this blog would be nothing.
Thanks for the memories!! I have enjoyed every minute of the ride along. So many never leave the comfort of their arm chair, I too am grateful for every moment exploring this wonderful country we live in.
Thank you for coming along for the ride.
I’m impressed, this is very cool. Congratulations on hitting the activate button and taking the big step. This looks like what you wanted, crisp and clean.
I switched over to wordpress because I was tired of the unresponsiveness of Google on blogger. WP is great but the choices available are many and so I have stayed with one of the free themes. I’m kind of an incrementalist in this thing because what I want to do is write and post, not mess with HTML.
Anyway congratulations on the change!
Thanks Alan. Hope it’s not too stark. My last theme was free. I don’t do HTML.
Looks good to me. I know we are always comfortable where we are and change does not come easy, like you, I procrastinate in making changes like this but sometimes we end up with something much better if we do change.
Thanks Joan. This required much anguish while my site was down almost five hours today. More than just a few tweaks and still working on it. I’m still not sure it’s “better”.
Looks good, Gaelyn! I should revamp mine at some point, but for the moment until at least I hit Belgrade again, I’ve little time.
Thanks. This will be a work in progress for a while.
Hi Gaelyn…yes website/blogging growing pains. I know it well. I’m moving away, as we speak off of Go Baddy, I mean Daddy, and the associated WordPress blog. A painstaking process, as there are changes…many. Sigh…it has to be done, however. In 11 years of biz it’s my 3rd changeover.
Re: a logo. This is mine: http://cfps.waylonleewood.com/ (that’s the new site in beta). I drew it myself. Then I took it to Alphagraphics 11 years ago and had them put it on a disc. It cost only $75. I doubt it would be much more than that today….since you are the “designer” when you draw it yourself. All they are doing is making a template for it.
Then you take it (or send it) to the AZ state office to have it trademarked…only $25. This is not a requirement, of course…but an extra precaution against somebody trying to say the logo was theirs first. You can also do a tradename if you have a name incorporated in it like I do.
If you are the artist of your own logo…you love it even more 🙂
Do you ever trip over puppies? They are all very cute and I do like your logo. Thanks for that info, if I ever get ambitious enough to do it.
I’ve been very happy with WordPress, my host and old theme. But when the theme designer sent an email saying he’d no longer update it I knew it was time for a change. I love a change of scenery, but am not so good at changing patterns. Plus am not a web designer so I get a little anxious about this stuff.
Looking good. I know from experience how much time and anguish these seemingly simple theme changes take, so congrats on the switch!
Nina
Thanks Nina. I’ve always liked the look of your site.
I am in the same boat as you. I started for very much the same reasons as you and I would love to be paid to blog but I don’t. People don’t realize that running an amateur blog is like publishing a magazine but with the difference being one does it alone and with no income from it. But, you are doing an awesome job and continues to be my favorite blog to follow.
Thank you Jonker. Unless you want to slather your website with advertising I don’t think the blog is the direct way to make money. Maybe it can bring in other possibilities, someday.
So far, so good, Ranger Gaelyn. Wow, it’s late March already! Getting the urge to be back at North Rim soon?
Thanks Stephen. Starting to feel that NR itch.
Gaelyn, I like the new theme. Very clean looking! Yes, I bet you are itching to get back to the Grand Canyon. When do you start?
Cheryl Ann
Thank you Cheryl Ann. I return to work the end of April and have been missing the canyon lately.
I’m so lazy and cheap that I’ve been using a free blogger theme for 5 years. I get frustrated with them and have investigated word press and even started a blog there but wasn’t in the mood for another learning curve or the trouble to move everything. I actually don’t even use blogger any more and am not sure I could post anything from there directly. I use Live Writer which I love love love. Talk about easy and miles from HTML. Glad you were able to get this all back up and working. Looks like everything is here. Congratulations and many more years of successful blogging!
I too have used a free theme forever and once I got over the WP learning curve I was happy with the tweaks I could make with the old theme. Moving content is the easiest part, just push a button. But of course there were a few moments of panic while tidying it up a bit and I’m still not done. I write all my posts in LiveWriter and always have. Nice to work offline. Do you add your photos in LW also? I find that much easier than WP. Thanks. May we both continue traveling and blogging for a long time.
Your blog (started around the same time as mine) is very interesting; I’ve always loved reading about “your-story”. Hope you make the change painlessly. Blessings Jo
Thank you Jo. If not for blogging we’d have never met.
Looks good! Enjoy your blog and always learn something from it.
Like Sherry I am another one of those lazy bloggers using Windows Live Writer. Free and works for me. Every time I look into changing it sounds like too much work!
Thanks. That was the luxury of blogspot. However I still use LiveWriter and do like having more control over the website by owning my domain. But the tech stuff always freaks me out.
Time also that I made some changes but……. Love your blog and it is amazing that I feel I have been to so many places with you. I like this new look and look forward to visiting more places with you. In general I don’t think there are many people who get paid for blogging, but I have made a bit of money over the last couple of years with The Great 1953 Trek which is on kindle and part of My Life Before Charente. The latter is ongoing, but time never seems to be on my side!
Please keep blogging. I hope one day we may meet up, fingers crossed. Diane
Thank you Diane. Once the blog is up and running it’s easy to just go with the flow. I felt there was no choice this time. I do love taking all readers along on my journeys. I’m too lazy, or busy, to put together an eBook that might actually make me a little money. I love your life stories on My Life Before Charente, I read even if I don’t comment frequently. I too hope we meet in real life someday.
Hi Gaelyn. First and foremost, thanks for your blogging and us along the ride. Simply put, the transition will work out fine, don’t overthink it. I have built sites, including three of my own, I have fine HTML code since king before Dreamweaver software came along (Ah, did I say DW?). In my current career, I have built multi-million dollar AFIS systems in Law Enforcement and other IT stuff. Yet, that said, Many of us have left HTML behind, even my sister who as a Special Ed Teacher developed programs for CA and started her work on websites as a side gig. Many, like you, have gone over to WordPress. I have on one site and will be converting my glass website this year. Using Templates designed by others is great: I usually hunt on Themeforest for templates and found many Grady photo blood for little money. I’m sure your tech guru has all this down. I didn’t many years in Civil, Corp and other Law, now crime fighting these days. I will say, your site is a great name. If you haven’t, you should Trademark it. TM attorneys can cost up to $4,000, as goofy as it sounds, a truly legit resourse (and not advertising here, it’s just that I used it) is Legal Zoom. My trademark on one site took 6 months. You’re already ahead, as your site name has been in use for some time. My total costs were $675. LZ even surprised me with my legal experience. Their staff did a good job of reviewing my description for the TM code I would file under. I found the US Trademark Patent Office (USTPO) attorney to be great. They helped clear up my filing description for final filing. I say all thus as you g ave a great site name. Now, about money making. You can, by doing some ads. Yes, we all hate ads, but. They can be done tastefully. With you site and your love, I would reach out to REI, possibly Canon or Nikon. In short those who are in line with your adventures and lifestyle. Some businesses will pay you for each time you viewers click on their link thru your site to buy goods. My friend’s camera review site does that. If visitors go to cam stores or Amazon thru his site, he gets a sort of commission. Unfortunately, to makr a revenue stream, we have to be flexible, but I know several who have great sites, with subtle ad links as no to detract from the site. Well, just my two cents worth
Thanks for compliments and advice. Someone else has the name Geogypsy and don’t want to spend the money. I am an Amazon affiliate just haven’t gotten back on the new theme. Sounds like you know a whole bunch more than I about this stuff.
Ug, some days, u got to hate Swype. Im seeing words that aren’t what I typed. I. E “Grandy photo blood for little money” sounds like Harry Potter speak. Should be “Great photo blogs for little money”
You are the best blogger! Creating a great sense of community through your posts — you are one of the few where I actually carefully read every one of your comments; some I have visited and become regular visitors, all I feel like we share the love of outdoors and many from which I get hints for places I’d love to visit (and some about places I can only dream of) ) …. but it’s all fun. Sometimes I get behind on reading your posts, because I don’t come here unless I have time to really read, follow your links, and read all those comments. Anyway I am glad your blog is here; I truly enjoy it. And being totally untechnical I have no hints, but it definitely seems to be working.
(I always say I use the computer the same way as I use my car. I have no idea how it works. When the red light comes on I find someone brilliant who can fix it. Or of course preferably before either one crashes! )
Oh Sallie, you make my head big but I love your comments. Running out of power here in the Flagstaff forest.
I’m like you and hate to make changes, especially on the computer. What seems like it should be a simple little thing always turns into a big production, probably because I’m just muddling through and hoping I get it right. The important part of your blog is the photos and your words, and whatever your theme it’s just to highlight that. As they say, don’t sweat the small stuff. I’ve enjoyed your blog for most of those years you’ve been posting, and am just glad you’re still going strong!
I am definitely not fluent in computereze. So glad we found each others blogs and have become friends over the years.
It looks great, very clean and crisp.
Thanks Colleen.
Like the new header Gaelyn. Enjoy your being a teacher through and through.
See you down the road.
Thanks Nancy. Hope you’ll visit this summer.
So many of us procrastinate! Looking through the comments here looks as half the world does! I’ve been meaning to do the same for some months, but can’t afford to pay either hosting or for a theme right now, So I muddle through with the free theme on WP, although I do think it’s getting a bit old now. I know exactly what I want to do – just figuring out how is the problem!
I looked at yours on the computer and on the phone, and it looks great on both, neat and crisp. I think one of the hardest things is getting to look right on the small screen but also on the bigger one, and you have done it beautifully!
I am a #1 procrastinator, but when a job Really need to be done, I’m on it. Thanks for letting me know the site looks good on a small screen too.