My first post was October 8, 2008 so this 2024th post marks ten years blogging with at least half of each year from the North Rim Grand Canyon where blogging started at the end of my first season.
When I began blogging at the suggestion of friend and fellow Ranger Karen at FabGrandma I didn’t have any idea what blogging even was. But I like to write, share stories and take photos so what the heck. I really didn’t figure anybody would even care to read my story or figure anyone would find me in the giant Cyberworld.
Somehow I ended up on two memes, Sky Watch Friday and My World Tuesday, where I started reading other blogs and leaving comments. I met some of you there. I didn’t understand what to write, especially for the My World meme so I began my series of “The gypsy life of a seasonal park ranger” from the start of my Ranger career the summer of 1992. I shared my world in six month increments of working and off season traveling.
I started on blogspot and stayed with that for almost 3 1/2 years when I bought a domain and moved to WordPress on my birthday 3/26/12. I’ve always been big about my birthday figuring it’s MY special day.
When I started blogging I thought it would be a way to make a little money. How wrong could I be? I’m not much of a consumer so don’t want my sidebar slathered with blinking stuff to get your attention and buy, buy, buy. Well unless it’s my photos coming from a website I opened in January 2017, and just a wee bit of Amazon which I fail to make any money on. Instead blogging made me a lot of friends.
Fall colors below Angel’s Window from the Cape Royal Trail North Rim Grand Canyon National Park
You’ve seen a lot of photos from Grand Canyon and may almost feel like you’ve been here. Actually I hope you have been here. And if not, why haven’t you been? I’ve met so many wonderful people at the park, including some of you.
So Happy Birthday to Geogypsy and thank you all for keeping me motivated for 10 years blogging. Wonder if I can keep it up for 10 more.
Congratulations on the milestone. We haven’t been to the North Rim, but I’m sure one day we will.
Thank you. With your extensive travels I’m sure you will make it to the North Rim someday.
Congratulations Gaelyn and I am so glad that I found your blog via Joan, and not only have we both enjoyed your amazing photos, but have actually had the pleasure of meeting you as well. I can honestly say if we had not found your blog, we would never have seen the Grand Canyon which is something we will both be always grateful for. Thanks so much and hopefully we will meet up again one day. Take care and have a good week, Diane and Nigel
P.S. Looked for the Amazon link and did not find it. I possibly could not use it as it will be Amazon.com but I f I can’t track it down maybe others have the same problem. D
Thanks Diane. Blogging has brought many wonderful adventures and people into my life, including Joan, Nigel, and you.
I see two Amazon links, one on the sidebar and one at the bottom of the post. Interesting that you don’t. It would be Amazon.com. Of course I don’t really push it either.
Congratulations on your milestone and we’re certain you will continue to present us with more beautiful pictures of what Nature has to offer.
Hopefully there will be another Bloggerfest in Quartzsite this year.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It’s about time.
Thanks. Feels both like forever and then nothing at all. I too hope there will be a Bloggerfest in Q.
Hi Gaelyn. Congratulations on your Bloggerversary. You and I started on exactly the same date. (nine years ago?) and we met through Lynda who was living in Tanzania at the time. I’m so glad I met you and we’ve actually even met in person! Blessings Jo
Congrats to you too. That’s funny that we both started blogging on the same date. Our meeting was meant to be.
Wow! Congratulations on ten years. And to think, if you didn’t start blogging I would never have met you or have seen and learned so much of the area you live, work and play in.
I’ve been out of blogging for 6 weeks after totally losing my blogging mojo. I’m not 100% yet, but today is my comeback post. Glad to do it on your blogaversary.
Thank you Jonker. There are many wonderful people I wouldn’t have met over these ten years if not for blogging, yourself included. I’m sure work and family keeps you busy, blogging really is secondary to that. But glad to hear you got your mojo back.
Happy anniversary!
My web page goes back to 1996 with a few prior trips even before that but as a blogging style I started on 30 November 2009 and have a posting everyday since then. Lots of changes in the site appearance over the years with my first web page on GeoCities. A lot of changes in my interest over those years also with the most recent being drawing on HTML Canvas using Javascript and doing pixel art on GIMP.
I started writing in ‘letter style’ and posting for friends because postal mail was either unreliable or very expensive. It sort of took of with a mind of its own. Gives me place to rant from time to time or express other feelings since I live a semi-hermit life. It is fun and keeps me reasonably sane,
Hats off to you posting every day. I like the digital art you shared with me last winter. Will you be down south this year?
Will ‘winter over’ for three months in Yuma.
Ten years ago I had not even heard of the term ‘blog’. So glad you have stuck with it to share your adventures and amazing photos with us. My toast “Here’s to 10 more years”.
Thanks Jeff. Will see how it goes for the next 10.
Well Gaelyn I agree ! this is the way to make many friends I have been following you for some years now but for some reason my replies never reached you.I hope this one does as I love your stories.
Thanks for following along and being persistent Rita. I do see you on the FB page sometimes. The commenting thing on my blog seems to have a mind of its own sometimes.
A wonderful milestone, and congratulations! I don’t always comment, but I ALWAYS enjoy your blog!!
Thanks Peter.
Happy Blogversary, Gaelyn. My blog friends seem so “real” to me – we do share our lives on the blogs. Hope to be reading your blog for many years to come.
Thanks Barb. I agree that blog friends are “real” whether I’ve met them or not. I miss your posts.
Wow Congratulations! I’m not sure I’ll make it to 10. I’m struggling in year 7. Maybe I should have moved to WordPress but I don’t think I could keep doing it at all without Livewriter. Your blog is such a job with your gorgeous photography. It keeps me knowing why it is I must get back to the canyon. So thanks and Happy Birthday!
Thanks Sherry. I hope you do make it to 10 years and beyond. I use Livewriter with WordPress. All our blogs are a lot of work, but I think fun too. Hope you do make it back to the canyon.
Keep up the good work, Gaelyn! You have a wonderful way with words and good eye to capture the beauty of where you travel, in writing as well as by photography. Looking forward to the next decade worth of reading.
Have a question: Why do we have to confirm that we are human? 😊
Thanks George. Proving you’re human reduces spam comments.
Congrats and happy bloggerversary! I think I found you through Al’s blog and have been enjoying your pics and prose for years. Best of all we’ve met, and hopefully get to again this week :-))
I agree that I had mixed expectations about blogging, and that the best part is all the wonderful people we’ve met and friends we’ve made.
Ten more sounds good to me!
Escobars for lunch was wonderful – I see why you’re a fan.
Thanks. So glad we find each other and become friends in real time too. Still planning to be here the 12th I hope.
We’ve been blogging for almost as long! It is amazing how it has opened up this life on the road. We have met the nicest people through our blog. And we still have blog friends we have yet to meet. We have learned of so many amazing places through others travels. Congratulations on your blogversary! Love reading and enjoying your spectacular photos on your blog. Hope to catch up again soon:)
Thanks. I love learning from you folks on the road full-time.
Congratulations! That is a lot of writing and posting. I’ve really enjoyed your posts. You have a calm, measured manner that comes through in your writing and a great eye for photography.
Here is to ten more years!!
Thanks Yogi. You are no slouch when it comes to posting.
I hope to be blogging and reading your blog for years!! I too started blogging in 2007 but didn’t get many comments until I started linking about a year later (I’ll have to check when my first linkup was , as I plan to continue celebrating my tenth blogiversary off and on as well this year).
I so enjoy your looks at the world on your blog. Interesting that many I know have been into this about the same amount of time.