Kofa Mts, AZ 1-28-21
As I sit out here in the all alone desert watching my daily world much like above, spinning stories, taking photos, and generally letting time slip away, I sometimes long for conversation. Not necessarily long periods of time or in need of a full-time person(s) around. However, I do talk to myself quite a bit, oh and Sierra also who is a lacking conversationalist unlike other cats I’ve known. I do realize conversation requires at least two, but in today’s world not always face-to-face. The internet has made it possible for us to communicate with people all over the world, quickly depending on your signal. I LOVE that! I do however, also like real time, maybe still at six feet apart these days. Is anybody else hurtin’ for hugs? Either way, or all the ways, conversation requires a back and forth of words, one talks while other(s) listen, then respond. It’s an exchange, give and take, a movement of energy back and forth. Otherwise, I don’t see a conversation.
When I put out a rambling blog post about my previous week’s activities and mind-drifting I am shocked that hundreds of people at least view the post, and hopefully read. Thank you. I wish you’d leave a comment so I’d know who you are and I can respond, creating a conversation. All you lovely lurkers have me at a disadvantage with knowing so much about me.
Sandstone layers at White Pocket, AZ 5-28-15
Since blogging, my life is pretty much an open book. (And speaking of books, I am scheduling time almost daily to work on that.) A really big thanks goes out to all those people I’ve met online (and frequently in real time too) and gotten to know through conversation over the many years. Your blog post comments feed my ego, thank you.
A prickly situation, Cholla & Saguaro, Organ Pipe National Monument, AZ 3-8-20
Never met a stranger
Since childhood I’ve been a talker, stranger or not. Never would have gotten by with that in today’s world. I got in trouble for talking in class when I was suppose to be doing something else, like reading, studying, or paying attention. However, I was a good student. And over and above all the art classes I could take, my favorite class was Improv, a drama class. Sorry, I got ahead of myself here. Talking and conversation are two different things. I’m still working on that.
Dotted with color, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ 3-8-20
Telephone to dial-up
Does anybody else remember the first phone in your house? A large black plastic box on the wall or desk with a handset for speaking and listening. (I’m not old enough for the cranking wood box version or switchboard operators.) Not that I was allowed, or old enough, to use the phone, but I remember is was a “party-line” shared with a neighbor and each of us had a different ring combination. You could listen in on their conversation, but don’t get caught. It was considered a privilege to own a telephone.
People and rock, Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, UT 9-30-15
As a teenager, I begged for a pastel colored princess phone in my bedroom but was told no as I already tied up the line for way too much time with useless conversation. I did eventually pay to have a separate line put into my bedroom. Had it done while my parents were on vacation. Upon their return, we had quite a conversation. I don’t remember that being good, but I did have my own phone and local calls were free. Long distance on the other hand was costly. Good thing I didn’t have friends far away like I do now.
Goodnight desert, Ghost Town Road, Congress, AZ 4-1-20
Those first main-frame computer rooms were the size of a large walk-in closet and kept almost as cold as a freezer. The first cell phone I saw in the 1990s was the size of a lunchbox and didn’t work very well. That was about the same time I was introduced to the internet where I thought all the information in the world would be at my fingertips. Not so as I quickly discovered most of the “information” was one person’s opinion. Not like a book reviewed by peers and editor.
View from a friend’s, Walnut Grove, AZ 4-30-20
Then there was email, and how cool was that. Sending a message, short or long, around the world without licking a postage stamp. Of course, answer time varied depending on the recipient of said email. Responses could vary from minutes to never. There was the possibility your email went into SPAM and never seen by the recipient. Sure took me a long time before looking in that overflowing folder where I’d always find a long-lost “real” message. That algorithm has greatly improved over time and I check more frequently looking for those occasional keepers. A great way to have a conversation.
Last light, Wotans Throne, Cape Royal, North Rim Grand Canyon National Park, AZ 8-24-16
For me, blogging was next when back in the fall of 2008 a friend on the North Rim encouraged me to blog, and first I had to figure out what that meant. The name comes from the idea of keeping a journal, or a web log. Heck I’ve been a journal writer almost all my life. After first discovering the internet I worked hard for years not to leave any footprint. And now, 13 years later, I’m all over the web. I love having a conversation with people from all over the world.
I began blogging on dial-up and posted everyday. I can’t imagine doing that today. Did I have more patience and time? I linked to memes and got into conversation with other bloggers. It’s a time consuming process to write and read, but I love it. Many folks have stopped blogging, and a few have passed away.
Shine the light, Ghost Town Rd, Congress AZ 4-12-20
Social media time suck
About a year after starting the blog, I joined FB and was hooked. How fun to see what my growing number of friends were up to. I love to chat, such a nice conversation with real pauses. My preference is to use the laptop where it’s easier to type than the phone. Even easier now with voice messages. Make it short and sweet please, otherwise call me.
I tried other social media. Twitter is just too fast for me. Pintrest was too much work to keep up with. Same true with Instagram. I already spend way too much time online and don’t want it to BE my life. MyTwitFace is too much conversation, thank you.
Flowering desert, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ 3-8-20
Over and above the blog, I have a photography website that costs me $30/year and I never make enough selling anything to pay for it. (Link on sidebar.) Good thing it’s cheap. If something does sell I don’t even know who bought it, there’s no option for conversation there unless they make a comment. Or, it’s one of you folks making the purchase and let me know. Thank you. I haven’t added any new photos to the site in years. Takes lots of time and bandwidth that I don’t often have. Besides, I gave up thinking I’d become a famous photographer and get rich. LOL! More fun to keep that a hobby and continue to challenge myself to learn.
Fall reflections, Aspen Mirror Lake, Dixie National Forest, UT 10-2-20
Conversation
With all the choices for conversation, does anybody talk on the phone any more? I so rarely get or make phone calls. Oh, other than “the warranty on your vehicle…” And now days, everybody has a telephone, even kids. I haven’t bought into this yet, but think of the convenience of walking and talking on the phone. However if I’m multi-tasking, I’m not really part of the conversation.
Light and shadow, Ghost Town Rd, Congress, AZ 4-18-20
I was late in the game to texting and now I’m hooked. Especially with voice messages because that QWERTY board is a pain. Once again, make it quick please.
Soldiers at attention, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ 3-8-20
Yet I always come back to blogging, sharing stories and photos. Yea, it’s me talking, you reading, and hopefully making a comment that I will reply to and then there’s conversation.
Shadow play, Bryce Canyon National Park, UT 10-20-20
Any of this ring a bell? I’m trying to provoke you. What is your favorite form of conversation?
The Grand Staircase from LeFevre overlook, AZ 4-28-21
I may have gotten carried away here. When my mind gets on a roll, I can’t easily stop it. Hope I didn’t offend, or bore, anyone and you’ll keep reading whether you comment or not. But if you’re so inclined please leave a comment and become part of the conversation.
BTW, photos are from 2021 “because” file (even though some of them are older), and hopefully haven’t been shared before.
That might have been me writing this post. Your likes and dislikes are exactly the same as mine. Right up to the time I left Rhodesia and moved to RSA in Dec 1979 my folks still had a wind the handle partly line. What a pain when the guy at the telephone exchange got drunk at the weekend and nobody could define what ring was what!!! Expensive for me trying to phone from RSA as well as I used to end up speaking to people who I did not know! I would love it if more people commented on my posts, i see visitors from all over the world I will never know what they think. Keep safe and a big virtual hug, Diane
I guess I’m preaching to the choir. Those of us who write want to be read. Then if you’d read my book, I’d never hear about. A drunk switchboard operator would not be good. But it’s rather funny now.
I talk to myself as well. All the time. I have to watch myself being too critical. Wonder where that comes from?
I feel the same way you do about blog lurkers. I want to know why they read but don’t comment. I want to have a conversation with them.
Your description of being a talker and getting in trouble in school for it fits me to a T. Like you, I think I got away with it because I was such a good student.
Good for you for putting in your own phone. I wouldn’t have had the guts for that. Not in my house.
All your memories of huge main frame computers and cell phones are mine too as we are nearly the same age. Great to read your memories.
Also prefer the laptop but not facebook. My favorite form of conversation is face to face. Zoom would be good if it weren’t so bandwidth intensive. Hate typing on a phone so texts aren’t a favorite for me. I like a good old fashioned laptop keyboard and email. Great post! Brought out the Blabberfingers in me.
You should always talk to yourself in the most positive way. Maybe we have to accept that readers, as in reading a book, don’t comment. We must be doing something right to have them reading in the first place. I figured the phones through ages would ring a bell for most of my readers/commenters. (I wonder if non-commenters read comments?) I have never Zoomed and only twice used Skype. I have babble mouth and fingers.
Hi – this is the third time I have tried to comment on your post, and each time got kicked off when I tried to put a photo in, so there is none. I had a long post ready to send, but it’s not worth the time it takes to type it again. So Hello, and I will continue to read and maybe post comments. Give Sierra a petting for me. I am a cat person also. ( my most notable thought on your post today was remembering the wall hung crank phone that was in the house I lived in when I was three years ago…. a long time ago !
Thanks for so many tries but I don’t think you can leave a photo in the comment box. Thank you also for reading and sometimes commenting. Sierra says “meow”. Wow, that’s two people so far admitting crank phones.
Greetings from Iowa! First, I *love* that photo from Walnut Grove! Stunning. I have to admit I do read all of your blog posts. I guess I don’t comment a lot because over the years I’ve tended to want to “not” put myself out into the internet vapors much. But I do really enjoy your blog posts. I used to be a “talker” as a kid, all of my report cards said Diana needs to work more and talk less. 🙂 But as I get older I’ve gotten less chatty I guess. I have tried several times to do blogs, one when I was traveling full time in my RV, for about 2.5 years. I had a number of friends ask me to do one and I just couldn’t keep up with it. My interests are mainly photography, nature, geology, traveling, RV life, and pets. So your blog just checks all the boxes for me. 😉
Oh, and the landscapes of the SW states are my favorite, mountains, desert, wind and water-carved landforms.
Thanks.
Hi in Iowa! Bet it’s cold there right now. (I grew up in cold winter’s of IL.) Thanks. I just love when the light is right when I’m in the right place. Funny, my regularly seen friends are the least likely to read the blog, but they do seem to like the pics I put on FB, which is never all seen here. I guess our interests are a lot the same. Thank you for reading, and leaving a comment.
It’s supposed to be -11 F this Thursday night!
I would be an ice cube.
Hi Gaelyn. My most used conversation method is either texting or Messenger. Never found my blog was really a two way conversation but do enjoy getting comments and I do answer them.
Really love your photography. Wish I could get close but I still enjoy taking pictures and posting to my blog. I’ll be somewhere on Palm Canyon Road Tuesday and will look you up and have a real in person conversation.
Thanks Doug. I’m about a mile in on the left. At least for a few more days. Hope we can get together. How about a jeep ride?
I am not sure how I found your blog, but I love the outdoors, hiking and exploring new trails…I love the parks in our country…so I have enjoyed reading about your adventures in some beautiful parts of our country. Your photography is amazing.
Yep, I remember party lines and princess phones. One of my favorite past times when I’m out and about is talking to strangers. I’ll talk to just about anyone, but will rarely comment on someone’s blog. If I do comment it’s usually pretty short. My only form of social media is reading blogs and watching YouTube.
I love to talk to strangers. Been tougher since COVID. Interesting that you rarely comment on blogs. Thanks for being here. I rarely watch YouTube because it uses so much data, and I wouldn’t know what to watch. 😀
Thank you for the lovely comment. Hope you continue to find the blog, and my travels, fun.
Hi Gaelyn! I came on your blog reading your North Rim posts; in particular a post from your 2012 year at Cape Royal-Wotan’s Throne. You quoted a Viking prayer… “where the brave shall live forever”. That post interpreted for me as one of strength, honor & beauty. Very fitting for the Canyon & for those that love it. I remember seeing you on the North Rim during my many outings to visit the Canyon but didn’t know or find your blog until some years later when you were working at Bryce.
I have enjoyed reading about your daily Ranger life and still enjoy reading the post-Ranger life. My primary communication is texting and telephone. Your photography site has some beautiful pictures and that is really cool that they can be purchased on mugs, tote bags, etc. I’ve looked at doing a few mugs with Sunrise pics on them for the morning brew or cold late night drinks.
Enjoy that beautiful Moon coming up!!
Interesting how our paths crossed at the Grand and yet we still haven’t met IRL. That will happen. Thank you for reading and commenting. I have sold a couple mugs, to blog readers, and make a whooping $2 each. LOL! Total cloud cover last night at moonrise. Maybe tonight.
PS… the photograpy website link in the post didn’t take me anywhere. You know I love following your links because there’s always more good reading and photos to follow along with.
The photography link near the bottom of your page has always worked for me though. ; )
Thanks for the heads up on that. I go there so rarely. Will check on it when I hopefully have a better signal today.
I loved the Aspen Mirror lake, Ghost Town Rd shots and all! Talk about communication, I’m back after a 5-day tour with Chicago friend here in Congress. Glad we found you and chatted Gaelyn. (I notice, another Gail!) You did spur some memories Gaelyn. My dad worked Ma Bell for years, so we had numerous models. Party line in Oregon garage, gold princess in my room and got grounded once from it. Well, dad’s fault for listening in:) I guess I prefer texting and phone chats once in awhile. Six kids and try to keep up, but it’s ok if spaced. I’m glad we have all the opportunities of busy and connected lives. I too will feel the distance at times, and quiet (which I love) while I can always connect. Yours is the only blog I read and connect. I must be out there more the time, moving, sensing, drinking all nature up. I’m wondering if others have an animal spirit. I think mine is desert tortoise as I had a lovely experience with one out in nature and seems to speak to me. I wouldn’t be surprised RVers too with camper shells:)
So glad you two stopped by for a visit. From our earliest phones to today, it’s nice to stay connected with family and friends. I think hawk for me.
Oh what a flashback thinking of the telephone centrally based in the living room and trying to pull the cord as far away from everyone as I could so they wouldn’t listen to me talk to my high school boyfriend😂No privacy at all back in those days🤫
Oh yea, I remember that. The cord was always so short. Thanks for leaving a comment.
I do love these long, rambling, introspective, thoughtful posts. From you, anyway, and a few others. Sometimes with writers I don’t know, or people whose lives don’t intersect with mine in the least, I skip over them. I think it has to do with individuals, rather than the actual format. Maybe because we think alike in many ways, reading your thoughts on paper is a good thing for me.
Like you, I have blogged since 2007 or so, earlier actually but it wasn’t a public blog, but done just for me. I think the blogging format is my favorite of most of the online stuff that happens now, and I don’t do twitter, tiktok, or anything but facebook. I like communicating through Facebook because many of my younger friends and family are there, and often they don’t communicate any other way. Except texts. Young people really love texts, and I have come to like them too, for quickie stuff. When I want to really catch up with someone, it is a long email, from me and from them. I like those because I can read them and then archive them to refer to late if I forget some of the important details of their lives. Sadly, snail mail communications are reduced to Christmas and Birthday cards, with or without a letter.
In person communication is great, one on one, or maybe 2 or 3. Beyond that I am not as comfortable. Coffee in person with my friend Kristin, phone calls with Maryruth and my daughters are high priorities. Daily communication with Mo about everyday living, life in general, and what’s for dinner are a good addition to my life. I am glad that I don’t live alone. Mo keeps me a bit grounded. I would be all over the map if it weren’t for her being just the opposite. Telephone? Yeah, the black phone on the wall with the long cord and party lines. I didn’t spend a lot of time on it though, since I was raised in Southern California and spent most of my time outdoors all year long. And I didn’t have a ton of friends to talk to anyway.
I try to keep up with the blogs I care about and try to make sure I honor the person blogging by making a comment. I have no idea why people read and don’t bother. There are a couple of blogs I read and gave up commenting, mostly because the person made no acknowledgement that I was around. Why bother commenting? I still enjoy their blog and know that they blog for other reasons than me. It takes time and effort to actually make a real comment on a blog, and being retired, I can at least try. Some blog comments are almost as quick and random as a Facebook Like, but at least the person made the effort to let you know they are reading. When I see hundreds of hits on a blog post and 3 comments, I do wonder if most of those “hits” are some tracking of something other than real humans actually reading the blog. The couple hundred that I think are real still don’t comment. Who knows. Doesn’t matter. If they all commented it would take forever to acknowledge their comments and who has time for that? I do my best. Sometimes I miss. I think I have been overloaded and read one of your blogs, saved it in an email for later and realized that a week has gone by and I missed that one. All that commenting and responding is a BIG job. LOLOL. I know you get it.
Thank you. I love your long, rambling, introspective, and thoughtful comments. Especially when you’ve been provoked by something I wrote. Not as many bloggers as used to be, and probably a good thing as I’d run out of time to read them all. I am reminded that when someone reads a book they don’t get to comment. After reading all these comments, I also realize that I’d be spending more time conversing (answering comments) than writing. Hmmmm…
We are much alike in many ways and thus why we are friends. Thank you for that. And Mo too. Hugs
I almost always read your posts and so enjoy your photography. Today’s favorite was Wotan’s Throne. Never did get to the North Rim, but did the South Rim several times. My husband said he never felt closer to God than sitting on a rock overlooking the Grand Canyon.
When I was in nursing school we were assigned an essay on what was important to us. During the part of my life, I was found to have substantial hearing loss. My essay was on being a good listener. I missed so much of conversations. Today, even with hearing aids, I can still screw up words. But I try to listen carefully. BTW, I received an A+ on my essay. My preference of communicating is email or texting. Phones? I do have a cellphone that is pair to the hearing aids. Do I like them? Yes, but I despise phone. It is kind of funny because my husband worked in the industry his entire life. I believe I have used just about every type of phone made. I will be the 3rd person admit to having and using a crank phone. I had your infamous Princess phone and we owned one of those big boxy cellphone mentioned by someone who commented on your blog. So, if you will forgive me, I may never call you. I loved today’s blog and I may comment more. You are a gem!
Thank you for commenting. I’ve known you for years online. Totally agree with your husband’s comment about the Grand Canyon, and never a bad view.
I love that story and admire your determination to be a good listener, something I still work on, while having trouble hearing. I’ll bet you deserved that A+.
I used to love phone calls but since cell, there’s just so many better options. You don’t have to call, just drop a note once in a while please.
I am blushing to be called a gem. Though I do love rocks. 😉
If this had been a real-time convo, I would have spent quite a bit of time just nodding and saying ‘exactly’. (Haha I joke, I would have talked more than that, I always do.) But I do agree completely with you about much of it — missing personal contact, even talking to strangers, oddly enough. Takes a lot of fun out of grocery buying when you can’t chat with people about what you’re buying. And blogging IS my social media — couldn’t stand Insta or Pin and now I barely do FB, sorry to say. I love texting (and email still), but I do need to hear my children’s voices sometimes so yes I do long phone calls but not as often as we used to because of the former. …. anyway, as always I enjoyed your thoughts and of course your wonderful pictures .
I think we’d talk away many days in real time. Having known each other so long online. I like that. I still talk to strangers. Thanks for being a friend.
Looks like you struck a nerve with this post! Lots of us have similar memories of the timeline of communications and where it’s landed us in today’s world. While I used to enjoy talking on the phone, it is my least favorite way to talk now. Messenger and texting my kids every day including pics and videos keeps me in touch with the most important peeps.
Don’t know if you ever followed RV Sue’s blog but the conversations there were incredible. This group of strangers from around the country kept the conversation going for weeks following a post, checking on each other when there wasn’t a comment. I’m so glad that we can still keep up with our RV buddies via our blogs, even though so many are no longer fulltime.
Love that Walnut Grove pic!!
I rather like provocation if it stimulates conversation. I do remember Sue’s huge following. And I love how the technology allows for keeping in touch.
Hi Gaelyn, The 1st computer I saw was at the U of Washington and I was probably 12 yrs. old..I remember it took up most of the 1st floor of a building.(1960?)…..My truck is turning 9 yrs. old and they still keep calling me to sell a warranty..Ya sure-you betcha.
And to think computers now fit on a wrist.
To me, everything online is about the conversation whether it is blogging, facebook, twitter, linkedin, or my favorite, instagram. I like people who are interactive and participate. I have like 2600 or instagram followers and I never see or hear from 2400 or so. I don’t get it. I don’t follow people unless I am interested in what they have to say. So yes, to me, it is all about the back and forth. Except I hate talking on the telephone. You are about as interactive as it gets. We occupy at gentle part of the internet. I have successfully detoxified my facebook. Twitter is where I get political but nobody gets emotional like they sometimes do on fb.
Agree, I converse with all the social media stuff I do, and that’s not really much and still keeps me pretty busy. The algorithms are against us. I usually stay away from the politics. Ingrained after working for the gov.