Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: Reflections

Well my topic was on reptiles, I tried to mix up a bit.

The posts ended up breaking down like this:

One was in general

One crocodile

Two on a Tortoise

Five on Turtles

Seven lizards

Ten snakes (only three venomous and one of them was semi-venomous)

I wanted to visit 300 pages (which means leaving comments). I fell short I came up with 250. I am planning to do the roadtrip so that number could grow. 

This bearded dragon thought my lap was comfy unfortunately I had already posted about Bearded Dragons.

Reflections on the A to Z the best part is interaction with others. Sad is the bloggers who have come on gone for various reasons.

I didn't have a huge A to Z "hit" post. Yes my page views were up for the month of April but with 32 posts for the month that would be expected. Past years posts also get some love during this time. 

Personally I as a blogger wanted to blog about something different. Sure, I have blogged about reptiles before but not to this extent. Plus certain topics can get your blog a label. This on just balances out the blogosphere.

A to Z Challenge: Reflections on the 2015 Challenge

Overall thoughts?

In the four years I have been doing the A to Z: Challenge it has grown quite a bit! Over 1500 is a lot of bloggers. I'm sure I have only reached a fraction of those bloggers. The visitors, that I know, who have stopped by my blog I have visited. The ones who are on my feed (okay those are mostly the same). I was able to visit a few sites from the A to Z facebook page. Kudos for the page! Also I have been working my way through the sign up list on the A to Z page to visit different blogs. It is a slow process. I will definitely have plenty of blogs to visit during an A to Z; road trip. Has the challenge grown too big?Visiting some of the blogs I found a few people didn't finish the challenge. I can certainly understand that. Those blogs and writers reminded me the challenge is truly a challenge. Is there a blog I should not miss? Feel free to let me know in the comments.

Thoughts on my blog and the challenge

As a writer of my blog I found the challenge did help me find a balance among topics I had been searching for in my blog. Like always I tried to keep my posts true to what readers may find on my blog the other 11 months of the year. Two of my most successful posts of the challenge also featured photography by me so I was pleased with that. The other two most successful were my Battle of the Bands post but they double dip blog hops.

What I liked the most?

I was able to stumble across a couple of my old writing friends in the challenge. Probably through my own fault I lost track of what they were doing so it was nice to visit their blogs. One of them is Phillip Veghese Ariel's writings and another is Julie Du Pre's Precious Monsters. I was also a winner of Liz A's Laws of Gravity blogs. Everyone likes to win! Well it has been a great challenge and now another 11 months until the next A to Z; Challenge.

Reflections on the 2014: A to Z Challenge

The 2014 April A to Z Challenge is over and now it is time for the reflection part.



I survived and I did a post a day. Some posts were easier than others.



Did my blog grow?

Yes four more people started to follow my blog. I had over 2,000 pageviews for the month.
I really liked the comments. Most months I don't get many but in April I get a few. I like them, I like the feedback, the interaction, it kind of makes the blog come alive. I also stumbled into quite a few interesting blogs as well.

The staff was cool. I enjoy the challenge and have done it a few years running.

What didn't work..

I confess I had trouble figuring out how to follow some peoples blog. Some folks I couldn't even find their blogs. The challenge has grown so big!

I like the categories. Perhaps more linking by categories in the future would be a suggestion. This coming from the scatterbrained blogger.

The challenge did get me back to writing and back into blogging. Hopefully my blog will continue with the momentum and grow a bit more!

More than likely I will be back for the challenge in April of 2015!

A to Z Challenge: Gunther Gebel-Williams

When I was child the most important part of the circus was the animal acts. Back in the 70s I remember Gunther Gebel-Williams performing with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. I'm sure at some point in my childhood I even dreamed to become like him. I had the blonde hair which unfortunately has turned quite gray since seeing him.  Sadly my body never developed into his muscular physique. The big cats he used to train would probably look at me as a snack instead of trainer so I never followed in his footsteps...

He performed in a time before the explosion of social media. Yet he made a name for himself through his performances in the circle and by appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and The Ed Sullivan Show.

However, recently my daughter and I had the opportunity to handle a White Tiger perhaps a bit of Gunther rubbed off on me after all..

.

Sadly at the age of 66 on July 19, 2001 Gunther Gebel-Williams passed away due to a brain tumor but he did leave us with long lasting memories.

Black Friday Reflections on Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. If you live outside the United States I hope you had a great Thursday. My family had a nice dinner with some family friends. Anyway for the month of November I have been listing things I am thankful for the month of November, I thought I would share them on here.Some were tongue and cheek and some were serious.

Day 23: Today Black Friday I am glad I wasn't in that madness.

Day 22: Thanksgiving...I am thankful for Turkey
Day 21: I am thankful for firemen (and woman) and EMTs/ Thankfully I haven't needed them but they are good to have around.

Day 20..I am thankful for all the cancer survivors. I have a lot in my life and I am glad they are still with us.

Day 19 I am thankful I am blessed with healthy kids

Day 18 thankful for friends and family

Day 17 i am thankful a big mistake fixed itself like nothing happened

Day 16 I am thankful for BluesGate Jams for bringing a lot of great players together to jam close to where I live.

Day 15 Thankful for your smile
Day 14 I am thankful when little inconveniences turn into better opportunities
Day 13: I am thankful Tuesdays are planned nights for me and my daughter to spend time together
Day 12: I am thankful for all the veterans of the Navy, Marines, Air Force, Army, and Coast Guard. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
Day 11: Thankful to be able to say Happy anniversary to my wife
Day 10 thankful of 21 years of Pi Kappa Phi..HA style
Day 9 Thankful I get to see so many shows
Day 8 I am thankful I have something to eat, and I am hopeful those who don't will be fed
Day 7 I am thankful the election is over!
Day Six I am thankful that I live in a country where I can vote (yes I voted)
Day Five: I am thankful for the little blessings, you know the ones you forget or take for granted.
Day 4 Update I am thankful for my daughter
Day 3 I am thankful for the blues
Day 2: I am thankful the Sandy storm didn't do any damage but make the power flicker a few times and tear down a political sign, I am thankful that my friends and family weathered the storm and stayed healthy
I am thankful November only has 30 days so I only have to share 30 things instead of 31

I suppose I will continue this until the end of the month. Feel free to share what you are thankful for in the comments

My Dad Turned 70

Yesterday my dad turned 70. Long ago when I was young 70 was thought to be so old, now not so much. It is though. Time does that to people. His hair has turned white and his beard too. Funny, mine has turned gray so I must not be too far behind.

Diabetes and a slight heart condition has worked to speed up aging on my dad. Probably some of the same demons I'll have to face someday. Best advice my dad has told me, is to never get old. But like most good advice, I'm slow to take it.

My Dad and I aren't the only things to change during the years. Being born in 1938 my Dad has lived through a lot of history. The world has changed. A World War, the coming of television, personal computers, the evelotion of the telephone and so much more. Through the decades the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's , 80's, 90's and beyond. The world is so different from one decade to another. My Dad has weathered the changes.

His life two has gone through the challenges of growing up, getting married, having children, watching them grow up, being retired, and becoming a grandffather. Every stage we all try to reach my Dad has accomplished. Stuck in the day by day struggle, how is accomplishment looks greater and greater. As I see more of my Dad in me, maybe one day I'll accomplish more of those.

9/11 Remembering

I was working in the Crystal City area of Arlington, Virginia on September 11, 2001. Not far from the Pentagon at all. I had taken the day off from work. When I heard the first plane had crashed into the World Trade Center, I did not belief it. The same feeling I had when the first Space Shuttle blew up. Sure, enough it was all over the news. Then I watched as the second plane crashed into the building. Two more planes crashed that day, one in the Pentagon. I was living in Hagerstown at the time, so a plane crashes an hour and a half away from me in one direction, then the other plane crashes an hour and half away from me in the other direction in Bedford County, PA. I may have been in shock of the whole ordeal, however nothing brought it home like my pre-dawn commute the next day. The smell of the burning crash hit me as soon as I parked my car close to National Airport and started walking toward my office. The horrific stench is something I will always remember. To those who perished on that day, you are remembered. For all who helped, I am grateful for what you did. It is something no one should ever forget.