One Year!

One year ago today I made the first post to this blog. In that year, this little blog has had just over 10,000 unique visitors (the counter in the green area at far right was started a couple of months after the blog actually started, so it reads a bit low).

For me, the most enjoyable part of blogging is the interactions I’ve had with my readers, in comments and in private emails, and even in some phone calls. Of all the many things I’ve done with the web, this blog has been the most fun by far — largely because of that interactivity, which all of my previous web adventures lacked. Blogging is also an outlet for two of my favorite creative activities: writing and photography. I get to inflict both on the world, and the world can’t do anything about it (except ignore me, of course)! And there have been all sorts of other benefits, like bragging about Debbie and her dog agility adventures (with our two field spaniels, Mo’i and Lea), doing some actual reporting (such as the Jamul Casino groundbreaking ceremony), and getting my political voice heard. It’s been lots and lots of fun, and I have no plans to stop anytime soon…

Of course, that last statement will disappoint some <smile>.

The graph above right shows the number of page views ("hits") on JamulBlog, per month since its inception (February is linearly projected). The general trend is obvious enough, though I think this month will be anomalously high because Michelle Malkin (who has the most popular blog on the web) linked to my blog early in the month, causing a surge in visits. But no matter how I squint at the numbers, the trend is up. When I look more closely at the logs, I see that there are a steadily increasing number of people who visit my blog regularly (thank you!). That number is hard to measure with any precision, as some folks visit several times a day; others visit only once or twice a month.

No author likes anything more than to have his scribblings read. I cherish every one of those visitors, and I’m just tickled pink to see the numbers increasing. Can’t account for it by any rational means, but I sure do like it…

Thanks!