The Post-Challenge Challenge

Yes, I’m behind by a day. Sorry about that, but between working and an evening commitment that went on far longer than it should have, I didn’t have enough time left to get back on the blog train and enthrall you with my Blog Challenge insights. Fear not, for even a day later I have something to say about it and am willing to share (lucky you).

When I logged on Monday morning and found myself in slot #27, I thought for sure that I was one of the last blogs on the list. Don’t ask me why --- even I don’t make any sense to me sometimes, especially when I’m trying to get something done before sunrise. I figured if it took me until 7 p.m. Sunday night to even decide to be a part of the Challenge, all of the other serious-type bloggers were already on board. Little-Miss-West-Coast-Late-Arriver would be left to help hold up the caboose, which is probably the best place for me since, if you know me, you know my caboose is more than up to the task. But I digress.

A quick check-in when I got to work showed that there were other peeps slowly adding their sites to the mix. I read a few posts from sites I was familiar with and settled in for the day. Seeing how introspective some of my fellow pet bloggers were when answering the questions posed by the Challenge I created a challenge of my own: I will read every single post on the subject of the Pet Blogger Challenge from every site that participated and leave a comment, even if it is just a simple “hello”. If bloggers took the time to answer the same eight questions I answered, the least I can do is be polite enough to read them.

For the record, that was a pretty easy promise to make to myself at 8 a.m., when there were maybe 42 blogs on the roster. I peeked in a lunch time and saw the number of participants had risen to 67. Still doable. Probably not all in one day, but still a perfectly reasonable number of places to drop by, do a little reading and leave a note of appreciation. I mean, that’s the whole point of indulging in exercises like the Challenge, isn’t it? The opportunity to meet new people and get exposure to new blogs you may have never seen before, right?

Well, it looks like I’ll be getting plenty of exposure in the near future. Last time I peeked at the link list there were over 90 blogs listed for the Challenge. I’m almost afraid to look again, for fear that there’s a trigger on it that drops in three more links every time I peek, but it doesn’t matter. I’m still going forth with my mission.

If I’m not posting something on here for the next or day or two, you know where to find me. I’ll be at your place. It may take me the rest of the week to wend my way through the balance of the sites (I did say part of the deal is to read the answers on every site that participated), but I’ll get there.

Keep a light on for me ;)

The Pet Blogger Challenge

The folks at Go Pet Friendly are hosting a Pet Blogger Challenge and asking other pet bloggers to share our thoughts about our blogs and blogging in general. Go Pet Friendly supplied the questions I’m answering.

I began my blog in January 2008. Prior to starting the blog I'd spent a few years writing a semi-regular pet column for a community paper. A few folks were kind enough to tell me they enjoyed what I wrote and I thought a blog would be a great place to practice my writing skills and to meet people who share my love of critters.

Three years later I believe, for the most part, that I want the same things from my blog as I did when I began. I still love meeting people who share my passion for pets, I still enjoy writing a great deal and I still enjoy it when people tell me that something I wrote made them think or laugh or cry. My writing for the community paper was drastically cut back when the format of the product changed, so the blog gives me a corner of the world to indulge my creative side.

I’ve thought of blogging on a regular schedule and have even gone so far as to create a subject template so that different days of the week would be dedicated to specific topics. I believed if I created a more “formal” presence I might be able to generate more followers but, alas, I am hopeless when it comes to putting any sort of real structure in my blog. I work full time, have a family and do some volunteer work. The more I thought of maintaining a blog schedule, the more it felt like one more chore, rather than the positive experience I want it to be. I do worry that my blogging style costs me followers and, at times, momentum, but I believe if I were to hold myself to a schedule the quality of what I put on the site will suffer because I’d feel compelled to put posts out there just to say I did, rather than writing when I’m feeling it.

Currently I generate no income from my blog. I would love it if at some point in the future I am able to generate income through sponsorships or advertising, but thus far I haven’t tried very hard to learn about growing that side of my blog. That’s an area I hope to improve on over the next couple of years, but it will always be secondary to the writing and sharing aspects.

My favorite thing about blogging is the ability to share information about groups, events, websites, news stories and personal interests with other people who might find them interesting or insightful. Plus, I have to admit, there are times I write something and after coming back and reading it I can say to myself, “Hey, that was pretty good stuff.” It doesn’t happen every day, or even every week, but when it does I’m glad I got it out there.

I find the most challenging aspects of blogging to be the inevitable writer’s block that creeps in from time to time, finding a peaceful place to get writing done when I want to write, and the space in my head that exists between what I want my blog to be and where it currently stands. Sometimes I’ll view the blogs of other pet bloggers and just go, “Wow. There’s no way my blog will ever be that creative/interesting/interactive/cool. I should hang it up.” Then some lovely person will say something nice about my site or a post and I try and get my perspective back and keep on typing.

My plan for 2011 is to continue what I started at the end of 2010, namely to be more proactive at networking my blog where I can find a larger audience, connecting with more people who blog about pets to learn more and grow my own blogging experience and to continue to try and narrow the gap between my mental vision of my blog and where I see it today. If we do this again next year, this post will be a great progress marker.

Thanks to Go Pet Friendly for hosting this event. Check out some of the other participants by clicking the links below.

“He will love you like you’ve never been loved before”

Who wouldn’t stop, just for a minute or two, and read on when seeing a come-on like that in their Facebook news feed, especially when it’s placed next to a beautiful photo of a seemingly medium-sized dog sitting on the grass on a sunny day? A phrase like that is practically a dare to people scrolling through the maze of posts that erupted in their profile since the last time they checked.

You only think you have a great pet/friend/spouse. You haven’t experienced anything like this little dude. 

Adoption pleas like that (and as much as I’d love to give credit where credit is due, I did not bookmark the post, so I cannot tell you the shelter/rescue group responsible for such creativity) warm my soul. They make me want to read more about the pet and what makes them so special in the eyes of the people currently caring for him or her. Wouldn’t you want to know more?

Shoot, I’d go out of my way to look for more posts like that. Posts that showcase everything wonderful a new four-legged friend can add to your life. Heck, I’d even be willing to forward those types of come-ons to other folks I know, unlike the posts that still make up the majority of what I still see online: URGENT!!! WILL DIE TOMORROW! DESPERATELY NEED HELP!! PLEASE SAVE!!  Those are posts that I’m almost certain to never finish reading, let alone pass on.

Know why?

Because the odds are pretty good that if you are reading this, you are someone who has a soft spot for animals, particularly companion animals, because if you’re not, the only other option is that you lost a bet to me and reading this is in lieu of me ever getting my money from you. Mostly, I’m guessing it’s the former.

Same goes for my Facebook friends. Like you, the people I’m friends with on Facebook are people I made an active choice to include in my circle. As such, it’s a pretty safe assumption that I’m not carrying a host of backyard breeding, puppy-torturing, kitten-hating folks on my roster --- and I’m guessing you aren’t, either.

So, while I have absolutely no objection at all to people who forward pet information in an effort to find a forever home for any pet they can, I’m well-past over the not-so-subtle implication that it’s all my fault if the six dogs you just posted, one after another, aren’t all rescued and in a foster home by the end of the day. Especially in a forum like Facebook where the people who are joining your organization’s page or adding you to their “friend” list have clearly already had a whole pitcher of Kool-Aid and are asking for another glass. We get it. We want to help, or are already actively helping in whatever way we are able. So how about dialing the combo-meal-sized dose of guilt back a bit?

Tell me what is wonderful and special about the pet in the photo. Tell me about a physical mark of beauty, an endearing habit or a funny quirk. Use a line from a movie or a song that will encourage me to read more, share more, do more, because it feels good to do so.

It’s what friends do for each other.

Pet Blog Hop Day!

If it's Saturday, it must be time for another Saturday Pet Blogger Hop! Check out some of the wonderful offerings from Pet Bloggers everywhere.

Shame, shame, shame

The lovely blog host of Rescued Insanity has put me to shame. While I sit here bemoaning the fact that it's all of 38 degrees outside in the morning, she puts up a perfectly guilt-inducing piece about how she rises pre-dawn to take her beloved dog Shiva out for a walk before heading to work. Shiva has a reflective jacket that she wears for protection that outshines your average road crew. Oh --- and there's snow on the ground.

While I wouldn't go so far as to call it a resolution, one of my desires for the new year is to get out more with the Doodlebug for morning walkies before heading to work, like we used to do a year ago. Of course, I have conveniently managed to use the cold and dark as an excuse to keep my ample behind in the house --- you know, where the coffee is. Surely my new-found desire to walk can hold until there's a little light in the sky, right?

Maybe not. Seeing someone else (literally) go the extra mile makes me think that I'd best get it into gear, lest I be discovered for the wastrel I've become.

Next week looks pretty good...if the weather holds and all.

P.S. Still getting to the video. May have to wait for the weekend to get going for real. I've got a phone that makes Quick Time video that I want to play with on a PC and, as near as I can tell, no compatible editing software. Should be fun :)