He's a closet blogger you know....

Someone said to me this week, how long have you been blogging.

It almost makes it sound like I'm up to something underhand "oh you know him, he's a closet blogger", shunned by society and keeps it behind closed doors. In those early days I kept my identity secret. Which looking back seems odd, when writing a diary for others to read, but then again we never know who is out there. But it got me thinking, how long have I been a blogger. I had a look yesterday; lo-and-behold, today is my 1st Anniversary.

I thought I'd started this rambling diary in October 2007, but (and of course a sign of getting old), I started it quietly on December 3rd 2007, but then listed the birds seen back to November.

This was the bird which started it all off, a Glossy Ibis which arrived in Somerset last November and stayed for weeks. For some reason I've never posted a photo of this strange and exotic bird, so here is the best of a bad bunch (it was early morning and dull)

I've had great fun over the last year, some successes, more failures and made some fabulous blogging friends. You know who you are, thank you for all the comments. It is a strange old business, we sit and write whatever rubbish comes into our minds, publish it on the web, and if we're lucky some nice comments. I remember the excitement of getting my first comment, someone had read my blog. I never got another comment from that person, so they must have succumbed to boredom...

Wot I rite, on the blog has changed too. It started as a pseudo-wildlife diary for me, but my interests are really the British Countryside, so over time the subject matter changed. Writing a blog also makes a difference to being out and about, I always have a camera with me now, and the smallest event or incident becomes fuel for the blogging fire. And it makes one look at the World around us in a completely different way which in turn makes the World seem different.

Personally the last year has been jolly traumatic and unsettling, but hey, I've got my health, kept my sense of humour (debatable to some) and throughout all of this the blog kept going. Mind you the the art blog has suffered a bit and the gardening blog had to be deleted through lack of time. So lets raise a glass of single malt to the postings of the future.

Speaking of which, on a dark, frosty day in December, I'm posting this picture of Lyme Regis, June 2007 and the rebuilding of the beach, a Jurassic earth mover on the Jurassic Coast - we all need colour in our lives on a day like this.

A huge thank you to all of you have read my ramblings, posted a comment or provided encouragement, it's very much appreciated, has kept me sane, and kept me going throughout the strange year I've had in 2008.... I hope I can keep it going for another 365 days.