Friday, November 24, 2006

A few random blog thoughts

I hope Thanksgiving Day went well for any American who reads this. I wonder if you ever wish it was in – I don’t know, maybe April - so as to space out the turkey holidays a bit? Why is it at this time of year, anyway?

A couple of months ago, Daughter 1, who knows about things (including, probably, why Thanksgiving is when it is) installed a visit counter for my blog. Then, cruelly, she abandoned us for married life in her own house. So – not being technologically very advanced – I didn’t realise till some weeks later that one can click on all sorts of lists and get fascinating details about where people are who visit one's blog.

I’m sure everyone else knows all this already, so I apologise for being boring. But I’m amazed every week by various things. One is the numbers of countries from where people visit. Abu Dhabi kept popping up for a few weeks, though clearly the Abu Dhabian got bored since there’s been no sign of him/her recently. Someone from Geneva features quite often, and an Amsterdamer also seems to keep an eye on me. A couple of German blog-readers. And a Canadian or two. There are also various people, who I assume are the nice people with whom I exchange comments, in places in America, Australia and New Zealand. Somehow (why?) it seems odder that there’s an occasional visitor from nearer home, for example in Salford and Norfolk.

Hello, all you mysterious people.

Mind you, last week was a bit of a bumper visit-week, while the figures are a bit down this time. (If I were a BBC programme, I’d be getting axed.) And there are always some people who, according to the little lists, visit for 0 seconds. How does that work? I can understand someone clicking on the “Next blog” button, finding me and thinking “I don’t think so” – but how does anyone do that in 0 seconds?

It’s jolly fun, though, and all for free. To be picky, I could do with a bigger world map on the screen. My geography of the Antipodes is terrible and I keep meaning to get an atlas and look up those places mentioned on the “Location” list; the blobs on the map must cover several hundred square miles.

It’s the weekend. Thank goodness.

15 comments:

  1. Hi from Australia! I enjoy popping in to read your blog every now and then. You may be interested to know that it is 30 degrees C here today. I am just thinking about a swim.

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  2. Another Aussie here...

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  3. It's definately not 30C here in London. Cold, wet, grey and windy.

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  4. And another Aussie ;-)
    I get heaps of visitors to my website from Japan and Korea. I have no idea who they are!

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  5. I love sitemeter - fascinating finding out where readers are :o)

    I agree about the maps, never enough detail! :oD

    By the way, the 0 second visitors could be people who drop by to see if there's a new post but disappear quickly when there's not - that's how I rationalise the quick visits on my blog.

    B.

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  6. A New Zealander here - pop in a couple of times a week to see what's new.

    Just for interest - our weather - still windy and cool - is summer ever going to come?

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  7. Melbourne, Australia (way down the bottom but above Tasmania!)
    Perfect weather here today.

    I love my site metre too. I'm fascinated by the google searches that land people at my site. I always think they'll be disappointed though. Eg, I mentioned Jon Pertwee in one post, so now if you google him you could end up at me. But you'd be none-the-wiser about him.

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  8. Just in answer to your query on my blog - yes summer over here is only a couple of days away from the official start - BUT it's still cold, windy and miserable - not fair!

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  9. Here's another Kiwi - from Wellington.

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  10. Well, here's your California, USA friend! I do enjoy reading what you write!!
    The first Thanksgiving was in October of 1777 - in the fall, because it was a celebration of a bountiful harvest! Years later, in 1863 after much discussion and several proclimations, Abraham Lincoln set a day of Thanksgiving as the last thursday in November. In 1941 our Congress set it as an official national holiday! And really, turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and pumpkin pie is just a perfect meal for a beautiful crisp day with leaves turning all of those wonderful colors! Somehow heating the house up for a big dinner like that in the middle of summer when it's hot just wouldn't seem right!!
    And right now it is cool outside, a light jacket feels good - early this morning it was COLD - even in Sunny Southern California!!

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  11. Hi there! I'm finally getting time to drop by regularly again. Although you probably know that based on your site meter! I need to get myself one of those. Although I'm not sure I need anything else to obsess over ;) Your blog is still the one that makes me smile the most! Els

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  12. And this one's from Florida!I'm also not so good with knobs and buttons--"Step away from the T.V. controls Mom!" But I'm becoming addicted to the way blogging puts you in touch with kindred spirits all over the world--people you could live a few doors down from for years without ever finding out that you have so much in common with them. Blogging cuts to the chase---what's going on in our heads...I love it. And Isabelle , you made me smile a mile when you mentioned that you had gone and read all my posts....no, not published,but always scribbling...maybe some day.

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  13. And I'm another Floridian. I found you through your comments to Molly Bawn. Molly has me blogging now. Better wait to read me until I've had a little more practice.

    I love everything I've read here so far. And I love your photos even more! What a beautiful place you live in. (By the way, your signature meconopsis photo would make a wonderful quilt design of the huge, realistic applique type.)

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  14. I'm also amazed at where people are, who look at my blog, which is in Australian (version of English), and surely not completely understood by people in Scandinavia, India, Arab Emirates, etc. I don't go there because I don't read their lingo, so I don't know what I'm missing!

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  15. Hello, Isabelle! I'm from Ohio, U.S.! I have a dear friend who was originally from the UK. She still flies her Union Jack and shares tea with me. I have sent your site address to her. :) Anyway, was curious about the sitemeter. Wasn't sure what, where, etc. Pass on some info when you get time, and keep writing such a great blog! :)

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