Following Blogs

When JayCee commented on my last blog it made me go to my side-bar to see whether she had started blogging again. I discovered that somehow I had missed the fact. I went to my sidebar where the blogs I read are mentioned and it wasn't there. Possibly I had deleted it when I thought JayCee wasn't going to blog any more. Who knows?

Anyway the real point was that if it's not in my side bar then I don't regularly check for posts.

Now a lot of people don't have other blogs in their sidebar so it started me wondering how they decided which blogs to follow and read. I know one person who only reads another blog when someone comments on his blog so he could follow the link back. However, I like a bit more structure to things.

Many years ago I used a program which allowed me to read all blogs and posts and comment outwith the blogs but that was discontinued.

Anyway I decided recently to do something about it and started writing this post to seek suggestions. When I got as far as the preceding paragraph I suddenly had a brainwave that perhaps there was something in the Dashboard which perhaps wasn't there in the 'old days' or which I had simply overlooked. Ecce! There at the bottom of the Dashboard was 'Reading List'. So I went through it only to discover that JayCee wasn't even on that. Then I realised that I had never actually followed her blog even though i read it. Now remedied. The question then came into my mind as to how I managed to follow YP's blog because he doesn't have a followers widget. Then I discovered that I can do that in the Dashboard too. Sorted. 

Do readers ever look to see who is on the blog list on other blogs?

Another question. Does anyone know why someone who comments on Eagleton Notes appears in the comments but never in my emails?

To lighten this post I thought I'd show a photo of a Rozanne Geranium with a little visitor. The Rozanne is unusual in that it is a perennial Geranium but does not spread or reproduce via runners or seeds. 

Blogger's Block

I'm conscious of the fact that it's a while, even for me, since I posted. I've had Blogger's Block. It's not quite the same as writer's block because I write a lot of letters and emails constantly. The difference is that on my blog I have various 'don'ts': I don't do controversial topics (and almost every current topic is controversial); I don't go long walks in interesting places most days (so I don't have a variety of photos to post every day); I lead a busy life in my garden (not the greatest blogging topic in a garden like mine) and socially (definitely not of interest to anyone else) and whilst croquet gave me a great many interesting blogs in New Zealand and when I won the Scottish Golf Croquet Open but bowls is probably as boring a topic for blogging as I can think of (not that I've been bowling this summer with lockdown); and I don't generally blog about my family (my grandson is of great interest to me but many people have their own grandchildren). 

Do you ever do aides memoir for blog topics or anything else that happens to take your interest? I do all the time. Today, however, I found one that I'd put in my phone shopping list when I was out on Friday because I didn't have a paper and pencil handy. It reads "A stake through the heart is not a good way to die." The problem today is that, although the words are crystal clear, I have absolutely no idea what they are supposed to remind me of. That and many other things can join the 190 draft and partly finished and occasionally incomprehensible blogs that I have started and languish in the dashboard.

Despite the atrocious weather we've been having and despite the fact that I don't think poppies are generally associated with this time of year my poppies are still flowering daily:

Blogger: What are you up to?

I woke up this morning to see various comments in my mail about a post entitled 'Calmac Survic'.  Yesterday I decided to do a post on the subject of Calmac's survival but, as I already had a post scheduled for this morning, I decided to do it today instead. However the heading (and possibly some post text) apparently did not stay in my draft and found their way onto the blog and onto Facebook. Very puzzled I checked the Dashboard and discovered that the post is, indeed still a draft.

What is really strange, however, is that I can't see the post on my blog either in draft or any other form and it's not on my Facebook page either.

It shows on the Dashboard as a draft post but when I try and open it there is no text at all.

So I shall try and do a post today and let you know what I did want to say.

Holidays in United Kingdom

I am puzzled. I am very puzzled. I have been puzzled for a long time.

All the mail that comes to my Eagleton Notes account come from the email address which is set in my blog settings. However all of them come addressed to 'HOLIDAYS IN UNITED KINGDOM'.

I have been into ever conceivable Google+ setting, blogger setting and email account setting and cannot find out why.

If I send myself an email to that address from another address without going through blogger then it come from Graham Edwards which is what the account is called in my Apple Mail accounts.

Does anyone else have a strange name attached to their emails from blogger?

Does anyone have any idea why I'm getting that or how I can stop it?

What Is Going On?

Recently all my emails in connection with this blog have come to the public email address but appear as being sent to "Holidays in the United Kingdom".  Nowhere can I find any rationale behind that.  Has anyone else had a similar experience?  Does anyone know why or how this is happening?

Another Google problem I'm having is this:

I'm gradually getting one for each of my Gmail addresses. When one follows the links Google says that an access has been attempted from or whilst I was using a "less secure" email client.  However I'm not using any of the ones they specified: I use iOS8 and Apple's Yosemite E-mail client.  All my passwords are randomly generated of more than 12 characters and stored in 1Password.  Is anyone else experiencing this?

One Thousand Posts

Today this Blog has reached a thousand posts.  I feel that I should celebrate in some way.  I'm not sure why.  I started the blog on 11 June 2007 but it was not until I arrived back from New Zealand in April 2008 that the next post appeared on the 27 April 2008 as a follow-on to my A Hebridean in New Zealand.  Given that this blog only records six months of each year that means I have averaged about 44 posts a month or slightly more than one for each day I've been here in the Northern hemisphere.

So I have decided (having spent 80 mins on the phone to my New Zealand Family already) to spend as much of my day as possible relaxing in Blogland and sorting photos.  That probably counts as a plan.  And we all know what happens to plans.  Better to be like Spike Milligan "I don't have a plan, so nothing can go wrong.".  Well it's now 1430 and this is as far as I've got.  Don't ask!

Some of you have, I know because of Katherine and Monica's comments on Home and My Own Bed, been kind enough to say that my profile (right) might be re-written.  So I think today I might address the issue and see if I can try and con you all into believing that I have enough imagination to come up with an alternative.  That's a challenge if ever there was one.  Actually knowing me the change will be minor and mundane.

In the meantime I shall have a look back through a few of my previous posts and see which ones take my fancy for a re-show.

It's been quite a strange and yet an amazing few years.  It's seen me being told that there was nothing more that could be done for my cancer and it's seen an amazing turnaround and radiotherapy and blood tests being reduced to 6-monthly instead of 3-monthly for the first time since the cancer was operated upon in1998.  Looks like I might die of old age after all - if a bus doesn't hit me first.

It's recorded visits to my brother CJ and Jo's by me, to me by CJ and Jo and by CJ and I to my niece Helen and Ian's in Exeter.

I've photographed insects, birds, plants, fungi, rocks, skies, landscapes and seascapes, weather,  and countless other things that I might never otherwise have given a second glance and spent ages identifying them or trying to and then asking CJ or Helen what they are.

I've visited museums, art galleries, theatres and other interesting places.

I've found posts that I've long forgotten (many); posts that made me laugh (a few); and astonishing coincidences (Never Forget - I very very rarely drink Whiskey but tonight I decided to have one. Compare the post with the following photo.);

I've visited France and various parts of Scotland, England and Wales.  Apart from New Zealand I've not visited any other countries in the last 4 years.  I'm slipping.

Even in September 2008 I was having Dreams and Things. 

I've blogged on climbing The Clisham with and had night's out with Gaz ,  Split Infinitives, Spelling Problems and Collar Studs, Loo Roll Hanging theories and Explanations, Never Hating Anything, changes in Inter-Island Ferries, first scheduled Sunday sailing from Lewis,

I've occasionally tried to be artistic as in A Study in Rosé and Turquoise, or philosophical as in Such Cynicism for One so Young,

Every Thursday I have tried to remind myself to be thankful in my Thankful Thursday blogs: an idea copied from Jaz of Treacy Travels.


I've made new friends in Blogland some of whom I've met in person (mainly through my Hebridean in New Zealand blog) and some of whom remain distant physically though close nonetheless. 

I've left Lewis

and I've returned

It's been a fun four plus years and while I keep on finding something to say and photograph and am still having fun then I shall hopefully keep on inhabiting Blogland and meeting you here.

(This post was started yesterday, Friday, but I ran out of time and kept getting sidetracked as I re-read old posts.)

A New Blog on the Block

  Click on image to visit the blog

Gaz is stuck in Italy with a sprained ankle and has been occupying himself by entering Blogland.  Some of you may already have seen his photo of a cottage on Skye on my Hebridean in New Zealand blog.  If so you’ll know that there will be some delights to come.  I, for one, am looking forward to them.   Welcome to Blogland, Gaz.

Reed Bunting

When I was looking to see if I had posted on various birds in the Western Isles I was surprised when a search in the Blogger title bar for a Stonechat only showed one posting whereas I knew that there were at least three because I’d also used the word as a category.  It was then I seemed to recall something that Mark (nephew in law) had written about the subject of indexing many moons ago.  I realised that the Blogger search does not appear to include the title of the posting in the search.  I must remember always to include the appropriate words in the text as well.

Recently I’ve had a female Reed Bunting  (Emberiza schoeniclus) in the garden and on the bird table.  I cannot recall that happening before and the Reed Bunting has not appeared in the bird list in the sidebar of this blog.  Until a day or so ago I’d only seen the female on the feeder and I spent a bit of time trying to ensure that the bill was that of the Reed Bunting and not the Corn Bunting (which I wouldn’t have expected it to be really, but I had to check).  Now that I have identifiable photos, it is a Reed Bunting.  It is at times like this that I wished that I was not having to take the photos through a double glazed window and that I had Adrian’s lenses.  But then her mate (or suitor?) turned up when she was feeding.

   

Return From A Temporary Absence

I've just spent a few very enjoyable days in Glasgow catching up before I leave for New Zealand - I have 10 more sleeps in Eagleton.  I caught up with Gaz who, yesterday, went to Egypt to kite surf.  I stayed with a friend, Anna, and 'did' things on Thursday (A blog posting on that will doubtless follow).  Yesterday I went to Ayr to see the Oncologist and I'll blog about that tomorrow.  Today I returned via lunch with an old friend.  What is amazing is the circular links between us all and the smallness of the world.  I met Anna in New Zealand but she lives near Glasgow.  The friend I lunched with is also part of my New Zealand world although we knew each other many years before either of us had ever set foot in the Southern hemisphere.

So tomorrow normal service on this blog will be resumed.

I'm In a Quandary

I never seem to be able to get myself into a position whereby I have enough items upon which to blog and then when I do have the items and the time I seem to just do them all at the same time instead of scheduling them.  Hence as I was having dinner tonight I was wondering to myself what I could find to blog upon which was quick and easy and interesting enough to have at least the first paragraph read.  I had plenty of ideas for blogs but nothing quick.  It has to be quick because I have a load of emails to reply to and arrangements to be made in New Zealand.  The time difference means that I have to make my calls early morning my time to get people in the evening or in my evening if I need to speak to them during the day.  

Anyway I needed some information for a decision on a Croquet Tournament when I get back to New Zealand.  So I went to my Hebridean in New Zealand blog.  As I was reading what I wanted to know I realised that I had 20 followers.  Now I knew that when I left New Zealand and stopped that blog I only had 12 followers and apart from a couple of my new Blogger pals they were people I already knew.  So why the increase I wondered.  Anyway it made me think.  I return to New Zealand soon and need to think about my new blog.

Questions:  Do I simply alter my old blog and use it for this year too and just alter the title a bit?  Do I amalgamate my existing two blogs (one for each of the last two visits) and continue?  Or do I start a new blog for this time in New Zealand? Decisions.  Decisions.  I'll just have to work out which is the easiest for my readers and for me.  The second option I suspect will win the day.