What do people blog about?

Lately I've been wondering what people blog about and why some blogs attract a lot of readers while others barely attract one or two. I've read several blogs over the past couple of months and it seems that the best read blogs discuss current or social events. Something I take notice of, but I'm not a reporter, nor is this venue a journalistic source. Other blogs that have a fair amount of regular readers blog about their personal lives; what their kids are doing, what's going on with the hubster's job, what's going on in their Church or Church life. Well, that's fine and good, and it's helped me learn that my life is not all that different, but I don't think my children (who are all grown and married now) would appreciate having their lives spread over a public forum, nor would they like having their adorable children's pictures posted. That's probably been one of the hardest for me. I certainly have a LOT to brag about with my children; and my grandchildren are, of course, the cutest, smartest, and best grandkids in the world; and I'd love to share all this. However, who might read this? Right now I know of only maybe 3 people who read this blog, but who else might find it?

The past year for me has been horrific; and it has followed four stressful and emotion-wracking years. So, I guess you could say that those previous four years culminated in the horror of the past 12 months. Because of this I've probably posted some lame stuff and some "personal growth" stuff that's not very interesting. I've also backed off a lot just because of this very thing. But spring is here again, and I feel that this next 12 months will be the best I've had in years. I certainly hope so. I've had enough family problems and stress to last me another decade. Actually, this past decade has been harder than the decade before that.

For a while I was blogging almost daily on Yahoo 360, but that just sort of petered out. There I blogged a lot about the seasonal changes going on in the woods behind my house, with pictures. Maybe I'll get back to that. In fact, I do have an exciting (to me) natural development going on in my front "yard" (about an acre in size) right now. We've noticed a very fresh animal burrow located about two feet from where we are intending to put a greenhouse. If you live in the city, your eyes might not be able see it, being accustomed to sidewalks, buildings, trees growing from neat circles in the sidewalks, manicured lawns; but this burrow is easily at least 12" wide and who knows how deep? I'm not sticking my hand down there. It's big enough to accommodate a fox, an armadillo, or a groundhog, all of which live around here. This is mid February, which indicates that whatever dug this burrow is most likely a pregnant female making a den for her coming young. This will be so exciting to watch! I'm sure, though, that early in March when we have the workers come in to lay down a foundation for the greenhouse, that she will be frightened off. I just hope that that time will not hurt her coming brood, whatever animal she is. I will certainly make a point of watching at dawn and dusk to see what animal is there. I'm always up at dawn and dusk, anyway, taking care of my chickens. I am so excited about this!

Besides the new animal burrow, I saw a deer as I was opening up the chicken house this morning at about 6 a.m. (I was late.) It was just on the other side of the poultry yard fence in the woods browsing. What a way to start the morning!

This past week the hawks have come back. They seem to come in about three year cycles. I hypothesize that they have a rotating feeding range. They've been soaring over my woods and watching my chickens, who have not been happy about their return. Yesterday, as I was driving down County Hwy 160, a red tailed hawk flew right in front of the car! I almost hit it, since it was so focused on something across the road it didn't see my car coming until it was about six feet from crashing into my windshield in spite of me applying the brakes and trying not to wander into the oncoming traffic or go into the ditch to the right. It veered off just in time. What a sight!

More good news: after about six months of no eggs at all from my aging chickens, I found TWO EGGS yesterday evening when I locked up the chickens! I'm so happy about that! Now my grandson can have "real eggs," sans antibiotics, sans growth hormones, for his breakfast again. I've "placed an order" to a local breeder for six more pullets this spring/early summer, so if my current old girls go back to laying, even just a few of them, on a regular or even semi-regular basis, I'll have eggs again by next fall! No more insipid store-bought eggs! Yay!