Eight years ago yesterday my dear friend and photography mentor Cindy Dyer sat me down and told me that I was going to start a blog. She is a professional photographer and graphic designer and already had a well-established blog. I had gone shooting with her multiple times and we had spent countless hours together reviewing my photos to improve my skills in capturing images and processing them. She had decided it was time to broaden my audience beyond that of Facebook.
Cindy showed me the basics of WordPress editing and navigation and helped me to set up my initial pages. I do not think that either of us anticipated the degree to which I would grow to love the process of blogging, a process that has allowed me daily to express myself creatively in both words and images.
WordPress data show that I have published 3628 posts, which probably includes the occasional re-blog of a post written by someone else, and have had almost 249 thousand views. Those posts have included over 580 thousand words (about 160 words per posting) and well over 4000 photos.
Although I look at the numbers from time to time, they are not that important to me. It is personally more important to me that the blog has helped me to develop relationships with a lot of different viewers, to share with so many of you my sometimes faltering steps on my meandering journey into photography.
Thanks to all of you for helping me along the way and sharing your comments, suggestions, and recommendations. I especially owe a debt of gratitude to Cindy Dyer for motivating me throughout this entire period, for pushing me at times when I was hesitant, and for serving as my muse. Many of you probably feel that you already know Cindy, given that I have featured flowers from her garden repeatedly during this year as I have been forced to stay close to home. Thanks, Cindy.
To celebrate this anniversary, I thought I would reprise two of my favorite photos. These are not necessarily my most popular images or my “best” images, but they are ones that are particularly memorable to me. I am also including links to the original postings so you can read the accompanying text and additional commentary about the circumstances under which they were captured. Links to original postings: Visible Song (8 March 2016) and Fox on a frozen pond (31 January 2016).
But wait, there’s more. As a bonus, I am including an image that I captured last week of a spectacular male Halloween Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis eponina). Most of you know that I am somewhat obsessed with dragonflies and they have been an almost constant focus of my photography during the warm months over the last eight years. In fact, my very first blog posting featured a dragonfly. So, I feel it is only appropriate to include a dragonfly as I look back at where I have been.
Thanks again for all of your support and encouragement over these past eight years. The journey continues onward. I hope to continue to walk side-by-side with so many of you as we support and encourage one another. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.” (Gal. 6:10)
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Congratulations to you! I learned of your blog from Allen Norcross of NH Garden Solutions and have enjoyed seeing your posts for several years. While I’m not obsessed (but do appreciate) dragonflies, I now look at them as beautiful and interesting. I never knew there was so much variety and color in the species. I can see why these photos are some of your favorites. The red wing blackbird is an amazing photo. So thank you to Cindy Dyer for encouraging you to create a photo blog and thank you to you for taking her advice. We are the lucky readers/viewers!
Thanks, Ann. I am amazed by the ways that our little on-line communities spring up and grow with so many interesting cross-connections. I am especially gratified that my blogging friends are widely varied in their interests and include painters, poets, photographers, among others. The “visible song” shot is probably my absolute favorite shot that I have taken. It shows a common bird doing something uncommon, which supports my oft-stated view that you don’t have to travel to exotic locations to find beauty–it is all around us.
Congrats on your WP anniversary, and more important your skills and perseverance 👏👏
Thanks, Ted. I think that in blog years, a blog that has lasted eight years is an old-timer. So many folks, I suspect, have an initial burst of enthusiasm that dissipates over time. Blogging fills some of the emotional space and time that work used to fill before I retired fully.
It’s like dog years 😂.
That is exactly what I was thinking. Since I am not a “big dog” in the blogging world, I expect longevity is on my side–little dogs generally live longer than the big ones. 🙂
Congratulations!
Thanks, Louella.
Congratulation and happy anniversary, Mike!
Thanks, Dan. It is somewhat easier in retirement to have time to keep cranking with my blog. I’ve noted that in the past few months more folks have been reading my postings. I would like to say that I am writing postings, but suspect that the uptick is more a result of people staying home thanks to the pandemic. You have certainly seen the fox and red-winged blackbird shots before, because I have featured them a few times, but sometimes it is valuable to look back and celebrate the past as we move into the future.
It’s always good to see them again, and you might have people who missed them earlier or are new to the place. I rerun some photos when it makes sense.
Well done Mike, 8 years? That’s dedication right there!
Thanks. I used to be fixated on not missing a day, but now I’m totally ok with skipping a day from time to time. As a photographer, I tend to be patient and persistent and those traits carry over to the blog. Writing a blog posting is part of my daily routine now. I never write a posting in advance, but most of the time I have an idea which photos I will feature. So, I sit down with my coffee and crank out a posting each morning–so far I have not missed a day in 2020. 🙂
Stunning images, Mike …and it is a pleasure to follow your photograpgic adventures in the blogosphere. M 🙂
Thanks so much. Although I generally prefer to go out on those adventures on my own–I like the solitude of nature–I love being able to share my thoughts and images with others upon my return.
Happy Anniversary!
Thanks, kenne. We have been traveling roughly parallel paths for quite a number of years, as I recall.
Congratulations! I applaud your dedication and perseverance during this journey. Please continue the good work and keep sharing your amazing photographs with us.
Thanks for your kind words. I love to take photos and to share my results with all of you and plan to keep doing so.
Congratulations! Your posts are nourishment. Your passion for your craft inspiring. Thank you🐞🦋🌺❤
Thanks, Suzette. My blog postings tend to be a direct reflection of my personality. I am energetic, curious, and patient and those traits help me in my photography as well as in the rest of my life. I am gratified that you find some of that to be inspiring. We can all use positive energy these days.
Yes we can indeed use positivity moreso. Thanks again 🌺😊
Congratulations Mike!
Your posts have been a such a positive addition to my life, especially now during these trying times… a beacon of beauty and hope.
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent!
🦅🐞🐜🕷🦀
Happy anniversary! Cindy did us a huge favour by encouraging you to join the WordPress community (not everyone does Facebook). Your photographs of dragonflies are astonishing, and have opened my eyes to insects to which I previously paid scant attention. But the images of the red-winged blackbird and the fox show you’re not a one trick pony…wonderful. Keep up the good work!
Thanks. Cindy is my neighbor and friend as well as being the one who helped me get more serious about photography. She and I share studio space with a video media producer and I sometimes help her with portraits. In the winter months I am primarily a bird photographer and my lens of choice switches from a long macro lens to a long telephoto zoom lens. On occasion I will photograph beavers, muskrats, deer, and foxes. The fox on the frozen pond was pretty lucky, because during some winters it doesn’t stay cold enough for the ponds to freeze solid.
Congratulations, Mike! I always enjoy your posts. You have taught me much about the natural world, and I appreciate and enjoy it a lot. I recall seeing the remarkable red winged blackbird before, but not the fox. The fox completely blows me away. That must’ve been an exciting moment. And your latest looks like a celebration in itself. Compared to you I’m a relative newbie. having been blogging only for about a year and a half. I started blogging to become better known as a photographer. I don’t know if I’m really achieving that end, but I am very definitely making lots of friends, and I’m glad that you’re one of them.
Thanks, Michael. The supportive community is by far the biggest advantage of blogging, I believe. What I enjoy especially is that many people are willing to explain why they like a given photo, which I think helps us to understand better how others see our work. That is one reason why I think comments are a better metric for measuring success than the total number of “Likes.”
I agree. I will work on better articulating the reason for my likes.
As far as the fox goes, it was the stark simplicity of the photo and the amazing look in the fox’s eyes.
Thanks, Michael. I can’t recall if I told the whole back story when I did the posting years ago, but I had been sitting out in the cold on a log by a beaver pond for an extended period of time when I looked over and saw the fox crossing the pond. I managed to get only two shots off before my camera battery died–batteries temporarily lose their charges when they are out in the cold. I had a spare battery in an inner pocket, but by time I changed the battery, the fox had turned around and disappeared into the woods. I was shocked that the image turned out as good as it did, but I think it was because the fox had come out onto the ice far enough that the background became a blur. We’ve had a number of recent winters when it has not really gotten cold enough for the ponds to freeze solid, so I was really lucky to be able to get the shot.
Great story. Fantastic shot.
Congratulations, Mike, eight years! So happy that we connected through the blog-o-verse. I very much enjoy your images, commentary, and going along on some of your nature adventures.
And fabulous bonus image!
Happy Anniversary Mike for 8 years! Always enjoy seeing your images! Especially dragonflies! The fox image is amazing! Beautiful image!
Thanks, Reed. I spend so much time taking new pictures that I sometimes forget to celebrate the old ones. In the case of these two older ones, the red-winged blackbird and the fox, I have had them both printed on canvas (I think they are 20×30 inches or something like that.)
I enjoy your photos very much, Mike. You’ve come a long way – happy blogiversary!
Namaste, Mr. Mike! It’s me, Benjamin! Happy Anniversary! Wowza, you had this blog before I was born! The bird photo is older than me and so is the fox. The fox looks so awesome when I make it bigger and bigger. His eyes are cool but he does not look happy that you are taking his picture. I always love the dragonfly photos. All of them! Gem and I love your blog and photos. You teach us so many things. Thank you!
Thanks, Benjamin. I sometimes forget that you are so young, because you make such thoughtful comments and look so carefully at the details of my photos. I think the fox was just as surprised to see me as I was to see it walking across the frozen pond. Shortly after I took the shot, the fox turned around and disappeared back into the woods. I learn so much when I try to figure out what I have photographed and I am always happy to share the photos and the information with others. I am glad you and Gem enjoy the blog and I look forward to proving more exciting and fun photos in the future.
Such beautiful images. Congratulations on your blog anniversary! You are right that it is the interactions with others that keeps us blogging. Thank you for all of the wonderful photographs you’ve shared over the years and for educating me so much about the flora and fauna of this country.
It does not seem so long ago that you were celebrating the 6th Anniversary of this wonderful blog. When Benjamin and I came visiting today, he thought that he had previously seen the Red Fox photo but was not positive that this was the same one. I did not tell him that it was seen in 2018 when he was only 4 & 1/2 years old. I did not want to interfere with his thought process as he was commenting on today’s post. He was so animated as he examined the enlarged photo’s details. I just went back to that 2018 post to read the comment that I left from us. In all honesty, I was amazed at how much Benjamin has matured in just the past two years! Happy Eighth Blogaversary and may there be many many more for all of us to enjoy! Thank-you, Mr. Mike, for being a part of our lives!!
Congratulations Mike. I love all of those shots but especially the red winged blackbird.
Thanks, Allen. That may well be my favorite shot that I have ever taken. I especially like the fact that it is not an exotic species that I traveled thousands of miles to see, but is an ordinary bird that I photographed within 10 mile of where I live. As you show so well in your blog postings, there are lots of cool things to see close to home, if you are patient and look closely.
I like the fact that red wings aren’t supposed to return (here at least) until the weather warms in the spring. It looks like it was pretty cool that day! Maybe he was an advance scout.
This was during one of those early spring mornings when it was frosty, though the day warmed up later. To see this effect you have to have the right temperatures, the right humidity the right time of day, and the right light (there needs to be backlight so the “breath” is visible). There is a boardwalk at this location, so you are kind of like walking through the middle of the wetlands and the birds are relatively close.
I’m glad it all came together for a great shot!
Like all photographers (and fishermen), I have plenty of stories of “the one that got away.” Sometimes, though, things do come together and I keep hitting the trails in joyful expectation of those moments.
Don’t we all!
Wow! Congratualations, Mike! Your choice and range of photos are superb! You are a fabulous photographer and blogger and it has been a pleasure to know you through this blogging platform. May you continue for many, many more blogs yet! 🙂
Thanks, Pete. I like to wander and shoot what I see. Depending on the season, my subjects will vary, but it seems to me that there is always something to photograph and talk about. Depending on my mood, sometimes a photograph is merely an excuse for me to talk about something that has been on my mind. 🙂
We appear to be both the same in our wandering and photographing of what we wander upon. Sometimes I do go out with certain things on my mind to photograph, and this wll dictate the lens I have fitted, but mainly I head out with my 105 mmm macro and keep my eyes peeled for anything of interest.
We definitely follow the same approach, Pete. I usually carry a second lens with me in my bag–I think the one in there right now is a 70-300mm zoom–but I rarely bother to change my lens when I am out in the field.
Same here with lens changes. I sometimes carry a 18-300mm lens which is a good all rounder with some macro capability, but which I mainly use for landscapes, birds and some flowers. I would like a larger zoom, but cannot reason on spending out the cash on one just yet.
CONGRATULATIONS Mike!! I always enjoy your photography and information that go along with each photo. Thank You for sharing your special gift with us!
Thanks, Diann. I am always thrilled to be able to share both my photos and my thoughts. As you can probably tell, I get pretty excited about my photography and my blog. 🙂
I remember Visible Song and I am still fascinate by it. The fox is absolutely stunning. The detail on the Halloween pennant is amazing. Next I will want a bigger camera! Hope you enjoyed by tribute to you! You have become a friend! Congratulations and here is to many,many more years!
Thanks, Molly. As I look back over the last eight years, I realize that I have taken a lot of wonderful photos–I am amazed at all the opportunities that have presented themselves to me. You, Molly, are one of the friends that I really value and the title of your blog is the perfect explanation of why–we both see our environment as full of beauty waiting to be discovered and shared.
Love the scripture reference. Keep on striving to be better in all aspects👍
Amen. I try to not be overtly preachy, but the scriptures are an important part of my life, so they will periodically make an appearance, with no apologies. 🙂
Eight years is very impressive! Congratulations Mike, love and hugs from me in New Zealand 🙂
Thanks, Liz. It is really cool that even after eight years of almost daily posts, I am still really excited about my photography and my blog. Encouragement from folks like you, Liz, really help to keep me energized and motivated.
Congratulations, Mike!
Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
Thanks, Mitzy. I have so much fun with my blog that it is hard to believe that I have been doing so for eight years.
You have sure done more with yours than I have with mine, Mike. I have been blogging for over a decade. I suppose 5 children, 7 grandchildren (so far!), and a farm have a little to do with mine! Hahaha! 🙂
Yeah, Mitzy, it does look like your responsibilities are much more widespread than mine. When I started my blog, I had just moved from working full-time to working only three days a week. Now that I am retired, I have potentially lots of free time to devote to personal pursuits, like my photography and my blog.
Congratulations, Mike! 💚
That’s wonderful.
Thanks, Patty Anne. I did not use ink to doodle over my flower painting, but I did attempt to paint an iris. Today’s prompt for World Watercolor Month was “fall,” and it is a bit of a stretch, but I remembered that the three downward facing petals of an iris are known as falls.
Warm congratulations, Mike. I thoroughly enjoy your posts, learning about the species you photograph and sharing your passion. It has been interesting following your journey as I too developed my skills and photographic interest while getting to know you a little. We live such different lives at different ends of the world but I value our connection. Keep going Mike!
I started WP a long time ago, but didn’t get hooked until several years ago. Iove the community here. Especially during theses hard times. Love that RWBB.
I have noticed the past few months that I have been more engaged with people through my blog than ever before. It is one aspect of my life that has not been completely upset by this pandemic.
I agree
Congratulations, Mike. I’m very glad I found your blog. I love your images (not just these three but most that you share), and I enjoy your comments just as much! I hope we can meet in person some day (for a hike in Seneca Creek State Park?) when the pandemic is over.
Thanks, Nina. We are so close geographically that it would be a shame not to meet, though the way things are going, we’ll be dealing with the pandemic for quite some time.
Warm congratulations Mike! I thought I had sent you a message but obviously not! So here we go. It has been so nice to follow your experiments, learnings and admire your beautiful images over the years as you have been developing your skills. We live such different lives at our respective ends of the world but our passion for photography and observation of nature are very much shared. It is special to have a virtual friend and I very much appreciate our regular exchanges and comments. Keep going Mike!
Thanks so much, Chris, for your very kind words. It is somewhat of an understatement to note that we live very different lifestyles, but I think that those differences help us to appreciate even more the experiences of the other. One of the things that we share in common that I value the most is that we both like to think about what we are going through and then describe it for others in narrative form, illustrated with out photos. As you note, our love of photography and nature definitely make us kindred spirits. I hope that we will be able to stay in touch as we both continue our separate journeys.
Congratulations on your eight years, Mike. It’s been interesting to watch the changes taking place in your blog since you retired. Your increased commentary often is as interesting as your photos are beautiful, and I enjoy them both. I confess that I envy you a bit, as a still-working woman; I often can’t summon the energy to post as often as I’d like, or to comment as fully. Still, know that I’m around, checking your new posts both for the joys of your photography and for what they teach me about your beloved dragonflies.
Thanks so much for your lovely comments. I remember well when I was still working how much our managers talked about the importance of work-life balance. I could never figure out how to make that happen–so often work took over a dominant role in my life. It was only when I cut back on work to a schedule working on Tues, Wed, and Thursday and having a four-day weekend that I was finally able to pursue in earnest my personal interests, like this blog and my photography. I think it is important for us to be able to carve out some “me” space and that is certainly going to look different for each of us.
I love that you, your words, your images, your comments are a part of my daily life! 😊❤️ This is a wonderful, and my favorite, social-media community.
Thanks, Laura. Divisive issues have made so many other social media platforms so toxic. I find that the folks here in our virtual community tend to be authentic, with much less focus on pretense and image. I guess that is one of the real reasons why I feel free to share so much of myself in my postings. In the “real” world, it seems like we have to put up all kinds of defense mechanisms to protect ourselves. Here we can lower our shields and take off our masks. Over the last few months as I have been more physically isolated, the importance to me of this virtual community has definitely increased.
I’m late again here, Mike, but I’ve been swamped. My hearty congratulations on your wonderful work & development. I’ve followed you development with eager delight and feel that we know each other pretty well by now. I’m mighty pleased to share your friendship.
Thanks so much, Gary. I know that you have a lot going on in your “real” vice virtual life right now, so I am not worried that you are a little late to the party. As I get older, birthdays and anniversaries are becoming less and less of a big deal–more often than not they are moments of personal reflection and introspection than of public celebration.