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Posts Tagged ‘New Year 2024’

WordPress is great at keeping statistics. Although it provides lots of data about my blog, I don’t really pay much attention to the numbers. For me, this blog has been primarily a vehicle for expressing myself creatively through my words and my photos. That was my original goal in July 2012, when I wrote my first posting, and I have remained pretty faithful to that approach.

As we begin a new year, though, it is interesting to review some of the statistics for 2023. During the year I published 359 posts with a total of 69,520 words. The blog had 43,575 views that included many views of postings from previous years—out of the 20 most-viewed postings of 2023, only one was published that year.

To give you a sense of context, since 2012 my blog has had a total of 4,995 postings with 427,759 views. The totals may seem impressive, but they actually are quite modest. I have never really aspired to attract a huge audience and am quite pleased with the success that I have achieved. Thanks so much to so many of you who have supported and encouraged me over the years.

I will probably be continuing my “normal” approach during this new year, but hope to venture a bit more into recording videos. I have a small YouTube channel that has languished a bit that I hope to reinvigorate this year.

Many of you know that I love long shadows. I captured the image below early in the morning on 30 December 2023 at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The image is a symbolic representation of my view of this new year that is full of promise and possibilities. Happy New Year!

long shadow

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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A new year begins, full of promise and possibilities. Perhaps for you it starts with fireworks and loud noise, but for me, it is more quiet and introspective, like this tender little Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) that I spotted on Saturday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Normally Song Sparrows are quite frenetic, but this one paused for an extended period of time with its feathers puffed up to stay warm, seemingly lost in its thoughts.

Happy New Year! Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2024.

Song Sparrow

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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