Pet Blogger Challenge

The very first picture I posted on this blog: Times Square at Night

I warned you with the badge! Because I thought it would be fun, I'm participating in the Third Annual Pet Blogger Challenge. What does that mean? Well, it means I needed to answer the following questions:

1. When did you begin your blog?
February 2008 (how can it be possible that it was almost 5 years ago?!?) Here's the very first post: The Inspiration

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?
To share pictures and thoughts about our first trip to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog show..and whatever else struck my fancy. My secret original purpose? To have a different kind of outlet for my writing.

3. Is your current purpose the same?
Yes and no...since I didn't really know where it would go even then, it's a little hard to say whether I'm getting there!

If not, what’s different?
I've become more accustomed to the blogging world. Others inspire me to try different approaches/tackle different ideas...

If so, how do you feel you’ve met your goals?
It's definitely been a good outlet for both my photography and my writing...when I blog.

4. How often do you post?
Well now, that all depends on what all's going on. I've done daily, and I've gone months without it. Even though right now my life/schedule is perhaps at an all time high level of wacky, I'm trying to post daily because it's making me happy.

5. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?
As the spirit moves me (but refer to #4 above).

If you publish on a schedule, why? How strict are you about your publishing deadlines? What do you do for inspiration when it feels like you’ve covered every topic?

If you don’t publish on a schedule, why?
See above!
How do you think your decision affects your audience? How do you know when a topic is “post-worthy?”
Will I lose my three readers if I say I really don't think too much about how it will affect them or whether or not something is really "post-worthy"?

6. How much time do you spend writing your blog per week? 
All depends on whether I'm in a daily posting phase or not....anywhere from a couple of minutes to maybe an hour or two?
How much time visiting other blogs? 
Wow! This is turning into a rut. When I can, I like to stay current on several of my favorite blogs, but sometimes "the real world" interferes and I just can't do it.
Share your  tips for staying on top of it all.
Lately I've discovered the "trick" of at least starting several posts that I know I want to eventually share (like different sets of pictures) and then saving them as drafts only to pull them out later and post them. That seems to be a pretty good way for me.

7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)?
??? See #5 above. I just have to put it out there in the blogosphere because it makes me happy to do so and hope that someone may enjoy looking at it.

Do you look strictly at the numbers, or do you have a way of assessing the quality of those interactions?
I occasionally look at numbers, but in qualification of the above answer and in response to this one I will say that I LOVE when people comment on a post...it confirms that someone did actually see it :D

8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?
Wow! Even though I've been playing with this for almost five years I still feel so new at it that I don't even know.

9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2013?
To be more committed to keeping it going and posting regularly...even if that's not every day. I know it's a good outlet for me. If I can participate in some discussions that help raise awareness/support for some good causes that benefit animals that would be awesome.

So, if you want to check out some other neat pet blogs and see what other folks are doing, hop along to some of these other sites: