A MILESTONE...

Today,  the 1,000,000th visit to Wounded Bird was recorded on my counter. Actually, I lost a couple of days when the counter stopped working, so the total was reached a couple of days ago, but I have no record, so today is the big day.  My one millionth visit was from Pawtucket, Rhode Island at 13:45:42.  Congratulations for making my day, visitor from Pawtucket.

This post is No. 6485.  My first post was on January 22, 2007.  I never dreamed Wounded Bird would still be running after five and a half years, nor did I ever believe I'd reach a total of 1,000,000 visits.

Thanks to everyone who visits, and thanks to all who take the time to leave a comment.  Without the encouragement, I would not still be blogging. 

WOUNDED BIRD IS FIVE YEARS OLD...

...and a few days. My first post was on January 22, 2007. I meant to mark the anniversary, but the day slipped past me. Anyway, it's been a good run.

No. of posts: 5869
No. of visits: 858,629 (plus a few lost when my counter went down for a couple of days)

To everyone who visits, reads, and comments, thank you. To my stringers who send me links and material to post, another thank you. My life would be much the poorer without the friends I've made online, many of whom I've met in real life. I can say, in all truth, that those I've met face to face were as I expected, but for two. I thought Tobias Haller would be an introvert, and I expected Fr Jake to be an extrovert, and the two were just the opposite, which was a surprise. If I liked you online, I liked you when I met you. As George W said:

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

The old saying is in Louisiana now, too.

These here intertubes are a wonder, indeed. Hugs and kisses all around.

A SHORT BREAK

Since I'm feeling a bit weary of blogging, I'm going to take a few days off. No black dog has got hold of me, nothing's wrong, I just want a break. I know I've made similar statements on other occasions and ended up back blogging rather quickly. Who knows? That may happen again. We shall see.

FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY

On January 22, 2007, I wrote my first post here at Wounded Bird as a lark, and I never thought I'd still be blogging away four years later. I never once thought that blogging would turn out to be serious, a ministry, of sorts - at least that's how it seems to me. Although I post jokes, cartoons, and funny stories, I feel a responsibility toward my readers, which I take very seriously. And I feel a responsibility to tell certain stories and promote certain causes, as well as post prayer requests, as they come in.

Without my visitors (I can count you) and my readers who leave comments, I would not have continued for so long a time. In great part, I have been blessed with wonderful feedback in the comments, with only a few brief periods of being plagued with offensive or trollish comments. Without the folks I call my stringers, the people who send me links, stories, cartoons, and jokes, Wounded Bird would be much the poorer.

Imagine my surprise when I visited The Lead on December 28 and saw this in their "2010: Top Ten Stories" post:

Our top blogs to quote: Wounded Bird and Thinking Anglicans

Moi! As I said in the comments:

Episcopal Café had a great year. Thanks to all of you for your hard work. My posts would be fewer, if not for the stories for which I owe a tip of the hat to you folks at EC.

I am honored and humbled by having my blog quoted. Truly! I don't deserve the distinction, etc., etc., etc., but I thank all you good people from my heart.

Th folks at the Café have been good to me. I wasn't going to link to the post at the EC, because it seemed prideful and self-serving, which it is, but consider the mention an anniversary indulgence.

This post is No. 4713, which averages to more than 1000 posts per year. Amazing!

PS: I fixed the link above to my original post at Wounded Bird.