I was helping a friend set-up a new blog this morning and in the process forget how much effort it took; how much time I’d spent setting this one up. I also exposed myself to the WordPress tool-set for the first time in months and found it had undergone remarkable improvement in ease of use since last I had occasion to visit. Even so , what I had pitched to my friend while he was making up his mind which service to use was just how easy it is to physically establish a WP site. It’s like most things: they’re all easy when you know what you’re doing. I should be more empathetic.

He’s underway but I believe I now owe an amends.

The scary surprise? I was using my blog to demonstrate what needed be done. I discovered there is a toggle switch in the widgets tool list that, when turned on, displays how many people follow the blog. I’ve never turned it on. So out of curiosity I flipped the switch assuming I had about 90 mis-guided followers.

Not quite. There are nearly 1100.  Instant constituency.

Who you all are, where you come from and what entices you to stay around is beyond me, but allow me to say Hi! and Welcome! I never really expected more than Mom and the women from her book club – and since I have no Mom that meant very low expectations indeed.

Enough for self-deprecation.

This blog is most often about places I’ve been and things I’ve photographed. So let’s get with it! This is an iconic shot but one of my favorites so far from the Park Project Tour. Light (and heat) was fading fast when I arrived at this place forcing me to push the ISO a little more than I usually do, but still….

The Old Grist Mill, Cades Cove