Regular blog posts haven’t been forthcoming this past while, but I can’t miss stopping by to acknowledge when this blog began, back on November 19th, 2006. A return to drawing may have taken over the creative outlet blogging has been over the years, for now, but I have seriously enjoyed all the blog post writing and capturing of images (both photos and video). A huge thanks to everyone who has popped by with comments and wildlife chat. I’ve enjoyed it all enormously!
Over the last 15 years, so many wildlife discoveries have been made and their stories told. As a result of blogging, my plantsperson’s garden evolved to support a wide variety of wildlife. It’s been a great experience, especially as I began very much as a beginner in identifying what was arriving in the garden. I watched, observed and noted things in a traditional diary to refer to after. One bird that hasn’t been spotted, not on my watch anyway, is the Raven above from my 2021 Inktober sketchbook.
Last year’s daily, month of October, pen and ink drawings to a prompt list were posted to twitter with a recap here in a a blog post. I kept a gardenwatch theme to these drawings so that’s why they made it here. 2021’s Inktober prompt list didn’t fit that so well. I went all over the place from the moon to a dinosaur skeleton! I tentatively posted to Instagram this time and found it a great experience drawing with a new group of like minded people. Like blogging, its been great fun connecting with people.
Looking forward to reconnecting with my fellow bloggers sometime soon. I’m not planning on leaving the blogging world, it’s early days! There’s so many more images and stories I’d like to share and record here, I just need time away from drawing, but that is calling me more just now. Wishing you all well and sending my very best wishes. Thanks for popping by over the years, your support has been very much appreciated π
This post was published by Shirley for shirls gardenwatch on November 19th, 2021.
What a fantastic sketch.
Thank-you, Sue! π I really enjoyed doing this one! I look forward to catching up with your blog soon. You, like Michelle below, made 15 years earlier this month and have been consistently posting throughout, what an achievement for you both! π
Congratulations – 15 years is an amazing achievement! That’s a wonderful sketch – I must go and find you on Insta x
Thanks, Michelle! π as I said above to Sue, it’s yourselves that truly have 15 years of consistently, high quality blogging as an achievement! I just popped by as can’t let this blog go and sincerely hope to return to more regular posting and blog browsing π
Thanks for the follow on Insta! I’ll go and find you now too πx
Well done on your 15th anniversary. I began blogging in 2008 and stumbled across your blog pretty much at the same time. It has always been a fun read, and informative, even if, like you, I’ve been more absent than visible in recent years, but I’m getting the urge to return as social media loses its appeal. Here’s to the next 15 years π
Ooooops seriously late with a reply here, Andrew! Thanks so much for taking time to pop by with a comment especially on a post like this one. Thanks too for your kind comments on my blog. I do remember you’ve had breaks over the years, but I’m delighted to hear you’ve had the urge to return. I’m a bit like that at the moment with garden cameras picking up new footage. There’s something new to share (as a garden record for ourselves too) and I’m getting cross-eyed studying the clips. I’ve ticked off the frog spawning bit last week, about to share new hedgehog stuff and as I do that, our nestbox blue tit pair look very promising! Collecting footage there too. We’ve never had nesting in this box and it’s been quite a few years since we have seen a nestbox family develop. Fingers crossed they don’t move on to another nestbox. Yes, here’s to us both blogging for the next 15 years! π€£π€£π€£