Sunday, August 1, 2021

Quest for 100

 If we were all honest, probably all bloggers are a little egotistical when it comes to their blogs. Sure, the main reason we blog is to document our adventures for ourselves, our kids and our friends but there is also that unspoken desire to fulfill some part of ones ego knowing that others read and enjoy something we have written. 

The only way to really knows if someone enjoys their blog is through views, the number of comments a particular blog gets or how many people follow your blog. A couple of weeks ago we hit the 800,000 mark with blog views! High by some standards, miniscule by others, but it was a milestone that we were happy to hit. To date, we have written 249 posts with just over 8,000 comments. Our top five viewed blogs are:

  1. What is there to do in Quartzsite with just over 3,800 views
  2. Why do you Fulltime RV with 3,270 views
  3. Boondocking at Snyder Hills BLM with 3,250 views
  4. Fishing Tales from the Alcan Highway with 3,150 views
  5. How Much Does it Cost to Build a Barndominium with 2,760 views
Again, not a lot of views compared to a lot of blogs but it is a lot for us!

We generally get anywhere from 10-20 comments on each of our posts. We wish it was more as this is the only way we know if someone truly enjoys our posts. I cannot find a stat to tell me which one of our posts received the most comments but if I were to guess, I think it was the one where we said goodbye to our little Ms. Daisy.

So what is our quest for 100? Well, to date we have 98 followers. That means 98 people that clicked the "Follow" button on the right side of our blog. It had been hovering in the mid 90's for the past couple of months and now it is 2 away from that coveted 100 mark! So, come on someone, push the "Follow" button and give us a mini ego boost! (Well, actually, 2 someone's)

Last but not least, there has been a change in the email delivery within blogger. If you signed up to receive our blog by email and have not received on in a couple of weeks, you need to re-sign up on the blog to continue getting them. If you are viewing on a laptop, look for the "Follow by E-mail" on the right panel of the blog, if you are viewing on a phone or tablet you will need to scroll to the bottom and click "View Web Version" and then go to the "Follow by E-mail" section on the right side. Thank you to Debbie at Down the Road for writing that last paragraph so eloquently, I basically stole that from her blog! 

Speaking of milestones, we are continuing to hit them here on the home front. When we left you last week we had 4 posts and 3 beams up on the east side of our covered porch. That is pretty much all we have been working on this week. At the end of this week we have 10 posts, 10 beams and all the rafters up!


After working with Kevin for a couple of days I got the hang of cutting the tenons on top of the posts and was able to get those ready in advance while Kevin was busy on other jobs. Then when he came over he would cut the mortise in the beams and we would lift them up in place and secure them. The 12' beams I am guessing are a couple hundred pounds and by the day you can feel it. 

As soon as we can put the posts up Barb is right behind us sanding them down to the texture we are looking for. She is also looking for the perfect stain color but so far has not found anything she is happy with. 
Barb sanding away on one of the beams!

We are now to the far end and ready to turn the corner and do the south side. The problem here is that the beams are about 18' and we need the skidsteer to lift them in place. The skidsteer is busy on another job so that will have to wait a week or so. 

Each of the ends as well as the corners are going to be hip roofs which also needs Kevin's expertise. Once we get those done I can finish the siding on the ends!

For the 2nd Friday in a row we got to pour a concrete sidewalk! Except this time it was much cooler and a little smaller. This pour was over a Dan and Bonnie's. We had to wheel barrel it but overall it was a pretty easy pour. 

On Sunday Kevin and I drove up to Deadwood for a 3D archery shoot. There were 30 targets of full size animals ranging from raccoons to polar bears. The distances were from 10 yards to 60 yards and you are scored on how close to the bullseye you hit the target. Considering it was our first shoot of the year we were please with our scores in the 250 range. A great way to spend a Sunday morning!

If you look closely you can see a white Dall Sheep to the right of that pine tree. Dall Sheep in South Dakota!?!?

The weather has been a little cooler this past week so we got out for a few walks with the dogs. The sunflowers are in full bloom right now on the prairie which is keeping the bees and other insects busy. 
Zoey has been her normal crazy self and now Dakota has resorted to holding her down with her paw just so she can get some rest!

Dakota is like "What, I am not doing anything", while Zoey is like "You can see she is holding  me down right?"

Next week we need to continue to push the progress as we have some visitors coming to stay with us in the next couple of weeks. One couple we are anxiously awaiting, while the other, we will suffer through and endure!

27 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I wish I could capture and share the antics they go through every hour, it is very entertaining!

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  2. Always fun to read your blogs to see what you've been up to. Now you should know that I read it (like I always do!)

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    1. We are just sitting around doing nothing as usual waiting for our next guests to arrive!

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    2. I wonder which guests are the last you mention?! HA!

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    3. You will just have to wait and see! We are not looking forward to it but will put our heads down and survive the week!

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  3. That porch is longer than Cracker Barrel! I can see the rocking chairs lined up along there now.

    Seriously, it looks amazing, Jim and Barb!

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    1. Our neighbors came over the other day and said we should rent out our place for a wedding venue and the porch could be the aisle!

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  4. Dakota is a beauty. Good thing she took a liking to Zoey!! Your barn is beautiful!!

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    1. Isn't that a great picture of her?!?!? She has that expression once in a while but never holds it for the camera.

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  5. Well here is a boost to your ego. Enjoy the euphoria! I don't use my blog for my ego. I think of it more as a teaching tool. Stuff like what not to do and how to overcome adversity. Take typing this response for instance, I used to type with 10 fingers. Now I use 6 and still achieve the same results. Adapt, improve and overcome. WWDD.

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    1. WWDD.... Words to live be right there! Imagine what a better place the world would be if people stopped, and considered...."What Would Dino Do?"!

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  6. You may have 98 followers but I’m sure there are a lot of lurkers out there that faithfully read your blog and never comment. We’ve had a few over the years one of which was Dave and now we are besties. I was a lurker for a few years on RV-Dreams. Your blogs are always a fun read. The homestead is sure coming along nicely. Cheers!

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    1. We lurked on your guys for a long time before we were on the road in awe of what you guys were doing and are continuing to do. You two have a great life that is for sure! Hopefully someday you are able to come visit us!

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  7. It will be so nice to have that whole porch covered and done. It will be a blessing in the winter when the snow hits. lol Great job.

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    1. You are right, the best part will be keeping the snow off in the winter!

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  8. I always enjoy your blog, keep it going!! You're good friends to help with the concrete pour(s), and your house is coming out wonderfully.

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    1. Thanks! Concrete is not really too bad. At least the part that we do. We help with the pour and a little bit of finish work but Kevin does all the real skill labor.

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  9. The barndo is looking fab! You guys have really done a wonderful job on that place. I hope we can see it in person some day!

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    1. You are always welcome when you get back over to this side of the pond!

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  10. Who are you calling egotistical? I will have you know that I am AMAZING!

    Just kidding. :)

    Congrats on all those views! That is a ton and the struggle is real. I think that's why other bloggers are the ones most likely to leave comments - because we know how much effort goes into writing this stuff and it's so nice to get some sign of life from the other end of the line. You have always had an incredibly engaged following which, to me, is the best reward. To have a huge number of views and several posts that the Google loves too, is just icing on the cake.

    Good work, and keep 'em coming!

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    1. You are definitely right about bloggers being the ones most likely to comment. Sometimes I will try different things on FB to see if it affects my views but it does not really seem to make a significant difference. We are not monetized and do it just for fun. If I were doing it to make money I would probably put more effort into it and try to figure it out.

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  11. Your porch is amazing. I can't wait to see the finished product. Of course, my favorite part of your blog is the dogs. You know I only read to see what the dogs are up to!! Love the photo of the girls:) Haha! John reads faithfully but has never commented on one blog. I take care of all commenting.

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    1. The weather has been so warm that we have not been out with the girls too much but they seem to entertain themselves inside well enough while we are working!

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  12. No detail is overlooked! That’s some hefty posts! It’s going to be one beautiful patio! Thanks for the mention. Maybe I can piggyback on your fame :-)

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    1. All the posts and beams are now up, just need to finish the framing!

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