A Return, Very Grudgingly

I've been missing for a long while, but not entirely of my own too-busy doing. Sometime between my last post here in July and this past December when I logged in again to post in preparation for the new semester's nature writing grad students, the Blogger automated software mistakenly detected this innocuous nature blog as *spam.* And, with no notification to me, via email or otherwise, that program went ahead and deleted the whole thing (I'm still wracking my mind to try to figure out what content in here would have suggested something nefarious or inappropriate). Apparently Blogger is so big now that it is impossible to speak to an actual human and the only way of dealing with issues is to post to their help forums and hope that someone who replies is actually someone in authority who can fix the situation. It took me over a month, during which I admittedly had to get pushy and cranky on their "help" forums, but that persistence paid off and the blog was finally restored.

I am now, though, very conflicted about its continuance, and about posting new content. I also have used this platform with the nature writing students, required dozens of them to have used it over the last several years. This was an awful experience, and I also am admittedly still irate (downgraded from enraged) about it. And I hate the idea of continuing with this platform after such an experience, either for myself or with my students. I decided that I wanted it restored for the sole intention of backing up all the content and exporting it all straight over to Wordpress, and then I would delete this one myself for good. I realize now that it will be many months before I have the time to do that, create an entirely new blog and essentially start over. I can't imagine that I won't want to post during that interim period, so I have now decided that I will just try to set aside my annoyance, post until then, and proceed with the I'm So Over Blogger Plan. 

So, know that this home here is simply for now. Because I have perfected the art of holding grudges. 

In the meantime, in local news, am very excited that the annual Radford Roosting Festival (the renamed  Vulture Festival) is upcoming and takes place during the Kindergartener's (the renamed Preschooler) birthday weekend festivities!

Joining the Flock

Since I've asked all my students in the nature & environmental writing course this semester to keep a nature blog, I feel like I also should do my best to complete my own assignments as well. Doing so would be a useful and much needed exercise for me too. What I've asked them to write, during most weeks:

1. One posting from a chosen “place” where students will go weekly;
2. A second posting in response to a directed question/prompt related to the week’s
course topic;
3. A third posting that reflects on or responds to:
a. Either a blog post by one of the fellow students OR
b. A blog post found on an outside nature blog through the Nature Blog
Network (http://natureblognetwork.com/).

To be honestly practical, I have to admit that I will likely not have the luxury of setting aside time each week for writing about a chosen place - though my several-times-weekly runs in the park could probably fit. I have so little time, still, and parenting and teaching takes up most of it, still. But I can write to the other two requirements. In fact, I actually look forward to trying.