OUR 300th POST!!!

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!!!

Dear Friends

Today is the milestone of our 300th post on Max's blog and I would like to dedicate this post to:
ALL THE "NEW" BLOGGERS

out there!!

Milestones like this one obviously bring in a bit of nostalgia and I would like to spend some time summarising this amazing journey over the past 21mths of blogging:

In June 2008 my love for creating and writing got the better of me and I took the big step of starting a blog. It was a scary step because I was entering an unfamiliar cyber-world. As you might have realised, South Africans generally aren't bloggers! Our internet access too is limited and very expensive, so this hobby hasn't really caught on yet.

My original idea was to set up a blog to record some of my poetry and to create a cyber-space that was uplifting to my readers : something that would touch our human spirit. So I created the blog:

PERHAPS IN TIME
Ironically my very first post, on 11th June 2008 was the poem "MAX".

I diligently put up posts despite not receiving any comments for 5 months! I was obviously not doing the right thing, so I decided to visit a few other blogs (something I should have done in the very beginning!). In addition I did a bit of introspection and discovered that I needed to find something else to write about that both potential readers and myself would enjoy.

"What about setting up a dog-blog?", I thought

and so "THE ADVENTURES OF MAXDOG" was born and

I posted my first post on the 26th December 2008.

In the months ahead I started following some of your blogs and only 2months later did I get my very first comment on Max's blog. Just ONE comment!!! I was delighted!!!

And so my blogging life carried on with very little traffic. But I enjoyed visiting, reading about how other doggies lived and learning from the other blogs. It was one singular event that really launched this blog and I owe that special blogger a

BIG THANK YOU!

STELLA:

It was this special and caring blogger who gave me a shout-out in her Friday round-up for new blogs that she had discovered on the net.

I can't thank her enough for providing the foundational network of MAXDOG's blog.

THANK YOU STELLA AND JO!!!

I feel that it is therefore right and fitting to dedicate this post to the new bloggers and to highlight one particular blogger in this endeavour. (about that later!)

In the months ahead, I began to realise the absence of South African bloggers even more (and it still pains me!), so I decided to convert

MAXDOG into a SELF-APPOINTED TOUR GUIDE:

who would occasionally introduce some interesting facets of our beautiful country...

I really enjoyed this stage, because like most people in this world, I have a deep sense of patriotism.

In August 2009, I was further blessed by the efforts of

MANGO :

an icon in doggie-blogging.

It was through his efforts in launching

MANGO'S SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR

that I got many more followers.

THANK YOU SO MUCH MY BIG MANGO BUDDY!!!

Somehow the interest in my country seemed to increase, so I got the opportunity to show numerous aspects of my beautiful country - including the diversity of wild life we have to offer...






I began to have a lot of fun on the blog. My digital camer goes everywhere and is extremely useful because I am acutely aware of my absolute inability to photoshop.
I preferred to use my creativity in taking photos to make up for my incompetence.

Do you remember:
"MAX IS MISSING IN STUFFIE-LAND"?


Also, I wanted to keep my original intention of blogging going i.e:
A place of upliftment, love and encouragement...


A place for friends:...

I really have made many, many friends through this amazing hobby called "Blogging!"

I have most importantly come to appreciate the immense support group that doggie-bloggers offer in times of need.

I will never forget waking up on Valentine's day this year to find that 42 bloggers had put up special posts, where they had invited Max to their world and included his picture in their blogs. It was a spine-tingling moment to realise just how many folk in this world really do care!!!

However, this blog has been mostly about sharing the lives of my very special companions

TAMMY, TOFFEE, TOMMY and MAXDOG!!!...


What a privilege it has been to share their journey with you.

So, with the theme today of
"SUPPORTING NEW BLOGGERS"
and also following STELLA's example, I would like to introduce you to a brand new blog:



THE LIFE OF RILEY:



This new blogger is from from New Zealand. She has really touched me by sending me many uplifting emails during Max's illness.

She makes beautiful suggestions - like my special book which Im writing about Max.

I have been trying to encourage her to start a blog, because she has so much to offer.

Like all of us, she is nervous and new to this community.



When she recently sent me a picture of her "Riley", I was struck by how much he looked like our Max. He is three years old now. Growing from the beautiful pup (on the R.H.S of the picture above) to an incredible handsome dog!


So PLEASE would you visit her - in honour of my 300th post?

...and PLEASE leave a comment for her too!



THE LIFE OF RILEY

---xXx---


AS FOR THE MAXDOG





He is chugging along. He's not feeling so good today - having not eaten his breakfast and simply lying on the floor next to me. But he is comfortable so we'll just wait and see what the day brings.

With love and appreciation

YOUR FRIENDS IN SOUTH AFRICA