It’s a fine fall-like 56ºF morning on my back porch here in my beloved old river town of Saint Paul, Minnesota, and I am enjoying my “Danger Bay Collectible” mug of organically & shade-grown, fair-trade, French-roast coffee firing up my remaining brain synapses to synapting, as I consider this, my one year anniversary here on the ‘Rain.

Hello Activerainers (September 16, 2006)

I don’t expect to write a lot in this blog, but from time to time, you may expect me to offer an opinion or two about home repairs & maintenance. Opinions I have many—and I’m usually willing to share (folks my age tend to be loooong on opinions, ‘cause we don’t let facts get in our way).

One year ago today that was my first ever post to Active Rain. It seems much longer to me—as if the time I’ve been here should be measured in years not months!

Wow! I was certainly mistaken in that first phrase: “I don’t expect to write a lot in this blog…” After 319 (counting this post) posts, 24 of them featured, 111,956 points (excluding this post), it would seem my ability at prognostication is wanting—or perhaps, my understanding of the addictive quality of blogging was lacking—not to mention competitiveness.

When I began blogging here, Active Rain was a relatively small group of plucky bloggers, and today? Who would have thought there would be more than 48,000 members—no longer a small community by any measure!

A short trip down memory lane:

I haven't displayed those in a while.

It’s been a great ride—and I loved it! But this is my last post to the ‘Rain. The time has come to let an RE professional claim the second spot in Minnesota! I have a new blog-mistress, “Our Saint Paul,” and she is demanding my complete attention!

But I’m not leaving completely, I’ll still stop by to comment, even if it is only by leaving my new “Comment Icon” just to let you know I’m still around and still care about our Gentle Readers!

I have included many of your outside and AR blogs in my blogroll and in my RSS Feedreader—so that I may remain in contact, and I invite you to visit me at Our Saint Paul—you will be warmly received.

Sincerely,