This site is rather costly. I pay an annual fee. For a long time that was worth it: I was posting daily. I had a schedule for various postings (ACappellaTuesday, BachTrac, MozartMusicMatters and more) that meant the site was constantly changing.
But that’s changed, as the few readers left surely have noticed.
These days I primarily post Sunday music and the very rare blogpost. I seem to have lost the drive to keep it going. Part of that is due to my obsession these days with my photography: the photo site gets much more attention. Oboeinsight hasn’t fully died, but it’s certainly fading away.
Pondering has gone on for quite some time. I don’t want to delete the site completely, but I also don’t want to pay what I’ve been paying to keep it going. So soon I will be moving it. I may lose a lot of posts this way: I really don’t know what to expect. But so it goes.
When I began this blog it was the only one I knew of that was oboe related. Believe it or not I set it up on January 17, 2003. Since then others started to blog. Some have done great sites, others were here and then disappeared. (It takes a good amount of time to keep a blog active!) My readership grew tremendously during my more active blogging years. Since I’ve reduced activity things have dwindled significantly. I’m okay with that. It’s time to move on.
I’m not saying goodbye quite yet, but I’m thinking my oboe blogging days were great fun and it’s time to admit I’m not doing a good enough job to call this an active blog any longer.
Your perspective and insight was always germane to the art and craft of musical (and oboistic) performance, Patty, and there will be a large rip in this little corner of the Web if you leave. On the other hand, there is only a certain amount of time available in life and if you have to choose between your blog and your photography, there is really no choice. There are others who can blog about oboe playing, but only you have your unique perspective on the world of flowers, and, IMHO, that’s where you should spend your time….
Thank you so much, Bob! I know it will be a bit difficult to really leave this blog, but I also know I can only do so much. My annual fee doesn’t pop up for a few months, so I do have time to think about it, but I just think my words are all used up!
Patty, I visit your site occasionally…I’ll be sad to see it go! But I have also experienced a change of priorities in my life, so I know what you’re dealing with.
Thanks, Dane! I honestly feel as if I have nothing to write any more. I’m not sure why … but so it goes. I still have a bit of time to think about it, but considering the over $200 cost it is very unlikely I’ll continue.