BLOG READERS, BOTS, AND WRITERS

Google analytics on blog readers is either the biggest tattletale in history, or an effective research tool.

It shows and tells where blog readers like you find boomerpdx.

Apparently I’m a big hit in Chicago, at least that’s what the bots say.

Bot? What else hits a blogger page fifty times for an average of one second? Fast readers, or something more devious? Why would Chicago be devious?

Portland, on the other hand . . .

Here’s a big thank you to my Portland readers who spend an average of 3:27 reading 2.80 pages.

Thank you, Portland. Oregon rules, except when too many Portland bloggers new to town crowd the screen with their overjoyed glee. But that’s what sells, the idea of finding ‘The Place.’

If you’ve found ‘The Place,’ could you tell us how you knew it was the right place? (Disclaimer: I know I’ve found the place because my wife said it was ‘The Place.’ We already talk about enough and don’t need something else to disagree about.)

While I love my Portland readers, my Tigard readers are a treasure. I haven’t posted in a few days due to memoir work, but they spend 6:12 reading an average of four pages. That’s an outstanding effort and I think I know why:

Boomerpdx is a Portland blog and a Tigard blog, as well as an Oregon blog. The blog writers, or blog writer since I don’t hype things enough, in other words me, work to expand horizons.

Boomerpdx Blog Readers Do More

I’m a fan of looking around the next corner, seeing what’s over the hill. I give my group stuff to read from the heart. No regurgitated bullshit designed to convince anyone I know how to watch TV, scroll my phone, post links and writing with my short contribution of, “I like this.” This isn’t a twitter deal or a facebook share.

I heard an explanation of expanding horizons from someone who knows and they said the best way is cultural travel, being interested in new places and new people, and embracing the world from a new perspective.

I ought to put that last paragraph on my About page?

Blog readers I feel sorry for are my New York and Los Angeles visitors. I sense a surge from those two megalopolises after my memoir gets published, and here’s why: As a reader I’ve found books that drove me to read more from the same author, then read more books from the authors who liked the book and said so.

Travel Blog Notes For Wild

For example, I was on Mt. Hood a couple of days ago, just walking up the paved service road beside the ski ditch above Timberline, and saw a sign for Pacific Coast Trail with arrows pointing to Canada – 550 miles, Mexico – 1500 miles. (The mileage is an estimate of what the sign really read.)

There I was on the famous trail made more famous by Cheryl Strayed and her book Wild. Some of the folks passing by had seen the movie with Reece Witherspoon but didn’t connect the dots to the trail they walked. I helped out by telling them my group started hiking just that morning from Mexico and just arrived in Oregon, with, “It was a pretty hard walk.”

The best response was, “Well don’t stop, you’ll make it to Canada by early evening.”

Don’t you love it when you say something stupid to be funny and the other person plays along?

If you read boomerpdx and come away with the same feeling, pass a link along, or join this blog. Get in sooner than later so you can say, “I remember when ___ (fill in the blank.)