Some Horn-Tooting

I installed Google Analytics to track Fermented Fur's statistics on March 13. The blog started the second week of January, but I didn't know about Analytics then. Since I started using it, though, I've been carefully watching who is visiting me, how often, and for how long.

I show 3107 hits, and 4472 page views in that time. (My Bravenet counter shows 6477 hits since it was installed on January 16, but it looks like it counts every page view as a "hit.") According to Analytics, I've had visitors from 47 countries or territories, but that's somewhat misleading, because if you look at their time on the site, the time shows as zero, meaning they clicked on, saw it wasn't what they were looking for, and went on their way. Disappointing, but they don't know what they're missing! The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, Jamaica, and Japan are the only countries shown with significant hits and time on the site. Still, not bad for a new blogger in Minnesota, USA.

But what I'm excited about right now is that I discovered yesterday that at long last I have hits from all 50 states! I've been waiting and waiting, but certain states (North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana) were slow in discovering the wonders of Fermented Fur. My most frequent state visitors are: Minnesota, Michigan (Thanks, FFFan1!), California, Arkansas (relatives), New York, Colorado (Thanks, Curt!), Maryland, and Texas.

States having only one measly visit so far are: North Dakota, Montana and Mississippi. Which means I can make shameless fun and hurl rude insults at these states and all residents thereof, until they get on the FF Bandwagon like they should have a long time ago.

I am a bit bummed, though, that nobody commented on my gardening blog from this past weekend! I know, I know, not one of my funniest, and it was pretty lacking in the canine comedy department... but still! It was sweet and poignant and nostalgic, and it did get a tiny bit funny toward the end, didn't it? And there were lots of purty pictures! Visit. Re-visit. Comment! Really, it was lovely!

Another thing that has me a little disappointed is that I seem to have largely the same regular readers that I've had all along. I think Mackenzie and her family are stopping by now, and I love that! One can never have too many Golden Friends! And I do love all my regular readers. I just sort of thought that by now I'd have a much more thriving readership. I know I could do more to promote Fermented Fur. I could spend a ton of time on the blog listing sites posting things and visiting other blogs and leaving messages... but then I wouldn't have time to write. And I hate people who leave comments all over the place that essentially say, "Hi, I stopped by, come see my blog." Seems like empty, shameless, self-promotion. If I find a blog I like, I visit. Often. I comment. Sometimes I find new friends that way, and at least then it has some significance. But, HEY, you guys can help me! Refer blog-loving friends to Fermented Fur! I wish I could give you each a crisp, new dollar bill for each referral, but you will earn my undying gratitude!

I've thought about "splitting up" Fermented Fur into dog posts and non-dog posts, putting one category or the other into a new blog. But a) that seems like a hell of a lot of work, b) I would hate to have two blogs that were only periodically updated, and c) my dogs and all the other stuff are pretty intricately entwined to make up the totality of my life. As Chief Seattle said, "All things are connected." So, I don't think I'll do that.

That's it. Just wanted to give you all a little update on what's going on behind the scenes at Fermented Fur! Please keep reading, keep referring your friends, and keep commenting. Seriously, comments make my day!

Hopefully, Darwin will do something adorably naughty again soon (other than last evening's sneak-swim-session) so I can write about that, because my daily hits go WAY up when I write about that cute little varmint!

See, you don't love ME at all. It's all about Darwin.

That's OK. He really is adorable.