The Bogs Blog FAQ

Once in a great while I get an email or comment asking me a question that someone else has already asked. So, I put together this FAQ in hopes that it will take care of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ). I’ll likely change this as the questions and/or answers change.

For you folks who find your way here via search engine, I’ve provided a few answers for you as well.

Why is your blog called Life in the Bogs?

My husband and I like to hike. When we moved to the area in which we now call home, I noticed that no matter where we hiked, it was always a little boggy. Even when we hiked to the top of a hill — where one might it expect it to be dry — there would be wet, muddy, boggy spots. When I first started blogging/journaling online, I would refer to the place where we live as The Bogs and it stuck.

There are, in fact, a couple of official bogs not far from our home.  Our home is on 8 acres of property called Breezy Acres, aptly named as there is almost always a breeze blowing.  Part of the property includes a 1.5 acre pond which we haven’t named yet although we have discussed the possibility of christening it “Hell” because it amuses us to think about Hell freezing over every winter.

And the pond does freeze.  We live in the secondary snow-belt of northeast Ohio where we get plenty of cold, ice, and snow during the winter months.  We had over 100 inches of snow our first winter here.  100 inches or more of snow is not unusual for this area.

Who or what is MaidinSun Photography?

The short answer:  That’s me.  For a more in depth answer, see this post:  What’s in a name?  It explains it all.  Well, not all as in everything, but it does explain the name.

Who are the cast of characters?

First off, let me say that I’m dreadful at giving people nicknames so I’ve been very unimaginative when it comes to the pseudo-anonymous Name-Your-Family-And-Friends internet thing.

M the Elder is my husband. I sometimes refer to him as the LM or Lovely Man. M the Younger is our youngest son. The M&M’s refers to the dynamic duo of M the Elder and M the Younger.  M the Younger married the lovely Merdi in June of 2009.  At the time I first wrote this FAQ, M the Younger was still living at home.  He is now in Colorado with Merdi.  They may be moving back this way sometime in 2011.

C is our oldest son. His lovely wife is B. Emma is their daughter (and our exquisite, wonderful, lovely, cute, brilliant granddaughter). Maddy (or the Magnificent Maddy, also wonderful, lovely, cute, and brilliant) is our newest granddaughter, sister to the Exquisite Emma.  Taylor, Jill, and Kelsey, who don’t need to remain anonymous for any reason, are their dogs.

Izzy and Bella are a couple of calico cats who deign to live with us.  They are frequently amusing and always entertaining.

I’m going to work on being more creative when naming friends and other family members. Otherwise my blog is going to end up looking like alphabet soup.

How is it you live in both Sabbaticalville and the Bogs?

Well, if you’ve been reading the blog, you should know the answer to this. M the Elder is, as of this writing (June 2007), on a sabbatical (leave) from his job. We’re temporarily living in Sabbaticalville (in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area), from December 1, 2006 until August 5, 2007.

Update:  July 2008.  We’re home (and have been since last August).  We occasionally travel back to Sabbaticalville for business, pleasure, and to visit family.

What kind of camera do you use?

From December of 2005 until April of 2010 I used a Kodak Easyshare Z740 which has been discontinued. That’s too bad because it really is a good little mid-range camera that allowed me to point and click on a variety of settings as well as set it manually.

In August of 2009 while climbing around the Rocky Mountains in Colorado I somehow acquired a minute speck of dust on the sensor of the camera.  This resulted in what I called “the blob” showing up in the skies of my photos.  The cost of getting it cleaned wasn’t worth it so I got creative in my picture taking for a while, either cropping out the blob or fixing the focal point to avoid the blob’s obvious presence.

Finally, in April 0f 2010, I bought a new camera.  (Much rejoicing!)  After doing a lot of research and a lot of thinking about what I want, I decided on another Kodak (the Kodak EasyShare Z981).  I was not ready to jump into the DSLR pool because of 1) the expense; 2) I didn’t want to take myself too seriously and become one of those camera snobs that are so prevalent on the internet; and 3) I didn’t want to have to worry about theft or the loss of an expensive piece of equipment.  Worrying would have taken all of the fun of photography, something I enjoy immensely and never want to take too seriously.

Do you sell prints of your photos?

I’m glad you asked. Yes, I do. Email me at: maidinsun@gmail.com if you’re interested in purchasing a print.  Or visit my website:  MaidinSun Photography.  There is also a link to my RedBubble gallery in the sidebar.  —->  See it?  No?  Okay.  Here’s a link.  I will be taking down the MaidinSun Photography website in April or May of 2013.  Contact me (maidinsun@gmail.com) if you wish more information.

If you are a regular visitor to Life in the Bogs who comments once in a while, I’ll be glad to give you a deep discount on prints ordered through RedBubble.  Let me know which one you want and I’ll price it accordingly.  (I’ve even been known to give one away on occasion.)

I enjoy your blog so much I want to send you a gift as a thank you. What’s your address?

Nice try. I don’t give out my address online, you silly goose.

What does BYSFI mean?

It means Because You Searched For It. I got tired of typing it all out. Besides, it makes for a very cumbersome entry title. One of the wonders of WordPress is the stats page, and that you’re given the search engine terms/questions used to find your blog. I’m fascinated, on a daily basis, by the things that lead people to my blog. That fascination has led to me trying to answer some of the questions that brought people here. I do this mostly for my amusement. There are no guarantees that my answers are correct, but I do try to come up with something approximating the correct answers.

Who are those people in your header?

Chances are pretty good that if my header includes people, I have no idea who they are. It’s a photo I took while out and about. I rarely (if ever) post photos of myself, friends, or family members unless they’ve either asked me to post them or I somehow obtained their permission.

I see you’ve been Freshly Pressed.  Which post?

Well, there were two posts.  The first, which came as a huge surprise, was Look Up:  The redbud.   I didn’t even know Freshly Pressed existed and went into a panic when I saw my stats climb to ridiculous levels in a short period of time.  It took me most of a morning to figure it out.  The second time around it was 216:  A visit from the Green Man.  The number (216) in the title relates to what day it was in my year-long Outdoor Challenge.  A big thank you to the folks at WordPress for recognizing and showcasing those posts.

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For the Search Engine Folks

What is the proper attire for the Ahwahnee dining room?

You could go to the Ahwahnee website for the answer. But since you’re here, “proper attire is kindly requested for dinner.” Yes, I know. That’s the answer you found at the Ahwahnee website. Let me try to be a little more helpful…

What that basically means is: no sneakers, no jeans, no shorts, no tank tops. Proper trousers and a collared shirt for men. A dress, skirt, or nice slacks and blouse for women.

Honestly, I got away with wearing black jeans and a black turtle neck top (I was obviously not prepared, having no advanced warning of needing “proper attire” for what I thought was going to be a hiking trip). I don’t think they’re all that particular (at least during the months when business is sparse) as long as you at least attempt to look properly attired.

Update (25 June 2010):  I see someone at the Ahwahnee website has clarified “proper attire.”  Go on over and have a look.

What is the 800 number for Wal-Mart associates calling off from work?

This is the most frequently asked question on a search engine that brings people to my blog. You can find the number on my 1-800-I’M-SICK page. If the search engine didn’t take you there to begin with, it’s not a very good search engine.

Why do frozen soda cans explode?

You know what? I have no earthly idea. There are a variety of explanations available on the internets and the writers of those explanations frequently disagree with each other. If you come up with a definitive answer, please feel free to leave it in the comments of the FAQ. I’ll post it here with credit going where credit is due.

I have an ice cream truck phobia. What can I do about it?

I will never understand why a question about ice cream truck phobias brings you to my blog. I tried this search. I can’t find where it turns up my blog as an answer.

As for what you can do about any phobia, I have no answers. Just a few phobias of my own (which don’t, by the way, include ice cream trucks).

Why do I have a phobia about having enough milk in the house?

That’s a good question.  I suspect you are in good company.  A lot of folks seem to have this phobia, especially when storms are on the way.  A good storm prediction often increases the check-out lines at the grocery stores significantly.  What are most people buying?  Milk, of course!  And usually bread to go with the milk.

In a true emergency, one that will mean a week or more of not being able to get to the store, you need more than milk.  See The top foods you should keep in case of an emergency to help you with more hoarding of supplies and keep you from going hungry and thirsty should a disaster of some kind occur.

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I have more questions. Where can I submit them for you to answer?

I have few answers, but if you really want to ask, post it in the comments section of this FAQ. I’ll answer it if and when I can.

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