Here a blog, there a blog, everywhere a blog blog...

Good morning (or afternoon, or evening, as the case may be)!

When I look at the little map thingy over there in the sidebar and realize that over fifty countries are represented by little red dots (meaning someone in the dot has found his or her way to my doorstep), I also realize that it is morning, afternoon, and evening all at the same time on this amazing planet we live on. Not for each one of us individually, of course, but for all of us collectively.

My science teacher would be so proud.

And just as American playwright Eugene O'Neill once said, “The iceman cometh,” American blogger rhymeswithplague now says, “The blogosphere cometh.” I have no idea what that means, but it sure sounds good.

I don’t have an award to distribute today (if I did I would certainly distribute it). Instead, I want to introduce you to some of your fellow rhymeswithplague readers so that you can get to know one another, as it were, but only if you care to. As you will see, you are a varied lot, and I mean that in the best possible way.

Say hello to:

Pat - An Arkansas Stamper, who recently attended the 137th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas as a lay delegate.

Jeannelle of Iowa (not to be confused with Eleanor of Aquitaine, the mother of Richard the Lion-hearted), who is passing her midlife by farmlight with a herd of Holstein cows.

Sam Gerhardstein of Columbus, Ohio who manages to find some really neat things about which to post, including a video of Patches the Horse that is not to be missed.

Dr. John Linna of Neenah, Wisconsin, who claims to have a little town in his basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal (a contradiction in terms if I ever heard one).

Ruth Hull Chatlien of Zion, Illinois, who has written books that have been published by real publishers, and so has her husband, Michael.

Mr. Yorkshire X. Pudding, Esq., M.D., P.D.Q., N.Y.P.D., L.S.M.F.T., who lives in England and enjoys soccer or rugby or something.

Ian (a.k.a. “Silverback”) who divides his time between Sebring, Florida, and Leeds, Yorkshire, in the U.K.

Daphne, also of Leeds, Yorkshire, in the U.K., who once visited Ian (a.k.a. “Silverback”) in Sebring, Florida.

Mr. David (“Putz”) Barlow of Ephraim, Utah, who seems to be a heck of a nice guy even though he is orthographically challenged.

Mary @ Annie’s Goat Hill, who makes soap and lotions somewhere in southwestern Ohio.

Reamus (Michael in Carlsbad, California), whose writing makes me positively green with envy.

Carolina in Nederland who not only lives in Nederland but also, according to the sidebar thingy, in Apeldoorn, Gelderland.

Tracie in Florida, who has a rose bush named Rosezilla.

Vonda, who calls herself Egghead and lives on a little egg farm in Oregon.

Dr. Jim, who is not a medical doctor but a college professor of business, now retired, whose video of either St. John or St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands -- the text says one thing and the video caption says another -- drove me crazy. Also, on his other blog, Ask Dr. Jim, Dr. Jim invites readers to pose questions that he attempts to answer after the manner of Ann Landers and her twin sister, Dear Abby. Some of these are a real hoot.

A guy in Arkansas named Richie who owns a business called Richie’s but who signs himself as Richies, go figure, and who once took a beautiful picture of a sunrise in Belize, formerly British Honduras.

Daisy, whose profile says she lives pretty darn close to Toronto, Canada, with her husband, a 5 year old son, dog and cat. I would have said “...dog, and cat” but I went to school a long time ago when teachers still emphasized the serial comma.

Yellow Swordfish, another chap in England.

Yellow Swordfish’s wife, Jay, who goes absolutely bonkers over Johnny Depp. I should warn you about many of these English bloggers that they think nothing of peppering their posts with Anglo-Saxonisms that would make American sailors blush and turn away. It is their language, of course, and they can do with it whatever they please, far be it from me to criticize, or, as they would say, criticise, them in the speaking of their own tongue, but many on this side of the pond have tender ears and delicate sensibilities about such things (we are a young country), the presence of R-rated movies on certain cable television channels notwithstanding.

Delwyn, a woman in Australia who just started blogging in January. She recently celebrated her Frangipani anniversary and loves blue-tongued skinks and, according to her profile, something called “stand-up paddling” and who is already a major force in blogdom, or ought to be.

Mrs. Rhymeswithplague sometimes reads Rose of Sharon up in Michigan and also Confessions of a Pioneer Woman out in Oklahoma, but both of those bloggers take so many photographs and write so many words every single day that it makes my head swim. If you go to their links, you may never find your way back.

These are some of the folks who visit my blog. Some other readers I would like to get to know better include Gail, Grumpy Old Ken, Lula’s Daughter, and Katherine in New Zealand.

And you. I see you lurking out there.

(Photo of Coney Island, 1945, by Arthur (Weegee) Felliq)