A note to say thank you to everyone who has commented, 'liked', read or scanned this site over the last few years to catch up with 999 Verandakus.
I'm especially grateful to the commenters and 'likers' who took the trouble to actually send encouraging words or mouse clicks my way.
I started the triple-9 project as a sanity saver - not sure about the outcome there, but I can say, for anyone contemplating a project of some length, or any length, really - suck it and see, as we say here in the colonies, and probably everywhere else.
Why? Well, it might taste really good, and there's a great deal of satisfaction to be derived from seeing a long challenge through to completion. Or even a short one - everything's relative, after all, and completion is the thing.
Worried about failing? Don't be. After all this time and trouble negotiating life and its strangenesses, I see everything as another experiment on the road to - I was going to say enlightenment (or Morocco, for the Lamour, Hope and Crosby fans who are, of course, legion), but that's not it. It's simply the road, on which, if we’re a little bit determined and rather lucky, we take one step at a time and try not to disturb the taipans, the tarantulas, and assorted crazies – not too much disturbance, anyway – just enough, shall we say.
My tip: determine right from the start that you're going to finish. It's amazing what an up-front promise to yourself can accomplish - even moreso, if every time you post you're letting both yourself and any readers instantly see your goal, a la '999 Verandakus: #299,' for example.
Finally, a very big (gigantic, in fact) and heartfelt thank you to Lorrie Lawler (the other half of the VernLaw Group) for her generous contribution of so many of the images on the site (Lorrie's are the truly magical ones).
We determined from day one that the Verandaku photos would be ours - nothing stock or borrowed - and so it came to pass. Plus, it was a great excuse for photographic safaris to the beach, the botanical gardens, the duck pond, the university, churches and cemeteries, rivers and parks, museums and art galleries, among others. Not to mention daily walks around the neighborhood and the perfect reason to stop and snap the roses.
Thank you, Lorrie, you made the journey (and our many safaris) so much more enjoyable and sustaining.
I'm hoping to launch a new project in the next couple of weeks, so I hope you'll stay tuned and keep visiting. Good luck with your own projects, take very good care, and thanks again.
Cheers,
Jay
