I have been taking an improptu hiatus from Local Courage this last month or so. The months of September and October were difficult in the Carlson/Call household. I do not want to delve into the gritty details, but I spent a fair amount of time bouncing from job to job and experiencing many changes. I did not handle these changes with grace. And so, I pulled back from the many projects in my life.

The blog was not something I initially wanted to pull myself away from. In fact, I really wanted to throw myself headlong into writing during my days off. I knew it would bring my a sense of satisfaction.

The truth is, however, Local Courage has started to evolve on my brain, and on paper, to something much greater than I anticipated. It wants to go in so many directions, I find myself constantly reigning it back in.

There is a phenomenon in blogging that I think many new writers find themselves in. Much like when I was a radio DJ, there is this strange impression that I am shouting into a void. Each entry is a slip of paper put into a glass bottle and cast out to sea. Except for those reader of whom I practically bribed into reading the blog, I also wonder – who is out there? who am I writing to? do they agree, do the disagree?

The next several months, gearing back towards the spring when I can do more farm visits – Thom and I like photographing the farm when it’s abundant with life – I will be exploring what Local Courage is, and what Local Courage should be. I feel proud of the content I’ve created so far, but not always certain it reflects who I am, and what at the core I am trying to say.

So readers, whomever you are, I ask this of you. What do you want to see from Local Courage? Do you like personal narratives and stories about the Seacoast as a locally sustainable community? Or are the recipes much more appealing? Is there something completely different that I haven’t even touch upon, though you wish I would?

If I have never said it before, I would like to say now – I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this blog. This is a labor of love, and it means so much to me when someone even glances at the main page. In a time where every second is of value, I value the seconds you give to me.