Leaving a Trail
My Adirondack Outlaw 2023 Year End Review
A Wedding, a Retirement, an Epic Plane Ride, Speaking in Tongues, My Return to the Almanack, Cedar Log Surgery, 30,000 Readers, Ari Rae’s Apple Tree, an Alamo Shootout, a Green Christmas, and the Journey to SIXTY!
Well, another hike through a year on this planet has now come and gone. Several incredible events and experiences happened enroute. Some of them were expected, others surprised us.
The year began dauntingly. A snow filled epic winter that I barely survived. Carrying forward from 2022’s double holiday blizzards, from January until well into April, it simply never stopped snowing. Once all was said & done, we totaled over fifteen feet of snow at our home here in Watertown.
It finally stopped snowing just in time for the first big event of our year.
AFTER 37 YEARS…
What I did not realize was that Robin’s retirement meant she would now be home all day & this Adirondack Outlaw suddenly had to find some new hideouts!
All kidding aside, Robin & I celebrated her first summer of retirement with several fun trips.
We toured Boldt Castle.
We took a road trip to Cooperstown.
Our kids even bought us on an awesome Adirondack anniversary plane ride!
Of course, as always, we pitched camp at Bull Rush Bay.
A 51-year Monroe family camping tradition.
I performed Cedar Log Surgery
Robin & I got Shipwrecked
I took an Adirondack Outlaw lake bath and attended my class reunion wearing Saranac Lake’s most expensive pair of new shoes.
Ari Rae discovered the magic of apples and I wrote her a book.
All of that as I built a Register Box & everyone prepared for Carrie & RJ’s big wedding!
After surviving the wedding, I spent some time hunting, where I found myself cornered and running out of ammo as my best friend Chuck & I successfully defended the Alamo!
On the Adirondack Outlaw Writing Career front, it was quite a year! I was featured in a newspaper article courtesy of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise! Along the way I did several of my own live readings, “Speaking in Tongues”. Then to top it all off, I had my second HarmoNNY Performing Arts center “Selected Story” read live at the Sackets Harbor Ballroom!
While all of that was happening, in April I met with Adirondack Almanack Editor Melissa Hart in preparation for a successful return as a regular contributor to the Adirondack Almanack.
Where did 2023’s trail lead? In a nutshell, my adirondackloutlaw.com blog had its best year ever! for the year, I penned 41 total blog posts, adventures, poems & stories, totaling just shy of 60,000 words for the year, which is the equivalent of a book by most counts.
In 2022, my stories were reached 10,500 readers. My 2023 goal was to surpass that total. In the end, I not only surpassed it, I TRIPLED my goal! By 2023 year’s end, adirondackoutlaw.com had reached over 30,000 readers across the globe, with readers checking in from SIXTY different nations!
My most popular story of 2023 was “From Rail to Trail”, with 4,500 readers. “Larceny on the Lake” claimed 2nd place with 2,500, followed by “Scarred Cedar Logs” with over 1200.
So, after the first green north country Christmas in memory, which featured second trail register box and a taco tree built with love in Santa’s workshop,
What Adirondack Outlaw adventures & stories are on the planned trail for 2024?
All I can say is…
STAY TUNED!!!
It’s bound to be…
WILD!
**********
Until Our Trails Cross Again:
ADKO
About The Author
rdmonroe5
Lifelong NYS resident. Raised in Saranac Lake. Cornell graduate(ROTC). Army veteran, Airborne/Ranger qualified, 10th Mtn Div, stints in Honduras and with JTF VI. 3rd degree Black Belt; 3x cancer survivor; published writer with several featured stories in Adirondack Life Magazine. Residing in Watertown NY with wife Robin & our 3 adult children. Loving Life. Living in the Day I am in.
A wonderful year of sharing your rich life Dick.
Wishing you and all the Monroe family a Healthy Happy New Year!
Again, Thank you so much for the ride. Even if we disagree when it comes to politics, we all love life and the good stories it brings. It is in this joy we find fellowship. I wish you and Robin the very best in the new year, even if retirement adjustments must be made.
What a year, Dick! You certainly made the most of it!
Always wishing you and the family all the best.
It will be hard to beat but…wishing you an even brighter new year!
Love, Aunt Susie
Happy New Year Aunt Susie! Sending our love from up north.