Marsh Creek’s Spoonbill Courier

Born August 3, 2020, in the Year of Covid, now 1 YEAR OLD!

Looking back, it has been a encouraging year of neighbors talking to neighbors, showcasing the talents of both new and seasoned writers, looking over the shoulders of hobbyists performing an automotive rebirth in their garage, cruising down North Florida streams and rivers with Marsh Creek Kayakers, and getting into food, thanks to expert chefs sharing their kitchen secrets and expert diners sharing their restaurant experiences…just some of the stories that have populated Spoonbill’s digital pages these past 12 months. And let’s not forget Dear Daphne, possibly the world’s first advice column written by a dog, for dogs, (and sometimes cats).

Last winter was one of the darkest in history, but we got through it.

Through the pages of Spoonbill, we tracked and cheered the arrival and distribution of Covid vaccines in St. Johns County. The sense of “we’re all in it together” kept a hold on our emotional sanity and warded off the Pandemic Blues. It also sparked genesis of the Spoonbill Neighbors, the new informal neighborhood club where Marsh Creek residents will socialize over hobbies and passions in a one-on-one fashion.

So, it’s been quite a year. Thanks to all of Spoonbill writers (human and canine), and to readers, who have been the inspiration, continuing in digital fashion the legacy of the late Marsh Creek Journal.

For those who like to follow the numbers, the Spoonbill Courier has attracted 8,136 visitors and 26,080 page views as of Monday noontime. Most, naturally, were from the United States, and Marsh Creek in particular. But readers (and bots) have found us from the world over, as shown in the map graphic below.

Going forward into Year Two, the editor once more extends the offer of a place on these pages to all Marsh Creek residents. We have the tool, your have a voice. Let’s put them together and knit the community more tightly together.

Thanks again.

Brian Nelson, Publisher/Editor