These days many people seem to not understand the concept of a hobby or a labor of love. When I was getting serious about my outdoor cooking back in 2003, there were many people, websites and message boards available to help me get started. I learned some really valuable tips that helped me get started and saved me lots of time and aggravation. When I started spending more time grilling and smoking, it meant less time for going put and doing nature photography trips. I realized if I switched to shooting my cooks I could still spend time with photography. This website gave me a way to share my love of outdoor cooking and photography. I also was able to post my learning experiences and give back a little for all of the help I was given along the way.
At New EGGlandfest 2014 I had two people look over and smile like they knew me. I had no idea who they were and I figured it must be someone else behind me. Turns out I was wrong. They had recognized me from my picture on the site and wanted to thank me for some of the blog entries I had written about learning the Big Green Egg. This was a great feeling. No not being recognized in public, but to know what I was writing was actually helping others.
As a hobby this site is something I can do for my enjoyment when the mood suits me. If it is fun I do it, if it is not fun I take some time off. If I was getting paid for any of this it would become a little more like a job and a lot less like a hobby. I would have obligations and still would need to do it even when it wasn’t fun. Bottom Line: This site is a way from me to get more enjoyment out of my two favorite hobbies and give a little back to others. Money would change everything, and for the worse.