Skip to main content

Two-Year Podcast Anniversary

In this episode, Our Two-Year Podcast Anniversary . . .

Welcome to Episode 152 of On the Fly. Believe it or not, we went live on the Anchor platform over two years ago! But there's more to the story.

People still ask, "So, what's your podcast about?" A smidgen of history, a dash of culture - a minute dedicated to making you smile. "It's whatever comes to mind!" But it's much more than that. People undervalue the redemptive power of building a creative life one success at a time. Each episode reflects my experiences and life lessons.

You see, when you're learning, you're growing. However, learning is frittered away until you put that learning into action. And the best way to do that is to share your newly found discoveries with others. When you do - you'll soon realize that you're digging in the richest gold mine in the world; you're creative imagination.

The seed for this project was planted many years ago while listening to the radio program Our Changing World by Earl Nightingale. When challenged with the question, "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Without hesitation, Host a radio show.

In 2004 we discovered and began recording podcasts for GIA. The program was titled Inside GIA Education, produced by GIA's course development department, and hosted on Apple's iTunes platform. At that time, Podcasts were revolutionary, on-demand radio programs. We created two episodes a month for over four years. In April of 2012, we began writing a blog to produce content for the On the Fly podcast.

Was it easy? No! It took many years to refine my writing skills, purchase the right equipment for a recording studio, find the right music, and learn to record and edit my program. And - find a way to deliver it.

I'm proud to say; that this podcast became the vehicle to express my voice. The absolute joy of discovering what motivated me. An exciting, rewarding, life-changing experience.

Was it fun? You bet it was! Preparing a weekly production keeps me learning, growing, and encouraging myself to explore just who I am becoming.

My listening friends, I challenge you to go back and explore the many archived episodes. You will be enlightened.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. I'll see you in the next episode.

Comments

Most Popular of All Time

That Fateful Four-Letter Word

In this episode, A Masterclass in Efficiency. For nearly four months, the western border of our property has stood as a living monument to determination, dubious planning, and forensic-level lumber acquisition. Since February, our neighbor Steve has been conducting what can only be described as a masterclass in deliberate calculation. This was never going to be one of those slick home-improvement shows where a cheerful pair of men installs a fence between commercial breaks, sipping lemonade. No. This was real life in retirement. We scaled the vertical wilderness of our hillside. We mixed concrete with the precision of medieval alchemists. We bled, we sweated, and we fought hand-to-hand with a buried tree stump that had the structural integrity of a Cold War bunker. By this week—May 16th, for those keeping score—the glorious end was finally within reach. The fence stood proudly, the line was straight, and victory practically hummed in the air. Only one major task remained: installing t...

Truth for Sale

This episode is inspired  by Elton John & Bernie Taupin On Memorial Day, I took my first bike ride  since the accident , seeking proof that my legs, lungs, and nerves still remembered the road. The morning air carried that familiar Southern California mix of ocean haze, exhaust, eucalyptus, and sun-baked asphalt. My tires hummed across pavement I’ve ridden for years. Somewhere between the steady click of the chain and the rhythm of my breathing, Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s The Captain and the Kid found its way into my ears. There’s a strange kind of magic when the cadence of a ride syncs perfectly with a song you know by heart. Suddenly, the music and lyrics stop being background noise and become a lens. And through that lens, the road started talking. I've been cycling on this road some, Can't help feeling I've been showing my friends around. I've seen it grow from next to nothing, To a giant eatin’ up our town. Called up the tealeaves and the tarots, Asked the...

When Nature Comes to You

Sometimes the best way to experience the world isn’t to go searching for it, but to sit still and let it come to you. Lately, the view from my reading chair has become a vibrant little stage. Our backyard feeder has drawn a steady parade of wildlife—bold flashes of blue from the Western Scrub Jays, brilliant bursts of color from the Hooded Orioles, and Purple Finches—transforming quiet afternoons into a chorus of motion and song. But the most captivating performance unfolds just inches beyond my window. For the past couple of weeks, a young hummingbird mother has been perched on her tiny, beautifully woven nest. Hummingbirds usually seem made of pure nervous energy, yet here she is: perfectly still, patient, and devoted. Watching her quiet vigil - day after day - has felt almost magical. Life seems to be blooming in every direction right now, renewing itself in real time. It’s a gentle reminder to slow down, look outside, and notice the quiet miracles surrounding us. John Muir once wro...

The Eighth Wonder of the Suburban World

Mark your calendars, folks. Update the history books. Notify the Smithsonian. Move over, Pyramids of Egypt. Step aside, Hoover Dam.  Future civilizations will speak of this day in hushed, reverent tones. May 22, 2026, will forever be remembered as the moment humanity reached the pinnacle of suburban engineering excellence. Earlier today, my neighbor Steve and I drove the final screw into what can only be described as the most overbuilt property divider in North County. The Fence! And then there’s the gate. Good grief, the gate. Calling it just a gate is almost disrespectful. It looks like the entrance to a medieval fortress or to Hogwarts Castle. It swings open with the heft of a bank vault and closes with the wave of a magic wand. At this point, we’re considering applying for FAA clearance to install a helicopter pad on top of it. This glorious odyssey began in early February, the primitive era. From the start, we made a sacred pact: we would not become one of those people. You ...