Along the Sound Youtube
So, in an effort to get off my keister during retirement, I plan to start a YouTube channel. I may edit this post along the way as I keep planning it out. I am basically treating this like a live journal for the idea.
The main theme of the channel is simple: a retired guy, his wife, two cats, and two dogs move to the coast to live our best lives. Not in a flashy way, but in a slower, more intentional way — nature, home, cooking, photography, dogs, and finding a new rhythm near the water.
The channel has a few different parts, so I want to lay them out.
Nature
A big part of the channel will be getting outside. I want to visit places for videos and photography — beaches, bays, bayous, state forests, parks, trails, dune lakes, and whatever else I discover.
Over time, this will probably include fishing, kayaking, e-biking, and other outdoor hobbies. I will likely try a few things, see what sticks, and buy equipment if I decide I want to jump in with both feet.
Cooking
The cooking side will mostly focus on grilling and outdoor cooking with my Ooni pizza oven, Big Green Egg, and Weber grill. I expect it to include fish, especially if I start catching some, but also pizzas, pork butt, steaks, burgers, and whatever else sounds good.
This will not really be a recipe channel. It will be more of a “relax with me while I cook” type of thing.
Drinks and Ice Cream
This will be similar to the cooking videos, but focused on drinks, cocktails, coffee, frozen drinks, and ice cream experiments. More casual experimentation than formal instruction.
Sittin’ and a Talkin’
This will be the grab-bag section of the channel. It could include thoughts on retirement, finances, moving to the coast, my last trip to Grayton, dogs, photography, my wife, impressions of the area, places we have visited, or just whatever is on my mind.
Basically, this is where I sit down and talk through things.
Me and My Wife
Some videos may focus more on my wife’s experience. She is an artist, so her view of the area may be very different from mine. I may be drawn more to fishing, kayaking, cameras, and quiet nature, while she may notice galleries, design, shops, restaurants, and the more artistic side of the coast.
This will also be a way to show that I am not doing this alone. It gives the channel more personal depth.
Dogs and Home Life
The dogs will probably become part of the story too. Obi and Lou Lou have very different personalities, and I can see them naturally showing up in videos. Walks, quiet mornings, rainy days, porch time, and just normal home life may become part of the rhythm of the channel.
Nature-Only Videos
Some videos may simply be nature. I may set up a camera somewhere and let it record for 15 to 30 minutes — birds, waves, trees, rain, wind, water, or whatever is happening.
Something more like the quiet nature segments on CBS Sunday Morning, where the point is just to slow down and watch.
Photography
Photography will be woven through many of the videos. I may talk about why I like a photo, print something, discuss the psychology or emotion behind an image, or show how a place looked through the camera.
Over time, I want the channel to help me build a stronger portfolio.
Secondary Tech Channel
I already have a tech-focused YouTube channel and website, but I may take those in a new direction.
Rather than making videos that are just “this is the greatest gadget” with a list of specs, the tech channel may focus more on the technical side of Along the Sound.
For example, if I buy a kayak, the tech channel could cover why I chose it, how it felt on the water, how I store it, how I transport it, and what I would do differently. If I buy a photo printer, I could talk about it after using it for a couple of years. If I get a photo I really like, I could make a video about how I shot it, edited it, and printed it.
The idea is that footage recorded for Along the Sound can also become useful b-roll for the tech channel.
Photography Career
With Along the Sound getting me outside taking photos and printing more of them, the longer-term goal is to develop a portfolio and eventually try to get some photos into galleries, shops, or other local spaces.
I do not know exactly where that will go, but the channel could help create the habit of going out, shooting, printing, improving, and slowly building a body of work.
The Three-Pronged Approach
The way I see it, this becomes a three-pronged approach:
Along the Sound is the main lifestyle and retirement channel.
The tech channel covers the gear, process, equipment decisions, photography workflow, and behind-the-scenes details.
The photography side builds toward prints, galleries, shops, and maybe a small creative business.
All three feed from the same well: getting outside, experiencing the coast, making videos, taking photos, printing work, and documenting this next chapter of life.