Friday Free-For-All!

Published on by Jan Sikes

Happy Friday!

I hope you all had a great week and are looking forward to a wonderful weekend. It’s my youngest grandson’s birthday this weekend. and we are celebrating him on Sunday.

Connor is such an incredible little boy. He is turning nine and is so smart. Last year he became obsessed with our world. He memorized every country, the country’s flag, and the capital of each one. He can spout it all off at the drop of a hat.

This is a photo of us taken on New Year 2023. He has the bluest eyes!

Happy Birthday to Connor!

I’ve been invited to take my books to the Dallas International Guitar Festival on Saturday.

Fingers crossed that I’ll sell a few. This is a huge event drawing in people from around the world. This will be the second time I’ve taken my books in hopes of finding new readers. Wish me luck!

I have to take just a minute to rant a little. I do not like to rant, and I hate even more to whine. I live in a fourth-story apartment with a balcony. I’ve been here six years (which blows my mind), and for six years, I have fought pigeons.

Image by Jay Patel from Pixabay

Don’t get me wrong. I do not hate birds. I think they are beautiful and see them as messengers, but pigeons. Well, first of all, they are nasty and leave poop behind everywhere they go. So, to solve the problem, I recently put garden netting all around my balcony. That worked like a charm. But now the apartment manager is insisting I take it down, which I’ve done. My question to you is this: Do you know anything that will repel pigeons and keep them off my balcony? I already have an owl, and they ignore him. I’m at my wit’s end with these birds. Suggestions are welcome!

I started reading Sue Coletta’s latest book, Restless Mayhem, this week. And while it is the sixth book in the series, I haven’t found myself too lost yet. I love that the story delves deep into Native American tradition and lore. My review will be coming soon.

Last week I mentioned I had an upcoming podcast interview and promised to share the link when it was available. Well, here you go. I hope you enjoy it!

On the writing front, I’m attempting to get caught up on the Storyworth questions my daughters have sent. I got behind while finishing the novella. You may remember that I talked about this before. It’s a great platform and a wonderful way to record family stories for future generations. One of the questions waiting for me to answer is, “Do you believe in ghosts?” That will be a fun one to write. Not only do I believe, but I’ve seen, so I’ll be sharing that.

My oldest grandson got a new camera and took some photos of me last Sunday. I shared them on FB with a poll to vote for the best one. This is the one the majority chose.

I love that we got some of my books in the background!

That’s it from me this week. I hope everyone has a fantabulous weekend ahead!

36 thoughts on “Friday Free-For-All!”

  1. It sounds like you’ve had a peaceful fun week overall, Jan. It’s fun to see you spending time with marvelous, talented grandkids (love the pics). Sorry about the pigeon problem. I hope you get some good advice. I was going to suggest an owl, but mine is ignored too. Have fun at the Guitar Festival. That sounds like fun on so many levels!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Diana. I am so very blessed that I get to spend time with my grandkids. I never take it for granted. I appreciate the pigeon sympathy. I’ll keep chasing them way every time I see them. I appreciate you stopping by.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. Happy birthday to your grandson! What a great pic of you two. Good luck with your event. Hope you find lots of new readers. We recently started getting pigeons visiting our bird feeder. Never had them before but they are so big they broke all the hanging feeders since several of them sit on it at same time. No idea how to discourage them. I gave up and throw the feed on the ground… lol. Maybe an AI cat would do the trick 😉 I just read Restless Meyhew too. No problem starting at book six for me either. Same thing pulled me into it! Have a great weekend and party. Xo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks for adding your recommendation to Restless Mayhem, Denise. I am a little over halfway and loving it. It is a very different style of writing. Thank you for the birthday wish for Connor. How crazy that pigeons are taking over your feeder. I like the idea of an AI cat! 🙂 At least I wouldn’t be allergic to it. Have a great weekend!

      Like

      Reply

  6. Wonderful shares today, Jan. Happy birthday to your grandson, and good luck with the festival. If nothing else, you’ll meet new and old friends and enjoy the day. The photo of you and your books is beautiful! ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much, Gwen. I am hoping for a good day of book sales tomorrow. But yes, it will be good to see folks I haven’t seen in a couple of years. Thank you for the birthday wish for Connor and the kind words about the photo! Hugs!

      Like

      Reply

  7. Happy Birthday to Connor! He really is such a sweet kid and very smart. He’s brightened our world. I agree that he has the bluest eyes. He’s very different from his two brothers. I’m sorry you’re stuck with the pigeons. Darn it! I hope you find something that will repel them. You don’t want to have to keep cleaning poop off of the table and chairs each time you want to sit out there. It’s horrible. Love you, Sister.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yep. I’m apparently going to have to claim my Indian name of Pigeon Fighter. I’ll continue to scare them away every time I see them. Maybe eventually, they’ll get the message. 🙂 I have a water bottle I can squirt them with if I can get the door open before they fly off. I’ll have to become a Ninja and sneak up on them. Thank you for stopping by, sister! Love you!

      Like

      Reply

    1. I have seen those wires, Yvette, but have no idea where I’d get them. I’ll do a search, though. Don’t know if the apartment manager would allow them. I’d ask first. Your dad is a more patient person than I am. I just hate the mess. Thanks for the good wishes, kind words about the new photo, and the birthday wishes for Connor! Have a great weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. Sounds like a fun weekend, Jan! Wishing you all the best! As far as tips on the pigeons, I tried for years to remove them from areas of our previous home without injuring them. Nothing worked until my hubby boarded off the area, which I understand you won’t be able to do. There has to be a solution, and I hope someone can answer you.

    Happy Birthday to your grandson! Cute photo!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Boarding off the area isn’t an option for me. I’m going to shoo them away every time I see them. The problem is that I am gone a large portion of the day. Oh well. I’ll deal with it the best I can. Thank you for the birthday wishes for Connor!

      Like

      Reply

  10. What a busy time! I wouldn’t get that much done in months! Here’s a bit of what caught my attention.

    Connor and his intellectual curiosity are amazing! As a teacher, I am qualified to say that. Woot!

    Good luck at the Dallas International Guitar Festival. With your MC in Saddled Hearts a guitarist, how could that go wrong?

    Missed that Sue Coletta’s Restless Mayhem, delves into Native American tradition. Must check it out!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Lol. Connor’s teachers all love him. He is in the gifted & talented program, and often, he is bored because he already knows the material. He is such a joy. Thank you for the good wishes for the guitar show. My fingers are crossed for tons of sales!! All of my books have some element of music in them. I am really enjoying Restless Mayhem, and there is lots of Native American lore in the story. Thanks for stopping by.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. Happy birthday to Connor. What an incredible kid. I love his interest in our world. I would struggle to name all the capitals of our states. I’d never be able to name the capitals of all the countries (though I had to learn them in school). I doubt I’d be able to name the majority of the countries anymore. The picture of the two of you is precious.

    Good luck at the festival. I can’t wait to hear all about your success there.

    I’m sorry you had to take your netting down. If owls don’t work, try rubber snakes. My aunt has had some small success with them. (I also have a bird problem, and I haven’t found a single thing that works.) Good luck.

    I loved your new pictures. Your grandson did a great job. Of course, you’re also very photogenic. They were all great, and the one you chose is lovely.

    Have a great weekend, Jan.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I am right there with you, Staci. I can probably name all the capitals of our States, but the world…no way! He’s pretty amazing and has a head full of brains eager to learn. Thank you for the kind words about the photos. I had fun letting my grandson play with his new camera. 🙂 I am at a loss about the pigeons. When I am home, I can shoo them away, but once I leave every day, they have free rein. Oh well. I’ll do the best I can. Thank you for your wonderful comment and I hope you have a great weekend as well!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. Connor is like my middle one. He knew all countries, their capitols, and each single flag, at such an early age.
    Wishing you a great time at the festival and I am sure you will sell some copies!
    No idea about the pigeons, sorry! Hope you find something that fits you all!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Awww, I love that, Erika. These children can be so absolutely amazing! Thanks for the good wishes at the guitar festival. I’m looking forward to spending the day with people who love music! And thanks for the pigeon sympathy. 🙂 I hope you have a good weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. Your grandson is adorable and sounds like he’s super smart as well. I love that age! Good luck with the pigeons, sorry but I have no suggestions. They can be messy. Have fun at the guitar festival and sell loads of books. xo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Connor is super smart, for sure, Darlene. And he loves learning. I agree. It’s a great age before the little male ego starts to kick in. Thanks for the pigeon sympathy. 🙂 And thanks for the good wishes for book sales! Have a great weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  15. Wow! Here, there, and everywhere. Love the picture, enjoy the birthday goings on. Have fun at the guitar festival. Maybe try hanging some old CDs over the balcony. Something about the reflections moving around can keep birds out of fruit trees. There is also a mouse product similar to fly paper that’s kind of gross. It has a Wile E. Coyote aspect to it, but it might help get rid of a few.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the pigeon suggestions, Craig. I’ve actually tried the CDs before, and they don’t seem to notice them or care. I think these city pigeons are pretty immune to noise and movement. They completely ignore my owl, and it’s big with a head that moves to make it more realistic. I also have a windchime that they ignore. I’ll keep looking and trying different things. My sister says my Indian name would be Pigeon Fighter. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.