03.06.2010

Hey everyone,

I am so sorry I haven’t written before now.  I know I said I would try to write every week, and I have failed, but will keep plugging along.

Got in some new birds to work with.  I got some Warsaw Butterflies.  I had a few several years ago and always kicked myself for ever letting them go and finally got a few pairs in.  What a neat little breed.  Just wish I knew of more people who had them.  I sure could use a Black or Yellow!  Also got in a few Parlor Rollers and would like to find a couple more if I can at some point.

I did finally get my first baby banded.  It is a WOE Black out of one of my good pairs.  Got a few more pairs on eggs as well so things are picking up. 

I have Chapter 4 of my novel minimized on my desktop.  Got a few paragraphs in last week, but need to devote a little time each day for writing.  As it is now, my main character is standing in the middle of a dirt road.  She went for a walk and is turning back to go home but there is something up ahead in the road…

This time of year is normally really exciting for me.  I love springtime and tornado season.  Those nasty severe thunderstorms we get are such a rush for me.  However, this time I have been looking at empty kit boxes.  This is the first year in many years that I have not flown Rollers.  This time of year is usually my favorite for flying Rollers.  Oh the sight of a small kit circling overhead when one of them snaps into a spin that raises goosebumps… Sorry, got a little side tracked there.

Anyway, I hope this finds you all happy and healthy and getting the year off to a good start.  Please keep my friend, David Strait in your prayers as I know he has had a rough winter.

Until next time…

Bob

02.15.2010

First, I would like to tell how school is going.  My database class went from really stressful to kind of exciting.  Now that I am better understanding how Access works and what all it can do, it is more interesting.  My web design class started as exciting and has now moved to a borderline obsession.  I had no idea how much could be done and the possibilities that could be accomplished with just a few lines of HTML code.  I am very excited to get my website re-done with a whole new look and feel.  I will keep you all posted on that one as well.

I just have to share this experience with you that happened to me last Thursday afternoon.  I was at work and things were kind of slow.  My co-worker, Julie, had put in a work order to switch some cables or something on her computer.  The maintenance guy, Mark, showed up soon after saying things were slow that day and he was glad to have something to do.  So, as he was working, one of my former instructors (and my inspiration for writing), Miss. Mackenstadt came in and was talking about a book she had just read.

Our conversation quickly moved from the book she had read to my faith.  She asked me some very tough questions.  We had talked many times before about faith and the bible.  Keep in mind that Miss Mack does believe in God, but questions much of the bible and how to get to heaven and who should go.  As we were talking, Julie listened in and Mark kept working.

Mark finished up and was getting ready to leave when Miss Mack asked him about his faith.  As Mark started talking, it turns out he is also a Christian and shared his faith with Miss Mack!  It was a very wonderful and stimulating conversation!  Afterwards, I saw Mark in the hallway and we agreed to both pray for Miss Mack.

Think of how God worked that whole afternoon out.  Mark just happened to be looking for something to do that da and Julie just happened to pick that day for putting in the request for help.  It all worked out perfectly!  I know some would say the timing and everything was just coincidence, but that is a whole lot of coincidences at one time!  No, it wasn’t any coincidence, it was God’s hand at work in that room that day and I am very thankful to have been a part of it.

By the way, I have prayed for Miss Mack every day since.

Bob

02.15.2010

I attended a writer’s seminar with Jean Tennent last Friday and what a great experience.  I took away some great tips for writing that I think will help me a great deal.

I must admit that I haven’t worked on my novel in a few weeks now, mainly because of time.  Also, I seem to have written myself into a tight corner and wasn’t really sure how to get out.  After the seminar and thinking about it more, I may have found a way out.  I am still jotting down notes for ideas of other stories / novels, too so my mind is on constant alert.

I will keep you all posted on my progress of writing and the experiences that it comes with.

Bob

02.04.2010

I want to start this entry with something that has bugged me for a while, but more to inform you of something I found out.  I see a lot of people posting birds and telling people they accept PayPal as payment.  PayPal is great and I love the service.  However, when people post that the buyer must add 3% or some other amount for PayPal fees, that is not legal.  I was going to buy some birds once from someone who wanted to tack the additional fees onto their auction so I contacted PayPal about that.  (I had heard it wasn’t legal before, that is why I questioned it.)  Anyway, PayPal came back and said the seller is not supposed to charge the buyer extra fees to cover PayPal’s fees. 

Sometimes, I give a discount to people who pay with PayPal because it is instant and you know you have the money.  You can often ship same day or next day for them.  I either do not do business with people who insist on charging the extra PayPal fees or I simply won’t send it to them.  I won’t participate in illegal activity.  For those of you who do use PayPal, please be aware of this and check with PayPal if you have any questions.

I still don’t have all my birds paired up yet, but am slowly getting there.  Most of my WOE’s are mated, but I ended up with extra Black hens.  I still haven’t decided whether to part with them or keep them since they are pretty nice Blacks.  I will be cutting back on the WOE’s once they are all paired up.  The way they raise, I certainly don’t want a lot of them around.

I got a few pairs of Fantails paired up, but not all of them.  I need to go through and pick out those that will stay and those that can go in the next couple weeks or so.

I have been on the fence for over a month now as to whether to keep my Kazans or not.  I think I have decided to hang on to them.  They weren’t easy to find int he first place and they are decent birds.  Besides, I have always liked them and I think a guy ought to keep what he likes. 

I am supposed to get a couple nice Chinese Owls this weekend so be watching for them if anyone is interested.  Of course, I also should have some really good Fantails by the end of the month as well when Dwight calls.  I may actually get down to 30 birds or so before it is all said and done.

There is going to be a big change coming with my website and I will give some hints on that as we go.  Basically, one thing is that it is going to be completely re-done from scratch.  I’m calling Ty Pennington and we’re tearing down the old and building a new and improved version complete with pool tables, swimming pool, and those cute little flat screen TV’s that come up out the foot of the bed.  Well…maybe not ALL of those things, but some major changes are coming…

Bob

02.01.2010

Sorry I haven’t posted before now.  It’s been very crazy around here with kids’ activities, school work, etc.

I hope you all are doing well so far.  I know some of you have not started pairing birds up and others have had birds mated for a month or more.  Either way, I hope the prospects are good for you.

I recently watched a small all-breeds club implode over personal differences and it got me to thinking about this problem.  Why do Pigeon clubs fail? 

I have been a part of many Pigeon clubs over the years and have been an officer in a few of them.  I have seen treasurers run off with club money and friendships lost forever.  I know that when you get a group of people together, not every one is going to always hold the same views, which causes differing opinions.  I think that can be a great thing for a club.  New perspectives and views can make a club stronger.

What I can’t seem to wrap my brain around is this nonsense over personal differences that are taken to extremes.  I mean, let’s just be realistic, IT’S JUST A FREAKIN PIGEON CLUB!  We’re not talking about huge corporations with millions of dollars.  We’re talking about a bunch of guys who love the same thing (Pigeons) and just want to get together and hang out every once in a while.  Frankly, I don’t even see how politics should be more than a miniscule part of a club.  It seems that once a club gets up and running, the whole point of it gets lost in political BS.  Is the allure of being President of a Pigeon club that important?  Does having a title by one’s name trump friendship?  I just don’t understand how adults with the same love and passion for something cannot get together and move towards the same goals.

I had the erroneous thought once that I could start and run a Pigeon club without the crap that runs rampant in most clubs.  I know there will always be those filled with jealousy when someone starts a new club, but those a re not people to be worried about.  A dog on the outside of the fence can only bark, it can’t hurt you.  It’s the dogs in the yard with you that can turn on you when you least expect it and cause much more damage than any of the outside dogs could.

I don’t have the answer to fix the problem.  I do see why people don’t want to get involved with clubs and why there is so much turmoil within the hobby.  Even different clubs have the same general goal and should be supported.  However, the fear of someone else’s club being bigger and better than another prevails so club A tries to discredit club B and in the end neither one wins.

Remember, Pigeon clubs (ANY club) needs the hobby in order to survive.  The hobby does not need pigeon clubs in order to survive.  The vast majority of Pigeon fanciers do not belong to or participate in any club.  They simply have their birds for the enjoyment and relaxation they provide.

Bob

01.21.2010

In the Pigeon world, it has been rather thought provoking as of late.  Having gotten into Fantails, I have been watching birds that are sold and making notes of traits and characteristics in my birds.  There was a group of Fantails recently sold on Eggbid as a loft dispersal for C.B. Jackson.  Some very nice birds were in that group.  However, I have to wonder about some of the prices.  One bird sold for well over $600.00 and I saw where Mr. Jackson was reported to have paid $1,000.00 for that bird.

My question about that is no attack on anyone, it is just a question.  Are people who spend that much money on a single bird, in any breed, trying to buy their way into the top spot, or are they actually buying the bird because they truly believe it will further theie own stock?  Is a $600.00 bird required to better one’s stock or can a breeder find the piece he is missing for a lot less? 

Again, these are just questions I ponder and I, personally, don’t care what people spend on their birds.  I think of the guy who might need one or two good birds to help his stock, but cannot afford those prices.  Is that guy even able to better his stock if those are the prices for “good” birds?

Speaking of Eggbid, have you all seen the recent nonsense on there?  This “Eggbid.com Slander”, etc. stuff?  Now, I know that Eggbid could care less about the hobby, they only like their money and don’t even monitor the site.  Hell, they cannot even credit accounts in the same timeply manner by which they require payment.  I am paid up , but they haven’t credited my account in over a year.  They also don’t even bother to answer emails anymore.

Normally, it would be in order to ask for a boycott, but since you are able to post whatever you want with no consequences and not even pay for auction fees (Yeah, I know people), why not use the service.  However, please be cautioned to use it at your own risk.  The downside of the site is that their customer service is worthless, and I’m being nice about that, so they won’t respond to anything sladerous or libelous that is posted.  If you make someone mad, you are on your own, but remember, if it is an outright lie and is put in writing, it is a serious offense and prosecutable.  You may have the law on your side, but you certainly won’t have Eggbid on your side.

01.21.2010

I am sorry to say that I haven’t so much as written a single word in my novel since my last posting.  Been so busy with basketball games this week and catching up on homework, I just ran out of time.

On another note, I am very excited about an opportunity I was given.  I have been asked to speak to a Literature class at the college.  The instructor wants me to talk about writing, where I get my ideas, and the general writing process.  This is very exciting and I will post how it went after it happens.

Bob

01.18.2010

Well, it seems writer’s block has settled in a bit.  Still stuck in chapter 4.  I had a plan of where things would go, but the story had other plans so now I am stuck, trying to plan the next move.

Now that classes are underway for the semester, I suspect I will be getting busier.  I am taking three classes, one on Computer Customer Supprt, one on Mcrosoft Access (Database), and the last on Web Page Design using HTML and XHTML.

After taking the Web Design class, sometime this year my website will be getting an extreme makeover.  Most likely, I will have to rebuild it from scratch to make it right.  This will be a time-consuming project, but a long overdue one.

I heard from a local friend, Dwight Crewdson, and it sounds like I will be getting another group of Fantails from him in about a month.  He had picked out birds for breeding, but wants to cut them back to around 20 pairs so this group will be the good stuff, better than any others I have gotten from him most likely.  Sounds like there may be 30-40 birds in this group.  This will get me into some top notch Fantails that I can breed and compete with.  Some will be made available to others as well.  Many thanks to Dwight for allowing me this wonderful opportunity.

I have started pairing up birds this last weekend.  Got a few pairs of WOE’s mated and a couple Fantails as well.

Not much else going on.  The weather has been much nicer and the snow is slowly disappearing, but it sure does make for a sloppy mess!  Until next time, God bless you.

Bob

01.14.2010

Well, the spring semester has begun at college now.  I have three IT classes I am taking.  Two of them should be fun, but the database one I dread a little.

Yesterday, I spoke with a friend I hadn’t talked to in quite a while.  I was good to hear from him and talk Pigeons.  I may be getting some birds from him to sell for him later.  They would be Old Style Frills.

I have had a small problem in my loft the last month or so, but I finally took the first step to correct it.  Some of my Fantails would always hang out on the floor.  Normally, I don’t care if they do, but they would stad right under the perches and, well, you know.  Anyway, a couple had gotten really dirty from sitting under other birds, one or two had so much poop on their tails, they couldn’t hold them up any more.  And, with the cold we were having, the poop would freeze very quickly.

So, I went out yesterday and pulled tails on the dirtiest of them so they would grow out clean.  That gives me just under six weeks to find a solution to the problem.  One thing that will help a lot, is getting the WOE Tumblers out of those pens.  I will do that this weekend when I pair them up.  I am hoping to start pairing up Fantails in another 2-4 weeks.  I will have some really good quality Fantails available when I do start pairing up if anyone is interested.  With the quality of stock that I have, I should be able to raise some top notch Fantails this year.  Can’t wait to get that first one banded!

With my writing, my novel seems to havd ground to a crawl early in Chapter 4.  I have found that I will be sitting here at the computer with a thought of where I want this part of the story to go, then I start writing.  By the time I have written a few paragraphs, the story has taken on a life of its own, going down another path.  It is amazing to watch the letters for words and words for the story right before your eyes. 

My little passion has grown from Lennie’s mouse to Gollum’s ring.  It consumes a great deal of my thoughts.  Although I admit that I tend to be easily distracted, I am going to try and force myself to block off some time every day to write.  60 minutes of uninterrupted creativity. 

Last year, I was accepted into a major university for children’s writing (writing books for children & teens), but finances have prevented me from taking the course.  I will be signing up for a one-day workshop this spring for Screenwriting under renowned screenwriter, Lew Hunter.  Lew told me in a letter that I “have a gift, but I never fully realize it until I’ve opened up the package.  Opening is called ‘writing’.”  Time to start untying the bow and tearing the wrapping paper!

Bob

01.09.2010

Well, I had a wonderful evening last night with family and friends.  We played Catch-phrase and laughed harder than we had in a long time.  Makes me really appreciate some things.  Got other friends coming over tonight for supper and games.  Since none of us drink alcohol, it is especially good because we actually remember the fun we had!

The cold last several days has kept me away from the loft most of the time, but I still manage to practice lacing a Fantail as much as possible.  This is unusually tough when the wind chill factor is minus 25.  They cancelled school Thursday and Friday from the cold and snow and also cancelled my DJ night on Thursday.  It was brutal, but it looks like we will have a break this next week.

I made some real progress on my book yesterday and I hope to work on it today as well.  Lots of writing, then thinking, then writing, then thinking, then changing something, then repeating it all again.  I am finishing up Chapter 3, but at one point I had Chapters 1 and 2 open at the same time, fixing things in all 3 chapters!  Gotta take it slow so I can make it the best story I can.

Well, that’s about it for now.  Back to writing I go…