Dream•sync

So...

1. The Apartment.  I know - everyone's like 'are you moved in yet?'  That would be a no.  And trust me, there are times where I wish I could say 'yes' :)  I never thought moving back in with my parent's could be such a challenge.
    
   That said, the drywall is up in the ceiling and the kitchen cabinets are being built.  Biggest thing has been getting the radiant heat system set up.  Kudos to my Dad - I've never seen such a high-tech heating system.  Some pictures:
   
   
   
   
   My Dad, my Uncle Rick and a couple guys from RBC helping put up the ceilings...
   
   
   
   
   
   Radiant Tubing Manifolds for one part of the apartment...
   
2. The HUGE work project - we launched on December 31.  And I'm happy with the results.  If you're wondering what I've been working on, it was a redesign of our corporate website.  From scratch.  With no consultants.  I'm very thankful I didn't go gray ;)  If you want to preview the site - ysi.com.  I'm not linking it because I'd rather not have my blog show up in all my colleagues Google alerts (still don't trust the 'do not index' option :)  Still finishing up some content for the site, but all of that should be finished by the end of January. 
   
   Side project is a certain business' website.  Purchased the CMS yesterday and I'll be looking through site templates this weekend.  Looking forward to this project. 
   
   
3. Office wildlife - It's been busy around here.  Just about every day I see something new - between new birds showing up, deer walking through and the occasional fox going after the squirrels it's never boring.  Was going to try to post video of the deer that walk through...can't get it to work so maybe next time if I can get it off my phone...
 
3 Cardinals - 2 males and one female...

"Nevermore..."

Cardinal vs Squirrel.  The Cardinal won. 
He just sat on the feeder watching the squirrel try in vain to reach the feeder.
 
He was trotting past my feeders after one of the fat gray squirrels.  He missed and so decided to head down our driveway toward the house.
4. Trips- I need to plan another trip to Ohio at some point.  Already have one planned for PA.  Looking forward to heading out with one of my 'old' friends.  She gets to leave her kids with her husband for a long weekend and we're both going down to visit.  Should be fun.  I'm taking a long weekend for that one - need a break from corporate web work :)

Edit - I've just fixed the comments section - hopefully you can see the captcha words and enter them on the posts now... Thanks Traci for pointing this out :)

It's been an odd Monday.

First, I woke up from an intense dream about someone purchasing the land next to ours and building a huge complex - to the point where they started building on our property and were claiming eminent domain. Marble tiles planted directly in the ground, a multi-level castle-like complex, and a foreman dressed in a full suit with broad shoulders.  More on this later I suppose...

Got up at a normal time, and was in the office early because of the time change.  Started working and enjoying the day.

Lunch - I did 24 'clean & jerks' - essentially lifting 24 1/2 inch sheet rock panels  from the first floor of the barn up to the second for my Dad to grab and pile.  Let's just say I was happy when the last one made it to the top.

Back to work, tweaking code and getting ready for a benefits meeting.  In the meeting and a very shocking thing happened outside my window...  but I should preface this first.

Before I get to that event, a few quick tidbits to document - first, I hit a deer on my way to the finger lakes on Friday evening.  Or rather the deer hit me.  Two little 'knee' dent in the driver's side front wheel fender, a dent behind my door, and another dent on the driver's side rear wheel fender.  All minor, and some my dad even got out this morning.  So very thankful to the Lord that He spared my car (and me) from a lot more damage :)

Second - I went down and grouted the cabin today.  Dad came when we laid it, and I went back down later after it had set to wipe it off.  It looks good.

Ok - back to the crazy thing that happened...I have many squirrels that frequent my feeders.  And chipmunks.  And deer. And a curious red-bellied woodpecker that apparently likes corn.   Here are some recent shots...be sure to click on them for a high res version.

 

Blue Jays in yellow - I'm pretty sure this is a pair...

Red-bellied woodpecker...

I've seen several new birds including a nuthatch, a type of black bird, and a small ground-roving song bird which I think is a  kind of Thrush but I haven't quite identified it yet...

And of Course, squirrels...

who can't seem to resist my suet in the feeder...

And at least one chipmunk who frequents the corn feeder...

He's the cutest thing to watch - he'll run up the tree and reach out for the corn feeder - a front and rear paw on the tree and a front and rear on the feeder until he gets up the courage to let go of the tree...

But alas, like my post title for the day....it was a day for carnivores.

Yes - I took this shot.  And yes, that is my chipmunk friend.  Well, was.  He was very dead in this shot.

That's a Cooper's Hawk.  And it swooped in and snatched up this little guy in a very quick motion.  I was quite surprised by it - and even more surprised that he stayed put long enough to grab several shots of him and his kill.

And if that wasn't enough for the day... my Dad comes up not 30 seconds after the hawk left and told me to grab shots of the field....

That's a red fox bounding away, heading for the pond.

So it was a day for carnivores.

Rest in peace little chipmunk :(

Enjoy your meal Cooper's hawk :)

no, not in my office thankfully :)

So after about a week and a half , yesterday I started seeing some birds hanging around my feeder. Strange to think that was a relief - as if I did something to offend the birds...

Since I saw them out yesterday and was going shopping with my Mom, I figured I'd buy a few more treats for them. Hung them up this morning, and lo and behold, they have already found 1 of the two new suet baskets, and 1 of the two corn feeders which are supposedly to keep the squirrels occupied and away from the feeder.

Anyway, Here's the running list:

Blue Jay on the new suet basket this morning. Now I've got two of them vying for the feeder...








Red-bellied Woodpecker. Checking out the feeder... He came back later for suet.











Black-capped Chickadee. I have two of these guys flying around each other. They found the corn before the squirrels. Still working out the best settings for my camera to pick up these fast and flighty birds. One thing - it helps if you're not shooting through a dirty window and a screen. Screen is now gone, but I have yet to try to clean the outside of my office window...

Downy Woodpecker - This one's the female. And honestly a fluke that I caught it on camera at all. Saw something unusual flying from tree to tree in the wood behind the bird feeder and just barely caught it.



White-Tailed Deer - Lots of these. I see them probably 3-4 times a week. They tend to cross our driveway more than I ever realized. Though it's not often in the past that I've been here during the day to actually witness the crossing. And sometimes they just stand there in the middle for 15 minutes or so. Definitely doesn't work as a hiding spot ;)

There are the squirrels and chipmunks as well, but no pictures of them yet.



I was reminded of this passage of scripture as I was putting this post together - Matthew 6:25-34. I'll share it as a close for this entry:

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

I know - odd title. I've just been feeling a lot like my bird feeder lately in some ways.

A few days ago I finally hung the bird feeder I got as a housewarming gift. I'd been looking forward to it for some time, mostly because I remember watching the birds outside Grandma B's big picture window and have fond memories of those times. So in the hopes of attracting my own colorful birds I hung it where I can watch from my office window.

Now I know that it would take several days/weeks for birds to find it, but I fully expected them to find it sooner than they have. So it's day 3 and so far I've had one cautious and very loud blue jay who came close to look, but didn't actually land on the feeder.

So what does this have to do with the Holy Spirit you may be asking. Well, it's obviously going to be an imperfect analogy, but here goes...

I am the bird feeder. The seed is the Holy Spirit. I need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to be in tune with the Lord's will and work in my life and to be used by Him to serve others - similar to how my feeder needs to be full of seed in order to 'serve' the wildlife. If it's empty, it's little more than a perch. Still functioning, but not nearly at the capacity or potential that it has. Just like me. I'm a follower of Christ - saved by grace through faith (not of works!) . Through salvation I've not only received the gift of eternal life, but the Holy Spirit as well. If I'm not filled with the Spirit I'm like an empty bird feeder. Still functioning as a believer, but lacking the power and not living up to the potential that I could be if I were filled with Him.

Again, very imperfect analogy. But aren't they pretty much all when we try to understand God with an earthly frame of reference?

So back to the 'normal' bird feeder. Have I seen any more birds? Nope. Not since that first inquisitive blue jay. That's another thing I'm learning through this - patience :)

Listening to: My 5 star playlist - right now that means I'm listening to "Formentera What (Albert Vorne) Mix".
Reading: 'Raising Atlantis' by Thomas Greanias. Archaeology, Treasure hunting, Action, lost civilizations - all the makings of a good adventure novel.
Studying: 'Living Beyond Yourself' by Beth Moore. Excellent study on the Fruit of the Spirit. It's an online course that you can do anytime and well worth it!
FB Friends: Read it in situ here: dreamsync.blogspot.com