Dream•sync

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."

Think I finally settled on a theme and photo. Since the URL is dreamsync I went with that...and the photo is one I took off my deck. Always been a goal of mine to capture lightning shots. Got my first one in Hilton Head last fall - lightning over the ocean. This would be my second official capture - and not enhanced by Photoshop either :) Hopefully I'll get in the habit of posting more photos here. Went hiking yesterday evening and grabbed a few. Also managed to get soaking wet and step on a rather large thorn. Worth it? Yeah. But playing volleyball tonight might be a challenge seeing as I'm limping :)

Listening to: "A Tear in the Open" from Just Be - Tiesto
Reading: Just finished 'The Secret of the Seventh Son'. Interesting concept, but a bit too much 'questionable' material.