A Joyful Announcement!!

I received an Instagram message around mid-December from The Marina at Cherry Creek saying that they loved my photos, the Pelicans, to be specific, and that they would like to hang some of the pics in the Lake House event center. Well, earlier this week, I met with Erik Dyce, the CEO of Vencore Marine Group, and we have agreed to partner up. I am excited about this new adventure/venture and to see my photography being displayed (and sold) in such a beautiful venue. 

A statement from Erik:

'Pelican Bay at Cherry Creek in Cherry Creek State Park is delighted to partner with Amy Lilley – renowned photographer who has brought her unique talents to Colorado.  Her intimate relationship with the White Pelican, native to Cherry Creek Reservoir, is a stunning study in art and the science of this unique bird.  Pelican Bay is named for these magnificent creatures who feature wing spans up to six feet. At any given time you may see well over 100 Pelicans at The Marina at Pelican Bay, perched on the breakwater around the Marina, or out in the Stump Area on the South side of the Reservoir. Their sweet group behavior is something to witness.

Amy’s photos will be featured in and around Pelican Bay at Cherry Creek as well as for sale at certain select events.  We welcome these treasures and so should you!'

The Lake House and Marina...from the park side.

The Lake House from the kayak..

And from waaaay across the far side of the lake, looking toward the Rockies and the Marina...

Another shot from the park side.. 

Up close at The Marina..

Although it looks different now, this is where it all started for me, with a simple kayak rental..

Late December, The Marina..

Last Winter as a storm was getting ready to blow in..

The lovely entrance to The Lake House...taken today..

What is so amazing to me is that from a simple kayak rental 3 summers ago, to purchasing my own  Pelican kayak and spending so much time on the lake, doing what I love to do...not just taking pics of the Pelicans, Herons, the turtles, fish and other wildlife, but spending all that quiet time on the lake, the activity of paddling when the lake was smooth as glass or in some very challenging weather situations, to creating the Pelican calendar, and then having Erik look at me and say, 'I have never seen anything like your work before.' Is this not what, as artists (all inclusive, writers, poets, actors, dancers, etc.,) we dream of? I acknowledged that this is a gift, the eye which has been given to me. So, this is my joyful announcement. I look forward to sharing with all of you, over the next few months, as the Pelicans find their rightful place all over The Lake House!!

The morning after I met with Erik, I woke up, and the only thing I could think of was how much I wanted to call Mom, and I cried...

 'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.'

James 1:17

Click here to link to The Marina at Pelican Bay

It Happened!!!

A quick follow-up from yesterdays post. We went to the park again today and spotted 2 of the eagles and I was able to get photos of each of them. However, this is what I posted a little over an hour ago on my Instagram feed:

'For those of you who received my blog post yesterday, and may have read this sentence, ‘I want to do better. I want to capture an Eagle in full fight, full wing span’, and possibly prayed that this might happen, thank you, because IT HAPPENED!!! Just say the word...'

'But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.'

Isaiah 40:31

Be encouraged, answered prayers...

Humbled...

The Birds...

I am jogged, my memory is jogged with my Timehop App. I am grateful for it because time is so abstract. Yesterday morning I was reminded that 3 years ago I saw and photographed my very first Eagle. I was stunned that 3 years and 3 cameras later, I was still chasing Eagles, but add to that list, Hawks, Woodpeckers, Blackbilled Magpie, and in the dead of winter, Blue Herons as well. The Eagles made their presence known around mid-October. Since then, I have taken quite a few pics which to me are simply jaw-dropping, well, because..Eagles!!! I keep on striving to do better thru the lens and the Eagles, Hawks and the rest of the wildlife, which at times is right outside my window, (like this morning, 3 coyotes, very bold and loud) challenge me daily. I am grateful for this as well. So, these are just a few from the past couple of months. I want to do better. I want to capture an Eagle in full fight, full wing span. The same with the Hawks. Once they spread their majestic wings, things move quickly. I need a tripod now. As long as I see forward motion, I'm good, it's a good thing...thank you nature many times over, every single day...I added a Mule deer and a Bunny at the end because they are both just so so so precious..no captions necessary today..

  

                            

‘Listen closely,

even the trees exhale their own sweet love songs that roll off their boughs and echo out to all of creation. Love is always in the air.’ Christen Rogers. I posted this poem on February 14th as it is true, every single day, love is always in the air. 

Pay attention....

The Pelicans, 2018

Yes, I know it is January 17th and most of you have already purchased your 2018 calendars, but, here is another thought. I was so busy during the Holiday season matting and posting all 16 'REFLECTIONS" photos in my Etsy shop, that I really put aside the notion of creating another calendar for 2018. That said, I could not bring myself to go to a store and purchase one, (because, #Ivegotstuff) so I did have 4 calendars made for my household from the same company, Mixbook, who did such a beautiful job with both 'REFLECTIONS' calendars. Who knew that I would have 12 totally 'doable' photos of THE PELICANS???? Well, once I received our copies, and saw how lighthearted and fun it is, I made some edits and ordered a few more! So, there is the thought. 'The Pelicans, 2018' calendar, is now listed in my Etsy shop, Lilleypics! 

The calendar is spiral bound, with 12, 6 1/2”x10” rectangular photographs, housed in a 12”x12” square format. Printed on archival, high quality paper THE PELICANS pop out with all of their personality!! I took photos of these most entertaining birds from my kayak on the lovely 850 acre lake in Cherry Creek State Park in Colorado! I have slashed the Priority shipping charges in 1/2!!

Cover photo!

January, February, March...

April, May, June...

July, August, September...

October, November, December...

Click here to link to Lilleypics

The Back Yard-ish

For those of you who are not active on social media, or do not have Instagram, Facebook or Twitter accounts, these are just a few of the pics I have taken these past couple of weeks while either looking out, from the back of the house, on the deck or walking in Cherry Creek State Park. For those of you who are active on social media, I repeat. Never for a loss of wildlife and nature, be it sunrise, sunset or even moon set, I never know what the day will bring from the second I open my eyes in the morning! One of my favorite pics is of the very pregnant prairie dog. It was not until I came home and saw the pics on my iPad, did I see how full with baby prairie dogs she is/was. I am guessing she has given birth by now. She scurried into their underground condo as I was quietly snapping away. The male stayed in his 'I am watching you, don't even think about getting any closer' stance. The coyote, as if staring right at me, was literally yards away looking for a mid-morning snack. Very happy to keep my distance and get the shot. Thank you excellent zoom on the camera!

Mr. & Mrs. Prairie Dog, expecting...

Don't even think about coming any closer lady...

Foraging for a snack...morning..

My forever affection for Bunnies..

Featherweight...

'And the evening and the morning were the third day.

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night;

 and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, 

and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

And to rule over the day and over the night,

 and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.'

                                                                                    Genesis 1:13-18

Morning moon set...

One of the many many walking/bike/horse dirt paths with the snow capped Rockies as a constant backdrop!!

Landscapes Art Exhibition, Special Merit...

'Lakeside in Colorado'

This pic of the gorgeous snow capped Rockies while standing at the lake in Cherry Creek State Park, was one of the first I took with the new camera. Still playing, allot, with the powerful zoom, I have been testing the waters, so to speak. I continue to enter on-line photo contests, and have started a gallery on the National Geographic "Your Shot' page, along with hundreds of thousands of other amazing photographers from around the globe. I have received notice from National Geographic, 2 times, of one of my pics 'trending'. Meaning it has received attention from the on-line community. This happens to hundreds of people, daily, on Nat. Geo, but, it happened to me...exciting!! I just received notice this morning that 'Lakeside in Colorado' received a Special Merit nod from the judges from the Light Space and Time On-Line Gallery! This is what was posted, for those who were awarded this recognition:

'The art which was selected for the Special Merit Category is any art from the various media categories that we believe could have also been placed in the top tier of the entries selected.  The only reason that this art was not selected for the top tier was due to the size constraints of this particular competition. Otherwise, the Special Merit art, in many cases, is interchangeable with any of the best art that we selected elsewhere.' 

This works for me and I am about to crown the new camera, my trustee little Sony. Below is one of the National Geographic pics which was trending, along with a week filled of birds. A Bald Eagle, a Hawk, with full zoom from the house, and two Pelicans. I was happy to be able to be closer to the Pelicans, as I was standing on the shore of the lake just yesterday at Cherry Creek State Park. Unfortunately, Mr. Eagle did not want to cooperate on the big screen...

April is upon us, and here, your can feel Spring literally ready to explode...more to come...

Reflection from early March sunset, using the Diptic app, trending on Nat. Geo...

Mr. Hawk...

American White Pelican...a very big bird..

....and two...

(links to pages highlighted)

“Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?  It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold.  From there it looks for food; its eyes detect it from afar."

                                                                                                          Job 39:26-29

We Begin...

My shadow on the rocks and patterned frozen lake..

Our beach, around the bend...kayaked around here just a few short months ago...

Around the bend, our spot..

Afternoon light cast long shadows..

The lone man, getting ready to ice fish..

From above, the frozen Marina...

Amazing, ever changing patterns..

Having cruised through Chanukah, birthdays, lovely company,Christmas and the New Year, gratefully, without getting caught up in the madness, we step right into the first Monday of 2016. It has been brutally cold in Colorado. As hot as it was this Summer past, and impossible as it was to walk outside, that is exactly how cold it has been. Yesterday, and the day before we warmed up to a balmy 45, which at a mile high, feels like 65 degrees. I knew that our lake @ the ever beautiful Cherry Creek State Park, would be frozen over, and a playground for taking pics. So, off we went for a very long walk around and ON the lake, with warm memories of Summer, kayaking, lazy afternoons listening to the sequoias sing their songs, feet dangling in the cool waters for some relief from the heat.

We know that there are difficult days ahead, as the world, planet Earth, feels at times like it is spinning off its axis. We all see it unfold before our eyes, everyday. I pray that those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, will keep precious oil in their lamps, and pray for those who do not, as we step right into the first Monday of 2016.

'Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.'

                                                             Psalms 119:105 

And Then There Were Two...

The Marina @ Cherry Creek

Rented...

We're off and paddling..

Looking good Edward...

Like a mirror...until later..

A moment of repose..look close, the white on the lake horizon is the flock of pelicans!!!

The pelicans let me get me get much closer..

These are BIG birds!!!

The Marina @ Cherry Creek State Park, wisely, is open until November. The sun is still very warm. Edward and I had been talking about going kayaking together for a couple of weeks, and yesterday turned out to be the chosen day. We rented the 2 red kayaks, but Edward quickly switched his out for one which was just a little bigger. I am so tiny, I fit anywhere, so the red kayak was still working for me. Off we went. The day was quiet. Looking around the 850 acre lake/reservoir, we saw that we had the place to ourselves. Wow, what a gift. At the beginning of the day, lake was like glass, very smooth, but paddling, maybe because I have not been swimming for a couple of weeks, seemed harder. We wanted to stick to the perimeter to get the most out of the foliage, what creatures we might happen upon, it is the scenic route. We made our way to the far side of the lake. They are easy to spot, the pelicans. Their stark white color is such a contrast to the autumn foliage, the very blue water and they are always in a group. Edward stayed back about 30 feet while I quietly paddled towards them, camera-ready. They let me get closer this time, and I am so happy w/ the couple of pics I posted. But, in true form, once they felt that I was too close, one by one by one, they lined up and away they swam away, to one of their other spots, also on the far side of the lake.

I was thinking that in about 3 months, this water will probably be frozen over, and rather than paddling in it, we might be walking on it. I was thinking that as a Mom, I used to be 'in charge' of Edward's daily activities which included allot of play. Eyes on Edward and his friends @ all times. That ended a long time ago, but this day he was checking up on me. Little person out there paddling against the wind, which kicked up while we too were @ the far end of the lake. Just checking on you Mom. Be still my heart.

'Then the child moved ten times round the seasons

Skated over ten clear frozen streams

Words like when you're older must appease him

And promises of someday make his dreams..'

                                'The Circle Game', Joni Mitchell

Post script: I am very very sore today...all that against the wind paddling...