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

From Sylvia's House, Waldo Canyon Almost 2 Years Later...

Everything around their house was torched by the Waldo Canyon fire. The 346 homes which were burned to ash, many in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, were around her. The 2 people who perished in the blaze, were in the house down the hill. Sylvia and her husband's house was not touched. A couple of pieces of outdoor furniture were scorched, a couple of windows blew out, but miracle of miracles, their house stood. Jimmy and I spent the afternoon w/ Sylvia yesterday. Now, it is close to 2 years after the fires. Here is a reminder of the day the fire exploded over the mountain into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood:

'On June 26, 2012, Colorado Springs experienced a record high temperature of 101 °F (38 °C), which aided the fire's rapid expansion. By 3:45 p.m. strong winds following a dry thunderstorm west of the blaze caused the fire to jump the containment line on Rampart Range Road and enter into Queen's Canyon. At 4:21 p.m., smoke billowed in the distance and Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach interrupted a news conference with an evacuation order. The fire crested Queen's Canyon and winds from the west nearing 65 mph gusts (the cyclonic winds of the collapsing pyrocumulus cloud from the fire storm) pushed the fire down the slope and into the Mountain Shadows, Oak Valley Ranch, and Peregrine neighborhoods. By late afternoon and evening, multiple structures were burned including the Flying W Ranch, a Colorado Springs landmark built in 1953. Within the time span of twelve hours, 346 homes in western Colorado Springs had burned to the ground, and hundreds more were reported as damaged by fire and smoke.'

We literally saw the fire jump over the range that day, and by evening, neighbors had gathered @ the end of our street, w/ a powerful telescope and we watched homes burn. It was horrifying. By the time the fire was contained, over 18,000 acres or 29 square miles had burned. As far as the eye could see. Now, almost 2 years later, we stood on Sylvia's deck and looked @ our house, which is 27 minutes away. If you remember, we had a birds eye view, although at the time, I did not understand the terrain or the distance. The fire was so enormous, it felt like it was as close as the Black Forest fire actually was. The amazing thing, the wonderful thing, is that nature comes back. Yes, the reminder is looking @ the charred mountain, daily, and worth repeating, as far as the eye can see. For those who live in the neighborhoods, many of whom have re-built, clearly, it is much more personal. It is the trees and bushes which still stand blackened, charred. They will never come back. But, the mountain is green now, in parts, and trees are being re-planted. Even yesterday, Sylvia was having dead trees pulled out, and 7 new trees planted.

We ache for the families near San Diego. We understand all too well the fear and the loss. Those feelings, I do not think will ever go away. But, looking @ the hillside near Sylvia's house, I am filled w/ enormous hope and awe. The resilience of the human spirit to re-build and nature saying, I'll be back, just watch....here is the proof of the pudding!

Looking West to a small, yet huge portion of the burn scar, with new trees just planted yesterday!

Looking South

Down the hill a closer view

Such a contrast of the charred remains and the life bursting forth from the Earth!

An amazing and beautiful landscape!

 'There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

   a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
   a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build, 
   a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them..'
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-5

The Horse Sculpture

The horse sculpture

Beautiful horses

At the corner

Driving to the bank...

Morning view...

Clouds rolling in later in the afternoon..

Today was one of those days. Everywhere I turned, the sky just took my breath away. I might sound as if I am repeating myself, but it is worth noting over and over again that the Colorado skies really are breathtaking. I did the same thing with the ocean, didn't I?? Just a normal day of errands, and I had, to stop. I stopped at the corner, as I made the turn from our house. I stopped as I left our sub-division. I stopped as I drove to the bank. I had the red light long enough to get a pic of the 'horse sculpture'. I love this sculpture of the 5 horses, captured in the breeze, perched on a hill, with the mountains in the background. Stunning!! We have been here for over a year now and this was the first chance I had, where there were no cars going by, (a very busy intersection) the sky was gorgeous, and in a split second, I got it! The mountains looked like there was a spotlight hovering over the snow caps all day. Very dramatic. I had to stop.We are expecting some much needed rain over the next couple of days, and the clouds have rolled in. You can see the progression with the day. Major photo op. Really glad I took the time to stop, even just for a simple 'snap'; gotcha!!!

And Now, They Are Cards...

Bouquets, Pezza Farm, R.I.

Pezza Farm Flowers

I made the cards from the photos I took @ the Farmer's Market, from the Pezza Farm. I am so thrilled with the vibrant colors and the compositions of the cards! It is wonderful to paint a full canvas, a landscape, rather than a tight macro shot, which I have done so many times.
Both cards can be found in my Etsy shop, Lilleypics.

Wordless Wednesday

Dairy Farm Cows, West Kingston, R.I.
August, 2008