Colorado Green Real Estate

Boulder Colorado Sunrise Bike Ride

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:46:59 -0400

Boulder Colorado Sunrise Bike Ride

Boulder Colorado is one of the most bicycle friendly communities in the country. There are bike paths and bike lanes going in nearly every direction all over town. Just about everywhere you go you’ll people of all ages on bikes.

One of my favorite rides is to go north on hwy 36 in the very early morning. I like to leave early because it’s super quiet and there is very little traffic. As an added bonus I frequently enjoy the morning sunrise.

This morning the Boulder Colorado Sunrise was spectacular. I stopped a few miles north of the city limits and took the series of photos shown below. If you enjoy bicycling, Boulder Colorado is the place to be.

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Previous Post: Boulder Recreational Center Yoga Center

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John Thomas MSEE, MBA

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Boulder Recreational Center Yoga Class

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:29:13 -0400

Boulder Recreational Center Yoga Class

I had an interesting experience in yoga class this morning at the North Boulder Recreational Center. The instructor, Ravi Dykema, who is a extraordinarily gifted yoga teacher, led the class as one continuous, harmonious flow. It was wonderful, even blissful at times. I completely lost track of time and felt myself immersed in a joyous sensation of being in the moment.

At one point Ravi described how Yoga is about sensing into the body to become aware of where we are contracting and then to relax the contraction. His explanation was simple yet profound. Our physical contractions are a type of self-defense designed to prevent us from feeling something that we are blocking on some level. Yoga helps to relax the contraction and integrate the feelings.

As he guided us through a couple of initial moves I felt a deep relaxation come up from within followed by an instantaneous emotional wave that swept over me. It was like being splashed by water at the seaside. It lasted only a few seconds and then it was gone. The rest of the class sort of floated. The peaceful sensation has remained with me most of the day.

The classes are held at the North Boulder Recreational Center on Tuesday mornings from 8:45 to 9:45 am. There are lots of great classes to choose from. If you have a chance, drop by and check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

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Previous Post: Greener Pastures

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Happy People…Happy Dance

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:17:01 -0400

Happy People…Happy Dance

I saw this video yesterday and it really stirred me--I love it. Over the last month or so I’ve re-discovered how much I enjoy dancing. It’s a blast to just move your body to the music and let go of stuffy inhibitions.

Try it and you’ll see what I mean. Start the video and turn up the volume. Stand up and dance a jig. Go ahead and check it out. Nobody is going to see you and even if they who cares. I’ll bet you can’t do it without smiling.

Enjoy, in joy….Let’s dance

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Previous Post: Let There Be Light

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Greener Pastures

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:01:13 -0400

Greener Pastures

A road less traveled can sometimes lead to greener pastures. When we venture onto a new path or approach things in a way less common we open ourselves to new experiences. And new experiences can lead to new opportunities.

Yesterday I bicycled up in the mountains above Boulder. I followed the paved road above Jamestown until it became dirt. Most cyclist turn around at that point and go back down the mountain. I continued on and found some extraordinary views.

The dirt road went for a couple of miles before leading me to a paved road called the Peak-to-Peak Highway with majestic mountain views. It was well worth the effort.

Obstacles are meant to be overcome. When you face something challenging, consider pressing on and remain open to the possibilities. Of course, there are practical considerations, but in many cases you may be presented with new experiences and new opportunities.

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Previous Post: Happy People…Happy Dance

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Let There Be Light

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:44:03 -0400

Let There Be Light

I stopped frequently on my bicycle ride today to take photographs. Usually I’ll stop for something specific like a rock formation or a flower. After I take the photograph which I stopped for I always look around and see if anything else catches my eye.

On one of my stops today I was in shade under a large tree. The wind was blowing so the sun was sort of bobbing in and out between the branches. I noticed the changing light patterns and decided to try photographing it.

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Previous Post: Rocky Mountain Clouds

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Rocky Mountain Clouds

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:10:06 -0400

Rocky Mountain Clouds

The photos below were taken during a trip to Steamboat Springs Colorado about a month ago. The white cumulus clouds seemed to be rolling across the sky like cookie dough.

I love the mysterious ever-changing patterns of clouds. One moment there is a horse and the next there is a tree…seconds later there may be a face before blending once again into nothingness.

Such are the days of our lives…we come, we dance across the sky of life before blending once again from whence we came.

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Previous Post: Rocky Mountain Bicycle Ride

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10 Seconds of Grace

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:12:54 -0400

10 Seconds of Grace

I had a very close call during a bicycle ride this morning. I was cycling over Lee Hill Road above Boulder on my way to Jamestown. After crossing over the summit at just over 7,000 feet I was traveling at about 30 mph downhill toward Left Hand Canyon.

As I was going down the hill my intuition told me to be extra careful and slow down. The hill was super steep. So even though I could have gone much faster I began tapping my brakes and slowed down to about 20 mph.

Looking ahead I saw a car coming up the hill and around the corner. As it rounded the sharp curve it swerved across the opposing lane (my lane) and onto the opposite shoulder before correcting and getting back in their lane.

The whole thing unfolded just a few hundred feet in front of me. I estimate if I have been 8-10 seconds ahead of where I was there would have been an awful head-on collision between me and the car.

Needless to say, it was a little too close for comfort. The driver didn’t seem bothered at all. His correction seemed almost casual. It all happened so fast it didn’t occur to me until later how close I may have come to death.

And that is when I began to feel the grace of it all. I thought back over the morning of some of the various things that gave me that extra 8-10 seconds on the clock—that extra sip of coffee before heading out the door, stopping for a quick drink of water coming up the hill, listening to my intuition telling me to slow down.

So I am here and I am grateful to be alive. Overall it was an incredible ride. I’ll devote another post just for the bicycle ride. For now, I am savoring the grace of a few seconds that probably saved my life.

Every moment is precious. Don’t take anything for granted.

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Previous Post: Rocky Mountain Flowers

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Rocky Mountain Bicycle Ride

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:30:07 -0400

Rocky Mountain Bicycle Ride

Except for a near accident mentioned in my previous post titled 10 Seconds of Grace, I had an awesome Rocky Mountain Bicycle Ride this morning.

I was out the door at 5:30 am with the intention of riding to Jamestown. I took Lee Hill Drive over the summit and dropped down to Left Hand Canyon Drive which took me to James Canyon Drive. It was not a long distance, only about 12 miles, but the hills were intense. The top of the summit on Lee Hill Drive is about 7,000 feet. I arrived in Jamestown a few minutes past 7am.

My original plan was to turn around at Jamestown and return to Boulder. This was the first of my mountain training rides in preparation for riding to Estes Park in a few weeks. After a short break with a Cliff Bar and a banana I decided to press on and up past Jamestown. The climb above Jamestown was super intense. I kept going nonetheless.

A few miles north of Jamestown the road turns to dirt for a few more miles before reaching the Peak-to-Peak highway. I thought I would ride to where the dirt road starts and turn around. But when I got to the dirt road I was still feeling pretty good so I kept going. The sights, sounds and smells of the mountain morning were incredible.

Before I knew it I had reached the Peak-to-Peak highway. By that time I was exhilarated just to be there. So I decided to follow the Peak-to-Peak on to Highway 7 which led me down to Lyons. The drop into Lyons was an intense 15 mile downhill ride with a top speed of 40 mph. The beauty was incredible as I switched back and forth in between the tight canyon walls with steep rock cliffs and a roaring mountain river. I felt like I was flying.

I was out a total of 6 hours with about 5 hours of ride time and covered just over 5o miles of mountain riding. The top elevation was around 8,600 feet so I climbed over 2,200 feet above Boulder. Besides all that it was definitely my best ride of the year thanks to the 10 Seconds of Grace.

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Previous Post: 10 Seconds of Grace

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Rocky Mountain Flowers

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:12:06 -0400

Rocky Mountain Flowers

I was up for a drive in the mountains a few days ago and stopped to photograph some mountain flowers. I’m not sure of the elevation but I believe it was just over 6,000 feet. I had never recognized any of the three flowers shown here before.

There is something mysterious about not knowing what kind of flowers they are. It feels like total surrender to their beauty. Or then again, maybe I am just making excuses for my ignorance. Either way, they are quite beautiful nonetheless. The mystery of the unknown prevails.

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Previous Post: Not All Plateaus Are Flat

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Not All Plateaus Are Flat

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:09:41 -0400

Not All Plateaus Are Flat

Sunday I went for a drive up in the mountains to scout new bicycle routes. As I was coming back down Hwy. 7 into Lyons I noticed this giant plateau rising up on the hill in a distance. It was huge but what really struck me was the angle that it sits on.

And of course, it has meaning to me. Life is full of great plateaus. Most of them are predictably flat offering a refuge of rest and stability. And then every once in a while we encounter one that challenges our every step. The gravity of life works against us with every step.

And like all things, it too shall pass.

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Previous Post: White Lilly

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White Lilly

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:18:53 -0400

White Lilly

The flower arrangement at church this morning was really beautiful. One flower in particular caught my eye. I believe it is a Lilly but with my mistakes on naming flowers lately it wouldn’t surprise me if it was something else.

I love the close up detail. I believe the dust-like particles are pollen. There were a couple of other exceptional flowers in the arrangement too. Perhaps I’ll post them on another day.

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Previous Post: Yellow Fellow

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Yellow Fellow

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 16:27:21 -0400

Yellow Fellow

Yellow is one of my favorite colors…especially in nature. It represents so many things including light, warmth, clarity, etc. Yellow flowers are among my favorite. The flower below was photographed in the flower garden at Columbine Unity Church.

The human eye acts like a band-pass filter in the visual spectrum and yellow is detected stronger than any other color, even red. That is why some fire engines are painted yellow. That fact wasn’t known, however, until well after the social and cultural trend of red fire trucks was firmly in place.

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Previous Post: A Tree Stump Can Be a Work of Art

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John Thomas MSEE, MBA

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A Tree Stump Can Be a Work of Art

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:05:30 -0400

A Tree Stump Can Be a Work of Art

My early morning bike ride today took me north on highway 36 to Niwot road. From there I went east to 95^th St. and then south to Valmont before heading back into Boulder. I rode a total of 23 miles with an average speed of 15.3 mph.

When I passed through Niwot I noticed the wooden sculpture was unveiled. The sculpture is carved directly in the wood of a large tree trunk. There are actually two sculptures on two different tree trunks, but it was so early the light was only bright enough on one of them to photograph.

In the photo you’ll see the artist’s scaffolding is still in place so they must not be finished. I am not sure who is doing the sculpture but they are true works of art. I think it is amazing how a simple tree stump can be converted into an extraordinary one-of-a-kind sculpture.

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Previous Post: Shadow and Light

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Shadow and Light

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:40:43 -0400

Shadow and Light

The picture below was taken on the altar at Columbine Unity Church in Boulder Colorado. Behind the altar there is a large wall of glass with a spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains. I took the photo this past Sunday just before the early morning service.

I was struck by the contrast of the beautiful flower arrangement and the background. The light from the window caused the flowers to form a silhouette against the mountains. The result, I believe is one of those classic photos that you probably couldn’t make if you tried.

The message that occurred to me was the co-existence of shadow and light. The same is true in our life. We live with the shadow amid the light every day. The two go hand-in-hand.

It's the shadow that allows us to experience the light.

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Previous Post: Flower Power Galore

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Flower Power Galore

John Thomas -- EcoBroker, MSEE, MBA (E3 Green HOMES) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:29:59 -0400

Flower Power Galore

This flower arrangement graced the table in the lobby of Columbine Unity Church in Boulder Colorado last Sunday. The variety of shapes and colors are spectacular. The photos are nice but they really don’t do justice to what the arrangement looked like.

I’m glad I had my camera with me. After missing a couple of good shots over the past couple of months I take my camera with me almost everywhere I go.

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Previous Post: Yellow Mums

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John Thomas MSEE, MBA

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