First Day of Spring

first day of spring, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

I have been traveling like crazy...which I love...but leaves little time to photograph Denver.

Back in Denver, Spring has sprung and this little gem was poking out of the ground when I walked up to get coffee this morning. I love the contrast of the winter browned grasses and the vibrant colors of the flower and the new grass. Speaks to all that spring offers us in the way of new beginnings.

Of course, as only Denver could do...today's first day of spring is 65 degrees...tomorrow and Friday snow are predicted.

I hope this little flower survives the cold and continues to bring forth spring beauty.

The End of Restaurant Week

IMG_8848, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Restaurant week came to an end with me not going to one restaurant...I was called out of town on meetings.

Sharped Dress Man

IMG_8902, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

One of the great things about living in a city is the characters you stumble upon. This daper man was out strolling on a beautiful sunny February day downtown.

He strolled with purpose and confidence. I wonder what his story is. How that hat makes him feel. Where he was coming from or going to. Where he's originally from and where he'd rather be.

Just When the snow starts to melt...

IMG_8895, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Its supposed to start snowing again. I took this picture of a gutter downtown. It was so warm the snow was melting really fast creating a real flood of water as you can tell by the splash you see in the photo.

Denver Restaurant Week

IMG_8911, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Today is the start of Denver Restaurant Week. It is a seven-day celebration of the culinary scene in Denver. For the week of Feb. 23-29, 2008, participating restaurants will offer a multi-course dinner for the fixed price of $52.80 for two, or $26.40 for one (not including tax or gratuity). 5280 is a reference to our altitude 5,280 feet or 1 mile...hence the mile high city.

Statue at City Park

IMG_1363, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

This is a statue located in City Park in Downtown Denver. The park is home to the zoo, a museum, a golf course, a duck pond and more.

IMG_9176, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

I don't know if I am ever going to find time to shoot again and its driving me mad. So I am shooting things in the house just to make myself feel better.

This is the inside of a stargazer lily.

IMG_9046, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

The weather makes it hard to always have photos from around town and today is no exception. I'm hoping this weekend I can get out and shoot around town. For your sake and mine!

IMG_9065, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Its another springy kind of day here, and since the flower yesterday seemed to help all of us from cold climates yesterday I thought I'd post another one. This is an Alstroemeria from that same bunch of flowers from my neices.

IMG_9074, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Macro photography is my fav. I took this shot of a daisy I received from my neices for Valentines Day.

Larimer Square Clock

IMG_8872, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

One of my other loves besides old buildings is clocks. I photograph them where ever I go. This clock is at Larimer Square in the LODO (lower downtown) neighborhood of Denver. Its a cool area with lots of great shops and restaurants and of course my favorite old buildings mixing with new.

Spring Fever

IMG_8863, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

With the recent crazy weather (65 and sunny one day 18 and snowing the next) I'm not sure when we'll get to see actual blooms. I took this one looking through the window at Z gallerie on Larimer Square.

IMG_8828, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Another great denver building.

Sorry for the short/lack of post...I have been horribly sick AGAIN.

Spring is in the air.

IMG_0669, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

I took this photo last spring at the Garden of the Gods outside of Denver. Since the last two days have been quite lovely and spring fever is in full swing for most people I know I thought I'd share the warmth.

Today its supposed to be 57...YEAH...but wait...in typical Denver fashion tomorrow is supposed to be 27 with snow. Ain't it wonderful. What is the thing in your part of the world that is unique...odd...that no one would ever know?

Lofts

IMG_8961, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Denver has been taking old buildings, especially old commercial buildings and turning them into cool lofts, residential lofts, office lofts, and work live spaces. These lofts off of Blake and Market street look really cool from the outside...I'd love to see them from the inside.

The reclaiming of these old buildings is really important to keeping the history and feel of Denver or any other city in tact. After living in Europe for six months its clear that Americans really have the market cornered on tearing down beautiful old structures to make way for new, "vanilla" ones. UGH!

Football

IMG_8815, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

To all of those missing American Football this first Sunday after the Super Bowl...here is a shot I took yesterday looking at the home of the Denver Broncos from Blake and Market Streets. It was a beautifully clear day. Nothing like a mountain view with your football.

Rocky Mountain Seed Company

IMG_88401, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

If you haven't guessed by now...I love old buildings. The more crumbly the better. The great thing about Denver is that you get the old with the new. This building is right at Larimer Square...but I'm afraid it will soon be gone as the RMSC has signs saying they have moved. It was such a beautiful day today (almost 60 degrees) and everyone was out and about...sitting outside enjoy the spring like day...beating away the winter blues.

Working getting in the way

IMG_8673, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Work is getting in the way of photographing anything...so here is a photo that combines work and photography. The jeweler is from Denver and is amazing...here's the start of her website http://www.necklinedesigns.com

Last in the series

IMG_0505, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

This is the fourth...and probably thankfully for you...the final in the red barn series. Sorry to have bored you with them...but they really are some of my favorite photos I've ever taken.

3rd in the Series

IMG_0502, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Barn Series 2

IMG_0506, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

This is the second of 4 in a series that I did at the Western Mining Museum. What can I say...i love old barns, windows, and trees...this photo has it all.

Barns

IMG_0508, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Again, the texture and history that this area offers is fabulous. This is a barn at the Western Mining Museum.

More History

047e, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

I just moved back to Denver after 20 years in Southern California. When I came back from 4 months in Europe I could just not stand the vanilla-ness of Orange County any longer, the new-ness. So I decided to come back to Denver...not exactly Europe but there is at least history here. Buildings that are older than I am. Like this old barn. I am fascinated by the simpleness that creates art...they obviously never intended this to be beautiful when they built it. But it is. This week I am highlighting all my recent "barn" work.

Another Mine

032, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

This is the second in a series of mine photos I have taken in the surrounding Denver area.

Mining

0332, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Colorado used to be a big mining state. Up and down I-70 you can see the remnants of this history.

Ice Ice Baby

147, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

It snowed last night...and it was cold but already things are melting. Typical Denver weather. But it does create some pretty fantastic photo opps.

Solitude

042, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

I love images that portray solitude and juxtaposition. The single tree in an empty field, etc. This building feels that way to me. All alone in this huge field of snow, almost as if it was taken up in a tornado like in the Wizard of Oz and plopped here for no apparent reason.

More Ice

127, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

This is another ice sculpture from the other day. I love how the blue of the beautiful sky that day impacts the ice itself.

Ice Sculpture

123, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Part of the festivities in Breckenridge was an awards ceremony, the dais was made from ice. This is one of the many leaves that was carved along it. The sky this weekend was so blue and clear it almost looked fake...but that is the sky in the background.

Snow Sculpture

174, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

This weekend I went up to Breckenridge (Less than a 2 hour drive from Denver) to see the Annual Snow Sculpture contest. While this wasn't the winner, it was a favorite of mine. The start with an enormous block of snow (3000 lbs I believe) and it takes about 65 hours to carve. Does anyone else think this guy looks a little like Burgess Meredith?

Metal Man

IMG_0776, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

I took this photo outside of a shop in a small town about 45 minutes out of Denver.

Angel

IMG_6615w, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Continuing our theme, it seems these days angels are almost a religion of their own. This angel, is in the first church built in Denver, and sits atop the baptismal font, looking towards the heavens. There is a stained glass window that streams in light onto her face. The font was a gift to the church from a family in the 1800s as a memorial for the child they lost.

Buddha

IMG_1533, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

This is the 2nd diversity installment. This statue also sits in the common area of my building, near the hindu statue. If you look closely you will see that there is a stone in the buddha's hands that says hope....ins't that what we all are looking for...whatever religion we choose.

Diversity

IMG_7754, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

The next few days will be devoted to the religious diversity in Denver...all the photos were taken on my block. 2 of them including this one in my buildings common space area.

I'm not commenting on religion one way or the other. But having just moved back to Denver from vanilla Southern California the diversity and the display is surprising.

Zoo Lights

IMG_7433, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Every year the Denver Zoo decks out the zoo in lights mostly in animal shapes. This butterfly greets you in the entrance. The zoo lights are up until the middle of January. Check them out!

Back to the Animals

IMG_7038, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

UGH...i need to get over this. Leave for Vegas in a couple of days. This poor leopard was pacing its cage at the Denver Zoo. Again, I love the benefit of being able to see animals that I might possibly be able to see in their natural habitat but it is heartbreaking nonetheless.

Through the window

IMG_7768, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Still not feeling well so its through the window we go. Luckily for me, there is a lot to see. One thing I love about Colorado vegetation is that it has beauty in every season. These "flowers" or whats left of them, are just as pretty to look at as they were in the summer.

Back to the Animals

IMG_7331, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

Still not feeling great, which means reaching back (just a week) into the archives. This photo is such a contrast to the lion, which while pent up in an "envrionment" when I took the photo was not caged...and seemed like its regal self. This poor "little" thing was not wandering its environment but was caged and this photo seems to capture her sadness.

Sick

IMG_7769, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

I've been sick, so this photo had to be taken from my window. Wind chimes are an appropriate photo right now since there is a big controversy in Denver because one neighbor is suing another about the noise created by their windchimes

Lions, and Tigers and Bears Oh My

IMG_6857w, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

There are a lot of people who dislike zoos and the ways the animals are kept and caged. And while I hate the thought of these animals not in their natural habitat I love the ability to head over to the Denver Zoo and experience these beautiful creatures "up close" and personal. The big talk that day (a week after the SF zoo tiger incident) was about whether the tiger could jump the moat or if the wall was too low. My experience has been that if you leave these amazing animals in peace viewing as you were meant to they don't even realize you are there. So please for the sake of everyone...behave!

Windows

IMG_6483, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

I love windows. They are the eyes of a building and through them you can see life happening...or just make up the story of what is going on behind those eyes. These windows are from Trinity Church downtown.

Great Corners

IMG_6555, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

This is a great corner, a beautiful church on one corner, brown palace on the other. You can see the church in the background.

Capitol Building

IMG_6533, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

The Capitol looking down Grant from 17th.

IMG_6470, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

This is the most prominent building in the denver skyline. The statue is in the Wells Fargo Plaza. The building really framed the statue which is off two hands.

The Old and the New

IMG_6550, originally uploaded by thrivestyle.

On this New Years Day as we have rung out the old and rung in the new I thought this photo I took the other day was perfect. The church is the first church built in Denver and is absolutely stunning. I love walking (or driving) down this street...the reflection of the old church in the glass of the modern building gets me every time. This particular corner is all about this juxtaposition of old an new, modern office buildings with this church, the brown palace, etc. surrounding them.