Minus Seven

I was driving in to work today and my thermometer read -7 degrees. When we were considering moving here, we asked about the weather, one of our friends said, "There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing." I don't think they make appropriate clothing for minus 7 degrees (at least not for a person who spent the past 20 years in Florida).

Better than Panera

For years, Panera has been my second office. The combination of comfortable seats, light classical music, free wi-fi, cinnamon crunch bagels, and an endless supply of coffee have kept me coming back for years. Today, I found something better--the East Library on Union. The library sits on top of a hill (6600 feet). The west side of the library is a curved wall of windows, giving you a panoramic view of Pikes Peak and the Front Range. It is spectacular. It even has a coffee bar and free wireless. While they don't give free refills and there are no cinnamon crunch bagels, the view makes up for it. If I can get a decent picture, I will post it here.



Another Colorado experience -- A few weeks ago, I went hiking in Waldo Canyon with some friends. It was seven miles of beautiful scenery and great conversation. I thought I was doing pretty good to make the hike when this girl went running past. She was running the trail I was hiking. What is worse, when we neared the end of the hike, she was running back for lap two. Embarrassing.



Last week, I had several great Colorado experiences. A couple of days, Tricia and I got up early and went on hikes in Palmer Park before the girls went to school. Then, some guys in the church took me fly fishing. I had never done it before. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical. The idea of standing in ice cold glacier water while the air temperature is cold enough to kill an Orange grove, and throwing some bug on a string into the water didn't sound all that great. So, I took a vacation day on Wednesday and we headed up to "The Dream Stream", just above the 11 Mile Resevoir. Despite my initial hesitation, I soon discovered it was a blast. I didn't catch anything, but standing there in a stream on a sunny day, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains was a real treat. The fellowship was great as well. As far as being cold goes, even though it was in the high teens when we started, I never got cold. As a friend on the Search Committee told me before we moved, "There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing." That really is true. If you are properly dressed and the sun is shining, it is a beautiful day.

Then, on Friday, my regular day off, Tricia was busy all day. So, I drove up to Copper Mountain just to check things out for our family trip in December. I spent the morning skiing. Even though they haven't had much snow and only had a couple of Blue runs open, it was wonderful. The drive up there was worth the trip.

What I Learned Today

Now that I am a Coloradoan, I decided I better start living like one. So, I have done a little hiking, I am getting ready for ski season, and today, I decided to go mountain biking in Palmer Park. The park is great because they mark trails well. They even tell you if they are green (beginner), blue (intermediate), or black (advanced), just like ski runs. I have been mountain biking before, but I am not sure the trails out at Chuluota, Florida really qualify. It is kind of hard to go mountain biking if there are no mountains. So, I decided to do a green trail. Next time, I will be looking for the bunny slope. It was an educational experience. Here is what I learned:

1. The fool says in his heart that there is no God and that bike helmets are for dorks.

2. Middle age + out of shape + high altitude = lots of heavy breathing.

3. If you are from Florida but now live in Colorado, there is no such thing as a small hill.

4. A corollary to the above: just because it doesn't look like a hill doesn't mean it is not a hill.

5. Little boulders can be big problems.

6. Going downhill is more fun than going uphill.

7. If you are going fast down a hill and you are on a dirt trail, just because you have good tires, that does not mean you can turn.

8. My back hurts.

By the way, the Colorado Springs Gazette now has a great website with a guide and map for all sorts of hiking and biking trails in the region. I put it in my links to the left. The site is Colorado Springs Outdoors. Check it out.

We Aren't In Florida Anymore

I will get to serious issues at some point, but for now, it is all about life in Colorado. I woke up this morning and it was in the high 40's. So, Tricia and I decided to go for a walk in Palmer Park. I was wearing shorts, sandals, and a sweatshirt. I was comfortable. Really. However, when we came back down from the park, I stood outside talking to our real estate agent (who is also our friend) and engineer in our yard about our drainage problem (long story). After standing there for a while, I started to get a little chilled. I don't think I have ever been cold in September (except for the AC at the UPC office). Yep, we aren't in Florida anymore!

All of these pictures are from Palmer Park (yep, our backyard). Our house in the neighborhood in the background of the picture.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. I recently moved from Orlando, Florida where I was the pastor of University Presbyterian Church to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where I am now pastor of Village Seven Presbyterian Church. It is a dramatic change, to say the least. While the two churches are part of the same denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, they are different in size, style, and age. Yet, they share the same rich theology and heritage, as well as a passion to see God's grace proclaimed to their cities and the world.

I titled my blog "A View from 6000 Feet" because a) I am bad at thinking of titles, and b)my home in Orlando sits at a stunning 75 feet above sea level. Our new home is at 6316 feet, which is nearly has high as Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi. The picture at the top of my blog was taken from Palmer Park, which is at the end of our cul-de-sac (then up about 200 feet). It shows downtown Colorado Springs with Pikes Peak (14,110 feet) in the background.

Living at high altitude offers a different perspective. On the one hand, you can see a long way. You are up above it all and can see things that those down at low altitude cannot. On the other hand, the air is thinner. So, some of my comments may reflect oxygen deprivation.

Colorado Springs is a beautiful place to live. Every morning, I see the sun shining on Pikes Peak and am held captive by its beauty. I have only been here for three weeks, but I can't imagine ever getting tired of it. We can walk out our door and go for a hike in Palmer Park (pictured above). In 10 minutes, we can be in the Garden of the Gods. In less than 20 minutes, we can be up in Cheyenne Cañon. When the snow falls, the ski slopes are only 2 hours away. It is an amazing place.