With the majority of snow of our more recent storm past us, it is time to get out and about in the city this weekend.

What is happening in Denver this first weekend of February?

• The inaugural Evergreen Winter Festival is today at Evergreen Lake. Feature snow sculptures, ice skating, a rail jam competition throughout the day.  It is free to attend during the day and there is an entry fee for the evening events.
• You may have missed the polar plunge this morning in Colorado Springs, however there are still two opportunities to take the plunge in the metro area.  This event benefits the Special Olympics of Colorado.
• Today is a free day at the Denver Art Museum while Sunday and Monday it is free to get to the Denver Zoo.
• Two events today at the Pepsi Center.  The Colorado Avalanche take on Vancouver this afternoon at 1:00 P.M., while the Colorado Mammoth take on Edmonton this evening at 7:00 P.M.
• The Oriental Theater in the Berkeley District will have the Super Bowl on their big screen for free this Sunday.

Anything else you plan on doing this weekend, or will you just get out of the house and enjoy the fresh blanket of snow in the Denver metro area?

The final weekend of January is here (already).  What’s going on this weekend around Denver and into the mountains:

• The Mile High Snowfest continues this weekend with some various events around town as well art art exhibits.  This is being run along side of the SIA Convention at the Colorado Convention Center.
• The X Games are in Aspen this weekend.  While it is a little bit of a drive from Denver, it is one of the premier venues for extreme sports.
• In Breckenridge the annual International Snow Sculpture Championships takes shape with judging today and the ability to view the creations through next week… of course depending on mother nature.
• The newest photography show opens at the Denver Art Museum on Sunday January 29th. Women Are Beautiful will be on display through July 8th and comprises of fifty images by Garry Winogrand.
• Sporting event wise the Colorado Mammoth are at home against the Rochester Knighthawks at the Pepsi Center, while at the National Western Complex a different type of horse power moves in with arenacross.
• Monday January 30th is a free day at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

What are you doing this weekend in the Denver area?

The end of the week has blown into Denver with some high winds the past few days along the Front Range paired with warmer temperatures as well for this time of year.

Coming off a three day weekend, a little bit of a quiet weekend around town but all of the fresh snow in the mountains will attract people west.

• The Stock Show finishes it’s 106th run on Sunday at the National Western Complex. This will also mark the end of the holiday lights on the City and County Building as well
• The University of Arizona visits the University of Colorado for a men’s basketball game this afternoon at 4:00 P.M., I have heard this game is sold out however.
• The Colorado Indian Market takes place through Sunday at the Merchandise Mart.
• On Friday the 27th, Winter on the Rocks will take place which is the first-ever winter concert at the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.
• Through February 14th, the ice skating rink at Skyline Park will be open.

Do you know of any fun events for this week?

This weekend brings a three day weekend to many people here in the Denver area.  As a reminder most state and federal offices will be closed on Monday for the MLK holiday.  In addition there is no mail delivery, and in Denver parking meters are free.

A parade through downtown Denver always kicks off the annual stock show.

Some events you may want to check out this weekend:

• The National Western Stock Show continues the 2012 edition on this middle weekend of the show.
• If you are in the Longmont area you may want to check out the show “Street Creed: Graffiti Art from Concrete to Canvas” which runs through January 22nd at the Longmont Museum.
• It may be winter, but the Denver Boat Show has dropped anchor in Denver this weekend.
• After an overtime win this past Sunday, the Broncos play in New England on Saturday evening.  The game is on CBS.
• The Colorado Mammoth kick off their 2012 season at Pepsi Center this evening.
• Up in Aspen the Winterskol four-day festival is taking place.  Look for plenty of activities around the town as well as fireworks.
• On Monday, the annual MLK Marade takes place from City Park to Civic Center Park.  The Marade starts at 9:00 A.M.

You know of any other events happening this week in Denver?

The first week of 2012 is wrapping up and in the Denver it has been one of colorful sunrises and sunsets as well as some above normally temperatures.  One of these sunrises was on January 1st.

With the start of the new year there is also plenty happening in the Denver area as well:

• The National Western Stock Show kicks off this weekend and runs through the January 22nd.
• On Sunday, the Denver Broncos make their first appearance in the NFL playoffs since 2005.  They will be playing at Sports Authority Field against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• If you are heading to the mountains, Ullr Fest kicks off on Sunday and runs through January 14th in Breckenridge.
• Through January 8th, the International Sportmen’s Expo is at the Colorado Convention Center.

Do you know of any other events to check out this weekend in Denver?

Over the past few weeks you have been receiving presents and cards from friends and family as well as people you do business with on a regular basis.  For the most part this is kept to the holidays as a way of saying thanks.  However like the New Year’s resolution you set just a few of days ago why do we limit it to just this time of year.  The end of the year and the start of the year marks a set time in our mind where we perform tasks like saying thanks.  Let’s look at the resolution you created earlier this week.  If the resolution was so important why didn’t you start it on any other day instead of waiting until the first of the year?

As I looked at the holiday greetings I received this holiday season, I have noticed the difference between a card received via “snail mail’ and one which was sent in an e-mail or even yet a link to a web page with a generic holiday greeting.  This is one of the first years I have really have noticed the difference between getting a note in the mail and one electronically.

At the gallery which I own in Denver, this season I received one holiday card in the mail and countless others by e-mail.  The one card which I received in the mail hung alone for a few weeks waiting for others to join it, but the only greetings were via e-mail and after a quick scan they were quickly deleted from my inbox.  I can clearly tell you the name of this individual who sent the holiday card and if they inquire about having a show at the gallery in the future it may help them get added to the schedule.  Should preference be given to someone who sends a physical card versus an electronic card?  The process of communicating with a potential business partner is to make yourself memorable when doing so, and in this instance the physical card was memorable.  Will this be the same in 2012?  Most likely it will be, but I will find out in less than a year from now.

I know there is much discussion these days about being green and stewards for the environment when it comes to printed items.  This is the reason why a lot of people have moved to the electronic or ‘e’  method of saying thanks at the holidays or at any time during the course of the year.  Or is it for other reasons, including the savings in purchasing cards or even more so the speed in which the electronic cards can be sent quickly removing one additional task from our busy lives.  Hopefully this is not the same way you are treated when doing business with this person.

The bottom line is customer service is king in today’s business place.  Taking the time to write a thank you note is something which is appreciated by the person who received the card.  Who knows, one of those business cards you include in a handwritten thank you note can make it to some they know resulting in a new customer for you this year.  I am sure that alone will be worth the couple of minutes which is took to say thanks.

If you do want to have a resolution for 2012, why not make it setting aside fifteen minutes each week and writing a handwritten thank you note.

It’s the start of another month, and tonight brings the First Friday Art Walks to Denver.  At gallery nrc, Christopher Rice makes a return to Tennyson Street.

Plenty going on this weekend around Denver, so let’s start there and then some interesting links shared on Facebook and Twitter this week:

The City Park Jazz series starts Sunday evening.  Cost is free, but donations are welcome to help keep this summer event going forward.

The 40th Annual People’s Fair will take place in Civic Center Park as well as the Chalk Art Festival in Larimer Square.

Golite has some pop-up stores around Denver with sale merchandise.  Just saw this mentioned in an e-mail I received, and will check it out.

On Wednesday, there will be a reception at the State Capitol for the current art show taking place.  I have two photographs included in this showing of all types mediums of art.  This is hosted by the Lt. Governor’s office and is from 4:30 – 6:00PM.  If you are in the area, let me know and I can provide some more information.

What To Do When Your Image Is Stolen Online via @aphotoeditor

Common I.R.S. Red Flags for Photographers (and How To Avoid Them) – A Picture’s Worth | PhotoShelter

60 Ways to improve your life in the next 100 days.   Just pick a few of them and start there, don’t go all in as you can add more later.

Lastly, a random fact for the week… Stressed is Desserts spelled backwards. Mmmmmm.

Rain has been around most of the week, even including the first severe weather of the year.  With the falling rain, I thought an image I took last year would be good to share for this week.

Plenty of items mentioned on Twitter and Facebook this week, so let’s get started:

The whole week has been Small Business Week.  In Denver this wraps up with the Small Business Expo at the Webb Building.  There is a $5 charge to attend which is quite reasonable. (via @milehighbiz)

Be sure to check out a post on user interfaces when it was shared by someone who does QA testing for user interfaces. (via @theodorestark)

Denver Coworking has opened near downtown.  Now until June 1st you can check out their offerings at no charge.

Rob Haggart of aphotoeditor.com will be speaking in Denver on Tuesday on Social Media for Photographers.  (via @asmpcolorado)

The 8th Annual Five Points Jazz Festival is tomorrow and is free.

When uploading pictures to Facebook, the idea image size is 970 x 860.  Why, the whole image shows in the thumbnail. (via @JeromeShaw)

Thanks to Jake (I think) of Jake’s Carpet Cleaning for informing me of how many things live in your carpet.  May be time for a cleaning.

Indie Arsenal will be holding a networking party next Thursday at gallery nrc.  Indie Arsenal offers freelancers and students a unique way to enhance their professional presence through online and offline resources.

Lastly, the random fact for the week. In the average lifetime a person will walk the equivalent of 5 times around the equator.

It is nice to see some blue sky today as rain has been the featured item in Denver the last few days.  With over 2 inches of rain a few months early this could have been a sizable snowfall.  With conditions like that, it may not always be good to drive with you doors open.

Some of the items you may have missed this week on Facebook and Twitter:

Create Denver Week is currently ongoing in the City of Denver.  Saturday May 14th is the Create Denver Expo which is a great opportunity to attend workshops as well as network with other creatives in the metro area.

Last evening I attended a great seminar on local search engine optimization presented by Chris at seOverflow. (via @indiearsenal)

Nat Coalson has a new book out on Nature Photography.  This book is targeted towards the new and intermediate photographer but is packed with great information.  Here is a review on the book as well.

Speaking of new books Alyson Stanfield is out with a new version of I’d Rather be in the Studio. (aff)

Bike to work Day in Denver is June 22.  Always a great way to check out the logistics of biking to work, which may pick up this year with the price of gas.

A no-nonsense guide to sharing and promoting content on Twitter. (via @MackCollier)

Why photographers should care about SEO from the PhotoMedia Website. (via @roshsillars)

Lastly, Elephants are the only mammals that can’t jump.

It has been a busy week catching up from being out of town for an extended weekend as well as some ASMP Colorado events.  Last weekend while in the Bay Area visiting family and friends I captured the following image prior to the first game of the NHL Playoffs round between the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings.

This week you may have missed the following on twitter or Facebook.

There is a new gallery sign at Tennyson Studios, just in time for the Denver Art Walk this evening.

The Nikon School will be in Denver in a few weeks.  This is a great opportunity for those just starting with photography and want to learn more in a concentrated weekend.

The Create Denver Expo is coming up with other activities planned as well.  This is a great opportunity for creatives to network as well as attend some workshops.

The new website visual.ly will be launching soon, this looks interesting.  You may pre-register now for an invite.

Great quote by Peter Shankman on Twitter… “There’s no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love; only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.”

Amber Naslund will be in Denver next week as part of her book tour.  Don’t know if I will be able to make it, but should be good nonetheless.

The field of 10 9 was narrowed down to 2 this week for the next mayor of Denver.  It should be interesting to hear some more about Michael Hancock and Chris Romer in the upcoming weeks as the runoff election quickly approaches.

Congratulations to Richard Kelly for being awarded an IPC Leadership Award this week. (via @asmp)

It was great to catch-up with New York Music Photographer Ahron Foster this week as well.

Lastly, the random fact of the week is that Isaac Asimov is the only author to have a book in every Dewey-decimal category (well one of them is a forward to a book in the 100′s).

Actually one more item.  Happy Mother’s Day Mom! Love you!