Mike Hendren, Your Castle Rock Realtor®

Photo © Mike Hendren 2009

Photo © Mike Hendren, 2009

One evening, after a rain shower passed through, I saw this gorgeous rainbow just behind my neighbor's house, not far from Sedalia, Colorado.

It looks like the rainbow is going right down their chimney - I need to get in there to see if that "pot of gold" is really there! :-)

I used Nik software's Color Efex Pro, Low Key filter to enhance this image and give it that dramatic look.

Well, I did it - I finally got professional help - - - help with my real estate website!

I'm not even sure if it's a real word, but I call my site 'Search-Centric' because of the amazing real estate search tools available there.

But first, I need to give credit to Doug Greene at ProAgentWebsites.com for putting out this great hosting site for real estate agents. He has done a great job of putting together a hosting platform that is very easy to setup and use and yet offers some very powerful search capabilities. Also, it seems reasonably priced and, best of all, no long term contract or set-up fees.

Probably the first thing you notice when you go to my home page is the map, front and center. This particular map is centered on Douglas County in Colorado and actually shows you where homes for sale are located. Then you can either use the map to search a particular area or use the input windows to the left to enter price range, size, type, school info and much more to refine your search. OR, you can use the map in combination with the other data to really narrow your search and find exactly what you are looking for.

As you browse across the tabs at the top of the page, you'll notice another more specialized search page where you can find just the new listings that have come on the market in the last one day to two weeks.

So, if you like what you see there (and I really think you will), please register and come back often.

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to serving you in the coming months and years.

(You can also find Doug Greene on ActiveRain.)

Photo © Mike Hendren 2009

I found this old rusty plow sitting in a nice green pasture, not far from Sedalia, Colorado. The scene was so serene and peaceful that I couldn't resist. Plus, I think it kind of reminded me of the fact that I retired about 5 years ago, but didn't stay retired like this old plow. Of course, maybe it went through cycles, too, where it was put away for a few years and then brought back into action, tilling the soil for a new crop. Old, rusty, and tiny compared to the huge multi-disc plows that farmers use these days, it still stands ready to work if needed.

I used Lightroom to crop and enhance the green colors a little, then sent it off to Photomatix (single image) where the Tonemapping / Detail Enhancing functions brought out some of the details in the shadows - especially on the plow. This could also have been done in Lightroom with the "Fill Light" slider, but I like the result from Photomatix a little better. After reimporting the "enhanced" image back into Lightroom, I just sharpened and added some noise reduction.

American Flag TatteredCanvas, originally uploaded by SensorPhoto.

(This flag was found flying proudly in Sedalia, Colorado - it's since been retired.)

I know some of you object to flags that should have been "retired", but personally, I can't fault anyone who proudly displays our beautiful flag, even in this tattered condition.

When I look at this torn symbol, I see pride and love of country. Of course, it's time for it to be replaced by a new one, but who of us can say in these difficult economic times when another person can or cannot afford that.

I would much rather see this ragged flag instead of a bare flag pole.

I hope you all take time to remember and show your appreciation to those in the armed forces who risk their lives in the service of our country, preserving freedom.