Lunt Solar Systems Has Revolutionized the Way We Look (Directly) at the Sun

Remember when you were a kid and adults said not to look directly at the sun because you could burn your eye balls? Some of us said ‘okay’ and went on our way, but people like Andrew Lunt, Owner of Lunt Solar Systems, never quite gave up the hankering for staring directly at the sun. He spent twenty years developing, testing, assembling and perfecting Lunt Solar System’s line of telescopes and filters made specifically for doing just that.

Okay, I know what you’re all thinking…“How cool is that?”

I felt the exact same way!

Based out of Tucson, Arizona, Lunt Solar telescopes and filters are carried in shops in nine states across the United States including California, Idaho, Oklahoma, New York and Georgia among others, and there are worldwide dealers in twenty seven other countries across the globe. Each ‘scope is created upon order, tested for performance and safety and then shipped out to the client individually. This means lead time is longer but the quality of the piece is greatly enhanced as it was not a model pulled from stock.

Andy is married to my sister’s best friend so I got some first hand info on some of the amazing achievements he has had in the past year alone. In 2009 his LS60 Pressure Tuned Telescope was awarded the prestigious honor of being named one of Popular Science’s Hot Products for the year. Right on! Plus he was filmed as part of a documentary on solar eclipses and what one can use to watch them safely.

I am no scientist and much of the technical, scientific aspects of his ‘scopes go way above my limited knowledge of wavelengths, nanometers, spectrums and other related terms defined by light but I do know that by spending a little extra time over at the Lunt Solar Blog or viewing the details of either the Visual Package or the Imaging Package I would gain a world of knowledge essential to any budding solar viewing enthusiast!

We over here at GLR love to dive into researching the truly Green, geeky, cool, funky and unique and Lunt Solar fits just about all of those categories with ease. Much time will be spent doing research! Congrats Andy, here’s to many more years of innovative developments in the realm of seeing the sky and its biggest star from a different angle!

Sun and Warm Weather is where its AT!

Last Sunday this happened in my hometown:

But...

Now I’m enjoying the lovely weather in the southern California desert! It’s close to fifty degrees warmer here than it is at home. I feel for everyone back there but Christmas in Cali is a very nice change. Not to mention we have been having an amazing time with Matt’s family which is a rare change from our usual as my family is the one centrally located in Boston.

We do miss our nephews and Matt’s sister and BIL of course but seeing an entirely different side of the family has been fun. FIL and Step-MIL plus Matt’s Aunt, Uncle and two cousins are here and we rarely see any of them so we’re making the most of the fun together!

My sister is also driving out from Arizona today (hooray!!!) and it will be fantastic to spend some time with her this Christmas as well.

If I’m a little spotty this week I apologize but I fully intend to enjoy this vacation of warmth on the other coast so I can soak up as much as possible before heading back to the likes of the photo above.

But don’t forget to swing back over after the New Year to read about the Green Gift Guide and giveaways!

Things That Make Me Feel Light

Happy Solstice everyone! Today, in about 20 minutes from when I started writing this post, at 12:47 the light here in Boston will be a mere 9 hours long; six less than what we’ll see in six months on the Summer Solstice. The good news about that is at 12:48 the sun starts making its way back here for longer and warmer days ahead.

In the spirit of the returning light I thought today would be a fantastic day to share my lightness list -- thinks I’m thankful for, happy for or just enjoy in general.

It starts with this photo of a sunset I took down my street in July of last year. It was one of the warmest days and nights of the summer and the sky was a blazing red as the sun dropped out of sight. Even in the city, there is nothing quite like a great sunset!

A cozy hug.
My nephews smiling faces.
Laughter.
Warm meals with warm company.
Music that punctuates an occasion perfectly.
Water -- to drink, swim in, bathe in, etc.
Reading the perfect line then realizing I wrote it.
Reading the perfect line that someone else wrote.
A well placed saxophone or keyboard solo.
Inside jokes with Matt.
Home made hot chocolate on the stovetop.
A really well made pesto.
Cheezy 80’s pop songs.
Road trips and travel to warm places.
Conversations with my sister.
Spending time with family and friends.

What lights you up during these cold winter months?

Little Moments of Inspiration

Whether it is a wonderful quote, a photo or a short movie I am inspired daily by the little things that people put out on our great web of internetworking. Here are a few of those very things for everyone to relish and enjoy. I hope your day is sunshiny even if it is raining outside your door!

This soft and delicate rhododendron was photographed beautifully by my favorite photographer Judi FitzPatrick as is called, appropriately, Rhodi. No I am not at all biased just because she is my Mom, she is a kickin’ artist! It can be purchased in her online shop and gazed upon with a smile forever as it hangs gracefully on your wall.

One of my favorite styles of poetry is the limerick. There is an interesting structure to a limerick and the rhyming is in the 1, 2, 5 / 3, 4 (a-a-b-b-a). The syllables dictate the timing, or beat, of the poem and there is always a set rhythm to each. It is a style I have never been able to master, as five lines is far too short for me to tell a story that includes a punch line, but they are so much fun to read because they are almost always humorous. Well at the least a little tongue in cheek. Here is an anonymous limerick to give you a chuckle!

There once was a fly on the wall
I wonder why didn't it fall
Because its feet stuck
Or was it just luck
Or does gravity miss things so small?

It is no secret I am a fan of Jason Mraz. Many know of his music but not as many read his blog. He is an inspiring writer and I greatly look forward to diving right in when I see a new post pop up over at the Freshness Factor Five Thousand space. Lately he has been on a super kick for happiness and gratitude, practicing it and preaching it alike. Here is a wonderful quote from a recent post:

“If everybody’s mama hugged him or her when they were young, this world might be a big musical breaking out in song more often. But that ain’t always the case. So let’s start hugging some folks and give love and hope to those that need it.”

Disco Jakes video will blow you away with his astounding ukulele skills. I was mesmerized the entire five and a half minutes; I have never seen someone’s hand move quite that fast across strings.

Beauty through the Rain, Mother Nature Shares the Sweetest Gifts

A few weeks ago on the way to our Bennetts Brook Green Group meeting the sun was just setting but the sky was also doing the spring rain in New England quick burst downpour. As soon as we got off the highway my eyes opened wide and my jaw even more so when we rounded a corner to see this sky. It was so beautiful we pulled into a parking lot simply to snap a few photos.

Just three weeks later it was yet again pouring, providing sustenance to all the thriving greenery and incredibly tall lawns. As I sat in my office typing up a post with the slider door open, listening to the shower, it suddenly occurred to me that the sun was streaming in through the window. With fingers crossed I grabbed the camera and stepped out on the balcony to see this beautiful gem emblazoned across the sky.

Whenever I am sad about something such as the extreme impact we are imparting on our planet with all of our many luxuries, this is just the thing to remind me that sometimes all it takes is an outlook in an upward direction to change my attitude. Beauty-full!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Here in the northeast United States it is a sunny day, a little windy and just the right temperature -- the perfect day for Mom! I hope the sun is shining wherever all the Moms are on this great day and if you are a mom here are a few fun, funny and moving quotes to enjoy. To my own Mom, I can not wait to have you over for brunch in a couple hours, thanks for popping me out so we could celebrate with you on this lovely day!

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
- Mark Twain

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.
- Calvin Rillin

Working mothers are guinea pigs in a scientific experiment to show that sleep is not necessary to human life.
- Author Unknown

I thought my mom's whole purpose was to be my mom. That's how she made me feel.
- Natasha Gregson Wagner

All mothers are working mothers.
- Author Unknown

Sometimes the poorest mother leaves her children the richest inheritance
- Ruth Renkes

Remember that behind every successful woman......is a basket of dirty laundry.
- Author Unknown

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.
- Rajneesh

Have a happy Mother’s Day everyone
♥love♥

Spring in New England

New England is an interesting place when it comes to weather, most of us use the quote “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” as a mantra. March is a month where this is a very accurate statement as the temperature on this day in 1989 recorded a low of 9, but conversely, a high of 68 in 1946. Throughout my life I remember the weather being just about everywhere in between during this transition month. Yes technically it is still winter for a couple more weeks, this I am aware of as another potential snow storm looms for Monday, but this weekend is supposed to be anywhere from 40-62 degrees depending on geographic location and that is good enough for me to call today a Spring day!

Since it is rare to see such warm, sunshine skies in early March, I am pulling the flip flops out of the back of the closet and heading outdoors to take advantage of the free heat that the sun provides. It will be nice to get some exercise and fresh air after being cooped up indoors for the entire winter. While we are out on our journey the windows to our apartment will be open wide letting in some much needed air circulation to ensure we avoid further illness. It is easy being Green when the skies are clear and the weather is nice.

Spring fever is setting in so I can not wait to stop talking about issues with rock salt and instead start discussing SPF or tasty, vegan summer treats. I hope the weather in your neck of the globe is just as lovely today and you all take advantage of the spark of magic in the air then get outside to enjoy the temperatures with a smile!

Nature and Poetry Make Lovely Bedfellows

While searching for poetry this afternoon for another project I came across a website called Poetry in Nature and I must confess I spent a fair amount of time reading through many poems. The site seems to be chock full of more modern poets and so many were beautifully written but when I came across this one I knew it must be shared here at Green Leaf. I hope everyone has a few minutes to get over to the site and check out many of these promising poets.

As the Sun Sets

© Kenneth G. Howard

The wind blows softly against my face,
The shade cast by the tree cools my heart.
The ocean waves relax the tension within,
That would otherwise tear me apart.

Alone on a calm hill for hours I lie,
Waiting only for the golden sun to set,
Prepared to see a moment of true beauty,
One that which I could never forget.

The warm glow of the sun begins to fade,
The ambient noise of the beautiful birds dies down,
The air around me cools ever so much,
But not even to that do I ever frown.

There it hits; my big moment of peace,
I move not a muscle; not even a bit.
I breathe deeply gazing at it's beauty,
Until the skies have become truly starlit.

The moon shines now; the warm glow is gone.
The owls have taken over the birds place.
I still move not, as I continue to breathe the air.
And I continue to feel the soft breeze on my face...

Here Comes the Sun

Part of the environment is how we feel. When hope is prevalent and feelings of happiness abound we all tend to sigh in a collective smile. One of the simplest ways we can feel happiness is through color. I have discussed color before as it relates to Green and our associations to it from a psychological stand point but when I use words like sunshine, cheerfulness or joy what is the first color to come to mind? If you answered yellow you are not alone.

I need to get a little personal for a second to explain something a little bit odd but something that happens to me a lot. Frequently I have very vivid dreams, in my own estimation I dream in color and most mornings I wake to remember something, if not everything, about my dream the night before. It can be a song, person, feeling, location or a myriad of other things. I truly believe these things are meant to guide me in some way, just like when I am driving down the street and see a sign. I consider the dream symbols I remember to be telepathic "signs" if you will. Yesterday morning I awoke remembering buttery yellow. Nothing more; I do not remember why or in what realm the color was used, it was just the thing I remembered from my night in cozy dream land.

Tonight we watched our first episode of Forecast Earth on The Weather Channel and upon coming home I decided to check out their website to see if there might be something cool to post about. On the front page, I came across an article about yellow being considered as one of the hottest colors for 2009 as reported by Pantone it made me shake my head and chuckle.

Clearly even I was in touch with getting a little hope and cheer in the new year!

Based on Sensational Color:

Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts.

Well that sounds pretty great to me so how about -- paint a room in sunny yellow, wear a pair of yellow pants or just draw a big smiley face on a yellow post it note for our monitors in order to remind ourselves that positivity and exuberance are not outdated concepts!