GimletBlog

Why do tree leaves turn red or yellow in the fall?
Learn the answer on this stroll through the Arboretum courtesy of the Seattle Times.

• Haunted Hikes, by the Washington Trails Association, showcases spooky rambles around the state.
• How well do you know Gothic fiction? Take the Guardian’s quiz.  What, you’ve never read The Castle of Otranto, with its Monty Pythonesque Giant Helmet O’ Doom?  Tsk.  Well, at any rate, all family members should know the answer to #10.
• If you’re all about the sugar, Zillow’s Trick or Treat Housing Index will direct you to the top five Seattle neighborhoods providing the most candy with the least walking and minimum safety risks.

Trick or Treat:

• Pumpkin Way is an inspiring gallery of cool-and-creepy pumpkins, with tips, wallpapers, a screensaver and more.
• Check out ThinkGeek’s geeky pumpkin template contest.  First place wins a Tauntaun sleeping bag, no joke!

I blogged about this creche slideshow last year but it’s worth sharing again:  BYU Magazine and photographer Bradley Slade present a four-minute series of lovely nativity scenes from around the world, accompanied by Away in a Manger.  Use as a serenity break throughout the month as needed.  Enjoy!

Thing Two has become an enthusiastic bird watcher lately, thanks to Bestemor’s collection of toy Audubon birds. We’ve always seen birds passing through our yard, but we thought it would be fun to put out some bird feeders and really observe them: just how many different kinds of birds would we see? The Gimlet was happy to take on this quick project and set up a 4×4 cedar post for two types of bird feeders: suet and a large tube for seeds. Most of the birds in our area will eat one or both types of food.

The feeders have been up for about a month, and the response has been great. Black-capped chickadees discovered the seed feeder within hours of its installation, and have been our boldest, most frequent customers. The rarer chestnut-backed chickadees seem to prefer the suet, and confine their visits to the afternoon. House sparrows are our second most-seen birds, but they are much more skittish, flying away if we approach the window. So far we’ve identified over a dozen different species of birds, much to Thing Two’s delight. When the feeder is busy, he can be found by the window, bird book in hand.

About a week ago a hummingbird buzzed the window, as if to ask when it would be his turn to be fed. The weather was nice enough today for a few outdoor projects, so the Gimlet installed a smaller post outside the kitchen window for a hummingbird feeder and a thistle seed feeder. We’re hoping the thistle seed will tempt goldfinches into making an appearance.

So far we haven’t had any problems with squirrels, crows, or other animals. A squirrel has been eating the seeds which have fallen on the ground, and we’re happy to let him clean up the area; we’ve also seen it once or twice on the post trying (and failing!) to grab seeds directly from the feeder. So far the baffle and squirrel-proof design of the feeders have been successful, but we think the crows and raccoons may have hitchhiked to the big box home improvement stores to buy wire cutters and a blow torch.
Exploring Further:

• Seattle Audubon Society (or search the National Audubon Society to find your local chapter)
  
• BirdNote radio programs on KPLU 88.5 FM
• Chickadee Nest Webcam, courtesy of the Seattle Audubon Nature Center. A volunteer at the Nature Center told us that there are 7 or 8 eggs in the nest!

Suggested Reading:

• Birds of the Puget Sound Region. This pocket-sized guide features a handy list of commonly seen birds at the front of the book, a checklist and space for notes. Highly recommended by Thing Two.
• Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest.
• Welcoming Wildlife to the Garden: Creating Backyard and Balcony Habitats for Wildlife.
• For general North American information, see Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife published by the National Wildlife Federation. The magazine Birds and Blooms is also a useful resource, with a variety of region-specific and general articles.

Emmeline B. Wells (February 29, 1828 — April 25, 1921) was the fifth General Relief Society President from 1910 until her death, the chief editor of the Woman’s Exponent newspaper from 1877-1914, a poet, an early advocate for women’s rights, and a mother of five daughters.
Explore the links below to learn more about the life and accomplishments of this great and formidable lady:

• Wikipedia entry
• List of works
• As featured on PBS’ program New Perspectives on The West
• Women of the West Museum
  (Contrary to the photo caption, Wells is in the back row, on the left.)

A Helpful Guide to the People of the Northwest may be a local advertising campaign, but it’s a very clever one. I’m a Blackberry Hunter (#73) and Patches Pal (#82) and used to work for Recumbent Bike Commuter (#15), while The Gimlet uses a supply of blue tarps (#60) to keep his scouts dry. How many neighbors do you recognize?

After a good night’s sleep and breakfast, Team Gimlet spent one day exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes.

When Mark Twain visited Kilauea in 1866, he described the caldera as “a scene of wild beauty”:

“Through the glasses, the little fountains scattered about looked very beautiful. They boiled, and coughed, and spluttered, and discharged sprays of stringy red fire … We had circles and serpents and streaks of lightning all twined and wreathed and tied together … and it was with a feeling of placid exultation that we reflected that many years had elapsed since any visitor had seen such a splendid display …” (Roughing It In the Sandwich Islands, ch. 11)

The caldera hasn’t erupted since 1982, so these days one must be content with dodging the relentless flow of fellow tourists which erupts from the buses circling the park.

Our first stop was the park headquarters and visitor center, where we watched a short film about volcanic eruptions and safety. We remembered a story about the senior Gimlet-in-law’s uncle: (more…)

This January a modified Team Gimlet consisting of The Gimlet, your usual narrator, and your narrator’s parents (or Gimlets-in-law), spent nine days visiting the Big Island of Hawaii and Oahu. The Things stayed home with Grandma Gimlet, so they enjoyed being pampered after a fashion as well.

Our first destination was the town of Volcano Village about 30 miles southwest of Hilo on the windward (translation: rainy) side of the Big Island. Volcano Village is a picturesque community of about 2,000 residents, mostly artists, with several B&Bs and few scattered shops and restaurants nestled among tropical ferns and flowers. Aside from the historic but spartan Volcano House inside Volcanoes National Park, Volcano Village offers the closest lodgings to the park. We had stayed in Hilo on an earlier trip with Thing One and didn’t mind the drive, but this time we wanted to give the Gimlets-in-law as much sightseeing time as possible (and the convenience of a rest break if needed), and we hoped to improve our accommodations (translation: cockroach-free) from the last visit, too.

After a long day of travel, including a few moments where we weren’t sure we would make our flights, we arrived in Hilo at sunset. Thanks to our previous experience in Hilo it wasn’t too daunting to drive to Volcano Village in the dark, through the driving rain, uphill, both ways (we had to go back and forth a couple of times). We had made reservations at the Kilauea Lodge, a former YMCA camp founded in 1938 and now a cozy lodge and restaurant.

Kilauea Lodge is full of special details: a “Fireplace of Friendship” decorated with stones and coins donated from other YMCA camps around the world; friendly smiles and service from the staff; blown glass vases and other artwork by local artists; and the resident cats all contribute to the unique character and hospitality of the lodge. The owner/chef provides an intriguing menu: a German-Pacific Island fusion of gourmet delights and homegrown tropical flavors. Feeling adventurous, The Gimlet ordered the ostrich schnitzel; contrary to expectations, ostrich doesn’t taste like chicken. Thing One and other cousins who are Asterix fans may like to know that The Gimlet also tried the boar stew, and enjoyed it! The catch of the day was great both nights (ono and ahi, respectively), and the fresh papaya served with breakfast was heavenly.

We chose to house our group at the Pi’i Mauna House, a few miles away from the main lodge, on the Volcano Country Club golf course. Pi’i Mauna House is a pair of one-bedroom, one-bath cedar cottages connected by a shared lanai and spa deck. Our cottage featured a small kitchen and gas fireplace; the other had wireless Internet access, board games/cards, and a television with a video library. (When the Gimlets-in-law discovered a Monk marathon in progress, there was some doubt whether they would be joining us the next day for any sightseeing.) What a treat to snuggle down under a Hawaiian patterned quilt for the night, then awaken to the songs of birds (and wild turkeys!) and watch the sunrise from the front room, sipping hot cocoa (at 4,000 feet, it’s a little chilly in the mornings and evenings around Volcano). Kilauea Lodge was the perfect place to relax, set the aloha mood, and begin our exploration of the islands. We would definitely stay there again; in fact we wished we could have stayed an extra day to visit the Sunday Volcano Farmers’ Market, take another short hike in the national park, and just sit out on the lanai (or in the spa) at Pi’i Mauna House.

After all this sybaritic indulgence, rest assured we did leave the comforts of our little mountain cottage to see the volcano, but that will have to wait until the next post.

Further Reading:

• Hawaii’s Island of Adventure (Big Island Visitors’ Bureau)
• “My Good Life on the Big Island” by Bill Harby
• As always, see more pictures in the Gimlet Gallery.
• Read the next post in our trip journal: Pahoehoe, ‘a’a, and vog

Enjoy this lovely four-minute slideshow of nativity scenes, courtesy of BYU Magazine and photographer Bradley Slade. The slideshow is in QuickTime format. Merry Christmas!

The Gimlet’s JASNA AGM formal wear arrived recently, so he’s all set to go. But for now he’s settled into a comfy chair, waiting for me to get ready. My dress isn’t finished yet, but will be soon (I hope!). Note that The Gimlet is keeping his 21st-century dress slacks and shoes. If we decide to attend future AGMs (or if word gets out that he has the wardrobe for church history skits), we’ll look into completing the outfit.

Want to dress up your own Mr. Knightley or Colonel Brandon? (That Darcy fellow gets plenty of press already.) Jessamyn’s Regency Costume Companion reviews a variety of men’s clothing patterns and provides several helpful images and hints for creating the Regency look. The Regency Collection’s article on neckcloths and its accompanying 1818 illustration, Neckclothitania, is also very useful. And for my fellow non-sewing-types, here are the shops I used:

• Shirt: Regency Shirt, Historic Seams.
• Waistcoat and cravat: Gentleman’s Jabot (eBay)/Arbutus Grove Costume & Cravat.