Seattle, WA

28201 Redondo Beach Drive S.
Des Moines, WA 98198
Restaurant (253) 946-0636
Tacoma Direct Line (253) 272-0607
Fax (253) 946-5099
Directions
Restaurant Reservations Online

If I could only make one restaurant while in Seattle, Salty’s would be the one. There is something about being on the beach that make any day feel like a holiday. Most of the year Redondo is a quiet beach and being there feels peaceful. The water is gorgeous and there are seabirds flying overhead, the gentle sound of waves hitting the beach. Combine that with brunch and eating out on the deck and you’ve got a great combination.

Normally I’m not a fan of buffets. Who wants unlimited quantities of bad food? I don’t understand the American attraction to buffets. Why is it we feel like more is better? Give me quality over quantity any day of the week. I make an exception for Salty’s brunch. The food is top notch, the service is impeccable and you are never rushed. There are two rooms of food. One area has all the hot foods. If you don’t find anything there to make you happy they’ll make you waffles, fruit crepes or Eggs Benedict, to order! All this while sipping mimosas!

On the hot buffet you’ll find things like cheese blintzes, French toast, potatoes O’Brien, a roast beef carving station, hickory smoked bacon and kielbasa sausage. Oh, and don’t forget the clam chowder. Salty’s has the very best clam chowder. Near the soup tureen will be a bottle of sherry, splash a bit on top for extra goodness. If you’ve never had clam chowder with a splash of sherry on top you really must try it, it’s fantastic!

If you’re a seafood lover, however, the cold food station has got it going on! If you’re visiting Seattle and you’re not eating seafood, you should have your head examined. On the cold buffet you’ll find oysters on the half shell, mounds and mounds of Dungeness Crab, peel and eat shrimp, bagels and lox and several types of salads.

When you’ve exhausted all that and you’re looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth you’ll find fresh fruits, a chocolate fountain, a full dessert table featuring cakes, pies, Crème Brulée, muffins and pastries and more!

I can’t remember how much the brunch cost but it seems like it’s around $35 a person. That may seem a bit steep but it’s well worth it.

If you’re watching your pennies though, go to Salty’s during Early Bird! Early Bird specials runs from 3pm - 6pm, Monday-Thursday and Sundays from 4:30pm - 6pm. This is one of the best values for top quality food that you’ll get. They have a complete meal for $19.95 that includes your entrée, soup or salad, coffee/tea/cola, bread and dessert. You get a choice of six entrées and three desserts. The Salty’s White Chocolate Mousse cake is fantastic.

Salty’s also offers an excellent lunch menu. You won’t pay any more for lunch at Salty’s than you would at a Macaroni Grill caliber restaurant and you’re eating local delicious seafood. Again, I cannot recommend the clam chowder enough!

Their dinner menu is nothing short of impressive. This is a place where many business executives take clients to impress them. I know this because it’s where my company took clients and it’s where many vendors took me. Prices range from around $12 to $50, depending on what you order.

Whichever option you choose just don’t miss this wonderful restaurant! Although I have been to the Salty’s at Alki and it is just as wonderful, I have a soft spot for Redondo having lived nearby and having been there so often.

Check out another Seattle favourite, Elliot’s Oyster House.

restaurants, Seattle, review, Salty’s, Redondo, Alki, brunch, lunch, dinner, early bird, seafood, Crème Brulée

What: Red Bull Soapbox Race
When: Saturday, 9/29/07
Where: Fremont Avenue between N. 41st and 36th Streets
$$$: Free
Red Bull Soapbox Race is a fun family event that challenges 36 teams of amateurs to craft outrageous human-powered carts, resembling everything from a tiki boat to the Space Needle to race against the clock. The event is free and open to the public.
What: SE Seattle International Fest
When: Saturday, 9/29/07, 11am
Where: Martin LUther King Jr Wy S & S MyrtleSt
$$$: Free
Relief Effort to help Local Businesses from the Light Rail project with this International Festival. Music, shows, food, etc. for the whole family. Many special guests to appear inlcuding Public Officials and community leaders.

What: Italian Festival
When: September 29, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, September 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
Where: Seattle Center
$$$: Free (Friday wine tasting and reception: $25, 21+)
Celebration of food, wine and music includes grape-stomp and bocce ball competitions, celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, three stages of Italian music and an abundance of Italian food.

What: Shaolin Warriors
When: Sunday, September 30, 2007, 7:30pm
Where: The Moore Theatre
$$$: $43
In a fully choreographed theatrical production, Shaolin Warriors bring the remarkable skill, stunning movement, and spectacular imagery of Kung Fu to its return Seattle engagement. Performed by the Buddhist monks of the Shaolin Temple, a sect that has become known throughout the world for its disciplined spiritualism and deadly martial-arts prowess, this unique production features many forms of Shaolin Kung Fu as well as a look at the daily temple life of the monks and their Zen Buddhist philosophy.

What: 21st Annual Seattle Aids Walk
When: Saturday, September 29, 2007
Where: Volunteer Park, 14th & Prospect, Capitol Hill
$$$:
Join hundreds of Seattle-area residents at Volunteer Park; take steps to end the AIDS epidemic and support those affected by HIV/AIDS.

What: Transnational Trivia Championship
When: Friday, 09-28-2007
Where: South Lake Union Naval Reserve Building, 860 Terry Ave. N., Seattle
$$$: Members $35, Non-members $45, Students $35
Raising competitive banter to the next level, Transnational Trivia Championship will be Seattle’s biggest trivia ever! This not-to-be-missed Friday-night event will include great international food, excellent beer & wine, a fantastic silent auction, and big-time globally-focused trivia! Dancing to the sounds of Wo-Pop DJ Darek Mazzone will follow! Delicious food and a drink ticket will be provided with your registration.

What: Nisqually Watershed Festival
When: September 29, 2007, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: 100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, 360-753-9467
$$$: Daily fee is $3.00 per family. Children under 16 enter free.
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge hosts the Nisqually Watershed Festival each September. Good music, food, guided walks, educational displays, and more await you!

And if you’re a gamer and you feel like a road trip, you might like this one:

What: NorthWest Classic Game Enthusiasts 2K7
When: September 29 and 30, 2007
Where: Holiday Inn and Conference Center, 8439 NE Columbia Blvd, Portland, OR
$$$: Ticket prices at the door: (no pre-orders), $10.00 for 1 day, $15.00 for both days, $25.00 for family 1 day, $40.00 for family both days, (family up to 5 people)

Seattle, Weekend, Events, 9/29/07, 9/30/07, Nisqually, Watershed, Festival, AIDS, Walk, Moore, Theatre, Shaolin, Warriors, Italian, International, Seattle Center, Brown Farm, Red Bull, Soapbo, Day, Trip, NWCGE2K7, Northwest Classic Game, Enthusiast, Transnational, Trivia, Championship, gamer

A friend linked me to an article yesterday on Slashfoods. The article had a link to the new Chocolate Television. Holy cow, Batman! My mouth is watering in anticipation. I really hope they get a show with Jacques Torres. He’s my chocolate hero. That man can do anything with chocolate!

Not only that, but the first video to pop up is all about a Seattle based company called Theo Chocolate! I was going to include the video but it’s a bit too big for my page and overlaps the sidebar. Go check it out, though. I found a couple tour videos on YouTube, though, here is part 1:

You can find part 2 here.

Theo Chocolate, named after the Theobroma tree - the cacao tree, was conceived and financed in 2005 and began producing it’s first chocolate bar in March of 2006. Theobroma, in Latin, means ‘food of the gods’. The company, just a year old, has the distinction of being “the first roaster of Fair Trade Certified™ cocoa beans and the only roaster of organic cocoa beans in the United States.”

I don’t know about you but I had no idea what “Fair Trade Certified™” meant so I did what any good geek girl would do, I googled it. I’m glad I did! Although there is apparently some controversy over whether the concept helps or hurts, some seeing it as a subsidy that impedes growth where proponents see it as a way to deal fairly the disadvantaged.

Fair Trade principles include:

Fair prices: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.

Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.

Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.

Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.

Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.

Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers� health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

Theo Chocolate welcomes visitors. They are located in a beautiful historic building in Freemont. Public tours are available seven days a week at 1pm and 3pm, plus an additional 11am tour on Saturdays and Sundays. The tour is $5 per person ages 5 and older. Be sure to call ahead for reservations. The address is:

3400 Phinney Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103
206 632.5100 phone
Email: info@theochocolate.com

Theo, chocolate, cacao, Seattle, Freemont, Fair Trade, Organic, beans, TV, roaster

Serious Pie

316 Virginia St., Seattle
Phone: 206-838-7388
Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 4-10 p.m. Sundays.
No Reservations
All major credit cards accepted

Each day as I headed downtown I found myself passing the Serious Pie. I’d peer through the window at the beautiful pizza’s on the various tables and think to myself, “I have got to try that!” And so it came to pass that one day I just happened to have some free time and so I grabbed Chip and we headed across the street to check out the latest restaurant by entrepreneurs Tom Douglas, owner of the Dahlia Lounge and Lola’s.

With all the wonderful breads Tom produces at his bakery that go out to his various restaurants and other retail sites, it was just a matter of time before a pizza restaurant evolved. Tom is serious about wanting his “pies” to be simple with a serious eye toward good toppings.

The seating area has long, tall wooden table that give the restaurant a warm cozy feeling. Tumbled stone, wrought iron fixtures and a timber frame only add to that feeling. The staff was friendly and welcoming as they sat us behind the kitchen area giving us a great view where we could watch the pizzas being built and cut.

Here I am, waiting on my “pie”:

See that window on the left? It was full of gorgeous loaves of bread.

We decided to start with a salad. I don’t even remember exactly what was in the salad but I do remember that it was seriously yummy!

The pizza had home made sausage pancetta, onion and asiago cheese. The crust was thin and delicious with visible holes if you viewed it from the side (that’s a good thing!).

I’m sad to say that I was much too full to order dessert. That’s a shame because they had a lemon tiramisu. Intriguing! That will have to wait until next time, I suppose!

In the mood for seafood? Check out my review of Elliot’s Oyster House.

pizza, pie, serious, tom douglas, serious pie, restaurant, review, seattle

I was at the nail salon getting a manicure a little while ago, when the power went out. Luckily, I was nearly done. I had to dry my nails the manual way. Yes, I blew on them. I couldn’t pay for my manicure because the card reader was out with the power and I don’t do those antiquated check thingies. They know me, though, so they allowed me to leave without promising my first born. Bummer, that, since I can’t have kids anyway. Hmmm…

As I was driving home I came to a stoplight, which, of course, was out. This was not a problem as we yanks revert to the rules of a 4-way stop. This got me to thinking. In England there are no 4-way stops without lights. When the lights go out it’s a dang-scary-free-for-all. No one knows what to do so the person with the most guts rules the road. If one side gets really brazen, the other side may never get a turn. What did they do prior to stoplights? Well, I’m glad you asked about that kids. In England they have roundabouts. If you’ve ever seen European Vacation and you remember that scene where they get stuck in a roundabout in Paris, you’ll have an idea what a roundabout is all about. I’ve been in that particular roundabout in Paris and let me tell you, it is not unlike the movie. Parisians are crazy drivers…but that’s for another story.

While the British are desperately in need of instructions for handling a 4-way stop without lights, Americans either need to begin teaching drivers the “rules of the roundabout” or stop building the darn things in the U.S. They put a roundabout in one of our busy nearby shopping strips and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people go through them backward. The one-way sign goes unnoticed. I can hardly blame this phenomenon strictly on the stupidity of people in general because, hey…when did anyone ever instruct Americans on how to drive in a roundabout? That’s what I thought…

I got home and the power was also out at the house. Unsurprising since I live just down the road from the nail salon. One can hope, though, right? There are few comforts more important to me than my tea. Arriving home means I turn on my electric kettle and make myself a nice “cuppa”. Alas, no electricity. This, however, is not a problem for SUPERTEAGIRL (TM) for I have a gas grill with a side plate. I dug out my trusty metal tea kettle from the deepest darkest corner of the kitchen, filled it with water and took it outside to the grill. The grill beast did not want to light but I coaxed the fire out of it with my keen err…coaxing skills. At last the burner was lit and the pot was nestled above the glowing flame. I went back inside to gather a cup and as the FATES would have it, the electricity immediately came back on. Not trusting this twist of fate, I put my electric kettle on, but did not remove the other one until this one came to a boil. Finally, cup in hand, my world fell calmly back in place. Ah, Tetley, my one true friend. *happy sigh*

This incident reminded me of an earlier “tea crisis” a few years back. My best friend, Evelyne, was living with us in Atlanta and as it happened we were home one day when a power outage occurred. Being the clever geeky girls that we were, this did not pose a problem…as we had the “grill beast”. We set about making an omelet and tea and we were so darn proud of ourselves we nearly broke our arms patting ourselves on our backs as we feasted on our efforts.

As we languidly sipped a second cup of tea we realized that the house had begun to get quite cold. Freezing, in fact. We decided it might be a good idea to light the fire. So, we gathered the logs and set them up neatly in the fireplace. Yes, indeed, my friends, we were truly “roughing” it. Our old girl scout leaders would have been soooo very proud. As I went to light the fire, out of habit, I turned the key on the side which fed in a little gas to ease the lighting. The flames kicked in nicely. I sat back, beaming at the lovely fire, when suddenly the magnitude of what I’d just done hit me like a ton of bricks. I sat back, stunned. Gas. I looked over at Evelyne, my eyes growing big. She looked back at me, her eyes growing as she began to understand the implications of what had just occurred. A nervous giggle escaped from somewhere inside me. Evelyne sputtered a small giggle. Tears began to trickle down my face as the suppressed laughter bubbled up from within me. Pretty soon we were rolling on the floor clutching our stomachs as we roared with laughter.

Gas. We had gas. There was never a need to coax the grill beast into action. No. We had GAS.

Oh dear. Two clever IT geeks whose combined income was close to $250k a year. Yeah. Real clever.

To make matters worse, Chip arrived home from work and noticed the kettle on the grill. Chip said, “obviously we need a back-up tea plan. I mean, what would we do if we ran out of gas.” Hmmm… I think he was taking the piss, what do you think? Sarky bastard. Harumph. I also suspect he will be blogging the incident.

tea, humor, roundabouts, gas, geek chicks, England, British, Americans

What: Freemont Oktoberfest
When: Sept. 21-23
Where: Fremont Ship Canal Microbrew enterance between 35th Ave N. and Phinney Ave. N.
$$$: Admission to the Stranger Microbrew Garden is $20, which includes a souvenir cup and 4 beer tokens. The souvenir cup is only available while supplies last. Access to the Microbrew Garden is restricted to people 21+ with valid ID. Save $5 with advance tickets
The event features three beer gardens with over 70 microbrews, a brew ha-ha 5K run, live entertainment, food, shopping, kids area and much more!

What: Han Woo-Ri Korean Sports and Cultural Festival
When: Friday, September 21, 2007, 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Where: The Commons at Federal Way
$$$:
This three-day event features contemporary and traditional music and dance performed by top Korean U.S. and international artists as well as exhibits, demonstrations, crafts, sports, games and food.

What: Fishermen’s Fall Festival
When: Saturday, September 22, 2007.
Where: Fishermen’s Terminal, 1900 West Nickerson St. Seattle (at the south end of the Ballard Bridge)
$$$: Phone: 206-283-4665.

What: Grays Harbor Heritage Festival
When: Saturday, September 22
Where: Olympic Stadium Hoquiam, WA, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
$$$: Free
Fifth annual ethnic food and entertainment festival. Latin music, Scottish dancing, Asian drumming, Native American dancing and drumming, Banjo band, Italian, Norwegian and other ethnic foods.

What: Puyallup Fair
When: September 7-23, 2007 (This is the last weekend!)
Where: Puyallup Fair & Events Center
$$$: Adults: $10, Students (6-18): $8, Seniors (62+): $8, Five & under: Always FREE

What: Dale Chihuly
When: Ends Sept. 29th
Where: Foster/White Gallery
$$$:
Last two weekends to see Dale’s glass work. If you’ve never seen it, you’re missing out! It’s a real treat.

What: The 9th Annual Harvest Celebration Farm Tour
When: Saturday, September 22nd, 2007, 10am-4:30pm
Where: King County Extension
$$$: Free

What: Foolscap
When: September 21-23,
Where: Bellevue Sheraton, Bellevue Washington
$$$: Current Membership Rate: $50.00 at the door

Seattle, Weekend, Events, Festivals, September, 9/21/07, 9/22/07, 9/23/07, Dale Chihuly, Puyallup Fair, Harvest Celebration, Farm Tour, Fishermen’s Fall Festival, Freemont Oktoberfest, Foolscap

THE FASHION SHOW
40 models + 20 photographers + 1 Marching Band
Streets of Downtown Seattle - Intersection of 5th and Pine
5pm

THE PARTY
Terrace Garden @ The Red Lion Hotel
1415 5TH Ave Seattle, WA
6pm

Tuesday, September 18th, 2007
Everyone is invited. And it’s free!

Seattle, Events, Shoot for Change, Fashion, Show, Party

“Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of organic compounds with 1 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl and a general chemical formula of C12H10-xClx. Most PCBs were manufactured as cooling and insulating fluids for industrial transformers and capacitors, and also as stabilizing additives in flexible PVC coatings of electrical wiring and electronic components. PCB production was banned in the 1970s due to the high toxicity of most PCB congeners and mixtures. PCB’s are classified as persistent organic pollutants.”

Persistent. Organic. Pollutants.

Once used in fire retardants, PCBs were banned in the 1970s. PCB was was first discovered in 1865, a by product of coal tar. In 1929 the Monsanto Company began producing PCB. By 1936 the first studies citing PCB as a danger to health and safety was released. Despite concerns, eleven years later General Electric (GE) began using PCB in the manufacture of electrical capacitors at its plant in the Village of Hudson Falls. By 1968 poisoning in Japan lead to greater awareness of the the hazards of PCB. It would take another 6 years for the Monsanto Company to cease production of PCB and for GE to stop dumping the toxic waste into the Hudson River. Since that time the EPA has continued to find elevated levels of PCB in local fauna. As late as 1997 the EPA found the body of a 16 week old bald eagle bloated with PCB. Did we learned nothing from the Hudson River debacle?

Given this knowledge, why would Seattle even contemplate allowing the disposal of PCBs into Elliot Bay? Elliot Bay, the home of majestic Bald Eagles, sea birds, salmon and so much more.

Seattle officials need to wake up and smell the toxic waste and just say no to PCBs!

p.s. If they mess up the oysters there’s going to be trouble with a capital T!

Seattle, PCB, Elliot Bay, Hudson River, GE, General Electric

What: Seattle Sip for a Cure
When: Thurs. Sept. 13, 2007 6:30-9 pm
Where: Shilshole Bay Beach Club, 6413 Seaview Ave NW • Seattle, WA
Cost: $35
Beer, Wine & BBQ Festival!
Help raise money for The Expedition Inspiration Fund for Breast Cancer Research. This year’s event will be hosted at the Shilshole Bay Beach Club during their weekly Thursday nite “Happy Hour” which features live music and a BBQ! Enjoy a BBQ platter from the Beach Club’s “all nite happy hour” and enjoy live music on the waterfront until midnight!

What: Seattle Sketch Fest
When: Sept. 13-15
Where:The Erickson Theatre Off Broadway, 1524 Harvard Ave
Cost: $15/ two-group show, $60 festival pass
SketchFest Seattle is the first non-profit theatre festival of its kind in North America, bringing groups from across the continent to Seattle for a two-week festival of sketch comedy. Our mission is to promote sketch comedy as a performing art by providing an opportunity for groups to showcase their work for Seattle audiences to enjoy, and to allow groups to network with other performers, writers and professionals in the comedic arts.

What: Seattle Fiestas Patrias
When: Sept. 15-16
Where: Seattle Center
Cost: Free

What: NW Soberstock
When: Sept. 15th, Noon - 10 pm
Where:
Cost: $30-40, 12 and under $12, 5 and under free
“There will be food and fun for children of all ages - music without the drugs and alcohol” King Crimson’s Adrian Belew Power Trio will also be there.

What: Oktoberfest
When: Friday, September 14th, 3-9pm (Happy hour 3-6pm- extra 2 tokens!), Saturday, September 15th, 1-9pm
Where: Saint Edward State Park, Kenmore, Wa
Cost: $25 advance tickets/day of admission
Washington Beer Commission is proud to present the 1st Annual Oktoberfest at St. Edward State Park on September 14th and 15th, 2007. The event, the very first one presented by the Commission, will be set up in a large Oktoberfest-style tent and will feature Oktoberfest-themed beers from 30 Washington breweries, traditional German food by local vendors and, of course, oompah music!

What:5th Annual Grape Stomp & Harvest Party
When: September 15, 2007 1:00 - 6:00pm
Where: Olympia Cellars
Cost: $5 in advance, $7 at the door

Seattle, Weekend, Events, September, 9/14/07, Grape Stomp, Soberstock, Sip for a Cure, Wine, Fiestas Patrias, Sketch Fest

Lucks Food Decorating Company of Tacoma is currently hosting two decorator contests.

According to Modern Baking:

Decorators are asked to send the company photos of their products decorated with Lucks’ edible food decorations to be entered into drawings for $100 shopping sprees. Lucks’ manufactured products that qualify for this contest are Dec-Ons® decorations, Edible Image® decorations, Lucks Royal Icing Roses and Lucks Shimmer Airbrush colors. Decorated products can be anything edible, such as cakes, cookies, candies, cupcakes, brownies, lollipops, etc.

Contest submissions can be sent to contest@lucks.com or mailed to Decorating Contest; Lucks Food Decorating Co.; 3003 South Pine St; Tacoma, WA 98409. Entries must be received by Nov. 1, 2007. All entries will be mailed a free Single Pack Edible Image® design. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.lucks.com.

cake, decorating, lucks, contests, Tacoma, Modern Baking

What: The Puyallup Fair
When: September 7-23, Sun - Thurs: 10 am - 10 pm, Fri & Sat: 10 am - 11 pm
Where: Puyallup Fair & Events Center, 110 9th Ave SW, Puyallup, WA 98371
Cost:Adults: $10, Students (6-18): $8, Seniors (62+): $8, Five & under: Always FREE

What: 10th Annual Aki Matsuri Japanese Culture Festival
Where: Bellevue Community College Main Campus [directions], G-Building (Gymnasium), L-Building and R-Building
When: Sept. 8 (10 a.m. - 6 p.m.) and, Sept. 9 (11 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
Cost: Admission and Parking are Free
Japanese cultural and educational events for all ages with more than 60 booth exhibits, all day stage performances of music and dance, martial arts demonstrations and tea ceremonies.

What: Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair
Where: Meridian Park in the Wallingford Neighborhood
When: September 8th, 10 AM to 4 PM
Cost: Free!
Celebrate local food systems and kick off Tilth’s 30th anniversary! Meet mini goats, enjoy the liveliest organic Farmers’ Marketplace, fantastic music lineup, & family activities, learn about bees, chickens, rainwater harvesting, winter gardening, and more!

What: Korean Cultural Celebration
Where: Seattle Center, Center House
When: Saturday, September 8, 11:00am-7:00pm
Cost: Free, as far as I can tell
The festival will showcase the artistry of local Korean immigrants with art exhibitions and competitions. You will also be able to enjoy Korean dance performances and watch eight Korean chefs create delicacies from their country, including traditional rice cakes.

What: Pony Boy Records 4th Annual Jazz Picnic
Where: Sand Point, Magnuson Park
When: Sunday, September 9th 12:00pm-5:00pm
Cost: $10/Suggested Donation

Seattle, Weekend, September, 09/08/07, 09/08/09, Events, Things to do, Jazz, Picnic, Festival, Pony Boy Records, Magnuson Park, Korean Culture, Celebration, Tilth, Harvest, Faire, Meridian Park, Aki Matsuri, Culture, Japanese

You know that you’re:

A. A Pratchett FanGirl
B. A silly geek girl
C. Headed straight for HELL

or possibly:

D. ALL OF THE ABOVE!

…when you read the morning news that scientists may have discovered why bees are dying en mass and you think to yourself, “I bet Death of Bees is dead tired!” Bad pun intended. What’s the buzz in Discworld? Is Death upset by the swarm of stings on the bee world? Death likes bees, y’know. It’s been said that Death likes bees because the hive mentality does not fear him, which I’m sure is quite refreshing for the Reaper Man.

After freezing bees, grinding them up, extracting the DNA and using genetic sequencing to identify every organism present, researchers have settled upon a little-known virus discovered three years ago in Israel.

*faints* Whew, glad I’m not a bee!

Sadly, there is no break in store for the dear Death of Bees. Scientists may have found the culprit but they’ve yet to find a cure.

Researchers aren’t sure how the virus got to the United States. They don’t know how to cure it. Nor do they know if it alone can account for colony collapse disorder, which has killed tens of billions of bees since last fall.

Sorry, Death of Bees, no holiday for you this year!

Pratchett, Discworld, Death, Bees

I was browsing through the Seattle Mystery Bookstore a few weeks ago and mentioned to the cashier that I enjoy reading local authors. Spotting a Charlaine Harris’ vampire book in my hands, she quickly directed me to local author, Yasmine Galenorn and her Sisters of the Moon series.

I was delighted to find that the books are not only written by a local author but they also take place in Seattle. It’s always fun to read a book that is set in an area you’re familiar with, isn’t it? That is one of several reasons that I love Dick Francis. His books take place in an area of England where I grew up.

The Sisters of the Moon series revolves around the three D’Artigo sisters. The sisters are part Faerie and part human, one a werekitty, one a vampire and one a witch. The three sisters have been sent Earthside as Otherworld Intelligence operatives to “keep an eye on things”. As generally happens in a mystery, a murder occurs, and the sisters must figure out what’s going on and solve the murders on their own. The Faerie Realm is having problems of it’s own and has no time to help them.

The book was a bit reminiscent of Laurell K Hamilton without being nearly as sexual. If you like Charlaine Harris and you’re looking for a light read with some fun characters, this book would definitely meet that criteria.

Book, Yasmine Galenorn, Witchling, Sisters of the Moon, review, Seattle, local, author, fantasy, mystery, faerie, D’Artigo, sisters, Seattle Mystery Bookstore