It Is Not Too Late….

When I was at City Hall today I overheard someone talking about the Salvation Army Giving Tree and they said that even though today is the last day to donate toys they will continue  to take donations for the next two days. It was so awesome to see how many toys were around the tree already but there could always be more.

So, it is not too late to give some Christmas to a stranger and to yourself. Please drop your donations off at the Renton Community Center or Renton City Hall (I am sure there are more locations but those are the ones I saw, check the website) on Wednesday or Thursday – they will accept late donations. Now, you may be thinking to yourself, self “what do I buy” well the Salvation Army has got you covered on that with their gift buying tips webpage.

 

Honoring Hereos

Tomorrow, December 7th Renton Police Officers, Fire Men and Women, Elected Officials and citizens are invited to come to The Rock Wood Fire Pizza and Whistle Stop Ale House from 5pm-8pm to show support for the recently fallen officers of both Lakewood and Seattle.

The Rock and Whistle Stop are the meeting places for all to come and honor the fallen and the current men and women who risk all to protect us everyday. Donations will be collected on behalf of the families of the Lakewood Officers but according to the event organizer neither restaurant will be giving a portion of that nights proceeds to the families, which seems odd to me. If this information is incorrect please let me know so that I can correct it.

If you would like to donate money directly to the families of fallen Lakewood Police Officers please click here to be directed to the Lakewood Police Independent Guild website. I think this benefit is a great way for Renton residents to show their support for our local officers and the recently fallen and hope that the restaurants also contribute. If my information is wrong please let me know and I will change it immediately.

 

Help Keep Someone Warm

These days there is a lot of talk on the radio, T.V. and newspaper about people not having enough to eat during the holiday season. If people are having a hard time getting their bellies filled up I can only imagine that they are also struggling to keep warm as the temperature dips lower and lower. However, there is a way that we can help those who are having a hard time keeping warm and that is the Coat and Blanket Drive that is going on through November 30th at the Renton Community Center.

The Renton Community Center is looking for people to donate new or gently used coats of all sizes for men, women and children and blankets for those in need. I know that I have a few jackets lying around that Sammy has grown out of but the blankets are sparse in our house seeing as how we are from AZ and all. If you don’t have any of these items lying around the house the thrift stores, Value Village of Renton excluded, have very reasonably priced blankets and jackets all the time.

The Renton Community Center will be closed starting tomorrow, November 25th through Friday, November 27th for a furlough day and the Thanksgiving Holiday so put your donations by the door and drop them off on Saturday. Unfortunately, there is no additional information to be found on the City of Renton website but if you have any additional questions you can call the Renton Community Center at 425-430-6700.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your generosity during the cold season.

 

Emergency Prepardeness Symposium this Wednesday

By now I am sure that you are all aware there is an increased risk that the Green River could flood this Fall/Winter. While the Army Corp of Engineers have made a minor repair to the Howard Hanson Dam with the hopes of avoiding a flood, they will not know if the repair worked till sometime next summer. Sounds obvious as I write it you know, if there is no flood this year then the repair worked right!!!

Anyways, information for homeowners and how they can get ready for a flood is all over the internet, including the City of Renton website. Business owners also need to be prepared for flooding if it should occur. The City of Kent, in conjunction with other Southern King County Cities, is going to be holding an Emergency Prepardeness Symposiumthis Wednesday, September 23rd from 5-7pm at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

There will be presentations from the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, Puget Sound Energy and WA State Business Continuity Planning and then each city will be hosting a break-out session of it’s own. There will also be a chance to meet with FEMA Certified Flood Insurers. Flood maps will also be available for viewing.

Registration for this event is required and you can register by calling the City of Kent at 253-833-0700. If you are concerned about the flood and your business please take the opportunity to attend this event.

 

We Went to the Mountain

Loyal readers my lapse in posting was not due to my tendency of laziness but rather the fact that we visited Mt. Rainier National Park for the first time this weekend with some friends from Phoenix. I think I could safely say that Mt. Rainier is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. There is a certain draw that I have to the Mountain, I can not help but gasp and say “oh, the mountain” when it shows itself on clear days, I love it.

meadow of wildflowers at Paradise

We started our adventure on the southwest side of the Mountain at Paradise. The flowers were amazing, fields of green dotted with a rainbow of colors from all of these great wild flowers. The mountain however was a little difficult to see due to the cloud cover, it was kind of eerie we could not see 20 feet in front of us. I can’t say that it was a disappointment to not see the mountain because everything else was so beautiful I can not even describe it in words. It was almost like we were in a dream or on the set of a Lord of the Rings movie.

The feeling on the mountain is so powerful, the fact that the volcano that can erupt at any second is just a slight reminder of  it’s force but there is

Our view of Paradise

something else. Almost something primitive,something so simple but completely foreign to us,  untouched landscape and the real essence of nature is all around.

We did a couple of hikes at Paradise that were perfect for the little ones, like the Nisqually Vista and Myrtle Falls trailand bought some souvenirs then headed for our cabin. Needless to say I did not have my fill of the mountain.

Steve and I decided the next day we would take the long way home and enjoy the view up at Sunrise. Sunrise is the highest point on the mountain that is accessible by car at 6,400 ft. The extra 2-hours that it added to our drive home was more than worth it, this drive and the final view was definitely the highlight of the trip. Once we reached the east side of the mountain the view, well you get it..

absolutely breathtaking. That picture is just one of the many I took as we pulled over to the side of the road at just about every point we could. We had pulled over so many times we finally said enough let’s just keep driving.

The final view that we saw at Sunrise was off the Emmons Trail, just a short hike from the Visitors lodge and I think it is my favorite of the whole trip. You can really see the blue glacier water at the bottom of the picture. If you have not been to Mt. Rainier before I can not recommend it enough. Sunrise will only be open for about another 4-6 weeks because it gets closed when the snow starts to fall. Accommodations are reasonable and seem to be

The Sunrise View

everywhere around the mountain. Treat yourself to one more summer road trip and take another look at the Mountain, you will be glad you did.

 

When Friends Come to Visit

You all know that I love Renton, hence this blog, but sometimes when friends come from out of state you have to give them a taste of all things Washington. Of course Seattle is a popular destination for visitors but it is a little touristy for my taste, that is why I like to take visitors to Snoqualmie.

Our neighbor to the northeast is just a short beautiful drive away and well worth it for the view of Mt. Si and Snoqualmie Falls. For those of you who don’t know Snoqualmie Falls was made popular way back in the day when it was the opening scene for David Lynch’s bizarre series Twin Peaks.

The view from below

The falls are amazing and I highly recommend making the 1/2 mile hike down to the base of the falls, you will not be disappointed. The grade on the way back up is steep but worth it, we took Sammy with us and he hiked back up like a champ.

If you go on the weekend prepare for a crowd, especially if the weather is warm. If it is cloudy and a little chilly you will find the crowd a bit smaller. If it is chilly make sure to bring a light jacket or sweater, you will definitely need it at the bottom of the waterfall.

After you take in the view and enjoy a nice hike treat yourself to a locally brewed beer at the Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom, kids are totally welcome and the rootbeer is awesome. There are lots of great beers to choose from and they always have a seasonal beer and a special beer. I highly recommend the nitro pale ale if it is available. If you really like beer, like we do, treat yourself to a Growler, a 1/2 gallon glass bottle of beer TO GO! The best part is that you can bring back the bottle to fill up over and over again, after you have a Growler you won’t believe the reasons you come up with to go to Snoqualmie.

So, the next time you are looking for a quick day trip or a nice, short hike on the weekend think about heading up to Snoqualmie. Snoqualmie is easy to find, take Petrovitsky all the way to the 18 and follow the signs for North Bend and Snoqualmie Falls.

 

By Now You Know…..

I am sure that by now you all know about the horrible fire that ripped through one of Renton’s Downtown buildings last night. The good news is that because of the fast response of Renton’s finest nobody was hurt but some people lost their homes and Renton lost two of it’s businesses, A-1 Vacuum & Locksmith and The Comic Den.

I recieved an email from Jennifer Davis Hayes and she included some information for those of us out there who wanted to help either the business owners or the residents who are displaced because of the fire.  According to Jennifer there is a business relocation fund set up at US Bank for A-1 Vacuum and Locksmith and they were working to set up a fund at Bank of America for The Comic Den. I will keep you posted on when that happens if you would like to make a donation.

As far as those living in the apartments above the two businesses all residents have been offered to move over to another building on 3rd Street but they are in need of supplies. Bedding for twin beds, mattresses and other household items are being requested. Contact Roy Beeler, building manager, if you have goods that you would like to donate at 425-227-5433.

It is so nice to see the community come together and support all of the people and businesses that have been affected by terrible incident, it just goes to show you that Renton really is a great place to live.

 

Whistling Train Farm

If  you are one of the many people out there who have not been blessed with a green thumb or you have no patience for gardening but you still like to eat fresh produce you should consider joining a CSA program. CSA or community supported agriculture is a great way to support a local family farm, help the environment and eat lots of fresh veggies.

Renton residents happen to have access to a great CSA that is operated by Whistling Train Farm in Kent. Whistling Train has been operating a summer CSA for nine years and the  Summer 2009 season is just around the corner so if you are interested you should fill out an application as soon as possible. If you are still unsure of what a CSA is, let me give you a few more details. A CSA program is kind of like a weekly farmers market without the market and the farm dictates what is in the share. A subscriber decides what size share box they would like on a weekly basis depending on family size and veggie intake, pay an upfront fee or make payment arrangements (depending on participating CSA farm) and then choose delivery method for their shares. Subscribers can either choose to pick-up at the farm, pick-up at a specified location or have shares delivered. Again, the pick-up method will depend on the participating farm.  I happen to know that the drop-off for Renton subscribers will be a home right in Downtown Renton. A small share, feeds 1-3 adults, works out to be about $21.50 a week for 20 weeks, that is a sweet deal for farm fresh produce that is delivered within 24 hours of picking.

Whistling Train Farm is great because in addition to the weekly share subscibers also have access to some unlimited U-Pick options right at the farm. For example in June subscribers can u-pick sugar snap peas, shelling peas and fresh cut flowers. In October subscribers get to pick in the Pumpkin Patch.

I am sure your next thought is whether or not Whistling Train Farms’ produce is organic. Well, as I learned from their website Whistling Train Farm “uses no chemicals of any kind on our farm” that is as organic as you can be. But because the organic certification requirements of the USDA are so absurd and anti-small farm Whistling Train Farm has decided not to register as an organic farm so they can not technically say their produce is “organic” but wink wink it really is. For more information on the “O” issue click here and read from the Whistling Train website.

I have known a few people who have participated in CSA’s before and their biggest complaint is that sometimes they do not know how to prepare veggies that they have recieved in their weekly share. Well, Whistling Train has taken care of that as well. On their website they have a “how to eat” category where they tell you about the crop and share a few different ways of preparing it.

Whistling Train Farm also keeps animals around to give the farm that real “farmy” feeling. Subscribers are lucky enough to access to their fresh eggs and you can read all about their chickens, cows and pigs on their website.

Whistling Train Farm’s Summer CSA sounds great and the season starts on June so if you are interested fill out an application or contact the farm.

Thanks for reading….

 

The Other Renton Library – The Fairwood Branch

Let’s put our feelings about incorporation and annexation aside for a minute to talk about the other great Renton Library, the Fairwood Branch of the King County Library System. Now don’t get me wrong, all of you readers know that I love the Renton Public Library but I couldn’t very well tell you all about Renton if I did not include this library.

Being a part of the King County Library System definitely has its perk, such as the huge catalog of books, music and movies that patrons have access to. The interlibrary loan program which allows patrons to request things that are not owned by the King County Library System from other libraries nationwide  such as books, music, government documents and even thesis’ and dissertations. The KCLS also allows patrons to print up to 75 pages a week from their computers and wireless internet access at all KCLS branches.

In addition to the few things that I told you about above the events calendar at the Fairwood Branch is so jam-packed with events I could not even begin to attempt to put them on my own calendar. The library has weekly events such as toddler and preschool storytimes, English as a Second Language Classes and Teen Writing Workshops. You really should check out the calendar for yourself.

So, regardless of how you feel about Fairwood and it being a part of Renton do yourself a favor and take advantage of the other great library that you have at your disposal since you are a resident of Renton.

The Fairwood Library is located at 17009 140th Ave SE and their phone number is 425-226-0522, you can get any additional information you need about the library by visiting their website.

Thanks for reading…

 

The Bouncy Place

As Mom to a 3 1/2 year old I know the importance of having your kids expend a little bit of energy everyday to preserve your own sanity. As a resident of Washington I also know this is easier said than done when you take into account the weather. That is why I am here to tell you about the Bouncy Place in Kent. I know this blog is ”All About Renton” but the Bouncy Place is definitely worth talking about and after all we are neighbors. This place is great for kids to rid themselves of cabin fever and for adults to get their heart rates up.

The Bouncy Place is, get this, a 32,000 square foot bouncing, sliding and climbing emporium that is almost guaranteed to provide fun for everyone who goes. I love going with Sammy, kicking my shoes off, running around in socks, climbing those tiny inflatable stairs and sliding definitely helps relieve those January blues. So parents remember to wear socks.

You can’t beat the price either, during the day Toddler Time and the After School Drop-Ins are only $5 per child for a whole hour. I realize you might be thinking that an hour does not sound like a long time but believe me an hour is plenty to wear out the little ones and yourself. The Bouncy Place also offers Family Nights on Tuesday so that everyone can get in on the action. Check the website for a complete schedule of bouncing times and rates.

The Bouncy Place also offers an adult fitness class on Mondays from 5:30pm-6:15pm and costs only $10. This class incorporates cardiovascular training, inflatables and stability balls for a whole-body workout. Please call 253-872-2155 to reserve your spot in the fitness class.

The Bouncy Place is also available for party rentals for both kids and adults, more information about party packages and rates is available on their website.

If you have never been to the Bouncy Place you should definitely go, the weather is perfect for it. Bring the whole family and don’t forget to wear socks, preferably ones that don’t have holes. Can’t wait to bounce with you.