Posted on 12/17/2002 7:32:02 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)
Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.
Enter new job opportunity for Mr. Stormhands.
Weeding seems to be a good activity today.
Oh, I forgot, you did that yesterday.
I'm about to be back out there working at it. I'm killing 2 birds with one stone. weeding and lightening my gray hairs.
Would it have been so terrible? - If I had a small fortune? ;~D
Er...no. I have neither the qualifications nor the desire for that job.
Yeah - I just had the one... ;~D
That is just disgusting.
Well, it was a particularly bad one!
If the stars align correctly, one day that may just happen...(The dwarf talks in code, what can he mean?)
Depends on your point of view.
There was a trail of ants going across the back patio to my cat's dish this morning. If I had an infusion of tansy to wash that floor with the ants would stay away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WENDY CULVERWELL THE OLYMPIAN
| Parade route riven with plot squatters
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
The Lakefair tradition of claiming space on Capitol Way for Saturday's Grand Twilight Parade got an early -- and illegal -- start Wednesday. Many people ignored a rule that prohibits staking out space on the Capitol Campus before 5 p.m. Plots of streetside lawn were roped off with string and lawn chairs well before then. Dawn Clark of Shelton left work early Wednesday to be at the Capitol Campus at 4:55 p.m. -- only to find most of the space taken and the owners long gone. "I came from Shelton and I followed the rules. They should have a big thumbs down for all of the cheaters," Clark said. "They're gonna ruin it for everybody if they don't follow the rules, and that's unfortunate." The Capital Lakefair Grand Twilight Parade is one of the most popular elements of the summer gala and typically draws 125,000 people or more, said Dee McDermott, marketing chairwom-an and past Lakefair president. Fans have earned a feisty reputation for the creative ways they reserve spots all along the route. "They get very, very intricate about how they save their spots," she said. By Wednesday, forward- thinking fans had secured plastic chairs to signposts in downtown Olympia. McDermott said there haven't been any real problems in recent years. The parade starts on Capitol Way at 21st Avenue and proceeds to Legion Way, where it will turn right at Sylvester Park and end after about three blocks. The long, wide route offers ample opportunity for people to find a suitable spot, even if they wait until shortly before the parade's 5 p.m. start. Announcers will be posted at six spots, including the grandstands on Legion Way by the old Capitol, the Governor House Ramada Inn, Washington Mutual Bank, at 1058 Capitol Blvd, at Tivoli Fountain on the Capitol Campus and at the Capital Place Apartments near Maple Park Drive. The parade will consist of some 120 floats, horse groups, marching bands, drill teams and other entries. Organizers try to limit the event to two hours and many would-be participants are turned away, McDermott said. The state Department of General Administration, which runs the Capitol Campus, permits early birds to claim bits of real estate days before Saturday's parade, but asks that they tread lightly on the grassy site. Lightweight chairs, ropes and signs are fine. But stakes and materials that could cause injuries should stay at home, spokesman Jim Erskine said. Rumor holds that some years ago, overly territorial parade fans created a compound of sorts with barbed wire. That won't do. "It's partly a safety issue for other people," Erskine said of the various safety guidelines meant to protect the campus and visitors. The state also discourages people from spreading blankets on Capitol Campus days before the event. Blankets damage the grounds by smothering the turf. "We just want to protect the grass," Erskine said. As for those seeking a spot to sit, Sylvester Park at the corner of Capitol and Legion is the only thing that's off limits. That's because the park is being used for Saturday Kids Day activities. Parade viewers can flood the park when Kids Day ends about 4 p.m. The Ramada Inn Governor House on Capitol Way offers an indoor option. As of Tuesday, the hotel had six rooms available on the side facing the street. Room rates are about $95. The Lakefair parade is sponsored by the Washington Lottery, which will dispense Mega Millions tickets to the first 2,000 adults who donate food to the Thurston County Food Bank. Donation stations will be set up at the six announcer sites listed above. Tony Overman, a photographer for The Olympian, contributed to this report. |
||||||
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
