Getting ready for the holiday.

Santa Bear here.  The line of stuffies looks long this year.  Everyone is maintaining 6 feet, per my rules.  Next. 

Santa Bear: What do you want for Christmas Lightening? 

Lightening:  Fish, lots of fish.

Santa Bear: Next. 

Santa Bear:  What do you want Little Fox?

LF:   I'm easy Santa.   All I am asking for is more adventures next year, and cookies, and a nice drink once in a while. 

Santa Bear: Next

Santa Bear:  Come on up Baxter.

Baxter:  Hi Santa Bear, all I want for Christmas is gourmet ice cream.

Santa:  Consider it done.  Next.

Baxter: Santa Bear you are really trying to get through the line.

Santa Bear: Next.

Santa Bear:  What do you want Odie?

Odie: Respect from Garfield.

Santa Bear:  Umm, I will work on that......next. 

Santa Bear:  Little Bear, what would you like this year?

Little Bear: Year long supply of chocolate brownies from Starbucks.

Santa Bear:  Next. 

Santa Bear:  What about you Reindeer?  What do you want for Christmas?

Reindeer: I want to be a coyote.  Howlllll.

Santa Bear: Next. 

Santa Bear:  Kermit, what would you like for Christmas?
Kermit:  A Muppet Show Reunion on TV. 

Santa Bear:  Let me put a call to Fozzy and see if he can organize it. Next.

Santa Bear:  Drunk Fox, you are my final customer this year.  What would you like? 
Drunk Fox:  Jalepeno poppers and onion rings.

Santa Bear:  Are you sure, just some bar snacks?  Nothing else?

Drunk Fox: No thanks Santa.

Visiting with Santa Bear is one of the busiest day as a stuffy.  Time for a nap.

Happy Holidays Stuffie Pals

A proper adventure #3. Little Fox revisits the McMenamins Tacoma Elks Club

Back in 2018 I had a chance to explore the uncompleted Mcmenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma, Washington (yep, another Grit City adventure).

Check out my blog from that trip for the before pictures.

Click here!

Kudos to team Mcmenamins.  The Elks Temple was decorated by street artists when it was abandoned for a number of years.  In the remodel team Mcmenamins located some of the street artists who tagged the original building and had them do some art in the remodeled building.   This hallway is cool.

They have decorated the lobby.  You can see this post is outdated by the pumpkin. 

Tacoma might by known as the Grit City because of it's reputation as a bustling seaport along the west  coast.   Perhaps it's know as the Grit City because of the many paper mills that used to be in the city.   

They have done a great job remodeling.

They have  tiki bar with a fountain inside. This fox needs a beer.

Cool lighting.  Time for another drink.

Besides the graffiti art they have paid homage to the Native American artists of the region. 

The ballroom is awesome.  They have a bar, a stage, and some cool lights.

As we know stuffies don't have a lot of patience but I am waiting for the show to start. 

More of the graffiti hallway.

I can't figure out why I am having a hard time standing. 

This fox is out for the count.    

When is my uber coming?

A proper adventure (continued)...

 My adventure in the Grit City starts today at American Hogwarts.  

American Hogwarts is also known as Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington.

Stadium High School was originally built as a railroad hotel for the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1891.  A big fire in 1898 left the hotel empty and it was vacant until 1906 when Tacoma Public Schools got the building.  

The high school has an underground swimming pool, a cafeteria with an amazing view and if I can get closer to this fence I can see the football field.

A cool football field view and this view apparently is similar to the lunch room. 

Time to explore more of Tacoma.

Next stop is a living history museum. Fort Nisqually.

Fort Nisqually is guarded by two resident cats.

A pretty good life they lead.  Fort Nisqually was part of the Hudson Bay Company's network of forts in the Northwest.  They made most of their money selling produce, meat and other products to ships traveling the region. 

No tour would be complete without a stop at the forts kitchen. 

Of course the fort had a garden and the museum still tends a garden.  They only use heirloom seeds that could be traced to the fort to grow in their garden. 

Time for a lunch break.  It's windy today (hey it's winter you know) but the roommates found a great parking spot along the water.

My pal Grinnell is joining us for lunch today.  Hawaiian Food in honor of the many Hawaiian's who worked at Fort Nisqually.

Time for one more stop on the adventure.  The Tacoma Art museum has a awesome statue out front.  A bear cub, an eaglet, and a little fox. 

A proper adventure part 1. Time to explore the Grit City.

 Hiya Gang,

Little Fox here. I have a good news. I am off on an adventure to the Grit City.  Which city has the nick name the Grit City, well if you guessed Tacoma Washington you win.

 Before this little fox goes on his adventure he decides to fill out on some Mexican Food.  The tacos (all gone were great), the floutas were Okay.  Luckily, this fox isn't picky about his lunch. I hope there is enough food for this fox. 

Now that I have filled up I have to decide where to go.  There is a unique hidden gem of a car museum in Tacoma called the Lemay Museum at Marymount.  Lemay made a lot of money in the garbage hauling business, real estate, and other various enterprises.  When you have that kind of money you typically collect something.  At the height of Mr. Lemay's collection he had over 3,000 classic cars.  Now, they are on display!  Let's go.

Do you think they will let me drive?

A little fox would look good in this convertible.

The cars from that time were so large.  

They had a Delorian.  Where's Marty Mcfly and Doc Brown? 

We are now on the extended tour in the Green Barn.  More cars and they are arranged in order from earliest model to latest models.   

All this adventuring is making this fox tired. I know what will perk me up.  A few craft beers.

I am at the Odd Otter Brewery in Tacoma.  I decided to take it easy with just a taster tray.

They have all of these cool famous pictures with otters as the main characters.

Does anyone recognize this famous painting?

Or this one? 

I know what this one is.

This little fox needs a nap.  More exploration tomorrow. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Happy Thanksgiving to my US based stuffies. I hope you are enjoying some turkey, dressing, and pumpkin pie for dessert.  My roommates are in the kitchen working on my dinner and as I was digging around the kitchen looking for snacks I found some unopened mail.  

The first card is from Sandy and Company up North.  Happy Thursday to my Canadian pal.  Sounds like Rose is going into High School at Grade 8.  In Oregon, high school starts at Grade 9. 

Sandy's garden is going crazy.  Parsnips galore.  A few weeks ago the humans made baked apples, sausage, and parsnips.  A beary tasty dish from Jamie Oliver.

 

Looks like Sandy wrote a little more on the back.  Sandy has been doing some hiking and some exploring but is missing traveling and adventures.  They have been hunting for mushrooms and are having a hard time getting people to takethe chanterelles.  Send them down my way, we'll take them!!!

Speaking of mail.  Droopy and company sent an awesome homemade card.  Droopyscard.com needs to be registered online.  Droopy could sell these cards for sure.

Droopy was wondering if our town is allowing trick or treating.....well it's complicated.  The weather was really nice on Halloween and there were lots of people who put out bowls of candy on the driveway for kids to pick some up.  

The pandemic hasn't slowed down Ajdin.  He recently took a sightseeing trip to Washington DC. He sent this awesome postcard from Washington DC with all the cherry trees in bloom.  

Ajdin had a great question about my facemask.  Our governor has a mask mandate so I am a good Little Fox and wear my mask whenever I go out and about. 

Do you recognize this drawing?

 As you might remember I entered their Halloween Costume Contest and also their Halloween Treat Contest.  The Starbucks card is very appreciated and I am going to take them up on their suggestion to get some hot chocolate with the gift card. 

Thanks J and B.

Thanks everyone for the great cards.  Sorry about the delay in posting.  I think I am going for the new stuffy record of posting late mail.  Ajdin still holds the record for the most belated postcard sending with his Utah Trip.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone