Geysers that aren't geysers

So, as part of our occasional efforts to get off the West Valley Highway, last Wednesday Janice and I went to Flaming Geyser --which isn't  a geyser and doesn't flame and went walking along the White River (which downstream turns into the Green River). Which, as Janice pointed out, at one point downstream flows by the West Valley Highway. 

In other news, we're grateful the feared tsunami didn't strike --not least than because we're at extremely low sea level (thirty-two feet I think).

--current reading: a book on Suffolk fairy-lore. Well written and very well researched; I learned a lot I didn't know from reading this.

C. S. Lewis at the Taproot

Well, here's something I thought I'd never see: a staging of C. S. Lewis's last novel, TILL WE HAVE FACES. Adapted by Koren Lund, it's scheduled for the month of January 21st through February 21st. While I usually make an effort to see plays by or inspired by Inklings,* I might wind up giving this one a pass.  More on this one as the time approaches and more information about the production becomes known.

https://www.taproottheatre.org/shows/2026/till-we-have-faces/

In other news: Today it rained. Not a lot, but enough to break the dry stretch of weeks past.

  --John R.

*including one-man-shows and similar dramatizations featuring Inklings as characters, which are generally the best of such works

a few words

 So. It's been a while.

--John R

Fink-Nottle's Delight

Fink-Nottle's Delight

So, today we sent down to the botanical gardens in Federal Way to see how the rhododendrons and bonsai were doing. When we'd been there last things were just beginning to bloom: now they're in full flourish. We especially wanted to see how the frogs were doing. Last time we'd been told by a knowledgeable fellow visitor that soon the scummy  little pond wd be populated with tadpoles and then little frogs.

 

It turns out the delay worked in our faor, and we got to see not frogs but six salamanders --specifically North West Salamanders. I've only seem salamanders in the wild a few times (most notably at Camp DeSoto), so this was a real treat. It looked like a wet lizard.

 

 

Walking a little further we saw a pair of butterflies --tiger swallowtails I think; my favorites-- in a patch of sunlight: whether courting or quarrelling I cd not tell. I held out a hand in hopes one might land on it, but they declined.

 

And if these were not enough, not long after our path was crossed by a snake making a purposeful withdrawal from our presence.

 

All in all, a pleasant outing.

 

--John R

--current reading: ISLANDIDA by Austen Tappan Wright (1942)

--current viewing: The Murderbot Series (on Apple tv) 

Tolkien and Wartime Oxford

So, here's a brief allusion to Tolkien's work creating and administrating the syllabus for the accelerated cadet's course at Oxford during WW II:

"One of the most eye-catching initiatives was the course in English literature designed by J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: this was the first external examination authorised by the University of Oxford."*

*The Book at War: How Reading Shaped Conflict and Conflict Shaped Reading by Andrew Pettegree (2023)

endnote: Bruce R. Johnson, 'The efforts of C. S. Lewis to aid British prisoners of War during World War II', C. S. Lewis Journal. 12 (2018), pp. 41-76.

[endnote: Pettegree page 444]

I found this of interest because it co-credits Lewis, whom Tolkien outranked professionally. I'll have to hunt down Johnson's article.

--John R.

--current (re)reading:: the Murderbot series by Martha Wells

Kalamazoo 2025

 So, barring the unforeseen, it looks like I'll be going to Kalamazoo this year (April 8th thr 11th) after all.

If you see me, stop and say hello; I'll be the one with the brown fedora at the Tolkien events.

--John R.

Ring Any Bells?

 So, yesterday, going through a box, I came across the dungeon map I did as part of the Map Order for some adventure  I worked on back in TSR/WotC days (the comments on the map in green ink are in my handwriting).  Problem is, I don't remember what adventure it goes with. If anyone out there recognizes it, I'd be interested in comparing the draft with the published module.

--John R.