SUMMER IS OVER >>>

The Weekly Volcano Weather Guy says today is the last day of summer. He predicts rain for the next seven months. Today is your last day to drink a refreshing adult beverage outside at one of our area’s many bar and restaurant decks and patios.

The hardworking and stone-livered scribes that make the Weekly Volcano tick put together this list a few years back to help you through the day.

Enjoy, and drink up.

ANTHONY’S HEARTHFIRE GRILL
1675 Marine Dr. N.E., Olympia, 360.705.3473
With ample outdoor seating and an amazing happy hour, this restaurant/bar is a local favorite. Nestled along the waters of Budd Bay, the view alone is worth the trip. Patio and lounge are first come, first serve, so keep that in mind. Otherwise, come prepared to enjoy. — Nikki Talotta
Entertainment: Seal or kayak watching

THE BAYVIEW CAFÉ
229 St Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.2792
The Bayview’s got, well, a bay view. Commencement Bay, to be exact, and it’s a nice one. The deck has plenty of chairs — a whopping 40 — in which to sit while you choose from one of the best arrays of burgers downtown. — Paul Schrag
Entertainment: Watch the boats come in, and watch out for seagulls.

THE BROTHERHOOD
119 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360.352.4153
Twentysomethings kicked back with PBRs and smokes while a single career-lookin’ lady sipps a bright pink cocktail and giggled into her iPhone. Fit to welcome bar patrons from all walks of life, the space is adorned with 10 or so tables, Christmas lights and a corrugated metal roof shielding drinkers from the sun. — Marie Landau
Entertainment: Pool table, shuffle board, pinball, Sunday movie nights (7 p.m., free!) and live DJs on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays

C.I. SHENANIGAN’S
3017 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.752.8811
Megalophobia is the fear of large objects. Taken into the context of what C.I. Shenanigan’s contains (a restaurant), it can be kind of terrifying. It is a horrifically large restaurant. The outdoor patio is enormous and shockingly packed at 2:30 p.m. There’s a bus station and mini-bar just for the patio. The tables are nicely covered with umbrellas, and the hostesses are tasty. — Chuck Dula
Entertainment: Big televisions and tasty hostesses

ROCK THE DOCK
535 Dock St., Tacoma, 253.272.5004
This joint has a manly deck. What in tarnation is a manly deck, you ask. Good question. A manly deck is a place that holds special appeal for men. Rock The Dock’s deck sits on top of a pier, is no-frills, sits across from the gritty Port of Tacoma, and fishermen often tie up to the dock and make their way up the plank. How’s that for manly? The Dock is sporting a new menu as of this week featuring manly burgers (half-pound patty, guys!). — Michael Swan
Entertainment: Sports on the flat screen, pool table and watching the fishermen make their way back to their boats

DOYLE’S PUBLIC HOUSE
208 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.7468
Doyle’s is raw and simple. If you’re looking for a no-frills sidewalk in the shade with a smattering of tables, good people and plenty of fantastic beers, Doyle’s Public House, or its front patio, is your place. This is the beauty of simplicity in action with a solid draught selection. Pints of Smithwick’s Irish Ale, Hoegaarden Wit, good old Beamish and Carlsberg, Bellhaven Twisted Thistle, Fuller’s Mr. Harry and, all praises, Aventinus, will help you realize that a table by the sidewalk can be just like heaven. — PS
Entertainment: Sports on the teevee! Doyle’s opens early for soccer.

DUKE’S CHOWDER HOUSE
3327 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.752.5444
Although happy hour is not valid on this popular Tacoma waterfront deck, Duke’s has managed to compensate its guests in more ways than Denise Richards is an overrated celebrity. Take advantage of Duke’s “deck specials” as you hide behind your shades and inconspicuously check out the hot women at the next table.  (Don’t worry; they’ll never know you’re looking. Trust me on this.) — Steph DeRosa
Entertainment: Did you not read the lesson above concerning sunglass stalking?

ENGINE HOUSE NO. 9
611 North Pine, Tacoma, 253.272.3435
This Tacoma landmark tavern is best known as the place to go to hit on college boys and girls during the school year, but its summer schedule offers a quasi-picnic setting on the front patio. What makes this joint stand out is its neighborhood vibe and historical setting, complete with vintage firefighting bunker gear, photos and E9‘s version of Tacoma Brew — a close replica of a recipe dating back to the late 1800s. — Steve Dunkelberger
Entertainment: Coed eye candy, history

HARBOR LIGHTS
2761 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.752.8600
New to the area?  Then please allow me to educate you.  There are three facts every sworn-in citizen of Tacoma knows: Ski-caps are in style no matter what the weather; tan legs during summer months are optional, and Harbor Lights has the strongest drinks in town.  For this, we bow our heads in respect to Harbor Lights’ no happy hour drink specials policy. With just five tiny, two-person tables on the Harbor Lights’ deck, it’s no wonder there are removable walls inside the sunroom.  Housing this separate sunroom is a wall of windows that open fully onto the teensy deck, exposing its guests to all of the wonderful bay-side elements Ruston has to offer. — Steph D 
Entertainment: Eavesdropping is easily accomplished in this closely seated arena.

HARMON BREWERY AND RESTAURANT
1938 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.2739
The Harmon just does it classic. Plenty of big tables, shade, cold beer, and a finely tuned outdoor serving staff. This hometown brewpub, resting at 21st and Pacific Avenue in Tacoma’s University and Museum districts, rocks a 15-barrel brewing operation that turns out five flagship ales and seasonal brews all on tap. Brews are backed by a diverse menu of pub fare, including stone-baked pizzas and tons of burgers and sandwiches. — PS
Entertainment: Crazy traffic.

HARMON TAP ROOM
204 St. Helens, Tacoma, 253-212-2725
Harmon Brewery Comapny has built a space where folks can gather to drink beer, eat pizza, watch the game and gab away. Pat Nagle and partner Carole Holder built a production facility for their Harmon beers that doubles as a dining and retail space in the spot that once housed Stadium Bistro. It also sports a large, European-style outdoor beer garden.
Entertainment: Watching wedding parties load in and out of the Temple Theater.

JAKE’S BAR AND BISTRO
215 Wilkes St., Steilacoom, 253.581.3300
The Puget Sound has a lot to offer its community, and an exceptional view is just one of its perks. Jake’s in Steilacoom has captured that scene with a beautiful panoramic view from its dining patio. On a sunny day, you can absorb the wide waters of the Sound while absorbing the wide selection of delicious microbrews Jake’s has on tap (42 constantly rotating specialties!). These guys keep it real. You won’t find any mass-produced bottles here. Paired with one of Jake’s yummy menu items, this place deserves a regular spot in your summer agenda. — NT
Entertainment: Watching people try to find a parking spot.

JOHNNY’S DOCK
1900 E D St., Tacoma, 253.627.3186
Beginning just outside Johnny’s Dock’s infamous lounge, this 45-person deck sits right in awesome view of what boating in Commencement Bay is all about.  Take a chance on the other side of the bay by nestling your weary bum in the middle of all of the action. Don’t fret that this waterfront dining area is mainly located lounge-side; families are welcome anytime. — Steph D
Entertainment: Perfect view of random boaters trying to park their boats. Maia Santell’s jazz/blues last Sunday night of the month.

KATIE DOWNS
3211 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.756.0771
No youngsters nipping at my flip-flop-wearing heels is what makes this sun-grubbin’ lush one very happy lady.  Twenty-one is the key to adult serenity on this deck, along with the gorgeous view and delectable deep dish pizza.  Grab your table quickly and don’t forget to save your spot; you have to go inside and order all items at the bar.  After your work is done, sit back and enjoy good times as your server waits on you for the rest of your childless Katie Downs mini-vacation. — Steph D
Entertainment: Beautiful boats sailing by and innocent victims running into Katie Downs’ sliding glass door

THE LOBSTER SHOP
4015 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.759.2165
Located on Ruston Way, the Lobster Shop will serve you great seafood as you dine on its quaint patio. Here you will be able to watch the seagulls fly overhead wishing they had any sort of currency at all to trade for a plateful of Copper River salmon. The servers are experienced, knowledgeable, and quite nice while the drinks are almost as exceptional as the food. — CD
Entertainment: Small little television behind the bar

MASA
2811 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.254.0560
The environment is stylish, metropolitan minimalism with spicy and exotic Mexican fare, handcrafted, exotic drinks, and one of the most popular dance spots in the South Sound. But when the sun is out the hottest place to be is on Masa's rooftop deck.
Entertainment: Watching people jaywalk at Sixth and Pine.

MATADOR
721 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.7100
Matador’s patio makes me feel like I’m in an L.A. suburb for some reason. Black wrought iron gates, beautiful, handmade, wood-inlaid tables, not a lot of shade during certain times of day, lots of street traffic on good days, massive tequila selection, and amazing Southwestern fare. Maybe that’s it. Two words. Steak nachos. And margaritas. — PS
Entertainment: Sports on a bank of 46-inch plasma screens

MCMENAMINS SPAR CAFÉ
114 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.357.6444
The McMenamin brothers have great eyes for detail and hearts for the restoration and presentation of history in a business. I eat and drink there all the time since it is such a great location with its crafted brews and privacy curtained booths. Its patio offers beer chuggers a vantage point to watch the street theater that is Fourth Avenue, complete with artsy geeks, homeless students and counterculture types. — Steve D
Entertainment: Fourth Avenue

MECONI’S PUB & EATERY
709 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.3388
Take note: Meconi’s Pub & Eatery’s patio has three tables seating four people each.  That’s just enough room for all of your friends and 10 other people to sit.  Stake out one of these in-demand patio spots and you could be well on your way to becoming a professional Pacific Avenue people watcher. — Steph D
Entertainment: Pacific Avenue, televisions

MSM DELI
2220 Sixth Ave., Tacoma 253.272.4814
In this unassuming building reside some of the most delicious sandwiches you’re likely to find. Its interior is a somewhat surreal combination of deli/convenience store. The smell of sandwiches wafts past cigarettes, refrigerators full of beer and a selection of wines. It’s satisfying in the way that drinking in a 7-Eleven might be. The patio seals the deal. Grab a beer and a sandwich, sit out in the sun on Sixth Avenue and tell me it doesn’t feel like Tacoma. — Adam McKinney
Entertainment: Television in the back

O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB
2403 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.3144
Look, O’Malley’s is unabashedly divey, and consequently as welcoming as a broken-in pair of jeans. It should come as no surprise that its “patio” doesn’t resemble a Las Vegas cabana.  But hell, they might have the most drink specials in town. It’s a cheerful, no-nonsense watering hole. I hug four people every time I’m there.  That right there makes a patio. — Michael Swan
Entertainment: Pool, darts, shuffleboard, jukebox, television, karaoke, poker, music

PADDY COYNE’S IRISH PUB
815 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.6963
Paddy Coyne’s is the coziest bar in Tacoma.  There are few places I’d rather be than riding a stool by the parade of taps — a throwback to a time when barkeeps knew when to talk, what to say and how to pour — and contemplating the bizarre, beautiful, hand-carved by French monks bar back.  So why venture outside into the elements?  Why abandon ship for a sidewalk table?  Well, to smoke, I guess.  Or because the bar’s full.  Or because you had the corned beef and cabbage.  Or perhaps to enjoy the cool air and the stars and the joyous din of summer in the city. — MTD
Entertainment: People acting Irish

POWERHOUSE RESTAURANT & BREWERY
454 E. Main, Puyallup, 253.845.1370
Iron gates and established ivy give a girl the feeling of being in her own backyard.  Well, if her backyard was a perfect backyard, like the ones in those Sunset magazines, then yeah — it’s a backyard just like that.  Iron benches and concrete patio floors lend nothing but aesthetic to what I consider to be one of the most calming patios I’ve ever caught a lunchtime buzz in.  So what if my lunchtime buzz list is bigger than your junior high mix-tape collection?  Don’t judge me. — Steph D
Entertainment: Voltage ignites inside the Powerhouse each time a train passes by, at least.

THE RAM RUSTON WAY
3001 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.756.7886
While the Ram International location on Tacoma’s waterfront walks the tight line from being a corporate-chain beer hole, its waterfront deck is one of the best in the business since it spans the length of the joint to overlook the best view of Commencement Bay as booze chuggers down their favorite libation as twilight hits the water. Patrons can watch people, birds, boats, and water life play out their lives through the glass at the bottom of their oversized drink tumblers. — Steve D
Entertainment: Television, waterfront

SCHOONER PUB & GALLEY
5429 100th St. S.W., Lakewood, 253.584.1919
The South Sound is home to a few nautically themed bars, but the Schooner Pub feels like the kind of place a commercial fisherman might go for a pint before riding his Harley to the docks for a month on the sea. Granted, that might have a lot to do with the accoutrements — ship wheels, bows, ropes, and other nautical bric-a-brac. The city of Lakewood in which it resides doesn’t exactly scream “seafaring,” nor does the sports fanatic patronage. Still, with fenced-off outdoor seating, friendly service, decent beer selection, perfume and rubbers in the bathroom, this moms and dads pub by day/girls gone wild at night is a happening spot in Lakewood. — Suzy Stump
Entertainment: Traffic mess at 100th and Bridgeport

STANLEY AND SEAFORTS
115 E. 34th St., Tacoma, 253.473.7300
Stanley and Seaforts isn’t bad with the food. Hit the patio, if you can get into one of several umbrella’d round spots that are nestled on a small deck off the main bar. Tables are plush enough to make it at a golf course patio, and you’ll be served by some of the best trained wait staff in town. Now’s the time of year to order some calamari with plum sauce and a pomegranate martini. The deck is a nice spot to post up with one of Stanley and Seafort’s legendary desserts. Oh, and there’s a view. — PS
Entertainment: TVs inside

STEILACOOM PUB
1202 Rainier St., Steilacoom 253.584.7693
There has never been a better place to peruse an assortment of wonderful bottled beers from around the world while at the same time being accosted by short-tempered bartenders and stared at by shady customers. By day the Steilacoom Pub serves up deli sandwiches by sweet old ladies and teenage neo-employees, but at night the beer flows like the spit that the bartenders dream about extricating into your beverage of choice. There is a tiny patio out front that provides a partial view of the Puget Sound. — CD
Entertainment: Calling the Steilacoom Pub and asking about its happy hour: This is really what the bartender said when I called and asked about it:  “This is my happy hour right now — hanging up on your ass.”

TEMPEST LOUNGE
913 Martin Luther King Jr., Tacoma, 253.272. 4904
Settle in and sip a handcrafted cocktail in peace at this sweetheart of a mellow, classy, ’50s-style influenced lounge. Check out the daily double happy hours, above par bar fare, hummus, beet salad and addictive roasted garlic Old Bay potato wedges. Love the Recession Relief drinks. Dig the resident DJs spinning House. Relax in ultra comfy chairs, and soft lighting that makes everyone look good. But most of all, head to the back patio and check out who’s hanging under the heat lamps. It’s where we check first on a hot, summer night. — SS
Entertainment: Dude, I just explained it all above.

TIDES TAVERN
2925 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, 253.858.3982
Take a break from the hustle and bustle.  You’ve been living the big life of a Tacoma resident, and it’s time someone told you to relax.  Sustaining your community and fighting The Man can take a lot out of you, so why not escape to the hidden confines of Gig Harbor, specifically Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor.  From the street, those secret service agents will never guess that behind Tides’ small entrance lies one of the best hidden decks west of the Narrows.  Let the servers bring you fish ‘n’ chips as the gentle rolling of water creeps beneath the wooden deck and your Tacoma worries melt away.  — Steph D
Entertainment: Each other.  You’re escaping, remember?

TOP OF TACOMA BAR AND CAFÉ
3529 McKinley Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.1502
If we’ve learned anything about proprietor Jaime Kay Newton it’s this: That girl knows how to throw a party.  The Top has become an instant success for all walks of life with affordable drinks, tasty pub food, stocked music box and an outdoor patio that’s the place to be seen. The front patio has a backyard sort of feel that makes patrons — most head to toe in black — feel like they could kick off their shoes and threaten to walk around the joint wearing just their boxer shorts and shower shoes. Most don’t as they’ll lose their spot. — Steve D
Entertainment: Big Buck Hunter Safari, Centipede, Wi-Fi, pool table

TWOKOI JAPANESE RESTAURANT
1552 Commerce St., Tacoma, 253.274.8999
TWOKOI is a minimalist venture for couples. It has a half-dozen tables for two, which makes TWOKOI the place to take your lunch date. The patio overlooks the Museum District and the loveliness that is Tollefson Plaza. On a sunny day, it’s actually kind of a nice view. TWOKOI offers some fantastic lunch deals, with menu items including a nice selection of teriyaki, tempura and sukiyaki, and udon. You haven’t had teriyaki until you’ve had teriyaki at TWOKOI. No stringy beef, no marginally edible chicken, no wilting veggies. This is the apotheosis of teriyaki. — PS
Entertainment: Tollefson Plaza ... wait.

UNICORN SPORTS BAR
5302 N. 49th St., Ruston, 253.752.5939
Large rusted coffee cans littered with old cigarette butts rest beneath the patio tables on Unicorn Sports Bar’s serene patio as I prepare to meet some friends for a sunny afternoon beer. Unicorn’s outdoor space is well-crafted with accents including English ivy, flowering plants, landscaped rock, and a towering waterfall. Wood fencing is built with Plexiglas windows in order to not deter from the beautiful view of Commencement Bay. — Steph D
Entertainment: Serene waterfall and picturesque view

VARSITY GRILL
1114 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.627.1229
Varsity Grill offers one of the most expansive patio situations in downtown Tacoma, with plenty of tables for four and one for that six-person power lunch or outdoor beer fest. Nestled in the shade of street trees along busy Broadway, a lunch at Varsity Grill is likely to have you running into someone you know. Bring the family, and kids will eat free, which is nice. You’ll feel better when they chuck French fries at passing cars. — PS
Entertainment: Mega-big screen, plenty of plasmas.

WATER STREET CAFÉ AND BAR
610 Water St. S.W., Olympia, 360.709.9090
Off the beaten path of Fourth Ave in Olympia is Water Street. And nestled next to Capitol Lake is Water Street Café. A sophisticated, yet casual restaurant, Water Street is the perfect alternative to the usual downtown array of dive bars and Thai restaurants, not to mention one of Oly’s few spots for enjoying food and libations outside. The covered patio is the perfect place to cool off with a view of Capitol Lake, a pretty fountain and greenery to please the eye. — NT
Entertainment: Occasional bands 

SOCIAL BAR & GRILL
1715 Dock St., Tacoma, 253.301.3835
During the warmer months, nothing beats enjoying a beer — or three — on a really nice patio. Social’s patio is smooth and polished: just the place for an after-work happy hour rest stop, a drink after perusing neighboring Museum of Glass or to get liquored up after sailing on Commencement Bay. Fifteen or so outdoor tables, East-to-West sun exposure on side patio, few kids, and piped-out music make it a pleasant spot to drink away the afternoon.
Entertainment: Watch rich people sail and dock their yachts along Thea Foss Waterway

Yes, this is an old list. What did we miss?

SUNDAY, SEPT. 25, 2011 >>>

1. The thing about Tacoma's Jazzbones is it rarely hosts jazz. You'd assume by the club's name that it was all jazz, all the time; but in truth history has seen more DJ nights, KRY shows, foam partiers and co-ed Jager-bomb orgies than nights of actual jazz. The good news is, at least for jazz aficionados, Sundays at Jazzbones have now been claimed by the genre that loaned the club its name, because Kareem Kandi is now hosting a weekly jazz jam session sure to cap the week of in style. The jazz jam is all ages and has no cover, so bring the kids out with you tonight.

2. Look, we're old and jaded here at the Volcano. When we hear a band like Never Shout Never we can't help but scoff, squirm, and throw up a little in our mouths. We're assholes like that ... old and jaded, like we mentioned. We're, basically, the exact opposite of a youthful, hopeful, innocent, teenage girl - the kind of demographic we assume makes up the bulk of Never Shout Never's fanbase. The kind of person who doesn't look at contemporary mainstream pop music (and, to be honest, contemporary American culture as a whole) as instantly start groveling about how we're all headed to hell in a hand basket. If this sounds like you, check out Never Shout Never, The Maine, A Rocket to the Moon and The Downtown Fiction Sunday at the Puyallup Fair, closing down this year's Fair Concert Series tonight.

3. The St. John's Episcopal  Church in Olympia's Concert Series presents "Get Jazzed!" tonight, billed as "an intimate, elegant jazz program by pianist vocalist David Joyner and bassist Clipper Anderson performing works by Duke Ellington, Nat Cole, Chet Baker and other jazz icons." It starts at 3 p.m., and there's an artist reception to follow. Maybe the best part? The free child care.

4. Speaking of jazz, Sunday Jam Sessions at Freddie's Club of Fife welcomes Butch Harrison & Good Company, Keely Whitney and "friends" tonight. The Good times run from 6 - 9 p.m.

5. Head out in your outdated Lofa Tatupu jersey and catch the Seahawks (maybe, just maybe ...) get their first win of the season today when they face the Arizona Cardinals. Find the perfect sports bar here.  

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

MONDAY, SEPT. 26, 2011 >>>

1. Hellboy - the cult hero with bright-red skin and sanded-down horns and a right hand that fits into the gateway to hell has been loyally rendered - is fan-boy heroin, and the focus of the geeky Capes & Cowls Book Club 8 p.m. meeting at King's Books. What the heck? Why not droip in on the group and give your two cents on Mike Mignola & John Byrne's Hellboy: Seed of Destruction.

2. Boulder singer/songwriter Lesley Kernochan will perform indie rock, bluegrass, pop, funk, and a touch of opera with quirky poetic lyrics at 6 p.m. inside the Mandolin Café.

3. The Steve Munger Quartet will fill the Royal Lounge in downtown Olympia with jazz from 7-9 p.m. 

4. If you've noticed we're pushing local breweries lately, you've caught us. We can't stay away from local beer. Plus, there's something about a local brewery that screams perfect date night. A couple pints of lager, a couple side salads, a doggy bag for the happy couple. ... Powerhouse Restaurant and Brewery in Puyallup offers a pasta and pint combination every Monday that's easy on the wallet. Buy pasta off the menu and get any one of Powerhouse's seven beers free of charge.

5. Designed for bartenders, servers and anyone looking for a late weeknight of bowling, the Chalet Bowl in Tacoma's Proctor District offers all you can bowl – under the glow lights - for $7, beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Monday Nightlife It List

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Stop Sitting In Them While Waiting For The Bus: Tacoma City Councilman Ryan Mello wants to reduce the blight caused by shopping carts dumped in neighborhoods. (News Tribune). The Central Neighborhood Council agrees. (Weekly Volcano)

Trending: Senators blame the Tea Party for budget stalemate. (CNN)

Check It: Anne Hathaway in her Catwoman costume. (Ain't It Cool News)

Old Man Of The Sea: Aquaman turns 70. (Comic Mix)

They're Still Alive!: Review of Cameron Crowe's Pearl Jam Twenty. (Slate)

Wild Flag: Making chaos useful. (NPR)

Saturday Night Live 37th Season Premiere: The best and the worst. (Flavorwire)

Awkward People: Their five worst fears. (Cracked)

PICKING WITH A PURPOSE >>>

The South Sound's fall harvest is on.

That means volunteers with The Pierce County Gleaning Project will be descending on local produce fields to gather fresh vegetables for distribution to hunger-relief agencies.

According to a PCGP, a whopping 40 to 50 percent of commercially grown food goes to waste in this country. I believe it. I witnessed hundreds of apples on the sidewalks during my run yesterday through Tacoma's Northend Neighborhood.

The PCGP collects food throughout the year to distribute to such hunger-relief agencies as St. Leo Food Connection food bank and the Emergency Food network. It runs an urban fruit harvest in Tacoma, gleans from farms in the Puyallup Valley, and connects gardeners with food banks through a Plant a Row for the Hungry Program.

In Thurston County, the Thurston County Food Bank began a gleaning project in 2010. The TCFB gleaners focus on harvesting the bounty from their county's organic farm and CSA community as well as the four Kiwanis-run food bank gardens in Olympia.

The fall harvest offers an opportunity to collect large amounts of fresh-from-the- farm produce. The donated produce is often what's left in the field after the farmers have had their pick. Vegetables that are an off size, shape or color might not be suitable for shipping to area markets.

It can't be accomplished without volunteers.

To get involved with the Pierce County Gleaning Project, sign up to volunteer and find a list of where to donate garden bounty at www.piercecountygleaningproject.org or call 253.584.1040.

To work with the Thurston County Food Bank, visit www.thurstoncountyfoodbank.org or call 360.352.8597.

FALL HARVEST FARM TOUR IS SATURDAY >>>

Summer, or what the South Sound saw of it this year, is in the past. The bounties of autumn await.

In celebration of the changing seasons and the local harvest, the Washington State University Extension program invites the community to its annual free Fall Harvest Farm Tour Saturday, Oct. 1 at farms in the Puyallup Valley, Orting, Roy and Key Peninsula areas. The farms will keep the gates open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival is considered to be an open house for the organic and sustainable farming programs in Pierce County, allowing the community to learn about sustainable farming methods and the environmental stewardship that make farmers so awesome.

Unless you're on a strict high-preservative, low-nutrition-value, fast-food-for-life diet, you're certain to dig the Fall Harvest Farm Tour. You'll leave with a sack full of fine fixin's for the evenings fare, a wet butt from the hayrides, a couple of souvenirs for the kitchen counter and a head buzzin' full of pride as your pumpkin was launched from the slingshot the farthest.

For a complete list of participating farms, click here.

Here are the four Puyallup Valley farms participating in Saturday's tour:

Terry's Berries

4520 River Rd, Tacoma
www.terrysberries.com
Terry's Berries opened more than 25 years ago when consumer interest in organic farming was just beginning to catch on. One of the oldest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms, they offer certified organic produce year round at the farm store and through weekly customer shares.
Here's what they have planned Saturday:

• Hayrides around the farm
• Feed the chickens
• Shop for organic produce in the farm stand.
• Pick apples

From I-5: Take Exit 135. Drive toward Puyallup on River Road (SR 167) for about two miles and look for the farm on the right.

Picha Farms

6502 52nd St. E., Puyallup
www.pichafarms.com
Dan and Russ Picha are third generation farmers carrying on the family business begun by their grandfather, Mike Picha, in 1904 and continued by their father, Ted (Farmer Ted!). In October, Picha's pumpkin patch and corn maze is popular, especially its pumpkin slingshot.
Here's what they have planned Saturday:

• Pumpkin sling shot.
• Corn maze complete with farm trivia questions.
• Farm stand loaded with pumpkins, gourds, squash, hay bales and corn stalks.

From I-5: Take Exit 135 to merge onto River Road (WA-167). Continue on River Road and turn right onto 66th Avenue East. Take the first right onto 52nd Street East. Farm will be seen on the left.

Moon Farm & Puyallup Valley Jam Factory

2615 Tacoma Rd, Puyallup
www.pacificnorthwestshop.com/pnwfoods/
puyallupjamfactory.htm
Farmers Carol and Bud Moon have been growing berries at Moon Berry Farm for more than 40 years. At the heart of their farm is the Puyallup Valley Jam Factory where they turn fresh berries into delicious jams, purees and syrups.
Here's what they have planned Saturday:

• Hayrides around the farm
• Freshly made jam to taste
• Check out the chickens
• Fresh jam available to purchase

From I-5: Take Exit 135 and head toward Puyallup. Stay right and follow Pioneer Way East. When Pioneer Way East meets 72nd Street East, turn left. Pioneer Way East will turn into West Pioneer Way. Follow West Pioneer Way and turn left (north) onto Tacoma Road. Follow Tacoma Road through several intersections to the end and look for the farm on the right.

Spooner Farms

9710 SR 162 E., Puyallup
www.spoonerberries.com
Spooner Farms has been family owned and farmed since 1882. They specialize in Washington berries: strawberries, raspberries blackberries. The also grow corn. Every autumn, Spooner Farms host the Spooner pumpkin harvest wonderland.
Here's what they have planned Saturday:

• A 5-acre corn maze
• U-pick pumpkin patch
• Visit farm animals and explore the Activity Barn
• Find your way through the Animal Tracks rope maze
• Launch a pumpkin in the pumpkin slingshots.
• Shop the gift store for culinary items.
• Take advantage of the available food service

From Puyallup: Head east from Puyallup on East Pioneer Avenue, which turns into Pioneer Way East. Turn right (south) on the Sumner-Orting Hwy (WA-162) and look for Spooner Farms on the right.

LINK: Trouble with DeRosa visited Terry's Berries

PETE ANDERSON KEEPS LATEST FILM LOCAL >>>

I consider myself only a part-time filmmaker, so I can't say I belong in the same league as someone like Pete Anderson. When he told me Break marks not only his seventh time in the director's chair of a feature film, but also his 17th screenplay, my jaw dropped just a bit. I had to ask him to repeat himself. You have to admire persistence like this.

The 43-year-old Anderson seems to tear into every project like a tornado of talent, a battalion of one oftentimes taking on multiple duties with boundless energy. Anderson also produced, edited, and did some acting in Break, a dramedy about strangers whose only connection is a single gun.

A Tacoma resident for only two years now, Anderson wanted to keep Break a truly local production. That meant using mainly Seattle and T-Town for the script's several dozen locations, and hiring actors close by to fill the whopping thirty-six speaking parts. Local musicians even supplied the soundtrack with sixteen original tunes.

"One of the big things I wanted to do with Break was showcase ... a lot of actors here (in our community)," Anderson says. "Probably the thing I'm proudest of with the film is that ... the performances are really solid."

A Grand Cinema regular, earlier in September Anderson rented space in the theater to publicly screen his work for the first time. The turnout and response surprised him.

"There were so many members of The Grand I didn't even know that came," says Anderson. "So it was really good getting feedback from them, and it was really positive, which was terrific."

Last week Anderson sent Break off to one of the biggies: Sundance Film Festival. He tells me he has to wait until December to find out whether his movie makes the 2012 list, but in the meantime he's already flying headlong into Script #18, called We Have the Weekend. Even if you didn't catch his brief takeover of Cheney Stadium for a recent shoot, odds are you'll hear more about this filmmaker real soon. Find Break-ing news here.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 27, 2011 >>>

1. This fall, Tacoma's favorite Victorian-style glass conservatory offers a botanical montage of madness, paralysis and death. The exhibit Wicked Plants: An Exhibit of the Deliciously Dark Side of the Plant Kingdom features deadly flora that would please a homicidal 19th-century botanist. The W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory exhibit is inspired by Amy Stewart's bestseller Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities, a much-needed compendium of plants that rack up body counts. Go see it from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., if you dare.

2. Drop by The Art Stop inside LeRoy jewelers and check out Ken Stevens' signature celadon glaze works from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

3. The final 6th Avenue Farmers Market will feature musician Billy Farmer & Friends from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.

4. It's just the way that I live, yo
Like a pirate out to get his booty, yo
But yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
I'm gonna pimp like a pirate till my days are done.
We suspect author Rudy Martin, one of the founding faculty members of The Evergreen State College, has better stories of the sea than ours in his collection of short fiction, Seaside Stories. Martin will prove it at 6 p.m. when he shares them at Orca Books in Olympia.

5. The Hy-lu-Hee-Hee bar in Gig Harbor hosts a 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Trivia Night featuring three rounds with $25 price gift cards each, and a cumulative cash prize of $50 for the puzzle page. If no one wins it, next week would be $100, and so on.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Happy hours!

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Downtown Tacoma Elks Building Development: Oops, they didn't buy the land. (News Tribune)

Pay Up: Tacoma striking teachers should receive their full pay. (News Tribune)

Big, Fat Greek Debt: Prime Minister George Papandreou guaranteed "Greece will live up to all its commitments." (CNN)

WTF?: The L Word's Leisha Hailey was escorted off a Southwest jet after kissing her girlfriend. (LA Times)

Hair Club For Whiners: George Costanza has new hair. (Best Week Ever)

Interview: Susanna Hoffs dishes on The Bangles' dysfunction, motherhood and Prince. (Spinner)

It Wasn't Because Of His Music: Randy Travis is OK after passing out at a Texas concert. (Yahoo)

If We Only Had Some Money: Dorothy's ruby slippers are on the auction block. (Daily News)

The Dream Is Always The Same: Top 10 movie dream sequences, including the freaky one below. (Flavorwire)

FIRST PEEK >>>

Here's the tricky thing about grand openings:

They're grand.

At any club's grand opening, the bathrooms are clean, the lights flow perfectly and the liquor is stocked. Hoards of pretty ladies and muscled men abuse the dance floor. At grand openings, a noticeable buzz of excitement crams the air.

What a competent reviewer (eh-HMM) must do is gaze through all the glitz and glamour of opening night and ask the tough questions. Will the new Big Whisky Saloon in Olympia always be a Stetson-wearing, whisky-drinking hoopla; or is this more of a first night kind of deal? 

I'm talking the TOUGH questions here, people.

Read Brett Cihon's review of the new Big Whisky in Thursday's Weekly Volcano. In the meantime, enjoy Steve Dunkelberger's photos of the Olympia Big Whisky.

LINK: More photos of Big Whisky Saloon Olympia

LINK: Brett visited the Tacoma Big Whisky