This week’s featured pet is Mimi, a gentle soul who would love a home for the holidays.   She is a calm, well-mannered adult cat who dreams of a quiet home where she’ll be treasured for the faithful companion that she is. 

Mimi is adorable and full-figured, and although she is grown-up she still has a playful side.  She was living happily with her lifelong owner who passed away and Mimi was brought to the Seattle Animal Shelter.  Mimi went into one of the shelter’s excellent foster homes where she has been waiting for quite some time for someone to adopt her. Her foster parents must give her up due to plans for extended travel.

Mimi can be a bit shy when meeting people for the first time, but in her foster home she has shown that she readily and quickly warms up to her caretakers and blossoms into a devoted companion.  If you would like to meet Mimi or just learn more about her, please call the shelter’s foster care hotline at 206-684-0685.   Adoption info here.

As you dive into your holiday decorating,  you might want to consider making some sustainable decorations at Discovery Park.

 On Saturday, December 12 from 1 to 4p.m. at the Discovery Park  Environmental Learning Center you will get to create wreaths, garlands, and sprays using non-native, invasive plants removed from Discovery Park such as English ivy, Scot’s broom, and holly.  They will provide basic materials and you can bring special ribbon, cones or other decorations.

Children must be accompanied by an adult, and the cost is $20 for first person and $16 for each additional person in the party.  Register in advance to make sure you have a spot using course code #45620.

When Alyssa Lewis and her husband Patrick opened the Seattle Pie Company in Magnolia in mid-July, they had no idea it would take off the way it has in just a few short months.

By August Seattle Weekly had renamed the neighborhood “Pie City.” By November the new neighborhood business struck a big deal with Metropolitan Market, providing pies for their six Seattle-area locations. And now they’re so busy, they’re expanding into a 1,000 square foot retail space next door to accommodate their fast-growing success. In four months they went from baking an estimated 30 pies a day, to a few hundred.

So when Thanksgiving rolled around, the folks at Seattle Pie Company knew they were in for some late nights. In fact, Alyssa, Patrick, and a rotation of employees and family members (Patrick’s older brother Darren came from Port Orchard to help with the holiday rush), spent the days leading up to Thanksgiving baking pies. All night long.

Get the full story at our sister site, Queen Anne View.

UPDATE:  We got this information about the fire from Magnolia Voice reader Paul;

My friend Bob and I were riding by on bikes when the fire started.  It appeared to be two transients that let a camp fire get out of hand, in the middle of the hill side halfway between Thorndyke and the bike trail below.  We rode down to the trail and took an iPhone video as the two and their dog came down out of the woods.  They made the comment their “campfire got out of hand”.  It appeared to be burning itself out in the damp brush, but the fire department opened up the fence above on Thorndyke to get in there and get it all out.  Luckily, there is a fire hydrant right at that spot along Thorndyke.  We left contact info with SPD in case they wanted the video.  Thankfully it didn’t appear that either of them nor the dog had been injured or burned.

Firefighters have responded to a brush fire at 2501 Thorndyke Ave. W just after 4 p.m., and there’s a large plume of black smoke visible from the east side of Magnolia and 15th Ave. We’ll let you know if there’s any damage to report. (Thanks Michael for the tip.)

Lots of people are going to enjoy a deep-fried turkey this year but the question is what to do with the leftover oil? Don’t put the three to five gallons of oil down the drain because it can stick to the sewer pipes and cause problems.  The best thing to do is recycle it.

A number of restaurants are part of a recycling program this year, allowing home cooks to bring in their used cooking oil, and Kent-based Standard Biodiesel will collect it and donate money to Seattle Children’s for every gallon collected.

The closest collection point for Magnolia is Red Mill Burgers in Interbay.  Here is a list of other participating restaurants.

Before you take the oil to a recycling station, make sure to let it solidify in a container.  

Our sister site, My Ballard, has a photograph of what appears to be a small gray whale just to the west of the Ballard Locks.  A reader saw it around noon on Wednesday, and sent in this photo. He said it was there for about 20 minutes and then disappeared. 

No one at the Army Corps or Shilshole Marina had seen or heard about a whale in the area but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.  A gray whale was seen near the Locks several years ago.

We are thankful for all the support we receive from Magnolia Voice readers.  We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. - Gladys and Abner

Tis the season and now you can get Santa photos in the Magnolia Village.  Serendipity will have a professional photographer at the restaurant starting the day after Thanksgiving from 3pm. to 5p.m.  Santa pictures will be available on Tuesdays and Saturdays 3 to 5p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 3p.m. through December 20th.

Walk ins are welcome or you can make an appointment by calling Steve  Schimmelman at 206-406-7119.  More information here .

Denali Fitness will be offering two hours of classes on Thanksgiving day to raise money for Northwest Harvest. Last year the club raised just under $5,000, and this year they hope to pass the $10,000 mark.

Denali will be offering a variety of classes at their Interbay and Madison Park locations, and have challenged The Fitness Lab in  Fremont to run a simultaneous event.

“The heat is on,” wrote Tricia Murphy Madden, Group Fitness Director at Denali. ” If between the three clubs we raise 10K, we will provide almost 6,200 meals to adults and children who otherwise would go without.”

Here’s the schedule for the Interbay club:

• 8:30 a.m. – cycling with Tommy
• 9:00 a.m. – Turkey Burner Boot camp Andy
• 9:30 a.m. – cycling with Don

Denali is asking for $20 donations, though members frequently give more. “Last year we had a member write a check for $1000 at the end of the class because he was so moved by the experience,” says Madden.  Classes are filling up fast, call (206) 282-7400 or email tricia@denalifitess.com to register.  (Denali Fitness is a sponsor of Magnolia Voice.)

Magnolia Voice reader Kristin found the coyote in her yard on Sunday morning in the 2800 block of 23rd Ave West. 

The Magnolia coyote appeared in our yard this morning about 10:30.  It is good sized, appears healthy and doesn’t appear to be the least bit skittish about humans in its immediate vicinity. It didn’t balk a bit about being within 10 feet of me or my husband, even as I moved toward it, camera in hand. In fact, the picture was taken without a telephoto lens.

First it ate the cat food on our neighbor’s deck, then it chased a squirrel up a tree.  Another neighbor’s tethered dog (a big, Newfoundland mix, I believe) was barking incessantly at it, and the coyote appeared to want a piece of that dog (its fur was up, teeth bared as it patrolled the fence line, looking for an avenue to get at it.) Fortunately, the coyote didn’t find a break in the fence.

The coyote hung out in our yard for about 15 minutes before heading south down the alley.

The coyote has been moving around the Magnolia area. We first reported it when it was seen earlier this month near 40th Ave West. and then near Pier 91

Thanks Kristine for the amazing pictures.

New surveillance video may help nab the suspect who stole computers from several Interbay businesses.  Nationally published cartoonist Stu Heinecke lost a large chunk of his life’s work when the thief cut through a fence, broke a window and stole several Apple computers, including a cinema display and a G-5. 

The new video is a clear front-face view of a man police believe may be responsible for burglarizing Heinecke’s Interbay office.  It was recorded at the Nautica apartment complex a few miles away. The manager noticed a resemblance after seeing the initial report on  KING 5 news.  You can see the story on KING here.

Some stolen items from other burglarized businesses have been discovered, including one of Heinecke’s computers.  Heinecke, who has had work published in the Wall Street Journal, is holding out hope that the computer, which holds his life work, will be discovered.

KING  reports that authorities arrested a man selling some of the items on Craigslist, but they don’t believe he’s the thief.  Police have obtained a search warrant for the home of another suspect they believe may be involved in selling the stolen items.

Get your holiday gifts early and support local artisans at the same time by visiting the Native Art Mart at Daybreak Star Cultural Center in Discovery Park starting today and continuing on November 29 and December 20.  Native American vendors will be featuring hand-made arts, prints, jewelry, carvings and other one-of-a-kind items.  Salmon meals will be available for $12.

The annual Native Art Mart exists to support local Native American artists.  In addition, it serves as a benefit for United Indians’ Elders Program, which provides nutrition and care to Native American elders living in the greater Seattle Metropolitan Area.

The sale runs from 10a.m. to 4p.m. and there is no admission fee.  For more information contact Judy Anderson at (206) 228-1410.  Note that there is no on-site ATM, so please bring cash for purchases.

Seattle Parks and Recreation wants community input for the Lawton Park play area renovation.  There will be two design meetings to receive community feedback on  12/9 and  1/21. Both meetings are being held at Lawton Elementary from 6:30p.m. to 8p.m..  The public is encouraged to attend and provide input on the changes that will be coming to the play area located at 3843 26th Ave.

The renovation project will provide new play equipment for children ages 2 -12, site improvements to enhance safety and access improvements to facilitate use. 

Initial concepts will be presented at the first meeting.  This will be the community’s opportunity to provide valuable input on design options and amenities. Information collected from the first meeting will be incorporated into a preferred design.  This preferred design will be presented at the January 21 meeting, and refined with community input.

The renovation budget is $300,000 with funds coming from the  Parks and Green Spaces Levy. For more information, please contact Emily Fuller, Project Manager 206-684-7047 or emily.fuller@seattle.gov or click here.

This week we feature some non-traditional pets that might appeal to those who are looking for a furry friend but who don’t have the space or time to devote to a dog or a cat. Folks at the shelter can help you decide if these pets are a good fit and show you in on the kind of care they need.

Ricky is a sweet, all white male Guinea Pig.  He has beautiful big eyes and he is very friendly and outgoing.  He often stands on his cage bars and talk quietly to you, hoping you’ll let him come out and play. Guinea Pigs make great pets; do a little research then stop by the shelter to see if a Guinea Pig is right for you.

Geronimo is a very curious and interactive gerbil, who loves to explore, play, and rearrange things in his cage.  He likes to watch what you are doing too.  He runs on his wheel, and plays with paper and cardboard.  He is great fun to watch and is looking for a home with someone who will enjoy his company.

You can get more information on these two here.