colors of the season at Pike Place Market

The florist on the right hand entrance to Pike Place Market was carving out the innards of these little gourds and making the prettiest of floral displays. Makes you glad for all the rich and abundant royal tones that is requisite for FALL.

I LUV brussel sprouts - but, alas, they do not love me. I thought this gila monster on the sprouts was totally appropriate - you either love the little green buggers or hate them.

Cabbage roses - the bloom of Autumn. The bouquets began at a mere $5 and had the lovely tones of ivory and purple. The whole family took some home for display.

Pike Place Market/Seattle
on 1st Ave. in downtown
a great destination in any season

Pumpkin Art - how are your carving skilss?

Renton Hill is showing some pumpkin flavor - someone has been up late carving these days. Couldn't resist sharing this ever cute doorstep.

Pumpkins and squash for sale

Goosebump Pumpkins? We-Be-Little Pumpkins? How cute can you get. All found at Carpinito Brothers, less than a mile down the road from Downtown Renton.

Carpinito Brothers Farm
1148 Central Ave N
Kent, WA 98032
(253) 854-5692

Add some spice to your life - Pumpkin Spice, that is

Painted Windows for the holidays - nobody has a better handle on it than Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes. Little Witch and her cupcake, what could be cuter. Why, having your own cupcake, of course.

The Picaroon got lucky once again and had the best bit of Halloween flavor in a cup with a toasty and spiced up Pumpkin Latte while watching a bit of Renton mosey on by the other day. Heaven in a cup.

Enjoy the season in more way than one - eat yourself into some Happy Halloween spirits - and start right here at Common Ground.

Common Ground Cupcakes and Coffee
900 South Third St.(425) 235 - 1717
www.commongroundcupcakes.com

Make no "bones" about it, Halloween is on

One more house to go and get your "spook" on this coming Halloween. Yet another house on Williams between 3rd and 4th in North Renton that deserves your attention.

Many of the decorations are handmade by those that reside within this house turned cemetery. Ever year adds a a new layer of fun.

Bring the kids by for some coffin chilling action as the graveyard becomes "alive" just in time for the holiday.

Congrats to Dave and Evan for bringing their best game to the yard art for Halloween.

Autumn

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
as I have seen in one autumnal face

Autumn quote by John Donne

Come and get your pumpkin cupcakes - Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes

Sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too. If you are nice, believe in the power of the pumpkin patch and share bites (occasionally, when forced ) of your cupcakes, then you just might come out ahead. The Picaroon certainly did yesterday, when taste testing the newest flavor at the Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes - Pumpkin. Pumpkin flavored icing on top of a moist pumpkin spice cake. Heavenly harvest, come to mama!



The sweet side of blogging about Renton is getting to know the lighter fare of our little burg's life. Other bloggers have gone where The Picaroon has tread - and with far more serious and investigative baking intents. One food blog that I love to peek in on, Cakespy, visited our dear downtown to have cupcakes on a handful of occasions and then wrote a review. On the very day Cakespy wrote about our tasty little frosted treats, an even bigger blog began featuring her on her blog's front page, the wonderful Bakerella. So now, people across the globe were wishing they were in Renton and eating our deserts. So I am sincerely hoping that you are not taking Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes for granted and that you will soon be heading in for some fall festiveness. Little iced pumpkin cakes, cup sized and crazily scrumptious.

Common Ground Cupcakes and Coffee
900 South Third St.(425) 235 - 1717
www.commongroundcupcakes.com

Sometimes art IS life

Sometimes art is life and life is art. The colors we find in nature, reflected right back at us in our manmade constructs. Weirdly wonderful - these orange and blue synchronicities.

The new First Savings and Loan building on Wells Street is full of spry Fall colors, and so are the neighborhood trees.

Jones Park gets a dose of Fall

Everywhere the new coating of fall colors begins to be worn. Here, Jones Park on Wells Street begins to get a new change of "leaf".

Renton Fall Harvest Festival

Celebrate the arrival of fall, pumpkins and the season of harvest with a jaunt to the Renton Fall Harvest Festival and Chamber of Commerce Expo tomorrow, Saturday, from 10 am til 4 pm at the Piazza in downtown Renton.

What I love to report is that the Chamber of Commerce Expo, held in the Spirit of Washington Event Center, will have it's south side doors open - connecting the energy and crowd flow of the indoor and outdoor activities of the Fall Harvest at long last. This act of integrating the environments will make the experience so much more fun.

Pumpkins to decorate for little ones/ food/ vendors/ scarecrow decoration/entertainment/ business booths/ fun

FREE

The Piazza/ downtown Renton
South Third Street and Burnett

Pumpkins in the yogurt

Every Wednesday, Dawn Hart, manager, goes creative and creates a new flavor for the yummy frozen yogurt they serve up at Yoggi Yogurt. Until Friday, you can savor the Pumpkin Spice yogurt topped with festive candies or even fresh pomegranate or papaya (amongst a whole cornucopia of other tasty toppings). This was my taste treat today - and there was no sharing, by golly. I devoured every last spoonful - delicious, and you would never know it was full of healthy probiotics, low in calories and completely good for you (minus the trick or treat candies, mind you!)

Update: The Go Deli Sandwich Shop (owned by the same owners as Yoggi Yogurt and the corner Pho restaurant) that we have all been waiting for with baited breath, received it's final inspection yesterday (again!). The new word is that it will be open by the end of October. Whew! It's about to get colder and we all need some fresh, hot luncheon treats to get us through the winter months. So, keep your eyes open for a new midday meal destination soon.

Yoggi FrozenYogurt 801 S. Third St. (425) 204 - 9991

Scarecrows for the lighthearted

St. Charles Place Antiques & Restoration
230 Wells Ave. S.
(425) 226 - 8427

He is a buccaneer, a pirate at heart and is willing to ravage the ladies - if you dare!

Things are getting a wee bit scarier as you walk the streets of downtown Renton - the scarecrows have come out of the fall closet and are lurking behind the glass panes of Renton merchants everywhere.

As we near this Saturday's Fall Harvest Festival & Chamber Expo at the Piazza, the fight for the best scarecrow continues, with new inclusions everyday. As promised - here are some I saw today.

Cedar Chest Antiques
916 South Third Street
(253) 271 - 0511

She will tell you your fortune and then take yours, leaving you with a deep fear of ravens and red to last you a lifetime.

Deb's Antiques, Gifts and Floral
920 S. Third St.
(206) 261 - 2802

Little Red Riding Hood will never know what bit her - 'cuz the wolf is lurking somewhere near and a basket full of goodies is only an appetizer for his dinner of Granny and more.

Yoggi Yogurt
801 S. Third St.
(425) 204 - 9991

Fred likes to think he has become a sweethearted, desert eating skeleton but his thirst for blood has yet to be slaked.

Flora and Fauna of Renton

Flora and Fauna in Renton - amidst the colorful skies and warmth that sometimes also comes with our Pacific Northwest fall season, I saw some great views in Renton yesterday. Here are just a few to share with all of you.

The Great Blue Heron was perched on a log in front of Jones Park on Wells Street for all to see - oblivious to the cries of the children and dogs in the nearby lawns. Usually seen later in the day, this is a common haunt for this bird should you ever want a closer look for yourselves.

Bringing back childhood memories, this very fuzzy, very fat caterpillar was out for a stroll on the Cedar River Trail.

Though the most obvious of fall foliage would be the russet and red hues, these leaves are quietly turning from spring green to gold.

Some wildlife is better off left alone - like Frank Sutter here, sporting a homemade T-shirt that his daughter made expressly for him. Since all and sundry saw the warning sign well in advance of his arrival, we were well prepared.