Gnome Sighting in Steilacoom’s Tunnel of Trees

Washington resident, Nancy Covert, addressed a concern that people feeling “watched” as they passed through Steilacoom’s Tunnel of Trees.

There’s a blue-hatted little gnome keeping his eye on motorists and pedestrians as they trample and plod their way though his humble home. (From the picture, his hat looks to be pretty red though. Perhaps his blue coat is magically reflective!) I’m not sure what a “Steilacoom” is, but a tunnel of trees sounds like a most excellent home for a gnome.

wagnome

So as any modern gnome would do, I did a lil’ googling.

Apparently a “Steilacoom” is a small town on the eastern shore of Puget Sound.”I got hooked the first time I visited,” said Steilacoom, Washington, resident Robyn Shalikashvili. “I drove around the corner through a tunnel of trees, and saw amazing blue water and every inch of the Olympic Mountains.”

It’s about 45 minutes southwest of Seattle and pronounced STILL-a-come. That’s weird…really freaking weird.

But the locals say this wasn’t always a quaint little place with small town values. Apparently, it used to be described as “wild and wooly” and saloons once outnumbered everything else. Now that’s my kinda town!

Alas, it seems I’m getting off-topic again.

My whole point is that there’s a gnome who calls this place home and he wishes to be left alone. (I heart rhyming!) Our buddy, Nancy, said another gnome once lived in this area and was brutally kidnapped to an undisclosed location. Let’s hope this dude has a better future ahead of him.

Antisocial gnomes unite!
Horace the Gnome

Michigan’s Rustic Gnome Helps You Brew Your Own Booze!

Some gnomes drink drinks and some gnomes make drinks…from scratch. I am of the former persuasion. Shocking, I know. But I’m lazy. And you probably guessed that too.

I recently became acquainted with a human named Craig Corey, who owns Rustic Gnome in Adrian. He’s been making his own wine for over 20 years and later started making home-brewed beer too. Now, Craig has opened up a new shop so you can make your own booze too…and it’s called Rustic Gnome. Oh and it’s in Michigan.

Telegram photo by Linda Campbell lenconnect_com

Telegram photo by Linda Campbell lenconnect_com

Why “rustic?” Craig’s all about getting back to basics.

Why “gnome?” Well look at the guy….he clearly looks like one of us. “I have a beard and I’m kind of a round fellow,” he said. Love ya, buddy!

According to the local newspaper, he’s looking to hook up with local organic fruit growers so he can help people make booze from scratch instead of using concentrates. Right on, man. Also coming soon: ingredients to make mead, cider, cheese, yogurt, and sodas!

Rustic Gnome is open 11-7 Monday through Friday and 8-2 on Saturday. Check out their website to learn more about how you can get tipsy without the burden of corporate propaganda.

Here at TheDrunkGnome, we LOVE supporting gnome businesses and wish Rustic Gnome the very best of business luck 🙂

xoxo,
Caesar the Gnome

Checking In With Freddie Fisher: The Famous Gnome of Derbyshire

According to local British reporters, Derbyshire’s most famous gnome could soon be seen by a much wider audience.

His name is Freddie Fisher, and he first entered the gnome scene in 2011. As gnomes began popping up outside strangers’ houses, it became clear that Freddie’s mission was to make people think about etiquette and manners.

Photo credit: The Derby Telegraph

Photo credit: The Derby Telegraph

Freddie started talking to a Facebook friend about ideas for a children’s book. This emerged into a conversation about animation skits and newspaper cartoons. “I’m in the process of looking to pitch the cartoon to TV channels like CBBC and the Cartoon Network,” Freddie said.

“With hard work and some clever promotion, Freddie’s stories will take flight and become part of the mainstream, thus shining a light in a somewhat downbeat world,” commented Dan Willer, one of the six animators involved.

Freddie’s Facebook page has over 700 followers (c’mon Drunk Gnome fans…we can beat that!) and his website is updated with ongoing news stories. What started as a harmless prank has turned into a gnomish media sensation! You can keep up to date with all the Freddie Fisher news by visiting his Facebook page.

Right on Freddie…we love what you’re doing and can’t wait to see how this animation project goes 🙂
Lennon the Gnome

Jo Jo Gnome and the Sound Machine: A Book Review

It’s an odd thing that most books about gnomes are geared towards children. But as The Gnome Abode’s literary expert, I seem to be noticing this trend more and more frequently.

Mad props to the authors who are grooming the next generation of gnome enthusiasts!

So I recently read a book called Jo Jo Gnome and the Sound Machine. And apparently, it’s aimed at 2-5 year olds. As you can expect, I had a few questions right off the bat.

A sound machine like one of those weird Conair devices that simulates the sound of crashing ocean waves?

And what kind of gnome has such a long green nose and wears a droopy green hat?

According to the author:

“In this illustrated story book JoJo Gnome has invented a sound collecting machine. The funny little gnome sets off to record a sound adventure to bring back for his Grandpa. The reader is encouraged to join in and guess guess what sounds JoJo finds along the way. This story will inspire younger children to listen out for their own sounds and create their own stories. Funny little JoJo Gnome will engage both young children and adults too.”

As I virtually flipped the pages on my Kindle, I never did figure out why these gnomes’ skin was green. Or why their hats drooped so much. Or why their ears were so pointy.

At one point, Jo Jo’s grandpa was reading a book called “Gnome Stuff,” which I thought was most excellent.

I never could grasp what Jo Jo’s sound recording invention really WAS. I was also a little unclear as to what was causing to cause the noises picked up by the sound machine.

Then BAM!

The big reveal!

And that’s all I’m gonna say. No plot spoiler alerts here!

All in all, Jo Jo Gnome and the Sound Machine was a quick read (only a couple minutes if you’ve exceed the 2-5 year old range). Jo Jo and his gnomes certainly didn’t look like or behave like any gnomes we know, but that’s okay. We only pass judgement on humans…not other gnomes.

And as a final word, I’ll say that if you enjoy “Curious George” books, you very well may find yourself smiling through Jo Jo’s gnomish misadventures too.

Signing off, my literate ones…
The Quick Brown Fox the Gnome

Gnomes Are Causing a Ruckus Over in Italy!

According to the Lincolnshire Echo, the residents of a small Italian town called Pontremoli recently became intrigued by the exhibition called ‘Ladri di Gnomi Attaccano Woodhall Spa’. This translates to ‘Gnome Thieves Attack Woodhall Spa’, featuring the work of Mr. Colin Reiners.

woodhillspa

Reiners is a lecturer at Lincoln University and a resident of Woodhall Spa. This guy took a bunch of observational photos over the years. And he knew what he was doing. You see, he was a worked as a professor of photography in Florence in the late 70s.

According to the University of Lincoln, “The Woodhall Spa exhibition explores the potential of photography to document social anthropology with a visual irony, and asks art-lovers to understand that objects and realities can appear different when photographed. Colin’s prints are presented in a large format without titles or narrative, to offer an alternative to the usual experience of viewing photographs on a screen, or in much smaller print.”

We’re a little unclear about exactly WHO the gnome thieves are or what their motives were/are. Apparently, the riddle of the missing gnomes still remains a mystery. I suppose we’ll have to take a trip to Italy now to see these photographs for ourselves.

Who’s up for some gelato?!

Sincerely,
Humps the wannabe Italian Gnome