Photos ~ Monkeyshines Ride Along

I tagged along with Monkeyshines early this morning as they help kick off Chinese New Year in Tacoma. More than two hundred blown glass balls are now strewn about town in celebration of the Year of the Rat. I rode along with one group out of eight or so that crept around Tacoma with a box or two each of the balls. Below are some pics but the hunt is on 'cause they don't give up any of the locations. Next week after everyone's had a fair chance to scour the city I'll post some photos that are my favs but that definitely spoil the scavenging fun. Now just where would a rat hide such pretty little things...?

Happy hunting! If you find a ball, keep it (that's the point -- they're a gift to you, Tacoma) and email me a photo or two of you with your find and where you found it. It would be great to share with the anonymous creators of such a wonderful project the joy it brings to people in Tacoma. I'll post a gallery of your shots in a week or two.

More "Monkeyshines" via FeedTacoma

Comments (12) | To Top

2/7/2008 @ 8:08am

Rock On Kevin!!!! Fantastic photos of the balls.......thanks so much for helping in our mission to spread the love.....

by Ms. Monkey

2/7/2008 @ 8:38am

Took a nice weaving walk to work today and came up empty-handed. Except for a tattered Beautiful Angle rat poster I found on Sixth Ave laying on the sidewalk. Had to give up and come to work. Bummer.

by jamie

2/7/2008 @ 9:38am

it was such a pleasure to ride around with you today! this is awesome!!!

by Lil' Li monkey

2/7/2008 @ 5:32pm

Ran around town looking, but alas, still nothing. Will try again later. :)

by Christian

2/8/2008 @ 9:18am

I found a beautiful blue and green ornament at the base of one of the metal towers on 21st and Stevens while I was driving to work. I have wanted to find one ever since they started this tradition and I was sooo excited! I am a Rat and being the 1st full day of Year of the Rat after New Years, it seemed to be the start of a fantastic year! I stopped by the store and then continued my route via 6th Avenue. Behold a second glass ball - beautiful swirls of orange and yellow - near a phone booth in the parking lot at Shucks! With the high winds of the day, I am guessing it had been blown from its original spot, but was completely in tact! I really felt like a little kid who grabbed the brass ring! Finding these ornaments truly revitalized my awareness of the awe so often found in simple beauty and the majesty in the kindness of strangers. These ornaments are now displayed proudly and with great appreciation in my office, bringing a constant smile to my face! Thank you Kevin, and to all at Monkeyshine! I delight thinking of everyone else who found these treasures and the joy I hope they experienced as well!

by Chaundra

2/8/2008 @ 11:20am

I will be honest this was the first year that I had heard of the wonderfully hidden glass globes through out Tacoma on the Chinese New Year but man oh man was excited. I woke up at 6am and went searching in the dark solo. Unfortunely I didn't find anything before I had to be into work but at lunch I was back on my mission. I found a beautiful pink rat ball on 11th and A street, just behind the fish statue. I was so very, very happy! I had so much fun looking but stopped after one. I wanted to make sure that if anyone else was looking for them they would hopefully be able to find one as well. I can't wait till next years hunt!

by Leah

2/8/2008 @ 12:01pm

We found nothing after looking for a couple of hours downtown. What we did find was an enormous amount of trash through out our city. Horray it's the year of the beer can! Next outing we are going to bring some garbage bags and collect some trash while we hunt for the hidden treasures.

by Michael

2/8/2008 @ 12:12pm

I found a lovely glass globe at bartell's sitting in the ash tray. I had know idea what it was so gave it to the clerk. I got a call later in the afternoon from a friend asking if i had seen any glass globes on my walk to work. I told my friend yes and that I gave it to the clerk not aware of what I had found. Went back to the store and it is now in my possesion I love it.

by katie

2/9/2008 @ 1:50pm

The rat skunked me this year! Lots of looking, but nothing to go home with. If nothing, I picked up tons of trash in People's Park, and maybe the folks that didn't get one last year did this year. I swear I'm waking up at 4am next year!

by beerandhotdogs

2/9/2008 @ 4:03pm

I found a orange and red glass ball on my way to chemistry class at TCC, It was stuck in a statue by the art building.

by Betty

2/9/2008 @ 7:34pm

Curse you, Monkeyshine! :) After three treasure hunts, we've come up empty handed. Well, not exactly empty handed. Our 5 year old found a golf ball hidden under a plant in front of Two Koi. I'm sure it is very valuable. If you would like to trade your glass ball for a very rare "practice ball with red stripes", please let me know. I haven't given up hope, yet. Give me a few more days. Really, this has been alot of fun. Thanks, Shiners!

by Dena

2/20/2008 @ 12:28pm

I took the morning off from work at the U. of Puget Sound to search for rat balls. I found three the year of the monkey and a renegade one last year. Didn't find any on campus this year but headed to Ruston Way. Found one on a cement piling out in the water at the entrance to Katie Downs. Couldn't reach it as the tide was in but three older gentlemen happened by and one leaned across the water onto the piling and handed me my prize.
Thanks again for the fun.
Nancy

by Nancy