World's Hottest Chile Pepper--Can You Handle It?

It's official. India's "Ghost Chile" is now the world's hottest chile pepper knocking down a notch former melt-down champion Habanero. The Bhut Jolokia's blistering 1 million Scoville Units (SU) fire rating scorches Habanero's "cool" 580,000 SU. Local chile farmers in northeastern India eat these belly burners and survive...barely! One farmer says eating a Bhut Jolokia is like dying. He warns outsiders not to eat the chiles. According to an online article "The smallest morsels can flavor a sauce so intensely it’s barely edible. Eating a raw sliver causes watering eyes and a runny nose. An entire chili is an all-out assault on the senses, akin to swigging a cocktail of battery acid and glass shards."

Want to buy some Ghost chiles? Presently, India is not exporting fresh chiles but chile paste and powder are available. Fresh Ghost chiles, once available, will make wonderful Halloween treats, don't ya think?

Hatchet Discussion Around Campfire

Campfire, hot dogs, great fall weather, and a good book. What more could a pig want? Old and new Pig Skullers showed up for a discussion of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet. Our next club meeting is Sunday, Nov. 18, 2-3 PM in the library's conference room. We will discuss Will Hobbs' Wild Man Island. Pick up a copy at the library's circulation desk. Check out Hobbs' Wild Man website discussion about recent Alaskan and Canadian archaeological evidence weaved into his book that suggests prehistoric man might have migrated to North America in island-hopping boats.

2007 Cave Run Storytelling Festival

The 2007 Cave Run Storytelling Festival was blessed with great cool fall weather, spectacular scenery, and some great tales.

This is Cave Run beach where the storytelling tents are located.

This is one of the storytelling tents.

This is the camp cook.

This is our camp site.

Early morn moon over Cave Run Lake

Another early morn shot.

And yet another early morn shot.

What's camping without a campfire? Left click the picture to see the campfire ghost.

Library Chess Club Kickoff, Sunday Oct. 28

Do you want to play chess? Do you want to learn how to play? Do you want to improve your game? Don't miss, then, Scott County Library's chess club kickoff, Sunday, Oct. 28, 3-4 PM at the library's community room. Anyone may join this new club-children, adults, novices or experts. The chess club meets the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, 3-4 PM. The first portion of each meeting is instructional with a discussion of chess strategy. The last portion of each meeting is devoted to playing chess.

Registration is required. Register at the library's information desk or phone 863-3566. Space is limited. Need more information? Phone club founder/instructor Jim Byrge, 513-490-1692. Although it's not required, registrants are encouraged to bring chess sets to the kickoff.

Pig Skull Visits Garth School

I visited today with one hundred 4th and 5th grade boys at Garth School, Georgetown. I was really impressed with the "boy energy" bursting from the school library room. The boys exploded answering questions about cobras, Florida, and the oldest American city. I extended an invitation to them to join the Pig Skulls at our Fall Kickoff, Sunday, Oct. 21.

Thank you Mrs. Wells for helping to organize my visit to your library.

Pig Skull Fall Kickoff Sunday, Oct. 21, 7 PM

Do you like hot dogs? Do you like campfires? Do you like talking about great books? Well, then, come to the Pig Skull Fall Kickoff campfire book discussion Sunday, Oct. 21, 7 PM in front of the library. I will provide the hot dogs and drinks, you provide the chairs and discussion. We will be discussing Gary Paulsen's Hatchet. Please RSVP if you plan to attend because I need to know how many hot dogs to grill. Phone me, Mr. Mike, at the library 863-3566 or email mike@scottpublib.org. This kickoff replaces the previously scheduled 2 PM meeting for Oct. 21. Our next Pig Skull meeting is Sunday Nov. 18, 2 PM. We will discuss Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs.

See you at the campfire.

Mr. Mike Loses To Platform 9 3/4

I took the Tube, London's subway, to Harry-Potter-famous King's Cross train station where I went head-on with the bricks of platform 9 3/4. I lost. My forehead now sports a nifty brick pattern. Bemused, but chintzy, onlooking Brits and other nationals refused my request for a £5 entertainment fee.