Remember Monkeyshines? That crazy, community-sparking treasure hunt back on January 26, when as a Chinese New Year celebration, a bunch of local glass artists hid hundreds of ox-inscribed glass floats around Tacoma's neighborhoods?
Well, I had a lot of fun helping to hide them, then watching as day by day people gradually discovered the ones I'd hid. And I asked for YOUR Monkeyshines stories.
And here is a simply wonderful one, handwritten and snail-mailed recently by a reader who couldn't post online. It's such a great story that I wanted to post it myself, as it completely sums up the whole point of Monkeyshines--to cheer someone's day with a beautiful, unexpected, unlooked-for object of art.

"We live on Vashon Island. It was Sunday January 25th. We had a family emergency, which meant an airlift to Tacoma General. When I made it to the hospital, I was told he may not make it through the night. So i stayed at the hospital. He made it, so I left the hospital to catch the ferry back to Vashon.
I got in line for the 9:25am ferry. I was the second car in line, and was looking out at the water when I caught sight of a blue ball. At first I thought it was a balloon. But the seagull sitting next to it told me otherwise. I got out of my car to investigate. Lo and behold, it was a beautiful blue glass ball with an Ox stamped on it.
I knew it was Fate. After all, how often would I be on a morning ferry to Vashon--I live and work there! Happy Chinese New Years', indeed!
- Nancy Weed"

So, all you folk out there who were looking and didn't find, and maybe even whined about it: I'm glad for Nancy, because this is what Monkeyshines is all about.