by George Buehler

This bonsai season is just about over. At my house we have had two light frosts, and the landscape trees are turning their fall colors. With the crazy weather we have had this year, I am surprised how beautiful the colors are. My Japanese maple bonsai are brilliant red and the tridents have started turning also. Typically, my tridents get some color, but then quickly turn to the brown leaf stage. So even with the cool summer and the wet weather we have had, Mother Nature has blessed us with a beautiful fall.

The GLBS board met recently and put together a 2010 tentative meeting plan. I have listed the tentative schedule on page two. Lee Squires (GLBS president) said that this year we are going to try to keep the dates as firm as possible, so mark your calendar now. The program may change slightly but the dates should remain fairly fixed. We have a diverse membership – some who have been involved with bonsai for many years, others who are new to bonsai. What we tried to do with our 2010 program was to set up sessions that the newer members would find interesting and on their level, as well as sessions which our more 'seasoned' members would find worthwhile. This doesn't mean that our less experienced members can't benefit from all of the meetings. It just means that for them, it will be a meeting where they need to take notes and try to learn what can be done in bonsai. One such example is the meeting on grafting. The instructor for this meeting, Chris Summers, is very experienced in grafting and will explain all the procedures involved in a simple, straight forward way. With this procedure, you will find that a limb can be placed in a location where it is needed. It takes a little time and some technique, but even the new members will find this technique fascinating.

I call to your attention the Hollander dig in March. We have to get the remaining trees out of Greg's farm. There are still a number of trees there, and we will need a number of hands to get the plants dug. Greg's soil is soft and the digging is easy. We will have directions in later editions of this newsletter.

Speaking of calendars, the ABS book service is selling a great bonsai calendar. The high quality calendars are printed on glossy 100 lb text weight paper. They measure 8.5" x 11" when folded, and 11" x 17" when hanging on your wall. The calendar has oversized date boxes providing plenty of room to write in important events. Each month has a professionally photographed bonsai taken at the Pacific Northwest Bonsai show. The price is $19.95. If you would like one (or two), give me a call or email me and I will get one to you. Since they are in my basement, there is no postage. I also have a number of bonsai books in the ABS book store, some that are currently on sale. Go to www.absbonsai.org/books/html for a list of the books/booklets and manuals we have. Get your winter reading material and help the ABS at the same time.

At the board meeting, it was decided that GLBS really needed some new board members. A lot of our members think that a long bonsai experience is needed, but that isn't the case. Actually what is needed, and what we are looking for, are people willing to work who have new ideas and can help us set up programs that newer people need or want. If you are interested in joining the board, give Lee a call (895-9997). The new board members will be "installed" at the Christmas party.

As you talk to your friends who are interested in bonsai, don't forget to 'persuade' them to join GLBS. The more members we have, the better the programs we can afford. Our finances are in pretty good shape right now. However, when we bring in a master, it typically costs the club from $200 to $800 – depending on where he lives. Of course we need to cover most of the cost with attendees at the workshop. We want to keep cost at a reasonable amount. If a master charges us $500 and we have 10 attendees, we would need to charge $50 per person. If there were 15 attendees, we could charge $35 and not only cover the cost but have $25 profit.

We would like to offer our members a good value for their membership. We don't necessarily have to cover the cost of an individual program. However, over the year, we need to pretty much break even or come out slightly ahead. The more members we have, the better chance we have to reach this break-even status. So, once again, bring in a member or two. It will benefit all of us. Don't forget to mark your calendar for the next two meetings. On Nov. 14, Tom McCurry will have a brief photo presentation on the 2009 BCI convention held in New Orleans. After Tom's presentation, there will be a presentation and subsequent discussion on over-wintering your bonsai. November is usually the time most trees are ready to put away for the winter. So this meeting will be very timely.

The December meeting will be our annual Christmas party. It is scheduled to be held at Jumbo's. If you haven't been to Jumbo's, you will find that the variety of items on the buffet tables is unbelievable, and the restaurant staff keeps a fresh supply of food. Don't forget that we will have a gift exchange also. This year, we are asking those that want to participate to bring a gift for the exchange. Maximum price for the gifts is $15.00. Put on your thinking cap and find something bonsai-related for under $15 – there are plenty of items in this category.

One last thing - at the Christmas party, bring your dues money for 2010 membership. For an electronic membership, the dues are $35.00. For a paper membership, dues are $45.00. The electronic newsletter is delivered in PDF format and is in full color. It is easy to print out on your home printer and it will be in color. The paper copy is in black and white. If you want to try the electronic version and find you don't like it, you can always switch back to the paper version.