A Quick Trip

We went to Seattle on Tuesday to the science center, watched a movie about South Georgia Island on the IMAX screen, went to Pike Place Market and had a generally enjoyable time with each other.

The science center engaged us with the aforementioned IMAX movie about elephant seals, penguins, albatross and skewers. The island featured in the film provides the breeding ground for the animals before they venture back into the wild only to return to have their babies again the following year.

We found our way through a simulated geocache game. The area was set up in a maze pattern and gave clues on how to find stamps. Once you collected all of the stamps on your card you could find your "treasure city". We all worked through the riddles and problems and found our treasure cities.

We found a display about super cold states of matter called super solids. The demonstrator froze things with liquid nitrogen and gave examples of liquids solids and gases. Shane was chosen at one point as the volunteer from the audience.

We all played in the water area before we went into the butterfly house. We stayed long enough to close the place and were kicked out.

We went to the market right before they closed, walked through some of the stalls. We landed at a restaurant in the market and ate while watching the activity on the water.

It was a busy day started off from the Chrysler dealership where we had our oil changed and the brakes were checked. The brakes checked out fine. Shane and Sophia insisted they should accompany me to the appointment at 8 am. We had to leave the house at 7 am. They were both up and ready to go. I think they were worried they would miss something if they didn't wake up in time. The oil change was really something to miss but the drive down I-5 in early morning traffic was a treat.

Introducing...

SOPHIA'S NEW BICYCLE..."SPARKLE"

She rode it all over town this morning. She started off slow, tentative using her feet and breaks frequently to slow herself down on the hills. She rode around and around the park circle, over and over. She fell at least one time and hopped right back on. She was tested by Savannah and Shane riding close to her pushing her resolve to its limits. She rode nearly all the way up the hill back to the house. She was riding with great confidence by the end of the day.

Tide Pools to Tulips

We started the morning with heavy clouds over the sound and a light misty rain. Shane and I were the first to be awake and I worried the day would be wetted away from us. He stepped outside and announced it wasn't raining. Clouds we could deal with.


The rest of the clan rose and dressed and slowly wound their way into the day. We started out for the beach around ten this morning. The tide was low and there was a clean up day scheduled on the beach. We headed in that direction while the clouds reluctantly began to loosen their dominance in the sky. There was a chill and a breeze in the air.




The beach was busy with people spending their Saturday with plastic bags and rubber gloves picking through the tide pools for the garbage left behind. We saw more marine life than garbage giving me the impression many people had been busy cleaning. We found a glimpse into the life of the underwater creatures inhabiting Brackett's Landing. We saw anemone, starfish, crab, barnacles, squirting clams and small sea insects. This was my first experience with tide pools. They have a little buzz of activity. The creatures all stuck to rocks, buried in the sand or gently swimming in a little pool waited for their ocean waters to come back and retrieve them.

The sounds of the waves broken by excited shouts of "Hey Mom come here and see this!" while the children explored the rocks and water.



We came upon a red rock crab holding on for his life to a metal structure in the sand. Hungry seagulls flapped and squawked nearby. A woman attempted to move the crab but he wouldn't let go. Finally he did drop on the sand and took a sideways scamper into the water to get away from everyone.



We left the beach and had lunch in Edmond's at Claire's. The food was good and filling.



We then went to meet up with Sophia's new bicycle. We found a used bike on Craig's list and went to check it out. She was impressed, everything was in working order so we brought it home in the car with us. It is pink with gold rims and gems painted on the forks. She loved it and it proved to be a perfect fit for Sophie.


On the way back home we took a little detour to Mount Vernon and the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. This was the same place we had gone last week to find the tulips were slow to emerge. This week they were out in full glorious bloom. We walked around among the many people there and took many pictures.