...and the rest of Seattle.

There were a few other places we had to see while in Seattle. One was the gum wall. Actually...I probably could have done without that. Eew.

I've always found one of the best ways to see a city is to walk it or jog it. That first morning waking up in the hotel room, it was a struggle to make the decision to go outside because it looked so gloomy and drizzly, but once I was out, I was happy. This was...not my most challenging run. More fun to stop and take pictures of everything.

Anyone know what this building is? Right on the water with a big bird on the top. I thought maybe it was the Seattle Seahawk's building...or a brewery..

Huge ship being loaded with grain. There was a sign that told how many tons of grain were shipped out every day and it was impressive, but since I ain't a numbers girl it didn't stick in my head.

Speaking of grain...we hit up three or four different bakeries while in town. I tasted some amazing bread. This was Macrina bakery where we went for what turned out to be brunch (like 11:30). We were hoping for breakfast, but you know how that goes with a little kid on vacation. 

Brin was a trooper overall though! She really was so good natured for the whole trip. This day though --because of brunch, we were starving about 4:30. I told her we had to go get "Linner". Oh.My.Goodness. She did not like that word! It was so funny. She kept repeating it and saying how it wasn't a real word and was stupid. I think it got stuck in her head or something. I was cracking up.

Down on the water is a huge Ferris Wheel. Brin wanted to go on it the whole trip, and finally talked her mom into it the last day. I wasn't super excited about it, but planned on going with until I saw the price was $13.00. Then I decided to pass. 

The Space Needle. It was part of our city pass, so we went. Meesha and I were happy to stay inside with it this rainy and look out through the windows, but Brin wanted to see!

Our last full day in Seattle, we were there with Kira and her family too, and they suggested the Chittenden Locks, and fish ladder. I had never seen either of these things in person before, so I was game. 

Do you know what's hard to get a good picture of? A river lock. See this boat above? They close the river off upstream and downstream from it, putting it into a little water pen. Then the water level raises or lowers to match the part the boat wants to go into, and the forward gate opens up for the boat to move forward. I guess with the tide, the river level and sea level can be really different and this keeps the passage safe. 

Second hardest thing to get a picture of? A fish ladder. These were windows looking into it. The fish are trying to swim upstream, and the "ladder" gives them places to rest on their way. Otherwise with the dam, they couldn't make it upstream. OK honestly? I'm kind of worried about the comments i'm going to get with my simple, uninformed explanations. Be nice --this is the gist right?

Loved this sculpture at the locks.

I felt so spoiled seeing all of these flowers here in early March! They were way ahead of us in their spring season.

Around the locks was a beautiful botanical garden, and I took picture after picture. Here are just a few.

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The Seattle Aquarium and EMP

Meesha and I decided to buy a city pass since it would be a better deal than paying admission to all of the stuff we wanted to see in Seattle. Too bad they didn't have a parking pass while they were at it. We probably paid 80.00 in parking while we were there. First on my list of things to see was the aquarium. While this wasn't as impressive as Monterey's aquarium, it was still wonderful. I loved it.

Dreamer's tide pool. This had all of the animals I wish I could see when I go to the tidepools out at the shore.

Lots of "pisaster ochraceus" which we found all over Monterey when I was there for a spring semester in college, but maybe 5 other types of stars? A couple of which I don't think I've ever found on my own.

Jellyfish arch. Strobe light magicality. 

My favorite again, just like in Monterey, was the giant octopus. He was so active and intelligent! He climbed up the walls of his tank, changed colors, added spots to his ensemble, got rid of them, and looked at us with his cat eyes. Loved him. The docent told us that the other day they were trying to feed him, and he'd decided that the feeding stick (they reached into the tank with his food) was his way out, and wouldn't let go of it. They had to just leave it with him because nobody was strong enough to get it away from him. Did I tell you about the video Jeff and I watched one time where an octopus and a shark got into a fight? Guess who won? Yeah. It wasn't the shark.

Next on our list was the "Experience Music Project" or EMP . Huge unique museum about music and media. The opening room was called the "Sky church". Whatever with calling it a church, but it was so cool! 

While we were there they were playing huge i-max size videos of the group OKGO. Even little Brin was mesmerized. None of us planned on stopping in this room, but it was kind of amazing.

They also had three new exhibits: one about the fantasy genre, one for science fiction film, and one for horror film. Very interesting reading about universal archetypes in the three genres. They also had original artifacts from the films including stuff from the "Princess Bride", "Matrix", "Star Wars" "Men in Black", "Alien" etc. That was awesome.

I didn't spend long in the horror section. I'm a nightmare girl. I don't need fuel for that fire! Going down to the basement/dungeon where this exhibit was, they filled the walls with pictures of people screaming. Coolly freaky. 

In a way, the outside of the building was the best part. I had looked at it from the Space Needle, and it didn't seem that impressive, more like somebody got overwhelmed designing a building and finally just threw a bunch of sheets of metal over the whole thing and called it a day. But on the ground, it was a different story. It was amazing. Designed by Frank Gehry, not surprising I had mixed feelings about it. His stuff is often controversial.

The museum also had a big exhibit with artifacts on Jimi Hendrix, which was neat, but I didn't take any pics, and then a huge rambling exhibit on Nirvana (of course). I was impressed to a point, but stopped short at the over the top descriptions of genius. I don't believe that. On my way out, I looked into this exhibit of landmark buildings made out of legos. They were cool, but I mostly just took pictures for Kai to see. HE would have loved it.

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Pike Place Market with Meesh and Brin

My Sister Kira was blessing her baby in Washington, so my other sister and I flew into Seattle to drive over for the blessing. We had a day and a half in Seattle first, and as soon as we dropped off the luggage at the hotel, headed over to Pike Place Market.

The flowers alone were amazing. I didn't feel like I could take care of flowers at the hotel, but Oh I coveted....

The Pike Place piggy bank --they collect thousands of dollars every year to use in charitable pursuits.

I was most impressed with the fresh seafood, which in Utah doesn't really exist. Seeing piles of oysters like this was like seeing gold bullion in person.

Tons of sculpture in and around Seattle. This giant squid hung over an atrium eating area in the market.

When tourists got in for a closer look at this "Monkfish", the seafood guys would pull a wire and make it jump. Poor little Brin jumped about a foot in the air when they got her, and pressed her face into her Mom's leg.

Kai loves these 3D puzzles, I wish I could have bought one of each for him.

The last day we had in Seattle we went back to the market for lunch, stopped at Panier for a Pain au chocolat (so worth the calories!), and went next door to explore Beecher's.

They made cheese in house. Now in Uruguay and rural Utah, I've been near some cheese factories that were hard to breathe around --just a horrible stench, but this place didn't smell at all. How did they do that? I took a video if the cheese makers, and it looks just like something I saw on Sesame Street or Electric Company when I was a kid.

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Darkness and light.

"Oh look Elaine, the black and white cookie. I love the black and white. Two races of flavor living side by side.  It's a wonderful thing isn't it?"

Spring is bipolar. You've got your dark clouds right next to your turquoise blue. Jeff and I had a 30 mile bike ride followed by a 7 mile run to get ready for Ironman St. George, and I made him ride with me in a 7 mile circuit around our neighborhood for 4 1/2 times just so I wouldn't get caught out in a storm. He couldn't care less, but I have a harrowing memory of a time last summer when I trusted him that "we'll be ok" and we were 12 miles up the canyon when a storm hit and we had to ride back in the rain, wind and traffic. People --that ain't fun on a road bike. It's like wearing church shoes on a wet linoleum floor --you're gonna slip! The sky looked just like the picture above. Maybe rain? Maybe sun? We were fine. I'm still glad I insisted on staying close to home.

 The mountains around here are one of the best things about bike riding. So lovely to watch. Doesn't this look bleak though? Then down in the valley...

Horses are nibbling new grass.

Spring chickens. I finally heard the "egg-laying song" today. I'd read about it in old novels, but they really do cluck a little song. (..and yes I know this is a rooster! The hens didn't get close enough to photograph.)

 Trees are budding out.

 Some people have already trimmed their fruit trees..

..and some people like us are slower on the job.

The poppies are coming up.

I had to show you this thing. Tia would have gone nuts for this a few years ago. It's just an old tree stump, and the people who own the yard covered it with little animals and miniature houses and things. 

 The bees are out and about. So cheerful around here. 

I had a bad night earlier this week, thinking about all of the darkness in the world. There is so much tragedy! So many bad things happen to so many people I just got overwhelmed. I spent some time crying, and looked to the scriptures for some comfort. Finally, I ran into an article my mom recommended to me about a month ago, and it was perfect. It references the scripture D&C 100:12 "continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice;for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end". The author talks about darkness and light in her life, about our imperfections, and sorrow, and viewing the light, the miracles. One quote I loved was from David Ben-Gurion: "Anyone who does not believe in miracles is not a realist". It depends on where and how you look. 

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Walking with Eli

When my friend Mundi died, I left the house though it was late at night, and went for a walk. I didn't want to tell the kids before they went to sleep, and I was barely holding back the tears, so I fled outside where I could cry as much as I wanted to without worrying about the kids hearing me. I walked, and as I walked I started talking to her. I told her everything I was feeling, how worried I was about her family, how sorry I was for the times we didn't hang out. Towards the end of the walk I started to feel better. It felt like she was there listening to me. To this day, I'm sure she heard me.

 Thursday night we got called to the hospital where my nephew Eli was in the trauma unit. This turned out to be the hardest night of my life so far. Being there with his parents who were trying to let him go, when just a few short hours before he was alive and well, was hard. So hard. We took turns trying to comfort them, and making sure he wasn't left alone in his room with no family. We didn't feel he should be left alone.

 However, I had the strong feeling that night, that he was there --right there. Even when the Doctors confirmed that his life was over, he seemed to be there. It's not the same for his poor parents, but I'm glad we at least know that his spirit is eternal, and that he still exists --that he is still him.

 As Mormons, we believe in the resurrection --the literal return of a person's essence to a perfected body someday. As comforting as that is (and it's comforted me a lot thinking about my deaf daughter), the idea of an eternal spirit is more comforting to me. To know the person you lost is just that: lost --somewhere else, not blotted out of existence, is what I need when death comes into my life.

 I have a friend who lost her husband three years ago, and every time she talks about how she's doing, she talks about ways that her husband is still watching over their family --instances she feels are clues he leaves to let her know he is still there. Songs on the radio, the way the perfect house fell in her lap to move into, dreams, she has a long list.

 So don't you think Eli could have been there trying to comfort his mother and father, his sisters and brothers that night --the hardest night of their life?

I thought about it walking through our neighborhood this morning in the brilliant, sparkling sunshine.

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