A Trip to the Aquarium

Jill had a mountaineering class beginning early this morning.  Corey and Tom set out this morning from Fort Morgan, Colorado, bound for Seattle.  I got to have the kids.


Friday  Jill and kids met up with me at Kent Station to see the movie Big Miracle, a true story about whales trapped in the ice in Alaska. Then we went out to eat before the kids came home with me for an overnight stay.  


This morning, after a hearty breakfast, we bundled up Seattle style with layers of fleece and Gortex, and headed out into the storm.  Fortunately the worst of the rain was over by the time we got to the Link light rail.


We were headed for the Seattle Aquarium, where it was the beginning of Octopus Week, and there is a new baby sea otter.  Isaac loves sea otters, including his 'pet' Oliver, who got to come along.

 The cold wind blew light rain in our faces as we walked into it from Westlake Station down to The Market.

 Oh, name bracelets!  Do they have our names?  They did.  We picked them up later, on the way back home.

 It is the beginning of mid-winter break and there were a surprisingly large number of tourists in the city.  There was a long line to get into the aquarium.  Fortunately the rain had stopped.

 We joined a presentation showing live video action of the release of a previously captive giant octopus.  She has mated and is being released to lay her eggs in the wild, in the waters of Puget Sound.   


Then before the presentation was quite over, we raced to beat the crowd to the otter viewing area.  It paid off with wonderful viewing of the new baby and her mother.

 Oliver was introduced.

 Then we slowed down and went back through all of the exhibits, including the touch tanks.  What an amazing array of starfish!

 And of course we spent time with the two giant Pacific octopi.  

 The path took us back to the sea otters and a last look at mother and baby.  Baby was having a nap on her mother, while the mother was lovingly grooming her baby.

 We spent some time in the gift shop, of course, where we picked up a few more 'friends'.  By then it was about 1:30 and we headed for a nearby Red Robin for lunch.


It was still windy as we made our way back along the waterfront and back up the hill, but the rain had stopped.

 Up at the Market, Irene really wanted to make another deposit on The Gum Wall.

 We worked our way back through part of the market, bought the bracelets, and posed, as always, with the Market pig.

We were home by 4:10, but the kids HAD to have a bit more playing time at Grandma's house, so I finally delivered them back to their mother about 5:00.  


Jill had done well at her class in the morning, had time to come home for a hot shower and a nap and some down time.


Tom and Corey are making good progress on their trek.  We have kept in touch via texting and Facebook.


It was a very good day.