101 - #17 - Explore Dead Horse Canyon at Lakeridge Park

This weekend my mother and I planned mostly just to relax, and if we got around to actually doing anything it would be pure bonus.

After breakfast on Saturday, we decided to check out Dead Horse Canyon, which is not terribly far from my house.  It ended up being a bit of a muddy hike, and not terribly long.  The canyon is a sliver of undeveloped area made park by a single path.  I suspect it was neglected for a long time, but it seems to have been adopted as a cause by the neighborhood as when we were there, volunteers were working on invasive plant control and garbage removal. 

If you are stuck in the city and need a nature fix, this will do ok.  Probably nicer in the spring when more things have leaves and more birds are around.  What I enjoyed about it (other than just spending some mellow time with my Mom) was imagining what Seattle must have been like before it was cleared for farming and settlements. It is easy to forget where we live was once dense and brambly woods.

More photos can be found at my flickr account.

101 - #29 - Go to the Seattle Aquarium for Octopus Week

Today I finally made it to Octopus Week at the Seattle Aquarium.  I've been wanting to go to this for years, and while it wasn't mind-blowing, it was fun.  Like the hundreds of children there celebrating their day off from school, I went with my mom.  We went to the aquarium a few years ago together, so it wasn't all that new for either of us, but we still had a good time. 

They do have a gigantic new tank near the entrance we hadn't seen, and some divers brought in an octopus to show off to everyone.  Apparently they generally aren't left with other fish much, as they tend to eat them...including: sharks! 

Overall, not too much above and beyond for adults, but being around a bazillion other octopus fans made for a lovely afternoon.  Until I got claustrophobic and had to get the hell out of there.  Happily, my mom then took me out to a nice lunch, and then I made her buy me huckleberry ice cream, because I am seven when I am around my mom apparently.