Tag: family

Family – Day 2

Wednesday
Seattle

Day 2 with the family in Seattle started for me with an early morning Tour de France stage followed shortly after with a longer-than-expected trip to the bank with dad (Smiths just don’t do many things quickly) after Sara dropped me off at the ‘house’.

Once the family was ready to go (no small task given just 2 bathrooms and 14 people), we headed to the Seattle waterfront for a stroll along the piers and their various quirky shops, street people and tourists (with a few Seattlelites sprinkled in I’m sure).

We then boarded the Spirit of Seattle, an Argosy tour boat, for a 1 hour harbor cruise around Elliott Bay, which is where most of the photos are from below. I had been on it once before about 9 or 10 years ago, but it was still fun and informative and I think the family enjoyed it.

After the cruise Sara took everyone but mom and dad up to Pike’s Market for a run through and I took the folks to our place where they could get off their feet, rest up, see out place and meet Schooner.

A bit later we met back up at a park above our place in Magnolia that overlooks the city for another home-cooked picnic (thanks again to Sara) and some soccer, frisbee and relaxation (at least as much as could be had after a couple of hurried days away from home), and then headed back to the rental house for more hangin out, hot tubbing and conversation.

Thinking at this rate tomorrow will be a bit more ‘slow-paced’ 😉

Family in Town

Tuesday
July 13, 2010
Seattle

My side of the family is in town this week for 3 days (everyone except Matt, Heather and their family) so we have a full week of activities planned. After Sara and I took care of our friends chickens and cats in the morning (first 4 photos are from their garden), we met up with everyone at the rental house and headed over to the Ballard Locks where we watched the Sockeye school in front of the dam, flee from the harbor seals and climb the fish ladders, and then watched a couple of sailboats and a kayak pass through the locks. Perfect temperature, beautiful Seattle day!

We then drove over to Discovery Park where we hooked up with Sara, Matt & Gavin (Sara’s watching them this week). Everyone but mom, dad and I hiked down from the upper parking lot to the beach (we drove and parked at the beach since they couldn’t make the hike) and spent about 45 minutes exploring the beach, tide pools and sand at low tide where we found among other things a large crab and a sea slug (biggest one I’ve seen outside of the aquarium).

Since the day was passing quickly and we started off a bit late, we stopped at the rental house on Phinney Ridge near the zoo, grabbed a quick bite to eat then headed up the hill to the zoo for about 3 1/2 hours.

We ended the day watching the Duck Dodge from Gasworks Park on Lake Union over a picnic of KFC. Given the weather and activity around the park and lake it was quite scenic and picturesque.

A great first day with the family!


Our Friend’s Garden:



The Ballard Locks



Discovery Park



Woodland Park Zoo



Gasworks Park

Schooner’s Personal Space

When Schooner wants something (i.e. attention, solitude, the brush), he lets you know it vocally and/or with distinct body language. If you don’t give it to him, he also lets you know it – he’s a very good communicator. For as aggressive as he can be (sometimes when he’s really mad he’ll chase me down and nip at my leg as I try to leave him alone), he is oddly afraid of any loud sounds or quick movements, including the seagulls as they walk around on our roof.

He was declawed (all 4 feet) by the people who used to own him and their young children used to tease him pretty badly, so he tends to bite when he’s both mad and playful (harder when he’s mad), and uses rapid punches or ‘swats of the paw’ when defensive, which are quite powerful. We love him anyway and we’re slowly gaining more and more of his trust…besides, he feels really bad when he’s gone too far and draws blood.


Letting me know with ‘the look’ while holding my hand down that he doesn’t want me to pet him. Actually, I think he’s just mad at me because I stopped brushing him when he clearly wanted more, so he jumped up on the couch next to me and then gave me attitude when I reached out to him. Very finicky this cat…


I stop petting him but leave my hand on the couch too long…


…and suffer the consequences. He only draws blood if I persist or fight back, but in this case I let him get in his bite without reacting and it’s enough – point made and taken.