Nature

I've been slacking. ...Well, not really - just took some time off to do yard work.
The flowers are all in now, so to finish up the travel photos.

Our last 2 days were about exploring nature - some great parks in the city that make you forget there is a city out there;

Cowan Park looked more like a jungle than a park...


This burned out tree managed to still have living limbs... how did it do that?


Love how the moss covers everything - we desert rats are not used to this much green!


Trickling stream


Rustic bridge



At the end of the park was a group of really tall trees - they looked like an average stand of pines until you peeked inside...
Looking up from the inside of the trees;



Below was this amazing gnarled bunch of trunks - perfect for climbing
The treehouse gang;


The rocks at the entrance of the park had little bird sculptures on them;


The hike back to the U District was a colorful one - Rhododendrons and Azaleas everywhere - Love them!





...and even holly trees


An interesting sculpture on the UW campus (apparently mistaken for a trash receptacle/homeless shelter.)


The UW campus had some interesting Gothic architecture.
Library


The Library is the home of the World's Largest Book...


...Which is nearly impossible to get a good shot of.


Brad thought the study hall looked like a Harry Potter room. (And it did!)



The General himself (Washington) guarding the entrance to his namesake school...



Tuesday was our Last Day - we went to Golden Gardens park, which opens out onto a beach on the Puget Sound. It was a pretty cool beach - lots and lots of sand, and not many people (it being a weekday.)

Trudging through the park


Cool mossy tree


We did the typical things one does at the beach...

Catch some rays


Watch the sailboats


Look for shells


...and shiny pebbles


Watch the birds


Get buried in the sand


All the time we were there, we could hear barking from what we thought was a boat out in the Sound - but later, Brad found an article in the paper that showed flocks of seals sunning themselves on a buoy. I double zoomed my photo and sure enough, there they are.


After we were all properly sunburned, we went to see another attraction of the city... (as per my request.)
Seattle may not have a toll bridge, but they do have a Troll bridge.
(We met a nice couple there who offered to take the pic so that we could all get in the shot.)

The street adjacent to the troll was cool too - it goes off underneath the bridge. (Troll's eye view of the street.)



Vacation is over now and we're all rested up - until this weekend when the girlies will be coming for a sleepover.

Crafting and fun - but no sleep, I'm sure. ^.^
.