Rock Trail starts from the top of Cleator Road and gives the most beautiful panoramic views of Puget Sound. This was my first hike since I had surgery to repair my meniscus and so I was quite pleased with how it went.  In the last 10 years or so hiking uphill has been easier on my knee than going down, and yet most hiking trails have you climbing first and descending on the way back.  This is the best trail for descending first and climbing for the last part.  It is easier on my knees to go this way. Starting off on the trail we cross the downhill bike trail which means making sure not to cross the path as they are flying by. Then it seems as though there are 1000 steps downhill.  We pass weathered rocks with dripping water, dotted with small holes that open to large rooms able to hold 5 people.  They don't look big enough for one person to climb in.  Lona and I both climbed in when we hiked this last year. (Rock Trail 2018) Once we reached the trail Rock Trail joins to, we headed left wanting to get to Lost Lake and let Skagit swim.  He was looking ready to cool off.  We made it but had to go off trail a little to get to the water just to let him swim. Then back up and climb the 1000 or stairs to the top.

I have been visiting the eagles every year for the last 4 years and I still don't get tired of seeing them. I pull up to the parking area, shut off my car and start gathering my stuff; camera, camera bag, coat, fingerless mittens, and rain boots. The most important thing I bring outside of my camera is my rain boots.  I usually end up getting my feet wet anyway but they sure do help. I may invest in waders though. Once out of the car with my gear, I start listening. I listen for the screech of the eagles. I imagine being terrified of that sound if I was a small rodent. They talk to one another and it is amazing to hear. I start scanning trees in the direction that the sounds are coming from. Then I walk around, looking for eagles soaring, feeding, or just sitting within camera range and determine the best place to watch. Sometimes, I can get close because of the access to the river. Sometimes I have to be content to view them from afar. People come and go, sometimes chatting, sometimes saying nothing. I watch people as much as I watch the eagles.  There are the professionals with their $3000+ lens, camera, tripod, and camo gear. There are people who show up with their cell phones. Sometimes the cell phones take better photos than the expensive camera! Sometimes people spend time there, sometimes they pull snap a photo, say something about being in the wild Pacific Northwest and leave. They are as entertaining as the eagles. Sometimes you start chatting with someone and then you share a tidbit about timing or location and they share a tidbit about timing and location and then you have another view of the eagles. You see them skimming small creeks with the sun highlighting their white tailfeathers and making the moss dangling off the trees glow. Sometimes, I 've seen the eagles clash their talons and fight over a particular dead salmon. I have come out when they have just been sitting and not active but calling towards each other. I look for them each time I drive down a particular spot on the freeway or a county road. Each time they amaze me and I don't think I will ever get tired of watching them or the people who come to photograph them.

John has been adamant that we go to the Seattle Aquarium over Christmas break.  We've taken the kids to the aquarium in Stanley Park, Vancouver but never Seattle.  I'm not sure why. We've been to the pier and Pike's Place Market so many times but not the here. So going as 5 adults is pricey.  For $9 more we could have bought a year pass but I'm not sure we would go again this year. The first stop on any vacation is always for coffee.  John and I share a very large venti drink and he does drink most of it. I haul out my camera because taking photos of getting to our destination is a must and we tend to do funky stuff such as hug giant otters, pose as a family and basically be very touristy.
Isaac was all about the giant octopus at the museum. There were two but separated since they are territorial. We came at feeding time so we could see them reach their long tentacles out and snatch the three shrimp that were offered. They are entertaining, to say the least, but it was so crowded that it was hard to really get a good view. They had a jellyfish circular tank that Lona found fascinating. They had black lights and neon colored lights that made the jellyfish glow. Her photos on her phone were outstanding. We continued to move through the aquarium and the volunteer helpers were full of information. Once they found that you were interested in something, they tended to move with you to other exhibits. We do have a little animal guide in our family and he tends to know what he is talking about 80 percent of the time. We do need to fact check him though. Once we got to the others though I think we were done.  We had seen a lot and were hungry. The boys started to feed off each other and be sarcastic and goofy so we called it a day.

We've come up with a process that works well for us every year.  I stuff stocking for the kids so that when they get up, they get to open their stockings and have the sugar cereal that I put in there.  This way John and I can sleep in. Then when I get up, I finish up making the Christmas morning cinnamon rolls. The finish rising while we read the Christmas Story out of the Bible.  We chose a portion of the gospel and sometimes take turns reading it.  When John reads it, he always tries to do the voices for each person and we end up cracking up. We can't do a straight face when he is reading with a high pitch voice trying to sound like Mary or the Angel. Why the angel is a girl, I don't know.  After we hand out presents and watch each other open gifts.  Probably the best present for Isaac was the lava lamp in the shape of a hooka from Job.  Lona received speakers and was anxious to tear her car apart and put the speakers in. I got John a Mancrate that he had to open with a crowbar which was hilarious.  Clothes and techy stuff dominate our gifts instead of toys as they get older.  The stockings get filled with beef jerky, red bulls, San Pelligrino, gum, and car air fresheners. There isn't a need to keep them entertained in the morning since they sleep in instead of getting up early. Which means things may be changing the way we do Christmas morning. Afterward, I spend time cleaning up, we have breakfast and then go do our own little thing with our gifts.  Maybe next year we do a group gift of an activity instead of individual gifts. Who knows who will be around for the next Christmas. Things are changing. Is this our last Christmas together? I don't know.

It was needed: time away. We've been struggling lately, not with each other but with different things going on within the family. It had been almost a year and we needed to regroup as a couple, gain perspective and talk. We need to flesh out how to handle things, how we felt about things, and to just relax. John had taken Lona to a soccer game in Seattle earlier and heard about the Snowflake Lane Parade in Bellevue. Ever since then it was on his bucket list to go this year. My idea was a cabin in the woods, some snowshoeing, and a fire in the fireplace, but when my husband wants to spend money on a weekend who am I to complain about where. We drove down on a Friday afternoon, checked in and then explored the neighboorhood via a walk. On our walk, John discovered a couple of things: 1) Friday night is the night to get nails done (the nail places were packed) and 2) you can get eyelash extensions.  We have become a society of fakeness.  I like to get my nails done.  I do have to admit to that.  I just want one thing in my life that is put together and looks good.  My hair, my lack of makeup, my clothes, my life can be in shambles but I just need one thing that is nice.
So lesson learned we decided to hunt for a place to eat.  We looked at Yelp reviews but didn't want to drive and so wandered until we found a nice little Irish pub. The pub had a better atmosphere than the taste but it wasn't bad just wasn't exceptional. Aftward we started making our way to the parade route.  It was packed.  Amazing since it had been going on every night since Thanksgiving and was only an hour long.  I am not sure what I was expecting maybe a little like Macy's Day parade.  They had people walking around before the parade started in stilts and costumes.  Then the parade started and the Christmas music was full on coming from large speakers mounted high on the buildings and  "fake" snow shooting out over the crowd.  We were 5 deep as the parade came by.  Each float, band member, or support person I think came from the local high schools.  Within an hour it was done and everyone started to make their way down the street to take photos with the background lights.  It was interesting and I'm not sure I need to go again unless it's with a grandkid (so who knows if I'll be back). We were going to sit in the hot tub later but it was packed with kids and I didn't relish the thought sitting in there that night or the next morning.  I was sure it hadn't been cleaned.  We ended up going to sleep early, I just couldn't stay awake.  The next morning we took our time with breakfast and then decided to try the Seattle Underground Tour.  I've heard a lot about it and have always wanted to see what the hype was.  We didn't need reservations, there were lots of spots available. We joined a group and waited for our time to start the tour.  It was interesting, the tour guide had a lot to say. Her humor was dry and witty.  She did a good job entertaining with stories. I think the kids would like it but again I probably wouldn't go again unless it was to take someone who came into town. It was nice to play tourist and get away for 24 hours.