Splash

After I took the first picture of the waves crashing, I tried to take some more just to make sure I had the perfect picture. This picture isn't as great, but I still like it. The waves still divide into small droplets and fold onto the beach.

Beach View

This beach wasn't like the beaches I had seen before. This beach was rocky and the water was cold. While the rocks weren't the best for walking barefoot, they add another element to this picture. The rocks are in lines that are like the waves. I also enjoy the boat in the water. It shows just how far the water stretches.

Seagulls, Sea Gone

Once the seagulls felt they were in danger because I was too close, they flew away. I chose this picture because the seagull is in focus and the shoreline of the opposite side is visible. The clouds are in interesting shapes and the water isn't just a flat surface. It all came together to see the seagulls, sea gone.

Seagulls

On one of the beaches were these seagulls. There was a group of about 15 of them all looking for food and resting. I crept up slowly trying to get the closest shot I could get. This was my closest shot before they flew away. But I also to pictures of that, which is coming tomorrow.

A Path to the Sea

From the main trail were smaller trails that led to the ocean. This trail led me on the side of the ocean.  The unkept brush grew wildly over and on the sides of the trail. I like the contrast between the dark brush and the bright sky. The trail goes out of view as it curves to the left. The bright white clouds give something else to look at besides the dark brush.

Crashing Waves

This I think is my best picture from Seattle. I used my wide angle lens to capture the sea, but also to have a crisp focus on the crashing waves. I got my camera so close to the waves, that the waves splashed a little on the camera. I tried and tried again until I took the perfect picture. A boat went by and created some bigger waves and then I took this picture.

Sea Far 

Next, we went to Discovery Park. We hiked from the parking lot through several trails and to the shoreline. One of the trails led to this rocky little beach. While I was there, I could see far out into the Puget Sound. I like the dark colored rocks and how they contrast the picture. The sky is bright blue which also made the water bright blue. The rocks helped to make the picture not so bright and to also contrast all of the blues.

Crossing of the Seas

On our way out, several boats pulled into the big lock to be moved from the Puget Sound to Lake Union. The first boat was this pirate boat. The people on the boat were dressed like pirates, they had pirate music, and even a miniature blimp. I believe they were headed to the annual Sea-Fair. I didn't go to it, but I saw the traffic to the Sae-Fair and heard the Blue Angles flying above.

Algae

The locks also help control the amount of water in Lake Union. There was one lock that was open and six others that were closed. On the concrete slab that leads the Lake Union water to the Puget Sound water, was algae. I like the look of the algae. It is green and yellow and is all laying toward the camera.

Sea Lions

Another animal they I saw at the locks was this one sea lion. It managed to swim upstream into the salmon locks before going back out. It floated on the top of the water surface, probably resting, before swimming away.

Chinook Salmon

In a viewing point of the salmon locks, there was this chinook salmon resting in front of a window. I had to readjust from the outside sun to the inside darkness. It was very interesting to see the salmon flow upstream. They only travel in groups and most they have to use a lot of energy just to get upstream.

Salmon

The next day, we went to the Ballard Locks. We saw two waves of small boats and one big boat move through the locks. A few hundred feet away from the locks was a lock for salmon. It was like several flights of stairs that helped the salmon move into freshwater. Next to the entrance was this large group of salmon. This is where you could see them best. The other parts were shady and the fish weren't on top of the water. 

Overcast and Rainy

On an average, 152 days of the year are sunny. The other 213 are overcast like this and slightly misty. During the morning of the picture there was mist, but as the day moved on, the mist moved out. While I wish the sky was light blue, I like the grey. It blends in with the color of the buildings and water. It makes the buildings stand out.

Forest Paths

When I was walking between viewpoints in the garden, there was this path surrounded by very tall trees. The trees were covered in moss and there were small plants on the sides of the path. It was very calm and very relaxing. No wonder they put a Zen garden in it.

Reflecting Pool

In another area of the garden, was this reflecting pool. I stood at the edge of the pool trying to capture that most of the reflection. While I was able to capture the reflection, I forgot to make sure that the picture was centered. It doesn't make the picture look too bad, but I can still notice that it isn't straight.

Leading River

A small manmade stream flew throughout the property. I put my camera as close to the water as I could. I wanted to capture the stream, the plants surrounding the stream, the trees in the background, and the reflection. I think the best part about this picture is all of the green. It's a color that I normally don't see but it's a color I want to see more of.

Zen Garden

In the middle of the lot, there is a traditional Zen garden next to a house. I was really impressed with the garden. The only marks in the sand were the lines surrounding the stones. I also like how there was moss on the stones. It gives the stones a different color that we don't normally see in Texas.

Dew

The river and humidity created dew that covered all of the plants. I chose this plant because I like the contrast of colors on the plant. It is mostly green with shades of brown. The dew creates an interesting color that only water droplets make.

Hidden River

The next place we visited was Bainbridge Island. The ferry ride there was rainy, windy, and cold. Once we got to the island, the rain dissappeared and it became a perfect day. After lunch, we went to the Bloedel Reserve. It is 150-acres of forests, gardens, and trails that run throughout the property. 

Sunset on the Lake

For dinner that night, we went to a restaurant on the lake. This hill, the neighborhood of Queen Anne, was to our west. As the sun went down, I wanted to capture the whole scene. The water, boat, neighborhood, and sunset. I tried to time it so most of the sun was behind the hill and it made a silhouette of everything else.

Downtown

The next side I went to had a perfect view of downtown. You can see all of the skyscrapers, the Puget Sound, and some of the mountains outside of the city. I like this view point of the city. Since I was 600 feet above ground level, I was looking down on the city instead of looking up at the skyscrapers. Something I don't do very often.

Lake Washington

Atop the Space Needle, you could see the entire city of Seattle. From this angle, we see Lake Washington and the neighborhood of Queen Anne (the oldest part of Seattle). On the lake, there were boats and seaplanes. The seaplanes used the lake as a runway when they started or finished taking visitors on a tour around Seattle.

Glass in Nature

When Chahuli was placing the glass pieces around the museum he did it with a vision. It isn't just scattered randomly around the museum. He purposely put tall plants near tall sculptures and plants that spread out near sculptures that spread out. His vision helps that sculptures look more natural and more like they were anticipated to be there.

Grass Orb

The design on this ball of glass almost mimics the grass. The colors on the black glass spiral out from the center like the grass does around the orb. The grass seems to be making an even bigger spiral as it surrounds the orb.

Towers

The tall glass sculpture looks like a perfect match against the Space Needle. Both are tall and straight, almost matching each other. I also was glad that when I took this picture the sun wasn't out. The sun would have been right in between the glass and the Space Needle, overexposing the picture.