The weather these past few days has been absolutely gorgeous. The kids have played outside every afternoon until sunset (which really isn’t that late this time of year). Valentines Day had sun and temperatures in the 60s, so we decided to head out for a walk. Denise and Marcello live a couple of blocks away from the Ballard Locks – for those who aren’t from around here, this is a passage way that connects Lake Washington and the Puget Sound. Per the US Army Corp Of Engineers, these locks serve three purposes:
- “To maintain the water level of the fresh water Lake Washington and Lake Union at 20 to 22 feet above sea level.
- To prevent the mixing of sea water from Puget Sound with the fresh water of the lakes (saltwater intrusion).
- To move boats from the water level of the lakes to the water level of Puget Sound, and vice versa.”
The walk filled me with nostalgic smells – saltwater mixed with engine fumes … a funny combination, but one that takes me back to my childhood where my family spent all our vacation time on boats. Watching the boats come and go made me want to get back on the water.
We walked around, saw some crazy heron nests, ran into a friend who we played soccer with years ago whose son had a football so all the boys played catch. There was tree climbing, funny faces, and things in bloom that shouldn’t be at this time of year because our weather has been SO warm. Enjoy!
