This weird "creature" this girl is holding is a "gooey duck", it's got a clam-like shell at the base and the top of it is a siphon for sand and water! God sure has an imagination!
We were handling the sunflower starfish. We learned how starfish eat! Ready? Well, . . . . . . they actually push their stomachs out from the bottom center and sort of engulf the food they are intending on eating and pulling back inside themselves! So they use the outside of their stomachs! Wild!
The boys had a great time with the crab races. They picked out a crab from the big tanks with the help of a worker and then put them behind the red flaps to get ready for the race. They sounded a buzzer and opened the gates, off the crabs went. . . . well, some of them!
The boys had to beat the wooden bins to make a lot of noise and vibration for the crab to "run it's race". The boys' crab just wanted to hang out!
We hadn't ever been to the alpaca farm, so we ventured over to pay them a visit. We learned quite a bit about alpacas! I think I want a couple!
in herds. So you can't just have one, you have to have at least two if you want a pet. We also learned that they are a "fiber" animal; they are sheered once a year for their "fiber." The fibers are then spun into yarn and made into coats, teddy bears, and other soft materials.
I worried they might bite if spooked, but was reassured by the owner that it's nearly impossible for them to bite as they haven't any top teeth! Gorgeous mouth, eh?! They don't like to be pet so much, so they don't make the cuddliest kind of pet as one might think. A couple things we liked about these guys are: they are great lawn mowers and they have a communal potty spot! Alpacas aren't hooved animals and have toenails like a dog, so their feet aren't hard on the turf, allowing the grass to grow and providing them with the perfect amount of feed! They also choose one spot for everyone to use for a potty making it an easy cleanup! I should have them train my dogs!!
The kids made a craft from yarn, Daniel proudly displays his handiwork. Cameron also got in on the face painting.
At this farm, we were greeted by a democrat! He was nice and surprisingly enough he didn't even open his mouth!
Well I thought this was a "beefalo" but its actually a Scottish breed of cow. This farm calls these cows, Highland cattle, though I'm sure they have a more specific name for their species. These cows were furry and so cute! 
He did like to pose for the camera though!
We ended our farm tour at an apple orchard and bought 7lbs of delicious apples and treated the boys to some carmel-dipped apples! Yummy!
We were excited to have Grandma and Grandpa come for a visit. They came to go fishing, but the fish had already made their run through the river they were fishing in. We enjoyed their company and then met up with the rest of the family at Jason's Aunt JoElla's house in Seattle for a family BBQ.
McGuire Sisters, Linda (mom) and Aunt JoElla
Daniel and Cameron ran around the yard and house with cousin, Noah. They had fun with Noah, but we did miss Jacob too. The boys were sleuthing around the house for the cats, Vladamir and Dulche, but the cats were pretty good at hiding.
The bridge is open to allow the boats in and the locks are opening to allow the ships in. The workers wait to tie the boats to the sides of the docks before closing the locks to bring the water up to level with the other side of the locks. The workers are tethered to the dock so not to go overboard while tying up the boats!
Click on these pictures for a closer look at the seal, it was a really neat sight!
We were excited to see wildlife at it's best! We saw a seal dive for a salmon, fling it into the air, catch it, and then swing it from side to side as he began to eat it. The seagulls were also trying to get in on the action and were catching the pieces as they flew! It was amazing to watch, this was right in front of us, not on the discovery channel!
