"Tis the Season

Just a short note to wish all a magical season, no matter what holiday you celebrate. It looks like we might have a white Christmas here in Washington! Watch for more posts and pictures after the New Year!

Lets be careful out there!

Celebrating Fall in the Northwest

What a great kickoff to fall to have Beth and the other Seattle delagates bring the official IAWP flag home from Darwin. The committee is working very hard to make this a great conference for all of you so I hope you are planning on coming!


Fall in the northwest brings pretty colors to the trees and mist in the air. I have had many adventures this fall, including pumpkin hunting for Halloween (I found the biggest one but it would not fit in the car)


This was a fun day in Skagit Valley.

I also made a quick trip to Seattle and got a glimpse of the Westin.....(the conference hotel)

I didn't get inside but will make sure to go back for a tour so I can tell you all about it!

Well, thats all for now, gotta swim!

Lets be careful out there!

Ollie

Riding the waves

Took a ride on the Keystone/Port Townsend Ferry last month. Ferries are an intregal part of transportation in Washington State....I will add more about this later, just wanted to share my pic's of this great sunrise and sunset....and the new friends I met on the ferry ride....

Born to Be Wild

On the last weekend in September, Anacortes Washington hosts the Oyster Run Motorcycle Rally. This lovely town of 17,000 people on Fidalgo Island explodes with over 10,000 motorcyle enthusiasts. I had the chance to wander around downtown and enjoy the roar of the Harley pipes and meet a lot of new friends.

The whole downtown is reserved for
motorcycles only. Four rows across for 11 block plus down all the side streets! Quite a sight to see (and hear!!)

It is named the Oyster Run because fall in the Pacific Northwest is the best time for oysters. The cooler water temp helps them reach their peak and gets them ready for harvesting and eating! The Oyster Run has many opportunities to try slurping one down!



Everyone from Anacortes Police Dept. is on duty for Oyster Run!

This is a fun event, especially if you love motorcycles but be aware, this event will be occuring the weekend after the Seattle IAWP Conference so keep in mind that the roads, ferries and hotels in the area (Anacortes, Mt Vernon, LaConner, Sand Juan Islands) will be very full with people headed to the Oyster Run!

Lets Be Careful Out There!

Ollie

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks....

Summer would not be summer without baseball! The Seattle Mariners baseball team have been playing in Seattle since 1977. Even if baseball is not your game, just the visit to SafeCo Field is an experience in itself. Boasting a retractable roof that allows fans to enjoy the awesome Seattle sunshine and be protected from some inevitable rainy days, The Safe is one of the premier ball parks in the country.


I had a lot of fun at the game...was kinda bummed they did not have any shirts in my size....

But I did run into some Seattle PD buddies and they let me take their bike for a spin!

Baseball season will be in full swing during the Seattle conference. What a great way to spend some time with friends (hint...if you get the famous garlic fries... share them with your friends so you all have stinky breath!)

I forgot this picture in my last blog....sporting events are such good places to meet interesting people....

Lets Be Careful Out There!
Ollie

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

Even though our Seattle teams are not having great seasons this year Seattle boasts two of the most beautiful settings for (American) football and baseball that you can imagine! The Seattle Seahawks play football at Qwest Field...


and the Mariners play in "The Safe"..otherwise known as Safeco field...

Hopefully the Seattle Storm womens basketball will make it to the playoffs next year which will extend the season into the IAWP Conference!




The Seahawks have been playing in Seattle since 1976, they started playing in the Kingdome....

















sharing it with the Mariners until the 2000 when it was imploded for safety reasons....

In 2002 they moved to Qwest field, boasting beautiful views of downtown and the Puget sound.

In the foreground you can see the Smith tower (white pointy top) that held the record for years of the tallest building west of the Mississippi. The Columbia Tower behind it now holds that title.

Behind me you can see part of the Port of Seattle. Seattle has a huge shipping industry and has developed into a favorite cruise ship destination. Beyond that you can see the Olympic Mountains. Seattle is cradled between the Olympics on the far side of Puget Sound and the Cascade Mountain Range to the west. (watch for future posts on my visits to both sets of mountains!)

The Seahawks biggest claim to fame is the amazing support of its fans. The team recognizes this to the extent that in 1984 they retired the #12 jersey in honor it the "12th man" (there are 11 players on the field and the 12th man in the stands cheering!) Before every game the 12th man flag is raised and flies above the heads of the Blue Thunder drum corp for the whole game.

I thought about trying out for the SeaGals Cheer Squad but decided I like the 12th man jersy better...I will keep my cheering in the stands!

Wow....I guess I got really excited talking about the Seahawks....Watch for my report on the Mariners tomorrow!

Lets Be Careful Out There!

Ollie

Visiting Portland

Another adventure I had this summer was traveling south to the Portland Oregon area. We actually stayed in Troutdale, about 20 minutes outside of Portland at a cool place named McMennamins Edgefield. They turned the old Multnomah County Poor Farm into a motel/brewery/winery. There is also a day spa with a soaking pool and a movie theatre on the grounds! They serve a mean bloody mary for those tough Sunday mornings....

Portland is about a three hour drive from Seattle and is a very fun city! I was bummed we did not get to visit Michele and Liz while we were there but they were already in Australia.

My favorite place that we visited was Multnomah Falls. This is one of the tallest free-falling waterfalls in the United States. It is in the Columbia Gorge and is one of many waterfalls and hiking spots in this area. We did not hike to the top this time but there is a trail that goes ALLLLLL the way up!
























Watch for more posts coming soon....my website managers have been quite busy getting ready for winter but I will try to keep them updating more frequently....hard to get good help these days ;-)

Lets be careful out there!

Catching Up

Hi...It's Ollie again. I was soooo busy having fun this summer that I just got my blog up and running. My first few posts will be catching everyone up on the adventures I have already had then I will try to keep you up to date as the year goes on.

I am sure many of you are familiar with one of my favorite places....

STARBUCKS!!!

Here I am with some of the baristas that helped out at our Run With Cops, Not From Them 5K fun run.

After Starbucks I spent some time at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park. Seattle has lots of fun parks, many of them right on the water so you can explore and discover many of my fellow saltwater creatures living on the beach!

I like to ride the Metro bus for my exploring....the bus system downtown is very good and can help you get around Seattle without a car quite easily. Parking in downtown Seattle is very expensive so I use public transportation as often as possible. Most people will ride INSIDE the bus though...I love the feel of fresh air on my dorsal fin riding up front!

Well, gotta swim.....Let's be careful out there! Ollie

Hello everybody!

My name is Olivia deOrca but my friends call me "Ollie". I am the official mascot of the Seattle 2009 IAWP Conference. Over the next year I will be travelling around the Pacific Northwest and sharing my adventures with you.

I want you to be as excited as I am to get to know Seattle and the amazing beauty and excitement of the Pacific Northwest!

So check back often and feel free to leave comments or questions about where to go and what to do in my favourite places.

Let's be careful out there! Ollie