"Ev'rything Is Satisfactual " - Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
For more years than can be remembered, Tim and Debbie Olsen have been hosting a 10:30 brunch for Naw Ruz, the beginning of the Baha'i New Year. They bake a ham, and the rest of us bring the trimmings.
Every year the youth gather in the parlor to await the words, "It's ready!"
Here, Mauricio is playing the guitar and we all sang along. It has become a tradition for George to sing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah". After all these years you'd think he'd get the words right. But, after he sang a few bars, lo and behold, he forgot some of the lines, mid-way. No matter, it was still a zippity-doo-dah day as we ziz-zaged up to Seattle to spend some time exploring.
Taraz and Rahmat joined us for the day up in Seattle. We drove over to Lake Washington for a hike on Foster Island and Marsh Island. Floating bridges connect the two islands. There are observation decks and spongy cedar-chip trails that wander the length of the islands.
One has to stay on these walkways because the islands are pocketed with standing water in the shallows. Mallards nibble in the grass, and moss covers old beaver-nibbled logs.
The guys ambled on ahead, without me, as I examined new willow shoots, fungi and water iris.
About four o'clock we picked Megan up at the University of Washington, where she works in the Immunology Lab. Megan has had this job for several years, but is looking to change course. She plans to attend graduate school in the fall.
Megan's boss gave us a tour of the lab and described the experiments in molecular biology that they were doing. Currently, they are probing the complex factors of a protein called T-Bet, which regulates DNA transcriptions. At the time I completely understood all of it as she explained it. I also got a grasp about it as Megan elaborated on it.....something about splitting molecules and separating lines of DNA, then looking for irregularities or mutations. But, for the life of me, I can't remember much about it now! Poor George. Poor Me. We can't seem to remember things like we used to. Now it is 'in one ear, out the other'.
We walked down to a little Mexican restaurant along the waterfront, and sat down in an enclosed patio over-looking a marina. This time of year they zip up the windows with heavy plastic and provide a bit of heat with an overhead heater.
Students packed the little eatery. With notebooks open and backpacks under the tables, they enjoyed issues of academia with seriousness and playful banter.
We had chosen a nice little corner that had a good view of the Marina below. People were loading up their kayaks and placing gear into their vehicles, obviously pleased with their excursion and the accommodating weather... "It's the truth, it's actual... Ev'rything is satisfactual. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay...Wonderful feeling, feeling this way!
For more years than can be remembered, Tim and Debbie Olsen have been hosting a 10:30 brunch for Naw Ruz, the beginning of the Baha'i New Year. They bake a ham, and the rest of us bring the trimmings.
Every year the youth gather in the parlor to await the words, "It's ready!"
Here, Mauricio is playing the guitar and we all sang along. It has become a tradition for George to sing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah". After all these years you'd think he'd get the words right. But, after he sang a few bars, lo and behold, he forgot some of the lines, mid-way. No matter, it was still a zippity-doo-dah day as we ziz-zaged up to Seattle to spend some time exploring. 
Taraz and Rahmat joined us for the day up in Seattle. We drove over to Lake Washington for a hike on Foster Island and Marsh Island. Floating bridges connect the two islands. There are observation decks and spongy cedar-chip trails that wander the length of the islands. 
One has to stay on these walkways because the islands are pocketed with standing water in the shallows. Mallards nibble in the grass, and moss covers old beaver-nibbled logs.
The guys ambled on ahead, without me, as I examined new willow shoots, fungi and water iris. 
About four o'clock we picked Megan up at the University of Washington, where she works in the Immunology Lab. Megan has had this job for several years, but is looking to change course. She plans to attend graduate school in the fall.
Megan's boss gave us a tour of the lab and described the experiments in molecular biology that they were doing. Currently, they are probing the complex factors of a protein called T-Bet, which regulates DNA transcriptions. At the time I completely understood all of it as she explained it. I also got a grasp about it as Megan elaborated on it.....something about splitting molecules and separating lines of DNA, then looking for irregularities or mutations. But, for the life of me, I can't remember much about it now! Poor George. Poor Me. We can't seem to remember things like we used to. Now it is 'in one ear, out the other'. 
We walked down to a little Mexican restaurant along the waterfront, and sat down in an enclosed patio over-looking a marina. This time of year they zip up the windows with heavy plastic and provide a bit of heat with an overhead heater.
Students packed the little eatery. With notebooks open and backpacks under the tables, they enjoyed issues of academia with seriousness and playful banter.
We had chosen a nice little corner that had a good view of the Marina below. People were loading up their kayaks and placing gear into their vehicles, obviously pleased with their excursion and the accommodating weather... "It's the truth, it's actual... Ev'rything is satisfactual. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay...Wonderful feeling, feeling this way!
