Hello everyone!  This is my first post in quite a while as I have finally escaped from the black hole of time that is wedding planning.  Finally the concept of “free time” has come back to me.  It’s pretty exciting, but I’m not going to ramble on about the wedding except to say that it was quite nearly frickin’ perfect, it was totally worth the headaches,  and I am sooooo glad I won’t have to do it again.  Anyway, other important things are going on in the world.  As you likely already know, tomorrow is Election Day. (Also known as that fantastic time when the seemingly endless campaigning finally stops and we can all start watching TV again without fear of political ads.) So what I’m trying to say is make sure you vote!  We are fantastically lucky to be in a country where there is a peaceful transition from one leader to the next and it is up to all of us to do our duties and keep that up.  Vote!   That is all I will say about that.

Now, onto a less serious subject.  As you may or may not be aware, Seattle is known for it’s rain.  Also, if you have gone outside or looked out a window you might know that it has been raining quite a lot.  What you may not know is that you can use this rain to your advantage (and not just as a cheap way to shower).  On select days at the Woodland Park Zoo you can get a Rainy Day Discount.  That means that on certain days (based on weather forecast) you can print off a coupon for 50% off admission to the zoo.  All you have to do is go here: http://www.zoo.org/rainyday#.UJiLSGcsHvY and see whether or not the discount is on.

You can also print off a map with special raindrop symbols marking the places you can stay dry.  There is also a guide to building hopping from both the South and West entrances that will allow you to see as many animals as possible while also staying as dry as possible.  You can still have a fun day at the zoo and not leave feeling like you’ve gone for a swim with the otters.  Part of being a resourceful Seattleite  is finding ways to still go outside and not become one with your couch during the rainy fall, winter, spring and some of the summer months.  So, go forth and see cute animals and stay somewhat dry!

Check out the latest in our series, “Belles Man on the Street,” featuring the experiences of new-Seattleite Henry Fitzgerald.

If moving from one side of town to the other can cause headaches, imagine the effort it takes to move across the country. And even more challenges arise when the city you’re moving to is the exact opposite in climate, scenery and attitude from what you’re used to.

I moved from Tampa to Seattle, and it was a giant leap for me to leave a tropical climate for a city with a substantial rainy season – some joke the rainy season never ends. For an outdoor health enthusiast like myself, I thought finding activities in Seattle to replace miles of sugar-white sandy beach for jogging or parasailing would be a challenge. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are plenty of other options available here.

With Seattle’s landscape of scenic mountain ranges, intriguing rivers and lush forests and parks, finding healthy outings is only a matter of taking the time to explore the area and all the interesting places Seattle has to offer new residents. (more…)

There are not a lot of generalizations that you can make about the entire human population that even some close to holding true.  However, it is a near-universal truth that all people love getting free things.  I believe it is in our nature.

So I just thought I would relay that Starbucks is giving away free stuff to their beloved Seattle customers for the next month or so.  In what they are calling “We-Love-You-Fridays” every Friday from May 18 to June 8 you can wander into a participating Starbucks store (and there are a lot of them)at 3PM and they will had you free stuff.  It’s that easy (and you don’t have to but anything).  This Friday it is one free adult admission to the Seattle Art Museum. The week after that you can get a ticket to see the movie Sister Act at the Paramount, which seems like a weird thing to give away but cool I guess if you really like that movie (Also it is to promote the live production of Sister Act the musical that will be in Seattle in 2013, so I guess that makes more sense).  The last Friday they are giving away free passes to the Woodland Park Zoo.

Also, when you go in there and pick up your free stuff you should feel extra special because this is only happening in Seattle.  Because even though they are absolutely everywhere Starbucks is still a hometown business (kind of).

Go get free stuff!

So, this is my second cat themed post in as many weeks and I worry that it may put me on my way to getting a bit of a crazy cat lady reputation.  However, I think it is important to point out at this time that I have exactly ZERO cats and that it is impossible to really be a crazy cat lady without any cats.  (Of course that is only because my apartment building doesn’t allow them, but that’s not the point)

Anyway, I’m not talking about house cats this time. Well, unless you own a tiger and in that case you are a crazy person and you should know that no matter how much your tiger  “loves” you it will only end with someone getting mauled.  Don’t keep tigers as pets.  So, if you like tigers, but don’t like being mauled, I have a better and much safer way for you to help. (more…)

Did you know that an elephant can poop up to 80 lbs of (eh hem) doo a day? Fascinating!

Elephant waste is a prime ingredient to the Woodland Park Zoo’s bi-annual Fecal Fest and distribution of Zoo Doo. Twice a year, zoo keepers shovel pounds and pounds of non-primate herbivore waste into the back lots of the Woodland Park Zoo. Then for six months, the compost process of all that poo creates some of the riches soil in the Pacific Northwest. And you can get some of it!

Zoo Doo photo courtesy of the Woodland Park Zoo

Enter the lottery right now for your chance to take home some zoo doo. Spring Fecal fest postcards can be submitted March 1-18, 2011; Pick up dates are April 8-24, 2011. For more information about how to request and pick up your doo visit the Fecal Fest website. 

Doo is a fully composted blend of animal manures mixed with straw bedding, grass, leaves and wood chips from the grounds of the zoo. This 100 percent recycled product comes from, elephants, hippos, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, and oryx among others creating nearly one million pounds of compost each year saving $60,000 per year in disposal costs.

Questions about Zoo Doo or how to obtain it? Call the Zoo Doo Poopline (I’m not kidding) at 206.625.POOP or email webkeeper@zoo.org

Believe it or not, zoo doo makes a great gift for the green thumbs in your life I know this from experience (You’re welcome, Dad!)

How:

Only one postcard (I used a 3×5 index card) per person is eligible for the drawing. Phone orders will not be taken. Send a standard postcard to Zoo Doo, Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th St., Seattle, WA 98103. Include the following information:

• Name
• Day/evening phone numbers
• Preference: Zoo Doo or Bedspread
• Amount of Zoo Doo or Bedspread you’d like to purchase (anything from a garbage back to a full-sized pick up truck load)
• Weekday or weekend preference for pick up

Just saw on the Woodland Park Zoo’s blog (via MyBallard.com) that if you wear green to the zoo this weekend (March 5 & 6), you’ll get in half price! If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of that adorable orangutan that wears a potato sack like a shawl and stares at the kids who are staring back, then this is a great opportunity to go for a visit.

According to the Zoo,

“The special weekend ushers in the Zoos and Aquariums Committing to Conservation (ZACC) conference hosted by the zoo. To celebrate this important global network for wildlife and habitat conservation, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has proclaimed the week of March 7-11 to be ‘Woodland Park Zoo Field Conservation Week.’

“Special keeper talks, discovery stations, and the zoo’s 1,000 animal ambassadors will introduce visitors to the critical field conservation projects that Woodland Park Zoo supports around the globe. Visitors will learn what they can do in their daily lives to share the planet with wild animals in their backyard and around the world.”

With that said, you’ll be seeing me at the zoo. It’s open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come enjoy this wonderful, local attraction and remember it’s the little gems like the Zoo that remind us of what a cool community we live in.

A segway from Shannon’s post yesterday leads me to the Woodland Park Zoo’s Turkey Toss, where I’m not sure the carnivorous creatures gobbling up these innocent birds are so concerned with the herbal ecstasy of lemon and oregano.

On Saturday, November 20 from 10am to 2pm zoo staff will chuck raw turkeys at animals that I’d rather not get involved with. According to the zoo, they call this an “animal enrichment” activity for prey such as jaguars, snow leopards, lions grizzly bears and komodo dragons. The zoo also claims that the turkey treats are a part of the zookeepers’ ongoing efforts to help improve the lives of the zoo’s animals, promote natural animal behavior, keep animals mentally and physically stimulated and engage zoo visitors. They do it all for us!

Photo courtesy of: Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

Here’s a list of lucky participants and feeding times

• Jaguar, 10:00 a.m.
• Snow leopards, 10:00 a.m.
• Lions, 10:30 a.m.
• Golden lion tamarin monkeys, 11:00 a.m.
• Ocelots, 11:30 a.m.
• Grizzly bears, Noon
• Willawong Station, 1:30 p.m.
• Pigs, 1:30 p.m.
• Komodo dragons, 2:00 p.m.
• Lemurs, 2:00 p.m.
• Tiger, 2:00 p.m.

I have a hunch this feeding session will be slightly more aggressive than the annual Pumpkin Bash that zoo residents take part in after Halloween has come and gone.

The Turkey Toss is free with zoo admission.

So last week I packed up all my stuff and make the long and arduous move all the way from Ballard to Queen Anne.  I’ve got a great view, and fortunately, my internet reconnected.  I felt like a bit of a cave person for a couple of days.  It’s nice to know we really can function without internet and TV for a little while.

Anyway, today, Saturday, May 4, the Woodland Park Zoo is debuting their newest furry little creatures.  MEERKATS! Now, meerkats are part of a set of animals that were extremely popular for a while and suddenly made people obsessed with meerkats.  Just as penguins has their time to shine in March of the Penguins and Happy Feet the meerkats had their pop culture moment with Meerkat Manor which was a series on Animal Planet for four seasons. (Oh, and just for the record, those dancing animals in Madagascar were lemurs, not meerkats)  With the penguin exhibit last year and the meerkats this year it looks like the zoo  is trying to cash in on kind of dated pop culture/animal phenomenons. Or maybe they just like meerkats.

Really though, those meerkats are cute and I’m sure they will be a great addition, but I have one criticism.  Meerkute?  That’s their new add campaign.   Regular things are cure, but the meerkats are meerkute.  So “meerkute” is some sort of cute superlative.  I mean, they are pretty cute (Seiously, Google “baby meerkat” and try not to go “awwww”)

Even worse, there is a song.  A meerkute song.  And a dance.  I guess I do have to keep in mind that it is probably directed at four-year-olds so I probably shouldn’t be too harsh.  But it is one of those songs where they try to shove in scientific information while still keeping it fun for kids.  It’s a good idea, but often leads to lines like my personal favorite “Stand up tall and point your tail…pretend like you’re the dominant female.”  Catchy.  All while repeating “do the meerkute” over and over again.  (I was proud of myself for correctly picking out the singer of said meerkat song as Chris Ballew, lead singer of the Presidents of the United States of America). I also once wrote a song about the Great Barrier Reef, so perhaps I shouldn’t judge.

So, go check out the meerkats.  They are also opening the new west entrance today which promises faster entry.  Just don’t try to make “meerkute” happen.

Easter is coming up on Sunday, but don’t fret if you forgot or don’t have plans. There’s plenty of ways to celebrate the holiday Seattle-style including:

• Take a Chocolate Tour– If the Easter Bunny forgot to leave you sweet treats, take an unofficial tour of the many fabulous (and famous) chocolate shops around the city. Theo, Fran’s Chocolates, Dilattante, and Chocopolis are known for some of the best organic and artisan chocolate treats in the country.
• Run through the Tulip Fields – Nothing says spring like Tulips and this weekend marks the first weekend of the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. While the fields aren’t exactly in Seattle (they’re approximately 60 miles north of the city) this is an event not to be missed. Be sure to bring your cameras and remember to wear rain boots as the fields can get extremely muddy.
• Wine Taste in Woodinville – Woodinville has so many wonderful wineries to tickle your palate (in fact I’ll be doing a post about in the next few weeks so stay tuned!) Some of my favorites include Efeste, Brian Carter Cellars, William Church Winery, Januik, Edmonds Winery and Matthews Estate. You might want to call ahead to see if these wineries will be open on Easter.
• Visit the Zoo! – I love the zoo and we are fortunate to have the amazing Woodland Park Zoo right in our own backyard. Check out the new(ish) penguin and flamingo exhibits, they’re fantastic! While I’m still mourning the closure of my beloved nocturnal house, there’s still something for everyone at Woodland Park Zoo.
• Swing Your Way into Spring – For a unique twist to celebrating the holiday, check out the Seattle Easter Swing competition taking place on April 3 and 4th. Whether you’re a performer or an audience member, this West Coast swing dance competition is sure to get your feet tapping.

I know that there is a group of people out there who believe that global warming is a myth perpetrated by scientists in an evil plot to make us be nicer to the planet, but those people are not living in Seattle right now.  And I don’t mean that in a Seattle-is-full-of-democrats sort of way.  I mean it in a look-at-all-the-cherry-blossoms-and-take-off-your-coat kind of way (oh, and it’s still February).  The last few days have been totally beautiful and it is your job and mine as Seattleites to make the most of it while it lasts.  According to weather.com, and weather.com would never lie to me, it is to be sunny through Tuesday so get out there and start exposing your likely pasty faces to those unfamiliar UV rays.

One of my favorite sunny day activities is a ride on the Washington State Ferries.  It’s a relatively inexpensive way to get out on the water and remind yourself just how beautiful this area and the city really are.  From downtown you can hop on boat to either Bainbridge Island (35 minute ride) or Bremerton (60 minute ride) and the ride is only $6.90 to walk on (which I recommend since it’s pretty pricey to tak your car).  You only have to pay one way as a walk-on as well.

I am from Kitsap County and riding the ferry was always one of the best parts of going to Seattle.  I still always ride on the side of the ferry facing Seattle (which is also where I ran into my boyfriend, so there is also sentimental value).  My nostalgia aside, Seattle has the largest ferry system in the United States and we are lucky to have it.  It is a great, relaxing way to travel and to really take time to look at the natural beauty of the area.  It’s really not about the destination.  If you are interested in a destination though, Bainbridge Island is your quintessential cute cafe and coffee shop kind of place, and Bremerton, well, they’re trying.  Really, the Bremerton waterfront has seriously improved since I was a kid at the very least and it’s worth it just for the ferry ride.

Anyway, I hold firm that when it is actually sunny in Seattle we know how to truly appreciate it.  So please, prove me right.  Make the most of the sunshine and don’t go see Avatar for the eighth time.

Another good way to spend your weekend in the sun would be out at the Woodland Park Zoo with me.  Next weekend is the last weekend for the nocturnal exhibit so catch the bats before they’re gone.