Here I am, and finally comes the rain..

My first 43 days of Seattle have come and gone with nary a drop of rain. Until today that is - gloomy weather and wet leaves. I haven't even stepped out the door yet but I should be focusing on an fellowship applications anyways.

I've been told by many of the locals that the rainy season has begun in earnest and from here, there won't be much sunshine until next year rolls around. I've been lucky enough to participate in a couple of hikes since I arrived and last weekend was simply amazing. An 8-hour hike around Buckhorn mountain in the Olympics. The final summit was beautiful and I can't wait to head back to mountains, although I will need to invest in some nice hiking boots. Running shoes can only take you so far... My tip to avoid blisters: avoid wet feet with dry-fit socks. My first hike was on a cold and rainy day but I wore those and had no real problems. Last weekend's hike was dry, warm, and I had a crazy blister from wearing ordinary socks.

Oh, and if you are wearing a pair of Sauconys it's actually much easier to do a light run when coming down the summit. I've been told that you should put your weight forward to avoid slipping backwards so I adopted a dopey-looking style of running down the slopes. I may look like a giant penguin but I definitely made it down without any big issues.

The view from Marmot Pass, before our final hike up to the summit of Buckhorn Mountain

The amazing view from the summit of Buckhorn.

So you're thinking, "What's the deal?"

What are you going to be talking about all this time? I'm really not sure. Experiences from life in Seattle, and life in the lab I suppose. Observations, recipes, and foibles about life, like this one:

 

Spiders!

With the fall I've been noticing some crazy large spiders in the neighbourhood. The webs seem larger and their abdomens appear to be well-laden with something. Perhaps little eggs?

I'm starting to appreciate my phone's camera more and more for those unexpected moments :)

Cheers