Bjorklund Log: The Locks

There have been several trips to the Ballard Locks lately...not by boat, but as a land excursion. I always loved going to the Locks when I was a kid. We usually got a picnic meal of fish and chips from the Totem House and after we had eaten, my sister and I would roll down the terraced hills, not to mention looking at the cool boats and watching the Locks themselves work to transport boats either up to lake level, or down to sea level.

It's really fun to take my own kids to a place I loved going so much. Tor took both boys alone one day, then we had a great family excursion where the boys walked and walked and walked, and later I even had the guts to take Lars and Odin there by myself without a stroller. It was just two little boys on their feet, with their monkey backpack harnesses in case they decided to make a break for it. It all went great until we were headed back to the car and Lars decided to walk through a barrier protecting a planting area and an Army Corps of Engineers employee gave me a very stern look, even though I running after him to try and stop him. Simultaneously Odin was eating a berry off of the black mondo grass. Ack! I can't be in two places at the same time! I frantically googled "black mondo grass berry toxicity" on my iphone and fortunately it appeared to be non-toxic. I was glad to get us all back to the car, but all in all we've had fun at the locks lately.