Yesterday I enjoyed all the family birthday calls (from Mom, Alex, Andy & Sandy, Lisa) as well as all the birthday wishes on FB.  I took my LED birthday glasses with me yesterday, and (to Tom's dismay, but to the enjoyment of the kids in line behind us) did wear them, blinking, while we waited to go in.  Unfortunately the batteries on them finally gave out yesterday.

 The OdySea Aquarium has a huge parking lot, but still there were WAY too many cars (and despite no empty spaces, cars still were literally pouring in.) After 15 fruitless minutes, with many cars parked desperately in non spots, Tom finally decided to opt for the valet parking - so you know parking was bad!  We had another seemingly endless wait - only to find out they were full. (Gee, maybe they could have put out a sign?) 

So it was back past the far end of the lot,

where we parked in front of some "road closed" barricades.

After that it was no surprise that the aquarium was a busy place, but it's quite big,so we really had no trouble seeing any of the exhibits.  Of course it's easy to guess which one was  my favorite... Penguins!!! 

There were 30 cuties to watch, above 

and below the water.

I was not the only one sporting a penguin shirt. 

This dad was in our group of 8.

Didn't really learn anything I didn't know during the 15-minute classroom part of PIP experience.  Jen did explain to one of the kids, who asked why penguins can't fly, that's because their bones are not hollow.  For a more detailed explanation, you can read about it here:

http://www.pinguins.info/Engels/Evo_vlieg_eng.html

I did get to run my fingers through a tublet of penguin feathers,

which were surprisingly small, soft, and fluffy.

Waterproof Feathers

Unlike most other birds, penguins spend most of their time underwater where staying warm is a challenge, and so their feathers have adapted to suit this need. The bases of feathers, closest to the body of the penguin, are fluffy and downy, trapping a layer of insulating air close to the body. However, the tips of the feathers are very stiff and a lot like fish scales. This stops the water pressure from squeezing the layer of insulating air out. Because penguins have so many feathers (about 10,000- 4 times more than a 'normal' flying bird), the stiff feather tips overlap and are able to completely cover the down layer, acting as a waterproof barrier. In addition, a gland near the tail of the penguin produces oil which the penguins coat themselves in. As oil repels water, this further ensures the penguins remain dry. Remaining dry is important because otherwise water would soak through to the down layer of the feather, causing the penguin to become cold.

Another surprise was that while their backs felt soft, their flippers were rather hard, and of a completely different texture...  more like Pokey's skin.

A penguin wing is called a flipper. It is a hard, rigid paddle covered with tiny stiff feathers that are not waterproof (unlike the feathers on the rest of a penguin body). A penguin flipper has a shape comparable to an airplane's wing.

Birds normally have hollow bones, since little weight helps in flying. Due to the shape of their wings, normal birds only gain speed by the down stroke. Penguins however have solid bones, which are heavier. This helps in buoyancy. In addition, penguins gain speed by both the up and down strokes of their flippers. Because a penguin flipper is so hard, it is also used as a weapon in penguin discussions or fights.

Penguins sometimes spread their wings away from their body. This allows them to cool down on a hot day. Heat can flow away from their flippers since this is practically the only part of the body (together with the feet) that doesn't have a thick plumage to conserve heat.

We had to remove all jewelry before meeting them (penguins are quite curious) but I had my thermorest with me to sit on, and one of the penguins was definitely extremely interested in the valve that inflates it.   

We got to dangle various toys for the penguins to play with, and the one I chose (a bell with multi-colored curly ribbons attached) was not as attractive to them as the one (a plastic donut with a simple yellow cord) held by the girl next to me.  I was genuinely touched when she offered to let me hold hers since none of the penguins seemed interested in mine, though I declined.  I was perfectly happy to watch the penguin interact with her. 

It was somewhat disappointing that (for various reasons) Tom couldn't take the expected pictures. Still the experience was definitely a blast, and I think it was worth the extra $. I did get the complimentary picture as a memento, and this morning I tried to scan it from the printer onto my laptop.  Is anyone surprised that I could not get them to talk to each other?  So I reverted to the lower-tech route, and took a picture of the picture with my camera.

We certainly enjoyed the aquarium and (despite the negative things Tom had heard) both felt like the $32/ticket (senior price) was worthwhile. We stayed a long time, walking/standing on the cement floor for almost 5 hours, but I'm very happy to report that my back behaved beautifully - and still seems fine this morning.  There was a time (and not too long ago) when doing that would have made me miserable! 

In the dim light, however, both of us managed to bump into the steps placed in front of various displays so little ones could climb up for a better view. Tom did it twice (I'm a faster learner, and only did it once...) so we wondered if we would be sporting shin bruises today.  Happily not!

Afterward we went out for a steak dinner.  Neither of us could finish our meals, so we should enjoy a yummy lunch today.  Plans for today possibly include doing some kitchen remodeling 'shopping'.