There's other fish in the sea - Thursday Thirteen

M&M and I took Brainiac and Lil'K to the New England Aquarium on Saturday. It was an outing to celebrate Lil'K's 15th birthday. For those who don't know, Lil'K is my "lil' sis" through Big Brother Big Sister. We were "matched" seven years ago, and in that time, she has obviously become a part of my family. Lil' K was 8, Brainiac was 2 when they met, and they took to each other like little girls at that age will do. They are very much like cousins now, and although they don't see each other quite as often anymore, whenever they are together, that bond is apparent, and it is a joy for both M&M and I to watch our "little girls" together. Saturday was no different. The girls had a blast, and M&M and I got to act like giggly little girls as well, while checking out all the magnificent creatures the ocean has to offer. Below are just SOME of the photos I took:

1. Right outside, greeting us as we walked in, was this little guy:

I thought he was an otter, but was informed by Brainiac that he was, in fact, a seal. Either way, he was adorable and friendly.

2. The Jellyfish exhibit was fascinating and I couldn't take my eyes off these critters:

3. These guys were pretty cool too:

4. This little guy brought out the pinstrip suit, as well as the eye make-up for the occasion:

5. His friend chose to go with a more "70's" inspired look, however:

6. This dude was not feeling all that sociable, but I think that was probably for the best...

We were all a little bit freaked out by him, even if he was behind glass.

7. The seadragons gave us a bit of a dance routine to watch:

8. And Myrtle the Turtle (really her name), came right on over to say hello, managing to scare the living daylights out of the girls when she snuck up on them against the glass.
Myrtle weighs over 540 lbs., and is about 70 years old. I think she looks pretty good for her age, don't you?

9. This little guy looked like a miniature next to Myrtle. He's coming up for air here, and we were all kind of ga-ga over him.

10. Ever watch Fraggle Rock? Remember that talking rock, or pile of trash, or whatever it was in the back yard?

I think this fish was doing an impersonation of it.

11. This pretty lady in her colorful spring dress gave me my favorite shot of the day:

No, not the above shot...this one:

Well, hello there!

13. And finally, in a rare moment of self-disclosure, here's a photo of M&M, yours truly, Lil' K and Brainiac at the end of a very long day:
Hope you enjoyed your trip through the aquarium with us. Have a great Thursday everyone.