Wednesday - halfway there....

Last night was the HTI social at the aquarium - because of the sheer numbers we were divided into three time slots, but despite this there were the usual queues to get in. The evening was sponsored by HTI (hydroacoustics) and they had a number of demonstration running. They had fish in one of the tanks which had been tagged - a small electronic tag had been put inside a food pellet and the fish had eaten it. The output from the tags were displayed on a giant computer screen.

coloured traces showing the position of the fish....

There were some interesting exhibits including a shoreline with waves generated on it, together with exhibits such as northern fur seals. There was the inevitable beer but sadly all the food had gone by the time I got in so we ended up hunting round for somewhere still serving at after 10.30. Found a late night bar/restaurant and had a pretty average, over priced salmon flatbread.

Seattle sunset...

Lesser spotted stripy weegledouferfish

My usual daily routine is to get up about 6 and go down to the lobby where there is a small coffee shop. I get a latte, a croissant and a juice before going back up to my room to eat these, write this blog, and select the days presentations. I have managed to get a $5voucher towards the cost of breakfast by declining room service - I can make my own bed despite what Les thinks.....! Presentations start at 8am so the rest of the morning is spent moving from room to room to ensure I get to see as much as possible. There is a mid morning break - yet more coffee, biscuits, muffins etc. Then another session... until lunch.

Lunch varies depending on who's around -this lunchtime I went with Ian Cowx and Ian Winfield to the Cheesecake factory -across the road from the conference centre. The trick with American eating, I have decided, is to get the smallest thing on the menu. I ordered a turkey sandwich but this also came with a large bowl of baked potato soup (tasty!). Thank goodness I asked them to hold the green salad....I accompanied this with freshly squeezed orange and it cost about $15.

Tonight is the 'Grand Social' at the Seattle Needle and space park - and afterwards we plan to go to a nearby blues club....