Welcome to issue #250 of My Monday Memo
by Rachel Brandes
Quote of the Week
“The only way to define your limits is by going beyond them.”
– Arthur Clarke
Today is Monday, March 10, 2025
National Napping Day
Random Photo of the Week
A sunrise photo taken from Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington. No filter. Amazing view.
Feline Tomfoolery
with Brady & Belichick
Dear Human,
Please stop waking us up from naps just to take our picture. We know we are cute when we cuddle together. You wonder why we climb all over you at night? It’s called payback…
Much Love, Brady (left) and Belichick (right)
Brady & Belichick are Rachel’s adorable felines. Brady is a short hair and very dominant and athletic, much like his namesake (Forever Patriots). Belichick, aka Beli, the long hair, was the runt of their litter and is much more passive, until provoked. These two cute boys turned one on May 4, 2024.
Where’s Blake Been?
It’s been a while since Blake has been included in the My Monday Memo, but he’s back. For anyone that isn’t familiar with Blake, he is Rachel’s oldest son. Blake is a Master Sergeant in the US Air Force, currently in Israel, and shared a few photos.
Blake has been stationed in many a location during his 11 years in service, starting with South Korea, Arizona, Germany, South Korea again, Texas and most recently, Qatar. While stationed in Qatar, he’s being utilized with a bit more travel. Blake recently spent a week in Kuwait and then headed to Tel Aviv, Israel. He isn’t sure how long he might be in Israel but says it’s a beautiful place.
Below is Blake enjoying a sunny day peering out at the Mediterranean Sea.
Below on the left is the view from Blake’s hotel room where he ‘lives’ during his time in Israel. Not a bad view. The rest of the photos are views from the area and during sightseeing.
Blake and some fellow Airman were enjoying an evening at a park when the below video was shot. Blake’s grandmothers will love this one, as they know Blake’s goofy nature. Of note, the gal across from Blake on the playground toy is a friend he was also stationed with in South Korea. It always amazes Rachel that no matter where Blake goes, he always has a friend from a previous station assignment. Enjoy the video.
Zoo Day- Visit 3 of 25
Rachel recently had the opportunity to visit the Tropical Reef Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. There are two incredible aquariums at this zoo, but the Tropical Reef Aquarium has been closed for some time due to restoration and repairs. The Tropical Reef Aquarium is a 15,000 square foot aquarium that showcases warm-water marine life.
Below is just one area of the aquariums in which visitors are able to get up close and view the colorful inhabitants. It is the Tropical Shallows habitat that is just on the other side of this space that tends to be the big attraction for kids both young and old.
The Tropical Shallows is a hand-on experience in which visitors are encouraged to touch the invertebrates. Don’t worry, there are plenty of volunteers on hand to ensure the safety of the invertebrates, as well as the visitors.
Below is the vibrant Blue Linckia Sea Star. Imagine having a few of these beauties in your reef tank. It would need to be a good size tank though, as they can reach up to 12 inches in diameter in suitable conditions.
Looking at the photo below… You may have noticed one of these little guys in the previous photo; this is the Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. Interesting name. While researching this cute ornamental shrimp, Rachel found an excerpt that said, “The Scarlet Skunk shrimp’s diet is omnivorous with a carnivorous tendency, and detritivorous.” She decided to leave it at that. It sure is cute and apparently keeps a tank clean.
Next up is the Pentaceraster Sea Star. It doesn’t quite compare to the Blue Linckia Sea Star when it comes to visual beauty, but the longer Rachel looked at them, the prettier they seemed to be. They are simple and not flashy. Truly calming and beautiful.
The most fascinating part for Rachel was what they refer to as the Outer Reef. Watching the variety of brightly colored tropical fish and variety of sharks is mesmerizing. Enjoy the video below for a calming experience.
One more thing that reopened at the Tropical Reef Aquarium with improvements was the Eye-to-Eye Shark Dives. No, thank you. With a significant fear of sharks, this is not something Rachel would entertain. Well, she does seem to try anything for a story. Hmm, we shall see. Until next time, be well.
Rachel’s goal for 2025 is to visit the zoo at least 25 times. This shouldn’t be tough with her annual pass to the beautiful Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) in Tacoma, Washington.