Three Beautiful Things 10/22/19: Scouting Kellogg, Lack of Focus!, World Series at the Lounge

1. I have a modest picture taking project in mind to do in Kellogg, but until I actually get it going, I'm keeping my idea to myself. I miss having an ongoing project. My two favorites in Eugene were when I took pictures of people holding hands and when I took pictures of places to sit on people's porches, in their yards, and other places. So, today, I did some scouting in Kellogg and soon I'll start this project and see if it works.

2. I drove up the river today to take pictures. On the first part of my outing, I screwed up. I've been itching to take my manual lenses out and, for today, I mounted my Tamron 28mm manual lens on my Nikon. I parked in the Coal Creek parking area that opens up immediately upon turning off Forest Service Road 9 just past mile marker 13.  Instead of heading up the trail, I went out along Road 9 and took pictures of the river, the trees that had turned yellow, and the rock faces across the river. I entered into serious tunnel thinking. I was severely preoccupied with composition and with getting the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture as close to right as I could.

I was so preoccupied that I forgot that I also had to manually adjust the focus.

I realized this a while later when I stopped on the Old River Road not far from Albert's Place. Not one of the pictures I took up by Coal Creek was any good. For a second, I started to reprimand myself for all the pictures I've taken over the years, not only using, but depending on, automatic focus. Then I laughed at myself. And, at this new spot on the river, I took a series of pictures mindful of the exposure, composition, and, ta da!, focus.

I jumped back in the Sube and drove a short ways up Wall Ridge Road. I loved the views, but I didn't much care for the road surface once the paved part ended. I found a place to turn around, came back down to the Old River Road, and decided that soon I'm going to return to this area, park the Sube somewhere close to Albert's Country Store, and walk/hike up Wall Ridge Road and take some landscape pictures up there. 

3. Back home, I got a text from Cas inviting me to watch Game 1 of the World Series up at the Lounge. I had planned on watching at home and welcomed this change of plans. Doug Y came up, too, and the three of us settled in at the bar and watched the game unfold.

I felt a little giddy, eager to see how the Washington Nationals would perform after nearly a week layoff. Both teams started their premier pitchers. The Astros' Gerrit Cole hadn't lost a start since May 22 and had looked indomitable in his recent playoff outings against the Yankees and Rays. The Nationals countered with Max Scherzer who has been a little bit inconsistent, but overcome his laspes with guile and guts.

Scherzer can be a bit wobbly early in games and, sure enough, in the bottom of the first, Scherzer walked George Springer, surrendered a single to Jose Altuve, and, after striking out two hitters, gave up a double to Yuli Gurriel and the Astros grabbed a quick 2-0 lead.

I felt some low level dread. Scherzer was not sharp. He was throwing a lot of pitches and with the way Cole has been pitching over the last five months, just a slim 2-0 lead seemed huge for the Astros.

But, I should know by now. The Nationals are a team of battlers, used to being down in games, well-practiced in comebacks.

Sure enough, in the top of the second, Ryan Zimmerman hit a towering home run. Scherzer continued to struggle, but the Astros, despite putting several runners on base, didn't score.

In the top of the fourth inning, Juan Soto hit a solo blast and then, in the top of the fifth, after Adam Eaton hit a run-scoring single, Soto scorched a double to left field, driving in two runs.

I stared, stunned, at the Lounge's tv screen above the bar. I almost started pinching myself. Oh my God! The Nationals scored five runs off of Gerrit Cole.

Max Scherzer wobbled on. He pitched himself out of some tight spots, but, having thrown 112 pitches, left the game after five innings. A string of relievers followed. The Astros chipped away at the Nats' lead. The fearsome George Springer homered in the seventh and slammed a double that drove in a run in the eighth, but with two out in the eighth, Sean Dolittle got the third out and slammed the door on the Astros in the ninth.

It's a huge win for the Nationals. They won against the Astros' best pitcher. Their own ace, Max Scherzer, struggled, but prevailed. It's always a big deal to win a game in a seven game series on the road.

For Game 2, both teams again have powerful pitchers starting: Verlander for the Astros and Strasburg for the Nationals.

I don't know what to expect.

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Even though I was a bone head today out taking pictures, I'd thought I'd post a few of the pictures I took on the Old River Road.