Chapter 67 - A Walk in the Country

It's seldom that I have one blog for just, essentially, one day. But we learn, we grow, we change. And so, for what might be the first time, I am pretty much gonna spend this whole Chapter on one day, with a few exceptions.

And the exceptions appear right at the beginning so I'll be able to move past them quickly and get on with the Walk in the Country. And there they are!!

I opened the blinds two days ago (April 29, 2018) and saw this!! A second drake sitting out on the lawn with another drake and a hen. What the!?!?! Having learned that if you want a picture of a bird, any bird, you better move quick and decisively cause, Brother, they ain't gonna wait around for you, I quickly grabbed my camera and headed outside where I got these shots. Believe me, you know me, I got more than just this one but I am, really, getting better at self-editing. I saw just the three mallards. While I was clicking away, the middle drake started quacking and then, POW, they all took flight.

I was surprised by this and tried to just point the camera in their direction and click away (I had the camera set to the "continuous" shooting mode. Unfortunately, I had started to zoom in closer and so when they took off I was zoomed in so much I couldn't catch them all in flight.

And, as I was clicking away, I saw the second hen. She'd been down the slope towards the creek and out of my view. So there were two pairs of mated mallards. Uh, WOW!!

This was the only reasonable picture I was able to get. All the others, equally blurred, were portions of the ducks or just sky or a building. Hahaha, I am not that quick on the draw.

I saw this while surfing and it struck me. Here, for just one red cent, you got a good laugh, some practical advice and a chance to buy a "CHEMICAL MAGIC SET, FREE!" Well, almost free. Just read the small print.

First off, I'm glad they qualified their offer by clearly stating the four tubes of chemicals we'd receive with our CHEMICAL MAGIC SET, FREE were "HARMLESS" You just don't know how many times my Mom said no when I asked for those chemistry sets with the pesky "DANGEROUS" chemicals. And, hey, they even tell you it's "EDUCATIONAL". Whew!! That makes it even more OK.

The only kicker is that to get it "FREE" you had to send in "300 BAZOOKA COMICS". Man, that would involve a helluva lot of gum-chewing!! It would take over a year for me to get 300 of them. (I wasn't that big a gum-chewer preferring instead to gnaw on candy, chairs, pencils, fingernails, old shoes and, occasionally, the carpet.) But if you had the geld, all .60 cents of it, you could send that in with only "10 COMICS" and still get the "CHEMICAL MAGIC SET". Ah, the fun.

And you got all of this plus a sizable chunk of tooth-rotting, cavity-causing, sugar-filled chewing gum for just a penny!! 

Just A Penny. 

Hahaha, we lived in a magical time way back then. Fun piece of trivia, BAZOOKA BUBBLE GUM was introduced to a grateful public in 1947.

And the advice was good. True then and true today. 

A PERSON IS MEASURED BY THE PROMISES HE MAKES. KEEP YOUR WORD.

NUMBER ONE

OK, that was my little prelude to the main feature. My "Walk in the Country." So, settle down, grab your favorite adult beverage and something to nibble on, like, say, a piece of BAZOOKA BUBBLE GUM (now one piece costs around a quarter and, sadly, has no cartoon, advice or advertisements for such exotic toys as a CHEMICAL MAGIC SET, FREE) and enjoy this little junket through the wilds of Oregon and, vaguely, briefly, it's storied past.

First up is the Covered Bridge over Drift Creek.

Originally built in 1914 it was neglected and torn down in 1997. But they rebuilt it and dedicated it to the Oregon Pioneers and Settlers in 2003. Looks familiar. We've seen the same essential design several other times.

And the marker commemorating the dedication of the new bridge.

And a small piece of the beauty there in the details. This small piece is on the far left of the dedication stone pictured above. I gotta admit it is one of my pleasures to stand back and 'see' the little pictures within the big picture. And then, with the wonder of the mighty 'zoom' lens, to reach out and capture it is just great. And, sometimes, you find it in the big picture you've taken and then you crop down and pull out the essential, little picture hidden within.

It's great and I enjoy the heck out of it. I love the way a zoom can focus in. I love the way you can crop and bring out the picture you wanted all along.

Whup!!

There it is, the Mighty Drift Creek. The Causa Existentium of the Covered Bridge.

Again I am struck by how fortunate I am to be able to so easily reach into nature and enjoy scenes such as these with little or no effort. And I enjoy the soft sound of moving water as it meanders on its way to the Pacific Ocean.

This small stable with two horses was just to the side of the bridge. The bridge is not isolated. Just across it is someone's house and on the side with the road there's a large utility barn with farm equipment set out in front. It's set in a working area.

Just a nice composition. Sue me.

I think these are Showy Jacob's Ladder. Regardless, they were certainly prolific around the area where the covered bridge was. And, yeah, they're small. One could easily hide behind a dime. And, yeah, someday I'm gonna have a dime on me to use for comparison.

Someday.

Ah, Spring. Finally you're here. Took your damn sweet time, Sister!!

But you're here now and that's all that matters. Blooms and buds abound. Color dominates...or at least color the landscape. I'm a liking Spring.

But soon enough it was over. I enjoyed the bridge. I walked through it. Stopped inside and admired the craftsmanship. And enjoyed. 

NUMBER TWO

And then I moved on. Just up Hwy 18 was N. Slick Rock Creek Road and it looked, on Google, like it might be walkable and so there's where I went. And here's what I found. A country road leading off into the deep country of Oregon. A house every couple hundred yards or so and lots of field in-between. Oh, and Slick Rock Creek running just off to the west from this road (that'd be to the right in this picture).

I found a good parking place on a pull out and secured the Ol' KIA and was just starting off when...

I got a text from Carol. She was baby-sitting Isaiah and had stopped by and saw that I wasn't there. She wondered where I'd gotten off to. And, by way of a witty response on my part, I took this picture and texted her back saying, "Gone for a walk." I do have a way with words, y'know.

And so, having exchanged pleasantries with Carol, I was off.

And seeing the Oregon countryside. Which is, obviously, sorta green. Mossy green. FYI, that moss is growing every-which-way. North, South, East and West. Stupid moss. I guess it didn't get the memo about only growing on the north side of a tree. Or maybe it's Oregon and it just does whatever in the hell it wants to do.

But, there it was, in all its greenishness.

And across from me was this stand of birch. Like the birch. 

Hahaha, patterns, shapes, shadows and lines. Small wonder I like these trees, right!?!

I'd gone up the road a piece and looked back for this shot of the trusty KIA waiting for me along the side of the road.

And began walking again. It's fun and it is definitely exercise. I need more of the latter than the former but when I can get them together than it's all the more better.

And I see things like this mailbox decorated with stick-on reflectors. You won't miss this Bad Boy even if you don't have your brights on. Hahaha, it will reflect like nobody's business.  Why give directions? Just tell them to turn onto N. Slick Rock Creek Road and drive until you see the reflecting mailbox. You're there.

There weren't as many birds as I expected or wanted. I saw a couple and, in this instance, was able to catch one. Oh, there were a couple Robins but, really, I've shot the heck out of Robins. And I'm getting sorta tired of Jays, too.

But I did get this one.

On the open road.

There was more traffic than I had expected. It wasn't heavy but it was semi-steady. Hahaha, what would people do without their cars and trucks? I know I'd be one unhappy little puppy.

Yeah, OK. I know. A Robin. Sue me.

One of the allures of the road is what is up around the bend or over the hill. It's always a source of new pleasure and, sometimes, disappointment.

But there is always a new road to explore. What's that old canard? It's not the destination it's the journey!! 

Hooah!!

OK, so I am trying to grow as a photographer. I shot this picture several different ways trying to get it sharp. I was also interested in the color, too. Some of my shots have been not quite true to the color. At any rate, I am trying to break away, occasionally, from the "P", the Program Mode. 

I tried it with Av and Tv and even set the ISO to 400. I tried several different combinations. This one was f5 at 1/640 with the zoom set at 50mm. What is considered the 'normal' lens, the one that most closely replicates what the human eye sees.

So the best one was with an ISO of 400 and a Shutter Speed priority of 1/640. The camera set the f-stop. I shot a whole bunch of these but this was the one I liked best. Clarity and color. What I was reaching for.

And I used a monopod!! I'm growing. Honest. 

Then I went through ALL the shots I'd taken with the B&W setting. And, lo and behold, the one I chose as the best of all those was the one with the same exact settings as the color picture.

And what I really liked here is that while this picture is still somewhat flat, without the deep black and blazing whites of an Adams print, it had more zing to it than any other B&W I've shot. It has some personality...it's not a flat, one-dimensional monotone.

Progress.

And then I tried some on the dandelions. Hahaha, yeah, I love standing off a bit and zooming in like a son of a gun.

Note to self: Once you get way out there with the zoom the monopod doesn't help all that much. Man, I was shaking all over using the monopod. I finally had to put the camera strap around my neck and angle the monopod into the ground so I could push forward and steady the camera while the lens was zoomed out there. An odd combination but, hey, it worked. I was a wee bit steadier. 

But, yeah, I recognize the tripod would have been better. Baby steps, Man.

Isn't this a kick!! The white fluff has almost all been blown away by the wind but a few remain to make this interesting. I like it. I'd like it better with some snappier blacks and whites but, as I said, baby steps, Man.

Hahaha, it seemed like I had walked a lot further. 

Hola, KIA.

Some omnipresent broom. Not as deadly as gorse but as invasive and persistent.

But neither hold a candle to the ubiquitous dandelion.

Hahaha, go away!!

Did you know this rascal can grow roots as deep as 15 feet into the ground if left undisturbed. Hahaha, I wish I had its staying power.

If dandelions were hard to grow, 

they would be most welcome on any lawn.

                                                                                        Andrew Mason

Did I mention the green moss. 

There was a rushing creek down in the small valley paralleling the road but I couldn't see it. The trees were too thick, the incline too steep and the ground covering too dense. Trying to go down to the water would have been precarious and dangerous for me now.

NUMBER THREE

I've been here before. It's the N. North Bank Road and it parallels the Salmon River on its run down to the ocean. The bridge spans the river where it takes a sharp turn to the left and then, after a couple hundred feet, another sharp turn to the right. In a short span it goes from the north side of the road to the south. And where it turns, there's a deep pool of almost standing water.

The first time I saw it, the 8-year old boy in me got all excited. How cool it would have been to be young and swimming in that calm water. How cool it would have been to dive beneath the river water and come up splashing through the surface of the water. And there's an area there that is made for having a picnic.

Well, you'll see. Here's the bridge. I was coming in from the east heading west on N. North Bank Road. The path down to the river is ahead where you can see the trail heading down. You'd need to walk under the bridge to get to the picnic area where there's a natural shelf where the water is shallow and calm that is made for wading into the river.

But first, let's never forget and always remember we're in Oregon. And even at 1541 in the afternoon after a day without any rainfall, there is still the morning dew on the grass.

Unbelievable.

So, if Michelle is cool with it, I thought we'd put together a picnic lunch and come down here and let the girls wade in the river. There's a lot of rocks but we could be comfortable enough for an hour or two. Some fun along the river.

This is taken from the bridge shooting on the north side where the river takes a sharp turn to the left.

And here's the deep pond of almost standing water seen from the south side of the bridge. Just beyond that are the rocks that help to dam up the water creating the deep pool. And it's there the river takes that sharp right so that it back on its westerly course once again.

You can see the rock shelf there on the left and then it drops down into the deeper pool.

The Salmon River moving on down towards the ocean.

I couldn't pass up a chance for a 'road' picture. I realize I'm tired, deathly tired, of the rain. But I admit the road would look better had it just rained and it was still wet. Deeper black with a shiny luster.

The rock shelf on the east side of the deep pond. The water is moving but not as quickly as it does at each of the bends.

The old bridge looking towards where I parked the KIA.

There's the bend on the northern side of the river. It's rougher but it is a lot more shallower there. The water runs faster as it moves into the pool created by the rocks on the other bend. And I call it a beach but there's the shore where you could spread out and relax and have fun. You can see the rock shelf made for wading.

Evidently, my first picture didn't get through to Carol cause she texted me again asking where I was. So, having had fun taking the 'selfie' the first time I did it again. And I sent her the picture with another pithy statement, "I'm taking a walk." or something like that. Hahaha, witty and terse!!

And it's not a bad pic for my little old-time cell phone. Tell you what, when I die you can consider using this as that picture they always put up by the head of the casket. If you have one...a casket that is. If not that then maybe the obit picture. If you have one. Yeah, it's that good cuz normally I don't take good pictures. Oh, and be sure to give me credit for this picture.

NUMBER FOUR

OK, I scouted out the river and then drove on down to Otis. There's a point where the N. North Bank Road T-Bones into the N. Old Scenic Highway 101. You turn left towards Otis or right toward Tillamook. I turned left and this takes you past a pasture filled with horses. All the horses were down by the river grazing so I parked about halfway down on N. Old Scenic Highway 101 and started walking back to the bridge that, once again, spanned the Salmon River. There's an open field on either side and while I was moseying up the road I saw the chance to grab a shot of a bird in a snag.

I had the picture in my mind and switched to B&W and then brought the camera up and zoomed in just in time to watch him fly away. The rascal. But I did get this one shot and I sorta liked it. 

If I were real artsy I would create some artsy-fartsy trope about this and life and bleak and loneliness and whatever other nonsense it would take to sell it and make me some money. But I am not artsy, fartsy or otherwise. But I do like this picture.

I did mention horses and here they are. These two stayed up in the pasture while the rest were grazing by the river. Just a nice picture, a gentle composition.

I wonder if this one thought I might have some feed of some kind. He was interested in me until he decided I had nothing to offer and then, like most other living creatures, he ignored me. Hahaha, working the drama, huh!?!

I got the picture of the crow only because of the other small bird there. Otherwise I would, I try to avoid any pictures of crows...or ravens. Ugly things.

There they are. A gentle bucolic scene of horses grazing along the bank of a river.

And, again, these were about the only birds I saw. Stupid crows. 

Nevermore.

The Salmon from the other side, away from the horses, of the bridge. It's quite a river.

I don't know. At least it wasn't a crow.

Looking south down the N. Old Scenic Highway 101. There's the KIA. And there are the fields on either side. It was a beautiful day. A good day for a walk.

A Bird on a Wire.

I can't help it. This phrase always comes to mind. It's the title of a 1990 Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn film about a lawyer who discovers her dead husband isn't and, well, hilarious bedlam ensues. Take my word for it. The title came from a song written by Leonard Cohen and recorded by Johnny Cash.

And now I use it whenever I see a...bird...on...a...wire. Every damn time.

Just in case you were keeping score, I visited four different places. Here's a convenient google map to show you where I stopped and, because I AM a nice guy, the order in which I stopped. Seriously, I thought I'd include this to show you just how close everything is to me here in Lincoln City.

Hwy 18 goes into The 101 and within a couple miles you're deep into LCO.

There it is. A walk in the country. A good day. I did some thinking and shooting and got some exercise. All in all a very good day.

And now to leave you with this from Oscar Wilde. 

Hey, Oscar!! Easier said than done, Amigo.



Hooah!!