Seattle's Longest Play of the Season

"I went out there and lined up, and I knew it was man to man right away. They had all the defensive backs over, and I just kept shaking my head, yes... give me a chance, and he did."  ~ Doug Baldwin, Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks

It was stated back in Week 12 of the 2015-16 NFL season. The game: Pitsburg at Seattle. Everything seemed on the line that day. Both teams really needed the W. The lead had gone back and forth almost all game, particularly in the last quarter. 

Then, with a little over 2 minutes left on the clock, the Hawks slammed the door on Pittsburg. At 3rd and 9, the Hawks on Pittsburg's 20 yardline, Baldwin ran a route towards the middle - just past the 30. He caught Wilson's pass that was thrown through the blitz like a gunshot, and ran it roughly 70 yards for a touchdown. His teammate, Tyler Lockett ran the distance along side him, providing the perfect shove at around the 10 yardline, keeping the path clear.

It was epic for so many reasons, but most of all, because the Hawks as a team had finally taken down a Goliath, of sorts. I'm not confident about their success afterward if they had lost that game. It contributed to a momentum shift in the season, not only providing a recollection of their greatness (and possibly the greatness to come), but also was reported as one of the NFL's best plays of the week. I believe it will mark the point where the season began to take on a championship look once again.

November

November was a noteworthy month. I celebrated my birthday with immediate family in Yosemite. I figured if I paid for a room that could house us all, we'd be ok. There was a total of five of us. Dawn said that anyone who thought there wouldn't be any drama under those circumstances had too high of an expectation. She was correct that there was some drama, but I'm proud to state that it subsided rather easily. There was simply too much love to go around.

Fall in Yosemite is a photographer's dream. A storm had recently passed through, and had left several inches of snow on the ground. We brought our bicycles, and the ground was icy. It was difficult to stay warm on them, and I didn't experience any problems with it - until I tried to cross the plank walkway in Cook's meadow early in the morning. As I applied the brakes to deal with the slippery frost, my bike glided to the side. I lost my footing too, and slithered onto the ground. After I was down, I laughed and laughed. It was delightful outdoors with hardly anyone out - save for the photographers. That was the morning when I captured the images of Frosty Half Dome, Quiet Mirror Lake, and Yosemite Falls Rainbow (my prior 3 posts). 

The hiking was spectacular. I rejoiced when I made it to the bridge on the way to Vernal Fall and Emerald Pool. It was a goal of mine the last time we came, but we bailed when the trail was so darn crowded this past June. This time on the trail the people provided hope that getting to the top of the falls was possible. So we did. The stairway was icy and treacherous, yet I am happy to report that no one was injured despite our novice attire. I wore a pair of sturdy "yard duty" walking shoes, and was told that I made it look easy from a fellow hiker. It was not, but it was worth every step.

I also went on a nature walk with Ranger Christine from the visitor center where I learned a lot about bears. For example, did you know that that the Park Rangers have a nightshift devoted to chasing away the bears? She said that if you see a tired Ranger, they probably had just done the nightshift. On that walk, Dawn spotted a Coyote in the meadow, and I spotted an Acorn woodpecker, as well as a Great Blue heron. I've still never seen a bear, and Ranger Christine said that was a good thing. Maybe it will happen in the Winter. I hear it IS a wonderland.

On the drive home, we listened to a CD titled, Classically Disney, String Quartet Interpretations of Disney Standards. When You Wish Upon a Star brought me to tears, and we listened to The Bare Neccessities twice because we liked it so much. The CD finished with There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. A fitting end to my newest favorite destination.