Oh, it’s so good to be attending a Yolo Arts and Ag farm visit. This one found us along the Sacramento River Delta in Courtland. This month we have been invited by Chiles Wilson of Rivermaid Trading Co, California’s largest grower and producer of pears (they grow cherries too!), to visit their Delta property.
Rivermaid Trading Company is a family farming business and leading innovator in growing, packing and shipping fresh pears and cherries around the world. It was a small property with the most amazing trees. You know how I love trees. There were more artists than photographers when I was there, making it more interesting. I enjoy speaking with the artists and watching them work.
It was a bright and beautiful day. The trees welcomed us.
And now for some of the artists capturing the scene their way.
And finally, a beautiful road around the property.
It was a great, short visit. And perfect for my first photo outing after my back injury. I can’t wait to see where April sends us.
Oh, it is tough to get back into routine after a vacation. Almost over a sore throat, I checked to see what outings I hadn’t shown you before we left for our Panama Canal trip. I found this delightful winery in the Delta region sponsored by the Yolo Arts and Ag Project.
It was delightful because of the photo and artistic opportunities the Heringer Vineyards offered. There were many photographers and artists in attendance. Although late in the season, some grapes were still on the vine and beautiful against their colorful leaves.
All wineries have tasting rooms and beautiful grounds. Being in the Delta, the Sacramento River is nearby.
And there were many painters sketching and painting the beautiful scenes.
Let’s not forget the traditional old and rusted farm equipment.
My camera always leads me to plants, and that morning was no different.
I think this was the last outing planned by the Yolo Arts & Ag Project for 2025. They will start again in Spring 2026. I do appreciate the opportunities they offer us.
If you read my previous post, you’d know that I left my tripod at home and was without it for our Tuesdays With Seniors Sacramento Delta trip. So when we reached Locke shortly after lunch, my challenge was to shoot this wonderful town full of historical buildings without doing HDR.
And, those of you who have been following this blog for a while know that I’ve worked hard to become one with my tripod and to rely on it for many types of shooting occasions. Past shoots have taught me that you can’t really do HDR handheld, and I almost always shoot HDR when I come across rustic buildings, etc. So I shot Locke handheld and tried to add an HDR look in processing.
“Locke was founded in 1915 after a fire broke out in the Chinese section of nearby Walnut Grove. The Chinese who lived in that area decided that it was time to establish a town of their own. Levee construction originally brought the Chinese to this area, but by the time Locke was built most of the work was in farm labor. Locke had many businesses that catered to the farm workers and residents of this region. In the 1940’s restaurants, bakeries, herb shops, fish markets, gambling halls, boarding houses, brothels, grocery stores, a school, clothing stores, and the Star Theater lined the bustling streets of Locke. At its peak 600 residents, and as many as 1500 people occupied the town of Locke. By 1920 Locke stood essentially as you see it now.
“On August 2, 1970, Locke was added to the registry of national historical places, by the Sacramento County Historical Society, because of its unique status as the only town in the United States built exclusively by the Chinese for the Chinese.” Check www.locketown.com for more information on this amazing town.
Now, you can see Locke shot with my handheld camera. Did I overcome the challenge?
This sculpture of Confucius stands in front of the old school house.
On the other side of the walk way is a sculpture of Dr. Sun Yat-Xn. Joe Chan please correct me if I have this name incorrect.
This was the first old, boarded up structures I came across.
Compare this with Al’s Place.
The street is quaint.
I love the red doors.
Families still live above the stores.
I loved the look of this external shade covering.
The bottom story of the theater.
In this view, you can see the second story and the bulge. Joe Chan told me that they have reinforced the interior so it wouldn’t fall down.
The alley between the theater and the next building.
Slow Shutter Speed 