Feeding My Passion

Columbia, Calif., is a state park, an old gold rush town in the foothills that’s either been very well preserved or very well re-created (or imagined).

I used to go there as a kid both with my family and with classes on field trips. I remember really only two things, the candy shop, and from the candy shop I most remember the gigantic jawbreakers they sold (don’t know whether they made them there), and I remember the blacksmith shop where I once bought a ring made from a horseshoe nail. Which I promptly lost, on a flight I think. Bummed me out for days if I remember correctly. Anyway, the candy shop still sells gigantic jaw breakers (and I saw more than a few kids with them) and I bought a new ring made from a horseshoe nail. Still have it.

The last few pictures are of a very rare stone corral that’s one of two stone corrals on the road to Sonora.

Kamila, on the beach near the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

Day 2 on Shumei’s Santa Cruz Farm, where they use natural methods to grow produce that is beyond organic, at least organic as it is known and certified now. The friend I visited Santa Cruz with, Kamila, is a part of the Shumei organization, and I was fortunate enough to gain access and make pictures there for one of the four sections of my photo essay that is a kind of visual companion to The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

What can I say about UC Santa Cruz? Hmmmm…how about WOW! Definitely not a traditional-looking campus, it’s more like a nature preserve set on a hill above Santa Cruz where someone has sprinkled buildings here and there. I might go back to school someday just so I can go to school here.

The Shumei organization’s natural agriculture farm in Santa Cruz, Calif., part of my photo essay on food.

Easter Sunday! Sure didn’t feel like it though, it was probably sunnier and warmer in Michigan, but hey, it’s a very small price to pay to be with family in this setting, eating delicious free-range chicken and irresistible potato salad, both mom-made. Plus the wild flowers were blooming, especially prolific after a wet Winter and Spring.

…when wedding photos actually come out.

This is the second wedding-type event I made pictures at in 3 days, both times completely unplanned events, about as close I’ve get to spot news except for maybe the practice fire I came across a couple of weeks ago. Because this was indoors, and I only have an on-board, pop-up flash, I wasn’t very happy with my pictures.

Wedding photography is tough work for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the stakes are very, very high, so props to my peeps who are wedding photographers, I’ve seen their photos and they’re doing great work!

So my mom spotted a wedding in Fairfield at the county courthouse on Thursday, and then today I spot a wedding reception in downtown Merced, just driving by, minding my own business, and I thought, “Can’t possibly resist this opportunity,” even though I had today’s photo in the bag.

Two weddings in 3 days, hmmm…Give me a call! I’m your friendly neighborhood volunteer after-wedding photographer! (Pictures to come, hopefully before I go on an Easter picnic with my family on Sunday and Santa Cruz Monday-Thursday.)

A little pseudo sumo wrestling at University of California – Merced’s 5th Annual Asian Festival. UC Merced is the system’s newest campus and has only been holding classes for 5 years. Unfortunately I found out about this event rather late in the day and missed some of the earlier events like karaoke, Bollywood dancing, and martial arts demonstrations (I’ve always wanted to study aikido, hopefully I can do that in S. Korea!).

I did laundry today. I did not take any photos of it on the line, not a single one, unlike last time.