Napa Sightems

Mural - Napa County  2022

 

White Truck - Napa County  2022

The city of Napa, that is. We were there for a Diners Club lunch. 

Photos taken with an iPhone 7 Plus.

Ursula LeGuin

Napa LeGuin 1989 Project - Marin County  2018

I have always admired the work of Ursula LeGuin (who died earlier this year), especially her earlier works. How pleasing to be able to participate in this small, elegant project! The text for "Napa: The Roots and Springs of the Valley" (1989) was excerpted from a chapter in LeGuin's novel, Always Coming Home. The photos, to be honest, are not that great (small 35mm black and white prints). But the overall product is quite nice . . . designed and produced by James Linden.

A few years after the project came out, LeGuin was in Marin County for a booksigning. I went and purchased her latest book, and brought along one of the "Roots and Springs" copies. I thought that I'd just slip it in there for her signature, but she paused, flipped through the pages, then said, "Why, we're collaborators!"

Shook my hand!

Update: Below, one of the photos from the project, along with the Publisher's Notes. Quite possibly I could have done a better printing job if I had had Photoshop. Alas, I didn't.

LeGuin Project Photo #2 - Napa Valley 1989

Publisher's Notes (LeGuin Project) 1989

Napa River

Napa River - Napa County  1998

Paddleboarders, Napa River - Napa County  2016

Top photo taken using 35mm film (Kodacolor) during the winter.

Bottom photo taken using Canon G5X on a recent summer visit.

. . . from the archives #84: Cat - Napa Valley 1994 (Monday Cat Blogging)

Cat - Napa Valley  1994

Can't remember the name of the winery. James Linden and I visited here as part of our search for appropriate photo locations for our collaborative work using a chapter from Ursula LeGuin's novel Always Coming Home.

. . . from the archives #79: Napa Valley, Napa County, 1988

Napa Valley - Napa County  1988

In times past it was Mike's whim to travel through the wineries and scenery of the Napa Valley in February, on Superbowl Sunday, thereby having a nice uncrowded visit.

This was probably taken on one of those trips, although there's no way to definitively tell.

The camera used was a Tachihara wooden 4x5. At one point Mike suspected the camera of causing light leaks, but the problem was finally traced to faulty film holders.

Napa Excursion #2

A visit to the grounds of Domaine Chandon, maker of very pleasant sparkling wines. However, no tours in January! Place was still crowded, though.

Photos: Domaine Chandon Grounds—Napa Valley, 2010; Sparkling Wine & Self-Portrait—Napa Valley, 2010

Napa Excursion #1

Shawna and Maz and two sets of in-laws visited Napa a few Saturdays ago. Very nice!

Lunch was at Michael Chiarello's Bottega in Yountville. (Celebrity chef sightem: Michael Chiarello himself sitting on a bench outside talking on his cell phone. Wow!)

Rich, but extremely delicious.

Photos: Winter Vines—Napa Valley, 2010; Bottega Place Setting—Napa Valley, 2010

Napa Interlude II

The wedding we attended was at (of course) a winery. So there was the old oaken vine-entwined door, the requisite rose petals, and the redwood backdrop for the couple.

I coulda gotten better pix if I had a Nikon D3x!

Photos: Winery Door—Napa County, 2009; Rose Petals—Napa County, 2009; Couple—Napa County, 2009

Napa Interlude

Whoa . . . we were invited to a wedding in the Napa valley! In Calistoga, actually.

So in Calistoga, at the northern end of the valley, you have the old-timey hot springs and the side roads through the vineyards with some of Mike’s favorite trees—digger pines—in the distance.

Lastly, the very pleasant wedding, with Mike taking amateur wedding pix, but managing to work in a self-portrait along with the happy couple.

Photos: Dr. Wilkinson’s—Napa County, 2009; Road—Napa County, 2009; Wedding—Napa County, 2009

Wine Country

I was asked recently if I have any photographs of our local wine country . . . Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino Counties. It's interesting, and somewhat perplexing, that I really don't have that many pix. I found this scene of a leafless vineyard taken in the wintertime, but I obviously need to sacrifice and make the few hours journey north in different times of the year to bulk up my wine country portfolio.

Photo: Winter Vineyards & Pond—Napa Valley, 1998