"Jesse, Horseradish Farm Foreman" by Vicki Shuck

10"x8", Oil on Panel
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One morning last May, the subject of this painting, Jesse, told me more about growing horseradish than I ever thought I'd know!  Talk about enthusiasm for his work and generosity in sharing it!  He has been working on these farms on the Oregon/California border for around 35 years.  He told me that when he was about 19, he realized that he'd never be able to make a good enough living to marry and raise a family, so he decided to leave Mexico.  When he reached Tule Lake, he said he realized it could be a "good place":  a small farming community where he felt he could learn to do whatever was needed.  He spent his first three years learning the language and customs and proceeded to build a good life here.  Showing up and working hard have been key to his success.  He's obviously quite proud of his three children:  one is a student at a state college and the other two are making plans for higher education, AND, he told me, they are paying for it themselves.

"Near Merrill, Long View" by Janice Druian

Oil
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This painting by Janice is the setting where much of the horseradish is grown that was trimmed by the people in the previous post, below.  It is near Newell, CA, just over the Oregon border.  The big rock on the left is known to locals as "The Peninsula" as this ground used to be under water.  It was part of the land that was homesteaded after it was reclaimed and has been an incredibly rich place to farm.  FYI, the large rock on the right, along with the peninsula is the site of many ancient petroglyphs.  Another note about the place is that behind the peninsula, there was a Japanese Internment Camp during WWII.  My (Vicki's) dad tells stories of how he and his brother used to play with the children in the camp--he and his brother on one side of the fence, and the Japanese -American children on the other.