come paint with us on Thanksgiving Day in the Delta Meadows State Park!

Another Locke Meetup from Martha Esch: Delta Meadows Hike 'n Sketch on Thanksgiving Day from 10 a.m. to Noon.
The hike: We'll do "The Gunkholer Hike," a very easy, level hike, about a mile round trip. We hike together as a group and make three stops along Railroad Slough at scenic views to do quick ten-minute quick color sketches. Bring lightweight, field paint kits and an old towel or lightweight fold-up camping chair to sit on - think "less is more." You're welcome to bring any mediums and canvas or paper sizes. Postcard size papers or canvas boards and watercolors or small acrylic kits are the most portable and easiest for hiking, in my opinion. I have several extra basic field watercolor kits to share if anyone would like to try one. After our group hike, you're welcome to go back to any of the painting spots on your own or with a buddy and give them more time and effort.

Then, after the hike, we'll eat, if you're up for joining me for Thanksgiving dinner at Tony's Bar & Restaurant a mile down the river in Walnut Grove. They put an awesome and fun turkey feast last year, open to all. I think they're doing it again. If not, I know a great truck stop restaurant in Lodi that never closes.

IMPORTANT: the Meetup map may not be accurate: just find Locke's Main Street and follow to the end. 1258 Levee Street at intersection of Main Street in Locke, CA, 20' away from the Chinese restaurant. Google maps has Levee Street shown to be 1/8th of a mile further south.

Rain, heavy fog or high winds will cancel. Hope you can make it. Call me if you have any questions. Thanks! Martha (916) 776-1000

Mary and I ran away from home today

Here are our hobo paint kits and 10-minute paintings of views we stopped at along Railroad Slough while waiting for a train to go by with an empty boxcar. None ever showed up, so we came back home.

The World's Greatest Orthodontist ~ Dr. Daniel Haberman

Mary, two years ago at age 13, during phase 1 "The Expander Treatment." This gap was done on purpose, to make room for the braces to push the other teeth around...

Mary at age 14, during phase 2 ~ first day wearing braces...

Mary at age 15 on "Braces-Off Day"...

1 hour later ~ What a Beautiful Smile!...

Dr. Haberman,the World's Greatest (and nicest, too) Orthodontist, taking Mary's braces off...

Her first look at her new smile...

"Abracadabra, voila!"...


If you live in the south Sacramento, CA region, we highly recommend you get your braces done by Dr. Haberman, too! His office is in the Greenhaven-Pocket area, just off I-5 and his e-mail address is greehhavenbraces@gmail dot com.

Meadows Hike 'n Sketch

Guided Painting Tours into the Meadows State Park, behind Locke. Come join me! Today, Sonya, Alex and I had a blast! I'll be hosting another one soon.

Funny Youtube video of Charlie, my multi-talented son

one of my Delta Meadows watercolor 30-minute sketches

and a second one i did of my son floating in his upside-down cargo carrier boat:
I'm hosting a Hike 'n Sketch this Sunday from 10 'til noon into the Delta Meadows behind Locke. Come join me!

The (almost) finished products...

Crisp October Weekend at Wilbur Hot Springs

1988 and now