Wait a minute Mr. Postman
I was hired on at the United States Postal Service in late November of 2012. With a growing family and no real prospects left for a continued future in newspapers, it was time to move on.
As a rural carrier associate, I was getting paid to drive around the Ukiah valley delivering mail. Honestly, it was a position tailor made for me. Quickly, being a postman was my new favorite career!
After a couple of months subbing on Ukiah’s seven rural routes, I overheard Hopland’s carrier talking to our supervisor about being off on medical leave for nine months. And it just so happened there was no sub for that route.
Suffice it to say, I immediately filed my transfer paperwork. I shadowed Hopland with the carrier and within a week, the route was in my hands.
Hopland was where my mother’s ancestors planted roots in Mendocino County, so to be able to drive along paths they once treaded was super exciting for me!
Of course the more I drove and delivered, the more I fell in love with the area and it’s people (and critters too). For a little over a year, Hopland and the Sanel Valley was like a second home.
Since the carrier for this route was getting on in age, I wasn’t really expecting her to return. So I spent a lot of time cleaning up the mailboxes in and around Hopland. I updated the Red Book so the route was current. And even though I would still have to bid on the career position when it came up, I figured my knowledge of the area and my dedication to the job would make me the obvious choice...
Long story short, it wasn’t in the cards for me and I left the postal service in 2014.
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During my time in the Sanel, I made a lot of mental notes for places along the route I wanted to come back and photograph on my days off. It took six years to begin accomplishing that goal—but I was always haunted by the memories of that place and never stayed long.
With time to kill one afternoon in late February while Arlo and his buddy worked on their science fair project in Ukiah, I debated heading down to Hopland or perhaps going to Montgomery Woods. I chose Hopland.
The plan was to hit certain points on the old USPS route. I had my 24mm and my 70-300mm lenses ready to go. Natural light was a little diffused but workable. I’d roam the Sanel until I got a text letting me know the kids were done for the day.
I figured the memories would follow me along for the ride, but apparently enough time has passed that I didn’t once think about delivering mail. I was in the Sanel as a photographer—plain and simple.
T’was a nice change of pace from surf photography, which has been my obvious obsession as of late. I’m still figuring out how I can utilize the 24mm lens for things outside of portrait work, so Hopland was a real good test for thinking outside of my comfort zones. Plus, it was just a nice day for a drive.
I finished my day heading north on Old River Road. Stopped by the boarding facility to annoy our horse and shovel shit. It’s there I got the word that other arrangements were made to allow Arlo to hang out for a bit longer and me to go home.
Next time I go to Hopland, I am going to borrow Arlo’s 28-135mm lens and pick a few other sections of the old USPS route I didn’t get to this time around. The challenge will be to delve further from my norms if at all possible.
Stay tuned!
