Tomato Harvest Time

Posted on September 26, 2018 by vanbraman

It is time again for tomato harvest here in the Central Valley of California. At this time of year we see a lot of tomato trucks on the roads and in the fields.

Tomato Trucks, tomato harvest, TomatoesThis evening on my way to Patterson I snapped a few quick pictures as I drove by one of the fields that was being harvested.

Here you can see tomato bins lined up ready to be hauled to the processing plant.

Tomatoe Hoppers, Tomato trucks, tomato harvestHere you see a tandem that is full and ready to move.

Tomatoes, Tomato Harvest, TandemHere is a tandem that is ready to be filled with a filled tandem behind. It is interesting to watch the harvesters fill the trailer bins as they are pulled by tractors. Once they are filled they are parked where they can be hitched to a truck.

Tomato Harvest, Tomato Trucks, Harvest, Patterson, CaliforniaHere is a shot of a truck hauling the tomatoes to the processing plant. You always see them as a tandem. I have yet to see a truck pulling a single.

Tomato harvest, bins, trailers, lightsIn this picture you see a mobile light. When I passed by again a couple hours later the light was on and they were continuing the harvest and transport of the tomatoes after dark. I remember my days working the wheat harvest back in Kansas and we would work as late as we possibly could. It was usually not darkness that brought an end to the day, but other environmental factors like humidity.

The tomatoes being harvested here are destined for the cannery. More than 90% of the canned tomatoes in the US come from California.

Steven

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The Secret of the Cave

Posted on September 25, 2018 by vanbraman

Yesterday I read an interesting little book that I had been wanting to read for awhile. Some of you may remember a post the I wrote about Fun on the Farm.

Farm Scene, The Secret of the Cave, Arthur S. Maxwell, Harvest Time, SiblingsIn the post was a picture of my dad and two of his siblings. My dad was holding a book and I decided that at some point I would need to find a copy of the book and read it.

However, I knew that I would have to request it from another library as my local library system did not have a copy.

It was not easy getting a copy of the book as very few libraries had a copy. From several libraries I would make a request and all of a sudden it would be put on the do not lend list.

The Secret of the Cave, Arthur MaxwellThe copy that I finally tracked down does not look the same, but most likely it was rebound with a stronger binding by a library. The cover looks like it may be a generic library binding image, and the title is stamped on the spine.

The Secret of the Cave, Arthur MaxwellI did find a picture of the cover from the copy my Dad was holding. If I had been looking while it was for sale I could have had a copy for a few dollars.

Arthur Maxwell, The Secret of the CaveYou can see that the book is The Secret of the Cave by Arthur S. Maxwell.

You also see a list of some of the other books that were written by Maxwell. He was a Seventh Day Adventist and wrote 112 books. He was know as Uncle Arthur and many of his books were for children.

Pacific Press Publishing Association, Seventh Day Adventist, Uncle ArthurThe Secret of the Cave was originally published in 1921 by Pacific Press Publishing Association and was one of his first book. Both the copy I read and the one my Dad was holding are from 1951.

The Secret of the Cave, Illustrations, John AtterburyThe black, white and blue illustrations by John W. Atterbury are really nice and help tell the story.

The book is about a young boy who solves a mystery about good deeds that are being done with no logical explanation as to how they are accomplished. The book is set in Scotland and does involve a cave.

However, I will not say anymore as I don’t want to give away the plot.

It was really interesting to read a book that I know my Dad read when he was young.

Steven

p.s. Go visit my post Fun on the Farm to see a picture of my Dad riding a cow.

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