Outdoors: Bakersfield.com

Latination

"Latination"! Caffeine Supreme is turning up the heat! We will host a free concert downtown on the corner of 20th and F St. from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Come be entertained with Sones from Son Tropical & DJ Lorenzo. Bring a blanket or some lawn chairs and come ready to dance. We will also have various vendors on the premises selling their handcrafted items. 20% off all drinks. For more info. visit us at www.caffeinesupreme.com

Revenge of the Riverwalk Beaver?

While out walking along the Bakersfield bike path with a client's dog this morning (Mon., Aug. 24 @ 9:15A) a large tree had fallen over along the trail by Riverwalk Park. Upon closer inspection it looks like the tree was the victim of chewing! I snapped a few pictures with my cell phone, and my suspicion is that the infamous Riverwalk beaver is back with a vengence!

A day at Castaic

The boys took me Striper fishing for the first time and of course I showed them how to catch the big one!! It weighed in at 10lbs 2 oz. Such a great day and the fishing was great at Castaic Lake.

Kern river drownings

Please, people, take down the signs in english, and spanish warning people to wear lifejackets in the river. Post instead, what? are you stupid! Keep out! People die in this river. Have rangers patrol the river, no warnings given if people found in the river. Make them break camp, and they must leave. There is just no excuse for such stupidity. It is the Killer Kern!!!!!

BLUE MOUNTAIN GROUP TO PERFORM IN TEHACHAPI

COME VISIT US IN BEAUTIFUL TEHACHAPI FOR THE MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL.

MCGUIRE'S PUB HAS LIVE DJ MUSIC ON FRIDAY AUG 14TH AT 9 PM. MCGUIRE'S OFFERS GREAT DRINK SPECIALS, FRIENDLY BARTENDERS AND A GREAT ATMOSPHERE TO COOL OFF IN. WE HAVE FOUR POOL TABLES, A 22 FOOT SHUFFLEBOARD, AIR HOCKEY, FOOZ BALL, 4 DART BOARDS, PGA GOLF, EXTREME HUNTING AND A BRAND NEW MEGA TOUCH.

LIVE ROCK AND ROLL AND BLUES BAND "THE BLUE MOUNTAIN TRIBE" TO PLAY AT 9PM OUTDOOR BEER GARDEN ALL DAY SATURDAY!! COME IN FOR OUR $2.00 16 OZ DOMESTIC DRAFT BEER SPECIAL FROM 9PM TILL WE CLOSE.

KILL THE KEG SUNDAY!! $2.00 DOMESTIC DRAFT BEERS ALL DAY.

MONAGHAN MOTORSPORTS STATELINE RUN

The MONAGHAN MOTORSPORTS STATELINE C.A.R.E RUN is here again. Mark your

calendars and join us this October 10-11, 2009. Tell your friends, coworkers, and bosses

(if you like them). ALL the money we collect on this run goes to Cancer Awareness

Research and Education aka C.A.R.E.. Don't have a dirt bike or quad... no problem. All

vehicles are invited. Motorcycles, hot rods, cars, trucks, suvs, jeeps, dirt bikes, quads,

atvs, etc.... After the ride we meet in the banquet room for an all you can eat buffet and

raffle. You can pick up some great stuff at this raffle and again the proceeds go to

C.A.R.E.. So, come out, have fun, support a great cause, and make a lot of great friends.

Catgirl can't stop purrring.........

This weekend, Friday 7/10 and Saturday 7/11 is the Cat People's Sizzling Summer Sidewalk Sale from 10AM to 3PM at "Pawsitively Cat" 602 - 18th Street, Bakersfield. Come check out one-of-a-kind gift items for your favorite feline, browse the shop for special sales, join us for light refreshments and meet other cat lovers.

The Cat People are all volunteers, so 100% of all proceed will go to our rescue efforts, spay and neuter programs, and help special cats in need. We gratefully accept all donations of cat food, kitty litter and other cat related items. Our kittens in foster care appreciate new/used toys as well.

Basics of Kitchen remodeling

First step in kitchen remodeling plan is to know your budget. Everyone wants a modern kitchen with all the facilities in it. Before starting your remodeling process do the research process. You can remodel your kitchen appliances, cabinets, flooring, countertops, faucets and sinks etc.
When you plan to purchase kitchen appliances do keep certain things on mind. Based on your kitchen layout, you should consider freestanding or built-in appliances. Appliances would blend better with the kitchen when they are built in. It is important to find kitchen appliances that fit your needs. Kitchen appliance makers have as many options and feature you can wish for-each tailored to meet specific needs.
Ovens offer as many features as there are styles. Most gas wall ovens in the US range from 27-30 inches in width and offer single or stacked double ovens-available in both gas wall ovens and electric. Both gas wall ovens and electric have meat probes that can measure the temperature of meat and turn off when it is finished cooking. Also check when the oven is described as a convection oven-this can get as customized as you like. Due to these high-tech options, many home builders are abandoning gas wall ovens and choosing brick ovens- or for the more rustic, wood burning ovens into their homes. Gas cook tops have gained immense popularity over the last few years. Gas cook tops are available in stainless or silver. Based on the basic functionality of a cook top, homeowners are driven by brand. Along with gas cook top, ventilation is a well sought after accessory. Stainless steel refrigerator tucked into the wall of your kitchen will always be the most used kitchen appliance you have.
Cabinets are no longer for just food storage; they’re the cornerstone of your kitchen’s style. Roll out and tilt-out drawers are popular kitchen cabinets. The highest quality and most expensive option are solid wood cabinets. Among your choices are hickory, walnut and cherry-each can bring a unique warmth, look and style to your kitchen? Another popular route is European kitchen cabinets.
When selecting kitchen flooring, choose something that is both beautiful and strong. If you need durable and cost-effective flooring, you can consider vinyl or ceramic tiles. Vinyl laminate flooring is a great idea for those who are working with a lower budget, but still want the tile look, however when choosing any type of kitchen flooring buyers should be aware that quality should be the determining factor in their selection. Hardwood flooring is another popular route in kitchen flooring. Other Popular flooring is Hardwood flooring and stone flooring.
Kitchen countertops vary in price based on material. Granite countertops, slate countertops or marble countertops are considered most durable. Modern kitchens can host a variety of countertop materials from cement and stainless steel to copper countertops. DuPont Corian countertops are the cheapest among all the countertops. Ceramic tile is tough, heat resistant, attractive and unyielding to stains.
Kitchen sinks are one of the most functional elements in any kitchen. Many homeowners now prefer very deep sinks that are flush with the countertops. These are often referred as inset sinks. Cast-iron sinks, with an enamel finish are an affordable option. These sinks are durable, however they can be chipped. Synthetic-composition sinks, made of solid-surface acrylic or quartz acrylic are always a safe option. There are a number of styles based on functionality, color and material. From brass, to stainless steel, to plastic molds, there are as many faucet choices as there are types of sink to match them. Just be sure to choose a kitchen faucet that is compatible with the kitchen sink.

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CSUB graduate publishes his first book, Gino the Minnow

Scott Wolford graduated from California State University Bakersfield in 1989 with a bachelors degree in Physical Education. He swam for the Roadrunners. He enjoyed the local lakes and headed for the coast to enjoy California’s water areas whenever possible. After graduated, he earned his masters in Physical Education in 1990 at Florida International University in Miami. Upon graduating he worked in California and St. Augustine for over six years at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind as the recreation manager for the visually impaired. He was raised in the Indiana Dunes National Park along Lake Michigan for the beaches that are close by. He worked as a lifeguard on Lake Michigan and spent numerous hours on the beach. Scott grew up with a love for nature and continues to share this love with a series of children's books that encourage us all to do our part in helping keep the environment clean.

Gino the Minnow, is Scott's first published book and it focuses on clean water areas. The hardcover book is beautifully illustrated and shows how one little fish can make a world of difference. His next two books will discuss ways to cleaner land and air qualities and what we can all do to help. $1 will be donated to non-profit organizations who focus on cleaner environments.
Thousands upon thousands of miles of coastal and water masses enrich this beautiful nation of ours. Water is one of the most important natural resources that we have. Here in California we all should be truly grateful having such beautiful beaches near by to enrich our lives. All of us need to take care of our water. Not only for ourselves, but for wildlife and future generations to enjoy. Millions of tons of trash are thrown into the water areas each and every year. This trash can take years to decompose, if ever.

A few facts on the time it takes for some materials to fully decompose:
Paper: 2-8 months, Plastic Coated Cartons: 5 years, Plastic Bags: 10-20 years,
Cigarette Butts: up to 12 years, Tin Cans: 50-100 years,
Aluminum Cans:80-100 years, Batteries: 100 years,
Plastic Six Pack Holder Rings: 450 years, Glass Bottles: 1 million years
Plastic Soda Bottles: Forever

As you can see, it takes some materials a very, very long time to decompose, some last forever. Some people may think that it is much easier to simply toss the trash wherever they are, instead of disposing of it properly. Improper disposal of trash has many bad side effects: harm to wildlife. Some creatures eat the litter thinking it is food. The litter causes damages to the creatures' digestive systems. Also, litter can get tangled in the fins or legs of various animal life, which can cut off circulation or other damage to the their tissues. Fishing line and plastic six pack holder rings are the main culprit in these types of damage to wildlife. Numerous injuries on human life are experienced each year as well. Broken glass bottles, aluminum cans, and other forms of litter can cause havoc on ones' body. The water can be contaminated from litter tossed into the water areas, which makes the water harmful to consume or to swim in for humans and wildlife.
Do you want to see the same trash at your favorite water spot, year after year? What can you do about this problem of litter in our water areas? When you go to the water areas pack for the outing as light as possible. Carry with you as few amounts of future trash items as possible. Several suggestions include using cloth napkins, clean towels and rags, stainless steel silverware, glass or pottery dishes and cups, rechargeable batteries, and a thermos for beverages. Bring a garbage bag with you for all of your trash items, as there may not be any trash cans in the location that you will be going or it may already be filled. Dispose of all of your trash properly. Used fishing line should be recycled. If you see trash left behind by others, please do your part in cleaning up the water areas, by picking it up. Be careful when picking up trash. You should wear proper gloves.
Go for a nice walk along the water. Bring a garbage bag with you, to allow you to pick up any trash that you may see along the way. You’ll get some great exercise, see some beautiful sights, spend quality time with those special to you, and leave a clean water area, which everyone can enjoy. Join an organized beach cleanup group. Start your own beach cleanup group. Do your own beach cleanup each and every time you visit your favorite water area.
Especially with the high price of gas, why not stay close to home and enjoy your local beaches? For more information on ordering his book, Gino the Minnow or helping keep the water areas clean, please look on www.ginotheminnow.com. Scott would like to hear from his friends and others who share a devotion to our environment.

Catch of the Week

caught by: Mark Malone April 4th, 2009 at Buena Vista Lake

Bakersfield, age 41, 805-558-0788

type: striped bass

weight: 25 pounds

type of bait: chicken liver

Hiking on the Kern River Trail

Want to see some great wildflowers?

The Kern River Trail is one of the best-kept secrets in this town! If you are traveling from Bakersfield towards Lake Isabella, there is a big bridge on Hwy 178 over the Kern River that is about 1.75-miles past the turnoff to the Old Kern Canyon Road, and there is a day-use parking area under the bridge. The bridge is right where the road transitions from 3 lanes to 4 lanes. You can access the parking area from either direction on 178 and the parking lot connects both sides under the bridge.

To get to the trailhead you need to hike back up onto Hwy 178, and cross over the bridge to the north side while facing traffic (so you’d be on the west side of the bridge), and then hop over the guardrail at the end of the bridge. The trailhead is off to the west – you really cannot miss it once you get there.

The trail goes both directions along the canyon – to the south it is aptly informally known as the “Wildflower Trail”, and to the north it is called the “Kern Canyon Trail”. The northerly part is maintained by the Bakersfield mountain biking club, the Southern Sierra Fat Tire Association. The trailhead is only accessible on foot or by bicycle at this location. Motorcycles and horses can access the trail several miles further up the canyon.

I’m sure the flowers are still in full bloom so it’s not too late to catch the show this year! Have fun!!

14 Pound Carp at Riverwalk

Justin Fine and Cory Koot from Bakersfield, Calif., pull in a big carp from The Park at Riverwalk. The Carp weighs in at about 14 pounds and measures 2 feet 8 inches. The fish was caught on a jig with a plastic worm.

An ode to the Kern River Bike Path

It was our daily outing. After Derek's second breakfast, around 10 a.m., I'd buckle him into the car seat and gather my things: Water bottle, iPod, stop watch, keys, and ID. We'd drive to Beach Park, load up the stroller, then hit the bike path for a brisk walk along the Kern River.

For three months of my maternity leave, my baby boy and I escaped the house and became part of the bike path community. We made many friends. There were cyclists, dog walkers, joggers, skaters, horseback riders, disc golfers, fishers and other stroller babies. Everyone always had a friendly smile. We never exchanged names and rarely said much more than "hello" or "good morning." But faces became recognizable. Our closest friend was an older city park worker who wears the name Pastor on his shirt. He would slowly pass us in his small white pickup truck and peek out to see how much Derek had grown. "What a good baby," he would tell me. "So cute."

Derek had a lot of admirers on the path. I felt so proud pushing his stroller and answering the usual question: "How old is he?" One month. Six weeks. Two months. Three months. Almost four months. My had he grown since we started our walks!

My goal has been to train to walk the Rock 'N' Roll marathon in San Diego on May 31. I started the weekend after Christmas walking a six-mile loop around the San Diego bay with my sister. By the end, I limped to the car with sore feet and legs. After not exercising much during my pregnancy, I had 30 extra pounds on my body and out-of-shape muscles. I knew I had a lot of work to do.

I started on the Kern River bike path walking four-mile round trips from Beach Park to Mohawk Street and back. It took me 68 minutes. Derek slept the whole time. January was darn cold, so I'd bundle up Derek in fleece pants and a sweater, wrap him in two blankets, and cover his head with a warm hat and the hood of his sweater. I think he sweat more than I did on those first walks — but I didn't want to risk him getting cold. I loved walking on foggy days, when the sun was a blur and the leafless trees created stark outlines against the grey backdrop of the sky.

It's amazing to walk through the middle of a city and feel like you're out in nature. Sure, the dry river bed means the constant sound you hear is of Truxtun Avenue traffic rather than rushing water. But the mix of industry and nature has its own beauty. I came to enjoy the slow squeaks of the oil pumps, the loud clunk-clunk-clunks of trains passing over the trestle and the swish of vehicles racing along Highway 99 and Truxtun Extension. If I saw a train coming, I'd hasten my steps to see if I could make it to the trestle before the train. (It always beat me.)

As my training continued, I lengthened our daily walks to five miles, reaching the turn-around half-way through the Truxtun Lakes for a short breather before heading back to Beach Park. On the weekends, I'd leave Derek home with his daddy so I could walk eight, nine, then 10 miles all the way to Calloway and back. Those 2 1/2 hour walks are just too long to keep Derek in the stroller without stopping. My first milestone was Feb. 21 when I walked the half-marathon (13.1 miles) hosted by the Bakersfield Track Club. My marathon-running sister came up from San Diego to walk it with me and we clocked 3 hours 27 minutes. My only complaint about a walk that long is there are no bathrooms between Yokuts Park and the Park at River Walk. She assured me there will be portable bathrooms along the marathon course in San Diego.

Speaking of bathrooms, I witnessed — from a distance — some suspect happenings at the men's restrooms at Beach Park and Yokuts Park. Men of all kinds would drive up, park, go into the restroom, then come back out after a minute or two. I have an idea of what they were up to, although the brevity of their bathroom visit probably meant drugs rather than sex. But there seem to be some pretty lucrative businesses operating out of those restrooms. One day I was almost hit by a stop sign-running man in a huge black pickup truck at Yokuts Park. I watched him park, then get out and adjust his tight pants and silver sparkly wig before going into the men's restroom. Another day, I watched a young man escort an elderly lady with a walker from the restrooms at Yokuts Park. An hour later when I passed back by the same park, I watched cops enter the restrooms and guys came running out — including the young gentleman, who jumped into a car with the elderly lady and drove off very fast. That one threw me for a loop.

Aside from people watching, the bike path is also a great place for nature watching. On our walks, we saw hawks, egrets, herons, doves, ducks, scrub jays, hummingbirds, roadrunners, squirrels, rabbits (which I call bunny foo-foos), lizards, butterflies, bees, ladybugs and stink bugs. We saw lots of dogs, both with owners and wandering loose. One day I steered clear of a beautiful young pit bull, which seemed friendly but I just couldn't trust it with a baby. We also steered around more than one squirrel road-kill on the bike path. I wonder how many cyclists crash because of those kamikaze squirrels?

One of my favorite stretches along the bike path is the Bakersfield Environmental Studies Area, which spans from Coffee Road behind the Town & Country Village Shopping Center westward past Cal State Bakersfield, paralleling Stockdale Highway. I recently cut through the wilderness area and followed the dirt path among millions of wildflowers — mostly fiddlenecks, redstem filaree and goldfields. The very rainy winter season has caused an explosion of wildflowers all along the Kern River.

Since I started walking the bike path, I have lost six pounds and gained strength and endurance. I still have 24 pounds to lose, but I'm well on my way. I have three more months of training before the big marathon in San Diego. As one of my final long walks before the race, I'd like to walk all the way to the west end of the bike path at Enos Lane and back. I will most likely start at the Park at River Walk, which would make it an 18-mile round trip.

I have many hopes for the parks and paths along the Kern River in Bakersfield. I hope the flyover from Mohawk to connect to Rosedale Highway doesn't mess with the integrity of the Kern River Parkway. Trees and shrubs have already been removed from the river bank where the bridge will intersect with the disc golf course.

I hope a bathroom is installed near Truxtun Lakes so people don't have to use the bushes.

I hope the path continues to be shared in a friendly manner among the cyclists, joggers, walkers and skaters.

I hope the natural areas remain natural and are not developed for commercial interests.

Most of all, I hope local leaders decide to fill the Kern River with water to even further enhance the natural beauty of the area.

The Kern River and the bike path are wonderful assets to Bakersfield and its residents. I am so thankful that my family can be a part of the bike path community.

fishing photo

Mark Malone

Bakersfield

age 41

5 pound large mouth bass caught 2/11 at River Walk park. bait: salmon egg peach power bait on #2 triple hook

805-558-0788

Catch of The Week

This beautiful rainbow trout was caught and released in Pine Flat Lake on Jan. 14, 2009 by Daniel Aguilar of Bakersfield. Daniel caught this massive holdover using an 1/8oz. gold Phoebe on 6lb. p-line with a Pflueger President 6730 spinning reel and 6'6 Daiwa Tierra ML rod. As backstory the trip was taken with two other friends, who are members of the local bass club, as a pre-fishing expedition for their upcoming tourney at Pine Flat. The bass bite was almost non-existent, with only one spotted bass caught between the anglers. As they were ready to leave, the group spotted a number of huge trout herding young of the year bass and trout into a cove by the marina and were just nailing them. With only three trout lures between them, the group caught around 50 fish in an hour, this monster being the largest of 3 huge ones.

Holiday & Cold Weather Pet Safety Tips

The weather outside may be frightful, but you can help make the lives of pets delightful this holiday and throughout the winter season. Kern County Animal Control has several tips to help pet lovers keep their pets safe, happy and healthy during the upcoming holiday, as well as precautions to take during colder weather.

"The holiday season is meant to be a time of joy and celebration, not one of sadness and pain due to the illness or death of a beloved family pet,” states Maggie Kalar, Marketing & Promotions Associate. “Kern County Animal Control would like to share a few valuable tips that can help families “pet proof” their holiday season to ensure that their pets will be around for many years of celebrating.”

Avoid poisonous plants including Mistletoe berries, Poinsettias and all varieties of Lilies. Alcoholic drinks; chocolate; macadamia nuts; walnuts; coffee; tea; salt, and onions can cause illness and even death. When wrapping presents and/or decorating, be aware of aluminum foil, cellophane candy wrappers, wires, tinsel, and glass ornaments as they are dangerous choking hazards. Watch out for electrical lights and extension cords as they are a temptation for pets to chew on. Keep pets away from Christmas tree water to avoid stomach distress, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Finally, when traveling with pets, make sure they are properly secured in the vehicle, and always wearing proper identification.

“Kern County Animal Control also has some winter weather tips for pets,” states Kalar. “Just because they have fur coats does not mean they can more easily endure the winter weather.”

Don’t leave pets outside when the temperature drops, bring them inside where they can be safe and warm. Routinely check your pet’s water dish to make certain the water is fresh and unfrozen. Switch to plastic dishes during freezing weather to avoid your pet’s tongue sticking and freezing to metal. Ensure that your pet is well groomed; matted fur is not efficient at insulating.

If you notice your pet is shivering after playing outside, it’s time to bring it inside to warm up. For small breeds with little hair, consider getting a coat or sweater. Ice cuts and abrasions on the pads of your pet’s paws aren’t that unusual during winter months. Protect your pet’s paws with boots or protective wax and spray products. Never ever, leave your pet alone in a car during cold weather; a car can act as a refrigerator, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death – it is also against the law. Mop up any antifreeze that may have leaked out of your vehicle as it is deadly for pets. Finally, before you start your car, bang your hood to ensure that no animal has climbed into the engine to stay warm.

Kalar also notes, “Winter weather can be hard on our animal friends, and it takes more than love to keep them warm and safe. We hope these safety tips will help pet owners and their friends enjoy the holiday as well as all the fun that winter has to offer.”

For more information on holiday and winter weather tips for pets, please call 661-868-7104, or log onto www.co.kern.ca.us/acd for a downloadable flyer.

A fishing prize!

Hazel Abbott with a 25-pound Dorado caught on lure in Cabo San Lucas with her husband, Douglas, on Nov.19. Fishing with Juanita's Sport Fishing, the couple caught six Dorado and one 150-pound Marlin on live bait.

Red Fall Reflections

I took this photo at Hart Park yesterday (Nov. 19) showing the brilliant fall reds and yellows reflected in the park lake.

Record-sized Red Pargo

This record sized Pargo was caught by Bakersfield fisherman Chip Wickline 61 on October 4th at Las Arenas near La Paz Mexico.

It was caught on a whole 2 Lb. Bonita on 30 pound test line fishing near shore with Captain Archangel on the gaff.

It was four feet in length and weighed 50 pounds and was quite the topic of discussion by all the skippers down there as they have not seen one this size caught for a long time.

Chip has fished in Mexico for over thirty eight years and has landed most species but this elusive one tops the list.

He was fishing with his buddies from Bakersfield, Bob Pair who caught many Dorado, Jorge delToro, who caught a 200 Pound Blue Marlin and Dave Peterson who also caught a Marlin.

Not all do-gooders are doing so good.

Another fundraising event occurred this morning on the bike path. It is a good cause, as many are, but once again people representing the organization somehow believe that they can ignore basic common sense and the law in the name of “doing good for the cause”.

Case in point: I was biking, on the bike path, during the setup for the Diabetes walkathon. Traveling eastbound, I was approaching the railroad under crossing, I noticed a westbound car on the bike path. It would slow down occasionally at which time two people would jump off of the hood of the car place signs along the bike path and jump back on the hood of the car so it could proceed to place more signs. As it came closer, I noticed that it was not a city vehicle, security patrol, or any other “authorized” vehicle.

I slowed to a stop and spoke with the man driving and reminded him that motorized vehicles are not allowed on the bike path. He said they were just putting up signs. I asked why they couldn’t walk to place the signs, since all the other participants would be walking during the fundraiser. He told me that the city said he could drive on the bike path to put up the signs.

When I first became aware of this incident the problem was simply another joker driving a vehicle where it legally didn’t belong. As it unfolded, the real problem became apparent; Some people think, in the name of “doing good”, they don’t need to follow basic common sense and laws - the people jumping off and on the moving vehicle’s hood were young teenagers.

Mr. Silver Mustang, you are plenty old enough to realize that a person can benefit a cause and still obey the laws and most importantly see to the safety of our children. You had every opportunity to show those kids, and all the others watching, how to give back to the community and make reasonable, rational, safe choices.

Lastly, Mr. Silver Mustang, your comment to me as I left to “Have a heart.” truly showed your ignorance. I was on my way to participate in the Ron Fontaine Run at CALM. The participants at that cause did it all legally without jeopardizing the safety of children or setting a bad example for them.

‘Boo-at-the-Zoo’ to introduce deer friends

Boo-at-the-Zoo will be the stage for the introduction of CALM’s newest, deer-est residents at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 25. As it is, visitors who are age 17 or younger will be admitted free for a day of bewitchingly new and improved games, crafts and treats! Now, an additional treat, when CALM introduces two Mule deer fawns, the zoo’s newest residents at 10:30.

Last spring, the two, five-month-old, Mule deer fawns (Odocoileus hemionus) were orphaned and raised by the California Wildlife Center in Calabasas, which planned to release them back into the wild. Unfortunately, the animals became habituated to humans making release impossible. So, CALM is now their new home.

Both bucks are gentle, have distinct personalities and are comfortable in their new surroundings. The largest is outgoing, stays close to the animal keepers and craves attention. The smaller fawn is also friendly but content to chew its cud in the shade.

Mule deer are herbivorous browsers that prefer California’s foothill or wooded areas. When fully grown, they can eat up to two pounds a day. They quickly detect motion, even with rather poor eyesight for which a keen sense of hearing compensates. Bucks grow antlers which are shed in mid-winter each year.

CALM would like you to help name the two deer. Entry forms will be available at the event and at http://www.calmzoo.org/. Votes are $1 per entry. Grand Prize winners receive a CALM Family Membership and a plush toy fawn. Entry deadline is December 31. Winners will be announced Jan. 7. All proceeds benefit improvements in CALM’s Children’s Park.

Located at 10500 Alfred Harrell Highway (between Lake Ming and Hart Park) in northeast Bakersfield, CALM has cared for animals that have been injured or otherwise cannot survive in their natural environment for 25 years. Call (661) 872-2256 or visit the Web site for more information.

CSUB’s FACT hosts fall open house

The Facility for Animal Care and Treatment will host an open house on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 1-4 p.m. at its facility in the Environmental Studies Area at California State University, Bakersfield.

Visitors can:

* See the beginning stages of construction of the new rehabilitation area.
* See a variety of local birds of prey, including red-tailed hawk, Swainson’s hawk, great horned owl, barn owl, and golden eagle, as well as, songbirds, dragonflies, butterflies, squirrels, gophers, lizards and more.
* Study owl pellets to learn what wild owls have eaten.
* Learn about FACT’s animal rescue and bird foster parent program.
* Purchase T-shirts, including two new designs, zoo books, coloring books, cards and other educational materials to support FACT’s education programs.

CSUB students and faculty will give tours and demonstrations of birds of prey. Educational gifts and souvenirs will be available for purchase to support the non-profit wildlife rescue and education program.

The event is open and free to the public.

FACT’s mission is to serve as a wildlife rescue, conservation and education project for CSUB. FACT hosts an open house on the first Saturday of each month October through May.

For more information about FACT, please call (661) 654-3167 or log on to www.csub.edu/fact.

PUBLIC INVITED TO GET A “TASTE OF SCOUTING”

These days Scouting is about a whole lot more than just tying knots. The Southern Sierra Council, Boy Scouts of America invites families to Sport Chalet at 5200 Stockdale Highway in Bakersfield on Saturday, October 18, 2008 anytime from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to get a “Taste of Scouting” and see just how far the program has come since it started in 1910 in the United States.

During the day, there will be continuous activities for the entire family to enjoy and take part in including the U.S. Army Climbing Wall, U.S. Army Simulator, Salvation Army Emergency Communications Van, Monkey Bridge and more. Since the day of this event coincides with the annual BSA shortwave radio event entitled “Jamboree On The Air” or J.O.T.A., local Ham Radio operators will be on site with their equipment and will allow the public to talk with Scouts and Scouters throughout the United States and around the world. There will also be an Internet version of this event called Jamboree On The Internet (J.O.T.I.) for those wishing to “blog” with Scouts throughout the country.

There will also be Fly Fishing demonstrations where scouts will demonstrate how to tie fish knots, talk about fish/wildlife management and equipment demonstrations by the Kern Flyfishers.

Any Cub Scout age boy whose parents sign him up in Cub Scouts on October 18^th will receive his own FREE Pinewood Derby Car Kit. These new Cub Scouts are encouraged to bring their finished cars back to the Council Pinewood Derby Race on March 14^th and race them in the heat associated with their age group. Pinewood Derby kits will be picked up by local pack leaders and issued to each new Cub Scout at a later pack or den meeting.

The entire day is free to the public. The Southern Sierra Council will have a recruiting table where families can sign up their Cub Scout (1^st through 5^th grade boys), Boy Scout (completed 5^th grade and is at least 10 years old or is age 11 but not yet 18 years old) or Venture Scout age boy or girl (at least 14 and completed the 8^th grade or 15 years of age but not yet 21). The pro-rated registration fee for all programs is $3.00 per member good through December of 2008. There will be a list of available units, contact names, phone numbers and times of meetings to assist parents with finding the right unit for their child. For additional information, contact the Southern Sierra Council, Boy Scouts of America at 661-325-9036 or the event chairman Ray Bays at 661-599-9030.

Come see why Scouting is a whole lot more than tying knots. It’s about building character, developing valuable skills, and having fun!

Randsburg Celebration Sept. 20

The last "living ghost town" in southern California is the name given our eastern Kern County city. This 120-year-old boom town once had a thriving population of 4,000, in 1919, and was known as the biggest gold mine in California at that time. The quarter mile main street is lined with many of the original buildings, many which now sell antiques and artifacts along with a general store, saloons and cafes. Randsburg is about 40 miles northwest of Mojave, nestled within the red tinted hills of the Rand Mountain range.

Once each year, on Sept. 20, the little community really rocks as the local residents combined with hundreds of out-of-town vendors and visitors re-create the gold rush boom town days along their main street with the "Old West & Bluegrass Jamboree."

Randsburg is one of California's best known mining towns. With the $700 to $1,000 per ounce value on gold these days, many mines in the area are still being worked, mostly by independent groups or clubs which proves a lot of gold still remains hidden in those red colored mountains. In their active years of mining, these mountains produced more than $25 million of the yellow metal plus an equal amount of silver and tungsten. Scores of "gold hunter groups" come to Randsburg with their metal detectors, dry washing machines and old fashioned gold pans for a sometimes profitable weekend of outdoor recreation.

Randsburg's history can be reviewed in the many pictures and documents displayed in their great free museum which is loaded with artifacts including a rare narrow gauge steam engine which was used in the famous "Yellow Aster Mine." Also on display is an enormous stamp mill, old mining equipment, tools, wagons and enough relics to keep you interested for hours.

Admission is free so why not bring along the whole family and attend the "Randsburg Old West & Bluegrass Jamboree" for a day of fun? Here's directions for a picturesque drive to Randsburg: Take State Highway 14 north out of Mojave. As you approach Red Rock Canyon, a sign on your right will direct you to Randsburg.

Free Twilight at CALM Admission — Aug. 30

Saying good-bye to summer isn’t always easy, but to help with the transition, the “Valley Yellow Pages” is offering free admission to the first 100 adults who visit the California Living Museum during Twilight at CALM from 5:30-8 p.m. on Aug. 30. And all children (ages 3-17) will be admitted free, too. Officials at the “Valley Yellow Pages” want to help families enjoy the zoo and learn about their surrounding environment.

Guests will be treated to a wildlife demonstration, up close and personal opportunities to see Ambassador Animals displayed by strolling docents and rides on the Central California Children’s Railroad for only $1.

“Valley Yellow Pages” has chosen CALM to grace the cover of its 2008 phone directory. Inside the directory, you will find information about CALM and some of its animals, as well as coupons for admission to the zoo and 2008 HolidayLights at CALM.

CALM is located at 10500 Alfred Harrell Highway, (between Lake Ming and Hart Park) in northeast Bakersfield, and for more than 25 years has cared for animals that have been injured or otherwise cannot survive in their native environment.

For information, call (661) 872-2256 or visit the Web site,

http://www.calmzoo.org

Is Gabi seeing double?

These two fish caught in California Aquaduct off Hwy 119 with anchovies. One is 24 inches the other is 25inches.

Bakersfield is a Solar Gold Mine For Home Owners

This time of year in Bakersfield, it’s easy to have a chip on your shoulder while trying to avoid the blazing sun day after day, month after month.

Not me, every day the sun shines, I’m actually being paid by our utility company. You see, the roof of our patio is made of solar panels. So while our kids play ping pong in the shade of the “solar roof” we're sending energy back into the grid, earning credits and off-setting our usage. Essentially, solar power runs our air conditioners.

California is the third largest solar power producer in the world, and yet we are really only scratching the surface. Most home owners and businesses think that solar is a good idea, but they seem to think that solar power is still in the conceptual stage and not something to take advantage of now. Wrong.

Like the old saying, “There is no time like the present”.

I read an article recently in the Bakersfield Californian that local builders had dropped solar as part of their new construction standard features because of the additional cost.

While that may be a short term savings, it certainly does not pencil in the long run.

A friend of mine told me that he was interested in purchasing solar for his home when systems became more efficient. To me, that is like saying that I will not buy a computer until they become faster and cheaper. In the mean time I remain in the dark ages.

Now through November the State of California will pay a substantial check to home owners and businesses that install a solar system.

There are several companies in town that are qualified to do this type of work. Locally owned Sharpe Solar Energy Systems installed our system. They were very competitive and professional, the best part they did all the paperwork to get me a $14,000 rebate check from the state of California!

If we decide to sell our house and all things are equal, now whose home is the better value?

Take advantage of solar now and reap the benefits now and in the future.

About the writer: Jim Darling is an avid traveler and enjoys writing about his experiences. He has lived in Bakersfield his whole life.

San Antonio Stripers

Cary Welch and Van Foster of Bakersfield caught these 23 inch stripers May 17th at San Antonio lake. They were using anchovies for bait in Harris creek.

The Perfect Cure for Those Summertime Blues!

Now is the time of year when some youth activities start to shut down for the summer season, but this won’t happen with the Southern Sierra Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Scouting is alive and strong with several summertime activities open to youth throughout Bakersfield and surrounding communities. Here is a sampling of activities being offered:

Council Pinewood Derby is tentatively set for Saturday, May 31^st at East Hills Mall in the center court. Boys are encouraged to build and race their Pinewood Derby car at this fun-filled annual event.

Scout Baseball. Boys AND GIRLS can play baseball in a non-competitive league which encourages every kid ages 6 through 12 to have fun. The Minor League is for kids 6 through 9 years of age while the Major League is for 10 through 12 year olds. The $60 registration fee includes a team T-shirt and hat, professional photos, 6 weeks of play (12 games in the season beginning June 3^rd) and one ticket to the “End of Season Gala” at the Bakersfield Blaze Baseball Game.

Cub Scout CSI Day Camp. Cub Scout-aged boys (1^st through 5^th grade) will find out “What happened to the doughnuts?” as they practice their CSI (Cub Scout Investigation) learning techniques to solve this mystery. Participants will learn how to become a master detective by dusting for fingerprints, building their own spy tools, cracking secret codes, learning how to observe, finding out how dogs help in the search and much more. There are two CSI Day Camps in Bakersfield this summer: July 7-11 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at California State University, Bakersfield and July 14-18 at Bakersfield College practice field. Cost is $90 until May 30^th and $100 after that date.

Many local Boy Scout Troops will be attending summer camp at Camp Kern on Huntington Lake this summer. Boys who join the Boy Scout program (completed the fifth grade and is at least 10 years old or who is age 11 but has not yet reached age 18) can also take part in the council’s Camp Kern Provisional Camp Program. This allows new scouts to get a jump start on their advancement and have loads of fun during this one week summer camp experience. Provisional Camp is from June 29 through July 5 and costs $300 for the entire week.

Boy Scout Troops and Venture Crews often plan additional summer activities and high adventure trips.

Many Cub Scout packs earn their Summertime Pack Award by holding at least one activity per month during June, July and August. This more-relaxed atmosphere gives den leaders a chance to “rest up” during the summer months but still allows existing and new Cub Scouts a chance to meet and have fun.

There are many Packs, Troops and Crews throughout Bakersfield and surrounding communities. Area youth can join anytime throughout the year and the registration process is simple and inexpensive. For more information please contact the Southern Sierra Council, Boy Scouts of America, located at 2417 M Street, Bakersfield, CA. 93301, by phone at 661-325-9036 or email at jwagner@bsamail.org Check out our website at www.sscbsa.org.

Big Fish Photo with Happy Fisherman

Rich Arner of Bakersfield landed this 15 lb steelhead on the Situk River Alaska 4/26/08. He was fly fishing with an 8 wt fly rod on an aeropuff egg pattern. 661-589-0446

Clinica Sierra Vista & Police Activities League "Launch Your Boats"

Clinica Sierra Vista's Male Involvement Program in collaboration with the Police Activities League (PAL), conducted a five month program called "Young Men Navigating Through Life." The program which stressed responsibility and youth leadership, also included a project where youth from PAL built individual model sailboats. On April 30, the culmination of the project, approximately twelve youth set sail their model sailboats at Lake Truxtun. Thank you to the youth at PAL for working so hard. What a special day!

CSUB’s FACT hosts open house this weekend

The Facility for Animal Care and Treatment will host an open house on Saturday, May 3, from 1-4 p.m. at its facility in the Environmental Studies Area at California State University, Bakersfield.

Visitors can:

* See the baby owls that FACT is raising and participate in the baby bird shower by bring items from the registry found on the facility’s website.
* See the beginning stages of construction of the new rehabilitation area.
* See a variety of local birds of prey, including red-tailed hawk, Swainson’s hawk, great horned owl, barn owl, and golden eagle, as well as, songbirds, dragonflies, butterflies, squirrels, gophers, lizards and more.
* Study owl pellets to learn what wild owls have eaten.
* Learn about FACT’s animal rescue and bird foster parent program.
* Purchase T-shirts, including two new designs, zoo books, coloring books, cards and other educational materials to support FACT’s education programs.

CSUB students and faculty will give tours and demonstrations of birds of prey. Educational gifts and souvenirs will be available for purchase to support the non-profit wildlife rescue and education program.

The event is open and free to the public.

FACT’s mission is to serve as a wildlife rescue, conservation and education project for CSUB. FACT hosts an open house on the first Saturday of each month October through May.

For more information about FACT, please call (661) 654-3167 or log onto www.csub.edu/fact.

University of Maryland lecturer visits CSUB to discuss climate change

California State University, Bakersfield’s School of Natural Science and Mathematics presents its second public seminar of the year on Tuesday, May 6 at 4 p.m. in Science Building III, room number 108.

Louis Pitelka, a professor at the Appalachian Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, will be the guest lecturer in a talk entitled “Climate Change and Some Effects on Ecosystems.”

“It is now widely accepted that significant climate change as a result of human emissions of greenhouse gases is going to continue to occur,” Pitelka said. “It already is possible to detect changes in ecosystems in response to recent relatively minor changes in climate. Climate-induced changes in ecosystems may feed back to further modify the climate and models can be used to predict how ecosystems will respond.”

Examples to be discussed include changes in the distribution of vegetation and in biodiversity. “Developing accurate predictions is essential for helping manage the changes so as to preserve species, ecosystems and ecosystem services,” he added.

The seminar is being funded through a $400,000 National Science Foundation grant awarded to CSUB. The grant provides scholarships for CSUB science, math, and engineering majors and allows CSUB’s School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics to offer a lecture series of interest to science students, faculty, and the general public. NSF is an independent federal agency created to promote the progress of science. The agency funds specific research proposals that have been judged the most promising by a rigorous and objective merit-review system.

For additional information, contact Tom Meyer at (661) 654-2104.

CSUB biology professor awarded $25,000 grant from National Parks Service

Brandon Pratt, a California State University, Bakersfield biology professor, was recently awarded $25,000 by the National Parks Service to study the post-fire regeneration of wildland vegetation in the Santa Monica Mountains in southern California.

Pratt's proposal was selected for funding because fires are a primary management issue for the National Parks Service, which manages a large portion of the public lands in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA).

The study by Pratt, in collaboration with Stephen Davis of Pepperdine University, will "help to fill in some gaps in our knowledge about how plants regenerate post-fire and what the limits to this natural regeneration process may be," Pratt detailed.

The funds from the grant will be used to support students working in Pratt's lab who are making a range of measurements in an effort to uncover what traits facilitate post-fire survival.

"Fire is a natural and recurrent disturbance across large parts of the globe," he said. "In many areas, fire frequency is increasing due to human ignitions (accidental and intentional) in expanding urban areas, invasion of non-native species, climate change, and due changes in land use.

"Understanding how native vegetation responds to fire will become increasingly important for predicting how wildland ecosystems will change in response to these altered fire regimes, and how best to manage wildlands in a state of heightened disturbance. In addition, an understanding of the plant traits that facilitate population recovery post-fire is essential for understanding the ecology and evolution of plant species and communities."

Pratt said the work already under way is helping to inform managers and scientists about what the future may hold for our wildland vegetation. So far, the work points to an interaction between vegetation recovery post-fire and the recent droughts that have gripped the southwestern United States.

Some plant populations in the SMMNRA are showing death rates of as much as 60 percent, and the data collected by Pratt and his students suggest that drought is a chief culprit. Continued monitoring for the next year will help to discern why so many of the plants are dying and what the causes might be.

For more information, contact Pratt at (661) 654-2033.

Covenant Ride for Hope - Complete Motorcycle Event

Motorcycle Ride—Covenant Ride for Hope to Benefit Kern County’s Abused and Neglected Children

Covenant Community Services is holding a motorcycle ride to benefit programs that serve Kern County’s abused and neglected children. The Covenant Ride for Hope is being held on May 3^rd, 2008. This is a pledge drive and a minimum pledge of $30 per rider and $15 per passenger is required to participate. The Covenant Ride for Hope is a complete motorcycle event. It will consist of not only a poker run, but a blessing of the bikes, bike show, BBQ lunch, live music, and raffle prizes! Plus every rider who participates will receive a Covenant Ride for Hope Ride Pin, and those riders who raise more will receive additional prizes including: bandanas, T-shirts, hats, and jackets.

The programs that will benefit from the Covenant Ride for Hope are: Kern County’s Royal Family Kids’ Camp, Covenant Mentoring and Covenant CARENET. Royal Family Kids’ Camp is a camp dedicated to providing children in foster care with a week of summer camp where they are treated like royalty. Each child attends camp completely free and will receive a week of camp full of numerous exciting activities such as horseback riding, a talent show, swimming and much more. Covenant Mentoring matches a child/youth in foster care with a safe and caring adult who can guide them through tough situations with patience and love. Covenant CARENET provides household necessities to families receiving their children back into the home. Many families have completed court mandated tasks, in an effort to get their children back, but oftentimes, they don’t have the resources to purchase beds, dressers and other necessities. Because these families have come so far and risk losing custody of their children, Covenant CARENET procures donations from the community to purchase the items these families need for a successful transition.

Contact Covenant Community Services 661/326-8304 for more information about the Covenant Ride for Hope or visit the website at http://www.covenantcs.net/ ride.htm

Second annual Celebrate CSUB! open house scheduled

Celebrate CSUB!, a university-wide family open house, returns for a day of free fun and educational activities.

The second annual event is slated for Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the main California State University, Bakersfield campus. A variety of activities will occur, including musical competitions, children's events and booths from campus clubs.

"We are thrilled to once again roll out the welcome mat and invite everyone back to campus for Celebrate CSUB!," said Evelyn Coyle, Celebrate CSUB! chairwoman. "Last year's event had something for everyone, and about 2,000 visitors joined us throughout the day. There are many added attractions this year. Whether you are alumni and have not been on campus for some time or a local resident who has not yet ventured to campus, it's a great opportunity to discover or rediscover CSUB."

Festivities include a daylong series of events filled with activities for an array of visitors. The campus will showcase scholarly activities such as science and archeology; events to welcome alumni back to campus include the 5K Alum Fun Run and the pancake breakfast. The Student Union, Associated Students, Inc. and Student Affairs will host their spring carnival and club faire, and art workshops for kids makes a return. An assortment of food vendors will be on hand.

Earth Day

Earth Day festivities return to the CSUB campus after a 12-year hiatus. About 1,200 visitors are expected to attend the solar-powered event. Hybrid cars, alternative energy sources, a recycled art contest, and eco-friendly interactive offerings will highlight the event. Pacific Gas & Electric is a key Earth Day sponsor. For information or to be an exhibitor, contact Carol Raupp at (661) 654-2370.

CSUB Idol

Back by popular demand is "CSUB Idol," a local take on Fox's popular television singing competition. Preliminaries will take place on Tuesday, April 8 and Thursday, April 10 at 4 p.m. in the music building, room 127. Finalists will face-off the day of Celebrate CSUB!. Deadline to register for the preliminaries is Friday, April 4. The contest is open to solo vocal acts only. For information, contact Robert Provencio at (661) 654-3073.

Freshman Day and parent orientation

Freshman Day and parent orientation also will be in full swing during Celebrate CSUB!. About 400 first-time freshmen and their parents are expected to be on campus to register for the fall quarter and attend orientation sessions. Steve Watkin, CSUB outreach director, said students from Kern, Los Angeles and Tulare counties will be attending.

Two orientation sessions are available for admitted freshmen, one at 8 a.m. and another at 10 a.m. at the Doré Theatre. A general orientation presentation is scheduled for students and their parents. President Horace Mitchell is scheduled to welcome admitted freshmen. During the orientation presentation, students will learn about university policies as well as academic and co-curricular offerings. Freshmen students and their parents will be able to explore CSUB together.

Immediately following each orientation presentation, students will meet with the deans of the four schools and an adviser to register for classes. The soon-to-be Roadrunners and their parents will meet for lunch and then have the rest of the afternoon to participate in Celebrate CSUB! activities.

Watkin said financial aid, admissions, housing, and the Stiern Library will be among the many departments assisting the new students.

Students are advised to sign up for one of the two orientation sessions before arriving at Freshman Day. Cost to attend the Freshman Day orientation and lunch is $35. For information please call Victoria Champion at (661) 654-3138.

Pre-Celebrate CSUB! events scheduled
The CSUB Fine Arts department will present actress and singer Carol Channing in "A Salute to the Arts" on Friday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in the Doré Theatre. For information contact Sheri Horn-Bunk at (661) 654-3209.

Additionally, CSUB is partnering with the Bakersfield Police Activities League to host the 14th annual Battle of the Badges on Friday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in the Icardo Center. For details, call (661) 283-8880.

Celebrate CSUB! sponsors include KBAK 29 "The Eyewitness News Station" and Fox 58, KISV FM Hot 94.1, and KBFP FM La Preciosa 105.3.

Admission and parking are free. Reservations for school buses and groups of 10 or more are suggested. For additional information, please log onto www.csub.edu/celebrate, the site is updated as events are added, or call (661) 654-2175.

Wildflower Display on Carrizo Plain National Monument

Time's a wastin'!

The wildflowers were glorious on Sat., April 5, on the Carrizo Plain National Monument, only a 90-minute drive from Bakersfield!

Many folks aren't aware that we have a monument in our back yard. Clinton's Presidential Proclamation established it in 1991. It encompasses about 250,000 acres of grassland between here and the coast.

The monument has marvelous attractions: An up-close-and-personal view of the San Andreas Fault; two campgrounds plus other areas for dispersed camping; wildlife to view, including some endangered species; exhibits about ranch life in bygone times; Soda Lake, which has no outlet to the sea; and guided trails to an overlook of the monument and along the edge of Soda Lake. There are guided tours (by reservation only — 805.475.2131) to an archeology site, Painted Rock, on Saturdays.

The Guy S. Goodwin Education Center is packed with information and interactive displays about geology, wildlife, plants, and ecology, and it has mounted specimens of the California condor, a Sandhill crane and several other species. There is a botanical garden of native plants outside the center. The center also has a small museum store with books, cards, and caps for sale.

This year the wildflowers are wonderful. The bloom was good two weeks ago and very good last week. They won't last long!

For further information, please call BLM at 661.391.6088 or the education center at 805.475.2131. The education center is open Thurs. - Sun. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through May 31.

There is no admission fee to the Monument, but please be prepared. Have a full gas tank, food, water, sun protection, and a warm jacket when you come, because the nearest services are in Taft or Buttonwillow, some 50 miles away.

Hope to see you on the Monument soon!

Nancy Ryan
Friends of the Carrizo Plain

Vacation 1992: Not one to repeat

Some of the greatest memories I have are the frequent camping trips my Dad took us on when we were children. Whether it was the mountains or the lake we spent several days enjoying each other as a family. Long before the days of iPods and cell phones, all we had was a deck of cards and an AM radio to pass time. Me, my older brother and younger sister would spend hours hiking and looking for animals, while Mom and Dad relaxed to the music of George Jones and Tammy Wynette.

So it only makes sense that I would want to treat my wife and daughter to the same fun that I has as a child. In the summer of 1992 I shared the memories of camping with my wife and our 9-year-old daughter. When I asked them if it sounded fun, I was met with a blank stare and the answer of "No" in stereo. My daughter suggested I take my wife, while she stayed with Nanna and Poppa who were now retired from camping. After much prodding my wife answered yes. But it was one of those yes answers that signaled she was trying to find a quick exit to the conversation.

I ran out and bought a tent, sleeping bags and a few other camping accesories. What I didn't buy I was able to borrow from Mom and Dad. Everything fit neatly into the bed of my truck which I quickly drove home and showed my wife. I reminded her she had agreed to go camping unconditionally. I got her to commit to a camping trip that following weekend.

I had everything ready the morning of July 11th. We headed out for a spot in the Piute mountains a friend had suggested. The drive up there was beautiful and allowed me to reassure my wife we were going to have a wonderful time. The 2 hour trip turned into a 4 hour trip when I realized I had driven too far and needed to double back. I assured my wife I had everything under control. I was actually trying to assure myself everything was under control. Once I found the spot I had driven by 2 hours earlier we began to set up camp.

For those unfamiliar with the Piutes, they sit comfortably near the Garlock fault. Moments after we began setting up a terrible rumbling sound echoed through the mountains while the ground began to shake. As luck would have it an aftershock to the Landers earthquake decided to strike within miles of where we were setting up. We could see rocks rolling off the mountains into the very road we had taken to get to our spot. I had to convince my wife this was all absolutely normal. Earthquakes are a normal part of camping.

While walking back to the truck we could hear a hissing sound from the right side of the truck. At the same time the back corner of the truck seemed to be getting lower and lower. Upon closer inspection we found a large stick protruding from the right rear tire. It was then that I remembered I had no jack to change the tire because I had taken it out earlier in the week and had forgot to put it back. No problem, one of the other friendly campers will help out. At least that is the hope I tried to give my wife. That hope quickly faded away when we realized all the other campers were hastily exiting the area after the earthquake had frightened them.

We had been camping a total of 2 hours when my wife decided we should probably eat something. I quickly set up the stove and described what a perfect meal I could make for us. If I only had propane. I remembered the stove, the pans, the utensils. But somehow the propane slipped my mind. But when you think about it, nothing beats a bologna sandwich in the woods.

Night time settled in the Piutes. My wife had decided TV might turn a bad trip into a better one. She brought a little 12 volt TV that plugged into the cigarette lighter of the truck. There was little or no reception except for FOX, so we watched America's Most Wanted. Mr Walsh decided it was a good idea to do a special on crimes in national parks. Including unsolved murders in the woods. If there was any hope of my wife relaxing on this trip it was gone at this point. Shortly after that story the TV began to fade away as the battery in the truck went dead. Hey we can push start the truck, right? Maybe so if I didn't have a flat tire.

We never used the tent or sleeping bag because we never slept that night. Every noise my wife heard had to be one of the killers at large profiled on America's most wanted. As the sun began to rise we started breaking down camp. When it seemed we were stuck there along came a truck with a man that resembled something off the movie Deliverance. Either he will help us, or simply kill us and put us out of our misery. Fortunately he had a jack to change my tire and jumper cables to start the truck. He started looking a lot more like an angel to me at that point.

We began our journey down the mountain and I decided now was a good time to talk about our next camping trip. I was met with the "death stare". Only guys are familiar with that look. It means change the subject really fast. "How about Disneyland..."

Ride with the Slow Spokes

My favorite outdoor activity is a Saturday morning bike ride with the bicycle riding group called "Slow Spokes." Last Saturday's Slow Spokes ride was particularly scenic because we started in Caliente and rode to Twin Oaks and back. To find a Slow Spokes ride go to the Kern Wheelmen Web site at www.kernwheelmen.org. Click on "Rides" and look for rides led by Richard and Jo Stewart.

Here's info on their next ride:

Saturday, April 5, 8 a.m., North Rosedale Park, 20 miles, flat terrain, slow pace (8 to 10 mph)

RIDE Shell Station
START North Rosedale Park
PEDAL 8:00 a.m.
RETURN 11:00 a.m.
ROUTE Jewetta, Olive/Kratzmier, Enos Lane, Shell Station, 7th Standard, Zerker, Snow, Jewetta
BRING HELMET, Flat Fix'ns, Water, Bike Food
PITSTOP North Rosedale Park, Shell Station, North Rosedale Park
AFTER ?

Biking around Bakersfield

Obviously Bike Bakersfield's favorite outdoor activity is cycling! Our favorite places to ride include: the full 32 miles of Bakersfield’s wonderful bike path, out around HartPark, Panorama, and just commuting to work.

Though none of us are mountain bikers (yet), the Southern Sierra Fat Tire Association showed us some of the awesome trails up the canyon at their 20^th annual Keyesville Classic. If you’re interested in finding great trails and people to ride with you definitely need to contact them because they’ll make you love mountain biking as much as they do.

Unfortunately, there aren't many places to legally ride BMX unless you’re going to the Metro BMX track on North Chester. Bike Bakersfield is currently working with our local BMX flatland and freestyle riders to help remedy this problem.

This is one of the most exciting times of the year for Bike Bakersfield because May is National Bike Month. Bike to Work Day, Commuter Stands, and other fun activities such as our Full Moon Ride and Criterium Race will be going on during the month of May to celebrate cycling. We hope to see you out there and don't forget ... Get on your bikes and ride!

Fishing Adventure

Veronica Zoraida Tapia plays "hooky" during her winter break and lands a five and a half pound rainbow trout at Buena Vista Lake on January 6, 2008. Veronica was using 6 lb. test line and silver sparkle green powerbait to lure her catch. It took her seven minutes to land the fish, and currently holds the family record.

Holi, the Indian festival of colors

You might have heard about Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. Now, it is time for Holi, the Indian festival of colors. Like in many cultures, a new year in India starts with the onset of spring following nature’s calendar. Holi is the last festival of the year celebrated on the last full moon day of the Hindu calendar. It happened to fall on Good Friday this year.

According to the Hindu mythology, Holi is celebrated to mark the death of demoness, Holika, who was killed in a pyre. That is why this day is also called Holika Poornima, full moon day of Holika. On the next day, which is called Dhuleti, people go around with gulal, colored powders, and throw them at each other. Colors represent vibrant shades of nature in full bloom during spring season. This two-day festival is usually referred to as Holi.

“Traditionally it is a two-day celebration. It is a nice social gathering where we spray colored water and throw powdered colors at each other and enjoy good food with family and friends” said Mukesh Patel, President of the India Association of San Joaquin Valley.

“Holi is the celebration of the last day of winter” said Hasmukh Amin, a Bakersfield pediatrician. “It is like a festival for the farming community to enjoy the fruits of their hard work. They also pray for good crops in the following seasons” added Amin who is the President of the Hindu Temple of Kern County.

Holi celebration will start at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 21, at the Hindu Temple located at 6700 Valleyview Drive. It will be followed by Indian food that includes sev, a sweet dish made of vermicelli. Dhuleti will be celebrated on Saturday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with colors and Indian snacks. Everyone is invited to take part in this celebration.

Another Holi celebration is organized by Chinmaya Mission of Bakersfield on Sunday, March 30, at Yokuts Park (4200 Empire Drive) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Surendra Dara, PhD, is an entomologist and founder of Laugh To Live (www.laughtolive.org).

Please mind the bike path rules

Well, I got my road bike back out from hibernation and decided to start training for some upcoming events.I figured the bike path would be the safest route to train since the cars are not around. But I've only gone out 3 days and I'm guessing the people that don't have drivers training are the same people out on this trail.

As far as I know, it's to be treated like the roadways. But it seems a lot of people, "grownups included," think they are on the sidewalk. I always slow down when aproaching other walkers and such but these people are all over the lanes. I've had to yell out "excuse me" about 30 times in 3 days. People stopping and working on bikes in the middle of the lane, spread all over the lane with their families, riding towards me with fishing poles sticking out across the lanes, people never looking behind them while they both are riding side by side in both lanes as I come up with no place to pass.

I would not write this if it wasn't real bad.I joined this site just so I could do this. I will keep doing this until something's done like signs posted throughout the path or something. I hate to sound like a prude but i promise people are going to get hurt as if they already haven't been. I think it's just not talked about. Worst thing is the people doing it are likely never to read this. Treat it like the road people. Please! My skinny little road tires don't like the rocky shoulder. Lol.

A February sunset

This photo was taken February 27, 2008 on a day when the AQI was less than desirable. Sometimes bad air can produce a beautiful sunset.

Will the Poppies bloom this year?

Golden poppies stretching as far as the eye can see is the draw of thousands of visitors to the state’s only Poppy Reserve – the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, 15101 Lancaster Road, 15 miles west of I-14. After two miserable years of meager showings, the question remains – Will this be the year of golden dreams?

“We can only hope,” says Jean Scott, interpretive specialist with the California Parks system. “We have 1755 acres of the most consistent poppy growing land in the state as well as owl's clover, lupine, goldfield, cream cups and coreopsis. At the end of January, we had over nine inches of rain. Our biggest year for wildflowers was in 2005 when we had 16 inches.”

The question is not only if that was enough rainfall, but if it came at right time. The park people know that in a year of little rain, there’s a meager showing of plants across the sere, desert landscape. Last year, when only one inch of rain fell, the rangers counted only 58 plants – that’s not species -- that’s individual plants.

If you want to see poppies, how can you check before you head out?

Three ways:

1. Call the direct number for wildflower viewing that’s updated as conditions change: 661-724-1180, or

2. Go to the web site: www.parks.ca.gov click on Visit a Park button at the top, choose Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve.

3. On the radio, AM 1610 broadcasts updates and other information about the various parks.

Beginning March 15, the 2,000 square foot Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Named to honor the woman who spearheaded the drive to save the poppy fields, the Center, which is a green building, is built into the hillside. It uses passive solar heating and is designed to reduce the heat from the sun.

Inside the visitor center, which is staffed by volunteers, you’ll find a short orientation video, wildlife and wildflower displays and a gallery of Jane S. Pinheiro’s detailed watercolor paintings framed and donated by the Lancaster Women’s Club. There’s a gift shop that features unique poppy and wildflower-oriented items, books, jewelry and many wonderful items for children. While the Reserve is open year round from sunrise to sunset, the visitor center and activities are only available during the spring.

Guided tours are offered for the duration of the wildflower season. When giving tours, Scott, whose love of the desert came about when she went camping in Joshua Tree National Park during the biggest wildflower bloom of the century, shares her love of the desert.

“Most visitors drive through the desert only thinking of it as dry sand and weeds, but it’s so much more,” Scott said. “It has a very intricate habitat with so many things that survive in this harsh climate. I also love to include the cultural history in my tours such as telling that the land around the Poppy Reserve was originally burned by Native Americans specifically to create a grassland,” said Scott, who graduated with a major in biology from UC Santa Cruz.

On the northwest side of the Park, is a tuff quarry that provided cement for the Owens River Project. Wagon trains stopped at Fairmont Butte, on the northwest side. Many settlers came up to start ranching operations for almond orchards, pear, and dry farming of onions and alfalfa.

“In good years of plentiful wildflower blooms, busloads of wildflower-loving people arrive,” she said. “They come from as far away as Korea, China, Germany, and all over the USA. Senior groups come in droves to enjoy the flowers.”

If you’ve never been to the Poppy Reserve, keep in mind that this is not a tame, well-ordered botanical garden. For the handicapped or those in wheelchairs, there is a shallow grade up to the Center made for wheelchair accessibility. Also, a short section of the path into the field of flowers is paved for wheelchair use.

The able-bodied can trek on eight miles of trails carved through fields of wildflowers that support the lives of small animals and snakes.

If you see a rattler or a Mojave Green snake, what do you do?

Scott says, “If you see a snake, back up slowly. Treat them with respect. They are an important part of the habitat because they control the rodent population.”

Her other suggestions include:

· Come during the week, it’s less crowded.

· Come in the early morning because the wind comes up in the afternoon and poppies close.

· Leave your dogs at home. Dogs are not allowed on the trails. There’s no shaded areas in the parking lot, so don’t plan on leaving your animals in your car.

· Stay on the trails. If not, you’ll be trampling and destroying the plants.

· Bring your own food if you want to use the picnic area. The Center does sell water.

FEES during Wildflower season

Passenger parking is $5 per vehicle, or $4 with seniors (62 and over).
Small busses (9-14 passengers): $50.
Large busses (25 or more passengers): $100.

Tours:
Guided group & school programs may be arranged by calling (661) 942-0662.

DIRECTIONS: Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, 15101 Lancaster Road.

From I-14, take the Avenue I exit and go west 15 miles. Avenue I becomes Lancaster Road. You’ll see the Reserve is on the right.

From I-5, take Highway 138 east, then go south (right) on 170^th Street West and turn left onto Lancaster Road. The Reserve is on the left.

COME STAY AWHILE

There are two other unique parks that would be well worth your time to visit. ARTHUR B. RIPLEY DESERT WOODLAND, added to the State Parks in 1988, is seven miles west of the Poppy Reserve, on Lancaster Road where 210^th Street would be. Park on the side of the road and enter through the pedestrian walk-through by the park gate. With its dense stands of Joshua and junipers, you’ll get a good idea of what the whole valley looked like before it was altered by humans. The park is rustic. You’ll find only a pit toilet but no running water. It features a picnic table and self-guided nature trail, with information about the desert wildflowers and animals of the Ripley Desert Woodlands. The trail is short with no elevation change. As the only sanctuary for wildlife, you often can spot a lot of animals and birds.

Operating Hours:Sunrise to Sunset. Free
PRIME DESERT WOODLANDS,43201 35th Street West (K-8 & 35th Street West), in Lancaster. This absolute gem of a park is nestled within an urban area. It was established to teach about the local plants and animals. Within the 100 acres, there are more than two miles of trails.

Directions: From I-14, take Avenue K West to 30^th Street. Turn left (south) on

30^th then right on K-8. Operating Hours: 6 a.m. to sunset, seven days a week. Free.

MARK THE DATES

LANCASTER POPPY FESTIVAL, April 19 and 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Lancaster City Park, 43011 N. 10th Street West. www.poppyfestival.com

In the past, some50,000 visitors attended the two-day event set in the 55-acre park. This year you can expect American folk music, Cajun, acoustic guitars, Grammy award nominee Lee Ritenour, jazz, magic shows, Jest-in-Time Circus of Fools, Exotic Animal encounter and carnival attractions. The vendors includeArts & Craft, business vendors, Flower & Farmers' Market, non-profits displays and an International Market.Fee: Adults (13-61) $8, Children (6-12)$5, Children (5 & Under) free, Seniors (62+) $5. Parking is across the street from the park on 10^th Street West. Parking and the frequent shuttles to the park entrance are free.

Bonnie D. Stone is the author of San Andreas Ain’t No Fault of Mine, the official guidebook to the Antelope Valley. For restaurants and motels in the area go to www.bonniedstone.com

Half Dome Cable Trail

Half Dome is easily one of the most recognizable rock formations in the United States. It sits on the south side of Yosemite Valley and on the California State quarter, just daring to be climbed. But beware, this day hike will test your fitness, your fear of heights, and your hiking shoes!
    The trail head starts at “Happy Isles” and the Vernal Falls Trail head in Yosemite Valley. The hike will start at 4800 ft. and climb to 8842 ft. elevation. Approximately 17 miles round trip this hike will take 10 to 12 hours and in case you cannot tell, is not for the casual hiker.
   Even if you are in excellent shape or are a “gym rat” I would recommend a couple of training hikes to acclimate yourself to the thin air. Tehachapi Peak is perfect for getting in the proper shape. The trail head is located at Tehachapi Mt. Park.
   Cables are put up the last part of May and taken down in October. They start at the East shoulder of Half Dome and continue to the top. The rock here can be as steep as 45 degrees so they are required. Going up is not bad, but if you have a fear of heights, coming down will be slow going. Bring a hanky because you will be crying all the way. Even if you don’t like heights the hike to the base of Half Dome is incredible. Many people turn around here.
   A few things to take to make your day more enjoyable…
   Water, take ½ to 1 gallon, I took a 2 liter camel pack and 2 water bottles and had none left over.
   Food, high energy light weight, protein bars, trail mix, ect. This hike took me 12 hours, take enough for all day. I would have killed for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
    Clothing, comfortable walking shorts, hat, sunscreen, and light weight poncho. The trail below Vernal Falls is called the “Mist Trail”. You should have excellent hiking shoes and socks, no tennis shoes. If you don’t want to loose toenails give them a trim before you leave.
    It wouldn’t hurt to bring a small camera. Nobody will believe you did it so you will need proof that you made it to the top.
    Last but not least, bring a pair of leather gloves. They will give you a better grip on the cables.
Camping spots are hard to get in the Valley so I stayed the night before and the night after in a motel in Oakhurst, about an hour drive each way. You will be too tired to drive all the way home, trust me.
This is one of the most challenging hikes in Yosemite but you will be rewarded a hundred times over. The scenery is second to none. Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls are beautiful. The view overlooking Yosemite Valley from the top of Half Dome can only be described as surreal; you will not want to leave. I had to promise myself I would return again this summer, so back to the gym I go.

Hiking Packsaddle Trail

We hiked Packsaddle Trail today, February 9, 2008, but not all the way to the cave. There was snow on parts of the trail and we were spooked by animal prints in the snow. The day was awesome; just cool enough to be comfortable, crisp, and gloriously clear compared to Bakersfield where it was hazy. The third picture is the haze making its way through the canyon. The last picture is the snow on the trail.

Hikers: Lou Stoker and Leann Banducci, both paralegals for local law firms.

Trail Location: Located in the Dome Lands Wilderness Area. From Kernville, drive north on Sierra Way Road/Kern River Highway for 16 miles to Fairview Campground. Just past the campground is a parking area at the Fairview Resort. The trail marker is very small and the trail and trail marker are on the opposite side of the road from the parking area. There are restrooms near the parking area since it is near a campground.

Drive Time: Approximately 1-1/2 hours

Hike Time: It's 5 miles round trip and almost all uphill going to the cave so depending on hiker's skill level, it could take over 2 hours round trip. A person would need to be in moderate to good shape for this trail.

Details: The best time to make this hike is in cooler weather because there are no shady areas on the trail. Leann did this hike in 2000 in the summer and suffered from the extreme heat and exposure. She said the cave was like an oasis because it was dark and cool. Since the cave is dark inside, you need to take a flashlight to see any stalagmites and stalactites that may still be there.

There are beautiful rocks on and around the trail. As you ascend to the higher altitude, the only thing you can hear is the occasional car on the highway and the sound of the Kern River below. It's very calm and serene. We saw 6-7 deer running up the side of an adjacent mountain. They were quite a ways away from us but close enough that we stood and watched them run for several minutes, completely amazed by them.

Beginner at Keyesville

As I lined up with the other racers, I knew this wasn’t going to be a typical weekend bike ride. There was a palpable tension in the air as my group was asked to approach the starting line. Meanwhile, the race director worked frantically to organize the herd of mountain bikers by age and ability and to start the groups in intervals of a few minutes, less time than you’d think with some of the riders lining up in the wrong area.

“Riders on your mark, get set, GO!” shouted the race director. And with that, we were off to the raucous cheers of the small crowd that had gathered at the starting line, most of whom were family members of the racers. Girlfriends, husbands, kids, they had all made the drive up the canyon to cheer on the competitors. One of the younger spectators, waiting to see a race scheduled for later in the day, held a sign that read, “GO MOM!”

The truth was, in a few moments the starting line would be far behind, and the spectators wouldn’t see any of us for another 40-50 minutes, each of us following the course independently and at our own varying pace. Since it was my first mountain bike race, I was riding in the “beginner” category with about 9 other riders, although beginner was a term used loosely that day. Most of the riders had obviously spent some quality time with a mountain bike at one point or another and were riding beginner because they were new to mountain bike racing or were getting back into it after a few years on the sidelines. Riders in the beginner category are the ones most likely to engage in “sandbagging,” or racing in a category below one’s abilities in order to place higher. But not to worry, a sixth place finish in a group of ten was proof enough that I was in exactly the right spot.

The race course was located in and around the Keyesville campground, which is up the Kern River Canyon, adjacent to the Isabella Dam and managed by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). It consisted of a long, moderately steep climb, followed by a long, steep descent, with various ups and downs mixed throughout. The course didn’t lend itself to sitting back and pedaling; in many situations I had to shift gears quickly in order to make quick transitions between climbing and descending. The trail was only slightly technical in the most difficult areas so newcomers to the sport wouldn’t have much trouble. And the race venue was spectacular, with views of the Southern Sierras, Lake Isabella, and the Kern River Canyon. I ended up finishing the race and just hanging out all day at the campground and the Kern River Brewery in Kernville where all racers were given a voucher for a free beer.

My racing group gradually thinned out as the faster riders put distance between themselves and the rest, eventually finishing as much as twenty minutes ahead of the slowest. For a middle-of-the-pack racer like myself, this involves passing a few people, and being passed by a few others. And even though it’s a sport composed almost entirely of amateurs (all but the top pros have day jobs), it’s hard not to get caught up in the moment and try your damnedest to finish before the others. But that’s the appeal of the race: pushing yourself to your limits, and performing when it matters. OK, so it doesn’t really matter, but when you are being timed it’s easier to pretend, right?

Overall, my experience at the Keyesville Classic was more than just a race. It was the chance to see mountain biking culture up close and personal, with its characters, action, and good times. And the weekend-long festival is the poster child of overlooked local entertainment, with great racing action featuring elite professionals, live music at the venue, great food and beverages, and a local micro-brewery hosting the weekend’s kickoff party. Having seen what it’s all about last time, I can’t wait for this year’s event, the 20^th Annual Keyesville Classic. Come out and see why it has been rated one of the top courses in the nation for mountain biking, whether to watch the pros battle it out, race with the weekend warriors yourself, or just hang out and enjoy the festival atmosphere. Either way, it’s hard not to have a great time.

For more information visit the Southern Sierra Fat Tire Association’s website at www.ssfta.com

Beautiful Kern County

This picture was taken on Super Bowl Sunday. I was standing at my kitchen sink watching the rain come down and as soon as it stopped, the sun shown brilliantly. I figured there would be a rainbow so I walked out to the front yard and saw the most beautiful rainbow right in front of my house. The picture includes my flag.

The second picture is a view from Hanglider Hill. It was cloudy but when the sun burst through the clouds it lighted up some of the hills behind Lake Ming.

The third picture was taken from Doyle Trail up above Springville. The hike along the trail is uneventful except for the beautiful trees but the payoff is well worth the hike when you get to the water fall and stream. The water is crystal clear and ice cold.

PARROTS OF BAKERSFIELD

SUNDAY WAS A BEAUTIFUL AND WARM DAY. I WENT OUT SIDE AND WAS LOOKING AT OUR PECAN TREE, AND WHAT DID I SEE? PARROTS. ABOUT 6-10 BIG AND BEAUTIFUL. WE LIVE IN THE LA CRESTA AREA. THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE.