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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A painter in Lake County would need a palette supplied with every shade of jade, emerald and lime green as temperatures rise and we arrive closer to the spring season.
As John Muir said, “Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.”
Each plant begins its renewal process, and brings with it a sense of hope and new beginnings. Responding to the lengthening days is hard work for plants.
As billions of root hairs anchor and absorb dissolved minerals, they must transport them from cell to cell within the root, then defy gravity by nourishing the bud above.
The official spring season, or vernal equinox began March 20. It can differ from March 19-21 depending on the varying length of our year and Earth's slightly elliptical orbit.
At the equinox, our star, the sun passes Earth's equator creating a night and day nearly equal in length. As the days begin to lengthen, the hemisphere warms and the annual renewal creates its show.
You know it's spring in Lake County when the first forest lilies, trillium, push themselves up through the damp earthen floor.
Of all of the spring wildflowers, trillium appears most prehistoric with its maroon or white flowering stalks protruding from three broad multi-hued green leaves and often shares the neighborhood with other prehistoric-looking plants – ferns.
Trillium's tuber-like rhizomes increase each year adding to the amount of blooms year after year, in the manner of bulbs.
Lake County Native Americans used the rhizomes in medicine, but it was so bitter that other plants were favored over trillium. The Yuki Indians crushed the root and used it as a salve for boils and other skin ailments.
Another Lake County harbinger of spring, the Western Fence Lizard appears out of hibernation during late winter or early spring to sun himself on a stone.
Also known as “blue-bellies,” Western Fence lizards can be gray, tan, brown or black in color and grow to a length of over 8 inches.
These entertaining reptiles are diurnal, or active during the daylight hours. They can be seen bobbing, or performing push-ups to attract a mate.
This activity also is used to ward off other males, along with flattening themselves to more readily display their strikingly blue sides.
Western Fence lizards breed after their second year, producing clutches of three to 17 eggs during the months of April to July, and live three to five years.
They quickly scurry away from predators like birds and snakes and can drop their tails as a decoy for a quick escape.
If attacked, the tail moves around to draw attention away from the lizard, but the lizard only drops its tail during extreme emergency, as re-growing a tail uses valuable stores of energy.
These lively lizards are beneficial in that they eat large quantities of bugs and spiders. Scientists have learned that where lizards live, Lyme disease is lower.
It has been proven that there is a protein in lizard blood that kills the Lyme disease bacterium, and renders the ticks safe from carrying Lyme disease.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – You see them often in wild areas, especially after a light rain: strikingly brilliant colors against the browns of the forest.
They are often mistaken for some kind of fungi, but they’re not; nor are they really plants or any kind of animals.
They are the Myxomycetes: slime molds.
Starting off as nearly invisible single-celled formations born from spores, they can live out their lifespan in a single day.
The single cells find one another through a kind of chemical communication system, and congeal into thin amoeba-like globs called plasmodium.
This plasmodium creeps rhythmically along the ground at a speed of about a quarter of an inch per hour over dead leaves, onto stumps or wherever else the motion takes it, pretty much unseen, hunting down bacteria and digestible spores.
When runs out of stuff to eat – or when some other trigger like rain or sunlight excites the mass – the plasmodium finds a prime spot (preferably one that’s dry with a little breeze nearby) to reproduce.
It forms fruiting bodies calls sporangia – which can come in a variety of shapes and colors including red, yellow, gray and bright blue – that go on to produce spores.
These spores are then carried off by the breeze and the whole process starts over again.
One of the most common forms of slime mold in this region – and you may even have spotted it in your own backyard – is Fuligo septica. In its excited fruiting-body-stage this stuff looks like bright yellow froth or thin scrambled eggs.
Within a day, though, this mass of froth forms a crust over itself that starts out pearly white and eventually turns brown.
Underneath the crust, the spores are forming. When the crust is brittle enough it will break at the slightest provocation, releasing the spores. This is a kind of slime mold you might even find in your backyard.
Don’t worry, though. It’s a bacteria-eater and won’t affect your grass or plants. Some folks try to get rid of it by spraying it with a hose, but all that does is spread the mold further over your lawn and plants. So, it’s best just to let it be and run its course.
Two other forms of slime mold prefer weather that’s slightly chilly, and I’ve been able to find them often in riparian (river-side) habitat throughout the region. They are wolf’s milk slime mold and white-finger slime mold.
The wolf’s milk variety appears as bright pink “buttons” or cushions in its early stages, and then turns a shiny brown as it matures and goes to spore. Touching one of the young buttons will make pink-colored tooth-paste-like “milk” ooze from it.
The white-finger variety of slime mold, on the other hand, starts out looking like strings of tiny white upright fingerlings.
Look more closely, and you’ll see that each tiny finger is actually sitting on top of a thread-like stalk. As the fingerlings age, they turn brown and then shiny black.
Once in the spore-bearing stage the molds go brittle, and interestingly enough, even though the wind, critters and people can promote the spread of the spores, some slime molds actually depend on beetles to help spread the spores.
The beetle’s hard feet and legs pierce through the “crust” that surrounds the spores, and the bristles on their legs carry the spores to new destinations.
The best time to find active slime molds is right after a rain – so in drought years like this one finding them might be difficult, but keep an eye out for them anyway.
When you encounter them, remember that the time between “fruiting” (when they’re most visible) and going to spore can sometimes take less than a day.
They won’t be around for long, so take as many photos of them as you can whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Tuleyome Tales is a monthly publication of Tuleyome, a nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Calif. For more information about Tuleyome go to www.tuleyome.org . Mary K. Hanson is an amateur naturalist and photographer and author of The Chubby Woman’s Walkabout blog.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week Lake County Animal Care and Control has another group of lovely canines that need forever homes.
Mixes of Chihuahuas, chow chows, corgis, beagles and terriers are waiting to meet you.
Homes are needed soon, as many of the dogs have been waiting a long time for the right family to come along.
The shelter is short of space and prospective owners are urged to come in as soon as possible and give the dogs chances for forever homes this spring season.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
Male chow chow mix
This male chow chow mix is 6 years old, and continues to wait for a good home.
He has a medium-length black coat and weighs 68 pounds, and has been neutered.
He's a mellow and sweet dog. Shelter staff said he was on his own, traveling the streets for some time. He may have been abandoned.
He is good with other dogs, and is very sweet, not shy or skittish.
Find him in kennel No. 17, ID No. 39308.
Pit bull terrier mix
This female pit bull terrier mix is 15 weeks old.
She has cropped ears, a short brown and white coat, and weighs 22 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if she has been spayed.
Find her in kennel No. 13, ID No. 39400.
'Buster'
“Buster” is a 2-year-old corgi-retriever mix.
He has a short brown and white coat, weighs 38 pounds and has been neutered.
Also, Buster loves belly rubs.
He's in kennel No. 12, ID No. 39304.
Male Chihuahua mix
This male Chihuahua mix is 2 years old.
He has a short coat and brown eyes, and has not yet been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 10, ID No. 39500.
Male pit bull terrier mix
This male pit bull terrier mix is 8 months old.
He has green eyes, a short brown brindle and white coat, weighs 38 pounds and has not been neutered.
Shelter staff said he is good with other dogs, is well-mannered for a pup and eager to learn.
He's in kennel No. 8, ID No. 39269.
Female Chihuahua mix
This female Chihuahua mix is 8 years old.
She has a short tan coat and weighs 12 pounds. It was not reported if she has been spayed.
Find her in kennel No. 7b, ID No. 39319.
Male Chihuahua mix
This male Chihuahua mix is 3 years old.
He has a short black coat and weighs 10 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if he had been neutered.
He's in kennel No. 7a, ID No. ID: 39318.
Beagle-pug mix
This female beagle-pug mix is of undetermined age.
She weighs 32 pounds, has a curly white and brown coat, and has been spayed.
Find her in kennel No. 6, ID No. 39493.
'Monches'
“Monches” is a 2-year-old male Chihuahua mix.
He has a short white and tan spotted coat, and has not yet been neutered.
He's in kennel No. 5, ID No. 39309.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A 3.1-magnitude quake was reported Saturday night at The Geysers geothermal steamfield.
The quake occurred at 7:22 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
It was centered three miles northwest of The Geysers, 14 miles southwest of Clearlake and 13 miles north northeast of Healdsburg, at a depth of 2.1 miles, the survey said.
The US Geological Survey received shake reports from Calistoga and Middletown.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
It's spring, and all around the northern hemisphere gardeners are planting seeds, tilling soil and watering crops.
Imagine a gardener's surprise, however, if water from the hose, instead of hitting the soil and sinking in, floated up to the sky. Or if the soil itself rose up from the ground and fled the garden.
That's exactly the kind of dilemma astronauts onboard the ISS have faced for years. Without gravity, how do you make your garden grow?
The situation is even more confusing for plants. In a weightless environment, up and down has no meaning, so roots grow in odd, chaotic directions.
Shoots that emerge from the soil in search the sun find, instead, a cold metallic lamp that never rises or sets. And needless to say, it never rains onboard the space station.
On April 18, SpaceX-3 blasted off from Cape Canaveral with a possible solution to these problems.
“We call it 'Veggie',” said Gioia Massa of the Kennedy Space Center. “It's a plant growth chamber designed to make gardens thrive in weightlessness.”
Massa, who leads the Veggie science team, has been working on the project for years. Veggie's heritage traces back decades to experiments with plants on board the Russian space station Mir and NASA's space shuttle. In all that time, NASA astronauts have never tasted home-grown food in space – but that could soon change.
“Our first crop will be a variety of lettuce called 'Outredgeous,'” said Massa. “It is delicious.”
Veggie solves the problems of weightlessness using “plant pillows.”
“Basically, these are bags of 'space dirt' and slow-release fertilizer,” explained Trent Smith, the project manager from KSC. “Wicks inserted into the bags draw water into the soil where it cannot float away.”
In addition to guiding water, the wicks act as a kind of gardening stake.
“The wicks are where we glue the seeds,” continued Massa. “We have to be very careful to orient the seeds so that roots grow 'down' into the soil and shoots pop out of the bag.”
When the shoots emerge, they find an array of LEDs shining overhead, providing light for photosynthesis and a sense of direction to keep the shoots moving “up.” The bellows-like walls of the chamber allow it to expand to make room for the growing crop.
Pictures of Veggie often show the chamber flooded with a mixture of red and blue light. That's the color of light plants use most for photosynthesis. “We're just giving them what they want,” said Smith.
Under a purplish light, plants appear gray and unappetizing. “Who wants to look at that?” asked Massa. Astronaut gardeners can switch on green LEDs as well. Adding that color to the red-blue mix produces white light and displays the garden to better effect.
The appearance of the garden is important because, as Massa points out, gardening has psychological as well as nutritional benefits. Compared to Earth, spaceships are a relatively lifeless environment, cold, metallic and sterile.
“Plants allow astronauts to form a connection to living things,” she said. “There could be a huge psychological benefit.”
Chalking up another success for commercial space flight, SpaceX's Dragon capsule delivered Veggie to the ISS on Sunday, April 20. Massa said the first crop of Outredgeous should be ready for harvesting in late May, but astronauts won't be allowed to taste-test.
“First, we have to bring the lettuce home for analysis,” she explained. Is it safe to eat? Are there any bacteria growing on the leaves? “These are some of the questions we'll be looking at. If everything checks out, future crops may be eaten.”
Salad anyone?
Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A young man who grew up in Lake County and faced a deportation battle last year celebrated becoming a United States citizen on Friday.
Carlos Solorzano took the oath of citizenship in US District Court in Anchorage, Alaska.
Solorzano's immigration attorney, Margaret Stock, described his mood as “ecstatic.”
That important milestone, Solorzano told Lake County News on Friday afternoon, came “after a long and pretty tough fight.”
Aiding him in that fight was Stock. A retired lieutenant colonel in the Military Police, US Army Reserve, and a former West Point law professor – Stock isn't just tough and talented, she's considered a national expert in the highly complex world of immigration law. Last September, she was named a 2013 MacArthur Foundation Fellow, receiving one of the foundation's coveted “genius grants.”
Solorzano, 28, was born in Mexico and came to the United States with his family when he was 1 year old, growing up in Lake County and attending Lower Lake High School. In that time, he became a permanent US resident through a green card.
He went on to serve three years in the US Marines. During his service, he was involved in a bar fight in Virginia Beach, Va., on New Year's Eve 2006. He said he was defending himself, however he found himself being charged and convicted of misdemeanor assault and battery.
In that case, Solorzano didn't have a lawyer; Virginia state law doesn't require that defendants be provided with criminal defense.
He spent two days in custody, was sentenced to 365 days in jail and had all but two days of that sentence suspended, with the case settled with time served.
What he didn't know at the time was that the way the case was handled set the stage for a potential deportation threat later.
That's exactly what happened in late 2012.
Solorzano – who now lives in Alaska – was returning to the United States in December 2012 from a trip to Mexico when border agents flagged him. He was allowed to reenter the United States, but only on probationary status.
The problem, said Stock, was that while Solorzano's conviction was a misdemeanor, immigration law allows for such convictions to be interpreted as “aggravated felonies,” which are deportable offenses.
Stock said that there also has been an increased push in the US government's pursuit of deportation cases, which she told Lake County News in a previous interview resulted from a combination of more stringent interpretations of immigration law and redefined criminal law terminology.
For Solorzano, that led to the scheduling of a February 2013 hearing in Anchorage in which he faced the potential to be deported from the United States, the country he considers his home.
When he arrived for that hearing, however, the federal officials backed off, and he was formally readmitted to the United States. He then began the process, aided by Stock, of pursuing full US citizenship.
That process wasn't free of more obstacles. Solorzano said he was rejected for citizenship once during the ensuing naturalization process, with the interpretation of his misdemeanor conviction again coming up as an aggravated felony.
He said that rejection was a matter of federal immigration officials failing to gather and consider all of the information in his case.
More recently, there was still some excitement, as Stock termed it, when the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Field Office director told her that they believed Solorzano was an aggravated felon and didn't want to approve his application.
“But after some legal wrangling, they agreed with me that he was not an 'aggravated felon' and naturalized him,” she said in a Friday email.
Solorzano credited Stock with helping him receive his US citizenship, acknowledging that had it not been for her he didn't know where he would be now.
Stock said she was very pleased with the outcome to Solorzano's case. “But it was a lot of hard work.”
She continued, “That’s one of the biggest problems with our immigration system right now – the laws are so complicated that often the immigration agencies do not understand them, and they wrongly try to deport people (and deny them US citizenship) when they should not. And often the immigrants do not have lawyers.”
Last September, during the midst of his immigration process, Solorzano returned to Lake County to celebrate another milestone – his marriage.
He and fiancée Danielle White were married in a Sept. 14 ceremony on Cobb Mountain. In his wedding pictures, Solorzano looks rather like a steampunk Abe Lincoln with his top hat, tails, tattoos and a big beard.
Solorzano continues to live in Anchorage with wife Danielle, working as a tattoo artist.
“We stay pretty busy here,” he said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at