A few days ago I spotted a bald eagle about 200 yards away, his white head practically screaming “I am NOT a turkey vulture!”

He was flying north up Kelsey Creek, when he got closer he turned west and silently glided on a thermal straight towards me.

As I tried to stand perfectly still, the magnificent bird watched me as I watched him float by less than 30 feet directly over my head, once past me he kept heading west towards McGaugh Slough.

It was a routine I had witnessed many times over the years, a bald eagle searching the streams for the hitch run, after he went to McGaugh Slough it would be Adobe Creek, then Manning Creek or one of the other small tributaries of the lake.

There has been a fair amount of discussion lately about the hitch being added to the endangered species list, and whether or not it was warranted.

What oftentimes gets lost in the debate is the fact that in many cases the affected species is not simply the specific animal in question, but is actually an entire food chain, as is the case with the hitch.

This amazing fish has survived here for thousands of years but now is teetering on the brink of extinction, the fate that its cousin the Clear Lake splittail has already met. No hitch means fewer bald eagles, and a shock up and down the whole food chain.

It is unclear exactly what is responsible for the the current condition of the hitch population, though one thing we do know is that they need to have water in the creeks for a successful spawning season. Too much water can be a problem too, as untimely storms can erase a week’s worth of hard upstream travel, sometimes more than once or twice.

We know that our climate is changing faster than at any time before, and this fish will likely have to find a way to adapt if it is to survive.

The dry spring weather we have been seeing in recent years could be a feature of this change, water can be too low for the hitch to get to the prime spawning grounds, a problem sometimes made worse by drafting from the creeks at this critical time for frost protecting vineyards.

Then there is the quagga threat, if any of the non-native mussels get into the lake the biology of that environment will change so drastically that the extinction of the hitch is virtually assured, since they both feed on plankton.

The current population of the hitch is likely in the 20,000 to 30,000 range, which may sound like an impressive number but it must be remembered that this fish has a short lifespan and a few bad years of spawning conditions in a row could potentially bring the population down into the hundreds.

We also know that the hitch numbered in the hundreds of thousands in the not-too-distant past, so what is left is just a tiny fraction of that, and its extinct cousin the splittail went from a healthy population to oblivion in just a few short years.

There are many things we cannot control that may influence the survival of this species, but certainly we can find another way to frost protect vineyards – wells, wind machines, spray materials – and certainly we can take meaningful steps to keep the quagga out of our lake.

The Board of Supervisors has known for years that the hitch fry are being sucked up the intakes of the massive pipes, as their habitat is radically altered every night that frost protection is needed while they are in the creeks. Currently the quagga program consists mostly of stickers, pamphlets and signs.

So far the main complaint about listing the hitch is that the “citizen science” involved with the counting process is questionable, since it wasn’t done by professionals using strict scientific methods.

This is a very weak point for several reasons, the first is that every year the entire adult hitch population leaves the deep parts of the lake and tries to spawn far up the creeks, where the fish can easily be tracked day-by-day as the schools slowly move upstream. The water is clear and shallow when they do this, and frequently observations are made multiple times each day at the same spot by different people,  a process which has confirmed that the variations in the counts is fairly small.

The overall numbers change dramatically year to year due to the weather, but we do have enough data from good years to know what the rough average is, and even if you doubled it this fish would still be in serious jeopardy.

So the doubts about “citizen science” are pretty questionable themselves, and if scientific disciplines were employed in the count the outcome is unlikely to change significantly, either in the numbers or the conclusion that the hitch need to be listed.

Maybe the hitch is doomed to exist only in photographs, but that does not mean we should not make the effort to do the obvious things that may be helpful to it’s survival, especially in the case of the quagga, where there are so many other reasons to take action.

Now is the time for making the effort, and to begin planning for the probable listing of the species in order to keep that status from becoming an unnecessarily burdensome set of regulations to follow, to a large extent the outcome here is what we make it.

Philip Murphy lives in Finley, Calif.

Historically a hospice was a house or inn where a traveler could stop and rest. The word hospice comes from the same root as the word hospitality.

Hospice Services of Lake County is the local agency that offers hospitality for those making their final rest stop.

A hospice agency assists people at the end of life to stay in their place of residence and helps the person and their loved ones address medical, emotional and spiritual issues.

The closer we get to end of life, the clearer our priorities become. There is no longer the need to compete with others. For this journey there are no best seats. What is important is the comfort, care, and service we receive during our journey.  

Hospice Services of Lake County is a professional, caring organization under local nonprofit control that cares for these travelers and their loved ones.  

As we all will travel this road at some point, it is important to gather as much information as possible and plan ahead. We are all unique and have different values and styles that are important to us.

This final journey is a great equalizer. Whether you are in a lakefront villa or an old travel trailer, you will get the same high quality hospice service.

To get this service you have to sign up. We plan ahead for most significant life events, but for our final journey, many will wait until the last minute and lose some of the peacefulness that should accompany our passing. Wanting to avoid the fear, pain, and loneliness is enough to make me want to sign up early.  

Hospice helps you live your fullest and given adequate time, Hospice allows things to take their natural course.

Most of us do not have a great deal of death experience, so the more we learn, the better it goes. By waiting until the last minute, it becomes challenging to provide the support and care the family and patient needs and deserves. This important transition is more difficult when rushed.

You can’t start too soon. If you believe you may be nearing the end of your journey, talk to your health professional or call hospice. If you meet certain criteria you can be admitted.

If you don’t die, that’s great. Hospice does not want to rush you. Take your time and prove everyone wrong.

We are happy if you get better. It’s better to have us and not need us, then to need us and not have us.

Call 707-263-6222 for a free informational evaluation today and limit your pain, fear and discomfort.

Dr. Robert Gardner heads the Lucerne Community Clinic in Lucerne, Calif., telephone 707-274-9299.

When key parts of the health care law take effect in 2014, you’ll have a new way to buy health insurance for yourself, your family, or your small business: the Health Insurance Marketplace. The Marketplace is designed to help you find health insurance that fits your budget, with less hassle.

Every health insurance plan in the new Marketplace will offer comprehensive coverage, from doctors to medications to hospital visits. You can compare all your insurance options based on price, benefits, quality, and other features that may be important to you, in plain language that makes sense.

You’ll know you’re getting a quality health plan at a reasonable price, because there’s nothing buried in the fine print.

When you shop at the Marketplace, all your costs are stated upfront. So you’ll get a clear picture of what you’re paying and what you’re getting before you make a choice.

California’s Marketplace is called Covered California ( www.CoveredCa.com ).

Under the health care law, you and your family also will have new protections. Health insurance companies can’t refuse to cover you, or charge you more just because you have a chronic or pre-existing condition. And they can’t charge more for women than for men.

Here are three things to keep in mind about the Health Insurance Marketplace:

– It’s an easier way to shop for health insurance. The Health Insurance Marketplace simplifies your search for insurance by gathering all your options in one place. One application, one time, and you and your family can explore every qualified insurance plan in your area -- including any free or low-cost insurance programs you may qualify for, such as Medi-Cal or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

– Most people will be able to get a break on costs. Programs that lower costs are available for almost everyone. You may be eligible for a free or low-cost plan, or a new kind of tax credit that lowers your monthly premiums right away. New rules and expanded programs mean that even working families can get help paying for health insurance at the Marketplace.

– Clear, apples-to-apples comparisons. All health insurance plans in the Marketplace present their price and benefit information in simple terms you can understand, so you don’t have to guess about your costs.

Starting on Oct. 1, 2013, you’ll be able to enroll in a health plan through Covered California. Detailed information will be available about all the insurance plans offered in your area.

You can sign up now at www.CoveredCa.com to get email updates that will let you know how to get ready to enroll in the plan of your choice.

If you have difficulty finding a plan that meets your needs and budget, there’ll be people available to give you personalized help with your choices. These helpers aren’t associated with any particular plan, and they don’t receive any type of commission, so the help they give you will be completely unbiased.

The Web site www.CoveredCa.com will be much more than any health insurance Web site you’ve used before. Insurance companies will compete for your business on a level and transparent playing field, with no hidden costs or misleading fine print. You’ll have more choice, more control and more clout when it comes to health insurance.

Insurance coverage offered through Covered California takes effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

David Sayen is Medicare’s regional administrator for California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Trust Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

“Cocktails anyone?”

Don’t drink? Don’t have to. Just step outside and get a whiff of what the aerial mixologists have for you and not in the traditional sense.

You see, you don’t have to drink. All you have to do is breathe. Sounds like a crazy notion, doesn’t it? I know. It sounds crazy to me which is why I nearly didn’t write this commentary.

I use the word commentary because it’s being published in the section reserved for opinion so you see, the news media that publishes it is not responsible for what I think or what I say and for understandable reasons, it might serve their best interest to disclaim any association with my comments or beliefs. After all, it’s just my opinion so I’ll thank the editor for running my letter and you decide what is fact and fiction.

I don’t take any special delight in writing this story, no more than I would in writing an obituary but people nonetheless read death notices in the paper just as they do wedding and birth announcements so as I see it, someone has to do it.

In my case however, this being a relatively small county, population wise, I don’t want to be known as the whacko who’s delusional any more than I wanted to be identified with the “tin hat” people when I wrote about what I perceived to be the dangers posed by Smart Meters but it seemed that I wasn’t alone on that one and for awhile at least, it was a subject on many people’s minds until like most things, it went to the back of the line to be replaced by tomorrow’s headlines and our every day lives.

Take heart if you believe anything you read here that you are not alone and that millions of people all over the globe have asked the same question that may be on your mind and they’re not crazy either. They’re not the people you see on the History Channel who claim to have been abducted by aliens from outer space and they don’t spend their nights in the woods looking for Bigfoot. No, they’re not that entertaining.

These are by any standards that most of you would accept, otherwise quite normal, down-to-earth people who weren’t looking for anything weird but who nonetheless found themselves confronted with some legitimate questions about what they were seeing up in the sky.

They found in sharing their stories that they were not alone and over the last few years, more and more people probably not so perceivably different than you were asking the same questions and when they turned to the media or any recognized authority for answers, they found themselves puzzled because they couldn’t get an answer that made sense.

Even more puzzling was the question, why isn’t there anything being said about these phenomena on the mainstream media? After all, if it’s not being covered by CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, 60 Minutes, the nightly network news or whatever you use to get your information, then it must not even be happening so why even worry about it, right?

I really can’t stress enough that I resisted writing this commentary because like most people, I do care about what people may think of me and I don’t think anyone wants to be identified as a lunatic because of what others may perceive to be outrageous beliefs that they hold. I’m also not the guy who’d yell fire for no reason unless I really believed there was one and in this case, I’m afraid I have to throw caution to the wind and just come out with it.

The short story is that we’re being sprayed from the air by what most eye witness accounts report are unmarked aircraft and it’s happening at an ever increasing rate and all over the world. Crazy? Yes, I agree! Maddening I’d say. But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself. Take a look up on what used to be one of those picture perfect blue sky days we’ve all grown very familiar with in Lake County and ask what’s wrong with this picture? I assure you, you won’t be the first.

You might start by asking people who spend a lot of their lives working outdoors what they think they’ve seen and if anything has struck them as a bit unusual.

The common official myth debunking reply is, they’re nothing but contrails, the same trails of jet exhaust we’ve seen in our skies all our lives.

If you drill deeper and ask, but what about the trails that crisscross in unusual patterns and that linger and stretch from horizon to horizon and that last for hours and leave behind a milky white mist where there was a blue sky, you’ll pretty much get the same answer as you will when you ask about those clouds that look kind of like clouds but not really.  

So when all’s said and done, you may be left with an uneasy feeling that something is wrong but there’s really no one to ask and no where to turn for information or is there?

But don’t shrug your shoulders yet and go away thinking, there’s no one ask, there’s no one to tell and there’s nothing you can do and by all means don’t get pushed in to denial because you don’t want to be labeled as cuckoo or because it’s just too terrible to think that this could be happening even though you know your eyes aren’t lying to you.

You might be interested to know that there’s some pretty amazing videography of these events and some startling pictures taken by local residents who had questions about what they observed in the sky and wanted to document what they saw.

What I think is even more amazing is that this is being photographed simultaneously all over the world and there are thousands of photographs and stories that all seem to point to the same question, “What in the world are they spraying?” which also happens to be the name of a 2010 documentary you can view on the Internet and probably even more provocative, “Why in the World are they Spraying?” released just last year which may answer some questions you have as well as raise some more worth asking. This film doesn’t claim to have all the answers but in my opinion, it should raise some doubts as to what the official explanation is for what we’re all seeing.

If I’ve done nothing more than make you curious enough to wonder if there’s anything to this, then I feel I’ve done what I set out to do. Just go to your Web browser and type in: Chemtrails. There’s a ton of information out there if you want it and some very I think legitimate sources who are feeling comfortable enough to come out of the shadows knowing that there are those of us who are willing to be called crazy if that’s what it sometimes takes to get to the truth.

Howard Glasser lives in Kelseyville, Calif.

Volunteering in one’s community is one of the most rewarding things a person can do.

As authors of this column, when we are out in the community, people often come up to us and comment on the column. They ask about the theater and events, and offer their appreciation for the column and our commitment.  

Both of us feel we get way too much credit. We know the theater runs on the commitment of many dedicated community members.  

There are dozens of volunteers who play key roles in the operation of the Soper-Reese Theatre. When you attend an event at the theater, take note of the many volunteers who make each event run so smoothly.

You will find them in the box office selling tickets, in the lobby taking tickets or selling concessions, in the theater running the sound and lights, or working back stage to assist the performers.

Behind the scenes is a crew of four to 10 that shows up at a moment’s notice to set up the theater stage, chairs, tables, tablecloths, candles and piano.  This same crew also cleans the theater, both before and after the show.

There is an individual who is the master of the ticketing system, setting up the system so tickets can be purchased online. The Webmaster makes the changes to our Web site; another volunteer puts events on the county calendars. A volunteer designs and orders posters for the marquee and playbills.

Then, after everyone else has gone home, when the show is over, a volunteer checks to be certain everything is turned off and secure.

The volunteers do these jobs for the love of community theater.  

Next time you are at the theater, please offer your thanks to the many community members who are committed to the Soper-Reese Community Theatre. They deserve the credit.

Coming events:

• The Lake County Arts Council’s annual Winter Music Fest: 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24;
• Lake County Live: Live on stage radio broadcast on KPFZ 88.1 FM, Sunday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m.;
• Professional Pianists’ Concert: A benefit for the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College, Sunday, March 10, 3 p.m., featuring Elena Casanova, Tom Ganoung, Tom Aiken, David Neft, Elizabeth MacDougal and Spencer Brewer;
• Third Friday Live, featuring “The Funky Dozen” on March 15, 7 p.m.;
• Bob Culbertson – “Celtic Waters” CD release, featuring special guests, Saturday, March 16, 7 p.m.

Tickets are available at The Travel Center in the Shoreline Shopping Center, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The theater box office is always open two hours before show time on the day of any event, and will be open again on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. starting on June 22.

Tickets also can be purchased online at www.soperreesetheatre.com .

For all the latest in information, tickets and more go to www.soperreesetheatre.com .  

We’ll see you at the theater.

Kathy Windrem and Mike Adams are part of the large volunteer group that run the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport, Calif.

There are six ways that Ash Wednesday is like Christmas.

They are:

1) Both are days of religious observance;
2) Both have a secular counterpart;
3) Both are rooted in scripture, but neither is named;
4) Both have been wrongly labeled as “just for Catholics;”
5) Both are a response to the sorrow of humanity;
6) UCP invites you to join us for each of these holy days.

Did any of the above surprise you? Let’s take a deeper look.

Both are days of religious observance.

I’ll start with Christmas because it is better known, at least to most of us. However, Christmas is not celebrated all over the world, as many of us may think.

A quick Web search reveals at least 33 nations (including Israel) where Christmas is not a holiday. However, what is surprising is not how many countries don’t celebrate Christmas, rather how many who do, because it is specifically a religious holy day for Christians (really just how “Christian” does the “world” feel to you?).

Christmas celebrates the birthday of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians accept as the Messiah. In a majority of nations Christmas is observed on Dec. 25, but there are a significant number which observe it on Jan. 7 (e.g., nations where Orthodox Christianity is more prevalent such as Russia, Greece and the Middle East).

Like Christmas, Ash Wednesday is a religious holy day. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a 40-day (plus Sundays) period of reflection, repentance and prayer in preparation for Easter.

There are many significant uses of the number 40 in the Bible, but this 40 day period relates directly to the 40 days of trial and temptation Jesus faced after his baptism before he began his public ministry.

Both have a secular counterpart.

The secular counterpart to Christmas is, well … Christmas! This season has taken on a secular life of its own.

If you are a glass half-full kind of person you might say that the season is marked by good will and gift giving regardless of one’s religious beliefs. If you are more pessimistic you may describe it as rampant consumerism.

The secular counterpart to Ash Wednesday is Mardis Gras. Mardis Gras means “Fat Tuesday” and is observed in a variety of ways around the world, but only in places where Ash Wednesday is also observed.

Because Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a season of fasting and repentance, the Tuesday before has become a kind of celebration in its own right where the idea was to use up all the party foods and spirit before the solemnity of Ash Wednesday and Lent.

Both are rooted in scripture, but neither is named.

While there are plenty of commands to observe special days in the Bible (like Passover and Pentecost), Christmas and Ash Wednesday both fail to make the list.

Does that make them unbiblical? Not all at all, both are based upon events recorded in scripture and both teach us about the uniqueness and importance of Jesus.

While we have no idea the exact date Jesus was born, we do know that the angels invited the shepherds to experience the new born Christ and that they responded and were moved to tell others. (Luke 2)

At their best that is exactly what a Christmas Service does. We come together to celebrate his birth and hopefully are then inspired to tell others.

We also know that after his 40 days in the wilderness Jesus began to preach. His first recorded sermon can be found in Matthew 4:17. “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’”

Repentance in the time of Christ was certainly an invitation for one’s heart to change – but it was most often accomplished through a ritual of repentance and mourning using, you guessed it, ashes.

The individual (whether in repentance or mourning) would heap ashes upon their head (Lam 2:10) and sit in the dust (Job 2:8).

Why the ashes and dust? Sitting in the dust and ashes pointed to the fragility of human life and to the inevitable end of all life – a return to the dust (Gen 3:19; Ps 103:14). Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near!

An Ash Wednesday service invites us to repent as individuals, enables us to mourn our calamity as a community, and to celebrate the promise of Christ to exchange our ashes for beauty (see Luke 4:18-19 & Isaiah 61:3).

Both have been wrongly labeled as “just for Catholics.”

While the Puritans had always looked down upon the celebration of Christmas, believing it was just for superstitious people (by which they prejudicially meant Catholics), it may surprise you to know that they successfully made it illegal to observe Christmas in the colonies.

From 1659 to 1681 you could be fined for even saying St. Nicholas, taking Dec. 25 off of work or decorating in any manner for Christmas. It was not a legal holiday in America until 1870. That’s only 143 years ago and it’s been 400 years since the English started the colonies here.

Likewise, Ash Wednesday has also been incorrectly considered only for Catholics. Yet many Christians from a variety of denominations observe Ash Wednesday.

While there are far too many different traditions to list, I will at least say that if you buy a church calendar from the Disciples, Methodists, Presbyterians, UCC, Lutherans and so on, each will show the appropriate date to observe this holy day.

Like Christmas, it’s not just for Catholics, though we are thankful to our Catholic brothers and sisters for keeping those traditions alive during the Puritan years when they may have been otherwise lost.

Both are a response to the sorrow of humanity.

Christ wasn’t born because the world was such a great place. He was born because it is such a broken place. He was born because it was a dark place and he came to be our Light. Christmas reminds us that in the darkest of times there is yet HOPE.

The Bible does not say that God never gives us more than we can handle. What it does say is that even the gates of hell will not prevail against Christ’s church (Matthew 16:15-20).

In this broken world isn’t it good to know there is a place we are welcome to come and be with others who are willing to acknowledge the brokenness, the ash, so that in repentance we might prayer for a brighter, made whole once again future? Ash Wednesday gives us an experience of grace in community.

UCP invites you to join us for each of these holy days.

Well, we actually aren’t prepared to invite you over for Christmas. We spend that with our families. But you are welcome any Christmas Eve at 7 p.m.

Our Ash Wednesday Service will be at 6 p.m. This year Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 13.

Hope to see you at United Christian Parish.

Rev. Shannon Kimbell-Auth is pastor of United Christian Parish, located at 745 N. Brush St in Lakeport, Calif.