Growing mums is an all-year process.

Charter member Carol Kesey has been sharing her plants and her knowledge of mums with members.

King’s Mums (www.kingsmums.com ) is an excellent source to purchase mums. There are many varieties: incurve, reflex, decorative, pompom, single, semi-double, anemone, spoons, quill, spiders, brush and thistle, exotic or unclassified, gnomes, cascades and garden cushion.

CLTTGC held judged chrysanthemum shows for many years. Last year members decided to create a non-judged show – just for the pure joy of enjoying these beautiful flowers with all the varieties and share them with our community. The flowers were presented in the form of floral arrangements and also single stems.

The theme for this year’s show is “Mum Songs.” All floral arrangements will be created around this theme.

The event is free and open to the public. The public is invited to attend the show on Friday, Nov. 13, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Lakeport Yacht Club, next to the Fifth Street boat ramp in Lakeport.

Refreshments of cookies and cider will be available for your enjoyment as you enjoy the show.

Kabatin Redbud Flower Arrangers have already held a planning meeting for the mum show. Buds are forming on the plants as gardeners anxiously await them to open. The members flower arranging group are members of CLTTGC; they meet at Mendo-Lake Credit Union Bank on 11th Street in Lakeport on the second Tuesday of the month at 11 a.m.

Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club meets at on the third Tuesday of the month at noon at Scotts Valley Women’s Clubhouse, 2298 Hendricks Road in Lakeport ($20 annual dues). For more information visit www.clttgc.org .

CLTTGC is a member of Mendo-Lake District, California Garden Club, Inc., Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.

The event will be held at the Sons of Italy club hall, 2817 E. Highway 20, Nice.

The bar is open for socializing at 5 p.m. then dinner will be served at 6 p.m.

They will serve a holiday buffet meal of roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, holiday salads, yams, and rolls then topped off with homemade pie for dessert.

Enjoy dancing to music of the Jim Williams Band, right after the meal.

All tickets cost $18 at the door.

Everyone is welcome.

Please bring canned goods for holiday baskets for Northshore needy families.

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own, call 707-274-9952.

The meeting will take place at the Scotts Valley Women's Club House, 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport.

Social time starts at noon, with flower roll cal at 12:30 p.m. to be followed by the meeting and program at 1 p.m.

Members, guests and all interested individuals are most welcome.

Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club is a member of Mendo-Lake District, Calif. Garden Club, Inc., Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.

The club meets at noon on the third Tuesday of each month.

President Jo Jameson invites interested gardeners to join the group; she can be reached at 707-263-4039.

For more information visit the group's Web site at www.clttgc.org .

Whitney Braito and her dog came dressed as hippies and took first place. Photo by Ted and Becky Horat.

Included in the fun event was the “Mutt Strut,” where canines were able to show off their costumes.

The winners were: First place, Whitney Braito and her dog were both dressed as hippies; second place, Liz Callahan's two dogs went as “watch dogs”; third place, Toni Drake's Corgi “Tater” was dressed as a lobster.

As part of Dogtoberfest, the club also promoted Responsible Dog Ownership Day.

Canines and humans alike had a great time, with many fun games for the dogs such as dog races, egg races, musical mats and hot dog dunking as well as a photo booth.

The Lake County Kennel Club of Northern California is affiliated with the American Kennel Club.

The kennel club also holds dog training classes for basic obedience, rally and agility throughout the year. The next classes will begin in January.

For more information visit the group's Web site, www.lckcnc.org .

Liz Callahan's two dogs went as

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE – The Hidden Valley Lake Craft Club and local crafters are sponsoring their annual Christmas Boutique on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Greenview Room on Hartmann Road.

This fun-filled event is open to the public and everyone is welcome.

Handcrafted items available for sale include jewelry, hand painted items, paper crafts, totes and purses, table runners and pillows, clever gourds, Christmas ornaments and candy, origami art, children’s items, knitted scarves and throws, bookmarks and other wearable art.

All the crafters have worked very hard and are anxious for you to see their holiday wares.

The Greenview Café and Mulligan’s Bar will be open to satisfy your dining and refreshment needs.

Proceeds from booth fees and general cash donations will help support the Hidden Valley Lake Fireworks Show.

Come enjoy the start of the season, get into the holiday spirit and do some holiday shopping. See you all on Dec. 6.

Pat Hallman and Joan Worster are co-Chairs of the HVL Christmas Craft Boutique. For more information call 707-987-3991.

LAKE COUNTY – Seniors, if you haven’t received H.E.A.P. energy assistance in 2009, now is the time to apply.

Call North Coast Energy Services at 1-800-233-4480 to have an application mailed to you right away.

You may qualify for H.E.A.P. if your monthly gross income is less than $2,431.04 for single persons, $3,179.06 for two, $3,927.07 for three, etc., and your energy costs are at least 5 percent of that monthly gross income. H.E.A.P credit can be applied to your PGE, propane, kerosene, or oil account.

This alert is provided by Community Care’s Senior Information & Assistance Program, responding to the questions and needs of Lake and Mendocino county seniors.

Call Kathy Johnson or Fawnell Hill in Ukiah at 468-5132, or toll-free 1-800-510-2020, for questions about this or other community resources to meet your needs.