Picnic

Internationally bestselling author Garth Stein, whose book “The Art of Racing in the Rain” has sold more than 4 million copies and been published in 35 languages, will appear at Tahoe WordWave Oct. 9-11 at the Tallac Historic Site in South Lake Tahoe. His newest book, “A Sudden Light,” is set in a large historic house in the woods similar to Valhalla’s Grand Hall, the site of WordWave’s Friday night steampunk ball, held from 6-10 pm, kicking off with a Champagne reception with Stein. On Saturday, Oct.

Sean Cummings, the Tahoe Bagpiper, will return for another incredible Summer evening concert on the lawn. If you missed it last year, you won’t want to this year.

Bring a picnic dinner and plan to have a magical, musical night.

Free and open to all.

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Boot stomping to bluegrass in a 1920’s boat house turned theater with Lake Tahoe in the background, kicking back at free concerts on a historic lakeshore estate’s grand lawn, and experiencing the Washoe tribe’s ceremonial dances and drumming are some of the many iconic experiences at Lake Tahoe’s Valhalla Arts, Music & Theatre Festival this July.

Lake Tahoe’s 36th annual Valhalla Arts, Music & Theatre Festival opens June 17 at the historic lakefront Heller Estate (Valhalla) on the South Shore. Exclusive “one night only” performances will deliver a high caliber lineup of music and dance performances to Lake Tahoe’s arts and culture scene. Master Scottish Fiddler, Alasdair Fraser, will strike the first chord of the summer festival in Valhalla’s celebrated Boathouse Theater with Lake Tahoe as the backdrop, in a rare and highly anticipated solo performance.

Families, art and music lovers, and history buffs can expect a spectacular season of entertainment on the shore of Lake Tahoe at this year’s Valhalla Arts, Music & Theatre Festival, June 17 – August 26, 2015. Free music on the lawn, boot stomping roots music in a 1920’s boathouse, classic theatre productions, outdoor art camps for kids, cultural dance performances and fine art shows are some of the many highlights that await 2015 festival goers. Tickets are on sale now at ValhallaTahoe.com.

Beaches, parks, trailheads, campgrounds and popular Lake Tahoe viewing areas will start opening on April 1 for the 2015 season, almost two months ahead of schedule.

A mild winter has allowed the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) to start opening the popular areas but they won't be fully opened since they won't be fully staffed until closer to summer.

The public can get free firewood at the Wrights Lake Recreation Area on October 25-26 and November 1-2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Portions of the area inside the El Dorado National Forest will be open to the public for woodcutting on both weekends. Woodcutters will be issued a free permit on site.

“The Forest Service is looking forward to a safe and successful wood cutting event. Please help us clean up this popular recreation area,” stated Richard Thornburgh, Pacific Ranger District Ranger.

On Sunday, August 17 Valhalla presents the final in the free Concert on the Lawn series. This is a special free kids concert featuring the acclaimed children’s act the Banana Slug String Band. Their music is original and full of inspiring positive messages about taking care of each other and the environment. Everyone is invited to bring a picnic and join sit on the Grand Lawn at Valhalla from noon to 2:00 p.m.

Are you looking for a way to enjoy your Sunday afternoons? The "Jazz & Beyond: Carson City Music Festival" is offering free concerts in the Legislative Plaza between the State Capitol and the Legislature Building in Carson City on three Sundays: Aug. 3, Aug. 10, and Aug. 17, 2014. "Jazz & Beyond" is a yearly festival put on by the Mile High Jazz Band Assoc. and its sponsors. People can enjoy these family friendly "Jazz Picnics in Park" concerts in a pleasant atmosphere with shade trees and a bit of Nevada history.

What's more fun than a new summer read? The Friends of the Library sale on August 16th will have hundreds of previously read, some new, and all loved books. 

Remember FOL members get in at 9 AM for the best selection.

Not a member, join today or the morning of the sale. The Alan Miller Trio will be playing music on the lawn in the afternoon. Grab a new summer read, a picnic basket and a group of friends for a great day at your SLT library.

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The yellow jacket queens have already been seen in South Lake Tahoe, and if you don't want your backyard volleyball game or summer picnic ruined by them, now is the time to take action.

The queens are the only bee colony member to hibernate in the winter. She emerges in spring and begins to look for a suitable place to build a nest and begin her new colony. By the end of summer one colony can have 4,000 to 5,000 yellow jackets.

So if you take out one queen, you eliminate thousands of bees.

Since there is a lack of snow through the Sierra Nevada, visitors and locals in the Lake Tahoe basin are enjoying things that are normally reserved for the summer months.

Employees of Heavenly and Kirkwood Mountain resorts and their friends and family members teamed together for the 4th Annual Vail Resorts Echo Day on Sunday, September 21st. The 312 participants volunteered to revamp Bijou Community Park, putting in a combined effort of 936 volunteer hours Saturday. Volunteers laid sod to build a family picnic area, painted signs and picnic tables, planted shrubs, cleared bushes, redistributed wood chips, resurfaced the skate park, raked the volleyball courts, picked up trash, and cleaned up the bicycle path along Al Tahoe Boulevard.

The Tepid Club of Cool is an acoustic jazz/swing quintet featuring Thom Bentley on guitar & vocals, Steve McElroy on clarinet, saxophone, flute, percussion & vocals, Robin King on vocals, Ryan Goodpastor on percussion and Duncan Elledge on bass and vocals.
Bring a blanket and picnic dinner and enjoy an evening of FREE music!

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Please join the Friends of the Library for an evening with CW and Mr. Spoons. This hot musical duo will bring their western ragtime guitar and ‘wonder bucket’ for a concert on the Library’s lawn. Plunk and pizzazz follow them wherever they go, singing both original and old time rags. A fun time will be had by all!

Bring a picnic dinner for a great, free summer night.

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Joey Carmon: “Guitar Man” Tribute Show to Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed was a singer who became a good ol’ boy actor in car chase movies like Smokey and the Bandit, and was one of the greatest entertainers in the world. Everything about Jerry was distinctive: his guitar playing, writing, voice and especially his sense of humor. Talkin’ about good food Jerry once said, “Son, your tongue would beat the roof of your mouth out tryin’ to get to the next bite…” Joey Carmon says, “It ain’t a want, it’s a need… I gotta pick like Jerry Reed”
Showtime is 5 – 7 PM
At the Genoa Town Park on Nixon Street

Lake Tahoe isn’t the only beautiful thing people will be gazing at this summer because the Artist-In-Residence program is sure to catch the eye of many at the annual summer-long Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival.

A 30-day public comment period began Thursday on plans associated with upgrades at the Camp Richardson Resort campground along Highway 89 near South Lake Tahoe.
Plans include upgrades and enhancements to the campground day use facilities as well as BMPs and road improvements to ease traffic congestion around the campground and along Highway 89 at the popular Lake Tahoe resort.

Here is this week's fishing report covering rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Oct. 31 through Nov. 6.

If you are a newcomer to that area or if you have never been there, the fall season is a great time of the year to visit Apple Hill.
And, if you are a newcomer to our area, you are probably wondering, “What and where in the heck is Apple Hill?”
Well, the correct answer is: “Apple Hill is not a specific hill or a specific location; on the contrary, it is a large geographic area in California.”

It's that time of the year for my reminder to enjoy the spectacular color of the leaves on Quaking aspen trees (Quakies) in Alpine County, Calif.
And, based on our photography trip on Monday, Oct. 8, you had better enjoy that display, as soon as possible, because four of us (Mary Bottoms, Mary Morris, Elaine and I) found the following color conditions:

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Oct. 10-17.

An outdoor free music concert is being held this Sunday, September 30 as a means to raise funds for Adam Rose. On August 21 of this year, Adam was riding his bicycle and was struck by an alleged drunk driver at 12th Street and Emerald Bay Road. He was care-flighted to Reno, was in critical condition for approximately two weeks and is now recuperating at home. Both Adam's arms and legs were broken and he is currently confined to a wheelchair. He faces over six months of rehabillitation. He will be present at the event.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of September 19-25.

ALMANOR LAKE, CALIF:
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500) (www.shastacascade.com) reports: