AHWAHNEE — Here’s a riddle: what do horses, mountain-climbing, and spectacular music have in common? Answer: Robin Ralston. She’s the dedicated patron and mastermind behind the Coolwater Ranch House Concerts. Robin brings top-notch musicians known for entertaining audiences worldwide to play intimate shows in her living room. Following a winding path marked by mixed fortune while maintaining a forward gaze, Robin ...

NORTH FORK — For 19 years, the students at North Fork Elementary School have been digging in the dirt and enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor as they work and play in what has grown to a nearly one-acre garden. Now, with a $5,900 gift from the Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise Rotary, they will be able to invest even ...

CLOVIS — When 29-year-old Alyse Ornelas was rushed to the emergency room with shortness of breath and chest pain, no one could have suspected that the seemingly healthy young woman, at 23 weeks pregnant, was experiencing heart failure. On Sept. 26, Alyse – a YHS graduate and now a middle school teacher – was admitted to Clovis Community Regional Medical ...

There is so much beautiful country to explore in Utah, it is hard to decide where to start! I signed up for a horseback adventure to cover an area that I hadn’t been before–the San Rafael Swell in south central Utah. It is next door to Escalante Grand Staircase, Capitol Reef and nearby Bryce and Zion National Parks. The San ...

OAKHURST — The nonprofit organization One Tribe Global invites individuals in the community to attend a special workshop on discovering and defining your own personal story, with D’Elle Milton at the helm. Using tools like guided imagery, journaling, and meditation, participants will begin to identify beliefs that are the basis of  personal stories, say organizers. Several techniques will be used ...

My dog Sally and I hiked up Convict Canyon on a crisp morning after a dusting of snow, along side colorful mountains that steeply rose up from the trail, and through fall color toward Mildred Lake. The snow wasn’t an issue but the ice ended up being one, but those views along the way were well worth it! Where: Inyo ...

HORNITOS – At once exciting and nearly ethereal, a candle-lighting and procession in the old Mexican town of Hornitos winds its way from plaza to cemetery each year on November 2, to celebrate All Souls Day, and Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Hornitos in Spanish means “little ovens,” as the town in Mariposa County is said ...

OAKHURST – Summer may have ended, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. With the changing leaves and cool weather approaching, there’s no better way to get out and enjoy fall than by participating in and attending the ARTober “Chalk Out” event held Sunday, Oct. 29 from 11:30a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sierra Star parking lot on ...

I had been chasing fall colors at higher elevations on the eastern side of the Sierra, but I was curious what those fall colors were doing in Yosemite Valley, so I took a little drive to see how they were shaping up. I arrived before the sun came up and it was pretty smoky but there was still a lot ...

NORTH FORK — Tucked away in the exact center of California, the Sierra Mono Museum is conveniently located along the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, open for visitors to catch a glimpse of Mono lifestyle, and treasures of yesterday and today. This year, Sierra Mono Museum is celebrating 50 years of leadership in the protection and preservation of Western Mono Indian ...