OAKHURST — Cross the threshold into Jennifer Lyster’s new shop, The Enchanted Florist and Whatnots, and you’ll have a good idea why it’s called enchanted. Spend some time talking with Jennifer, herself, and you’ll understand completely. Click on images to enlarge. The open, airy shop was established in mid-September, with an outstanding array of floral choices delivered or picked up for ...

NORTH FORK — Madera County’s newest K9 officer provided a demonstration last week for the group that helped to make his acquisition possible. On Wednesday, Nov. 9, members of the Friendship Circle at Grace Community Church in North Fork were honored with a special visit from Gastone, the 2-year-old Belgian Malinois whose purchase was made possible in part by the ...

Views of snow capped mountains and flowing waterfalls were our reward once we made it to the top but Yosemite Falls with rainbows was also pretty darn special. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 9.85 Miles Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Elevation Range: 3,980′ – 7,221′ Date: November 4, 2016 Maps: El Capitan Topographic Quad Dog Hike? No, dogs not allowed in ...

COARSEGOLD — Former Navy man and area resident John Zingrich wanted to reconnect with shipmates on the USS John R. Perry, a destroyer escort ship that then-Naval Petty Officer Zingrich sailed on for two years in 1967 – 68 during the Vietnam era. To do this, he created a website and now, his fellow shipmates are posting pictures and memories, and catching up after ...

OAKHURST — Here, kitty, kitty, kitty! Local thrift shop Cause 4 Paws is collecting empty cans and bottles which will be recycled and, at the end of the month, all proceeds will be donated to the Cause 4 Paws free spay and neuter program. Foothill residents are encouraged to collect recyclables in plastic bags and bring the donations to Cause 4 ...

Submitted by Evan Higgins — OAKHURST — The Yosemite High School International Baccalaureate (IB) program invites the community to an interdisciplinary showcase on Wednesday, Nov. 9 in the Badger Gallery on campus, from 6 – 8 p.m. We are living during a divisive time in human history. Politically, environmentally, economically and globally things seem to be at the tipping point. ...

RAYMOND – Veterans Day is this week and the community at Raymond-Knowles school has come up with a fine tradition to honor the occasion, with proceeds going to a very good cause. There’s still time to register for the second-ever Raymond-Knowles School 5K and one-mile Veterans Day Run, at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 11. The cost to register is $15 for kids ...

Last week I talked about belief systems, and perception being the lens through which we see and understand the world (you may want to read my previous blog before reading this one). Our thoughts and imagination create our belief systems, and our belief systems are shared with the world through the words that we use. While some poets may believe ...

We headed up to Nelder Grove to check out those fall dogwoods and we discovered surprises along our adventure to Kelty Meadow. Distance: 8.44 miles (but you can go more or less if you want to) Difficulty: Easy to moderate Elevation Range: 5,275′ – 6,115′ Date: October 26, 2015 Topographic Quad Map: Falls Ridge Topographic Quad Dog Hike? Absolutely!! It ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Michelle Sullivan walked into her daughter Haley Phillips’ room at Community Regional Medical Center, put her backpack on a chair, and suddenly heard the words she’s been yearning for. “Hi, Mom,” said Haley, 20, in a low and raspy voice. That’s something every mom likes to hear but this one hadn’t since Haley was involved in a catastrophic ...