NORTHERN HEMISPHERE – Overnight on Saturday, Dec. 2 we get to experience a supermoon — the first, last and only this year. When the moon reaches its full phase at the closest point to Earth along the satellite’s elliptical orbit, causing la luna to look bigger and about 30 percent brighter in the sky, that’s a supermoon — according to NASA. Precisely speaking, ...

2 ½ months, 14,000 miles, 34 states The only reservation we made was for a campsite at Flathead Lake in Montana. Made it with Sue’s daughter Jolie and her husband Derek. Oh yeah, and their two dogs! Click on images to enlarge. We’ve stayed at Flathead Lake in the past and love it. It’s huge and has great camping right ...

Contributed by Len McKenzie, YAAS — The arrival of December heralds a number of holiday traditions and festive celebrations. Among the traditions for birding enthusiasts is the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, when thousands of intrepid observers throughout the western hemisphere take to the field for one day to make a record of all the birds they see and hear. ...

OAKHURST — Once again, the Oakhurst Lutheran Church has a special Cowboy Christmas Concert planned to get everyone in the holiday spirit on Sunday, Dec. 10. There will be two performances, one at 2:30 p.m., and a second at 6:30 p.m. The concerts feature Bobby Black, Tim Johnson, Candie Cobb, and Wendy LeBlanc. Bobby Black is a world renowned master ...

OAKHURST — Looking for a perfect way to share the wisdom of the holiday season with the entire family and friends, too? Heather Sconce is directing a production of It’s A Wonderful Life — the Musical — at Sierra Pines Church. Written and scored by Keith Ferguson and Bruce Greer, the show opens on Friday, Dec. 1 for eight performances ...

Submitted by Mountain Area Ski School — MOUNTAIN AREA — Can you ski? Can you snowboard? Cooler temperatures and clouds over the Sierra crest are a reminder that winter is on its way, and with it the Mountain Area Ski School’s 56th year of ski and snowboard programs for our mountain area school students! “The Mountain Area Ski School (MASS) ...

Tuolumne Grove was one of the big stops that early travelers to Yosemite made. Imagine leaving Hodgdon’s Stage Station in the 1870s, then heading up through these huge trees. What a sight that must have been! And what a bumpy, dusty, dirty trip it was to get there as we learn from the words of those that made that trip ...

OAKHURST — It all started when area resident Barbara Liss saw a social media post about a community coat rack in Saranac Lake, New York. She then shared the post with our local area page on Facebook, asking if it would be possible to implement the idea in our community. People immediately stepped forward, offering suggestions to help bring the ...

RAYMOND — Students at Raymond-Knowles Elementary (RKS) are encouraged to help others as part of the school’s educational environment and drive to create, connect and compete. In order to graduate with honors from the K-8 school, 45 hours of community service are required over the course of 7th through 8th grades. They’re almost always working on something to benefit others. Locally, ...

BASS LAKE — The 17th Annual Christmas Tree Auction is just around the corner. This is a unique community event as it is the only one that benefits so many local nonprofits. It’s hosted by The Boys & Girls Club, Oakhurst. This year there are 17 nonprofits that will benefit from the proceeds of the money raised. Our participating organizations ...