LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has adult cats and a group of new kittens available for adoption this week.

The kittens include several tiny tuxedos in various coat types, while the adults include tabbies in orange and gray, a calico and two black cats.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Male domestic long hair

This male domestic long hair has a buff-colored coat.

He's in cat room kennel No. 11, ID No. 4877.

Male domestic medium hair kitten

This male tuxedo kitten has a medium-length coat.

He's in cat room kennel No. 32a, ID No. 4953.

Domestic short hair kitten

This male domestic short hair kitten has a black and white coat.

He's in cat room kennel No. 32b, ID No. 4954.

Domestic short hair kitten

This female domestic short hair kitten has a black and white coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 32c, ID No. 4955.

Domestic short hair kitten

This female domestic short hair kitten has a brown and white coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 53b, ID No. 4913.

Domestic short hair kitten

This female domestic short hair kitten has a white coat with blue eyes.

She's in cat room kennel No. 53c, ID No. 4914.

'Little Bit'

“Little Bit” is a female domestic short hair cat with a shiny, all-black coat that makes her look like a tiny panther.

She is in cat room kennel No. 62, ID No. 4886.

Female domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair has a black coat with a white mark on her chest.

She's in cat room kennel No. 73, ID No. 4911.

'Mom'

“Mom” is a female domestic short hair mix with a gray tabby coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 114, ID No. 4823.

Female domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair mix has a very colorful calico coat.

She's in cat room kennel No. 142, ID No. 4760.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

A narrow fellow in the grass
Occasionally rides;
You may have met him, -did you not?
His notice sudden is.
– Emily Dickinson

“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”
– William Shakespeare

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The beautiful ring-necked snake I saw in the yard was a treat to behold – especially so when I learned that it is usually nocturnal, and not often spotted out during daylight hours.

This brightly hued, orange snake sports a neck band of the same color.

I learned, via Robert C. Stebbins and Samuel M. McGinnis' "Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California" that this breed of snake is harmless. It can be seen in Mexico, the United States and on up into southeastern Canada.

Ring-necked snakes possess venom, but are harmless to humans.

Herpetologists believe ring-necked snakes are most celebrated for their "defense posture" where they curl up to display their vivid coloration.

The ventral area of the ring-necked snake can be bright orange or red, and its dorsal colors come in shades ranging from black, brown, gray or olive.

These snakes have smooth, rather than rough scales. The ring-necked snake's cousins who reside in Utah or New Mexico don't have the attractive neck band that those who live here show.

This species of snake does not grow very long. Adults grow to a length of only 10 to 18 inches. The diet of Ring-necks includes worms, slugs, frogs and even salamanders.

The lowly snake has held a special place in literature over time. Snakes have been connected with rain in the Chinese culture, and in some traditions snakes are a symbol of fertility.

The serpent is well known in Christianity, as a symbol of temptation in the Garden of Eden. And, in ancient Egyptian cultures the snake represented chaos.

The medical profession has had the Rod of Asclepius as its symbol, which depicts a snake twining around a staff.

Sometimes the caduceus, or symbol of Hermes which depicts two snakes intertwined around a staff with wings is used, and there is, understandably some confusion on the two similar-themed symbols.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a selection of mostly big dogs – with a few smaller ones, too – that are available for adoption this week.

This week's dogs include mixes of border collie, boxer, Chihuahua, corgi, foxhound, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, pit bull and retriever.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Labrador Retriever mix

This male Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 3, ID No. 4878.

Pit bull terrier mix

This female pit bull terrier mix has a short brown coat.

She's in kennel No. 4, ID No. 4850.

'Bruh'

“Bruh” is a male pit bull terrier mix.

He's got a short black coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 4893.

Female Chihuahua mix

This female Chihuahua mix has a short tricolor coat.

She's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 4932.

'Patches'

“Patches” is a female pit bull terrier mix with a short brown and white coat.

Shelter staff said Patches is great with both male and female dogs, and allows handling of her paws, ears, tail and body.

She is very people friendly and has a lower energy level, and shelter staff believes she would do great with children.

Patches is in kennel No. 9, ID No. 4817.

Male boxer

This handsome male boxer has a short brown coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said he does not show aggressive behavior. While he gets excited around other dogs, he doesn't tend to play with them.

He is low energy and would do best in a home with children over age 10, and no cats or chickens.

He's in kennel No. 11, ID No. 4802.

Corgi-Chihuahua mix

This sweet older male Corgi-Chihuahua mix has a short tricolor coat.

Shelter staff said he does well with dogs that are not all in his face, and will allow you to handle his paws, ears, tail and body with no problems, but not for long periods of time.

He is very curious and would do well in a home with children above 12 years old.

He already is neutered, so his adoption will be less expensive.

He's in kennel No. 18, ID No. 4885.

'Stump'

“Stump” is a male foxhound mix with a tricolor coat.

He's in kennel No. 19, ID No. 4935.

German Shepherd mix

This handsome male German Shepherd mix has a short black coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said he is very people friendly, high energy, and good with female dogs or submissive males. He allows handling of his paws, ears, tail and body with no problems.

He wants to jump and play, and shelter staff suggested he would do great with children after some training for his jumping.

He's in kennel No. 20, ID No. 4862.

Female shepherd mix

This cute female shepherd mix has a short tricolor coat.

She's in kennel No. 21, ID No. 4934.

'Koda'

“Koda” is a female Labrador Retriever-border collie mix.

Shelter staff said she would do best in a home with no livestock animals or cats.

She's in kennel No. 27, ID No. 4924.

'Rosie'

“Rosie” is a female boxer-pit bull mix listed as “urgent."

She has a short brown brindle coat with white markings, a friendly personality, lots of energy and a playful attitude. She's good with other large dogs and loves children.

Her adoption fee will be less expensive due to already being spayed.

She's in kennel No. 32, ID No. 4670.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Parts of Lake County got rain on Saturday thanks to a weather system that's expected to bring more rain early this week.

Forecasters said the upper level weather disturbance brought the rain, which in some areas of Lake County – including the Northshore – fell on and off over the course of Saturday afternoon.

The National Weather Service reported the following rainfall totals, in inches, for the 24-hour period ending at 1:30 a.m. Sunday:

– Kelseyville, 0.04;
– Knoxville Creek, 0.15;
– Lower Lake, 0.27;
– Lyons Valley (near Lakeport), 0.25;
– Upper Lake, 0.10.

The forecast calls for partly sunny conditions on Sunday, with chances of rain on Monday and Tuesday.

For the rest of the week, the weather is expected to clear, with daytime highs in the highs 70s and nighttime lows in the mid 40s, according to the National Weather Service.

The rain helped bolster Clear Lake's level, which rose to 6.73 feet Rumsey as of early Sunday. The lake is down after surpassing the full level of 7.56 feet Rumsey earlier in the spring.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

New findings based on a year's worth of observations from NASA’s Van Allen Probes have revealed that the ring current – an electrical current carried by energetic ions that encircles our planet – behaves in a much different way than previously understood.

The ring current has long been thought to wax and wane over time, but the new observations show that this is true of only some of the particles, while other particles are present consistently.

Using data gathered by the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment, or RBSPICE, on one of the Van Allen Probes, researchers have determined that the high-energy protons in the ring current change in a completely different way from the current’s low-energy protons.

Such information can help adjust our understanding and models of the ring current – which is a key part of the space environment around Earth that can affect our satellites.

The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters.

“We study the ring current because, for one thing, it drives a global system of electrical currents both in space and on Earth’s surface, which during intense geomagnetic storms can cause severe damages to our technological systems," said lead author of the study Matina Gkioulidou, a space physicist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. “It also modifies the magnetic field in near-Earth space, which in turn controls the motion of the radiation belt particles that surround our planet. That means that understanding the dynamics of the ring current really matters in helping us understand how radiation belts evolve as well.”

The ring current lies at a distance of approximately 6,200 to 37,000 miles from Earth.

The ring current was hypothesized in the early 20th century to explain observed global decreases in the Earth’s surface magnetic field, which can be measured by ground magnetometers. Such changes of the ground magnetic field are described by what's called the Sym-H index.

“Previously, the state of the ring current had been inferred from the variations of the Sym-H index, but as it turns out, those variations represent the dynamics of only the low-energy protons,” said Gkioulidou. “When we looked at the high-energy proton data from the RBSPICE instrument, however, we saw that they were behaving in a very different way, and the two populations told very different stories about the ring current.”   

The Van Allen Probes, launched in 2012, offer scientists the first chance in recent history to continuously monitor the ring current with instruments that can observe ions with an extremely wide range of energies. The RBSPICE instrument has captured detailed data of all types of these energetic ions for several years.

“We needed to have an instrument that measures the broad energy range of the particles that carry the ring current, within the ring current itself, for a long period of time,” Gkioulidou said. 

A period of one year from one of the probes was used for the team’s research.

“After looking at one year of continuous ion data it became clear to us that there is a substantial, persistent ring current around the Earth even during non-storm times, which is carried by high-energy protons. During geomagnetic storms, the enhancement of the ring current is due to new, low-energy protons entering the near-Earth region. So trying to predict the storm-time ring current enhancement while ignoring the substantial pre-existing current is like trying to describe an elephant after seeing only its feet,” Gkioulidou said.

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, built and operates the Van Allen Probes for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. RBSPICE is operated by the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, New Jersey. The mission is the second mission in NASA's Living With a Star program, managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – On the fourth Saturday of each month local historians come to the Ely Stage Stop to visit with guests and answer questions regarding different aspects of Lake County history.

As these visits are recorded, the stories of Lake County's history are being preserved for future generations.

The docents and volunteers of the Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum are excited to welcome back Gene Paleno, author and illustrator living in Witter Springs.

Paleno will be available to museum visitors on May 28 from noon to 2 p.m. Paleno’s visit that day will focus on the Bloody Island Massacre of 1850. 

According to Paleno, his recently published book, “Lake County History: A Mystical Adventure in Time,” includes the whole story as shared nowhere else.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and Paleno will be happy to sign them for interested visitors.

The Lake County Historical Society’s Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum is located at 9921 State Highway 281 (Soda Bay Road) in Kelseyville, near Clear Lake Riviera, just north of Highway 29-Kit's Corner.

Current hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Visit www.elystagestop.org or www.lakecountyhistory.org , check out the stage stop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elystagestop or call the museum at 707-533-9990.

Linda Drake is a volunteer with the Ely Sage Stop and Country Museum.