The event begins at 2 p.m.

“Journey to Rhyolite” is Bartholomew's fourth book.

The book focuses on Nathaniel, who makes a journey to Rhyolite, “the greatest boom town in the west.”

Nathaniel hopes to make his fortune, be reunited with his love, Annabelle, and find the man he murdered back in Baltimore.

Bartholomew lived in big cities such as New York and San Francisco before settling down in Lake County, where he's putting his interesting life experiences to work as an author.

“He has discovered that the most fantastic tales are the ones that really happened,” a biographical note at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Bart explains.

Ancient artifacts are one of his interests, and he has published several articles on the subject, according to his biography. In addition to writing fiction he studies petroglyphs and local history.

Wild About Books is located at 14290 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, telephone 707-994-9453.

Visit Bartholomew's Web site at http://chargedbarticle.org/ . “Journey to Rhyolite” also can be purchased at http://norlightspress.com/our-books.html#Journey-To-Rhyolite .

Alice Crockett, violin; Serena Gelfer, flute; Emily Bushta, flute; Kevin O'Quinn, violin; Clayton Rudiger, violin; Allan Stuckey, cello. Courtesy photo.

The kids culminated months of tough rehearsals to bring their short program to the public.

According to Tamsen Serena, who serves as co-coordinator of the group, some families were required to make extraordinary sacrifices to see that their budding musicians got to their rehearsals.

"Once they arrived, they were faced with two solid hours of hard work under the direction of Wes Follett" she said.

Follett is both instructor and conductor of the orchestra, which is sponsored in part by Clear Lake Performing Arts.

The program opened with Chopin's "Prelude No 20,” which Follett explained had been written originally for the piano, but subsequently arranged for chamber presentation.

"Hansel and Gretel" the children's fairy tale translated into music by 19th century composer Engelbert Humperdinck (NOT the recent Las Vegas singer) was the next number, followed by the spacey sounds of Emily Bushta and Serena Gelfer's flutes in "Apollo 13" written by contemporary composer James Horner.

The program was not without its problems, however, some of which were caused by recent changes in personnel, according to Andi Skelton, the Youth Education Coordinator for CLPA.

"When key players leave, we often need to revise the seating arrangements, and this can cause problems" she said.

The group sailed through Reinhold Gliere's "Russian Sailor's Dance" and Matt Turner's "Tango Expresivo" with only minor glitches, but on the down-home "Cripple Creek" where the violins shift to fiddle mode, Conductor Follett was forced to call a time out, before regrouping and finishing the piece in fine fashion. In the absence of an upright bass cellists Amanda Bronson, Elliott Serena, Emily Prather and Allen Stuckey did a masterful job of covering for the missing instrument.

One look at the program shows who the musical families in Lake County are.

First is the Mahnke family of Cobb, with three girls in the orchestra, Bethany, Melissa and Michaela. Next are the Rixens of Kelseyville, represented by Dakota and Maeve, while the Crocketts of Lakeport fielded two players – Alice and Charlie – and the Serenas of Cobb, also two – Edison and Ellott.

Others in the orchestra are Clayton Rudiger and Kevin O'Quinn, who both stepped into lead positions in the first violin section, and did masterful jobs, with O'Quinn acting nominally as the orchestra's concertmaster.

Skelton, who also is concert mistress to the Lake County Symphony, said CLPA supports the Youth Orchestra because "These are the young people we hope will eventually fill the chairs left by older, retiring members of the symphony."

Pictured from left to right, Soper Reese Fundraising Committee member Amy Casey, Tallman owner Bernie Butcher, Committee Chair Nina Marino and Committee member Wally Fuller. Courtesy photo.

UPPER LAKE – On June 18 Lynne and Bernie Butcher, owners of the Tallman Hotel on Main Street in Upper Lake, presented Soper Reese Fundraising Chairman Nina Marino with a generous donation representing 10 percent of the proceeds earned from their successful 2009 “Concerts with Conversation” series.

The concerts run on the last Friday of the month from January to May.

Following a wine and small plate reception in the Hotel dining room, local and regional musicians entertain guests in Riffe’s Meeting House next door.

This year’s performers included pianists Spencer Brewer and Wendy DeWitt, guitarist Alex DeGrassi, stick player Bob Culbertson and the Lake Wind Ensemble.

These concerts present the audience with the opportunity to engage in informal conversation with the artists about their music.

This is the third year that the Butchers have generously supported the theater with proceeds from their concert series.

It will be a great opportunity to check out Middletown Days at Central Park nearby and then catch either the 1:30 p.m. matinée or a 7:30 p.m. evening screening. They'll have cordoned parking for the festival.

The lineup includes two sumptuously animated poems written and read by the incomparable Billy Collins; the documentary short, “Poetry Lives” by Mark Freeman; 2007 Oscar-winning animation, “The Danish Poet,” narrated by Liv Ullmann; plus short film, “The Ice Cream Man” by Dylan Rush and also the tale of “The Best Book Ever” by Lev Yilmaz as well as other surprises!

The cost is $10 at the door, $5 for kids 16 and under. Concessions and Coyote Popcorn are available for sale.

The Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center is located at 15500 Central Park Road, Middletown.

Coyote Film Festival is the fundraising arm of EcoArts of Lake County, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to bringing arts opportunities and ecologic stewardship to the residents and visitors of Lake County, California.

For more information visit www.EcoArtsofLakeCounty.org or www.CoyoteFilmFestival.org .

The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 20.

Arruda, of Lakeport, recently published her new children's book, “The Undiscovered River.”

The book centers on the adventures of Golden Fish, who has a dream of a beautiful undiscovered river that she feels must be a true place but is somewhere far beyond the Great Pool where she lives.

Golden Fish's journey is full of adventure and suspense. When Golden Fish finally passes through the tunnel leading into the Undiscovered River, she meets up with the most unusual water creatures unlike ones she has ever seen. One of these unique creatures guides her downriver to meet the Magnificent Whirlpool.

On this first journey, Golden Fish learns about the five Living Codes, Codes that are not written but are feelings of awareness about the things all around her. These wonderful Codes are hidden on pathways somewhere in the Undiscovered River but can only be found by true believers and dreamers such as Golden Fish.

“The Undiscovered River” is the first book in Arruda's Dream River Adventure Series, which invites the reader into the beginning of unexpected pools of understanding encountered by Golden Fish.

Watershed Books is located at 305 N. Main St., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-5787. Visit the store online at www.watershedbookco.com .