LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – If it felt like a lot of rain fell over the past few days – particularly for residents on Cobb Mountain – you are right; Lake County received the brunt of the rainfall in the storm series.

According to the National Weather Service in Sacramento, Cobb received 18.34 inches of rain since Wednesday, the most of any reported weather station in the state since the latest storm series began.

Reported rainfall totals around the state included 12.92 inches in Blue Canyon, 9.31 inches in Chico, 8.42 inches at Clear Lake/Mt. Konocti, 5.27 inches in Vacaville and 2.45 inches in Modesto.

Other areas of Lake County received much less than Cobb during the same period according to Western Weather Group. Middletown received 9.34 inches; Upper Lake, 5.66 inches; Scotts Valley, 5.65 inches; and Kelseyville, 4.81 inches.

Local creeks and streams went from summer-dry to near flood-stage during this storm series. Clear Lake itself went from 1.66 feet Rumsey on Friday to 2.74 feet Rumsey early Monday morning, according to a U.S. Geological Survey gauge.

Localized flooding was reportedly minimal, although a portion of Scotts Valley Road was open to residential traffic only on Sunday due to flooding, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Power outages were reported in several areas throughout the storm series including Cobb, Kelseyville and north Lakeport.

Skies cleared Sunday afternoon and overnight temperatures last night dropped below 50 for the first time in days.

Forecasters predict mostly sunny skies throughout the day before showers return tonight; with rain expected all day Tuesday and overnight into the day on Wednesday.

By Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service is forecasting a return to mostly sunny days with daytime temperatures in the 60s and partly cloudy nights with lows in the 40s for the remainder of the week.

Email Terre Logsdon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Several new puppies and older dogs are available for adoption at the county’s animal shelter this week.

A bulldog and a boxer, terriers, shepherds, labs and pointers are among the breed mixes available.

Thanks to Lake County Animal Care and Control’s new veterinary clinic, many of the animals offered for adoption already are spayed or neutered and ready to go home with their new families.

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.

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”).

Female Labrador Retriever-pointer mix

This female Labrador Retriever-pointer mix pup is 12 weeks old.

She has a short chocolate-covered coat, weighs 13 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 3a, ID No. 34925.

Female Labrador Retriever-pointer mix

This female Labrador Retriever-pointer mix pup is 12 weeks old.

She has a short chocolate-covered coat, weighs 13 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 3b, ID No. 34926.

Male Labrador Retriever-pointer mix

This male Labrador Retriever-pointer mix pup is 12 weeks old.

He has a short chocolate-covered coat, weighs 13 pounds and has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 4b, ID No. 34922.

Male Labrador Retriever-pointer mix

This male Labrador Retriever-pointer mix pup is 12 weeks old.

He has a short chocolate-covered coat, weighs 13 pounds and has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 5a, ID No. 34924.

Male Labrador Retriever-pointer mix

This male Labrador Retriever-pointer mix pup is 12 weeks old.

He weighs 13 pounds, has a short black and white coat, and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 5b, ID No. 34930.

Male German Shepherd mix

This male German Shepherd mix is 1 year old.

He has a short black coat, weighs 49 pounds and has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 6, ID No. 34894.

‘Hito’

“Hito” is a 2-year-old male terrier mix.

He has a long brown coat and has been neutered.

Find him in kennel No. 7, ID No. 34910.

‘Brody’

“Brody” is a 7-year-old male boxer mix.

He has a docked tail, weighs 89 pounds, has a short brown brindle coat and has been neutered.

Brody is in kennel No. 10, ID No. 34726.

English Bulldog mix

This female English Bulldog mix is 5 years old.

She has a short tan and white coat and weighs 57 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if she was altered.

Find her in kennel No. 13, ID No. 34954.

Male dachshund mix

This male dachshund mix is 5 years old.

He has a short red coat, weighs 8 pounds and has been altered.

He’s in kennel No. 14, ID No. 34908.

‘Nala’

“Nala” is a female pit bull terrier mix.

She is 7 years old, weighs 67 pounds, and has a short red and white coat. It was not reported if she was spayed.

Nala is in kennel No. 15, ID No. 34968.

Male Labrador Retriever mix

This male Labrador Retriever mix is 2 years old.

He has a short black coat, weighs 58 pounds and has not been altered.

Find him in kennel No. 27, ID No. 34885.

Female Labrador Retriever mix

This female Labrador Retriever mix 8 months old.

She has a short black coat and is not yet spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 29, ID No. 34829.

Poncho

“Poncho” is a 2-year-old male Chihuahua-terrier mix.

He weighs 10.6 pounds, has a medium-length red coat and has not been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 30, ID No. 34860.

Male pit bull terrier mix

This male pit bull terrier mix is 7 months old.

Shelter staff reported that he is great with other dogs and loves to play.

He has a short white and gray coat, is medium-sized and has not yet been altered.

He’s in kennel No. 31, ID No. 34815.

‘Mary Jane’

“Mary Jane” is a 6-year-old pit bull terrier mix.

She has a short brown and white coat, is medium-sized and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 34, ID No. 34818.

Please note: Dogs listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

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, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.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.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A fire that occurred in the Spring Valley subdivision Friday afternoon destroyed a home.

The home, located at 3865 Quail Trail, was reported on fire by a neighbor, with firefighters dispatched at 3:45 p.m., according to radio reports.

Northshore Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Pat Brown said the residence was a singlewide mobile home with numerous additions.

When he and his firefighters arrived on scene, the residence was fully involved. “It was really ripping when we got there,” Brown said.

An older woman was in the home at the time the fire broke out, he said. “One of the neighbors pulled her out when the fire got going.”

Brown said firefighters dumped 1,000 gallons of water on the fire as quickly as they could and then kept up the attack to put the fire out.

The fire caused two propane tanks to explode, Brown said.

He said firefighters had the fire knocked down within 10 minutes and fully contained in 40 minutes. Containment was reported shortly before 4:30 p.m., with mop up taking another few hours.

No other structures were threatened, said Brown.

As to the cause, “We think it was accidental,” Brown said. “It started near the stove.”

Northshore Fire sent three engines, a water tender and a total of three chiefs, including Brown. He said Lake County Fire Protection District did a cover assignment for the district while they were engaged with the Spring Valley fire.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A new group of jewel-eyed tabbies and torbies are awaiting adoption at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.

The cats range in age from 8 weeks to 2 years. Almost all of them have been altered in preparation for going to new homes.

Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and 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.

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”).

Female torbie kitten

This female kitten is 5 months old.

She has a short torbie-colored coat and gold eyes, weighs 3.6 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 20a, ID No. 34743.

Buff-colored female kitten

This female buff-colored kitten is 5 months old.

She has a long coat, weighs 2.6 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 20c, ID No. 34792.

Gray tabby kitten

This gray tabby kitten is 5 months old.

He has green eyes, a short coat, weighs 3.6 pounds and has been neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 20d, ID No. 34746.

Male orange tabby

This male orange tabby is 1 year old.

He has a short orange and white coat, green eyes, weighs 5 pounds and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 62, ID No. 34500.

Female gray tabby

This female gray tabby is 8 weeks old.

She has a short coat, green eyes, weighs 2.2 pounds and has been spayed.

She’s in cat room kennel No. 67a, ID No. 34941.

Female brown tabby

This female brown tabby is 8 weeks old.

She has a long fluffy coat, weighs 2 pounds and has been spayed.

See her in cat room kennel No. 67b, ID No. 34965.

Male gray tabby kitten

This male gray tabby kitten is 6 months old.

He has green eyes, a short coat, weighs 3.4 pounds and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 81b, ID No. 34854.

Female domestic short hair mix

This female domestic short hair mix is 2 years old.

She has green eyes and a short gray tabby coat. She has not yet been spayed.

She’s in cat room kennel No. 88, ID No. 34940.

Male gray tabby

This male gray tabby is 1 year old.

He has a short coat and green eyes, and has been neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 100, ID No. 34479.

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 .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

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, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.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.

Nearly 65 feet beneath the icy surface of a remote Antarctic lake, scientists from NASA, the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, Nev., the University of Illinois at Chicago, and nine other institutions, have uncovered a community of bacteria existing in one of Earth’s darkest, saltiest and coldest habitats.

Lake Vida, the largest of several unique lakes found in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, contains no oxygen, is mostly frozen and possesses the highest nitrous oxide levels of any natural water body on Earth.

A briny liquid, which is approximately six times saltier than seawater, percolates throughout the icy environment where the average temperature is minus 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

The international team of scientists published their findings online Nov. 26, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

“This study provides a window into one of the most unique ecosystems on Earth,” said Alison Murray, a molecular microbial ecologist and polar researcher at the DRI and the report’s lead author.

“Our knowledge of geochemical and microbial processes in lightless icy environments, especially at subzero temperatures, has been mostly unknown up until now,” Murray said. “This work expands our understanding of the types of life that can survive in these isolated, cryoecosystems and how different strategies may be used to exist in such challenging environments.”

Despite the very cold, dark and isolated nature of the habitat, the report finds the brine harbors a surprisingly diverse and abundant variety of bacteria that survive without a current source of energy from the sun.

Previous studies of Lake Vida dating back to 1996 indicate the brine and its inhabitants have been isolated from outside influences for more than 3,000 years.

“This system is probably the best analog we have for possible ecosystems in the subsurface waters of Saturn’s moon Enceladus and Jupiter’s moon Europa,” said Chris McKay, a senior scientist and co-author of the paper at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

Murray and her co-authors and collaborators, including Peter Doran, the project’s principal investigator at the University of Illinois at Chicago, developed stringent protocols and specialized equipment for their 2005 and 2010 field campaigns to sample from the lake brine while avoiding contaminating the pristine ecosystem.

“The microbial ecosystem discovered at Lake Vida expands our knowledge of environmental limits for life and helps define new niches of habitability,” said Adrian Ponce, co-author from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., who enumerated viable bacterial spore populations extracted from Lake Vida.

To sample unique environments such as this, researchers must work under secure, sterile tents on the lake’s surface.

The tents kept the site and equipment clean as researchers drilled ice cores, collected samples of the salty brine residing in the lake ice and assessed the chemical qualities of the water and its potential for harboring and sustaining life.

Geochemical analyses suggest chemical reactions between the brine and the underlying iron-rich sediments generate nitrous oxide and molecular hydrogen. The latter, in part, may provide the energy needed to support the brine’s diverse microbial life.

Additional research is under way to analyze the abiotic, chemical interactions between the Lake Vida brine and its sediment, in addition to investigating the microbial community by using different genome sequencing approaches.

The results could help explain the potential for life in other salty, cryogenic environments beyond Earth, such as purported subsurface aquifers on Mars.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

New data from NASA’s Messenger spacecraft suggest that there’s enough ice on Mercury to encase the entire US capitol.

“The new data indicate the water ice in Mercury’s polar regions, if spread over an area the size of Washington, D.C., would be more than 2 miles thick,” said David Lawrence, a Messenger participating scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., and lead author of one of three papers describing the findings in the online edition of Science Express.

Given its proximity to the Sun, Mercury would seem to be an unlikely place to find ice. But the tilt of Mercury’s rotational axis is almost zero – less than one degree – so there are pockets at the planet’s poles that never see sunlight.

Scientists suggested decades ago that water ice might be trapped in those shadowed areas at Mercury’s poles.

The idea received a boost in 1991, when the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico detected unusually radar-bright patches at Mercury’s poles, spots that reflected radio waves in the way one would expect if there were water ice.

Many of these patches corresponded to the location of large impact craters mapped by the Mariner 10 spacecraft in the 1970s. But researchers weren’t sure if the radar-bright patches detected by Arecibo corresponded to shadowy places in the craters.

Messenger’s arrival at Mercury last year changed that. Images from the spacecraft’s Mercury Dual Imaging System taken in 2011 and earlier this year show that radar-bright features at Mercury’s north and south poles are within shadowed regions on Mercury’s surface.

Now, the newest data from Messenger confirm that water ice is the major constituent of Mercury’s north polar deposits. In the coldest places, the ice is exposed on the surface. In slightly warmer spots, some kind of dark insulating material appears to cover the ice.

Messenger uses neutron spectroscopy to measure average hydrogen concentrations within Mercury’s radar-bright regions. Ice concentrations are derived, in turn, from the hydrogen measurements. This is possible because water, or H2O, is two parts hydrogen.

“The neutron data indicate that Mercury’s radar-bright polar deposits contain, on average, a hydrogen-rich layer more than tens of centimeters thick beneath a surficial layer 10 to 20 centimeters thick that is less rich in hydrogen,” said Lawrence. “The buried layer has a hydrogen content consistent with nearly pure water ice.”

Data from Messenger’s Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) – which has fired more than 10 million laser pulses at Mercury to make detailed maps of the planet’s topography – corroborate the ice hypothesis, writes Gregory Neumann of the NASA Goddard Flight Center.

In a second paper, Neumann and his colleagues report that the first laser measurements of the shadowed north polar regions reveal irregular dark and bright deposits near Mercury’s north pole.

“Nobody had seen these dark regions on Mercury before, so they were mysterious at first,” Neumann said.

Neumann suggests that both the dark and bright materials were brought to Mercury by comets or asteroids, a finding corroborated in a third paper led by David Paige of the University of California, Los Angeles.

“The dark material is likely a mix of complex organic compounds delivered to Mercury by the impacts of comets and volatile-rich asteroids, the same objects that likely delivered water to the innermost planet,” Paige said.
 
This dark insulating material is a new wrinkle to the story, added Sean Solomon of the Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, principal investigator of the Messenger mission.

“For more than 20 years the jury has been deliberating on whether the planet closest to the Sun hosts abundant water ice in its permanently shadowed polar regions,” said Solomon. “Messenger has now supplied a unanimous affirmative verdict.”
 
“But the new observations have also raised new questions,” added Solomon. “Do the dark materials in the polar deposits consist mostly of organic compounds? What kind of chemical reactions has that material experienced? Are there any regions on or within Mercury that might have both liquid water and organic compounds? Only with the continued exploration of Mercury can we hope to make progress on these new questions.”

Stay tuned to Science@NASA for answers.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A collision on Highway 53 Saturday evening resulted in one woman being injured.

The two-vehicle crash occurred at 5:30 p.m. at the Highway 53 and Dam Road intersection at the entrance to Walmart, according to Sgt. Martin Snyder of the Clearlake Police Department.

Snyder said Jackie Broman, 54, of Clearlake, driving a 1994 GMC pickup, collided with a 1999 Jeep Wrangler driven by Sarah Dunn, 24, who he said is believed to be from Roseville.

Due to weather conditions, Snyder said air ambulances were unavailable to fly Dunn out of county.

Instead, Dunn was transported by Lake County Fire Protection District ambulance to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, while Broman was released at the scene, according to Snyder.

Both vehicles were towed, he said.

Snyder said the southbound lane was closed for 45 minutes to an hour.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – World AIDS Day – marked this year on Saturday, Dec. 1 – is focusing on a future when the disease will be just a tragic memory.

The 2012 event’s motto is “Getting to Zero,” with the goal that by 2015 there will be zero AIDS-related deaths and infections, as well as an end to discrimination.

Over the past three decades, as the disease has spread across the globe, it has hit some nations particularly hard. On the African continent, AIDS and HIV remain crippling epidemics.

However, the United Nations’ World AIDS Day Report shows significant progress in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS in the past two years.

The report, published by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), also found that the number of people accessing life-saving treatment rose by 60 percent and new infections have fallen by half in 25 countries – 13 of them in sub-Saharan Africa – while AIDS-related deaths have dropped by a quarter since 2005.

“We have moved from despair to hope. Far fewer people are dying from AIDS,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé in a World AIDS Day statement.

“The pace of progress is quickening. It is unprecedented – what used to take a decade is now being achieved in just 24 months. Now that we know rapid and massive scale up of HIV programs is possible, we need to do more,” Sidibé added.

The UNAIDS report estimates 1.3 million people in the United States are living with AIDS.

The California Department of Public Health’s County Health Status Profiles 2012 said the crude case rate of reported AIDS cases for Californians aged 13 years and older was 9.4 cases per 100,000 population. That is approximately one reported AIDS case for every 10,628 persons, a rate based on an average of rates from 2008 through 2010.

The statewide AIDS crude case rate did not meet the Healthy People 2010 National Objective 13-1 of no more than 1.0 AIDS case per 100,000 population aged 13 years and older, the report said.

Lake County ranked No. 28 statewide for prevalence of cases, with a rate of 1.7 cases per 100,000 from 2008 to 2010 and a crude case rate of 2.9.

Researchers are reporting that scaling up treatment and education are helping reduce not just AIDS-related deaths but also dropping new infections to the lowest levels since 1997.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria this week reported that there has been an increase of 900,000 in the number of people receiving antiretroviral therapy since the end of 2011, taking the total now getting treatment under programs supported by the Global Fund to 4.2 million.

Contributing to those increases is the dropping costs of first-line antiretroviral drugs costs, which today cost less than $100 for a year’s supply of the least expensive regimen recommended by the World Health Organization, down from more than $10,000 in 2000.

Health officials also have increased the distribution of condoms, care and support for patients, and services to at-risk populations.

Young people aged 15-24 are the group most affected by HIV, accounting for 40 percent of all new adult HIV infections, according to UNAIDS.

UNAIDS reported that in 2011 about five million young people were living with HIV worldwide, with more than 2,400 being newly infected every day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reported that 50,000 people in the United States get HIV each year. One in four new HIV infections occur in youth, between the ages of 13-24.

As advocates are focusing their efforts on zeroing out AIDS and HIV, the global financial crisis has presented another challenge for them.

World AIDS Campaign Chair Allyson Leacock said efforts should be increasing to achieve universal access to treatment.

However, there are concerns that won’t be the case, with the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition reporting that funding for HIV had already begun to flat line at the end of the last decade.

In 2011, the Global Fund failed to raise the minimum $13 billion that was needed to maintain its current programs, the coalition said.

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 gift of a particular piece of real or personal property is a specific gift. If made in the context of a will or a living trust, such gifts typically take effect at the donor’s death.

Meanwhile the donor – i.e., maker of the gift – still owns the property. Events may upset or compromise the intended gift, either in full or part. Specifically, the property may be sold, mortgaged, destroyed or subject to eminent domain (i.e., the exercise of a government’s right to condemn property), all of which can result in the donee (i.e., the recipient of the gift) receiving less than what was originally intended.

When the donor subsequently dies, what then happens in respect of any specific gift that was compromised by being sold, mortgaged, destroyed or condemned under eminent domain? It all depends. In certain defined circumstances, California law may protect the donee. Let us examine the scenarios.

If the property is sold, mortgaged, destroyed or condemned due to eminent domain while the donor (owner) was incapacitated and either the donor’s conservator or agent under a durable power of attorney, as relevant, was involved, then the intended donee may be in luck.  

The law tries to compensate the donee so that the intervening events do not totally disrupt the incapacitated donor’s estate plan.  

Presumably, but for the donor’s incapacity, he or she would have made an offsetting gift of money to compensate the donee of the specific gift for the sale, mortgage, destruction, or condemnation of the property.  

For example, consider a parent who makes a will that leaves a home to his son and leaves the rest of his estate to his daughter.  Later on, the parent becomes mentally incapacitated, is conserved and the home mortgaged by the conservator in order to pay bills.   

When the parent dies, the son is entitled to receive a sum of money equal to the unpaid mortgage owed at the owner’s death. The son also receives the residence subject to the mortgage.

Now with the money, the son can pay off the mortgage. This presumes, of course, that the parent’s estate is able to generate the funds after paying off any debts, taxes and expenses of administration.  

Moreover, in the case of conservatorships, the foregoing rule only applies if the conserved donor dies either while still conserved or within one year of the conservatorship’s termination. Otherwise, the rule does not apply.

However, if the property that is the subject of the specific gift is sold, mortgaged, destroyed or condemned while the owner/donor is alive and has capacity then the intended donee of the property is entitled to receive any remaining unpaid consideration on the sale of the property, any unpaid insurance proceeds, and eminent domain monies owed on the property, as relevant. This is in addition to any remaining ownership rights the decedent had in the subject property at death.

Next, there is another rule regarding the specific gift of a debt instrument (e.g., a promissory note or “IOU”). Any property owned by the donor that was acquired due to foreclosure, also belongs to the donee.

So, for example, consider the situation where a creditor’s will gifts an IOU to his daughter. The IOU is secured by a deed of trust recorded against the debtor’s residence. The debtor defaults, and loses his residence to his creditor. When the creditor dies, the daughter receives the residence instead of the IOU.

Finally, as of Jan. 1, 2013, the foregoing protections will also apply to specific gifts made in a person’s living trust.

Anyone seeking to apply the rules to a specific situation should consult an attorney.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 55 First St., Lakeport, California. Dennis can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-263-3235. Visit his Web site at www.dennisfordhamlaw.com .

Deeply colorful pomegranates and persimmons arrive just as we begin to feel winter’s gray weight.
 
Overcast skies and dripping rain are no match for these bright fruits. They decorate branches and produce stalls with their jewel-like red and orange tones, daring us to defy dreariness.
 
They join less hefty gem-like cranberries, which have been around a while (since mid-fall at least), in a festive campaign to infuse brilliant color and plenty of flavor into the holidays.
 
When autumn marches into winter, I can’t help but think of these wonderful fruits.
 
Some persimmons are harvested as early as September and occasionally into January, but the fruit is most widely available now, in the months of November and December.
 
In the northern hemisphere, pomegranates are in season from October through February, making December their zenith, and while cranberries are harvested in September and October, they’re available in their fresh form in plenitude through December.
 
Warm, moist persimmon bread (or cookies or pudding) is an iconic treat during the holiday season, and I look forward to imbibing in the sweet, jelly-like flesh of persimmons from our decades-old tree.
 
Ours bears Hachiya persimmons, one of the two varieties most commonly available in the U.S. This acorn-shaped persimmon must be eaten when soft and fully ripe; otherwise tannins present in the fruit make it sour and mouth-puckering.
 
I enjoy eating these persimmons whole, dipping into their soft ripeness with a spoon. The flavor might be described as an overly ripe and super sweet apricot; the texture as smooth and slippery.

 
Even though the tannins in the fruit are mellow in this state, they leave a slight “fuzzy” (but not unpleasant) taste in my mouth.
 
Squat tomato-shaped Fuyu persimmons, the other popular variety, are crisp like an apple and may be eaten while firm, as well as when softer. I love their sweet crunch and enjoy the firm texture, skin and all.
 
Try adding Fuyu persimmons raw to fruit or green salads, and Hachiya persimmons to smoothies or batter for pancakes or muffins.
 
Both varieties, as well as the hundreds of others, are native to Asia, though there is a variety indigenous to North America.
 
This grape-sized fruit that grew wild on trees proved to be inedible to European settlers until American Indians taught them to wait till after the first frost to consume it.
 
Bread (by American Indians) and distilled spirits (by the settlers in Jamestown) were among the things made with this tiny persimmon.
 
If the persimmons you find at the market are hard and unripe, never fear! Persimmons will ripen at room temperature at home.
 
Cranberries, also known as the “bounceberry” because of their tendency to do that when ripe, are another fruit native to our continent, though they also grow wild in northern Europe.
 
These relatives of heather grow as low, creeping evergreen shrubs or trailing vines that prefer growing in acidic bogs. The bright berries are extremely acidic, making for a tart taste.
 
Cranberries have gained fame as a “super fruit” in recent years because of their high nutrient and antioxidant content.
 
While cranberries are associated as an accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey, I encourage you to welcome homemade cranberry sauce or chutney as a guest to your December holiday table.
 
Dried cranberries are delicious in baked goods, chicken or pork dishes, and tossed on green or fruit salads.
 
I have magical memories of pomegranates from my childhood. After school, I and a friend or two would pool our change to buy a pomegranate from our local small town market and spend the afternoon plucking out the juicy jewel-like seeds, a painstaking process.

 
It’s certainly true when they say that only a child has the time to eat a pomegranate, at least using this method.
 
Thankfully, there is another way, an underwater method of removing the seeds from the skin, causing the seeds (arils, actually) to sink and the membrane to float to the surface. Once done, a good supply is available for making juice, using in recipes, or eating out of hand.
 
To do this, cut the crown off the pomegranate and score the skin from top to bottom in several places so it will open up. Then plunge the entire thing underwater as you separate the seeds from the rind by hand.
 
Pomegranates, an ancient fruit, are native to the historical region of Persia (modern day Iran) and the Himalayan ranges of India. They’ve been cultivated in various places in Asia, the Middle East and Mediterranean Europe for several millennia.
 
As might be expected, pomegranates are featured in traditional Persian cuisine, as well as in the cuisine of such places as India, Pakistan, Turkey and Greece. In these cuisines, pomegranate is paired with a wide variety of savory foods. A thickened version of pomegranate juice, also known as pomegranate molasses, is often used in cooking.
 
Try tossing fresh pomegranate seeds into yogurt or onto fruit or green salads.
 
For an easy but well-presented hors d’oeuvre, drizzle honey over plain cream cheese and sprinkle it heavily with fresh pomegranate seeds. It’s very tasty spread over pita crackers.
 
Some stores sell tubs of fresh pomegranate seeds for those cooks who don’t wish to remove them themselves.
 
Like cranberries, pomegranates are known as a “super fruit” in terms of our health. They’re high in antioxidants – higher even than antioxidant power houses red wine and green tea – which bode well for cancer prevention and heart protection.
 
They’re also high in vitamins A, B, and C, iron, calcium, and other essential minerals.
 
Cranberries have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer benefits. They’re extremely high in vitamin C and dietary fiber, they aid in digestion, have properties that protect our heart and liver, they support our immune systems, and are extremely effective in fighting and preventing urinary tract infections.
 
And persimmons are none too shabby in the nutritional arena. High in dietary fiber and low in fat and calories, they contain antioxidant compounds like Vitamin A, beta carotene, and lycopene, as well as being high in vitamin C, another antioxidant.
 
If seasonal storms and gray skies have caused the spring in your step to lag a bit, take heart. We know now there’s an antidote, these beautiful jewels of winter.
 
Here are a few ways to enjoy them.
 
The first recipe, a persimmon soup flavored with curry, was given to me by friend and avid persimmon picker, Lisa Cole. The beauty of this soup is that it can be made with either Hachiya or Fuyu persimmons. It’s simple, yet delicious.
 
Curried persimmon soup
 
3 - ¼ pound ripe (either firm or soft) Fuyu persimmons (about 6-8 medium fruits) or 2 - 2/3 pound soft ripened Hachiya persimmons (about 4-5 medium fruits)
½ cup minced onion
1 - ½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 - ½ teaspoon curry powder (more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro and lemon wedges for garnish (optional)

Cut off and discard leaves and stems from persimmons. If using Fuyus, peel and slice fruit; if using Hachiyas, scoop out fruit from within peel.

Combine onion, ginger, and ¼ cup broth in a three or four quart pan. Boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and vegetables brown and start to stick, usually about five minutes.

Add another ¼ cup broth and repeat process until vegetables are brown again. Repeat step a third time.
Add curry and stir for about 30 seconds.

Stir remaining broth into pan and bring to a boil over high heat.

If using Fuyus, add persimmons, cover and simmer until slices are tender when pierced, usually about five to eight minutes. Whirl smooth with an immersion blender. (Or puree in batches in a blender, holding the lid tight with a kitchen towel.)

If using Hachiyas, whirl pulp in a blender until smooth and stir into hot broth. (This will thicken soup; stir to thin.)

Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon, if desired.
 
Recipe by Lisa Cole.
 
The following recipe is my mother’s orange-cranberry relish that has been served on our holiday table for as long as I can remember. She serves it in hollowed out orange-skin halves, which make for a pleasant and colorful presentation. The cooking of the oranges three times is to ensure they’re not bitter, since the skins are left on.
 
Danni’s Orange-Cranberry Relish
 
2-3 oranges, finely chopped with skins on
1 - ¼ cup sugar, divided
12 ounce package of fresh cranberries
Cover oranges with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow oranges to simmer for a few minutes.

Drain oranges in colander and repeat process with fresh water.

Drain oranges again and put in saucepan with fresh water to generously cover them, along with ½ cup sugar.

Bring to a boil and simmer until liquid reduces somewhat and oranges get candied a bit in the sweet water.

Drain them, reserving cooking liquid, and set aside.

Using the cooking liquid and fresh water, measure 1 cup of liquid into a saucepan.

Add ¾ cup sugar and bring water and sugar to a boil.

Add cranberries, return to a boil, and cook until their skins pop.

Remove from heat and stir in oranges.

Allow mixture to cool and refrigerate until served.

If serving in orange skins, they may be refrigerated after filling.

Recipe by Danielle Loomis Post.
 
Finally, below is my take on a recipe for pomegranate molasses, wonderful for many things, such as glazing meats and fowl or drizzling over yogurt, desserts, or pancakes. It’s great as a dip when mixed with Dijon mustard.

There’s an option for less dense pomegranate syrup that can be used for mixing into drinks of both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety (think pomegranate martinis or sparking pomegranate water), as an addition to homemade salad dressings, tossed into fruit salads, or used anywhere you’d like pomegranate flavor.
 
Don’t be discouraged if your first batch of pomegranate molasses turns into overly thick “pomegranate candy” due to overcooking. Remember that the mixture will thicken as it cools.

Pomegranate molasses

4 cups pomegranate juice
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
 
Place ingredients in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately 70 minutes. It should be the consistency of a thick syrup.

Remove from heat and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.

Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator, where it will last for 6 months.
 
Note: For pomegranate syrup, cook until reduced to 1½ cups, approximately 50 minutes.

Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The last large storm of the recent three-storm series is forecast to impact Lake County and much of Northern California on Saturday, bringing with it the most rain and highest winds of the storm trio.

The second storm that moved through on Thursday dumped more 1 inch of rain throughout Lake County, with some areas recording nearly four inches according to Western Weather Group stations while the National Weather Service in Sacramento reports that some high-elevation areas around the county received up to 10 inches of rain.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento reported on Friday afternoon that the strongest storm – with the most rains and highest winds – will reach Lake County Saturday evening.

Weather will remain unstable during the day Saturday with showers, some heavy at times, as the storm front approaches.

As the storm arrives in the evening bringing heavy rains, creeks and streams will quickly rise and urban localized flooding is predicted.

Mud and debris flows, particularly in burn areas, are anticipated, and caution is urged while driving.

With this storm, Lake County is forecast to receive an additional 4 to 8 inches of rain and 25 to 35 mile-per-hour southerly winds, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour.

Due to the saturated grounds combined with the high winds expected with this storm, power outages are expected in local areas.

Temperatures are forecast to remain mild and in the 50s until the storm moves through on Sunday evening.

Residents are urged to use caution when driving and to stay safe this weekend.

Email Terre Logsdon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Friday afternoon fire burned a mobile home in the Spring Valley community.

The fire, reported at 3865 Quail Trail, was dispatched at 3:45 p.m.

Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters arriving on the scene found the singlewide mobile home to be fully involved, according to radio reports.

Incident command reported the fire to be contained at approximately 4:23 p.m., with two hours of mop up anticipated.

A district support team was being sent to the scene, reports from the scene indicated.

Additional details will be posted as they become available.

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.