Moving into the 4th of July weekend is always busy. I posted some info but did not give you the whole scoop!

First, the Interlaken Center is just about done. You can finally get in and out without a lot of drama. Check out those big boulders while you are there! I’d hate to slide on ice and hit one during the winter.

A new yoga studio is opening up in Big Bear City. It will be right next door to EastSide Book Cafe where the travel agency used to be.

Moose Lodge Yard Sale

Moose Lodge 2085 annual yard sale starts tomorrow! It will run through Sunday. Usually locals bring donations throughout the weekend so drop on by, pick up a few items, and maybe clear out some. All funds collected go to Moose charities.

Moose Lodge BBQ

One of my favorite events is the annual Moose Lodge 4th of July BBQ and this year it will be hosted by my favorite Moose Men–Robert and Dennis. Only $8 for great BBQ with the fixins and it is one of the few times you can not be a member and partake of the merriment…of course you can join right up while you are there!

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s unknown!

Yesterday I had the rare pleasure (sarcasm in case you miss it) to be down the heat in triple digit weather. While I was hidden away in a building, I missed sighting the fireball–reported as being near Butler Peak.

Want the scoop? Dave and his pals at RimOfTheWorld.Net scooped everyone on the fireball…check it out now.

Fawnskin Mountain Hike

I read that the Mountain Top Hiking Club is heading up to Grey’s Peak–but it is closed! Here is the announcement–call for clarity. Big Bear Sierra Club hosts the event with departure at 8am. Bring water, snacks, sun hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, layered clothing and good hiking boots. National Forest Adventure Pass is required for drivers. Call Ed Wallace for information (909) 584-9407

Discovery Center: Cajun Country Music with The Doo Wah Riders (July 5th)
Join the party at the Discovery Center Amphitheater under the stars. Ticket prices: Adults $15-$20 (18+); Teens $10; 12 and under FREE. Gates open at 5:30pm. Concerts begin at 7:00pm. Americana food plus beer, wine and soft drinks available for purchase (no outside beverages allowed) and parking is FREE. Tickets available at the Discovery Center Adventure Outpost or online at www.sbnfa.org.

Discovery Center Canoe & Kayaking Tours

Learn how to canoe on a leisurely 2-hour guided tour of beautiful Grout Bay. After a quick paddling lesson, you will cruise along the shore looking for beaver, great blue herons, and ducklings. Along the way you will learn the natural history of the Big Bear Valley along with the various flora and fauna found in the area.

Children must be at least 6 years old and all children need to be accompanied by an adult. Includes water and a snack. Tour starts at the Discovery Center and then caravans to marina. Fee: Adults $25, Children (6-16) $15 Dates: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 4:30pm – 6:30pm May 23 through August 31, 2008. For more information please call (909) 282-2790 or www.bigbeardiscoverycenter.com

Art Walk

The 5th Annual Pine Knot Village Art Walk takes place on July 5 and 6, 2008. This juried event showcases original works of art from more than 25 participating artists and attracts thousands of fine art collectors, enthusiasts and visitors.This year’s work will again include a broad range of disciplines, from original oil and acrylic paintings to landscape and still photography, and hand-thrown pottery and sculpture to inventive fine-crafted jewelry made from semi-precious stones.

Local artists exhibiting include potter Annie Aldrich, painter Greg Zook, fine art photographers Scott Cordner and Cathleen Calkins, wearable art by artisans Pat Deem and Joan Gibson, painter Joyce Brookens and glass works by Tom Horton, among others.

Participating village galleries include United Wood Craftsmen, Cedar Rose Lane, Gallery of the American Landscape, The Gallery, Wildwood Gallery and the Schoettger Gallery. Live art demonstrations will take place throughout the weekend and artists will be on hand to discuss their work and creative process.

Exhibiting artists will display their work along Village Drive and Pine Knot Avenue in the Village of Big Bear Lake. This event is free to the public and ample parking is available on Bartlett Road. For more information on the 5th Annual Pine Knot Village Art Walk, please visit www.artsmda.org or contact Tim Breunig at (909) 878-3556.

20th Annual Zooccasion 

Wow, has twenty years passed already? I was part of the original group that started this event. On Saturday drop by the local zoo to join in an educational program with a drawing contest for kids and a Walk-around-the-Park quiz and win an “expert” button. For more information call (909)878-4200.

Okay so if I missed something–go ahead and post it yourself in the comments area!

Popularity: 18%

Wow, it is hard to believe that I’ve been writing the Fawnskin Flyer for three years this weekend! To think the Fawnskin Flyer started as a joke…

Gone is the print edition and I am always surprised by where readers come from. Just checked a few stats the other day and found readers not only throughout the United States but also from France, New Zealand, Canada, and Romania.

Funny.

Anyway, this weekend is going to be busy so I thought I would mention a few things now.

Fire restrictions are in effect so be sure that cigarettes, campfires and other sources of ignition are extinguished and disposed of properly. As far as your home–maintain defensible space.

Private fireworks are prohibited but you can enjoy the

Annual Big Bear Fireworks Show:

The pyrotechnic display is made possible this year by about 1,000 volunteer hours and $40,000. KBHR radio choreographs music to the display.

Rotary holds an Old Fashioned Picnic as part of the barbecue at the Marina Resort just west of the intersection of Pine Knot Avenue and Big Bear Boulevard. Fee is $20, with food (steak, chicken, pasta, salads and dessert) or $10 for view access without the food. Reno and Cindy Holler will perform.

Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or beach chairs. Fireworks begin at dark and are released from a barge on the lake.

Tickets may be purchased at the following locations:

Popularity: 11%

Tyler Zayas (5 years old kid) landed a humongous 22.82 lb. catfish in Big Bear Lake. 

Last week, “…was all about catfish, big cats, really big cats…” according to Alan Sharp of Big Bear Marina. Water temperatures hit the high sixties throughout the east end of the lake and “the big whisker fish are on the chew.”

Young Tyler and his dad Dan were soaking Nitro Catfish Biscuits off of Eagle Point and both were sound asleep at 4:30 am when they awoke to the sound of a singing drag as one really big catfish took line in the dark hours of the early morning. With a little help from dad, Tyler landed the fish after a twenty minute battle. Good job Tyler!

Rainbow Trout fishing got even tougher this past week since water temperatures were rising and oxygen levels were lowering at the dam. A lot of fish have been metered off Boulder Bay but they won’t go on the bite.

Look for conditions to improve as the fish acclimate to their new neighborhood.

Drift or still fishing with Nitro and night crawlers from twenty to thirty feet is the best bet for bait anglers. Trollers should go down three and four colors and present a variety of Rapalas and Neddlefish in different color patterns for a shot at the rainbows.

If you are “trouted-out” at this time, Alan suggests that you go after the summertime species of panfish, bass and catfish. Lake Records have not been established yet for crappie, bluegill, or small and largemouth bass.

Popularity: 11%