The. Most. Awesome. Holiday. Light. Show. You. Will. Ever. See. In. Thousand. Oaks!

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2016 Update: The Higgins family moved and thus no more display. Plenty of other awesome displays in and around Ventura County though at THIS LINK.

UPDATE FALL 2014: The display is back again this year, longer than ever!

Located at 1566 El Dorado Drive in Thousand Oaks. Take Janss Road east off the 23 Freeway, turn right on El Monte Drive (past the Thousand Oaks Library), then left on El Dorado. Be mindful of the neighbors!

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The Higgins family of Thousand Oaks may have the most entertaining and fun residential holiday light show in the Conejo Valley.

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Photo of the Higgins' holiday light show in 2012.According to Ed Higgins, this amazing display was constructed with over 150,000 lights, over 3 1/2 MILES of hard wire extension cords, 192 digital channels and over 1,000 feet of Cat 5 cable in the "Old Oaks" section of Thousand Oaks at 1566 El Dorado Drive.

Higgins admits "we're nuts" but they obviously have a passion and talent for this. And the neighbors are great about it they say. Ed and his wife Valerie are often out on Friday/Saturday nights with tables of cocoa and whipped cream, cookies, cider and cinammon twists!

Below is footage of the display in 2012. This short video does not do it justice. Go check it out!

A Visit to the Newly Opened Discovery Cube Los Angeles Science Center

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Discovery Cube Los Angeles is a 71,000 sq ft hands-on science and education museum that opened on November 13th in Lakeview Terrace at the Hansen Dam Recreational Area.

This is a beautiful, two-story, open, airy and fun facility geared towards children but fun for all family members. We stopped by and explored the various interactive exhibits and wow, what an impressive array they have!

There's a great array educational exhibits on display at Discovery Cube LA. In the Inspector Training Course, kids receive touch screen tablets and learn to conserve resources and in a real-life home. Fun, educational and very interactive! The Aquavator is a virtual elevator that takes you into the earth's crust for a tour. Race to Zero Waste is a game-based exhibit teaching guests the correct way to sort trash and divert materials from the landfills.

Children are given tablet computers as they inspect this home for resource efficiencies!

The Discovery Market is an impressively put together supermarket where kids use computer-equipped shopping carts to learn how to read package levels, learn about nutrition and make healthy choices. The Making the Grade Gallery provides grade-specific interactive, scientific exhibits. The Planetary Research Station uses a suspended, animated globe to highlight information about the solar system, natural disasters and climate change.

The Discovery Market is an interactive learning experience that almost looks like a real store!

The Helicopter Tour gives a simulated birds-eye view

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Job Seeker Services and Resources Provided by the Ventura County Job & Career Center

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The County of Ventura and Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County provide both virtual and in-person job seeker services to county residents. The Ventura County Job & Career Center (VCJCC) website at www.venturacountyjcc.org provides job postings and job seeking tips and services such as figuring out what careers are right for you, resume building, letter writing, job training and much more.

I took a look at jobs posted on the VCJCC site on 10/9/11 and there are definitely a lot of jobs posted in there. Over 500 within a 5 to 10 mile radius of Newbury Park. Also notable is that while there is some level of dup

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Live Beehive on Display at the Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum

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The Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula contains nearly a thousand vintage farm items ranging from tractors, machines and tools as well as rotating art and photo exhibits as well as educational sessions for all ages. One other unique aspect of the Agriculture Museum is this live beehive exhibit, which bees can access through the exterior wall. Fascinating to see in person! This is a permanent display at the museum.

General public admission to the Agriculture Museum (as of February 2015) is $5 adults, $3 seniors, students and AAA members and $1 for children 6-17. Kids 5 and under are free. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (changing to Fri-Sun 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3/1/15)

For more information, visit the Museum of Ventura County website at www.venturamuseum.org or call 805.653.0323.

Upcoming Free Programs at Satwiwa Native American Indian Cultural Center in Newbury Park

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The Satwiwa Native American Indian Cultural Center is located in the Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa hiking area in Point Mugu State Park. 

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The Center hosts year-round cultural workshops and programs every other Sunday, including arts and crafts, music, storytelling and much more.  Visit www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/rsvsatwiwa.htm for more information.

Treated to a Rainbow in the Conejo This First Saturday of November 2014

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After a night of moderate rains (about 1/4 of an inch) in the Conejo Valley, a spectacular rainbow was seen this morning around 8 a.m. What a great start to the month of November!

Rainbow seen from Lynn Road in Newbury ParkA stunning shot of the rainbow from above by Darts Promoter L. David Irete.

And a shot from Malibu by Suzy Demeter of Suzy Demeter Photography.

CDC Highlights What You Need to Know About the Ebola Virus

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Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history. The following information about Ebola is courtesy of the CDC.

Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genus Ebolavirus. There are five identified Ebolavirus species, four of which have caused disease in humans: Zaire ebolavirus; Sudan ebolavirus; Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus; and Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The fifth, Reston ebolavirus, has caused disease in nonhuman primates but not in humans.

Ebola is found in several African countries. The first Ebola species was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa.

The natural reservoir host of Ebola remains unknown. However, on the basis of available evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe that the virus is animal-borne, with bats being the most likely reservoir. Four of the five subtypes occur in an animal host native to Africa.

When an infection does occur in humans, there are several ways the virus can be spread to others. These include: direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola or contact with objects that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or with infected animals

The virus in the blood and body fluids can enter another person’s body through broken skin or unprotected mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose or mouth.

During outbreaks of Ebola, the disease can spread qu

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