MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Middletown Art Center is offering Adventures in Art Summer Camp for ages 5 to 14.

The camp will be presented in two sessions this year: “Around the World,” June 24 to 28, focuses on multicultural designs and art expressions from around the world; and “Movement Dynamics,” July 8 to 19, an exploration of kinetics through art making and movement.

Both sessions will take place Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Children will engage in creative projects and explorations that incorporate art making, dance, music and whole child enrichment.

In Around the World, children will create a passport and “travel” around the world, exploring diverse culturally inspired activities including African Indigo textile designs and African Dance, Chinese dragon masks and dragon dance, murals, calligraphy and more.

Movement Dynamics includes hula-hoop construction, decoration and hula-hooping practice, pop-up books, mobiles, dance, rhythm making, kinetic sculptures and more.

Both sessions will conclude with an exciting performance by participants. A short clip from last year’s camp can be seen above.

The cost is $150 for session one (one week) and $300 for session 2 (two weeks) or $35 daily drop-in, and includes healthy snacks and all materials and supplies.

Registrations by June 23 are eligible for $25 discount per week. Visit www.middletownartcenter.org/camp to register and learn more.

The session one staff is comprised of MAC teaching-artists: Lauren Schneider, credentialed art teacher with more than 20 years of experience teaching kindergarten through 12th grades, and Jessie Beck, African dance instructor and first grade teacher at Cobb Mountain Elementary.

Laura Kennedy, mixed media and performance artist, and Darina Simeonova, architect and artist will join them for session two, and musician Victor Hall will make guest appearances in both sessions.

Both sessions of Adventures in Art promise to be unique and nurturing immersive arts experiences.

Sign your child up for Adventures In Art at MAC today. Go to www.middletownartcenter.org/camp to learn more and reserve your child’s spot, or call 707-809-8118.

Middletown Art Center is a local nonprofit dedicated to weaving the arts into the fabric of our community.

Learn more about exhibits, events, and classes happening at MAC and how you can support a thriving community through the arts with your MAC membership at www.middletownartcenter.org.

MAC is located at 21456 Highway 175 at the corner of Highway 29 in the heart of Middletown.

FINLEY, Calif. – Bring your blanket or lawn chair to enjoy New Orleans and Caribbean rhythms under the trees from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, at the Big Valley Music Fest.

This will be the second outdoor music festival at the Big Valley Hall at 1510 Big Valley Road at the Finley/Lakeport border.

Tickets at the entrance are $10. Children 12 and under may attend free.

Proceeds from this fundraiser will support maintenance and renovations of the Big Valley Hall, a community resource for decades.

Hall members held seven fire benefits for Lake County in 2017 and 2018 and continue to raise money for scholarships for college freshmen majoring in the field of agriculture.

New Orleans busker/singing piano player Andy Rossoff & The Hornadoes will be on stage at noon. Rossoff has invited a horn and rhythm section, along with special guests Bill Bordisso and Neon Knepalm to open the show.

At 1 p.m., Tri Tip Trio will be rocking some Zydeco, Blues and New Orleans funk. You may know Lloyd Meadows, on washboard and Bruce Gordon, on accordion from the Zydeco Flames. Joining them will be Lou Rodriguez on drums.

From 3 to 6 p.m., The Pulsators will return to Lake County with their NOLA-inspired danceable blues and rock, reggae and ska. This fun-loving six-piece band is well known at festivals in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

In the courtyard will be 20 vendors selling glamping items and memorabilia, paintings, baskets, shoulder bags, textiles, botanicals, soaps and bath products, handmade jewelry, yard art, home decorations and kitchenware.

Near the big tree in the back corner will be massage and tarot, henna and glitter tattoos, and face painting.

The Children’s Museum of Art and Science from Clearlake will be offering fun activities for all ages including bubbles, giant dominoes, sidewalk chalk, tile painting and bean art. Free books, toys and coloring also will be available.

Chatterbox Catering will be selling pulled pork, veggie wraps, tacos and nachos. A Smoothie Sensation will be making fresh, organic fruit smoothies. Hall members will be selling homemade cookies, Crystal Geyser sparkling flavored water and soda. Community members will be selling beer and wine as well.

Thanks to VIP sponsors Brad White of American Plumbing and Brad White Blues Productions in Kelseyville, and Jonas Heating Solutions in Lower Lake for their ongoing support.

Also thanks to loyal sponsors Bernie and Lynne Butcher of the Blue Wing Saloon and Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake and Iris Angeleri of Pivniska Real Estate in Kelseyville. New sponsors are Nozzolillo's Parlour and Donna's Upscale Resale in Lakeport, Paula Mune and Sky Hoyt, and Diamond Dust Farm in Kelseyville.

The Big Valley Music Fest has been produced by members of the Big Valley Hall Guild in partnership with Spotlight On Productions and the Lakeport Odd Fellows Hall.

For more information visit Big Valley Hall or Spotlight On Productions on Facebook, or call 707-367-8014.

Here’s a fine poem about a loving, attentive father, by Elise Hempel, who lives in Illinois.

Notice how deftly she’s placed her rhymes so that we scarcely notice them as the words flow on.

Ms. Hempel’s latest book, “Today's Mail,” is forthcoming from Jacar Press.

His New Twin Daughters

Even now, after all
these years, my father, 89,
still uncertain when I call
whose voice it is—Ann's or mine—

saying Hi, Dad, and from where,
the next town or a different state,
still pausing in that powdered air,
this little silence as he waits

at the nursery door, discerning tone
and pitch, listening hard to know
which way to bend, which crib, the one
against the wall or by the window,

still concentrating, trying to keep
us separate, our needs, do what
she would, letting my mother sleep,
this moment's blank as he's about

to choose between us, make some shift
in the soft-lit dark, decide whose cry
it is tonight, which girl to lift,
to whisper or hum, which lullaby.

American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2018 by Elise Hempel, “His New Twin Daughters,” from Girl in the Clock, (No Chair Press, 2018). Poem reprinted by permission of Elise Hempel and the publisher. Introduction copyright ©2019 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

Remembering the storyline of the original animation from three years ago may not immediately jump to mind, but that matters little for the sequel of a movie that struck an emotional chord with audiences who love household pets.

The appealing prospect of domesticated, for the most part, animals having a thought process and a plan of action when the humans are away at work or school is what once again drives “The Secret Life of Pets 2” into the amusing territory of anthropomorphic antics.

The structural weakness for this continuation of the saga of pets is running three disjointed storylines where the common thread shared by the main characters is that they live with their owners in the same New York apartment building.

Yet, this flaw of plot construction takes little away from the transitory enjoyment of the lovable animals charting their own course all the while adapting to the vagaries of the human condition.

Having previously been subjected to adapting to the oversized mutt Duke (Eric Stonestreet) entering the picture in the first film, the terrier Max (voiced by Patton Oswalt) now has to cope with a more drastic change.

Max’s owner Katie (Ellie Kemper) marries the big lug Chuck (Pete Holmes) and soon thereafter along comes baby Liam, who quickly becomes a handful during the toddler stage.

Overly protective, Max becomes a nervous wreck following the kid around the apartment and while Duke is far less neurotic, they both adapt their canine reputation of a man’s best friend to be watchful guardians.

One thread of the storyline is that Max and Duke join a family vacation trip to a relative’s farm where country life is unsettling to Max who is soon prodded by crusty ranch canine Rooster (Harrison Ford) to ditch his neuroses and discover his inner courage.

Rooster is the most welcome new addition to the lineup of animals. Harrison Ford’s steady, confident and gravel voice makes Rooster a formidable character, and all the more so when he pulls off the cowboy image by wearing a cool neckerchief.

Back in the city, Max has entrusted his favorite yellow squeeze toy called Busy Bee in the care of fluffy, perky Gidget the Pomeranian (Jenny Slate) when he leaves for the trip to the countryside.

In short order, the pampered Gidget loses the toy as it bounces down the outside fire escape steps into the apartment of an old lady who harbors so many feral cats that it’s a surprise that animal control has not taken notice of the hoarding.

Faced with the obstacle of being a dog trying to retrieve the toy, Gidget enlists the help of slothful, spoiled Chloe (Lake Bell), a rotund fluffy feline who would rather cough up fur balls on its sleeping owner that do anything relatively useful.

Nevertheless, facing a tough situation to infiltrate a hostile environment, Gidget takes lessons from Chloe on being more catlike in presence and attitude, which is partly achieved by wearing headgear to simulate feline features.

On another front, Snowball (Kevin Hart) is an energized rabbit who fervently believes that he’s a superhero, because, well, he dresses like one and seeks opportunities to rescue other animals in distress.

This is where Daisy (Tiffany Haddish), a brave Shih Tzu, enters the picture, putting Snowball to the test of living up to his heroic exploits that are mostly the fabrication of his hyperactive imagination.

Daisy has encountered a white tiger cub that is being held captive by cruel circus owner Sergei (Nick Kroll), appropriately dressed in black, speaking with a sinister Russian accent, and only missing a dark mustache to twirl.

This story arc has the dynamic duo of Snowball and Daisy freeing the tiger from its cage and then having to elude Sergei’s henchmen and his vicious pack of nasty wolves and a menacing monkey.

While arguably there may be nothing extra special about the film’s animation, physical settings and disconnected storylines, “The Secret Life of Pets 2” delivers the expected goods for family entertainment geared to a younger audience.

Admittedly, the animal characters interact very well with plenty of funny lines. Seeing the gruff Rooster tutor the anxious Max in the ways of life outside the comfort zone of dwelling in the safe space of an apartment is one of the delightful highlights.

Cat lovers are sure to identify with the lackadaisical, indifferent attitude of self-centered Chloe’s grasp of reality, while dog owners have a wide choice of canine companions that are relatable on different scales.

The bottom line is that those who enjoyed the first round in “The Secret Life of Pets,” a worldwide blockbuster, are really the target audience for a sequel that brings some new dimensions to the budding franchise.

Equally important, at the start of summer, is the need for films that can be enjoyed by children.

“Pets 2” fits the bill, because some upcoming films like the gritty action of “Shaft” and the horror tale of “Child’s Play” are definitely not PG-rated fare.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Art Center invites the public to enjoy the opening reception for its new exhibit, “Nature,” on Friday, June 14, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Middletown Community Farmers Market will also be open at the MAC Art Garden from 5 to 8 p.m.

Since opening in 2015, the MAC has held a companion exhibit to the EcoArts Sculpture Walk in June at the MAC Gallery in the theme of Art in Dialogue with Nature.

This tradition was upheld during the past few years of fire recovery, “holding space” for the Sculpture Walk which reopened at Trailside Park on June 1.

This year's exhibit, “Nature,” includes the work of about 20 Lake County artists.

“We have an intimate relationship with nature here in Lake County and MAC’s artists express a gamut of concerns, admiration, observation and appreciation for the natural world in this new show,” said MAC director and co-curator Lisa Kaplan.

The exhibit features fiber artist Alana Clearlake’s powerful new piece, “Hard Rain.”

Clearlake worked on the 13-panel, 16-foot long piece daily between November and June. It was a labor of deep concern and love of both family and the planet.

“I worry for my children and grandchildren, and regret that my generation did not act quickly enough to make change,” she explained.

The panels depict a progression of climate conditions and intensity. Clearlake’s execution of rain, storm, and sea are both brilliant and dramatic. Her rendering of light and transparency through layering in the opaque medium of felt is striking.

Come see the artwork during the opening reception Friday, June 14, or any Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. until mid August.

The 14th annual EcoArts Sculpture Walk, free to the public, will remain on view through October 15.

Middletown Trailside Park is open dawn to dusk daily. Hiking shoes, hats, and water bottles are advised.

Middletown Art Center is located at 21456 State Highway 175 at the junction of Highway 29 in the heart of Middletown. Stay up to date on all classes, exhibits and events, and consider a membership to support this valuable Lake County arts and culture resource at www.middletownartcenter.org .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A special assembly of musicians from Japan come together for an evening of jazz on Saturday, June 29, at 7:00 pm at the Soper Reese Theatre.

Tickets are now on sale at $20, open seating.

Group leader and drummer, Akira Tana, brings his friends all the way from Osaka, Japan, for a show packed with swinging, unadulterated jazz organ music.

On the Hammond B3 is Atsuko Hashimoto who started playing the organ at the age of four. Joining the group for a special guest appearance is vocalist virtuoso, Kenny Washington, who has been called “one of the finest male jazz singers in the world” by JazzTimes Magazine.

The group is completed by Osaka musicians Yutaka Hashimoto on guitar, and Hideki Kawamura on tenor sax.

The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.

Tickets may be purchased at www.soperreesetheatre.com ; at the theatre’s box office, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, two hours before show time; and at The Travel Center, 825 S. Main St., Lakeport, Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The theater telephone is 707-263-0577; Travel Center phone is 707-263-3095.