Snow Goose Festival

Well the wonderful 10th annual SNOW GOOSE FESTIVAL is nearly upon us, with field trips, speakers, workshops, exhibits and the increasingly-popular "Gathering of Wings" banquet with both silent and live auctions and raffle. The featured speaker is Ed Harper, photographer, expert birder, and world traveler. This festival is just one of the things that makes living in Butte County so great.

It takes a lot of folks to put on a major event like this. Check out the list of sponsors who have donated time and/or funds to make this outstanding event happen.

During past festivals I've gone on field trips to the Sutter Buttes (which, as you may know, is an "by invitation only" place, so this is a rare opportunity) and the Black Butte Lake area and have attended many lectures and slideshows. It's a great event attended by folks from all over the planet. Check out the schedule and sign up for a field trip or workshop!

Fire!

Several Chico Rotarians who work for the local newspaper put together a video of the recent Humboldt Fire. Northern California is on fire again from lightning strikes, with a reported 27 fires burning in Butte County alone, and many more throughout California. (Click here to view a map of fire locations.) Everyone is talking about burning eyes, throats, and pounding headaches from breathing smoke 24/7. I keep reminding myself how fortunate I am to still have my sweet little home, in spite of the normally-clear skies looking like San Bernardino on a BAD smog day. Just last weekend I was enjoying a rare few days away at Lake Madrone with friends. As we basked lakeside, enjoying the perfect temperature, we were surprised to see dark clouds rapidly moving in. That evening at sunset we took the short hike up to Bald Rock. Never having been there, I was amazed at the surrealistic beauty of the place, with its gigantic boulders overlooking the Sacramento valley, coastal range, and Sutter Buttes. There we watched as the distant lightning started fire after fire, with plumes of black smoke rising ominously like cobras from their baskets...

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