Ice Cream at Stansbury House!

How long has it been (if EVER) since you visited the gorgeous, historical Stansbury House? It's only been around since 1883! (at the corner of W. 5th St. and Salem) This Friday (Aug. 21st) would be a great time to check it out, during the annual ice cream social (6 to 9 p.m.), another great Chico tradition.

Now the property of The City of Chico and maintained by the Stansbury Home Preservation Association, this wonderful example of Italian-Victorian architecture was originally built (out of sugar-pine lumber) for Dr. Oscar Stansbury and his wife, Libbie. It remained in the Stansbury family for more than three generations.

If you can't make the Ice Cream Social this Friday, tours are regularly held Saturday and Sunday, 1:00-4:00 p.m. Cost is just $2 for adults, $1 for students, and free for children under 10. A real must-see!

Home for Sale: 1432 N. Cherry Street

The front house is a 3 bed PLUS a 9x11' attic loft. A detached "guest" studio with bath, kitchen facilities and heat/air in back. Great location just blocks from CSU Chico and downtown. The main house was recently painted and remodeled with new kitchen cabinets, solid granite counter tops, newer dishwasher and stove, central heat/air, mostly dual-paned windows, and new roof in 2007. The home also features hardwood floors and a deck for BBQs. Check out the extra-deep lot!

For more photos and a virtual tour click on the photos or visit my website: www.ChicoLaura.com

Adorable Baby Hats

Just had to brag about and share the web site of my niece Kelly, who makes these ADORABLE and unique baby hats. Check out Kelly's web site, "Tiny Tangerines" if you'd like to order one for that special little one in your life. Of course, it helps to have such a charming young model to display her creations! That would be her sweet baby Clementine. Being a long-time arts-and-crafts lover, I'm really getting a kick out of seeing each of Kelly's creations. Next time you're invited to a baby shower and want one of those "ooooh & ahhhh" type gifts, let your fingers do the ordering (while saving time AND gas!).

Gateway Science Museum

Perhaps you've seen the interesting new building going up on The Esplanade just north of Bidwell Mansion here in Chico these past few months. That would be the new "Gateway Science Museum" being constructed. According to the museum web site, the facility "will be a state-of-the-art natural history museum celebrating the region's natural beauty and resources. Permanent and traveling exhibits, as well as education programs for Northern California's schoolchildren, will further the museum's mission." Click here to view more photos, including interior shots, and here for a description of some of the interesting features and exhibits. Legacy paving stones are available to the public and will help fund the construction of this unique building.

PEACHES! U-PICK!

GET YOUR FRESH, JUICY PEACHES! I don't know about you, but early tomorrow morning I'm heading out (with my mom--it's an annual tradition) to the Chico State Farm to picket a few buckets full of fresh, sweet, juicy, delectable PEACHES! $1 per pound; cash or check only. There are several varieties and plenty of low-hanging fruit, but ladders are also provided for those just-out-of-reach beauties. May not have time to make peach jam like last year (besides, there are still a couple of jars in the freezer), but I can hardly wait to get my fill of fresh ones!

The U-pick station is open from 7 a.m. to noon Mon. through Fri. while supplies last. Click here or call the University Farm at 898-6343 for more info. Click here for directions to the Farm, off Hegan Lane in South Chico. Enjoy!

Pond Tour

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting several "water garden" sites with long-time bud Merryl. The 15th annual Pond Tour offered 6 sites this year, three of which I was able to get to. (Begun in 1995 by the Congregational Church of Chico, the proceeds benefit such local projects as The Chico Boys & Girls Club and the Butte College Horticultural Scholarship fund.)

At Friendly Farm Alpacas we had the extra treat of hobnobbing with a throng of furry four-legged critters. I couldn't resist coming away with a bag of unbelievably soft stuff to spin up at home. Seems like a very well-run operation with happy mammals (including the very friendly owner, Kathleen Friend!).

The back yard pond at Lucy Way (in north Chico) is a good example of what can be accomplished in a small area. Local pond builder Jeremy Wilson of Ponds and Patios created this delightful koi pond "serenity garden" for lucky homeowner Kathleen Merrill.

The Goddess Temple on Autumn Lane (near Forest Ranch) was intriguing, to say the least. "Meditation paths" meander around several ponds and waterfalls. The temple is a large, open-air space featuring several large sculptures. The roof of the structure boasts a vegetable garden and yoga area. Several smaller buildings on the property act as sites for processes such as acupuncture and "sound healing." Solar and wind power are used exclusively at this interesting retreat.

Please CLICK HERE to enjoy a photo tour of these three interesting water feature sites. (Click "View Album" and then "Play Slideshow"--no password needed.) Hopefully next year I'll get an earlier start and make it to all of them.

Aggy's Sweet New Puppy

Aggy (Marketing Director/Transaction Coordinator for The ChicoLauraTeam) has a new family member and is THRILLED! She adopted a sweet pup from Butte Humane Society. I'm wondering, Aggy, how are you sleeping at night these days? : )

Shop for the Animals

My friend Barb (a good pal to me and all of our four-legged friends) has collaborated with Chico's Clothing Store (Chico Mall on E. 20th St. next to See's Candy Shop) on a "Shop for the Animals" fundraiser to benefit our fine furry friends at the Butte Humane Society. Simply shop at Chico's on Fri., Sat., or Sun., July 24, 25, & 26, mention the Butte Humane Society, and 10% of your purchase price will be donated to the shelter. Cool new duds and an act of kindness for the dogs & kitties...now THAT'S a good deal!

Chico's hours: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Fri./Sat., Noon - 6 p.m. Sun.

1960 E. 20th St., Chico, CA

Click here to view some short videos created by Chico State students of some of the precious pups & kitties at the shelter.

Adoption application can be found here

Volunteer application can be found here

Maxfield Parrish at Crocker Museum

I had the great good fortune to see over 80 original Maxfield Parrish works at the Reno Museum of Art a few years back. Just found out the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento has a Parrish show going on through July 19th. Click here to view prints of some of his wonderful works. If you have a chance to check out the exhibit (and the beautiful Crocker Museum if you haven't been!), I'd highly recommend it.

The Green Gate

Pictured: Laura, Kelly & Doug Guererro, John & Andy Burghardt...

Wow! What a great hike we had this morning! Discovering some of the great trails around Chico is becoming a pre-4th-of-July-family-reunion tradition. This year we decided to do the Upper Bidwell Park "Green Gate" hike, which begins off Hwy 32 about half way to Forest Ranch. The good news: it's mostly downhill and shady during early morning hours (we started at 6:30 a.m.). The bad news: POISON OAK! Gobs of it. Watch for it on both sides of the trail, ranging from dark green to vibrant red. (Stay tuned for the itch update...hopefully we all avoided contact.)

The views were gorgeous, and the total time was 3 1/2 hours, with several rest breaks. The trail ends in a level trail along a rock wall overlooking the creek, exiting next to the Falcon's Point gated community on Chico Canyon Rd.

This is truly one of the nicest hikes I've taken. Just watch out for that treacherous 3-leafed devil plant!