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!

Chico Performances

The new schedule for Chico Performances is out, and it's looking good, as usual! A highlight of this year's lineup at CSUC is BB King (see photo at left) on November 17th. You may wonder what the "BB" stands for. According to the Wikipedia posting, Riley B. King (STILL doesn't say what THAT "B" stands for!) was born 9/16/25 in Itta Bena, Mississippi. In 1946 he worked at the R&B radio station WDIA under the nickname "Beale Street Blues Boy," which became simply "BB." So now you know.

I had the pleasure of seeing BB King last time he performed at CSUC's Laxson Auditorium, and it was memorable! What a great performer. This show is likely to sell out, so try to get your tickets early on.

Early "Series Ticket" purchasing begins Wed., July 1st. Just buy a ticket to 6 or more shows, and you'll get a 10% discount (some exceptions) and GREAT seats. There's always a line the first day these tickets go on sale, and my wonderful sis-in-law Jamie usually volunteers to take our orders and get tickets (THANKS Jamie!). Single tickets go on sale Mon. Aug. 23rd.

Other notable 2009-10 Chico Performances include physician/spiritual leader Deepak Chopra, trumpet master Wynton Marsalis, country music legend Merle Haggard, "Prairie Home Companion's" wordsmith/storyteller Garrison Keillor, controversial comedian Paula Poundstone, Vienna Boys Choir (dating back to 1498, but surely not the same boys), and world-class guitarist, Australian Tommy Emmanuel (a Chico- and personal-favorite of mine).

So get your tickets, mark your calendars, and plan to hit downtown Chico early to have dinner at one of the great little eateries before the show!

Don't miss the PATRICK RANCH COUNTRY FAIRE AND THRESHING BEE this weekend, Sat. & Sun., June 13 & 14 happening at (naturally) the Patrick Ranch, located at 10381 Midway, between Chico and Durham. (Click here to view details on their web site). In addition to the Threshing Bee, there will be an Artisan Faire, food courts, live music, childrens activities, pony rides, "working dog" exhibits and lots, lots more. Admission is FREE to children 12 and under, and adults are just $5! I'll be out there volunteering in one of the booths from noon to 2:30 on Sat. Hope to see you there!

Note: This is a great opportunity to check out one of the most historic homes in the Chico Area. The Patrick Ranch was bequeathed to the Chico Museum Association (now the Far West Heritage Association) by Hester Patrick in 2001. Hester was a charter member of our local Soroptimist International of Chico club and a fascinating and accomplished woman--a real "maverick" for her time. Check out some of the photos and documents while you're out there.)

Feather Falls Hike

Bro John and I recently did the 7 mile round trip hike to the beautiful Feather Falls in Oroville (Plumas National Forest), reportedly the 6th or 7th tallest falls in the country. (Click here for a few photos taken during our hike, and here for a 14 second video.) I hadn't done this particular hike in about 20 years. It was even more beautiful (and pretty much just as strenuous) as I remembered. The weather was PERFECT, and there were happy hikers of all ages enjoying the day. Like most others, we saved our lunch to enjoy on the lookout deck, enjoying the view of the fabulous waterfall, complete with rainbow toward the bottom. Something unexpected was the proliferation of wildflowers--so many different types and colors; they were gorgeous! And something I definitely did NOT miss were the swarms of ladybugs we encountered on our last visit. (Did you know ladybugs sometimes bite?)

There is a path that leads to the top of the falls, which I understand is also lovely. I'll have to save THAT view for another trip--maybe after I've increased my hiking endurance. Hey--I hear the recently-rediscovered Whiskeytown Falls (near Redding, CA) is just a 3.4 mile round-trip hike. And you can check out the amazing Sundial Bridge while you're in the area!

Jenny and Pete's Wedding!

My lovely niece Jenny (John and Jamie's daughter) married the dashing and adventurous Pete last Friday at her Aunt Kelly and Uncle Doug's home in Forest Ranch! (Click here to view my Shutterfly album of the wedding.) The reception was held at the Spiritual Enrichment Center, California Park, in Chico. It was a four-day event of food, drink, merry-making, tears, and lots and lots of smiles and laughter.

Pete and Jenny will continue to reside in Utah, where they are nearly done rehabbing their home while Jenny works on her advanced education and her cougar research. Here's to your new life together, Pete and Jenny!

Photos of Sacramento

As great as our little college town of Chico is, its proximity to the mountains, the coast, and the "city" makes it easy to do a day or weekend trip. San Francisco is just 3 hours away, and Sacramento just 1 1/2 hours.

On a recent trip to Sacramento I strolled around the State Capitol area and took a few photos (click here and then on View Album to see the photos on a Shutterfly album). So many cool shops and restaurants! Had great sushi at Momiji (14th & G St.). This past year friends and I got season tickets to the "Broadway" series at the Sacramento Community Theater (1301 L St.). The offering included "The Color Purple," "Avenue Q," "Frost-Nixon," and "Lion King." I have to say, I was very impressed with these traveling shows! The upcoming season (Sept. 30, 2009 - May 30, 2010) includes Legally Blonde, Spring Awakening, Xanadu. Little House on the Prairie, and A Chorus Line.

I definitely attend and appreciate local Chico theater, including entertainment at CSUC as well as The Blue Room, Chico Cabaret and Chico Community Theater. But it's also fun to get out of town once in a while and enjoy the diversity Northern California has to offer!