Friday   

This moderate out-and-back hike in the Sacramento River Bend Area is six and a half miles with 500’ elevation gain. We’ll hike through varied landscapes, meandering along a bluff overlooking the Sacramento River with excellent views of Lassen Peak. After a short climb up to Paynes Creek Point, we’ll eat lunch and enjoy more views. We’ll look and listen for birds (perhaps we’ll see the beautiful Lewis’s Woodpecker), and learn about the flora and fauna along our path. The return route takes us through the picturesque Perry Ravine.

Reading poetry helps you to know things more fully, it commands your attention, and it can sustain good conversation. In this class, participants select poetry from favorite sources to read aloud with fellow enthusiasts.

The North State is home to rich, diverse public lands: refuges, parks, forests, and reserves. Your public lands provide vital wildlife habitat and protect our natural resources. On this field trip, we’ll explore Gray Lodge, with guidance from a California Department of Fish and Wildlife Naturalist and enjoy an easy two-mile nature walk on level paths. We will identify birds, enjoy stunning views of the Sutter Buttes, and learn about this haven for over 300 species of wildlife. Come explore your public lands with us!

Most American PBS viewers know Sue Perkins as one of the original hosts on the Great British Baking Show. She has also presented a number of travel series on British television. Over nine class meetings, we'll view her travels down the Ganges from its source and up the Mekong through South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. We'll also take a whirlwind tour through Japan or travel along the TransAlaska highway, one of the worlds' most dangerous roads.

This is the longest of the six major Yang-style tai chi movements, taking about 25 minutes to complete. Tai Chi is known for developing balance, strength, and flexibility. It is a form of meditation in movement. In this class you will learn the first third of the forms, or about 36 moves, in a workshop environment.

Cribbage is a great card game for two people: fast, unpredictable, and portable. Though the game has many rules, this class will take you through all facets of the game, step by step. By the time you have finished this class, you will not only know the game well, but you will also know how to teach the game to others. If you already know the game, come play with us. Been looking for someone to play with? Maybe you will find a new friend and opponent here!

California's temperate climate allows an amazing array of plants to be grown locally. Edible gardens, pollinator gardens, native gardens, contemplative gardens, and demonstration gardens are some of the many varieties to tour. Inspired by the successful model of the "Arts & Eats" OLLI class, "Garden Gourmands" will focus on touring the art of garden landscapes combined with eating locally. Join two Master Gardeners as we explore different area gardens followed by a no-host lunch at various local eateries to enjoy the bounty of Butte County.

This is the longest of the six major Yang-style tai chi movements, taking about 25 minutes to complete. Tai Chi is known for developing balance, strength, and flexibility. It is a form of meditation in movement. In this class we will review the first 36 forms in a workshop environment. Additional forms will be taught as the group is ready.

Each week we'll view and discuss a feature-length documentary or two shorter films. The films will generally feature a performer or composer, the impact of their environment on their music, and the impact of their music on other musicians and on society. Or the focus might be on a style of music from swing to country, jazz to rock. This is a class for the open-minded and intellectually curious because, paraphrasing Mick Jagger, you might not always hear what you like but sometimes you just might like what you hear.

In this one-day class, participants will learn how to use four ingredients (flour, yeast, salt, and water) to make many kinds of bread, just like those lovely French baguettes. This class is based on the book The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and it is a prerequisite to the advanced Artisan Bread Making classes.

Building on the techniques learned in the beginning-level class, you'll learn to transform the basic dough into more beautiful, specialty seasonal bread. Prerequisite: Artisan Bread Making: Beginning.

Visit the Llano Seco Viewing Platform to learn to identify the ducks and geese that spend the winter here. Then, at dusk, the waterfowl fly out from the ponds to nearby fields to feed at night. This can be an impressive sight with the large number of flocks in the air. Bring a folding chair and binoculars, and we’ll sit back and enjoy the scenic view as we watch them flying against the sunset and full moon.