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The following Altacal Audubon field trip activities are scheduled for August. All programs and activities are free of cost unless oth- erwise indicated and are open to the public. If you have any questions or want further information about specific activities, contact Wayland Augur at 519-4724 or email wba@acm.org. ThermalitoA erbay Kayaking: Saturday, Aug. 1 Meet the Grebes. Join the group for a morning out on the Afterbay. The group will getacloseuplookatWestern and Clark's Grebes in their breeding grounds. Call 519- 4724 if anyone would like to join without a kayak. The group will be on the lookout for Least Bittern, Peregrine Falcon and Common Loon. Anything can show up at the Afterbay. There have been many sightings of Bonapar- te's Gulls over the years. Af- ter kayaking the group will head over to the Causeway on Highway 162 and scope the Afterbay for more birds. Bring lots of water, sun- screen and snacks. Meet at the Larkin Road Boat Launch at southeast corner of lake south of 162 to launch at 8 am. Rain cancels. Contact: Matthew Forster, findforster@yahoo. com, 619-347-2269 Chico Oxidation Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary — beginner birding: Sunday, Aug. 16 The group will get a per- sonal and up-close view of the fall shorebird migra- tion at the Oxidation Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary at the Waste Water Treatment Plant, west of Chico. Yellow- headed Blackbirds, Great- tailed Grackle, plover, rails, yellowlegs, sandpipers, dow- itchers, returning waterfowl and possibly some unex- pected migrants. The walk is less than 2 miles and about 3 hours.Thisisgreatforbegin- ner and veteran birders. The walk is flat and pretty easy going. Meet at the Oxidation Pond parking lot at 7 a.m. This will allow the group to beat the heat. The group should be back to the lot by 10 a.m. To get to the Oxida- tion Ponds, go west on W 5th St from Hwy 32 in Chico. Follow W 5th St, which be- comes Chico River Road, for 3.9 miles. The wildlife view- ing parking area is 300 yards pastthemainentrancetothe watertreatmentplant,onthe left. Bring binoculars, spot- ting scopes, water, walk- ing shoes and proper cloth- ing for the expected weather conditions. There is a chem- ical toilet on the way out to the viewing area. Rain can- cels. Contact: Matthew For- ster, findforster@yahoo.com, 619-347-2269 Chico Oxidation Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary evening trips: Wednesdays, Aug. 19 and 26 and Sept. 2 and 9 Join the group for four Wednesdays in a row. This is the absolute height of shore- bird migration. Last year the group had Common, Forster's and Caspian Tern, Long and Short-billed Dow- itcher, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral, Soli- tary and Baird's Sandpiper and many more migrants. Brings lots of water and sunscreen. Dress according to the weather. The group will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Oxidation Ponds parking lot. Go west on W 5th St from Hwy 32 in Chico. Follow W 5th St, which becomes Chico River Rd, for 3.9 miles. The wildlife viewing parking area is 300 yards past the main entrance to the water treatment plant, on the left. There is a chemical toilet on the way out to the view- ing area. Rain cancels. Con- tact Matthew Forster, find- forster@yahoo.com, 619- 347-2269 El Dorado County Big Weekend: Aug. 29-30 El Dorado County be- gins in the valley at Folsom Lake and terminates at Lake Tahoe and the Nevada State line. This elevation range will provide many different habitat types to explore and a wide range of birds to ob- serve. Scott Huber will lead a two-day trip to El Dorado County to try to see as many birds in the county as possi- ble. Great for those who keep county lists. Where possible the group will try to enlist the assistance of local ex- perts from that county to join us or help in planning our route. Plan on leaving early Saturday morning, camping Saturday night (campground TBA, near Tahoe). Please sign up early to assist us in planning. Plan on bringing all food needed for the weekend, the group will cook dinner at the campsite on Saturday night. Bring tents, sleeping bags, an adventurous spirit and good sense of humor. Scott has extra camping gear if needed. Prepare for the possibility of rain. Car- pooling encouraged. Con- tact Scott if you are plan- ning to attend 321-5579 or wmscotthuber@gmail.com. FIELDTRIPSANDEVENTS Altacal Audubon activities scheduled for August SACRAMENTO The Bureau of Reclamation transmit- ted to Congress Wednes- day the Final Feasibility Report and Environmen- tal Impact Statement for the Shasta Lake Water Re- sources Investigation. The report describes the technical, environmen- tal, economic and finan- cial evaluations prepared to date for alternatives to raise Shasta Dam, located about 10 miles northwest of Redding. The report also identifies next steps to identify construction cost- share partners and project financing, and to develop the Recommended Plan. The project is intended to increase water supply and water supply reliabil- ity for agricultural, munic- ipal and industrial and en- vironmental purposes and increase survival of anad- romous fish populations in the upper Sacramento River. "Not only will this study help determine whether the project benefits Cali- fornia, which it may well be, it also ends the de- cade of limbo that lo- cal residents have faced," said Rep. Doug LaMalfa in a statement. "Califor- nia's voters spoke loudly last year in support of in- vestment in water infra- structure, but ensuring that local residents, busi- nesses and infrastructure are given proper consider- ation is key." Law required the Sec- retary of the Interior to conduct feasibility stud- ies of enlarging Shasta Dam and Reservoir, con- sistent with the CALFED Record of Decision and the 1983 Economic and Envi- ronmental Principles and Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resources Implementation Studies. The Investigation is one of four active surface storage feasibility studies identified in the CALFED ROD. The final reports are available for public review at http://www.usbr.gov/ mp/slwri/. DROUGHT Final report on Shasta Dam submitted DEAR MARY You re- cently had an interest- ing discussion on mat- tresses that mentioned the Tuft & Needle mattress. Did you get any fur- ther feed- back/infor- mation on how your reader liked the product? Have you gotten one? We are in- terested in hearing your opinion. —Jan DEAR JAN I have not. To my delight, the king bed and mattress we al- ready had fits well into our new guest room, so that's a purchase I hap- pily crossed off the list. However, I've heard from dozens of readers who have purchased a Tuft & Needle mattress, and without exception their feedback is excel- lent. Here's just one of many: DEAR MARY I saw Tuft & Needle mattresses mentioned in your col- umn by someone ask- ing about them. I pur- chased one. Great mat- tress and delivered on time as promised. I am very happy and recom- mend this product. — Sam DEAR MARY I am teary eyed with relief after reading your recent col- umn, "Simple Rules to Live By," where you re- vealed that you have di- rectional dyslexia. I suf- fer from the same thing; however, I did not real- ize it had a name. Direc- tional confusion is es- pecially a problem. I thought my problem, which causes fearful- ness when driving in un- known areas, was a ri- diculous phobia. I have hated myself for it, been embarrassed and tried, usually unsuccessfully, to hide it from all but my closest friends. Even get- ting out of an elevator to return the way I came, I would typically turn the wrong direction. I told my best friend that I felt it had an associa- tion with remembering sequences. When I read more about this problem, I saw myself. Mary, so much of your information has helped me more than I can say. Thankfully I have prac- ticed your basic rules throughout my married life so debt is not an is- sue. We used the "enve- lope" method of budget- ing, which worked re- markably well as our salaries were modest. We saved before we bor- rowed, and basically lived below our means. Your ideas are very wise, practical and they work. I must say that to- day's message means the world to me. I am not alone! Thank you. — Joann DEAR JOANN Of all mal- adies, I think this is one of the easiest to live with. It's not a seri- ous thing, especially in these times when hav- ing a GPS system with us at all times is pretty standard. I've learned to make a joke of it. I tell my husband, "Turn right — I mean left, no — I mean that way," as I point. I do get turned around in my own house and have to stop, close my eyes and take a deep breath. I've come up with little tricks in my mind that help im- mensely, like planning ahead. As I start down the stairs I'm planning ahead which way I will turn when I reach the last step. At first, I'm confused, but by the time I get there, more often than not, the fog clears and I make the correct turn without hesitation. Thank you for your kind words. You are not alone. Lots of us have this little quirk. Lighten up on yourself and find a small child that you can teach left and right. That has helped me as I've taught my grand- son. He's way ahead of me now, and tells me which is left and which is right. We just laugh and have fun with it. Mary Hunt is the founder of www. DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Feedback on Tu & Needle is all good A Susanville athletic group comprised of correc- tional and California High- way Patrol officers is com- mitted to fighting the war on human trafficking. The KnuckleDraggers, as they call themselves, are once again presenting a fundraising event with the goal of raising money to help children that have been rescued — the Courage Triathlon to benefit Cour- age Worldwide. With the help of the Bizz Running Company, the KnuckleDraggers are hop- ing to raise awareness and funds while encouraging the public to join them for a fun event in a beautiful setting. The Courage Triathlon Law Enforcement Chal- lenge will be a no-swim tri- athlon on the west shore of Lake Almanor in the Ches- ter area on Aug. 22. Al- though it's a Law Enforce- ment Challenge, it's not ex- clusive to law enforcement. A challenge, however, is being put forth to all agen- cies in the region to repre- sent their department by encouraging a team or a solo representative to par- ticipate and show support. A traveling trophy will be given to the winning par- ticipant/team recognizing the agency that was repre- sented. The event will begin at 10 a.m. at the Plumas Pines Resort with a 2.8 mile run or walk. Utilizing the paved Almanor Recreation Trail, participants will then bike 7.1 miles, transitioning to a 4.1 mile kayak segment at the Rocky Point South Group Campground. Kay- akers will finish the triath- lon at the Plumas Pines Re- sort where an award cere- mony will follow. All registrants can choose to participate as a member of a 3-person team or do the entire event solo. Either way, all will receive a participa- tion medal and shirt. To register, you must be at least 16 years old with a valid ID. Participants must provide their own bikes and kayaks. Helmets must be worn by cyclists and flota- tion vests must be worn by kayakers. For more information about Courage Worldwide, visit www.courageworld- wide.org or check out the 2-minute video on You- Tube called Who is Cour- age Worldwide. To register, help sponsor the event or get more infor- mation regarding the tri- athlon, including a course map, FAQs and race day directions, visit www.cour- agerun.org/triathlon or visit the Courage Triath- lon, Lake Almanor CA Face- book page. Organizers wel- come questions via Face- book or by at joannevice@ hotmail.com. COURAGE WORLDWIDE Tr ia th lo n to s up po rt r es cu ed c hi ld re n Mary Hunt PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. Thank you! COURTESYPHOTOS The 2014Courage Challenge run at Lake Almanor. 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