Azulita. ..For those of you who have been following our newsletters you might recall Calistoga Club Members building, painting, and mounting bird houses in the back field and garden on the Elementary School grounds. Members hoped that these houses would be very attractive to bluebirds.

The goal was to have each of the dozen boxes filled with nesting bluebirds over the summer, to raise awareness for the plight of the California Bluebird, and to enlist the effort of this helpful bird in the Club's garden project. Members learned that the presence of bluebirds would help contain the insect population in the garden so pesticide use could be avoided.

Summer rolled in and Club Members received a wonderful life lesson as the boxes began to fill with nesting pairs. The back field turned into a zipping, darting frenzy of hungry, nest making bluebirds. Soon, tiny peeps could be heard coming from the boxes.

As the Summer Program began to wind down the bluebird chicks started to take their first flight. It was an inspiring site to sit back and watch as the Members inhaled this experience. Gasps of wonder and excitement filled the field and garden as Club Members spied chicks taking wing from their homes flying in struggled bursts. A few bluebirds were now many!

It did not take long for the hatchlings to become experts at flight. By the time the Summer Program came to a close the bluebirds had moved on, but the experience was one that members continue to talk about. They named the first of these chicks Azulita or "Little Blue" and Members are anxious to see if she returns to start her own family next year.

We all need somebody to lean on. The new school year has started and with it an influx of new Members (especially from the Primary School).  While most of the "new to the Club Members" settled in very nicely, there was one young man, 6 years of age, who wasn't at all sure that the Club was for him. Once again our "A Team" Staff went into action to integrate this doubtful young boy into the Club flow.

On his first day at the Club our young friend was allowed to be a prestigious front desk helper where he could assist staff with small chores and check out the action from a safe perspective. Once the programs for the afternoon began he was paired with an older Club Member he knew and felt comfortable with. Under the watchful guidance of the Staff and Junior Staff (older Club Members who are learning leadership skills) the day progressed as did this young man's confidence and enjoyment.

His parents came to pick him up at the promised time. You can guess the outcome. He did not want to go. As a matter of fact his parents were so relieved to see such a happy ending to a shaky start they let their son have an extra hour at the Club. In less than a few hours,  this young gent went home with many new accomplishments, adventures and friends to talk about. Small stuff? Not at all, success can be subtle but its' effect is profound.

T's for Teens... It's a whole new frontier in wearable art for the Calistoga Teen Center. Clint Ferrier, Teen Center Director, ordered and just received a 2 color screen printing kit for Members to create their very own artwork t-shirts. The kit is far from being a toy or hobby kit so Clint, along with 6 of the older teen Members, will be "in training".

Screen printing is a complicated series of steps that requires focus and attention to detail. Members will learn the various sequences from designing artwork with Photoshop on the computer, to creating film transparencies on a printer. Then the actual screen prep and printing must be mastered before they can walk down the runway in their newest fashions.

The reward of learning to screen print is gaining a new and intricate skill set, as well as creating your own artwork to wear for a very individual clothing statement.  Clint then hopes to simply step back and observe as the new graduates on screen printing teach the next eager group of trainees, one t-shirt at a time.