Deer Tracks in the Orchard at Sunset

We took this photo of the orchard last night as the sun was setting. All of the tracks were made by deer. They have been busy moving through the area this winter.

Cheshire Academy for Lifelong Learning at Keene State College

One of the many attractive features about the Monadnock region is the nearby access to institutions of higher education. For adults, the area has a wide variety of programs and courses available. Keene State College is less than 25 minutes away from Fern Hill, and has the most exciting program around for adults aged 55 and older. Check it out...

Keene State College's Cheshire Academy for Lifelong Learning (CALL) announces that registration is open for spring classes. CALL, founded in the mid-1990s, is an educational program for learners 55 years and older in the Monadnock region.

Participants choose from 19 classes on widely different topics, including American foreign policy, art of the 19th century, the basics of wine, cell biology, China in revolution, the French revolution, international law, and plant identification.

Classes run on Fridays from March 11 through April 29, 2011, and are 80 minutes long. Semester registration is $65. A one-time per-year $20 membership fee paid at registration permits students to use campus facilities throughout the academic year, from now through August. While registration is open until the first day of class, early registration is recommended as classes fill quickly.

CALL is Keene State's institute for learning in retirement and runs twice a year, in the spring and fall. Taught by CALL members and other local experts, courses are noncredit and nongraded. CALL participants take an active role in planning courses. Participants can take up to four classes each semester. CALL's highly interactive classes give students the opportunity to learn new subjects, develop new interests, and make new friends.

CALL is affiliated with the Elderhostel Institute Network. CALL and other Institutes for Learning in Retirement (ILR) differ from Elderhostel in that ILR programs are nonresidential and offer classes on an ongoing weekly basis.

Information and registration material are available at KSC's Continuing Education Office (358-2290). The office is located in Elliot Center, room 144.