#1 - November 24th, 2004

Valley dwellers and those beyond….. As I travel in and around the beautiful Anderson Valley I am able to observe all sorts of weird and wonderful goings-on from my bird's eye view…Many sightings are strange yet true and my interpretations of them may well appear cruel but hopefully fair and just…You be the judge……
Let me begin by saying that it's a turkey's life and this week, of all week's, you are welcome to such a life! With my feathered friends going at $7.95 for a sixteen -pounder their lives seem even more worthless than I had ever thought. I for one will not be devouring one of them this year but not, however, because my predatory instincts are wavering. No, an important dignitary from England, The Duke of Erdington, will be in town visiting friends for the Thanksgiving holiday and at his request, instead of turkey, a succulent lamb has been slaughtered and along with other assorted 'turkeys' from the Valley, we shall be enjoying the delights of an organic, free-range, alfalfa fed, apple munching lambs leg…..I can almost hear it 'baaahing'….
Just this past week I was witness to a delightful Monday evening at the local hostelry, The Buckhorn Saloon. As always the beers were excellent and this was not just the opinion of those who produce them - The A.V. Brewery Crew, who were there in force, but also those of many others who were in attendance . There was much eating, drinking and merry-making as Monday Night Football played on the t.v's. and, to complement the ales, the bar provided free snacks including some delicious bacon and cheese on potato skins and plates of spicy nachos. A fine time was had by all, added to by a smiling face behind the bar - always a pleasant bonus…Well done to Diana and the Gang, thanks for a fun evening…
I flew over to Ukiah a few days later and made the almost obligatory visit to Wal-Mart. Frequently there are some amazing bargains on many items - if you can find them. Don't always rely on a solution to this problem by turning to the staff, however. I could not find the light bulbs and there seem to be throngs of staff working there but they were gathered in small groups and appeared to be so thoroughly engaged in each other's company that the logo emblazoned on the back of their work vests, "How may I help you ?" was only going to be tested if I had the nerve and desire to dare to interrupt - which I eventually did after standing next to them, in full view, staring for some time…I hear that they are not exactly treated well by the mighty Wal-Mart conglomerate but surely my pleading look should have alerted them to my situation - perhaps I just caught them on a day when they had plenty to catch up on…
On my return to the Valley I stopped by The Farm Supply to pick up some animal supplies and keep my appointment for my aging and injured dog with Dr Katy Summers from the Mendocino Animal Hospital. She, or one of her fellow vets, is at this venue almost every Tuesday afternoon (2pm - 3.30pm; call to confirm) and a marvelous job they do too ! It is a vital service to many people in the Valley and the care, knowledge, and genuine concern of Katy and the other vets are second to none. Their cause is aided and abetted by the animal-loving Nancy and Dave Gowan who do a splendid job of their own in owning and operating the Farm Supply and should be thanked for providing this venue for the vets to perform their magic.
As I made my way to the coast along Highway 128 on a rainy day a couple of weeks ago, I and many others found ourselves hindered in the desire to drive at a safe but efficient 45 mph by a 'stranger in a strange land' (a tourist) who insisted on a 25 mph speed. He was in a nifty little sports car and being right behind him I could make out his middle-aged appearance chattering away to a much younger woman at his side in the passenger seat. The road was slick and overtaking somewhat perilous yet as we passed numerous turnouts he refused to pull over and I watched as he continued to regale his 'friend' with no doubt fascinating tales. Finally, with seven cars behind me I had to make a move and on a stretch of road where visibility into the distance was clear I made my move. As I went by I gave him my old 'vulture' stare and a look of incredulity. Predictably, not wishing to be 'questioned' in front of the friend, the man 'bravely' flipped me off…… What is it with these folks who, whilst they are entitled to drive at any speed they wish, seem to think that everyone else has to… and then when their annoying behavior is pointed out to them they react in this way ? Self-obsessed bastards is all I can come up with - S.O.B.'s for short - and our highways are full of them. As I often say, to those few who listen, the road is a place where one is often thrown into some sort of confrontational interaction with people one would never normally have anything to deal with in one's daily routine. Road rage is the ultimate reaction to these situations but fortunately most of us simply grimace and knowingly say to ourselves , "S.O.B !"…or something to that effect……
The other day, myself and a good friend of mine were ruminating about ruminants (i.e. thinking deeply about sheep) as we relaxed on a hilltop above Yorkville surveying the valley below. He clearly had a topic of some concern on his mind and as we each popped open a can of Guinness he turned to me and said," TV (his short for Turkey Vulture), have you ever wondered why they call them sheep herders or shepherds when they actually work with flocks of sheep not herds ?"…. Before I could come up with some sort of witty reply he added, " I guess 'sheep flickers' was never going to stick"….He is a wise man.
Not for the first time, the highlight of my fun-filled week was once again the visit to the Dump on Mountain View Road. Loaded up with a truck load of recycling - mainly wine bottles and pet food cans, I arrived at my destination to be met by the smiling face of the new, possibly permanent, County employee. He was very helpful and had come up with the elementary, yet brilliant, idea of putting out orange cones to guide the reversing vehicles to the open bins. We shall all miss the previous Dump Man and his 'trash talk' but if this new guy, Ron, who has filled in there on Jay's days off in the past, gets the job, I for one will be very pleased……
Travelling up the Holmes Ranch Road I was very pleasantly surprised to see what a difference the work performed by Wayne Hiatt and his crew had made. This road gets lots of traffic, much of it by locals in a hurry who perhaps "should have left earlier", as the Valley people would say. This results in many of the steeper sections declining rapidly and, depending on the time of year, it is either a cloud of dust or a sea of mud to navigate. It is now looking good and driving well at this point and I tip my beak to the expertise and hard work of Wayne and the guys…
At about 5pm on Friday evening as I was driving north on Highway 128 into downtown Boonville I noticed the lights on at the new Anderson Valley Brewery tasting room and a few cars parked outside. After a strenuous day flying around the Valley I felt in need of a pint of the Brewmaster's best so I pulled in and entered the spacious building. It is very white and clean and with just a few customers and staff enjoying an after-work ale it felt in need of some warmth. I recognized a few of the revelers and joined them for a beer. With a pint of Police Gold in hand, I made a brief tour of the facility and the potential for an excellent venue is there to be grabbed and run with. The actual bar, though small, has all the beers made by this excellent brewery available and the room is full of plenty of tables and chairs at which to enjoy them. The gift shop towards the back has everything one might expect, all with the excellently designed brewery logos prominently displayed, and then outside there is a very pleasant beer garden with heating and real beer-drinking tables at which to get drunk and talk gibberish…err, rather, at which to quaff the fine ales whilst enjoying stimulating conversation…I shall be back for more of both…
Election hangover…Hanging out the other day in my nest high above the Valley, while still finding myself somewhat astonished by the actual election results, I was not at all surprised to hear certain viewpoints from those entrusted with the upcoming four years of leadership in this country. Now I do not wish to get too political in my musings, and I rarely will, but some things just have to be commented on.. For instance, the new senator for Oklahoma has called for not just the outlawing of abortion but for the death penalty for doctors who break such a law…Another new senator, from South Carolina, has said single mothers and homosexuals should not teach in schools…And a third new senator, from South Dakota, is a creationist and no doubt looks forward to the day when such theories appear in schoolbooks….Whatever your beliefs, surely these extreme convictions are no way to mend a wounded and divided country and one can only hope that the inevitable attempts to introduce such radical conservative social policies into law are unsuccessful……but what do I know ? - I'm just a simple Turkey in the country with Valley 'stuff' to prey upon…..