#8 - January 19th, 2005

Well, the rains have subsided for now although they will inevitably return a number of times before the end of the 'season' arrives. Many of the Valley's backroads are not faring too well and are in need of repair before the damage becomes a serious problem and one such road is in the Yorkville Highlands. Last week during the rains I was driving along this road when I passed a local sheep farmer trying to dig his 4 x 4 out of the roadside ditch where he had skidded. He had been trying to round up his new batch of recently born lambs and I gave him some assistance in getting the vehicle out of the thick mud. After about twenty minutes we were successful and as we stood with our celebratory beers in hand, surveying the lambs and their mothers in the field before us, he looked me up and down, covered in mud and drenched from the steady rainfall as I was, and commented wryly, " You know, Vulture, despite what people may think, the lambing season isn't all glamour, "…..
Following on from my comments about the lack of choice for evening dining in the Valley over the holidays, 'SBF' of the Anderson Valley Advertiser staff wrote in last week's column, 'Valley People", that we should be aware that Café Glad in downtown Boonville is open from 7am to 2pm every weekday and had been serving fine "pastries, coffee, and lunch" between those hours throughout the holiday period. This is wonderful news and their efforts are appreciated but such hours are not really going to help with dining out at night ,which was the point I was making. Still, on a positive note, 'SBF' addressed me as 'Mr. Vulture' and I certainly appreciate the fact that the family name is finally being given some long overdue respect, deservedly or not…..Hopefully I have not upset anyone with my comments about the dining situation but, in case I have, if anyone is thinking of retaliating they should be aware that a turkey vulture's number one form of defense when under some form of attack or threat is to immediately vomit. Oh, yes, readers, I'm talking about 'throwing-up' some of the more recent additions to the vulture's stomach. This will usually produce the most pungent and vile deposit imaginable resulting in those who have made the attack or threat disappearing promptly - and most importantly, not to return….
On a related topic (to food establishments, not vile deposits), as reported here last week I can now confirm the permanent, for now (?), closing of The Horn of Zeese and the corresponding extension of hours and changes in the menu and beer line-up at The Buckhorn Saloon. I am aware that the new beers include Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Red Tail Ale, and Fat Tire, which is all the rage in San Francisco although not nearly as good as the Anderson Valley Brewery's Poleeko Gold in my humble opinion…..
I had planned to be at The Buckhorn for their new breakfast 'scene' but I heard that a very good friend of mine who lives in San Francisco had been attacked for no apparent reason by total strangers as he walked home from work one evening and I wished to visit him in hospital. He had stopped at a liquor store in the Tenderloin district to get a six-pack to help sooth the aches and pains after a hard week on a construction site. It was around 5pm and still light with the streets packed with people as he walked out of the store. He had taken a couple of steps when.. bam !, bam !, he received two crushing blows to the head with a baseball bat. He went to ground immediately and can remember nothing else. According to by-standers, none of whom thought they were safe to step in to help, two youths continued to beat my friend with the bat as they grabbed the wallet from his pocket containing a few hundred dollars as he had just cashed his work check. He was rushed to S.F. General where emergency operations took place. He had a fractured skull, broken upper and lower jaw, broken nose, and both eye sockets were fractured. His face was a complete mess.
As we spoke together last weekend, not easy as his jaw was wired shut and he was in considerable pain despite the medications, he was a very bitter man. "F*ck this place, man," he mumbled, "What had I done to upset those f*ckers ?…god, this hurts so much…" He knew as well as I that he was just a random victim. He will have his health bills paid for by S.F.'s Victims of Violent Crime law but apparently the disability payments from the government will not cover all his rent so he is planning to move into a hostel. The police have already announced that the case is virtually closed with no hope of any witnesses stepping forward and no leads whatsoever. Having spent nearly two decades in the City, most of it in the 'wild and crazy' bar business, and now residing up here in the relative safety and tranquility of the Valley I had already decided that I would never go back to living in such an environment. The incident will not be in the papers or on the news and according to friends still there, in and around the S.F. 'scene' , similar occurrences are happening every day. It is all very sad…..
On a much lighter note, whilst in the City, I experienced an evening at the critically acclaimed Buca di Beppo restaurant, south of Market Street on Howard Street. It is an extremely vibrant place, very noisy in fact, but with a festive, party atmosphere, very good family-style Italian dining, decent wine selection, and reasonable prices. If anyone is thinking of having a family get-together in San Francisco I can think of no better place for a large group from eight to twenty eight !…..Just thought you should know…..
Despite my absence, I had made arrangements for one of my top investigative reporters up here at The Nest to check in on the breakfast scene at The Buckhorn Saloon now happening from 7am to 11am. The lovely Hummingbird took the assignment and was most impressed with her biscuits and gravy, over-easy eggs, sausage patties, and first rate coffee. Her friend had some excellent and plentiful pancakes, the mimosas ('champagne' and o.j.) were perfect, and the service was to be commended. Perhaps some of this should come as no surprise to those who used to frequent the Horn of Zeese as in the kitchen it was the Horn's former cook, D'Anne Wallace, and daughter Heather was waiting tables, along with the Buckhorn's own, always hospitable, Diana Charles. There was a decent crowd in there and hopefully the word will get out and things can go from strength to strength. The Valley has to have a good breakfast place year round …..and the serving of mimosas is a wonderful addition to any breakfast, in the opinion of those in the Vulture 'Family' that is…..
Finally this week, I would like to mention that as I stopped in Boonville to fill up with gas for my trip south, I chatted briefly with our local sheriff, Deputy Scott Nordin. We exchanged pleasantries, talked briefly about the N.F.L. play-offs, discussed the possibilities of arranging a poker game - for entertainment purposes only of course, and as I pulled away to head of to S.F., he jokingly cautioned, "keep it under 100". You've got to like that kind of interchange and advice - what a great place to live………..
Have a happy, healthy week……Let us prey, Turkey Vulture…..