#29 - July 20th, 2005

It's been a busy week - come fly with me…..
Some of you may be surprised to learn that apart from fresh carrion I also have some expertise on a number of other topics, even if I do say so myself. One such subject is the Prince of Fruits - The Strawberry…Now, after hours of in-depth research and excessive amounts of berry-eating, leading to a number of incidents of personal 'troubles down below', I am able to present exclusively to you, my loyal readers, the " Strawberry Top Three " …In third place I have the earthy-fresh and sweet tasting strawberries from Saechau Farms, just south of Ukiah on Hwy 101. They are well priced at $5 for a good-sized container but for every four superb berries there was a lesser tasting one. Despite this, they may still have pushed harder for the runner-up spot if not for the discourteous service which cost them some valuable points…No 'please'; no 'thank you'; not even a 'smile' - surely as a paying customer I am entitled to at least one out of three. But no, I was just informed of the amount of money I owed , spoken with an American accent, and that was it. To make matters worse, I did get a big yawn with no hand covering the mouth right in my face. Quite simply they were ill-mannered …And before some bleedin' heart liberal, who lives in the middle of nowhere and has little contact with what goes on in the real world, steps in to defend this behavior as an understandable result of a difference in cultures, I would just like to say to them, "Get a life "….
In second place we have the delicious berries form the Blue Meadow Farm just off Hwy 128 (17.5 mile marker) on Holmes Ranch Road here in the Valley. They may not quite have the full-bodied taste of those from Saechau but they are a little more refreshing, a little less sweet, almost more 'natural' I'd say, and undoubtedly come with better customer service thanks to the very friendly Farmer Pam….and just so you know, it's not just the strawberries which are good - Blue Meadow also comes up with a wide range of excellent veggies and fruits…But in first place, and still as good as anything I have ever had, including my Grandmother's prize-winning strawberries, it has to be the 'world class' strawberries (with just the right amount of sweetness and great juiciness) which you can sometimes get from Tom Smith of Gschwend Road (between Philo and Navarro). I say 'sometimes' because at this point he does not often sell them at The Farmers Market (at The Boonville Hotel grounds on Saturday mornings from 9.45am to Noon). Otherwise, you have to either buy them at Lauren's Restaurant in Boonville, where they are on the menu, or Tom can be reached at 707-895-2312 to make arrangements to meet up - he is in Boonville a couple of early evenings a week and is certainly prepared to bring some into town with him if requested…P.S. For all the courteous behavior of the employees and the wonderful appearance of the strawberries themselves, I'm afraid the tasteless, watery offerings from Safeway did not even make my top ten…Too bad as they are very well priced but if they don't have any taste then what a waste of time…..
'Looking for love' in the 'Personals' is also a waste of time in some people's mind but I would disagree and present another fine example of how to go about this delicate task - "Bad tempered, foul-mouthed old bastard, living in a damp cabin in Navarro, seeks attractive 21 year old blonde lady, with a lovely chest."…Shouldn't be a problem…..
A far bigger problem will be where I can go for a drink after work now that The Buckhorn Saloon in Boonville has closed. I was there last Thursday after Owner Diana Charles had announced that she is leaving the bar-ownership business and this was to be her final week, culminating in a Saturday Night Farewell Party… It's too bad... Diana and her staff have worked very hard for a long time but the rigors of the day-in, day-out running of a bar will more often than not finally take their toll on those involved and I'm sure in many ways Diana is happy to be moving on. I wish her every happiness and success in the future. I believe that only people who have done this work can truly relate to the trials and tribulations it involves; others can only try to understand…The following night saw my "Earlys" (numerous Pale Ales) enjoyed at The A.V. Brewery Tasting Room on a beautiful evening in which to sit in their beer garden. This was followed by a "good drink" and way too many "conversationals" (Bass Ales) when I found myself once more at The Buckhorn with many of the 'usual suspects'. All had one idea in mind - to enjoy 'The Last Friday'…They did…..
Finally, on Saturday I felt I had to make an appearance at The Buckhorn for their closing night and Farewell Party which turned into a wonderful evening and a "very good drink", despite the fact that they had run out of virtually every beer apart from Budweiser by 11pm…If I was a 'proper' reporter I would have taken the time to ask those in attendance what 'the end of The Buckhorn as we know it' meant to each of them. I'm not and therefore I didn't, but there was certainly an 'end of an era' feel about the occasion. I have been around a number of similar functions in the past and one thing I will say from such experiences is that virtually everyone underestimates the degree to which the closure will affect them. It's a perfect case of people only missing something when it's gone. Trust me on this …
As for my observations, I believe that a bar like The Buckhorn Saloon is an important cog in the community's wheel. Every community should have such a bar. A bar in which customers can sip a few beers after work whilst surrounded by familiar and hopefully friendly faces; where they can either relax alone or join in with a conversation featuring anything from a serious political debate to the banal bar banter - it's all good… Now, to it's detriment, Boonville and Anderson Valley no longer have such a bar. The Boonville Hotel, The Brewery Tasting Room, The Boonville Lodge, or Lauren's Restaurant each provide something enjoyable in their own right. However, even if they wanted to, not one of them can lay claim to be that classic local bar for the whole community…Many people relied upon The Buckhorn as their only meeting place with friends and any number of different characters. A place where somebody would know their name. Their "Cheers" as it were…Where will they go now to get that sense of community ? That sense of community which The Buckhorn once provided and which is now lost…
Hopefully someone else will take over and normal service will be resumed a.s.a.p.. The property's landlord, Ken Allen of the A.V. Brewery, would be wise, and much appreciated, if he was to make any transition as smooth as possible, equitable to both parties of course. Similarly, anyone wishing to take over the bar should realize the wonderful potential for success there is and negotiations should move forward with this in mind. As has been shown many times before, it has to work for both sides for success to follow. A thriving, busy, well-run, highly regarded 'new' Buckhorn is good for everyone. A community endeavoring to cater to all its citizens needs a good local bar; Boonville needs a good local bar; we Vultures need a good bar ! - I have never lived anywhere which has not had such a place…I have my claws crossed that we will not have to wait too long…(Has my sense of desperation got across to you yet ??)…
Meanwhile, may I take this opportunity to pass on my sincere thanks and appreciation to Diana, her wonderful Mum, Jo-Anne, and the rest of the crew for their hospitality and for providing me and many others with numerous happy memories of nights out in Boonville. From the always excellent chicken wings, the delicious burgers, and the cold Poleeko Gold Ales to the banter amongst the patrons and staff, the "very good drinks" on Friday nights , the Monday Night Football festivities etc, and the laughter and fun out on the back deck - thanks to all those who made it happen…..
I think I've pontificated enough…It only remains for me to remind you - let us prey…..Kind regards and yours thirstily, Turkey Vulture (turkeyvulture1@earthlink.net)