# 72 - August 15th, 2007

Greetings one and all and thanks for joining me…First I have to take care of business and set this week’s quiz. Here we go; answers at the end of the column…
1. In what decade did the Valley’s local dialect, “Boontling” originate?
2. How much will it cost you to spend a night camping at The Indian Creek County Park in The Valley?
3. In which prime-time T.V. show does part-time Valley resident, Rene Auberjoinois, regularly appear?

Let’s get straight in to The Whine of the Week...I certainly don’t wish to put my social engagements at risk but what’s with a Pot Luck gathering that leaves you hungry? At most Pot Lucks I have attended, most guests, including Hummingbird and myself, have made an effort and bought food whilst some others have not. It’s a wonderful idea in theory and when everyone pulls together it can be an excellent time for all. However, and it’s only my opinion of course, too often it doesn’t work and there is not enough food to go round. Sound familiar? Let me assure you that when you next visit The Nest you will be thoroughly “fed and watered” by we hosts (assuming you like grilled carrion), and if you decide to bring a courteous bottle then it will be appreciated. This keeps it simple and it works every time…Now please don’t let this mild rant dissuade you from inviting me over for that bar-b-que pot luck you’re planning. I’ll be there, with a bottle or two of something and my “secret recipe” potato and squirrel salad… and I promise to only eat what any Vulture would devour in polite company…

Wine of the Week…Now I’m not a big fan of the semi-sweet white wines but, with the right food pairing, I have found that they can be most enjoyable, even for a red wine-guzzling bird of prey like myself. This past week a friend of mine dropped of some smoked albacore salmon he had caught and cured for my eating pleasure. I thought about it for a moment and then put some on a bagel with cream cheese and opened up a bottle of Chenin Blanc from The Valley’s Husch winery. Wow! - I was in hog heaven. This is a really good wine when paired with the right sort of savory food – trust me on this, you’ll thank me later…

Moving on…The plan was simple, just like my lazy good-for-nothing brother-in-law Fred the Philo Finch, but, unlike Fred, I felt that this plan just might work!...I had decided to fly out to the coast on Thursday, check out the views, have a bite to eat at Mendo Burgers, home of my “Best French Fries in the County” award for 2005, guzzle a couple of pints of Guinness at Patterson’s Pub in the heart of Mendocino, and then travel back to The Valley via Elk and the Philo-Greenwood Ridge Road. It was a perfect morning up in the hills at The Nest as I set out - what could go wrong?...Nothing as it happens!...The views were spectacular; the fries as good as ever, (although too expensive at this point); the Guinness tasted wonderful, having been poured perfectly by a rather attractive barmaid; Elk was found to be still one of the north coast’s most charming places; and the drive back to The Valley as relaxing as country driving can be…Yes, folks, life up here can be very special indeed and I can certainly recommend this particular ‘Mendo Experience’ to everyone…

That’s enough food talk for this week…On to another topic near and dear to my heart – flying. Last weekend saw the Annual Hangar Party at the airport in Boonville. Hosted by the affectionately known “Airport Crowd”, this has turned into one of the more popular local events on the calendar. With the local pilots giving ride after ride to the assembled guests, beer and wine on offer, and dinner in the evening that should be of no surprise. Of course, I only observe from the perimeter fence, not wishing to show the pilots up with my flying skills, but I have to say they are a very talented group and one can only imagine that there is a little “vulture’ in them all…

So, it would appear that arguably my favorite store in The Valley is under new management. I’m referring to The A.V. Farm Supply, owned and operated for many, many years by Dave and Nancy Gowan. Thanks to the investigative reporting by Our Mighty Leader, Bruce Anderson, we have now learnt that it has been leased, with a view to buying, by a young, motivated couple from the coast who, according to Dave, aim to pretty much keep it the same with a few changes to be added over time. This is excellent news for their loyal customers and a fine reward for Dave and Nancy who rejected proposals from those in the winery world and hung on for a buyer who would keep the Farm Supply going. Like many of you I shall miss seeing and talking with Dave and Nancy on a regular basis, particularly Dave’s jokes and spot-on weather forecasts (more accurate than anything on the radio, t.v. or internet) and, of course, their advice on everything from the range of soils for your tomato plants to caring for bummer lambs living indoors with severe cases of diarrhea!...I know they will keep busy somehow (helping the new owners for a time at least) but if anyone deserves a break and some personal time it’s these guys. I wish them the very best for a long and happy retirement…Many thanks to both of you from many of us…

Well, I must go, I have to attend a Pot Luck at my neighbor’s house and I want to get there before the food has all gone…May your God go with you - and in the meantime, let us prey…
Humbly yours…Turkey Vulture…..
You can contact me with your comments of support/abuse, or anything else for that matter, either through the Letters Page of the A.V.A. or by e-mail at…turkeyvulture1@earthlink.net
Quiz Answers…
1. 1880’s
2. $10
3. Boston Legal